The Decameron, Volume II
Page 8
nightingale sing not a few times.But, brief being the night and great their pleasure, towards dawn, albeitthey wist it not, they fell asleep, Caterina's right arm encirclingRicciardo's neck, while with her left hand she held him by that part ofhis person which your modesty, my ladies, is most averse to name in thecompany of men. So, peacefully they slept, and were still asleep when daybroke and Messer Lizio rose; and calling to mind that his daughter slepton the terrace, softly opened the door, saying to himself:--Let me seewhat sort of night's rest the nightingale has afforded our Caterina? Andhaving entered, he gently raised the curtain that screened the bed, andsaw Ricciardo asleep with her and in her embrace as described, both beingquite naked and uncovered; and having taken note of Ricciardo, he wentaway, and hied him to his lady's room, and called her, saying:--"Up, up,wife, come and see; for thy daughter has fancied the nightingale to suchpurpose that she has caught him, and holds him in her hand." "How canthis be?" said the lady. "Come quickly, and thou shalt see," repliedMesser Lizio. So the lady huddled on her clothes, and silently followedMesser Lizio, and when they were come to the bed, and had raised thecurtain, Madonna Giacomina saw plainly enough how her daughter hadcaught, and did hold the nightingale, whose song she had so longed tohear. Whereat the lady, deeming that Ricciardo had played her a crueltrick, would have cried out and upbraided him; but Messer Lizio said toher:--"Wife, as thou valuest my love, say not a word; for in good sooth,seeing that she has caught him, he shall be hers. Ricciardo is agentleman and wealthy; an alliance with him cannot but be to ouradvantage: if he would part from me on good terms, he must first marryher, so that the nightingale shall prove to have been put in his own cageand not in that of another." Whereby the lady was reassured, seeing thather husband took the affair so quietly, and that her daughter had had agood night, and was rested, and had caught the nightingale. So she keptsilence; nor had they long to wait before Ricciardo awoke; and, seeingthat 'twas broad day, deemed that 'twas as much as his life was worth,and aroused Caterina, saying:--"Alas! my soul, what shall we do, now thatday has come and surprised me here?" Which question Messer Lizio answeredby coming forward, and saying:--"We shall do well." At sight of himRicciardo felt as if his heart were torn out of his body, and sate up inthe bed, and said:--"My lord, I cry you mercy for God's sake. I wot thatmy disloyalty and delinquency have merited death; wherefore deal with meeven as it may seem best to you: however, I pray you, if so it may be, tospare my life, that I die not." "Ricciardo," replied Messer Lizio, "thelove I bore thee, and the faith I reposed in thee, merited a betterreturn; but still, as so it is, and youth has seduced thee into such atransgression, redeem thy life, and preserve my honour, by makingCaterina thy lawful spouse, that thine, as she has been for this pastnight, she may remain for the rest of her life. In this way thou maystsecure my peace and thy safety; otherwise commend thy soul to God."Pending this colloquy, Caterina let go the nightingale, and havingcovered herself, began with many a tear to implore her father to forgiveRicciardo, and Ricciardo to do as Messer Lizio required, that therebythey might securely count upon a long continuance of such nights ofdelight. But there needed not much supplication; for, what with remorsefor the wrong done, and the wish to make amends, and the fear of death,and the desire to escape it, and above all ardent love, and the cravingto possess the beloved one, Ricciardo lost no time in making frank avowalof his readiness to do as Messer Lizio would have him. Wherefore MesserLizio, having borrowed a ring from Madonna Giacomina, Ricciardo did thereand then in their presence wed Caterina. Which done, Messer Lizio and thelady took their leave, saying:--"Now rest ye a while; for so perchance'twere better for you than if ye rose." And so they left the young folks,who forthwith embraced, and not having travelled more than six milesduring the night, went two miles further before they rose, and soconcluded their first day. When they were risen, Ricciardo and MesserLizio discussed the matter with more formality; and some days afterwardsRicciardo, as was meet, married the damsel anew in presence of theirfriends and kinsfolk, and brought her home with great pomp, andcelebrated his nuptials with due dignity and splendour. And so for many ayear thereafter he lived with her in peace and happiness, and snared thenightingales day and night to his heart's content.
NOVEL V.
--Guidotto da Cremona dies leaving a girl to Giacomino da Pavia. She hastwo lovers in Faenza, to wit, Giannole di Severino and Minghino diMingole, who fight about her. She is discovered to be Giannole's sister,and is given to Minghino to wife.--
All the ladies laughed so heartily over the story of the nightingale,that, even when Filostrato had finished, they could not control theirmerriment. However, when the laughter was somewhat abated, the queensaid:--"Verily if thou didst yesterday afflict us, to-day thou hasttickled us to such purpose that none of us may justly complain of thee."Then, as the turn had now come round to Neifile, she bade her give them astory. And thus, blithely, Neifile began:--As Filostrato went to Romagnafor the matter of his discourse, I too am fain to make a short journeythrough the same country in what I am about to relate to you.
I say, then, that there dwelt of yore in the city of Fano two Lombards,the one ycleped Guidotto da Cremona and the other Giacomino da Pavia, menadvanced in life, who, being soldiers, had spent the best part of theiryouth in feats of arms. Now Guidotto, being at the point of death, andhaving no son or any friend or kinsman in whom he placed more trust thanin Giacomino, left him a girl of about ten years, and all that he had inthe world, and so, having given him to know not a little of his affairs,he died. About the same time the city of Faenza, which had long been atwar and in a most sorry plight, began to recover some measure ofprosperity; and thereupon liberty to return thither on honourable termswas accorded to all that were so minded. Whither, accordingly, Giacomino,who had dwelt there aforetime, and liked the place, returned with all hisgoods and chattels, taking with him the girl left him by Guidotto, whomhe loved and entreated as his daughter. The girl grew up as beautiful amaiden as was to be found in the city; and no less debonair and modestwas she than fair. Wherefore she lacked not admirers; but above all twoyoung men, both very gallant and of equal merit, the one Giannole diSeverino, the other Minghino di Mingole, affected her with so ardent apassion, that, growing jealous, they came to hate one another with aninordinate hatred. Right gladly would each have espoused her, she beingnow fifteen years old, but that his kinsmen forbade it; wherefore seeingthat neither might have her in an honourable way, each determined tocompass his end as best he might.
Now Giacomino had in his house an ancient maid, and a man, by nameCrivello, a very pleasant and friendly sort of fellow, with whom Giannolegrew familiar, and in due time confided to him all his love, praying himto further the attainment of his desire, and promising to reward himhandsomely, if he did so. Crivello made answer:--"Thou must know thatthere is but one way in which I might be of service to thee in thisaffair: I might contrive that thou shouldst be where she is whenGiacomino is gone off to supper; but, were I to presume to say aught toher on thy behalf, she would never listen to me. This, if it please thee,I promise to do for thee, and will be as good as my word; and then thoucanst do whatever thou mayst deem most expedient." Giannole said that heasked no more; and so 'twas arranged.
Meanwhile Minghino on his part had made friends with the maid, on whom hehad so wrought that she had carried several messages to the girl, and hadgone far to kindle her to his love, and furthermore had promised tocontrive that he should meet her when for any cause Giacomino should befrom home in the evening. And so it befell that no long time after theseparleys, Giacomino, by Crivello's management, was to go sup at the houseof a friend, and by preconcert between Crivello and Giannole, upon signalgiven, Giannole was to come to Giacomino's house and find the door open.The maid, on her part, witting nought of the understanding betweenCrivello and Giannole, let Minghino know that Giacomino would not sup athome, and bade him be near the house, so that he might come and enter iton sight of a signal from her. The evening came; neither of the loversknew aught of what the other was about; but, being sus
picious of oneanother, they came to take possession, each with his own company of armedfriends. Minghino, while awaiting the signal, rested with his company inthe house of one of his friends hard by the girl's house: Giannole withhis company was posted a little farther off. Crivello and the maid, whenGiacomino was gone, did each their endeavour to get the other out of theway. Crivello said to the maid:--"How is it thou takest not thyself offto bed, but goest still hither and thither about the house?" And the maidsaid to Crivello:--"Nay, but why goest thou not after thy master? Thouhast supped; what awaitest thou here?" And so, neither being able to makethe other quit the post, Crivello, the hour concerted with Giannole beingcome, said to himself:--What care I for her? If she will not keep quiet,'tis like to be