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
Well hast thou done therein good Sonne, said the Confessour: but how
often times hast thou beene angry? Oh Sir (said Maister _Chappelet_)
therein I assure yee, I have often transgressed. And what man is able
to forbeare it, beholding the dayly actions of men to be so dishonest?
No care of keeping Gods commaundements, nor any feare of his dreadfull
judgements. Many times in a day, I have rather wished my selfe dead
then living, beholding youth pursuing idle vanities, to sweare and
forsweare themselves, tipling in Tavernes, and never haunting Churches;
but rather affecting the worlds follies, then any such duties as they
owe to God. Alas Sonne (quoth the Friar) this is a good and holy anger,
and I can impose no penance on thee for it. But tell me, hath not
rage or furie at any time so over-ruled thee, as to commit murther or
manslaughter, or to speake evill of any man, or to doe any other such
kinde of injurie? Oh Father (answered Maister _Chappelet_) you that
seeme to be a man of God, how dare you use any such vile words? If I
had had the very least thought, to doe any such act as you speake, doe
you thinke that God would have suffered me to live? These are deedes
of darknesse, fit for villaines and wicked livers; of which hellish
crue, when at any time I have happened to meete with some one of them;
I have said, Goe, God convert thee.
Worthy, and charitable words, replied the Friar; but tell me Sonne,
Didst thou ever beare false witnesse against any man, or hast spoken
falsly, or taken ought from any one, contrary to the will of the owner?
Yes indeede Father, said Maister _Chappelet_, I have spoken ill of
another, because I have sometime seene one of my neighbours, who with
no meane shame of the world, would doe nothing else but beate his wife:
and of him once I complained to the poore mans parents, saying, that
he never did it, but when he was overcome with drinke. Those were no
ill words, quoth the Friar; but I remember, you said that you were a
Merchant: Did you ever deceive any, as some Merchants use to doe? Truly
Father, answered Maister _Chappelet_, I thinke not any, except one man,
who one day brought me money which he owed me, for a certaine piece of
cloath I solde him, and I put it into a purse without accounting it:
about a moneth afterward, I found that there were foure small pence
more then was due to me. And never happening to meete with the man
againe, after I had kept them the space of a whole yeare, I then gave
them away to foure poore people for Gods sake.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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