The Decameron (Day 6 to Day 10): Containing an hundred pleasant NovelsBoccaccio, Giovanni
History
The Decameron (Day 6 to Day 10): Containing an hundred pleasant Novels
Boccaccio, Giovanni
Allegories; Frame stories; Plague -- Europe -- History -- Fiction; Storytelling -- Fiction
Go (quoth she) I pray thee for my Waiting-woman _Ancilla_, and bid her
make some meanes to come up hither to me. The Clowne knowing his Lady,
sayde. How now Madame? Who hath carried you up there so high? Your
Woman _Ancilla_ hath sought for you all this day, yet no one could ever
have immagined you to bee there. So looking about him, he espyed the
two sides of the Ladder, which the Scholler had pulled in sunder; as
also the steppes, which he had scattered thereabout; placing them in
due order againe as they should bee, and binding them fast with Withies
and Willowes.
By this time _Ancilla_ was come thither, who so soone as shee was
entred into the Tower, could not refrain from teares & complaints,
beating her hands each against other, and crying out. Madam, Madam, my
deare Lady and Mistresse! Alas, Where are you? So soone as she heard
the tongue of _Ancilla_, she replyed (so well as she could) saying: Ah
my sweet Woman, I am heere aloft uppon the Tarras; weepe not, neyther
make any noyse, but quickely bring me some of my Garments. When shee
heard her answer in such comfortable manner, she mounted up the Ladder,
which the peazant had made very firme and strong, holding it fast
for her safer ascending; by which meanes she went upon the Tarras.
Beholding her Ladie in so strange a condition, resembling no humane
body, but rather the trunke of a Tree halfe burned, lying flat on her
face, naked, scorched and strangely deformed: shee beganne to teare the
lockes of her owne hayre, raving and raging in as pittifull manner,
as if her Ladie had beene quite dead. Which storming tempest, Madame
_Helena_ soone pacified, entreating her to use silence, and helpe to
put on her garments.
Having understood by her, that no one knew of her being there, but such
as brought her cloathes, and the poore peazant, attending there still
to do her any service: shee became the better comforted, entreating
them by all meanes, that it might bee concealed from any further
discovery, which was on eyther side, most faithfullie protested.
The poore Clowne holpe to beare downe his Lady uppon his backe, because
the Ladder stood not conveniently enough for her descending, neither
were her limbes plyable for her owne use, by reason of their rifts and
smarting. _Ancilla_ following after, and being more respective of her
Lady, then her owne security in descending; missing the step in the
midst of the Ladder, fell downe to the ground, and quite brake her
legge in the fall, the paine whereof was so greevous to her, that she
cried and roared extraordinarily, even like a Lyon in the desert.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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