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
The Fryars Boy, whom some called _Guccio Balena_, some _Guccio
Imbrata_, and others _Guccio Porco_, was such a knavish Lad, and had so
many bad qualities, as _Lippo Topo_ the cunning Painter, or the most
curious Poeticall wit, had not any ability to describe them. Friar
_Onyon_ himself did often observe his behaviour, and would make this
report among his Friends. My Boy (quoth he) hath nine rare qualities
in him, and such they are, as if _Salomon, Aristotle,_ or _Seneca_ had
onely but one of them: it were sufficient to torment and trouble all
their vertue, all their senses, & all their sanctity. Consider then,
what manner of man he is like to be, having nine such rarities, yet
voide of all vertue, wit, or goodnes. And when it was demaunded of
Friar _Onyon_, what these nine rare conditions were: hee having them
all readie by heart, and in rime, thus answered:
_Boyes I have knowne, and seene,
And heard of many:_
But,
_For Lying, Loytring, Lazinesse,
For Facing, Filching, Filthinesse;
For Carelesse, Gracelesse, all Unthriftinesse,
My Boy excelleth any._
Now, over and beside all these admirable qualities, hee hath manie
more such singularities, which (in favour towards him) I am faine to
conceale. But that which I smile most at in him, is that he would have
a Wife in every place where he commeth, yea, and a good house to boot
too: for, in regard his beard beginneth to shew it selfe, rising thicke
in haire, blacke and amiable, he is verily perswaded, that all Women
will fall in love with him; and if they refuse to follow him, he will
in all hast run after them. But truly, he is a notable servant to mee,
for I cannot speake with any one, and in never so great secrecy, but he
will be sure to heare his part; and when any question is demanded of
me, he standes in such awe and feare of my displeasure: that he will
bee sure to make the first answer, yea or no, according as he thinketh
most convenient.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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