The Decameron, Volume II
Page 39
that season accomplished for the weal of oursouls." All the company having approved their queen's devout speech, she,as the night was now far spent, dismissed them; and so they all betookthem to slumber.
(1) A play upon laurea (laurel wreath) and Lauretta.
--Endeth here the seventh day of the Decameron, beginneth the eighth, inwhich, under the rule of Lauretta, discourse is had of those tricks that,daily, woman plays man, or man woman, or one man another.--
The summits of the loftiest mountains were already illumined by the raysof the rising sun, the shades of night were fled, and all things plainlyvisible, when the queen and her company arose, and hied them first to thedewy mead, where for a while they walked: then, about half tierce, theywended their way to a little church that was hard by, where they heardDivine service; after which, they returned to the palace, and havingbreakfasted with gay and gladsome cheer, and sung and danced a while,were dismissed by the queen, to rest them as to each might seem good. Butwhen the sun was past the meridian, the queen mustered them again fortheir wonted pastime; and, all being seated by the fair fountain, thus,at her command, Neifile began.
NOVEL I.
--Gulfardo borrows moneys of Guasparruolo, which he has agreed to giveGuasparruolo's wife, that he may lie with her. He gives them to her, andin her presence tells Guasparruolo that he has done so, and sheacknowledges that 'tis true.--
Sith God has ordained that 'tis for me to take the lead to-day with mystory, well pleased am I. And for that, loving ladies, much has been saidtouching the tricks that women play men, I am minded to tell you of onethat a man played a woman, not because I would censure what the man did,or say that 'twas not merited by the woman, but rather to commend the manand censure the woman, and to shew that men may beguile those that thinkto beguile them, as well as be beguiled by those they think to beguile;for peradventure what I am about to relate should in strictness of speechnot be termed beguilement, but rather retaliation; for, as it behoveswoman to be most strictly virtuous, and to guard her chastity as her verylife, nor on any account to allow herself to sully it, whichnotwithstanding, 'tis not possible by reason of our frailty that thereshould be as perfect an observance of this law as were meet, I affirm,that she that allows herself to infringe it for money merits the fire;whereas she that so offends under the prepotent stress of Love willreceive pardon from any judge that knows how to temper justice withmercy: witness what but the other day we heard from Filostrato touchingMadonna Filippa at Prato.(1)
Know, then, that there was once at Milan a German mercenary, Gulfardo byname, a doughty man, and very loyal to those with whom he took service; aquality most uncommon in Germans. And as he was wont to be most faithfulin repaying whatever moneys he borrowed, he would have had no difficultyin finding a merchant to advance him any amount of money at a low rate ofinterest. Now, tarrying thus at Milan, Gulfardo fixed his affection on avery fine woman, named Madonna Ambruogia, the wife of a wealthy merchant,one Guasparruolo Cagastraccio, with whom he was well acquainted and onfriendly terms: which amour he managed with such discretion that neitherthe husband nor any one else wist aught of it. So one day he sent her amessage, beseeching her of her courtesy to gratify his passion, andassuring her that he on his part was ready to obey her every behest.
The lady made a great many words about the affair, the upshot of whichwas that she would do as Gulfardo desired upon the following terms: towit, that, in the first place, he should never discover the matter to asoul, and, secondly, that, as for some purpose or another she requiredtwo hundred florins of gold, he out of his abundance should supply hernecessity; these conditions being satisfied she would be ever at hisservice. Offended by such base sordidness in one whom he had supposed tobe an honourable woman, Gulfardo passed from ardent love to somethingvery like hatred, and cast about how he might flout her. So he sent herword that he would right gladly pleasure her in this and in any othermatter that might be in his power; let her but say when he was to come tosee her, and he would bring the moneys with him, and none should know ofthe matter except a comrade of his, in whom he placed much trust, and whowas privy to all that he did. The lady, if she should not rather becalled the punk, gleefully made answer that in the course of a few daysher husband, Guasparruolo, was to go to Genoa on business, and that, whenhe was gone, she would let Gulfardo know, and appoint a time for him tovisit her. Gulfardo thereupon chose a convenient time, and hied him toGuasparruolo, to whom:--"I am come," quoth he, "about a little matter ofbusiness which I have on hand, for which I require two hundred florins ofgold, and I should be glad if thou wouldst lend them me at the rate ofinterest which thou art wont to charge me." "That gladly will I," repliedGuasparruolo, and told out the money at once. A few days laterGuasparruolo being gone to Genoa, as the lady had said, she sent word toGulfardo that he should bring her the two hundred florins of gold. SoGulfardo hied him with his comrade to the lady's house, where he foundher expecting him, and lost no time in handing her the two hundredflorins of gold in his comrade's presence, saying:--"You will keep themoney, Madam, and give it to your husband when he returns." Witting notwhy Gulfardo so said, but thinking that 'twas but to conceal from hiscomrade that it was given by way of price, the lady made answer:--"Thatwill I gladly; but I must first see whether the amount is right;"whereupon she told the florins out upon a table, and when she found thatthe two hundred were there, she put them away in high glee, and turningto Gulfardo, took him into her chamber, where, not on that night only buton many another night, while her husband was away, he had of her all thathe craved. On Guasparruolo's return Gulfardo presently paid him a visit,having first made sure that the lady would be with him, and so in herpresence:--"Guasparruolo," quoth he, "I had after all no occasion for themoney, to wit, the two hundred florins of gold that thou didst lend methe other day, being unable to carry through the transaction for which Iborrowed them, and so I took an early opportunity of bringing them to thywife, and gave them to her: thou wilt therefore cancel the account."Whereupon Guasparruolo turned to the lady, and asked her if she had hadthem. She, not daring to deny the fact in presence of the witness,answered:--"Why, yes, I had them, and quite forgot to tell thee." "Good,"quoth then Guasparruolo, "we are quits, Gulfardo; make thy mind easy; Iwill see that thy account is set right." Gulfardo then withdrew, leavingthe flouted lady to hand over her ill-gotten gains to her husband; and sothe astute lover had his pleasure of his greedy mistress for nothing.
(1) Cf. Sixth Day, Novel VII.
NOVEL II.
--The priest of Varlungo lies with Monna Belcolore: he leaves with her hiscloak by way of pledge, and receives from her a mortar. He returns themortar, and demands of her the cloak that he had left in pledge, whichthe good lady returns him with a gibe.--
Ladies and men alike commended Gulfardo for the check that he gave to thegreed of the Milanese lady; but before they had done, the queen turned toPamfilo, and with a smile bade him follow suit: wherefore thus Pamfilobegan:--Fair my ladies, it occurs to me to tell you a short story, whichreflects no credit on those by whom we are continually wronged withoutbeing able to retaliate, to wit, the priests, who have instituted acrusade against our wives, and deem that, when they have made conquest ofone of them, they have done a work every whit as worthy of recompense byremission of sin and punishment as if they had brought the Soldan inchains to Avignon: in which respect 'tis not possible for the haplesslaity to be even with them: howbeit they are as hot to make reprisals onthe priests' mothers, sisters, mistresses, and daughters as the prieststo attack their wives. Wherefore I am minded to give you, as I may do infew words, the history of a rustic amour, the conclusion whereof was nota little laughable, nor barren of moral, for you may also gathertherefrom, that 'tis not always well to believe everything that a priestsays.
I say then, that at Varlungo, a village hard by here, as all of you, myladies, should wot either of your own knowledge or by report, there dwelta worthy priest, and doughty of body in the service of the ladies: who,albeit he was none too quick at his book, had no lack of pr
ecious andblessed solecisms to edify his flock withal of a Sunday under the elm.And when the men were out of doors, he would visit their wives as never apriest had done before him, bringing them feast-day gowns and holy water,and now and again a bit of candle, and giving them his blessing. Now itso befell that among those of his fair parishioners whom he most affectedthe first place was at length taken by one Monna Belcolore, the wife of ahusbandman that called himself Bentivegna del Mazzo. And in good soothshe was a winsome and lusty country lass, brown as a berry and buxomenough, and fitter than e'er another for his mill. Moreover she had nother match in playing the tabret and singing:--The borage is fullsappy,(1) and in leading a brawl or a breakdown, no matter who might benext her, with a fair and dainty kerchief in her hand. Which spells sowrought upon Master Priest, that for love of