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
Landing some store of their men, well armed with Crosse-bowes and
other weapons, they tooke possession of such a place, where none
durst issue forth of the small Barke, but endangered his life with
their Darts & Arrowes. Entering aboord the Barke, and making it their
owne by full possession, all the men they threw over-boord, without
sparing any but _Landolpho_ himselfe, whom they mounted into one of
the Carrackes, leaving him nothing but a poore shirt of Maile on his
backe, and having rifled the Barke of all her riches, sunke it into the
bottome of the sea. The day following, the rough windes being calmed,
the Carrackes set saile againe, having a prosperous passage all the
day long; but uppon the entrance of darke night, the windes blew more
tempestuously then before, and sweld the Sea in such rude stormes, that
the two Carracks were sundered each from other, and by violence of the
tempest it came to passe, that the Carracke wherein lay poore miserable
_Landolpho_ (beneath the Isle of _Cephalonia_) ran against a rocke, and
even as a glasse against a wall, so split the Carracke in peeces, the
goods and merchandizes floating on the Sea, Chests, Coffers, Beds, and
such like other things, as often hapneth in such lamentable accidents.
Now, notwithstanding the nights obscurity, and impetuous violence of
the billowes; such as could swimme, made shift to save their lives by
swimming. Others caught hold on such things, as by Fortunes favour
floated neerest to them, among whom, distressed _Landolpho_, desirous
to save his life, if possibly it might be, espied a Chest or Coffer
before him, ordained (no doubt) to be the meanes of his safety from
drowning. Now although the day before, he had wished for death infinite
times, rather then to returne home in such wretched poverty; yet,
seeing how other men strove for safety of their lives by any helpe,
were it never so little, he tooke advantage of this favour offred him,
and the rather in a necessitie so urgent. Keeping fast upon the Coffer
so well as he could, and being driven by the winds & waves, one while
this way, and anon quite contrarie, he made shift for himselfe till day
appeared; when looking every way about him, seeing nothing but clouds,
the seas and the Coffer, which one while shrunke from under him, and
another while supported him, according as the windes and billowes
carried it: all that day and night thus he floated up and downe,
drinking more then willingly hee would, but almost hunger-starved
thorow want of foode. The next morning, either by the appointment
of heaven, or power of the Windes, _Landolpho_ who was (well-neere)
become a Spundge, holding his armes strongly about the Chest, as wee
have seene some doe, who (dreading drowning) take hold on any the very
smallest helpe; drew neere unto the shore of the Iland _Corfu_, where
(by good fortune) a poore woman was scowring dishes with the salt water
and sand, to make them (house-wife like) neate and cleane.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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