The Decameron of Giovanni BoccaccioBoccaccio, Giovanni
History
The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
Boccaccio, Giovanni
Allegories; Frame stories; Plague -- Europe -- History -- Fiction; Storytelling -- Fiction
Matters standing thus and Rustico being more than ever inflamed in
his desires to see her so fair, there came the resurrection of the
flesh, which Alibech observing and marvelling, 'Rustico,' quoth she,
'what is that I see on thee which thrusteth forth thus and which I
have not?' 'Faith, daughter mine,' answered he, 'this is the devil
whereof I bespoke thee; and see now, he giveth me such sore annoy
that I can scarce put up with it.' Then said the girl, 'Now praised
be God! I see I fare better than thou, in that I have none of yonder
devil.' 'True,' rejoined Rustico; 'but thou hast otherwhat that I
have not, and thou hast it instead of this.' 'What is that?' asked
Alibech; and he, 'Thou hast hell, and I tell thee methinketh God
hath sent thee hither for my soul's health, for that, whenas this
devil doth me this annoy, an it please thee have so much compassion
on me as to suffer me put him back into hell, thou wilt give me the
utmost solacement and wilt do God a very great pleasure and service,
so indeed thou be come into these parts to do as thou sayst.'
The girl answered in good faith, 'Marry, father mine, since I have
hell, be it whensoever it pleaseth thee;' whereupon quoth Rustico,
'Daughter, blessed be thou; let us go then and put him back there,
so he may after leave me in peace.' So saying, he laid her on one of
their little beds and taught her how she should do to imprison that
accursed one of God. The girl, who had never yet put any devil in
hell, for the first time felt some little pain; wherefore she said
to Rustico, 'Certes, father mine, this same devil must be an ill
thing and an enemy in very deed of God, for that it irketh hell
itself, let be otherwhat, when he is put back therein.' 'Daughter,'
answered Rustico, 'it will not always happen thus;' and to the end
that this should not happen, six times, or ever they stirred from
the bed, they put him in hell again, insomuch that for the nonce
they so took the conceit out of his head that he willingly abode at
peace. But, it returning to him again and again the ensuing days and
the obedient girl still lending herself to take it out of him, it
befell that the sport began to please her and she said to Rustico,
'I see now that those good people in Capsa spoke sooth, when they
avouched that it was so sweet a thing to serve God; for, certes, I
remember me not to have ever done aught that afforded me such
pleasance and delight as putting the devil in hell; wherefore
methinketh that whoso applieth himself unto aught other than God His
service is a fool.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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