The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio Page 8
THE FIFTH STORY
[Day the First]
THE MARCHIONESS OF MONFERRATO, WITH A DINNER OF HENS AND CERTAIN SPRIGHTLY WORDS, CURBETH THE EXTRAVAGANT PASSION OF THE KING OF FRANCE
The story told by Dioneo at first pricked the hearts of the listeningladies with somewhat of shamefastness, whereof a modest rednessappearing in their faces gave token; but after, looking one at otherand being scarce able to keep their countenance, they listened,laughing in their sleeves. The end thereof being come, after they hadgently chidden him, giving him to understand that such tales were notfit to be told among ladies, the queen, turning to Fiammetta, who satnext him on the grass, bade her follow on the ordinance. Accordingly,she began with a good grace and a cheerful countenance, "It hathoccurred to my mind, fair my ladies,--at once because it pleaseth methat we have entered upon showing by stories how great is the efficacyof prompt and goodly answers and because, like as in men it is greatgood sense to seek still to love a lady of higher lineage thanthemselves,[50] so in women it is great discretion to know how to keepthemselves from being taken with the love of men of greater conditionthan they,--to set forth to you, in the story which it falleth to meto tell, how both with deeds and words a noble lady guarded herselfagainst this and diverted another therefrom.
[Footnote 50: An evident allusion to Boccaccio's passion for thePrincess Maria, _i.e._ Fiammetta herself.]
The Marquis of Monferrato, a man of high worth and gonfalonier[51] ofthe church, had passed beyond seas on the occasion of a generalcrusade undertaken by the Christians, arms in hand, and it being oneday discoursed of his merit at the court of King Phillippe leBorgne,[52] who was then making ready to depart France upon the samecrusade, it was avouched by a gentleman present that there was notunder the stars a couple to match with the marquis and his lady, forthat, even as he was renowned among knights for every virtue, so wasshe the fairest and noblest of all the ladies in the world. Thesewords took such hold upon the mind of the King of France that, withouthaving seen the marchioness, he fell of a sudden ardently in love withher and determined to take ship for the crusade, on which he was togo, no otherwhere than at Genoa, in order that, journeying thither byland, he might have an honourable occasion of visiting themarchioness, doubting not but that, the marquis being absent, he mightavail to give effect to his desire.
[Footnote 51: Or standard-bearer.]
[Footnote 52: _i.e._ the One-eyed (syn. le myope, the short-sighted,the Italian word [_Il Bornio_] having both meanings), _i.e._ PhilipII. of France, better known as Philip Augustus.]
As he had bethought himself, so he put his thought into execution;for, having sent forward all his power, he set out, attended only bysome few gentlemen, and coming within a day's journey of themarquis's domains, despatched a vauntcourier to bid the lady expecthim the following morning to dinner. The marchioness, who was welladvised and discreet, replied blithely that in this he did her thegreatest of favours and that he would be welcome and after bethoughtherself what this might mean that such a king should come to visit herin her husband's absence, nor was she deceived in the conclusion towhich she came, to wit, that the report of her beauty drew himthither. Nevertheless, like a brave lady as she was, she determined toreceive him with honour and summoning to her counsels sundry gentlemenof those who remained there, with their help, she let provide foreverything needful. The ordinance of the repast and of the viands shereserved to herself alone and having forthright caused collect as manyhens as were in the country, she bade her cooks dress various dishesof these alone for the royal table.
The king came at the appointed time and was received by the lady withgreat honour and rejoicing. When he beheld her, she seemed to him fairand noble and well-bred beyond that which he had conceived from thecourtier's words, whereat he marvelled exceedingly and commended heramain, waxing so much the hotter in his desire as he found the ladyoverpassing his foregone conceit of her. After he had taken somewhatof rest in chambers adorned to the utmost with all that pertaineth tothe entertainment of such a king, the dinner hour being come, the kingand the marchioness seated themselves at one table, whilst the rest,according to their quality, were honourably entertained at others. Theking, being served with many dishes in succession, as well as withwines of the best and costliest, and to boot gazing with delight thewhile upon the lovely marchioness, was mightily pleased with hisentertainment; but, after awhile, as the viands followed one uponanother, he began somewhat to marvel, perceiving that, for all thediversity of the dishes, they were nevertheless of nought other thanhens, and this although he knew the part where he was to be such asshould abound in game of various kinds and although he had, byadvising the lady in advance of his coming, given her time to senda-hunting. However, much as he might marvel at this, he chose not totake occasion of engaging her in parley thereof, otherwise than in thematter of her hens, and accordingly, turning to her with a merry air,'Madam,' quoth he, 'are hens only born in these parts, without ever acock?' The marchioness, who understood the king's question excellentwell, herseeming God had vouchsafed her, according to her wish, anopportune occasion of discovering her mind, turned to him and answeredboldly, 'Nay, my lord; but women, albeit in apparel and dignities theymay differ somewhat from others, are natheless all of the same fashionhere as elsewhere.'
The King, hearing this, right well apprehended the meaning of thebanquet of hens and the virtue hidden in her speech and perceived thatwords would be wasted upon such a lady and that violence was out ofthe question; wherefore, even as he had ill-advisedly taken fire forher, so now it behoved him sagely, for his own honour's sake, stiflehis ill-conceived passion. Accordingly, without making any more wordswith her, for fear of her replies, he dined, out of all hope; and themeal ended, thanking her for the honourable entertainment he hadreceived from her and commending her to God, he set out for Genoa, soby his prompt departure he might make amends for his unseemly visit."