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
When the Clowne had set his Lady safe on a faire green banke, he
returned to see what the waiting woman ayled, and finding her leg to
be quite broken: he caried her also to the same banke, & there seated
her by her Lady: who perceiving what a mischance had hapned, and she,
from whom she expected her onely best helpe, to bee now in far greater
necessity her selfe: shee lamented exceedingly, complaining on Fortunes
cruel malice toward her, in thus heaping one misery upon another, and
never ceasing to torment her, especially now in the conclusion of all,
and when shee thought all future perils to be past.
Now was the Sun upon his setting, when the poore honest country-man,
because darke night should not overtake them, conducted the Lady home
to his owne house: and gaining the assistance of his two brethren and
wife, setting the waiting-woman in a Chaire, thither they brought
her in like manner. And questionles, there wanted no diligence and
comfortable language, to pacifie the Ladyes continuall lamentations.
The good wife, led the Lady into hir own poore lodging, where (such
cates as they had to feede on) lovingly she set before her: conveying
her afterward into her owne bed, and taking such good order, that
_Ancilla_ was carried in the night time to _Florence_, to prevent all
further ensuing danger, by reason of her legs breaking.
Madame _Helena_, to colour this misfortune of her owne: as also the
great mishap of her woman: forged an artificiall and cunning tale, to
give some formall apparance of hir being in the Tower, perswading the
poore simple Country people, that in a straunge accident of thunder and
lightning, and by the illusions of wicked spirits, all this adventure
hapned to her. Then Physitians were sent for; who, not without much
anguish and affliction to the Ladie (by reason of her fleshes flaying
off, with the Medicines and Emplaysters applyed to the body) was glad
to suffer whatsoever they did, beside falling into a very dangerous
Feaver; out of which she was not recovered in a long while after, but
continued in daily dispayre of her life; beside other accidents hapning
in her time of Physicke, utterly unavoydable in such extreamities: and
hardly had _Ancilla_ her legge cured.
By this unexpected pennance imposed on Madame _Helena_, she utterly
forgot her amorous friend, and (from thence forward) carefully kept
her selfe from fond loves allurements, and such scornfull behaviour,
wherein she was most disorderly faulty. And _Reniero_ the Scholler,
understanding that _Ancilla_ had broken her leg, which he reputed as a
punishment sufficient for her, held himselfe satisfyed, because neither
the Mistresse nor her Maide, could now make any great boast, of his
nights hard entertainment, and so concealed all matters else.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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