[Transcriber's Note: The original text does not observe the normal convention of placing quotation marks at the beginnings of paragraphs within a multiple-paragraph quotation. This idiosyncrasy has been preserved in this e-text. Archaic spellings have been preserved, but obvious printer errors have been corrected. In the untranslated Italian passage in Day 3, Story 10, the original is missing the accents, which have been added using an Italian edition of Decameron (Milan: Mursia, 1977) as a guide. John Payne's translation of _The Decameron_ was originally published in a private printing for The Villon Society, London, 1886. The American edition from which this e-text was prepared is undated.] _The_ _Decameron_ _of_ _Giovanni Boccaccio_ _Translated by_ _John Payne_ [Illustration] WALTER J. BLACK, INC. 171 Madison Avenue NEW YORK, N.Y. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA _Contents_ PROEM. DAY THE FIRST 1 THE FIRST STORY. _Master Ciappelletto dupeth a holy friar with a false confession and dieth; and having been in his lifetime the worst of men, he is, after his death, reputed a saint and called Saint Ciappelletto_ 16 THE SECOND STORY. _Abraham the Jew, at the instigation of Jehannot de Chevigné, goeth to the Court of Rome and seeing the depravity of the clergy, returneth to Paris and there becometh a Christian_ 25 THE THIRD STORY. _Melchizedek the Jew, with a story of three rings, escapeth a parlous snare set for him by Saladin_ 28 THE FOURTH STORY. _A monk, having fallen into a sin deserving of very grievous punishment, adroitly reproaching the same fault to his abbot, quitteth himself of the penalty_ 30 THE FIFTH STORY. _The Marchioness of Monferrato, with a dinner of hens and certain sprightly words, curbeth the extravagant passion of the King of France_ 33 THE SIXTH STORY. _An honest man, with a chance pleasantry, putteth to shame the perverse hypocrisy of the religious orders_ 35 THE SEVENTH STORY. _Bergamino, with a story of Primasso and the Abbot of Cluny, courteously rebuketh a fit of parsimony newly come to Messer Cane della Scala_ 37 THE EIGHTH STORY. _Guglielmo Borsiere with some quaint words rebuketh the niggardliness of Messer Ermino de' Grimaldi_ 40 THE NINTH STORY. _The King of Cyprus, touched to the quick by a Gascon lady, from a mean-spirited prince becometh a man of worth and valiance_ 42 THE TENTH STORY. _Master Alberto of Bologna civilly putteth a lady to the blush who thought to have shamed him of being enamoured of her_ 43 DAY THE SECOND 48 THE FIRST STORY. _Martellino feigneth himself a cripple and maketh believe to wax whole upon the body of St. Arrigo. His imposture being discovered, he is beaten and being after taken [for a thief,] goeth in peril of being hanged by the neck, but ultimately escapeth_ 49