The Decameron, Volume II

by Giovanni Boccaccio

the daughter of some noble lord, insomuch that she caused as manyas had known her before to marvel. Moreover, she was so obedient anddevoted to her husband, that he deemed himself the happiest and luckiestman in the world. And likewise so gracious and kindly was she to herhusband's vassals, that there was none of them but loved her more dearlythan himself, and was zealous to do her honour, and prayed for herwelfare and prosperity and aggrandisement, and instead of, as erstwhile,saying that Gualtieri had done foolishly to take her to wife, now averredthat he had not his like in the world for wisdom and discernment, forthat, save to him, her noble qualities would ever have remained hiddenunder her sorry apparel and the garb of the peasant girl. And in shortshe so comported herself as in no long time to bring it to pass that, notonly in the marquisate, but far and wide besides, her virtues and heradmirable conversation were matter of common talk, and, if aught had beensaid to the disadvantage of her husband, when he married her, thejudgment was now altogether to the contrary effect.

  She had not been long with Gualtieri before she conceived; and in duetime she was delivered of a girl; whereat Gualtieri made great cheer.But, soon after, a strange humour took possession of him, to wit, to puther patience to the proof by prolonged and intolerable hard usage;wherefore he began by afflicting her with his gibes, putting on a vexedair, and telling her that his vassals were most sorely dissatisfied withher by reason of her base condition, and all the more so since they sawthat she was a mother, and that they did nought but most ruefully murmurat the birth of a daughter. Whereto Griselda, without the least change ofcountenance or sign of discomposure, made answer:--"My lord, do with meas thou mayst deem best for thine own honour and comfort, for well I wotthat I am of less account than they, and unworthy of this honourableestate to which of thy courtesy thou hast advanced me." By which answerGualtieri was well pleased, witting that she was in no degree puffed upwith pride by his, or any other's, honourable entreatment of her. A whileafterwards, having in general terms given his wife to understand that thevassals could not endure her daughter, he sent her a message by aservant. So the servant came, and:--"Madam," quoth he with a mostdolorous mien, "so I value my life, I must needs do my lord's bidding. Hehas bidden me take your daughter and..." He said no more, but the lady bywhat she heard, and read in his face, and remembered of her husband'swords, understood that he was bidden to put the child to death. Whereuponshe presently took the child from the cradle, and having kissed andblessed her, albeit she was very sore at heart, she changed notcountenance, but placed it in the servant's arms, saying:--"See that thouleave nought undone that my lord and thine has charged thee to do, butleave her not so that the beasts and the birds devour her, unless he haveso bidden thee." So the servant took the child, and told Gualtieri whatthe lady had said; and Gualtieri, marvelling at her constancy, sent himwith the child to Bologna, to one of his kinswomen, whom he besought torear and educate the child with all care, but never to let it be knownwhose child she was.

  Soon after it befell that the lady again conceived, and in due time wasdelivered of a son, whereat Gualtieri was overjoyed. But, not contentwith what he had done, he now even more poignantly afflicted the lady;and one day with a ruffled mien:--"Wife," quoth he, "since thou gavestbirth to this boy, I may on no wise live in peace with my vassals, sobitterly do they reproach me that a grandson of Giannucolo is to succeedme as their lord; and therefore I fear that, so I be not minded to besent a packing hence, I must even do herein as I did before, and in theend put thee away, and take another wife." The lady heard him patiently,and answered only:--"My lord, study how thou mayst content thee and bestplease thyself, and waste no thought upon me, for there is nought Idesire save in so far as I know that 'tis thy pleasure." Not many daysafter, Gualtieri, in like manner as he had sent for the daughter, sentfor the son, and having made a shew of putting him to death, provided forhis, as for the girl's, nurture at Bologna. Whereat the lady shewed nomore discomposure of countenance or speech than at the loss of herdaughter: which Gualtieri found passing strange, and inly affirmed thatthere was never another woman in the world that would have so done. Andbut that he had marked that she was most tenderly affectionate towardsher children, while 'twas well pleasing to him, he had supposed that shewas tired of them, whereas he knew that 'twas of her discretion that sheso did. His vassals, who believed that he had put the children to death,held him mightily to blame for his cruelty, and felt the utmostcompassion for the lady. She, however, said never aught to the ladiesthat condoled with her on the death of her children, but that thepleasure of him that had begotten them was her pleasure likewise.

  Years not a few had passed since the girl's birth, when Gualtieri atlength deemed the time come to put his wife's patience to the finalproof. Accordingly, in the presence of a great company of his vassals hedeclared that on no wise might he longer brook to have Griselda to wife,that he confessed that in taking her he had done a sorry thing and theact of a stripling, and that he therefore meant to do what he could toprocure the Pope's dispensation to put Griselda away, and take anotherwife: for which cause being much upbraided by many worthy men, he made noother answer but only that needs must it so be. Whereof the lady beingapprised, and now deeming that she must look to go back to her father'shouse, and perchance tend the sheep, as she had aforetime, and see him,to whom she was utterly devoted, engrossed by another woman, did inlybewail herself right sorely: but still with the same composed mien withwhich she had borne Fortune's former buffets, she set herself to endurethis last outrage. Nor was it long before Gualtieri by counterfeitletters, which he caused to be sent to him from Rome, made his vassalsbelieve that the Pope had thereby given him a dispensation to putGriselda away, and take another wife. Wherefore, having caused her to bebrought before him, he said to her in the presence of not a few:--"Wife,by license granted me by the Pope, I am now free to put thee away, andtake another wife; and, for that my forbears have always been greatgentlemen and lords of these parts, whereas thine have ever beenhusbandmen, I purpose that thou go back to Giannucolo's house with thedowry that thou broughtest me; whereupon I shall bring home a lady that Ihave found, and who is meet to be my wife."

  'Twas not without travail most grievous that the lady, as she heard thisannouncement, got the better of her woman's nature, and suppressing hertears, made answer:--"My lord, I ever knew that my low degree was on nowise congruous with your nobility, and acknowledged that the rank I hadwith you was of your and God's bestowal, nor did I ever make as if itwere mine by gift, or so esteem it, but still accounted it as a loan.'Tis your pleasure to recall it, and therefore it should be, and is, mypleasure to render it up to you. So, here is your ring, with which youespoused me; take it back. You bid me take with me the dowry that Ibrought you; which to do will require neither paymaster on your part norpurse nor packhorse on mine; for I am not unmindful that naked was I whenyou first had me. And if you deem it seemly that that body in which Ihave borne children, by you begotten, be beheld of all, naked will Idepart; but yet, I pray you, be pleased, in guerdon of the virginity thatI brought you and take not away, to suffer me to bear hence upon my backa single shift--I crave no more--besides my dowry." There was nought ofwhich Gualtieri was so fain as to weep; but yet, setting his face as aflint, he made answer:--"I allow thee a shift to thy back; so get theehence." All that stood by besought him to give her a robe, that she, whohad been his wife for thirteen years and more, might not be seen to quithis house in so sorry and shameful a plight, having nought on her but ashift. But their entreaties went for nothing: the lady in her shift, andbarefoot and bareheaded, having bade them adieu, departed the house, andwent back to her father amid the tears and lamentations of all that sawher. Giannucolo, who had ever deemed it a thing incredible that Gualtierishould keep his daughter to wife, and had looked for this to happen everyday, and had kept the clothes that she had put off on the morning thatGualtieri had wedded her, now brought them to her; and she, havingresumed them, applied herself to the petty drudgery of her father'shouse, as she had been wont, enduring with fort
itude this cruelvisitation of adverse Fortune.

  Now no sooner had Gualtieri dismissed Griselda, than he gave his vassalsto understand that he had taken to wife a daughter of one of the Countsof Panago. He accordingly made great preparations as for the nuptials,during which he sent for Griselda. To whom, being come, quoth he:--"I ambringing hither my new bride, and in this her first home-coming I purposeto shew her honour; and thou knowest that women I have none in the housethat know how to set chambers in due order, or attend to the many othermatters that so joyful an event requires; wherefore do thou, thatunderstandest these things better than another, see to all that needs bedone, and bid hither such ladies as thou mayst see fit, and receive them,as if thou wert the lady of the house, and then,