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
The man comming before him, he demanded, if the accusation intimated
against him, was true or no? Whereto the honest man answered, that he
could not denie the speaking of such words, and declared in what manner
they were uttered. Presently the Inquisitor, most devoutly addicted
to Saint _John_ with the golden beard, saide; What? Doest thou make
our Lord a drinker, and a curious quaffer of wines, as if he were a
glutton, belly-god, or a Taverne haunter, as thou, and other drunkards
are. Being an hypocrite, as thou art, thou thinkest this to be but
a light matter, because it may seeme so in thine owne opinion: but
I tell thee plainly, that it deserveth fire and faggot, if I should
proceede in Justice to inflict it on thee: with these, and other such
like threatning words, as also a very stearn and angry countenance, he
made the man believe himselfe to be an Epicure, and that hee denied
the eternity of the soule; whereby he fell into such a trembling
feare, as doubting indeed, least he should be burned, that, to be more
mercifully dealt withall, he rounded him in the eare, and (by secret
means) so annointed his hands with Saint _Johns_ golden grease, (a very
singular remedy against the disease pestilentiall in covetous Priests,
especially Friars Minors, that dare touch no money) as the case became
very quickly altered.
This soveraigne unction was of such vertue (though _Galen_ speakes
not a word thereof among all his chiefest medicines) and so farre
prevailed; that the terrible threatening words of fire and fagot,
became meerely frozen up, and gracious language blew a more gentle
and calmer ayre; the Inquisitor delivering him an hallowed Crucifixe,
creating him a Souldier of the Crosse (because he had payed Crosses
good store for it) and even as if he were to travell under that
Standard to the holy Land; so did hee appoint him a home-paying
pennance, namely, to visit him thrice every weeke in his Chamber, and
to annoint his hands with the selfe-same yellow unguent, and afterward,
to heare a Masse of the holy Crosse, visiting him also at dinner
time, which being ended, to doe nothing all the rest of the day, but
according as he directed him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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