The Decameron, Volume II

by Giovanni Boccaccio

made these dispositions he died.

  Monna Giovanna, being thus left a widow, did as our ladies are wont, andrepaired in the summer to one of her estates in the country which layvery near to that of Federigo. And so it befell that the urchin began tomake friends with Federigo, and to shew a fondness for hawks and dogs,and having seen Federigo's falcon fly not a few times, took a singularfancy to him, and greatly longed to have him for his own, but still didnot dare to ask him of Federigo, knowing that Federigo prized him somuch. So the matter stood when by chance the boy fell sick; whereby themother was sore distressed, for he was her only son, and she loved him asmuch as might be, insomuch that all day long she was beside him, andceased not to comfort him, and again and again asked him if there wereaught that he wished for, imploring him to say the word, and, if it mightby any means be had, she would assuredly do her utmost to procure it forhim. Thus repeatedly exhorted, the boy said:--"Mother mine, do but get meFederigo's falcon, and I doubt not I shall soon be well." Whereupon thelady was silent a while, bethinking her what she should do. She knew thatFederigo had long loved her, and had never had so much as a single kindlook from her: wherefore she said to herself:--How can I send or go tobeg of him this falcon, which by what I hear is the best that ever flew,and moreover is his sole comfort? And how could I be so unfeeling as toseek to deprive a gentleman of the one solace that is now left him? Andso, albeit she very well knew that she might have the falcon for theasking, she was perplexed, and knew not what to say, and gave her son noanswer. At length, however, the love she bore the boy carried the day,and she made up her mind, for his contentment, come what might, not tosend, but to go herself and fetch him the falcon. So:--"Be of good cheer,my son," she said, "and doubt not thou wilt soon be well; for I promisethee that the very first thing that I shall do tomorrow morning will beto go and fetch thee the falcon." Whereat the child was so pleased thathe began to mend that very day.

  On the morrow the lady, as if for pleasure, hied her with another lady toFederigo's little house, and asked to see him. 'Twas still, as for somedays past, no weather for hawking, and Federigo was in his garden, busyabout some small matters which needed to be set right there. When heheard that Monna Giovanna was at the door, asking to see him, he was nota little surprised and pleased, and hied him to her with all speed. Assoon as she saw him, she came forward to meet him with womanly grace, andhaving received his respectful salutation, said to him:--"Good morrow,Federigo," and continued:--"I am come to requite thee for what thou hastlost by loving me more than thou shouldst: which compensation is this,that I and this lady that accompanies me will breakfast with thee withoutceremony this morning." "Madam," Federigo replied with all humility, "Imind not ever to have lost aught by loving you, but rather to have beenso much profited that, if I ever deserved well in aught, 'twas to yourmerit that I owed it, and to the love that I bore you. And of a suretyhad I still as much to spend as I have spent in the past, I should notprize it so much as this visit you so frankly pay me, come as you are toone who can afford you but a sorry sort of hospitality." Which said, withsome confusion, he bade her welcome to his house, and then led her intohis garden, where, having none else to present to her by way ofcompanion, he said:--"Madam, as there is none other here, this goodwoman, wife of this husbandman, will bear you company, while I go to havethe table set." Now, albeit his poverty was extreme, yet he had not knownas yet how sore was the need to which his extravagance had reduced him;but this morning 'twas brought home to him, for that he could find noughtwherewith to do honour to the lady, for love of whom he had done thehonours of his house to men without number: wherefore, distressed beyondmeasure, and inwardly cursing his evil fortune, he sped hither andthither like one beside himself, but never a coin found he, nor yet aughtto pledge. Meanwhile it grew late, and sorely he longed that the ladymight not leave his house altogether unhonoured, and yet to crave help ofhis own husbandman was more than his pride could brook. In thesedesperate straits his glance happened to fall on his brave falcon on hisperch in his little parlour. And so, as a last resource, he took him, andfinding him plump, deemed that he would make a dish meet for such a lady.Wherefore, without thinking twice about it, he wrung the bird's neck, andcaused his maid forthwith pluck him and set him on a spit, and roast himcarefully; and having still some spotless table linen, he had the tablelaid therewith, and with a cheerful countenance hied him back to his ladyin the garden, and told her that such breakfast as he could give her wasready. So the lady and her companion rose and came to table, and there,with Federigo, who waited on them most faithfully, ate the brave falcon,knowing not what they ate.

  When they were risen from table, and had dallied a while in gay conversewith him, the lady deemed it time to tell the reason of her visit:wherefore, graciously addressing Federigo, thus began she:--"Federigo, bywhat thou rememberest of thy past life and my virtue, which, perchance,thou hast deemed harshness and cruelty, I doubt not thou must marvel atmy presumption, when thou hearest the main purpose of my visit; but ifthou hadst sons, or hadst had them, so that thou mightest know the fullforce of the love that is borne them, I should make no doubt that thouwouldst hold me in part excused. Nor, having a son, may I, for that thouhast none, claim exemption from the laws to which all other mothers aresubject, and, being thus bound to own their sway, I must, though fainwere I not, and though 'tis neither meet nor right, crave of thee thatwhich I know thou dost of all things and with justice prize most highly,seeing that this extremity of thy adverse fortune has left thee noughtelse wherewith to delight, divert and console thee; which gift is noother than thy falcon, on which my boy has so set his heart that, if Ibring him it not, I fear lest he grow so much worse of the malady that hehas, that thereby it may come to pass that I lose him. And so, not forthe love which thou dost bear me, and which may nowise bind thee, but forthat nobleness of temper, whereof in courtesy more conspicuously than inaught else thou hast given proof, I implore thee that thou be pleased togive me the bird, that thereby I may say that I have kept my son alive,and thus made him for aye thy debtor."

  No sooner had Federigo apprehended what the lady wanted, than, for griefthat 'twas not in his power to serve her, because he had given her thefalcon to eat, he fell a weeping in her presence, before he could so muchas utter a word. At first the lady supposed that 'twas only because hewas loath to part with the brave falcon that he wept, and as good as madeup her mind that he would refuse her: however, she awaited with patienceFederigo's answer, which was on this wise:--"Madam, since it pleased Godthat I should set my affections upon you there have been matters not afew, in which to my sorrow I have deemed Fortune adverse to me; but theyhave all been trifles in comparison of the trick that she now plays me:the which I shall never forgive her, seeing that you are come here to mypoor house, where, while I was rich, you deigned not to come, and ask atrifling favour of me, which she has put it out of my power to grant: how'tis so, I will briefly tell you. When I learned that you, of your grace,were minded to breakfast with me, having respect to your high dignity anddesert, I deemed it due and seemly that in your honour I should regaleyou, to the best of my power, with fare of a more excellent quality thanis commonly set before others; and, calling to mind the falcon which younow ask of me, and his excellence, I judged him meet food for you, and soyou have had him roasted on the trencher this morning; and well indeed Ithought I had bestowed him; but, as now I see that you would fain havehad him in another guise, so mortified am I that I am not able to serveyou, that I doubt I shall never know peace of mind more." In witnesswhereof he had the feathers and feet and beak of the bird brought in andlaid before her.

  The first thing the lady did, when she had heard Federigo's story, andseen the relics of the bird, was to chide him that he had killed so finea falcon to furnish a woman with a breakfast; after which the magnanimityof her host, which poverty had been and was powerless to impair, elicitedno small share of inward commendation. Then, frustrate of her hope ofpossessing the falcon, and doubting of her son's recovery, she took herleave with the heavi
est of hearts, and hied her back to the boy: who,whether for fretting, that he might not have the falcon, or by theunaided energy of his disorder, departed this life not many days after,to the exceeding great grief of his mother. For a while she would donought but weep and bitterly bewail herself; but being still young, andleft very wealthy, she was often urged by her brothers to marry again,and though she would rather have not done so, yet being importuned, andremembering Federigo's high desert, and the magnificent generosity withwhich he had finally killed his falcon to do her honour, she said to herbrothers:--"Gladly, with your consent, would I remain a widow, but if youwill not be satisfied except I take a husband, rest assured that noneother will I ever take save Federigo degli Alberighi." Whereupon herbrothers derided her,