The Decameron of Giovanni BoccaccioBoccaccio, Giovanni
History
The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
Boccaccio, Giovanni
Allegories; Frame stories; Plague -- Europe -- History -- Fiction; Storytelling -- Fiction
Having thus disposed of his daughter, well knowing to whom, he
resolved to abide there no longer and accordingly, begging his way
across the island, came, not without sore fatigue, as one who was
unused to go afoot, into Wales. Here dwelt another of the king's
marshals, who held great state and entertained a numerous household,
and to his court both the count and his son whiles much resorted to
get food. Certain sons of the said marshal and other gentlemen's
children being there engaged in such boyish exercises as running and
leaping, Perrot began to mingle with them and to do as dextrously as
any of the rest, or more so, each feat that was practised among them.
The marshal, chancing whiles to see this and being much taken with
the manners and fashion of the boy, asked who he was and was told that
he was the son of a poor man who came there bytimes for alms;
whereupon he caused require him of the count, and the latter, who
indeed besought God of nought else, freely resigned the boy to him,
grievous as it was to him to be parted from him. Having thus provided
his son and daughter, he determined to abide no longer in England and
passing over into Ireland, made his way, as best he might, to
Stamford, where he took service with a knight belonging to an earl of
the country, doing all such things as pertain unto a lackey or a
horseboy, and there, without being known of any, he abode a great
while in unease and travail galore.
Meanwhile Violante, called Jeannette, went waxing with the gentlewoman
in London in years and person and beauty and was in such favour both
with the lady and her husband and with every other of the house and
whoso else knew her, that it was a marvellous thing to see; nor was
there any who noted her manners and fashions but avouched her worthy
of every greatest good and honour. Wherefore the noble lady who had
received her from her father, without having ever availed to learn who
he was, otherwise than as she had heard from himself, was purposed to
marry her honourably according to that condition whereof she deemed
her. But God, who is a just observer of folk's deserts, knowing her to
be of noble birth and to bear, without fault, the penalty of another's
sin, ordained otherwise, and fain must we believe that He of His
benignity permitted that which came to pass to the end that the gentle
damsel might not fall into the hands of a man of low estate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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