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
At the hearing of these words, shee breathed foorth a very vehement
sigh, and was stricken with admiration at this question, beleeving
that not any one had knowledge thereof. Howbeit, since the day of the
supposed _Thebaldoes_ buriall, such a rumour ran abroade, by meanes
of some speeches, rashly dispersed by a friend of _Thebaldoes_, who
(indeede) knew it; whereupon shee returned him this answere. It
appeareth to me (good man) that divine ordinativation hath revealed
unto you all the secrets of men; and therefore I am determined, not to
conceale any of mine from you. True it is, that in my younger yeeres,
being left a widow, I entirely affected an unfortunate young Gentleman,
who (in secret) was my Husband, and whose death is imposed on my
Father. The death of him I have the more bemoaned, because (in reason)
it did neerely concerne me, by shewing my selfe so savage and rigorous
to him before his departure: neverthelesse, let me assure you Sir, that
neither his parting, long absence from me, or his untimely death, never
had the power to bereave my heart of his remembrance.
Madame, saide the Pilgrime, the unfortunate young Gentleman that is
slaine, did never love you; but sure I am, that _Thebaldo Elisei_ loved
you dearely. But tell me, what was the occasion whereby you conceived
such hatred against him? Did he at any time offend you? No trulie Sir,
quoth shee; but the reason of my anger towards him, was by the wordes
and threatnings of a religious Father, to whom once I revealed (under
confession) how faithfully I affected him, and what private familiarity
had passed betweene us. When instantly he used such dreadfull
threatnings to me, and which (even yet) doe afflict my soule, that if
I did not abstaine, and utterly refuse him, the Divell would fetch me
quicke to Hell, and cast me into the bottome of his quenchlesse and
everlasting fire.
These menaces were so prevailing with me, as I refused all further
conversation with _Thebaldo_, in which regard, I would receive neither
letters or messages from him. Howbeit, I am perswaded, that if he had
continued here still, and not departed hence in such desperate manner
as he did, seeing him melt and consume daily away, even as Snowe by
power of the Sunne-beames: my austere deliberation had beene long agoe
quite altered, because not at any time (since then) life hath allowed
me one merry day, neither did I, or ever can love any man like unto him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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