The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio Read online

  THE THIRD STORY

  [Day the First]

  MELCHIZEDEK THE JEW, WITH A STORY OF THREE RINGS, ESCAPETH A PARLOUS SNARE SET FOR HIM BY SALADIN

  Neifile having made an end of her story, which was commended of all,Filomena, by the queen's good pleasure, proceeded to speak thus: "Thestory told by Neifile bringeth to my mind a parlous case the oncebetided a Jew; and for that, it having already been excellent wellspoken both of God and of the verity of our faith, it should nothenceforth be forbidden us to descend to the doings of mankind and theevents that have befallen them, I will now proceed to relate to youthe case aforesaid, which having heard, you will peradventure becomemore wary in answering the questions that may be put to you. You mustknow, lovesome[46] companions[47] mine, that, like as folly ofttimesdraweth folk forth of happy estate and casteth them into the utmostmisery, even so doth good sense extricate the wise man from thegreatest perils and place him in assurance and tranquillity. How trueit is that folly bringeth many an one from fair estate unto misery isseen by multitude of examples, with the recounting whereof we have nopresent concern, considering that a thousand instances thereof doevery day manifestly appear to us; but that good sense is a cause ofsolacement I will, as I promised, briefly show you by a little story.

  [Footnote 46: Lit. amorous (_amorose_), but Boccaccio frequently uses_amoroso_, _vago_, and other adjectives, which are now understood inan active or transitive sense only, in their ancient passive orintransitive sense of lovesome, desirable, etc.]

  [Footnote 47: _Compagne_, _i.e._ she-companions. Filomena isaddressing the female part of the company.]

  Saladin,--whose valour was such that not only from a man of littleaccount it made him Soldan of Babylon, but gained him many victoriesover kings Saracen and Christian,--having in divers wars and in theexercise of his extraordinary munificences expended his whole treasureand having an urgent occasion for a good sum of money nor seeingwhence he might avail to have it as promptly as it behoved him, calledto mind a rich Jew, by name Melchizedek, who lent at usance inAlexandria, and bethought himself that this latter had the wherewithalto oblige him, and he would; but he was so miserly that he would neverhave done it of his freewill and Saladin was loath to use force withhim; wherefore, need constraining him, he set his every wit awork tofind a means how the Jew might be brought to serve him in this andpresently concluded to do him a violence coloured by some show ofreason.

  Accordingly he sent for Melchizedek and receiving him familiarly,seated him by himself, then said to him, 'Honest man, I haveunderstood from divers persons that thou art a very learned man anddeeply versed in matters of divinity; wherefore I would fain know ofthee whether of the three Laws thou reputest the true, the Jewish, theSaracen or the Christian.' The Jew, who was in truth a man of learningand understanding, perceived but too well that Saladin looked toentrap him in words, so he might fasten a quarrel on him, andbethought himself that he could not praise any of the three more thanthe others without giving him the occasion he sought. Accordingly,sharpening his wits, as became one who felt himself in need of ananswer by which he might not be taken at a vantage, there speedilyoccurred to him that which it behoved him reply and he said, 'My lord,the question that you propound to me is a nice one and to acquaint youwith that which I think of the matter, it behoveth me tell you alittle story, which you shall hear.

  An I mistake not, I mind me to have many a time heard tell that therewas once a great man and a rich, who among other very precious jewelsin his treasury, had a very goodly and costly ring, whereunto beingminded, for its worth and beauty, to do honour and wishing to leave itin perpetuity to his descendants, he declared that whichsoever of hissons should, at his death, be found in possession thereof, by hisbequest unto him, should be recognized as his heir and be held of allthe others in honour and reverence as chief and head. He to whom thering was left by him held a like course with his own descendants anddid even as his father had done. In brief the ring passed from hand tohand, through many generations, and came at last into the possessionof a man who had three goodly and virtuous sons, all very obedient totheir father wherefore he loved them all three alike. The young men,knowing the usance of the ring, each for himself, desiring to be themost honoured among his folk, as best he might, besought his father,who was now an old man, to leave him the ring, whenas he came to die.The worthy man, who loved them all alike and knew not himself how tochoose to which he had liefer leave the ring, bethought himself,having promised it to each, to seek to satisfy all three and privilylet make by a good craftsman other two rings, which were so like untothe first that he himself scarce knew which was the true. When he cameto die, he secretly gave each one of his sons his ring, wherefore eachof them, seeking after their father's death, to occupy the inheritanceand the honour and denying it to the others, produced his ring, inwitness of his right, and the three rings being found so like unto oneanother that the true might not be known, the question which was thefather's very heir abode pending and yet pendeth. And so say I to you,my lord, of the three Laws to the three peoples given of God theFather, whereof you question me; each people deemeth itself to havehis inheritance, His true Law and His commandments; but of which invery deed hath them, even as of the rings, the question yet pendeth.'

  Saladin perceived that the Jew had excellently well contrived toescape the snare which he had spread before his feet; wherefore heconcluded to discover to him his need and see if he were willing toserve him; and so accordingly he did, confessing to him that which hehad it in mind to do, had he not answered him on such discreet wise.The Jew freely furnished him with all that he required, and the Soldanafter satisfied him in full; moreover, he gave him very great giftsand still had him to friend and maintained him about his own person inhigh and honourable estate."