the decameron(十日谈)-第69部分

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because；　by　striving　with　my　very　uttermost　endeavour；　to　shunne　the
outrage　of　those　implacable　winds；　I　have　laboured　to　go；　not　onely　by
plaine　and　even　pathes　but　likewise　through　the　deepest　vallies。　As
very　easily　may　be　seene　and　observed　in　the　reading　of　these　few
small　Novels；　which　I　have　written　not　only　in　our　vulgar　Florentine
prose；　without　any　ambitious　title：　but　also　in　a　most　humble　stile；
so　low　and　gentle　as　possibly　I　could。　And　although　I　have　bene　rudely
shaken；　yea；　almost　halfe　unrooted；　by　the　extreame　agitation　of　those
blustering　winds；　and　torne　in　peeces　by　that　base　back…biter；　Envy：
yet　have　I　not　（for　all　that）　discontinued；　or　broken　any　part　of　mine
intended　enterprize。　Wherefore；　I　can　sufficiently　witnesse　（by　mine
owne　comprehension）　the　saying　so　much　observed　by　the　wise；　to　be
most　true：　That　nothing　is　without　Envy　in　this　world；　but　misery
onely。
　　But　what　shall　I　say　to　them；　who　take　so　great　compassion　on　my
povertie；　as　they　advise　me　to　get　some　thing；　whereon　to　make　my
living？　Assuredly；　I　know　not　what　to　say　in　this　case；　except　by
due　consideration　made　with　my　selfe；　how　they　would　answer　me；　if
necessitie　should　drive　me　to　crave　kindnesse　of　them；
questionlesse；　they　would　then　say：　Goe；　seeke　comfort　among　thy
fables　and　follies。
　　But　now　it　is　time　（bright　beauties）　to　returne　whence　we　parted；
and　to　follow　our　former　order　begun；　because　it　may　seeme　we　have
wandered　too　farre。　By　this　time　the　Sun　had　chased　the　Starre…light
from　the　heavens；　and　the　shadie　moisture　from　the　ground；　when
Philostratus　the　King　being　risen；　all　the　company　arose　likewise。
When　being　come　into　the　goodly　Garden；　they　spent　the　time　in
varietie　of　sports；　dining　where　they　had　supt　the　night　before。　And
after　that　the　Sunne　was　at　his　highest；　and　they　had　refreshed
their　spirits　with　a　little　slumbering；　they　sate　downe　（according
to　custome）　about　the　faire　Fountaine。　And　then　the　King　commanded
Madam　Fiammettal　that　she　should　give　beginning　to　the　dayes　Novels：
when　she；　without　any　longer　delaying；　began：


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　FOURTH　DAY；　THE　FIRST　NOVELL

　　　WHEREIN　IS　DECLARED　THE　POWER　OF　LOVE；　AND　THEIR　CRUILTY　JUSTLY
　　　　　　　　　　　REPREHENDED；　WHO　IMAGE　TO　MAKE　THE　VIGOUR　THEREOF
　　　　　　　　　　　　　CEASE；　BY　ABUSING　OR　KILLING　ONE　OF　THE　LOVERS

　　Tancrede；　Prince　of　Salerne；　caused　the　amorous　friend　of　his
daughter　to　bee　slaine；　and　sent　her　his　heart　in　a　cup　of　Gold：　which
afterwards　she　steeped　in　an　impoysoned　water；　and　then　drinking　it；
so　dyed。

　　Our　King　（most　Noble　and　vertuous　Ladies）　hath　this　day　given　us　a
subject；　very　rough　and　stearne　to　discourse　on；　and　so　much　the
rather；　if　we　consider；　that　we　are　come　hither　to　be　merry　and
pleasant；　where　sad　Tragicall　reports　are　no　way　suteable；　especially；
by　reviving　the　teares　of　others；　to　bedew　our　owne　cheekes　withall。
Nor　can　any　such　argument　be　spoken　of；　without　moving　compassion　both
in　the　reporters；　and　hearers。　But　（perhaps）　it　was　his　Highnesse
pleasure；　to　moderate　the　delights　which　we　have　already　had。　Or
whatsoever　else　hath　provoked　him　thereto；　seeing　it　is　not　lawfull
for　me；　to　alter　or　contradict　his　appointment；　I　will　recount　an
accident　very　pittifull；　or　rather　most　unfortinate；　and　well　worthy
to　be　graced　with　bur　teares。
　　Tancrede；　Prince　of　Salerne　（which　City；　before　the　Consulles　of
Rome　held　dominion　in　that　part　of　Italy；　stoode　free；　and　thence
（perchance）　tooke　the　moderne　title　of　a　Principality　was　a　very
humane　Lord；　and　of　ingenious　nature；　if；　in　his　elder　yeeres；　he
had　not　soiled　his　hands　in　the　blood　of　Lovers；　especially　one　of
them；　being　both　neere　and　deere　unto　him。　So　it　fortuned；　that　during
the　whole　life　time　of　this　Prince；　he　had　but　one　onely　daughter
（albeit　it　had　beene　much　better；　if　he　had　had　at　all）　whom　he　so
choisely　loved　and　esteemed；　as　never　was　any　childe　more　deerely
affected　of　a　Father：　and　so　farre　extended　his　over…curious　respect
of　her；　as　he　would　seldome　admit　her　to　be　forth　of　his　sight；
neither　would　he　suffer　her　to　marry；　although　she　had　outstept　（by
divers　yeeres）　the　age　meete　for　marriage。
　　Neverthelesse；　at　length；　he　matched　her　with　the　Sonne　to　the
Duke　of　Capua；　who　lived　no　long　while　with　her；　but　left　her　in　a
widdowed　estate；　and　then　she　returned　home　to　her　father　againe。
　　This　Lady；　had　all　the　most　absolute　perfections；　both　of　favour　and
feature；　as　could　be　wished　in　any　woman；　young；　queintly　disposed；
and　of　admirable　understanding；　more　（perhappes）　then　was　requisite　in
so　weake　a　body。　Continuing　thus　in　Court　with　the　King　her　Father；
who　loved　her　beyond　all　his　future　hopes；　like　a　Lady　of　great　and
glorious　magnificence；　she　lived　in　all　delights　and　pleasure。　She
well　perceiving；　that　her　Father　thus　exceeding　in　his　affection　to
her；　had　no　minde　at　all　of　re…marrying　her；　and　holding　it　most
immodest　in　her；　to　solicite　him　with　any　such　suite：　concluded　in　her
mindes　private　consultations；　to　make　choise　of　some　one　especiall
friend　or　favourite　（if　Fortune　would　prove　so　furtherous　to　her）　whom
she　might　acquaint　secretly；　with　her　sober；　honest；　and　familiar
purposes。　Her　Fathers　Court　being　much　frequented；　with　plentifull
accesse　of　brave　Gentlemen；　and　others　of　inferiour　quality；　as
commonly　the　Courts　of
Kings　and　Princes　are；　whose　carriage　and　demeanor　she　very
heedfully　observed。　There　was　a　young　Gentleman　among　all　the　rest；
a　servant　to　her　Father；　and　named　Cuiscardo；　a　man　not　derived　from
any　great　descent　by　blood；　yet　much　more　Noble　by　vertue　and
commandable　behaviour；　then　appeared　in　any　of　the　other；　none　pleased
her　opinion；　like　as　he　did；　so　that　by　often　noting　his　parts　and
perfections；　her　affections　being　but　a　glowing　sparke　at　first；
grew　like　a　Bavin　to　take　Rame；　yet　kept　so　closely　as　possibly　she
could；　as　Ladies　are　warie　enough　in　their　love。
　　The　young　Gentleman；　though　poore；　being　neither　blocke　nor　dullard；
perceived　what　he　made　no　outward　shew　of；　and　understood　himselfe
so　sufficiently；　that　holding　it　no　meane　happinesse　to　be　affected　by
her；　he　thought　it　very　base　and　cowardly　in　him；　if　he　should　not
expresse　the　like　to　her　againe。　So　loving　mutually　（yet　secretly）
in　this　maner；　and　she　coveting　nothing　more；　then　to　have　private
conference　with　him；　yet　not　daring　to　trust　any　one　with　so　important
a　matter；　at　length　she　devised　a　new　cunning　stratageme；　to
compasse　her　longing　desire；　and　acquaint　him　with　her　private
purpose；　which　proved　to　be　in　this　manner。　She　wrote　a　Letter；
concerning　what　was　the　next　day　to　be　done；　for　their　secret
meeting　together；　and　conveying　it　within　the　joynt　of　an　hollow　Cane；
in　jesting　manner　threw　it　to　Guiscardo；　saying；　Let　your　man　make　use
of　this；　insteed　of　a　paire　of　bellowes；　when　he　meaneth　to　make
fire　in　your　Chamber。　Guiscardo　taking　up　the　Cane；　and　considering
with　himselfe；　that　neither　was　it　given；　or　the　wordes　thus　spoken；
but　doubtlesse　on　some　important　occasion：　went　unto　his　lodging
with　the　Cane；　where　viewing　it　respectively；　he　found　it　to　be　cleft；
and　opening　it　with　his　knife；　found　there　the　written　Letter
enclosed。
　　After　he　had　reade　it；　and　well　considered　on　the　service　therein
concerned；　he　was　the　most　joyfull　man　of　the　world；　and　began　to
contrive　his　aptest　meanes；　for　meeting　with　his　gracious　Mistresse；
and　according　as　she　had　given　him　direction。　In　a　corner　of　the　Kings
Palace；　it　being　seated　on　a　rising　hill；　a　cave　had　long　beene　made
in　the　body　of　the　same　hill；　which　received　no　light　into　it；　but
by　a　small　spiracle　or　vent…loope；　made　out　ingeniously　on　the　hils
side。　And　because　it　had　not　beene　a　long　time　frequented；　by　the
accesse　of　any　body；　that　vent…light　was　over…growne　with　briars　and
bushes；　which　almost　engirt　it　round　about。　No　one　could　descend
into　this　cave　or　vault；　but　only　by　a　secret　paire　of　staires；
answering　to　a　lower　Chamber　of　the　Palace；　and　very　neere　to　the
Princesse　lodging；　as　being　altogether　at　her　command；　by　meanes　of
a　strong　barred　and　defensible　doore；　whereby　to　mount　or　descend　at
her　pleasure。　And　both　the　cave　it　selfe；　as　also　the　degrees
conducting　downe　into　it；　were　now　so　quite　worne　out　of　memory　（in
regard　it　had　not　beene　visited　by　any　one　in　long　time　before）　as
no　man　remembred　that　there　was　any　such　thing。
　　But　Love；　from　whose　bright　discerning　eies；　nothing　can　be　so
closely　concealed；　but　at　the　length　it　commeth　to　light；　had　made
this　amorous　Lady　mindefull　thereof；　and　because　she　would　not　be
discovered　in　her　intention；　many　dayes　together；　her　soule　became
perplexed；　by　what　meanes　that　strong　doore　might　best　be　opened；
before　she　could　compasse　to　performe　it。　But　after　that　she　had　found
out　the　way；　and　gone　downe　her　selfe　alone　into　the　cave；　observing
the　loope…light　and　had　made　it　commodious　for　her　purpose；　she　gave
knowledge　thereof　to　Guiscardo；　to　have　him　devise　an　apt　course　for
his　descent；　acquainting　him　truly　with　the　height；　and　how　farre　it
was　distant　from　the　ground　within。　After　he　had　found　the
souspirall　in　the　hils　side；　and　given　it