The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio (best classic books of all time txt) 📕

Madam Giacomina by name, a daughter, who grew up fair and agreeable beyond any other of the country; and for that she was the only child that remained to her father and mother, they loved and tendered her exceeding dear and guarded her with marvellous diligence, looking to make some great alliance by her. Now there was a young man of the Manardi of Brettinoro, comely and lusty of his person, by name Ricciardo, who much frequented Messer Lizio’s house and conversed amain with him and of whom the latter and his lady took no more account than they would have taken of a son of theirs. Now, this Ricciardo, looking once and again upon the young lady and seeing her very fair and sprightly and commendable of manners and fashions, fell desperately in love with her, but was very careful to keep his love secret. The damsel presently became aware thereof and without anywise seeking to shun the stroke, began on like wise to love him; whereat Ricciardo was mightily rejoiced. He had many a time a mind to speak to her, but kept silence of misdoubtance; however, one day, taking courage and opportunity, he said to her, ‘I prithee, Caterina, cause me not die of love.’ To which she straightway made answer, ‘Would God thou wouldst not cause me die!’

This answer added much courage and pleasure to Ricciardo and he said to her, ‘Never shall aught that may be agreeable to thee miscarry278 for me; but it resteth with thee to find a means of saving thy life and mine.’ ‘Ricciardo,’ answered she, ‘thou seest how straitly I am guarded; wherefore, for my part, I cannot see how thou mayst avail to come at me; but, if thou canst see aught that I may do without shame to myself, tell it me and I will do it.’ Ricciardo, having bethought himself of sundry things, answered promptly, ‘My sweet Caterina, I can see no way, except that thou lie or make shift to come upon the gallery that adjoineth thy father’s garden, where an I knew that thou wouldst be anights, I would without fail contrive to come to thee, how high soever it may be.’ ‘If thou have the heart to come thither,’ rejoined Caterina, ‘methinketh I can well enough win to be there.’ Ricciardo assented and they kissed each other once only in haste and went their ways.

Next day, it being then near the end of May, the girl began to complain before her mother that she had not been able to sleep that night for the excessive heat. Quoth the lady, ‘Of what heat dost thou speak, daughter? Nay, it was nowise hot.’ ‘Mother mine,’ answered Caterina, ‘you should say “To my seeming,” and belike you would say sooth; but you should consider how much hotter are young girls than ladies in years.’ ‘Daughter mine,’ rejoined the lady, ‘that is true; but I cannot make it cold and hot at my pleasure, as belike thou wouldst have me do. We must put up with the weather, such as the seasons make it; maybe this next night will be cooler and thou wilt sleep better.’ ‘God grant it may be so!’ cried Caterina. ‘But it is not usual for the nights to go cooling, as it groweth towards summer.’ ‘Then what wouldst thou have done?’ asked the mother; and she answered, ‘An it please my father and you, I would fain have a little bed made in the gallery, that is beside his chamber and over his garden, and there sleep. There I should hear the nightingale sing and having a cooler place to lie in, I should fare much better than in your chamber.’ Quoth the mother, ‘Daughter, comfort thyself; I will tell thy father, and as he will, so will we do.’

Messer Lizio hearing all this from his wife, said, for that he was an old man and maybe therefore somewhat cross-grained, ‘What nightingale is this to whose song she would sleep? I will yet make her sleep to the chirp of the crickets.’ Caterina, coming to know this, more of despite than for the heat, not only slept not that night, but suffered not her mother to sleep, still complaining of the great heat. Accordingly, next morning, the latter repaired to her husband and said to him, ‘Sir, you have little tenderness for yonder girl; what mattereth it to you if she lie in the gallery? She could get no rest all night for the heat. Besides, can you wonder at her having a mind to hear the nightingale sing, seeing she is but a child? Young folk are curious of things like themselves.’ Messer Lizio, hearing this, said, ‘Go to, make her a bed there, such as you think fit, and bind it about with some curtain or other, and there let her lie and hear the nightingale sing to her heart’s content.’

The girl, learning this, straightway let make a bed in the gallery and meaning to lie there that same night, watched till she saw Ricciardo and made him a signal appointed between them, by which he understood what was to be done. Messer Lizio, hearing the girl gone to bed, locked a door that led from his chamber into the gallery and betook himself likewise to sleep. As for Ricciardo, as soon as he heard all quiet on every hand, he mounted a wall, with the aid of a ladder, and thence, laying hold of certain toothings of another wall, he made his way, with great toil and danger, if he had fallen, up to the gallery, where he was quietly received by the girl with the utmost joy. Then, after many kisses, they went to bed together and took delight and pleasure one of another well nigh all that night, making the nightingale sing many a time. The nights being short and the delight great and it being now, though they thought it not, near day, they