The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio by Giovanni Boccaccio (e reader manga .txt) π
[Footnote 199: Lit. and so I hope (spero), a curious instance of the ancient Dantesque use of the word spero, I hope, in its contrary sense of fear.]
There was in the kingdom of France a gentleman called Isnard, Count of Roussillon, who, for that he was scant of health, still entertained about his person a physician, by name Master Gerard de Narbonne. The said count had one little son, and no more, hight Bertrand, who was exceeding handsome and agreeable, and with him other children of his own age were brought up. Among these latter was a daughter of the aforesaid physician, by name Gillette, who vowed to the said Bertrand an infinite love and fervent more than pertained unto her tender years. The count dying and leaving his son in the hands of
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[388] Lit. face, aspect (viso).
[389] i.e. thy lover's.
[390] V'Γ¨ donato, i.e. young lovers look to receive gifts of their mistresses, whilst those of more mature age bestow them.
[391] Lit. red as rabies (rabbia). Some commentators suppose that Boccaccio meant to write robbia, madder.
[392] i.e. resource (consiglio). See ante, passim.
[393] Boccaccio appears to have forgotten to mention that Rinieri had broken the rounds of the ladder, when he withdrew it (as stated, p. 394), apparently to place an additional obstacle in the way of the lady's escape.
[394] Quære, the street of that name?
[395] Danza trivigiana, lit. Trevisan dance, O.E. the shaking of the sheets.
[396] i.e. with the doctor's hood of miniver.
[397] The colour of the doctors' robes of that time.
[398] The commentators note here that on the church door of San Gallo was depicted an especially frightful Lucifer, with many mouths.
[399] Legnaja is said to be famous for big pumpkins.
[400] i.e. they think of and cherish us alone, holding us as dear as their very eyes.
[401] i.e. Fat-hog and Get-thee-to-supper, burlesque perversions of the names Ipocrasso (Hippocrates) and Avicenna.
[402] i.e. love her beyond anything in the world. For former instances of this idiomatic expression, see ante, passim.
[403] Syn. cauterized (calterita), a nonsensical word employed by Bruno for the purpose of mystifying the credulous physician.
[404] Syn. secretary, confidant (segretaro).
[405] A play of words upon mela (apple) and mellone (pumpkin). Mellone is strictly a water-melon; but I have rendered it "pumpkin," to preserve the English idiom, "pumpkinhead" being our equivalent for the Italian "melon," used in the sense of dullard, noodle.
[406] According to the commentators, "baptized on a Sunday" anciently signified a simpleton, because salt (which is constantly used by the Italian classical writers as a synonym for wit or sense) was not sold on Sundays.
[407] Syn. confusedly (frastagliatamente).
[408] La Contessa di Civillari, i.e. the public sewers. Civillari, according to the commentators, was the name of an alley in Florence, where all the ordure and filth of the neighbourhood was deposited and stored in trenches for manure.
[409] Nacchere, syn. a loud crack of wind.
[410] Syn. smelt (sentito).
[411] Laterina, i.e. Latrina.
[412] Lit. Broom-handle (Manico della Scopa).
[413] Lit. "do yourself a mischief, without doing us any good"; but the sequel shows that the contrary is meant, as in the text.
[414] i.e. what he is worth.
[415] Bucherame. The word "buckram" was anciently applied to the finest linen cloth, as is apparently the case here; see Ducange, voce Boquerannus, and Florio, voce Bucherame.
[416] i.e. in needlework.
[417] "It was the custom in those days to attach to the bedposts sundry small instruments in the form of birds, which, by means of certain mechanical devices, gave forth sounds modulated like the song of actual birds."βFanfani.
[418] Syn. that which belongeth to us (ciΓ² che ci Γ¨,) ci, as I have before noted, signifying both "here" and "us," dative and accusative.
[419] i.e. procure bills of exchange for.
[420] i.e. we must see what is to be done.
[421] i.e. having executed and exchanged the necessary legal documents for the proper carrying out of the transaction and completed the matter to their mutual satisfaction.
[422] The song sung by Pamfilo (under which name, as I have before pointed out, the author appears to represent himself) apparently alludes to Boccaccio's amours with the Princess Maria of Naples (Fiammetta), by whom his passion was returned in kind.
[423] According to the Ptolemaic system, the earth is encompassed by eight celestial zones or heavens; the first or highest, above which is the empyrean, (otherwise called the ninth heaven,) is that of the Moon, the second that of Mercury, the third that of Venus, the fourth that of the Sun, the fifth that of Mars, the sixth that of Jupiter, the seventh that of Saturn and the eighth or lowest that of the fixed stars and of the Earth.
[424] D'azzurrino in color cilestro. This is one of the many passages in which Boccaccio has imitated Dante (cf. Purgatorio, c. xxvi. II. 4-6, "... il sole.... Che giΓ , raggiando, tutto l'occidente Mutava in bianco aspetto di cilestro,") and also one of the innumerable instances in which former translators (who all agree in making the advent of the light change the colour of the sky from azure to a darker colour, instead of, as Boccaccio intended, to watchet, i.e. a paler or greyish blue,) have misrendered the text, for sheer ignorance of the author's meaning.
[425] Scannadio signifies "Murder-God" and was no doubt a nickname bestowed upon the dead man, on account of his wicked and reprobate way of life.
[426] i.e. balls for a pellet bow, usually made out of clay. Bruno and Buffalmacco were punning upon the double meaning, land and earth (or clay), of the word terra.
[427] Scimmione (lit. ape), a contemptuous distortion of Simone.
[428] Chiarea. According to the commentators, the composition of this drink is unknown, but that of clary, a sort of hippocras or spiced wine clear-strained (whence the name), offers no difficulty to the student of old English literature.
[429] i.e. the doublet.
[430] i.e. do me a double injury.
[431] Syn. goodly design of foresight (buono avviso).
[432] Giovani di tromba marina. The sense seems as above; the commentators say that giovani di tromba marina is a name given to those youths who go trumpeting about everywhere the favours accorded them by women; but the tromba marina is a stringed (not a wind) instrument, a sort of primitive violoncello with one string.
[433] "Your teeth did dance like virginal jacks."βBen Jonson.
[434] Adagiarono, i.e. unsaddled and stabled and fed them.
[435] i.e. hog.
[436] Lit. a backbiter (morditore).
[437] i.e. conjured him by God to make peace with him.
[438] i.e. from a serious or moral point of view.
[439] Apparently Laodicea (hod. Eskihissar) in Anatolia, from which a traveller, taking the direct land route, would necessarily pass Antioch (hod. Antakhia) on his way to Jerusalem.
[440] i.e. arrectus est penis ejus.
[441] See p. 372, note.
[442] i.e. fortune.
[443] Cattajo. This word is usually translated Cathay, i.e. China; but semble Boccaccio meant rather the Dalmatian province of Cattaro, which would better answer the description in the text, Nathan's estate being described as adjoining a highway leading from the Ponant (or Western shores of the Mediterranean) to the Levant (or Eastern shores), e.g. the road from Cattaro on the Adriatic to Salonica on the Γgean. Cathay (China) seems, from the circumstances of the case, out of the question, as is also the Italian town called Cattaio, near Padua.
[444] i.e. to show the most extravagant hospitality.
[445] Or as we should say, "After much beating about the bush."
[446] i.e. jealousies.
[447] i.e. all sections of the given theme.
[448] Lit. accident (accidente).
[449] i.e. with news of her life.
[450] Dubbio, i.e. a doubtful case or question.
[451] i.e. who would have recognized her as Madam Catalina.
[452] Compassione, i.e. emotion.
[453] Lit. I leave you free of Niccoluccio (libera vi lascio di Niccoluccio).
[454] i.e. Ansaldo, Dianora and the nigromancer.
[455] i.e. the money promised him by way of recompense.
[456] i.e., nicety, minuteness (strettezza).
[457] A town on the Bay of Naples, near the ruins of Pompeii.
[458] Per amore amiate (Fr. aimiez par amour).
[459] In si forte punto, or, in modern parlance, at so critical or ill-starred a moment.
[460] Sollevata, syn. solaced, relieved or (3) agitated, troubled.
[461] Sic, Publio Quinzio Fulvo; but quære should it not rather be Publio Quinto Fulvio, i.e. Publius Quintus Fulvius, a form of the name which seems more in accordance with the genius of the Latin language?
[462] Or "his" (a sè).
[463] Or "thine" (a te).
[464] Lit. "hope" (sperare). See note, p. 5.
[465] i.e. I would have her in common with thee.
[466] Or "arguments" (consigli).
[467] i.e. of your counsel.
[468] i.e. my riches are not the result of covetous amassing, but of the favours of fortune.
[469] Sic (tiepidezza); but semble "timidity" or "distrustfulness" is meant.
[470] i.e. perils.
[471] i.e. to cross the Alps into France.
[472] Adagiarono; see p. 447, note.
[473] i.e. to place themselves according to their several ranks, which were unknown to Torello.
[474] Sic (la vostra credenza raffermeremo); but the meaning
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