the decameron(十日谈)-第72章

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gave　him　eyes　now　to　see；　though　rashnesse　before　would　not　permit　him
to　consider；　these　two　extreamities　inlarged　his　dulled　understanding。
First；　he　grew　fearfull　of　the　friends　and　followers　to　murthered
Guardastagno；　as　also　the　whole　Country　of　Provence；　in　regard　of
the　peoples　generall　love　unto　him；　which　being　two　maine　and
important　motives；　both　to　the　detestation　of　so　horrid　an　act；　and
immediate　severe　revenge　to　succeede　thereon：　he　made　such　provision
as　best　he　could；　and　as　so　sodaine　a　warning　would　give　leave；　he　Red
away　secretly　in　the　night　season。
　　These　unpleasing　newes　were　soone　spread　abroad　the　next　morning；
not　only　of　the　unfortunate　accidents；　but　also　of　Rossiglions　flight；
in　regard　whereof；　the　dead　bodyes　being　found；　and　brought
together；　as　well　by　the　people　belonging　to　Guardastagno；　as　them
that　attended　on　the　Lady：　they　were　layed　in　the　Chappell　of
Rossigliones　Castle；　where；　after　so　much　lamentation　for　so　great　a
misfortune　to　befall　them；　they　were　honourably　enterred　in　one
faire　Tombe；　with　excellent　Verses　engraven　thereon；　expressing　both
their　noble　degree；　and　by　what　unhappy　meanes；　they　chanced　to　have
buriall　in　that　very　place。




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　FOURTH　DAY；　THE　TENTH　NOVELL

　　　　　　WHEREIN　IS　DECLARED；　THAT　SOMETIME　BY　ADVENTUROUS　ACCIDENT；
　　　RATHER　THEN　ANY　REASONABLE　COMPREHENSION；　A　MAN　MAY　ESCAPE　OUT　OF
　　　　　　MANIFOLD　PERILLES；　BUT　ESPECIALLY　IN　OCCURRENCES　OF　LOVE。

　　A　physitians　wife　laide　a　Lover　of　her　Maides　（supposing　him　to　be
dead）　in　a　Chest；　by　reason　that　he　had　drunke　Water；　which　usually
was　given　to　procure　a　sleepy　entrancing。　Two　Lombard　usurers；
stealing　the　Chest；　in　hope　of　a　rich　booty；　carryed　it　into　their
owne　house；　where　afterward　the　man　awaking；　was　apprehended　for　a
Theefe。　The　Chamber…maide　to　the　Physitians　wife；　going　before　the
bench　of　Justice；　accuseth　her　selfe　for　putting　the　imagined　dead
body　into　the　Chest；　by　which　meanes　he　escapeth　hanging。　And　the
theeves　which　stole　away　the　Chest；　were　condemned　to　pay　a　great
summe　of　money。

　　After　that　the　King　had　concluded　his　Novell；　there　remained　none
now　but　Dioneus　to　tell　the　last：　which　himselfe　confessing；　and　the
King　commaunding　him　to　proceede；　hee　beganne　in　this　manner。　So
many　miseries　of　unfortunate　Love；　as　all　of　you　have　already　related；
hath　not　onely　swolne　your　eyes　with　weeping；　but　also　made　sicke
our　hearts　with　sighing：　yea　（Gracious　Ladies）　I　my　selfe　finde　my
spirits　not　meanly　afflicted　thereby。　Wherefore　the　whole　day　hath
bene　very　irkesome　to　me；　and　I　am　not　a　little　glad；　that　it　is　so
neere　ending。　Now；　for　the　better　shutting　it　up　altogether；　I　would
be　very　loath　to　make　an　addition；　of　any　more　such　sad　and
mournfull　matter；　good　for　nothing　but　onely　to　feede　melancholly
humor；　and　from　which　（I　hope）　my　faire　Starres　will　defend　me。
Tragicall　discourse；　thou　art　no　fit　companion　for　me；　I　will
therefore　report　a　Novell　which　may　minister　a　more　joviall　kinde　of
argument；　unto　whose　Tales　that　must　be　told　to　morrow；　and　with　the
expiration　of　our　present　Kings　reigne；　to　rid　us　of　all
heart…greeving　hereafter。
　　Know　then　（most　gracious　assembly）　that　it　is　not　many　yeeres　since；
when　there　lived　in　Salerne；　a　very　famous　Physitian；　named　Signieur
Mazzeo　della　Montagna；　who　being　already　well　entred　into　yeeres；
would　（neverthelesse）　marrie　with　a　beautifull　young　Mayden　of　the
City；　bestowing　rich　garments；　gaudie　attyres；　Ringes；　and　Jewelles　on
her；　such　as　few　Women　else　could　any　way　equall；　because　hee　loved
her　most　deerely。　Yet　being　an　aged　man；　and　never　remembring；　how
vaine　and　idle　a　thing　it　is；　for　age　to　make　such　an　unfitting
Election；　injurious　to　both；　and　therefore　endangering　that　domesticke
agreement；　which　ought　to　be　the　sole　and　maine　comfort　of　Marriage：
it　maketh　me　therefore　to　misdoubt；　that　as　in　our　former　Tale　of
Signiour　Ricciardo　de　Cinzica；　some　dayes　of　the　Calender　did　here
seeme　as　distastefull；　as　those　that　occasioned　the　other　Womans
discontentment。　In　such　unequall　choyses；　Parents　commonly　are　more
blamewoorthy；　then　any　imputation；　to　bee　layde　on　the　young　Women；
who　gladdely　would　enjoy　such　as　in　heart　they　have　elected：　but
that　their　Parents；　looking　through　the　glasse　of　greedie　lucre；　doe
overthrow　both　their　owne　hopes；　and　the　faire　fortunes　of　their
children　together。
　　Yet　to　speake　uprightly　of　this　young　married　Wife；　she　declared　her
selfe　to　be　of　a　wise　and　chearfull　spirit；　not　discoraged　with　her
unequalitie　of　marriage：　but　bearing　all　with　a　contented　browe；　for
feare　of　urging　the　very　least　mislike　in　her　Husband。　And　he；　on
the　other　side；　when　occasions　did　not　call　him　to　visite　his
Patients；　or　to　be　present　at　the　Colledge　among　his　fellow…Doctours；
would　alwayes　bee　chearing　and　comforting　his　Wife；　as　one　that　could
hardly　affoord　to　be　out　of　her　company。　There　is　one　especiall
fatall　misfortune；　which　commonly　awaiteth　on　olde　Mens　marriages；
when　freezing　December　will　match　with　flourishing　May；　and　greene
desires　appeare　in　age；　beyond　all　possibility　of　performance。　Nor
are　there　wanting　good　store　of　wanton　Gallants；　who　hating　to　see
Beauty　in　this　manner　betrayed；　and　to　the　embraces　of　a　loathed　bed；
will　make　their　folly　seene　in　publike　appearance；　and　by　their　daily
proffers　of　amorous　services　（seeming　compassionate　of　the　womans
disaster）　are　usually　the　cause　of　jealous　suspitions；　and　very
heinous　houshold　discontentments。
　　Among　divers　other；　that　faine　would　be　nibling　at　this　bayte　of
beautie；　there　was　one；　named　Ruggiero　de　Jeroly；　of　honourable
parentage；　but　yet　of　such　a　beboshed　and　disordered　life；　as
neither　Kindred　or　Friends；　were　willing　to　take　any　knowledge　of　him；
but　utterly　gave　him　over　to　his　dissolute　courses：　so　that；
throughout　all　Salerne；　his　conditions　caused　his　generall　contempt；
and　he　accounted　no　better　but　even　as　a　theeving　and　lewde　company。
The　Doctours　Wife；　had　a　Chamber…maide　attending　on　her；　who；
notwithstanding　all　the　ugly　deformities　in　Ruggiero；　regarding　more
his　person　then　his　imperfections　（because　he　was　a　compleate　and
well…featured　youth）　bestowed　her　affection　most　entirely　on　him；
and　oftentimes　did　supplie　his　wants；　with　her　owne　best　meanes。
　　Ruggiero　having　this　benefite　of　the　Maides　kinde　love　to　him；
made　it　an　hopefull　mounting　Ladder；　whereby　to　derive　some　good
liking　from　the　Mistresse；　presuming　rather　on　his　outward　comely
parts；　then　any　other　honest　qualitie　that　might　commend　him。　The
Mistresse　knowing　what　choise　her　Maide　had　made；　and　unable　by　any
perswasions　to　remoove　her；　tooke　knowledge　of　Ruggieroes　private
resorting　to　her　house；　and　in　meere　love　to　her　Maide　（who　had　very
many　especiall　deservings　in　her）　oftentimes　she　would　（in　kinde
manner）　rebuke　him；　and　advise　him　to　a　more　settled　course　of　life；
which　counsell；　that　it　might　take　the　better　effect；　she　graced
with　liberall　gifts：　one　while　with　Golde；　others　with　Silver；　and
often　with　garments；　for　his　comelier　accesse　thither；　which　bounty；
he　（like　a　lewde　mistaker）　interpreted　as　assurances　of　her
affection　to　him；　and　that　he　was　more　gracefull　in　her　eye；　then
any　man　else　could　be。
　　In　the　continuance　of　these　proceedings；　it　came　to　passe；　that
Master　Doctor　Mazzeo　（being　not　onely　a　most　expert　Physitian；　but
likewise　as　skilfull　in　Chirurgerie　beside）　had　a　Patient　in　cure；　who
by　great　misfortune；　had　one　of　his　legges　broken　all　in　pieces；　which
some　weaker　judgement　having　formerly　dealt　withall；　the　bones　and
sinewes　were　become　so　fowly　putrified；　as　he　tolde　the　parties
friends；　that　the　legge　must　be　quite　cut　off；　or　else　the　Patient
must　needes　dye：　yet　he　intended　so　to　order　the　matter；　that　the
perill　should　proceede　no　further；　to　prejudice　any　other　part　of
the　body。　The　case　beeing　thus　resolved　on　with　the　Pacient　and　his
Friends；　the　day　and　time　was　appointed　when　the　deede　should　be　done：
and　the　Doctor　conceiving；　that　except　the　Patient　were　sleepily
entranced；　he　could　not　by　any　meanes　endure　the　paine；　but　must
needes　hinder　what　he　meant　to　do：　by　distillation　he　made　such　an
artificiall　Water；　as　（after　the　Patient　hath　received　it）　it　will
procure　a　kinde　of　a　dead　sleepe；　and　endure　so　long　a　space；　as
necessity　requireth　the　use　there　of；　in　full　performance　of　the
worke。
　　After　he　had　made　this　sleepy　water；　he　put　it　into　a　glasse；
wherewith　it　was　filled　（almost）　up　to　the　brimme；　and　till　the　time
came　when　he　should　use　it；　hee　set　it　in　his　owne　Chamber…Window；
never　acquainting　any　one；　to　what　purpose　he　had　provided　the
water；　nor　what　was　his　reason　of　setting　it　there；　when　it　drew
towards　the　evening；　and　he　was　returned　home　from　his　pacients；　a
Messenger　brought　him　Letters　from　Malfy；　concerning　a　great
conflict　happening　there　betweene　two　Noble　Families；　wherein　divers
were　very　dangerously　wounded　on　either　side；　and　without　his　speedy
repairing　thither；　it　would　prove　to　the　losse　of　many　lives。
Hereupon；　the　cure　of　the　mans　leg　must　needs　be　prolonged；　untill
he　was　returned　backe　againe；　in　regard　that　many　of　the　wounded
persons　were　his　worthy　friends；　and　liberall　bounty　was　there　to　be
expected；　which　made　him　presently　go　aboord　a　small　Barke；　and
forthwith　set　away　towards　Malfy。
　　This　absence　of　Master　Doctor　Mazzeo；　gave　opportunity　to
adventurous　Ruggiero；　to　visite　his　house　（he　being　gone）　in　hope　to
get　more　Crownes；　and　curtisie　from　the　Mistresse；　under　formall
colour　of　courting　the　Maide。　And　being　closely　admitted　into　the
house；　when　divers　Neighbours　were　in　conference　with　her　Mistresse；
and　held　her　with　much　pleasing　discourse；　as　required　longer　time
then　was　expected：　the　Maide；　had　no　other　roome　to　conceale
Ruggiero　in；　but　onely　the　bed　Chamber　of　her　Master；　where　she
lockt　him　in；　because　none　of　the　houshold　people　should　descry　him；
and　stayed　attending　on　her　Mistris；　till　all　the　Guests　tooke　their
leave；　and　were　gone。　Ruggiero　thus　remayning　alone　in　the　Chamber；
for　the　space　of　three　long　houres　and　more　was　visited　neither　by
Maide　nor　Mistris；　but　awaited　when　he　should　be　set　at　liberty。
　　Now；　whether　feeding　on　salt　meates　before　his　coming　thither；　or
customary　use　of　drinking；　which　maketh　men　unable　any　long　while　to
abstaine　as　being　never　satisfied　with　excesse；　which　of　these　two
extreames　they　were；　I　know　not：　but　drinke　needs　he　must。　And；　having
no　other　meanes　for　quenching　his　thirst；　espied　the　glasse　of　water
standing　in　the　Window；　and　thinking　it　to　be　some　soveraigne　kinde　of
water；　reserved　by　the　Doctor　for　his　owne　drinking；　to　make　him　lusty
in　his　old　yeeres；　he　tooke　the　glasse；　and　finding　the　water　pleasing
to　his　pallate；　dranke　it　off　every　drop；　then　sitting　downe　on　a
Coffer　by　the　beds　side；　soone　after　he　fell　into　a　sound　sleepe；
according　to　the　powerfull　working　of　the　water。
　　No　sooner　were　all　the　Neighbours　gone；　and　the　Maide　at　liberty
from　her　Mistresse；　but　unlocking　the　doore；　into　the　Chamber　she
went；　and　finding　Ruggiero　sitting　fast　asleepe；　she　began　to　hunch
and　punche　him；　entreating　him　（sof