Collected Works of Giovanni Boccaccio

by Giovanni Boccaccio

  And how it was, callynge to remembraunce the crueltie of Danaus, made warr vpon hym and slewe hym, and reigned hymself for hym, and toke oute hys deare wyfe oute of prysone, and not oonely made hyr Quene of Argyuys, but further, namede hyr as the felowe to Juno, to hyr double honour. And thus, hyr susters by vngraciouse tyranny hauynge desemyde euerlastynge shame, she for hyr wyfely pyte hathe obtaynede eternall fame vnto this present day.

  Off Nyobe, Quene of Thebes.

  The xiiijth Chapitre.

  NYOBE WELLNERE EMONGSTE all the vulgar people is knowne a notable woman, for asmuche as she was the doughter of the myghty and famouse Tantalus, Kynge of the Frygyens, and suster to Pelopis. She was maryede to Amphyon, that tyme Kynge of Thebes, of grete fame, as well because he was the sonne of Jupiter, as also because he was a man of synglar eloquens.

  And beynge accompanede with hyr, in tyme he had of hys wyfe Nyobe seuen sonnes and as many doughters. And that whiche shulde haue bene to a wyse womane cause to haue laudyde God was to hyr by pryde a destractione, for as well elatyde for hauynge of so many children, as by the greate stock she was descendyd of, she was not aferde to speke against goddes. It so chauncyde by the commaundement of Mantona, the prophet of Teresia, that hyr children wer busyde in doynge sacrifyce aboute the ceremonyes of Apollo and the superstitiones of Diana. Which Nyobe perceyuynge, as it were all in a rage, with a greate company of seruaunttes aboute hyr and hire children after a pryncelyke facyon, she approchyd to the place, saynge vnto theym: ‘What madnes haue the Thebans to goo aboute suche ioly sacryfyce with a woman of a straynge countrie, and to suffre hyr twane children, the basterds of Tytan, beynge no more in numbre, that they shulde do to the goddes sacryfyce, when I, beynge a quene and doughter to Tantalus, hauywge so many fayre children as fourtene in numbre, shulde haue doone myself the ceremonyes.’ By thies proude wordes, how it was that not longe after she sawe it with hyr oune eyes, hyr children with a strange pestilence were deuourede all. And Amphion, hyr husbonde, beynge orbate or voyde of so many swete children, for pure sorowe with his oune swerde slewe hymself, the Thebans thynkynge noone other but thys chaunce came to theym oonely by the dyuyne hande and strooke of Gode. Thus Nyobe, viduate, and heuy of the lostes of hyr husbounde and of so many fayre children, became at the laste so muete, and spake so fewe wordes that it semyde hyr to be more a stoone that cannot be remouede then a woman. For whiche cause the poetes feyne that at Siphilum, where hyr children were buryede, that ther she was conuertyde into a stoone. It is a harde thynge to beere those proude folkes and be in company with theym. But a womans pryde to susteyne is intollerable, for asmuche as of theyr oune nature they be inclynede to pryde, and those that be otherwyse, allways ar more apte to vertue then to rule. It is therfore noo memeu tnoughe the strooke ol uode light vppon suche prowde women, when they cannot keepe theym withyn the terme of humylyte, as this folishe Nyobe dyd — scornyd with the vnstedfaste gyftes of fortune ande, wenynge that it came of the gyftes of nature and not of Gode, the fayre fructe of children, she loste theym all. It hade been mete for hyr to haue geuyn laude for suche thynges to the geuer of all goode. And because she neclecte it, she not onely in hyr tyme bewayled it, but nowe after many worldes hyr foly is spoken and comonde of.

  Off Ysiphile, Quene of Leumi.

  The xvth Chapitre.

  YSIPHILE WAS A right honorable woman, aswell for the pyte she shewde to hyr father, as also for hyr infortunate exyle and the deathe of Arthemor, to whome she was guydowr and rular. Thys sayde lady was doughter of Thoantes, Kynge of Leumi, reignynge in those days when that the vngraciouse woodenes was in the myndes of the women to withdrawe theym frome the obeysance that women shulde haue to theyr husbondes, for, despysynge the alegaunse that they oughte to theyr olde Kynge, Isyphile beynge emonge the other women one of the conspiracy, with a mutuall consent they concludyde that, the next nyght after, euery wyfe shulde murdre theyr husbondes. Now the reste agreynge lyke ragyde beastes ther vnto, onely Isyphile was mouede to a moore meeke waye, for, remembreynge that it was against nature to fyle hyr handes with hyr fathers bloode, declarynge to hyre father the counsell of the other women, she wyllyde hym in all haste to take a shyppe and flie a way to an ile callyde Chyum, thereby to advoyde the comune furye of the reste. And to clooke the matere the better, she causide to be made a comune funerall, as thoughe it hade bene in verey deede for the buryinge of hyr father. Whiche beleuyde of all the women as it had bene a thynge of truthe, she anone was sett in hyre fathers throone and takyne emonge the vngraciouse women verey quene in deede. It is a moste holy thynge, the pyte that children haue towardes their parenttes. For what thynge is more syttynge, what more ryghtuouse, what more prayse-wowrthely then to quyte with all humanyte and honour theim that, when we were not able to helpe ourselfe, kept vs and with feruent loue noryshede vs, tyll we came in poynte and state to helpe ourselffes, made vs to be taught goode maners, goode instructione and lernyng, and studyd as well to gyue vs worldly goodes as knowlege of vertuouse thynges? Which say de Isyphyle hauynge doone so well to hyr father, not withoute goode, iuste cause she is well worthy to be emongste the numbre of noble women. She, than, thus reignyng, were it by chaunce or by forse of contrary wyndes, Jasone, goyng into Colcos, all thoughe the women wolde haue withstonde hym, he toke londe in hyr countrie, where at the laste he was well receyuyde of the Quene, aswell at bedde as at borde. And when he wente hys waye after he had had by hyr too children, by the lawe that was made emonge the women, wylde she, nylde she, she was compellyde to sende theym oute of hyr londe, as sum say to Chyum, to hyr vnkles, to norishe. And at the last, when it was knowne that agaynst the lawe she had sauyde hyr fathers lyfe, the women sett vppon hyr all in a rage, in somuche she had muche wowke to do to entre a shyppe and saue hyrself. And as she saylyde in sekynge hyr father and chyldren, sodeynly by pyrates of the see she was taken and trobled, and tost here ande ther, and at the last delyueryde to Lygurgus, the Kynge of Nemeus, for a greate gyfte, by whom she receyuyde the custody of the Kynges sonne, called Opheltis. And as she was attendynge of hym and had desyre to drynke, leuynge the litle chylde playnge emonge the flowres, it hapnede by hyr passyde Adrastius, goynge towards Thebes, and he questionde with hyr of hyr fortune. She declaryde and tolde hym all and the Kynge so confortyd hyr, saynge that she shulde shortly tocum to better chaunce. But when she was retumyde to hir yong chylde, in hyr absence a serpent had slayne hym, for whiche she made suche sorowe and lamentatione that well nere she troblede all Adrascus hoste. And at the last the thynge knowne to Lygurgus, she half madde and more was resemyde to a straynge deathe. But what deathe I cannot tell.

  Off Medea, Quene of Colchos.

  The xvjth Chapitre.

  MEDEA, THE VEREY techer of the auncyent cruelty, was the doughter of the noble Oetes by Perse his wyfe, and metely fayre, but in wytche crafte moste cunynge of all women. For what maister so euer she had, suche knowledge was in hyr to knowe the vertue of herbes that neuer noone knewe theym better. She coulde by hyr arte and enchauntmente troble the skye and make the wyndes to blowe, to cause tempestes, the ryuers to stande and, to thys, mengle poysones together, and to smyte fyre and make it borne where she wolde, and many myscheuouse moo actes whiche I ouer passe. Neyther hyr vngraciouse mynde was not muche discrepant frome hyr craft, for where that faylede, she coulde well vse the swerde. Now it fortuned in those dayes that Jasone beynge a yonge gentle man, that Pelias hys vncle lyinge in wayte, vndre the pretense to sende the say de Jasone to wynne in Colcos the Golden Flees, to haue had hym destroyede, whiche Jason, aryuynge at Colchos, was ardently belouede of Medea. And she, to gett his fauour, caused a rumor to ryse emonge hyr father subiectes, in suche wyse that whyles they straue and foughte togethre, Jason, hyr loue, had space and tyme to haue hys entent. What a deede that was, lett a wyse man well considre that with oones lokynge on Jasone she was so taken in loue that it folowede to be the ruyne of hyr oune naturall father! This vngratiouse pagente playde, when therby she hade obteyned to lye in Jasones armes, takynge with hyr all hyr fathers substawnce,
pryuylie with hym she went a waye. And besydes thys, not so contentyd, she myndyde more myschife. Castynge in hyr fantasye that Oetes wolde folowe theym that fledde, to stay hym, in an ile callede Tomitania, by which neades Oetes shulde passe in folowynge theim, hauynge with hyr hyr yonge brother callede Absoetes, she caused hym to be cutt in pecys and the partes therof to be throwne here and ther by the feldes, to that entent that when hyr sorowfull father shulde goo aboute to gather theym together, Jasone and she myghte the better escape away. Nor he was not deceyuyde of hyr entent, for after that sorte it chauncyde. At the laste, suffreynge muche troble, she aryuyde with Jason into Thessaly. Now Eson, beynge wonders olde, was so gladd of the cumynge home of his sonne and of hyr that it semyde he was for ioy made a yonge man agayne. Whiche when Medea perceyuyde, with all haste she coulde, she sowde debate betwyxt Eson and his children, and dyd so muche that shee armyde the children agaynst the father to make hyr husbonde Jason kynge. But at the laste, Jason, abhorrywg hyr by thiese ways, in the place of hyr toke to hys wyfe Crewsa, the doughter of Creon, Kynge of Corynthe, whereat Medea was so impacient that by hyr wytche crafte, in the syght of Jasone, with fyre she burnte not oonely Crewsa, but also the children that Jasone had had by hyr, and so fledd to Athenes, and ther was maryede to the Kynge, by whome she had a sonne, and wolde haue slayne with poysone Thesius, to th’entent to haue made hir sonne heyre, but Thesius preuentyd with goode remedy and, hyr myschyfe knowne, yet agayne she fledde. And at the laste, hauynge obteynede the fauour of Jasone, she wentt with hym agayne to Colchos and restorede hyr father to hys kyngedome. What she dyd after, or whether she wentt, or where she dyede, I do not remembre that I haue redde it. But because it shulde not seeme that I shulde forgett, I say it is not cowuenyente to let our eyes to largely go aboute to beholde womene. In lokynge on theym, what do we but drawe our herttes to all concupiscencys, that moue vs to couetouse, that maketh vs to prayse theyr beauty and often to blowe theyr deformyte vnaduysedly? And by that meanes, not beynge rightfull iudges, we condempne often goodenes and saue that which is noughte, with blottynge and infectynge our myndes with to shamefull cogitationes. Suche then as be thus taken with thys dishonest beautie, the cause of theyr takynge is noo other but wanton lookes, wanton gestures, wherby Cupyde bloweth the fyre, tyll the verey trueth, howe it is, be oppressyde. If thew men were wyse, other they wolde looke vpp with their eyes to heuen, or elks shett theim and looke downwardes to the earthe; hetwyxt bothe is noo sure way. And therefore we shulde with a sharpe bytt, as it were, to rule our eyes frome beholdynge suche folyes. And if Medea had bene soo circumspecte as so to haue doone, whew she fyrst behelde Jasone, hyr fathers kyngedome had stonde longare in honour, hyr brother had bene alyue, and hyr maydenhode vncorrupte, which all perysshede by suche regardes and vnhoneste lookes.

  Off Aragne, a woman of Colophone.

  The xvijth Chapitre.

  ARAGNE OF ASIA was a woman of the country, that is to meane, of noo greate stocke borne, and she was doughter to Colophonia, a dyare of woole; and albe it she was descendyd of a basse stocke, yet is she by dyuers notable vertewes in hyr worthy to be commendyde. Sum auncyent wryters thynke she was the fyrste that founde the vse to weife lynnyne clothe, and to make and knytt nettes to catche fyshe and fowlle. And when hyr sonne, whose name was Closter, was comen to age, she taught hym so to dye and stayne coloures that noo peynture coulde haue amendyd it. Whereby it is thoughte, as I haue sayde, she was the fynder of that crafte; and surely, this in a woman is not to be despysede. Now she had not oonely the exercyse of weyuynge in Epheis where she dwelte, but euery wher aboute hyr hyr scyens was praysede so muche that she fell in so greate pryde that she comparede with the goddesse Pallas with hyr cunnynge. And when she coulde not well susteyne to be ouercomen by Pallas, by desperation she toke a halter and hangde hyrself, whiche gaue place to thiese poetes to feyne. For as the name of Aragne dothe goo nyghe the name of that worme callyde a spywnar, whiche allways is weuynge wondersly the coppewebbes, they say that Aragne by the pyte of the goddes was conuertid into a spynnar and styll occupyede aboute the arte or craft of spynnynge. And sum say, all thoughe she put the halter aboute hyr necke, yet by the helpynge of other she was lett to hange hyr self and constraynede allways to weeue, as it is sayde nowe. If ther be any so insolent to weene hymself to precelle all other in any craft, lett Aragnes aunswer therunto whether that she myght by pryde torne the heuyn and so drawe all sciences to hyrselfe, or whether God was so benygne to hyre prayers that, as who shulde say, he shuldnot take cure of noo more but vppon hyr oonely, to make hyr moste cunnynge in hyr crafte. Surely, so to beleue is to beleue an exedynge foly, for that etemall wysdome not alonely to one wytte, but to dyuers hathe and dothe geue variete of sciences, as hym semythe best, in suche wyse that those, that do flee idlenes by exercyse of naturall mouynge, do cum to wounders knowledge, not after one fortune nor sorte, but by diuers. And if this be true, as it is in deede, what can lett but that science oone hathe, another may haue; and for oone to thynke hymself more cunnyng then he is, in deede is sygne of a verey folyshe and vnwytty wytte. I wolde to God we hadd no more to laughe at then thys Aragne. But ther be many in suche madnesse that, whyles they be in pryde, they enhaunce theymselfe aboue other and make that Aragnes is the lesse to be laughte at, hauynge so many felowes.

  Off Orithia and Anthiobe, Quenes of the Amozanes.

  The xviijth Chapitre.

  ORITHIA WAS THE doughter of Marpesia, which was Quene of the Amazones. And after hyr mothers death, with Anthiobe, whiche many wryte to be hyr suster, they twayne reynede ther as qwenes. Now this Orithia was a ryght exellente virgyne and dyd in batells with hyr suster Anthiobe, that reygnede with hyr, so many notable actes that, to hyr highe honour, she greately encreasced hyr empyre. In so muche that Euristeus, the Kynge of Mesena, all thoughe he were wonders myghty, thought it hardd to Wynne frome hyr a gerdle, whiche she waare, of a greate pryce, and for that desyrede Hercules, as they say, to haue spoyled that same ensyne from hyr. It was a verey hyghe glorye to hyr that Hercules, which was conquerow of all thynges, shulde make warr vppon hyre; which, when he made expedicyon and had entrede with nyene greate shyppes and occupiede their fronters, in the absence of Orithia it was noo greate wonders thoughe easely they were ouercommen, | beynge so fewe as they were. Thus was taken the noble Menalyppe and Ipolite, susters, wherby Anthiobe was cowstrayned to geue vpp Orithias gerdle, but after the gerdle restoryde agayne to Menalippe. And so when Orithya was reuertyd and herde that Theseus had taken with hym Ipolite, thys vallyaunte lady was not aferde with hyr army to inuade Grece, but, forsaken of theym that shulde haue comen to hyr ayde, and ouercomen by the Athenyens, she was compellyd to reuerte agayne into hyr kyngdome. Nor what she dyd afterwarde I do not remembre that I haue herde it.

  Off Erithrea Sibilla.

  The xixth Chapitre.

  SIBILLA ERITHREA WAS a muche noble woman, and ther was ten of thies Sibills, as the moste parte wryteth, and they gyue to eche one of theym sundry names. And for because they were all prophettes, they were sumamede Sibills, for this worde ‘ Sios’ in the Greke signifyeth ‘God’ and in the Laten ‘God’, and ‘Bilos’, as it were, ‘the mynde of God’, or ‘berynge Gode in their myndes’. Of which ten Sibills this aboue all other was the moste venerable. And hir beynge was in Babilone, sumwhat afore the battell of Troy, albeit that ther be sum that weene that it was she that prophesy de, whew Romulus was Kynge of the Romaynes. The name of thys womaw, as I haue say de, was Erithrea, and it is thought that she was so called, because that she longe dwellyd in an ile called Erithrea, wher were founde diuers of hyr prophecyse. Ther was in thys woman so muche wytte and so muche deuocyone towardes God that not withoute a speciall grace of God she deseruyde, if it be true, the which is written of hyr, with so greate clerenesse to declare the thynges to cum that it semyde better the Gospell then a prophecy. And when the Grekes demaundyd of hyr how they shulde prospere goynge to besege Troy, she tolde the course of it so planely that it coulde not be no better telde. So dyd she of the empyre of Rome
with fewe versys tell their chauncys so planely that the declarynge semyde a thynge past, rather then that for to cum. And that which by my iudgement is muche more, the secrete, dyuyne thynges inuoluyde in the prophetes of the Incamatione of Christe, by the grace of the Holy Gooste, she planely declarede it all. The lyfe of the Son of God and His wowrkes and how He was betrayede, mockede and scornede, and suffrede death, and after rose agayne — all thies mysteries were by hyr openede and tolde; by which merytes I thynke vereyly that God louede hyr, and for that she oughte to be aboue all the gentyles laudyd and to be credyde. And ther be that affyrme that she lyuyde a perpetuall virgyne, whiche I beleue right well, for asmuche as it was not possible so muche holynes to remayne but onely in a chaste breste, nor so muche lyghte therto. But in what houre or when she decessyd, it is oute of mynde.

  Off Medusa, the doughter of Phorci.

  The xxti Chapitre.

  MEDUSA WAS THE doughter and heyre of the ryche Kynge Phorcis, and hyr kyngdome was neere the see called Athlanticum, whiche many beleue to be the ilis of Hesperyde. Thys woman, if we shall geue credyte to the olde, auncyent wryters, was of so an excedynge beautie that not onely she surmountyde all others, but, to thys, she semyde a creature in fayrenes aboue nature, that she mouyde dyuers that dwelte farr from hyr onely to trauell to beholde hyr. For she had a heere lyke the golden wyere, and a face of beautye meruelouse, and a body of shappe and stature so equall in all feturs that it myght nott be amendyde; but aboue all thynges she had so swete and delicate eyes that whome she gentlely and pleasauntly regardyd, she made theym, as one shulde say, vnmouable, and as thoughe they had forgotten theymselffes. Besydes thys, sum affyrme hyr to be moste cunnynge in knowynge the tyllynge and plantyfnge of trees and of all suche thynges that belonges therto, and for that to haue obteynede the surname of Gorgonis. By whiche worke, with a wounders wytty facyon, not onely she sauyde and kepte hyr fathers substance, but therto belongynge greately encreascede it, in so muche that in ryches she passyde all the prynces of the Occident. And thus, what with hyr beautie and what with hyr ryches, frome a farr emongste straynge naciones she was so renomed that, emonge the other countreys, her name came to the Argyuys, where that Persyus, beyng a yonge, lusty gentleman, herynge of hyr fame, was soore desyrous to see hyr persone and to occupye hyr threasure, and hauynge a shypp namede Pegasus of wounders swyftnes, with a meruelouse celerite saylede thyder, and ther so wysely wentt to wowrke that he not oonely by armys vaynquisshede the quene, but toke also hyr treasoure, and lodyne, as it were, with ryches, wentt to hys countrey agayne. Of thys the poetes haue founde place howe to feyne. To that, it is redde that Medusa conuertyde theym into stoones whome she behelde, and that hyr fayre heere was turnyde into serpentes, for asmuche as that she hade angreade Mynerua with pollutynge in fleshly pleasure hyr temple with Neptunes, and that for to punyshe hyr offence, Pegasius, syttynge vppon a flyeng hors, entrede hyr countrye and spoyled hyr treasure frome hyr. It is an vngraciouse possessione to haue golde and treasure, and they be not well vsyde to noo profyte to the haver. And all though golde shyne fayre, yet of it cumeth all mysery. For he that possessythe the golde, ferythe a thowsande maner of ways to be spoyled of it, so that hys reste is taken away and hys sleepe, feare enters the mynde, and trust is mynyshede, and suspectione doth encreas; and breuely, all the honeste vse of lyfe by couetouse is lettyde. And if by sum infortunate chaunce hys goode be lost, taken, or spoylede, he is deuourede and torne in pecys with cures to be made of a couetouse man a poore man. Then laugheth at hym the liberall man, the enuyouse scornythe hym, and his mysery emonge the vulgar people is noo better but a fable.