The Decameron of Giovanni BoccaccioBoccaccio, Giovanni
History
The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
Boccaccio, Giovanni
Allegories; Frame stories; Plague -- Europe -- History -- Fiction; Storytelling -- Fiction
[Footnote 200: _Fornito_, a notable example of what the illustrious
Lewis Carroll Dodgson, Waywode of Wonderland, calls a "portmanteau-word,"
a species that abounds in mediæval Italian, for the confusion of
translators.]
Bertrand, who had seen and recognized Gillette, knowing her (albeit
she seemed to him very fair) to be of no such lineage as sorted with
his quality, said all disdainfully, 'My lord, will you then marry me
to a she-leach? Now God forbid I should ever take such an one to
wife!' 'Then,' said the king, 'will you have us fail of our faith, the
which, to have our health again, we pledged to the damsel, who in
guerdon thereof demanded you to husband?' 'My lord,' answered
Bertrand, 'you may, an you will, take from me whatsoever I possess or,
as your liegeman, bestow me upon whoso pleaseth you; but of this I
certify you, that I will never be a consenting party unto such a
marriage.' 'Nay,' rejoined the king, 'but you shall, for that the
damsel is fair and wise and loveth you dear; wherefore we doubt not
but you will have a far happier life with her than with a lady of
higher lineage.' Bertrand held his peace and the king let make great
preparations for the celebration of the marriage.
The appointed day being come, Bertrand, sore against his will, in the
presence of the king, espoused the damsel, who loved him more than
herself. This done, having already determined in himself what he
should do, he sought leave of the king to depart, saying he would fain
return to his county and there consummate the marriage; then, taking
horse, he repaired not thither, but betook himself into Tuscany,
where, hearing that the Florentines were at war with those of Sienna,
he determined to join himself to the former, by whom he was joyfully
received and made captain over a certain number of men-at-arms; and
there, being well provided[201] of them, he abode a pretty while in
their service.
[Footnote 201: _i.e._ getting good pay and allowances (_avendo buona
provisione_).]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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