The Decameron (Day 1 to Day 5): Containing an hundred pleasant NovelsBoccaccio, Giovanni
History
The Decameron (Day 1 to Day 5): Containing an hundred pleasant Novels
Boccaccio, Giovanni
Allegories; Frame stories; Plague -- Europe -- History -- Fiction; Storytelling -- Fiction
Thus poore _Andrea_ is still made a property, and Fortune (this fatall
night) will have no other foole but he, as delighting in his hourly
disasters. Feare of their fury makes him obedient, into the grave he
goes, and being within, thus consults with himselfe. These cunning
companions suppose me to be simple, & make me enter the Tombe, having
an absolute intention to deceive me. For, when I have given them all
the riches that I finde here, and am ready to come forth for mine
equall portion: away will they runne for their owne safety, and leaving
me here, not onely shall I loose my right among them, but must remaine
to what danger may follow after. Having thus meditated, he resolved
to make sure of his owne share first, and remembring the rich Ring,
whereof they had tolde him: forthwith hee tooke it from the Archbishops
finger, finding it indifferently fitte for his owne. Afterward, hee
tooke the Crosse, Miter, rich garments, Gloves and all, leaving him
nothing but his shirt, giving them all these severall parcels;
protesting, that there was nothing else. Still they pressed upon him,
affirming that there was a Ring beside, urging him to search diligently
for it; yet still he answered, that hee could not finde it, and for
their longer tarying with him, seemed as if he serched very carefully,
but all appeared to no purpose.
The other two fellowes, as cunning in craft as the third could be,
still willed him to search, and watching their aptest opportunity:
tooke away the props that supported the Tombe-stone, and running thence
with their got booty, left poore _Andrea_ mewed up in the grave. Which
when he perceived, and saw this misery to exceede all the rest, it is
farre easier for you to guesse at his greefe, then I am any way able
to expresse it. His head, shoulders, yea all his utmost strength he
employeth, to remove that over-heavy hinderer of his liberty: but all
his labour beeing spent in vaine, sorrow threw him in a swoond upon
the Byshoppes dead body, where if both of them might at that instant
have bene observed, the Arch-byshops dead body, and _Andrea_ in greefe
dying, very hardly had bene distinguished. But his senses regaining
their former offices, among his silent complaints, consideration
presented him with choyse of these two unavoydable extremities. Dye
starving must he in the tombe, with putrifaction of the dead body; or
if any man came to open the Grave, then must he be apprehended as a
sacrilegious Theefe, and so be hanged, according to the lawes in that
case provided.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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