The Decameron of Giovanni BoccaccioBoccaccio, Giovanni
History
The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
Boccaccio, Giovanni
Allegories; Frame stories; Plague -- Europe -- History -- Fiction; Storytelling -- Fiction
Her women, seeing and hearing all this, albeit they knew not what
water this was she had drunken, had sent to tell Tancred everything,
and he, fearing that which came to pass, came quickly down into his
daughter's chamber, where he arrived what time she laid herself on her
bed and addressed himself too late to comfort her with soft words;
but, seeing the extremity wherein she was, he fell a-weeping
grievously; whereupon quoth the lady to him, 'Tancred, keep these
tears against a less desired fate than this of mine and give them not
to me, who desire them not. Who ever saw any, other than thou, lament
for that which he himself hath willed? Nevertheless, if aught yet live
in thee of the love which once thou borest me, vouchsafe me for a last
boon that, since it was not thy pleasure that I should privily and in
secret live with Guiscardo, my body may openly abide with his,
whereassoever thou hast caused cast him dead.' The agony of his grief
suffered not the prince to reply; whereupon the young lady, feeling
herself come to her end, strained the dead heart to her breast and
said, 'Abide ye with God, for I go hence.' Then, closing her eyes and
losing every sense, she departed this life of woe. Such, then, as you
have heard, was the sorrowful ending of the loves of Guiscardo and
Ghismonda, whose bodies Tancred, after much lamentation, too late
repenting him of his cruelty, caused honourably bury in one same
sepulchre, amid the general mourning of all the people of Salerno."
THE SECOND STORY
[Day the Fourth]
FRA ALBERTO GIVETH A LADY TO BELIEVE THAT THE ANGEL GABRIEL
IS ENAMOURED OF HER AND IN HIS SHAPE LIETH WITH HER SUNDRY
TIMES; AFTER WHICH, FOR FEAR OF HER KINSMEN, HE CASTETH
HIMSELF FORTH OF HER WINDOW INTO THE CANAL AND TAKETH REFUGE
IN THE HOUSE OF A POOR MAN, WHO ON THE MORROW CARRIETH HIM,
IN THE GUISE OF A WILD MAN OF THE WOODS, TO THE PIAZZA,
WHERE, BEING RECOGNIZED, HE IS TAKEN BY HIS BRETHREN AND PUT
IN PRISON
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