The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio Read online

  THE SECOND STORY

  [Day the Second]

  RINALDO D'ASTI, HAVING BEEN ROBBED, MAKETH HIS WAY TO CASTEL GUGLIELMO, WHERE HE IS HOSPITABLY ENTERTAINED BY A WIDOW LADY AND HAVING MADE GOOD HIS LOSS, RETURNETH TO HIS OWN HOUSE, SAFE AND SOUND

  The ladies laughed immoderately at Martellino's misfortunes narratedby Neifile, as did also the young men and especially Filostrato, whom,for that he sat next Neifile, the queen bade follow her instory-telling. Accordingly he began without delay, "Fair ladies, needsmust I tell you a story[79] of things Catholic,[80] in part mingledwith misadventures and love-matters, which belike will not be otherthan profitable to hear, especially to those who are wayfarers in theperilous lands of love, wherein whoso hath not said St. Julian hisPaternoster is oftentimes ill lodged, for all he have a good bed.

  [Footnote 79: Lit. a story striveth in (draweth) me to be told or totell itself (_a raccontarsi mi tira una novella_).]

  [Footnote 80: _i.e._ religious matters (_cose cattoliche_).]

  In the days, then, of the Marquis Azzo of Ferrara, there came amerchant called Rinaldo d'Asti to Bologna on his occasions, whichhaving despatched and returning homeward, it chanced that, as heissued forth of Ferrara and rode towards Verona, he fell in withcertain folk who seemed merchants, but were in truth highwaymen andmen of lewd life and condition, with whom he unwarily joined companyand entered into discourse. They, seeing him to be a merchant andjudging him to have monies about him, took counsel together to robhim, at the first opportunity that should offer; wherefore, that hemight take no suspicion, they went devising with him, like decentpeaceable folk, of things honest and seemly and of loyalty, orderingthemselves toward him, in so far as they knew and could, with respectand complaisance, so that he deemed himself in great luck to have metwith them, for that he was alone with a serving-man of his onhorseback.

  Thus faring on and passing from one thing to another, as it chancethin discourse, they presently fell to talking of the orisons that menoffer up to God, and one of the highwaymen, who were three in number,said to Rinaldo, 'And you, fair sir, what orison do you use to say ona journey?' Whereto he answered, 'Sooth to say, I am but a plain manand little versed in these matters and have few orisons in hand; Ilive after the old fashion and let a couple of shillings pass forfour-and-twenty pence.[81] Nevertheless, I have still been wont, whenon a journey, to say of a morning, what time I come forth of the inn,a Pater and an Ave for the soul of St. Julian's father and mother,after which I pray God and the saint to grant me a good lodging forthe ensuing night. Many a time in my day have I, in the course of myjourneyings, been in great perils, from all of which I have escapedand have still found myself at night, to boot, in a place of safetyand well lodged. Wherefore I firmly believe that St. Julian, in whosehonour I say it, hath gotten me this favour of God; nor meseemethshould I fare well by day nor come to good harbourage at night, exceptI had said it in the morning.' 'And did you say it[82] this morning?'asked he who had put the question to him. 'Ay did I,' answeredRinaldo; whereupon quoth the other in himself, knowing well how thething was to go, 'May it stand thee in stead![83] For, an no hindrancebetide us, methinketh thou art e'en like to lodge ill.' Then, toRinaldo, 'I likewise,' quoth he, 'have travelled much and have neversaid this orison, albeit I have heard it greatly commended, nor everhath it befallen me to lodge other than well; and this evening maybeyou shall chance to see which will lodge the better, you who have saidit or I who have not. True, I use, instead thereof, the _Dirupisti_ orthe _Intemerata_ or the _De Profundis_, the which, according to thatwhich a grandmother of mine used to tell me, are of singular virtue.'

  [Footnote 81: _i.e._ take things by the first intention, withoutseeking to refine upon them, or, in English popular phrase, "I do notpretend to see farther through a stone wall than my neighbours."]

  [Footnote 82: _i.e._ the aforesaid orison.]

  [Footnote 83: Or "'Twill have been opportunely done of thee."]

  Discoursing thus of various matters and faring on their way, on thelook out the while for time and place apt unto their knavish purpose,they came, late in the day, to a place a little beyond CastelGuglielmo, where, at the fording of a river, the three rogues, seeingthe hour advanced and the spot solitary and close shut in, fell uponRinaldo and robbed him of money, clothes and horse. Then, leaving himafoot and in his shirt, they departed, saying, 'Go see if thy St.Julian will give thee a good lodging this night, even as ours[84] willassuredly do for us.' And passing the stream, they went their ways.Rinaldo's servant, seeing him attacked, like a cowardly knave as hewas, did nought to help him, but turning his horse's head, never drewbridle till he came to Castel Guglielmo and entering the town, took uphis lodging there, without giving himself farther concern.

  [Footnote 84: _i.e._ our patron saint.]

  Rinaldo, left in his shirt and barefoot, it being very cold andsnowing hard, knew not what to do and seeing the night already athand, looked about him, trembling and chattering the while with histeeth, if there were any shelter to be seen therenigh, where he mightpass the night, so he should not perish of cold; but, seeing none, forthat a little before there had been war in those parts and everythinghad been burnt, set off at a run, spurred by the cold, towards CastelGuglielmo, knowing not withal if his servant were fled thither orotherwise and thinking that, so he might but avail to enter therein,God would send him some relief. But darkness overtook him near a milefrom the town, wherefore he arrived there so late that, the gatesbeing shut and the draw-bridges raised, he could get no admission.Thereupon, despairing and disconsolate, he looked about, weeping, fora place where he might shelter, so at the least it should not snowupon him, and chancing to espy a house that projected somewhat beyondthe walls of the town, he determined to go bide thereunder till day.Accordingly, betaking himself thither, he found there a door, albeitit was shut, and gathering at foot thereof somewhat of straw that wastherenigh, he laid himself down there, tristful and woebegone,complaining sore to St. Julian and saying that this was not of thefaith he had in him.

  However, the saint had not lost sight of him and was not long inproviding him with a good lodging. There was in the town a widow lady,as fair of favour as any woman living, whom the Marquis Azzo loved ashis life and there kept at his disposition, and she abode in that samehouse, beneath the projection whereof Rinaldo had taken shelter. Now,as chance would have it, the Marquis had come to the town that day,thinking to lie the night with her, and had privily let make ready inher house a bath and a sumptuous supper. Everything being ready andnought awaited by the lady but the coming of the Marquis, it chancedthat there came a serving-man to the gate, who brought him news, whichobliged him to take horse forthright; wherefore, sending to tell hismistress not to expect him, he departed in haste. The lady, somewhatdisconsolate at this, knowing not what to do, determined to enter thebath prepared for the Marquis and after sup and go to bed.

  Accordingly she entered the bath, which was near the door, againstwhich the wretched merchant was crouched without the city-wall;wherefore she, being therein, heard the weeping and trembling kept upby Rinaldo, who seemed as he were grown a stork,[85] and calling hermaid, said to her, 'Go up and look over the wall who is at thepostern-foot and what he doth there.' The maid went thither and aidedby the clearness of the air, saw Rinaldo in his shirt and barefoot,sitting there, as hath been said, and trembling sore; whereupon sheasked him who he was. He told her, as briefliest he might, who he wasand how and why he was there, trembling the while on such wise that hecould scarce form the words, and after fell to beseeching herpiteously not to leave him there all night to perish of cold, [but tosuccour him,] an it might be. The maid was moved to pity of him andreturning to her mistress, told her all. The lady, on like wise takingcompassion on him and remembering that she had the key of the dooraforesaid, which served whiles for the privy entrances of the Marquis,said, 'Go softly and open to him; here is this supper and none to eatit and we have commodity enough for his lodging.'

  [Footnote 85: _i.e._ whose teeth
chattered as it were the clapping ofa stork's beak.]

  The maid, having greatly commended her mistress for this her humanity,went and opening to Rinaldo, brought him in; whereupon the lady,seeing him well nigh palsied with cold, said to him, 'Quick, good man,enter this bath, which is yet warm.' Rinaldo, without awaiting fartherinvitation, gladly obeyed and was so recomforted with the warmth ofthe bath that himseemed he was come back from death to life. The ladylet fetch him a suit of clothes that had pertained to her husband,then lately dead, which when he had donned, they seemed made to hismeasure, and whilst awaiting what she should command him, he fell tothanking God and St. Julian for that they had delivered him from thescurvy night he had in prospect and had, as he deemed, brought him togood harbourage.

  Presently, the lady, being somewhat rested,[86] let make a great firein her dining-hall and betaking herself thither, asked how it was withthe poor man; whereto the maid answered, 'Madam, he hath clad himselfand is a handsome man and appeareth a person of good condition andvery well-mannered.' Quoth the lady, 'Go, call him and bid him come tothe fire and sup, for I know he is fasting.' Accordingly, Rinaldoentered the hall and seeing the gentlewoman, who appeared to him alady of quality, saluted her respectfully and rendered her the bestthanks in his power for the kindness done him. The lady, having seenand heard him and finding him even as her maid had said, received himgraciously and making him sit familiarly with her by the fire,questioned him of the chance that had brought him thither; whereuponhe related everything to her in order. Now she had heard somewhat ofthis at the time of his servant's coming into the town, wherefore shegave entire belief to all he said and told him, in turn, what she knewof his servant and how he might lightly find him again on the morrow.Then, the table being laid, Rinaldo, at the lady's instance, washedhis hands and sat down with her to supper. Now he was tall of hisperson and comely and pleasant of favour and very engaging andagreeable of manners and a man in the prime of life; wherefore thelady had several times cast her eyes on him and found him much to herliking, and her desires being already aroused for the Marquis, who wasto have come to lie with her, she had taken a mind to him.Accordingly, after supper, whenas they were risen from table, she tookcounsel with her maid whether herseemed she would do well, the Marquishaving left her in the lurch, to use the good which fortune had senther. The maid, seeing her mistress's drift, encouraged her as best shemight to ensue it; whereupon the lady, returning to the fireside,where she had left Rinaldo alone, fell to gazing amorously upon himand said to him, 'How now, Rinaldo, why bide you thus melancholy?Think you you cannot be requited the loss of a horse and of some smallmatter of clothes? Take comfort and be of good cheer; you are in yourown house. Nay, I will e'en tell you more, that, seeing you with thoseclothes on your back, which were my late husband's, and meseeming youwere himself, there hath taken me belike an hundred times to-night alonging to embrace you and kiss you: and but that I feared todisplease you, I had certainly done it.'

  [Footnote 86: _i.e._ after her bath.]

  Rinaldo, who was no simpleton, hearing these words and seeing thelady's eyes sparkle, advanced towards her with open arms, saying,'Madam, considering that I owe it to you to say that I am now aliveand having regard to that from which you delivered me, it were greatunmannerliness in me, did I not study to do everything that may beagreeable to you; wherefore do you embrace me and kiss me to yourheart's content, and I will kiss and clip you more than willingly.'There needed no more words. The lady, who was all afire with amorouslonging, straightway threw herself into his arms and after she hadstrained him desirefully to her bosom and bussed him a thousand timesand had of him been kissed as often, they went off to her chamber, andthere without delay betaking themselves to bed, they fully and many atime, before the day should come, satisfied their desires one of theother. Whenas the day began to appear, they arose,--it being herpleasure, so the thing might not be suspected of any,--and she, havinggiven him some sorry clothes and a purse full of money and shown himhow he should go about to enter the town and find his servant, put himforth at the postern whereby he had entered, praying him keep thematter secret.

  As soon as it was broad day and the gates were opened, he entered thetown, feigning to come from afar, and found his servant. Therewithalhe donned the clothes that were in the saddle-bags and was about tomount the man's horse and depart, when, as by a miracle, it befellthat the three highwaymen, who had robbed him overnight, having been alittle after taken for some other misdeed of them committed, werebrought into the town and on their confession, his horse and clothesand money were restored to him, nor did he lose aught save a pair ofgarters, with which the robbers knew not what they had done. Rinaldoaccordingly gave thanks to God and St. Julian and taking horse,returned home, safe and sound, leaving the three rogues to go kick onthe morrow against the wind."[87]

  [Footnote 87: _i.e._ to be hanged or, in the equivalent English idiom,to dance upon nothing.]