Of Procrys, the wyfe to Zephalus.
The xxvjth Chapitre.
PROCRIS, THE DOUGHTER of Pandion, Kynge of Athenes, was maryede to Zephalus, the sonne of Kynge Eolus. Thys Procris, as she is dispysed for hyr couetuousnes of the wyffes and matrones, so muche the more is she well exeptyde to men, for by hyr the vyce of women is the better knowne. For as he and she, bothe yonge, lyuyde togedre with muche ioy and pleasur, to theyr bothe myshappe it fortunede that a fayre mayden namede Arua, or sum wryetethe Aurora, fell in loue with Zephalus, a wondre fayre wenshe, and labowrynge all in vayne, she assayde to haue had hir desyres with Zephalus. But when she sawe that it woldenot be, all dysdaynously she spake to Zephalus and sayde: ‘What ayles the, so feruently to loue thy wyfe Procris? Thow shalt, yf thow wylte proue it, fynde that for golde and syluer she wyll loue another better then the.’ Zephalus, herynge hyr so say, and desyrouse to proue hys wyfe in deede, feynede to goo into a farr: countrie and, strangely dysguysynge hymselfe, returnyde backe agayne and assayde with gyfftes to moue his wyffes chastyte. But all thoughe he promysede many greate gyftes, yett coulde he not cum to hys purpose at the fyrst; but styll gyuynge hyr iewelles apon iewelles, so longe he folowde hyr that at the last: he bowed downe hyr doubtefull mynde to folowe hys desyre, and she promysede sum nyght, geuynge hyr golde therfore, to be enbrasyde in hys armes. Zephalus, wonders sorowfull, opnede to hys wyfe what he was and howe by fraude he had tempted hyr to lye with hym, whiche as soone as Procrys herde, ashamede and: desperate for sorowe, she fledde desolate, alone, vnto the woddes. But Zephalus, louynge hyr hartely, promysynge to forgyue hyr, dyd what he coulde to haue callede hyr agayne, but she despysed so for to do; wherby it may be well sayde, ther is noo forgeunes handlede the stynkynge caryone of hyr husbonde; and though she was in daungyer of hyr lyfe and myght by other haue doone those ceremonyes, she dyd theym hyrself; and fynally, she not onely dyd exequyes of hyr husbonde pryncelyke, but manyfestly bewaylede hys deathe, whiche she myght haue doone in hyr chambre. Thus the true loue of a true, louynge woman, thus the holy bounde of matrymonye, thus the vndefyled chastite may doo in a goode woman, as thys goode Argia dyd, wherby she hathe well deseruyde a cleere, hononrable name for euer.
Of Argia, the wyfe of Polinices, and doughter of the Kynge Adrastus.
The xxvijth Chapiter.
ARGIA, A WOMAN of Grece, descendynge of the noble kynges of Grece, was doughter of Kynge Adrastus, and as she was a louynge and desyrouse spectacle to beholde for hyr exellentnes, so was she a ryght reuerente and honorable wytnes of true, wyfely feythe to hyr husbonde. Whereby not oonely in hyr days she had prayse and lawde, but further, hyr name and fame is commendable in our tyme and shalbe for euer. Thys woman was maryede to Polynises, the sonne of Edippus, Kynge of Thebes, then beynge an outelawe; when then she had broughte hym forthe a chylde that was callede Tessander, now she well aduertysynge hyr husbonde to be won-dersly troblede for the fraude of hys brother, whiche studyede to destroy hym, beynge a pertaker of hyr husbondes sorowe, she not onely with wepynge teares prayde hyr father, then beynge an olde man, to helpe hyr husbonde, but at lengthe so wroughte that in verey deede she armyde hyr father agaynste hyr husbowdes brother, whiche, besydes the pacte that was betwyxte theym, occupyede the kyngedome of Thebes by tyranny. And leste perauenture that the fatale prophecy shulde be a let, she dyd so muche liberally rewarde the wyfe of Amphiorax that she causede hyr to tell wher hyr husbonde was hydden secretly, for because he prophecyede that aswell hymself as those that went to Thebes shulde be destroyede. So that Amphyorax with Adrastus and Polynyses went to the seege of Thebes, but to theyr mysfortune. For after many batells betwyxte the Thebans, and the dukes of bothe parties slayne, and Adraustus depryuyde frome helpe and for that dryuyn away, when Argia had herde that the body of hyr husbonde lay deede, vnburyde emonge an infynyte numbre of other that were slayne, streightways puttynge of hyr ryche appareil, with a fewe with hyr, she toke hyr way into the campe. Neither those that lay robbynge by the passage, nor the blody handes of the Thebans, nor the wylde beastes, nor yet the byrdes that folow the caryen of deede bodyes, nor the cruell commaundement of Kynge Creon that charged, peyne of deathe, noone shulde bury theym that lay deade in the feelde, couldenot lett hyr but that at mydnyght, with a heuy hert, she went emonge the stynkynge, deade men and neuer left tyll she founde hyr husbonde. O, meruelouse true, louynge hert of a true, noble wyffe! All thoughe the face of hyr husbonde were defowraiyd with duste and bloode, yet it coulde not so blynde hyr but that she knewe hym, and, enbrasynge hym in hyr armes and kyssynge hym and with salte terys wypynge hys deformyde visage, she never left hym tyll she had made a greate fyre, as the vsage was in those dayes to burne the bodyes, and tyll she had with greate lamewtatione and teares cowsumede hym to ashys. I deny not but many goode wyfes haue often wept to see theyr husbondes syke, to se theim in pryson, to se theym suffre other harde chauncys, but yet all that is nothynge to be accomptyde to the loue of thys goode, chaste Argia. For thys fearyde not to seeke hyr husbonde emonge hyr ennemyes; thys callede Bianor, and frome thens, takynge hyr sonne with hyr, went vnto Cisalpina Gallia, where, fyndynge a platt nyghe to Benacho, enuyroned with water and lakes, of verey nature wonders stronge, in that place to th’entent she withoute dreade the better myght vse hyr crafte of enchauntment, ther to haue stablyshed hyr dwellynge place. And of hyr name after hyr decesse the towne was callede Mantua. And sum say, contrary to thys, that to hyr deathe constantly she perseuerede a virgyne. Surely, it is a thynge, if she so dyd, commendable, all thoughe she vsede suche sorcery, to commende hyr virginyte to Gode.
Of Mantone, the doughter of Terisia.
The xxviijth Chapitre.
MANTONE, THE DOUGHTER of Terisia, the greate prophete of Thebes, was in the Kynge Edippus tyme and in hys sonnes tyme. Thys woman, beynge vndre hir father whiche taughte hyr, was of so pregnante a wytte that the scyence of peremansi, founde of the Caldes, or, as sum wryteth, of Nembrothe, she so exellent was learnyde in it that in hyr tyme noone knewe better the mouynge of the heuenly flammes, the colours and the murmerynge of the ayre (I cannot tell by what dewylyshe worke) to dyuyne of thynges to cum. Besydes that, with the lyghtes and longes of beastes she coulde well dyuyne what shulde happen after, soo that she drewe, as it is thought, by hyr craft vnclene spyrytes and dewyles to hyr and compellyd theym to gyue aunswers of those thynges that shulde happen after. Now when the prywces of Grece that besegyde Thebes were vaynquysshed, and Creon occupyinge the kyngdome of Thebes, she, fleynge frome the newe kynge, went into Asya and after ordeynede ther the famouse temple of Apollo, and ther was delyuerede of the exellent poete Mopses, whose father was nott, nor yett is not yet knowne. But sum thynke contrary to thys and saye that with a certeyn numbre of hyres she wonderyde, after the battell of Thebes, here and ther so longe, tyll she arryuyde in Italy and ther cowceyuyd a chylde, whiche was callede Cytheon, and of sum can helpe agaynste the bytte of oones conscience. Procrys, ferynge and castynge in hyr mynde that allways hyr Zephalus wolde ley to hyr charge hyr couetouse, ranne frome the woddes to the rockes here and there at auenture. And soo it fortunede hyr husbonde on a certayne day dyd ryde a huntynge, and Procrys lay beckywge emongste a sorte of reedys, and as the reedys mouede here and ther with the mouynge of Procrys, Zephalus, thynkynge it hadd bene sum wylde beaste, shotte at aduenture in to the reedys and hytt hys vnfortunate wyfe with an arrowe to the herte. And soo she peryshede. I haue forgotten to say that ther is nothynge hathe moore powere on erthe then golde, whiche thys woman sekynge to obteyne, at the last therby soughte hyr oune deathe. Now by my iudgement thys immoderate loue of golde cumethe of a folyshe, fonde appetyte, and specially for thys, that all thoughe we see oone hauynge noo vertue in hym at all, yet hauynge plentye of golde and syluer, we thynke hym aboue all other to be honourede and exaltede.
Of the wyffes of Mennon.
The xxixth Chapitre.
THE NAMES OF the wyffes of Mennia and how many they were in numbre, by the slaknes of wryters is not had in mynde. Surely, agaynste goode reason, for as m
uche as they be worthy to be hade in laude and memory, albeit enuyouse fortune so wolde not. Yet in all we can or may, we shall cause theym to be had in mynde with oure posteryte.
Thies men of Mennany were of the felowshyppe of Jason, verey towarde yonge men, whiche after the expedycione of Jason into Colchos had reuertyde agayne into theyr countrie. Leuynge theyr oune naturall countrye, they chose theym a place to dwell emongste the Lacedemoniens, which not oonely of theym was freely grauntyde their dwellynge in their cyte, but, to that, they receyuyde theym emongste the fathers and presydentes of theyr comme welthe. Of whiche sayde greate beneuolence and gentlenes they litle remembrynge, they conspyrede emongest theymself to haue not onely brought the towne in seruytude, but to haue take frome theym quyte and cleene their lybertye. Ther was then emowge thies a sorte of ryche yonge gentlemen, aswell by theymselfes as also by the affynyte that they had with the Lacedemonyens, in syngulare reputatione. And aboue other they had charyotes, in suche wyse that aboue all quenes she dyd with goode ryghte preferre hyrselfe. And she lacked not, to thys, an exellent wytte, in so muche that she was the fyrste that inuentyde thiese battell axes, afore hyr tyme not knowne. Thys Panthasilea, herynge of the vallyauntnes of the worthy Hector, louyde hym moste hertely and, desyrouse to haue hade by hym a chylde to haue bene an enherytour of hyr realme after hyr, in that greate oportunyte she descendyd frome hyr countrie to the Troians helppe, with a greate numbre of hyr maydens. Nor the greate fame of the Grekys made not hyr so affrayde but that sume tyme, more desyrouse by hyr vallyauntnes to please Hector then with hyr beautie, often she ranne emongest the thyckest of the Grecianes and with hyr speere ouerthrewe sumtyme oone, sumtyme another. And now and then with hyr swerde she made way afore hyr and furthwithe with hyr bowe shotte at theym that fledde, in suche wyse that Hector hymself was meruelede at hyr deedes. But at the last this valliawnt virago, preasynge emonge the moste valliauntes of the Grekes, to the entente to shewe to hyr loue what a noble hert she had, not withoute greate slaughter of theym was slayne. I deny not but sum say that or she came to Troy, Hector was deade, and she in a sharppe conflycte was woundede to the deathe. But whether it be the tone or the tother, it may be meruelede at to see a woman to runne emongst armede men, but that vse often chaungeth in to a nother nature and that thies women were muche more vallyaunte then sum men be, whiche by idlenes and voluptuousnes be tumede to be lyke women, euen as an hare that weryth an helmet on hys heede.
Of Panthasilea, the Quene of the Amozenes.
The xxxti Chapitre.
PANTHASILEA, A VIRGYNE, was Quene of the Amozenes, and she succedede the too quenes Orithea and Antiopi, but of what parentes she was procreate I haue not redde it. They say this woman, dispysynge all womans appareil, put harnes on hyr, well as hyr elders had doone, so that she coueryde hyr golden heere with a helmett and hyr syde with a queuer of arowes, and after a vallyaunte knyghtes facyone mountyd vpon goode horses and shulde beleue hyr saynges, were they true or false, and for that, what so euer she prophecyede, no man gaue therto credyte. Thys woman was maryde to a yonge man callede Corebus, whiche was slayne, or he couplede with hyr, in the batell. And at the last, Troy wastyde and perysshed, she fell emonge the other captyues into Agamenons handes, to whom she tolde that by hys wyfe Clytemestra hys deathe was cowspyrede. To whose wordes when ther was noo feythe geuyn to it, after many perylls she arryuyde with Agamenon at Misenas, where by the commaundement of Clytemestra she was put to deathe.
Of Polixene, Kynge Priamus doughter.
The xxxjti Chapitre.
POLIXENE THE VIRGYNE was the doughter of Kywge Priamus by hys wyfe Eccuba, of so exellent a beautie, and so goodely a thynge that the feerse breste of Achilles was persyde therwyth, in so muche that by the persuasyon of Eccuba hyr mother he was brought, in hoope to haue hyr, into the temple withyn Troy of Apollo and ther by Parrys murdrede and slayne. O, that it was agaynste all goode ordre, when the Troyans were vaynquyshede and Ilion burnte and destroyede, that so swete a mayden shulde be deuowred by the hande of Pyrrus for to satisfye for another womans offence! But if we shall gyue credyte to the wrytynge of our elders, when she was broughte to Achilles tumbe, seynge the feerse yonge man Pyrrus with hys swerde redye to smyte of hyre heede, albeit those that stoode aboute hyr wepte and lamentyde hyr deathe, the poore, innocente virgyne with so constante a hert strechyde forthe hyr necke that the Grekes noo lesse meruelede therwythe then they were mouede with pyte at hyr. It is doubtles a thynge worthy to be had in rementbraunce to se in that sex, after so dyuers mutation of fortune, a mayden so constant, when often suche sodeyn mutationes, vnder the swerde of the victore, ryght noble and hardy hertes haue bene abashede there at. I can right well beleue that the worke procedyde of hyr gentle herte, to shue to other how lytle deathe is to be extemyde and all the false variete of mutable fortune.
Of Heccuba, the Quene of the Troyanes.
The xxxijti Chapitre.
HECCUBA WAS THE moste noble Quene of the Troyanes, and of a woman ordeynede to so hard fortune a bryghtnes moste exellent, and, to thys, a verey playne example of our wrechidnes. This Quene, as sum tell, was the doughter of Diamantis, and, as sum say, of Cipseus, Kynge of Trace, to whiche opynyone I gladly condescende, for because the more parte so say. Thys, beynge a mayden, was maryde to the noble Priamws and had by hym as well sonnes as doughters. Emonge other, she had that clere and bryghte lyghte of knyghtly prowes, Hector, which had in hym so many noble condiciones that not oonly he hym self hathe deserued fame euerlastynge, but also by hym hys father, hys mother and hys countrie hathe gotten eternall glorye. Thys woman then that I haue spoken of had by thys not onely greate fame, but also by hyr waywerde fortune, was notable to all the worlde. For thys noble Hector and yonge, valyaunte Troylus, she sawe theym bothe slayne, the twayne fyrme pyllars of the Troyans.
She sawe also Parys slayne of Pyrrws and Deyphebus deformydly deade, Troy brunte, and Polices, hir yonge son, in hys fathers lappe oppressyd, and hyr olde husbowd Pryamus afore hys domesticall goddes deuowrede, Ilion to be brunte and Cassandra and Andromaca, hyr doughter in lawe, and hyrselfe to be compellyd by forse to go in to exyle, and, last of all, Polidorus hyr sonne, by the fraude of Polinestor, by the see syde put to deathe. With thyes sorowes and harde fortunes sum say that she fell madde and ranne in the feeldys of the Traciens, howlynge as a dogge, and ther dyede and was buryede at Hellespont. And sum say, contrary, that she was ledde in seruytude wyth the other in to Grece, and to th’entent that ther shulde not lacke noo parte of mysfortune to hyr, that at the laste she sawe hyr doughter Cassandra afore hyr eyes, by the commaundement of Clytemystra, Agamenons wyfe, to be put to deathe.
Of Cassandra, the doughter of Pryamus, Kynge of Troye.
The xxxiijti Chapitre.
CASSANDRA WAS THE doughter of Priamus, Kynge of Troye.
And thys womaw had, either by hyr study, or ells by the gyfte of God, or by sum diabolicall craft, the spyryte of prophecye. Ande thys is affyrmede to be true, that longe or Helene was rauyshed by Parys, and or the cyte was besegyde, she tolde aswell that as the ruyne of Pryamus and the burnynge of Ilion and the fynall destruction of hyr fathers kyngedome. And because that neither hyr father nor hyr brother dyd gyue credyte to it, she was oft tymes betyne and chastysede for so tellynge; and of this is risyne the fable that she was belouyde of the god Apollo, and that she grauntyde to be at hys commaundemewt, so that by hym she myght haue the knowlege of thynges to cum. Whiche when Apollo had grauntyde, she denyinge hyr promysse, Apollo coulde not take frome hyr that ones he had frely geuyne hyr, and for that cause, beynge soore displeased, wyllyde that noo man fayre women to theyr wyfes, beynge descendyde of the moste nobleste bloode of the cytesens — of truthe, noo small gyfte of thys mundayne glorye, and a greate numbre adherenttes to theym for the same. For whiche causes eleuate in their myndes, they toke it not as thoughe it had bene geuyn theym thys felicyte by the comune assente of the cyte, but by theyr oune merytes. And for that folyshly they caste theyr myndes to occupye at theyr wyll the comune welthe and to haue put t
he reste in to semytude; whose vngraciows myndes knowne, withoute more styrrynge they were taken and caste, as the deseruyde, into a stronge prysone. Now the guyse was that those that shulde suffre deathe that allways the nyght before, the hangemen shulde be sent to theym to gyue theym monycyone that the next day folowynge they shulde suffre deathe. Thyes Mennons wyffes, herywg of thys, lamentyde oute of measure and caste emongest theym a way to delyuer theym that hathe not been herde of before that tyme. Thei put on theyr backes vyle vestementes, and with wepynge and waylynge, when the day was paste and the nyght comen, they dyd entreate somuche the kepars of the castles that they myghte haue libertie that nyghte to be with theym in the prysone. And so, when they were entred, they dyd not consume the tyme in wepynge, but with deliberate aduyse put theyr garments on theyr husbondes backes and their husbondes on theyrs; and so clothede in theyr wyffes habyttes, feynynge to weepe and bewail, with theyr heedys coueryde they went their way, theyr wyfes remaynynge prysoners in theyr steedes. Nor the fraude was not spyede tyll in the mornynge, when they were callede to executione, in the place or steede of the men ther they founde women. Surely, thys was a greate feythe of the womew and a ryght laudable loue. Lett vs then passe ouer what the Senate dyd to the kepars that were deceyuyde and what ordre the Senate toke, after they were escapped. I wyll say by the olde institution that the indissoluble bounde of maryage gothe to thys naturall poynte that, where as betwyxte too that loue not, ther can be noo greater hatered, soo in lykewyse, where ther is true loue betwyxt man and wyfe, ther can be no greater loue. For that fyre, kyndled with reason, burnethe not, as we shulde say, to madnes, but warmeth into pleasynge of the tone parte to the tother, and with so greate charyte couples theim together that equally, wyll they, nyll they, ones vnyte with so pleasaunt a conformyte, that to theyr contynuacion therin ther is nothynge of neither parte forgotten, so that theyr fortunes and labours be all oone, and agaynst all myschyffes the toone to the tother either with counseill or with deede can fynde a remedy agaynst it. With thies swete boundes the wyffes of Mennya deceyuyde the kepars, poyntyde the tyme and the place how to do it, demynge assuredly that ther is nothynge more honeste for theym then to delyuer by theyr oune parelles theyr husbondes frome deathe. Surely, I cannot to muche meruell nor laude nor commende so true a feythe, soo perfyte a bounde, and I thynke surely that if their loue had not ben bownde so true and so iuste, they wolde rather haue slepte at home at theyr ease then to haue doone so honourable and wyfely an acte. I And, for to conclude in fewe wordes, I dare well say they were verey men that dissymylede theymselfes to be women, and they true wyfes and goode wyfes that dissymyled the contrary.
Collected Works of Giovanni Boccaccio Page 444
