THE SIXTH STORY
[Day the Tenth]
KING CHARLES THE OLD, THE VICTORIOUS, FALLETH ENAMOURED OF A YOUNG GIRL, BUT AFTER, ASHAMED OF HIS FOND THOUGHT, HONOURABLY MARRIETH BOTH HER AND HER SISTER
It were over longsome fully to recount the various discourse that hadplace among the ladies of who used the greatest generosity, Gilbertoor Messer Ansaldo or the nigromancer, in Madam Dianora's affairs; but,after the king had suffered them debate awhile, he looked at Fiammettaand bade her, telling a story, put an end to their contention;whereupon she, without hesitation, began as follows: "Illustriousladies, I was ever of opinion that, in companies such as ours, itshould still be discoursed so much at large that the overstraitness[456]of intent of the things said be not unto any matter for debate, thewhich is far more sortable among students in the schools than among us[women,] who scarce suffice unto the distaff and the spindle.Wherefore, seeing that you are presently at cross-purposes by reasonof the things already said, I, who had in mind a thing maybe somewhatdoubtful [of meaning,] will leave that be and tell you a story,treating nowise of a man of little account, but of a valiant king, whotherein wrought knightly, in nothing attainting his honour.
[Footnote 456: _i.e._, nicety, minuteness (_strettezza_).]
Each one of you must many a time have heard tell of King Charles theOld or First, by whose magnanimous emprise, and after by the gloriousvictory gained by him over King Manfred, the Ghibellines were expelledfrom Florence and the Guelphs returned thither. In consequence of thisa certain gentleman, called Messer Neri degli Uberti, departing thecity with all his household and much monies and being minded to takerefuge no otherwhere than under the hand of King Charles, betookhimself to Castellamare di Stabia.[457] There, belike a crossbowshotremoved from the other habitations of the place, among olive-treesand walnuts and chestnuts, wherewith the country aboundeth, he boughthim an estate and built thereon a goodly and commodiousdwelling-house, with a delightsome garden thereby, amiddleward which,having great plenty of running water, he made, after our countryfashion, a goodly and clear fishpond and lightly filled it with goodstore of fish. Whilst he concerned himself to make his garden goodlierevery day, it befell that King Charles repaired to Castellamare, torest himself awhile in the hot season, and there hearing tell of thebeauty of Messer Neri's garden, he desired to behold it. Hearing,moreover, to whom it belonged, he bethought himself that, as thegentleman was of the party adverse to his own, it behoved to deal themore familiarly with him, and accordingly sent to him to say that hepurposed to sup with him privily in his garden that evening, he andfour companions. This was very agreeable to Messer Neri, and havingmade magnificent preparation and taken order with his household ofthat which was to do, he received the king in his fair garden asgladliest he might and knew. The latter, after having viewed andcommended all the garden and Messer Neri's house and washed, seatedhimself at one of the tables, which were set beside the fishpond, andseating Count Guy de Montfort, who was of his company, on one side ofhim and Messer Neri on the other, commanded other three, who were comethither with them, to serve according to the order appointed of hishost. Thereupon there came dainty meats and there were wines of thebest and costliest and the ordinance was exceeding goodly andpraiseworthy, without noise or annoy whatsoever, the which the kingmuch commended.
[Footnote 457: A town on the Bay of Naples, near the ruins ofPompeii.]
Presently, as he sat blithely at meat, enjoying the solitary place,there entered the garden two young damsels of maybe fifteen years ofage, with hair like threads of gold, all ringleted and hanging loose,whereon was a light chaplet of pervinck-blossoms. Their faces bespokethem rather angels than otherwhat, so delicately fair they were, andthey were clad each upon her skin in a garment of the finest linen andwhite as snow, the which from the waist upward was very strait andthence hung down in ample folds, pavilionwise, to the feet. She whocame first bore on her left shoulder a pair of hand-nets and in herright hand a long pole, and the other had on her left shoulder afrying-pan and under the same arm a faggot of wood, whilst in her lefthand she held a trivet and in the other a flask of oil and a lightedflambeau. The king, seeing them, marvelled and in suspense awaitedwhat this should mean. The damsels came forward modestly andblushingly did obeisance to him, then, betaking themselves whereas onewent down into the fishpond, she who bore the frying-pan set it downand the other things by it and taking the pole that the other carried,they both entered the water, which came up to their breasts.Meanwhile, one of Messer Neri's servants deftly kindled fire under thetrivet and setting the pan thereon, poured therein oil and waited forthe damsels to throw him fish. The latter, the one groping with thepole in those parts whereas she knew the fish lay hid and the otherstanding ready with the net, in a short space of time took fishgalore, to the exceeding pleasure of the king, who eyed them attently;then, throwing some thereof to the servant, who put them in the pan,well nigh alive, they proceeded, as they had been lessoned, to take ofthe finest and cast them on the table before the king and histable-fellows. The fish wriggled about the table, to the marvellousdiversion of the king, who took of them in his turn and sportivelycast them back to the damsels; and on this wise they frolicked awhile,till such time as the servant had cooked the fish which had been givenhim and which, Messer Neri having so ordered it, were now set beforethe king, more as a relish than as any very rare and delectable dish.
The damsels, seeing the fish cooked and having taken enough, cameforth of the water, their thin white garments all clinging to theirskins and hiding well nigh nought of their delicate bodies, andpassing shamefastly before the king, returned to the house. The latterand the count and the others who served had well considered thedamsels and each inwardly greatly commended them for fair and wellshapen, no less than for agreeable and well mannered. But above allthey pleased the king, who had so intently eyed every part of theirbodies, as they came forth of the water, that, had any then prickedhim, he would not have felt it, and as he called them moreparticularly to mind, unknowing who they were, he felt a very ferventdesire awaken in his heart to please them, whereby he right wellperceived himself to be in danger of becoming enamoured, an he took noheed to himself thereagainst; nor knew he indeed whether of the twainit was the more pleased him, so like in all things was the one to theother. After he had abidden awhile in this thought, he turned toMesser Neri and asked him who were the two damsels, to which thegentleman answered, 'My lord, these are my daughters born at a birth,whereof the one is called Ginevra the Fair and the other Isotta theBlonde.' The king commended them greatly and exhorted him to marrythem, whereof Messer Neri excused himself, for that he was no moreable thereunto. Meanwhile, nothing now remaining to be served of thesupper but the fruits, there came the two damsels in very goodly gownsof sendal, with two great silver platters in their hands, full ofvarious fruits, such as the season afforded, and these they set on thetable before the king; which done, they withdrew a little apart andfell to singing a canzonet, whereof the words began thus:
Whereas I'm come, O Love, It might not be, indeed, at length recounted, etc.
This song they carolled on such dulcet wise and so delightsomely thatto the king, who beheld and hearkened to them with ravishment, itseemed as if all the hierarchies of the angels were lighted there tosing. The song sung, they fell on their knees and respectfully cravedof him leave to depart, who, albeit their departure was grievous tohim, yet with a show of blitheness accorded it to them. The supperbeing now at an end, the king remounted to horse with his company andleaving Messer Neri, returned to the royal lodging, devising of onething and another. There, holding his passion hidden, but availingnot, for whatsoever great affair might supervene, to forget the beautyand grace of Ginevra the Fair, (for love of whom he loved her sisteralso, who was like unto her,) he became so fast entangled in theamorous snares that he could think of well nigh nought else andfeigning other occasions, kept a strait intimacy with Messer Neri andvery often visited his fair garden, to see Ginevra.
At last, unable to endure longer and bethinking himself, in default ofother means of compassing his desire, to take not one alone, but bothof the damsels from their father, he discovered both his passion andhis intent to Count Guy, who, for that he was an honourable man, saidto him, 'My lord, I marvel greatly at that which you tell me, and thatmore than would another, inasmuch as meseemeth I have from yourchildhood to this day known your fashions better than any other;wherefore, meseeming never to have known such a passion in your youth,wherein Love might lightlier have fixed his talons, and seeing youpresently hard upon old age, it is so new and so strange to me thatyou should love by way of enamourment[458] that it seemeth to me wellnigh a miracle, and were it my office to reprove you thereof, I knowwell that which I should say to you thereanent, having in regard thatyou are yet with your harness on your back in a kingdom newly gained,amidst a people unknown and full of wiles and treasons, and are alloccupied with very grave cares and matters of high moment, nor haveyou yet availed to seat yourself [in security;] and yet, among suchand so many affairs, you have made place for the allurements of love.This is not the fashion of a magnanimous king; nay, but rather that ofa pusillanimous boy. Moreover, what is far worse, you say that you areresolved to take his two daughters from a gentleman who hathentertained you in his house beyond his means and who, to do you themore honour, hath shown you these twain in a manner naked, therebyattesting how great is the faith he hath in you and that he firmlybelieveth you to be a king and not a ravening wolf. Again, hath it sosoon dropped your memory that it was the violences done of Manfred towomen that opened you the entry into this kingdom? What treason wasever wroughten more deserving of eternal punishment than this wouldbe, that you should take from him who hospitably entreateth you hishonour and hope and comfort? What would be said of you, an you shoulddo it? You think, maybe, it were a sufficient excuse to say, "I did itfor that he is a Ghibelline." Is this of the justice of kings, thatthey who resort on such wise to their arms should be entreated aftersuch a fashion, be they who they may? Let me tell you, king, that itwas an exceedingly great glory to you to have overcome Manfred, but afar greater one it is to overcome one's self; wherefore do you, whohave to correct others, conquer yourself and curb this appetite, noroffer with such a blot to mar that which you have so gloriouslygained.'
[Footnote 458: _Per amore amiate_ (Fr. aimiez par amour).]
These words stung the king's conscience to the quick and afflicted himthe more inasmuch as he knew them for true; wherefore, after sundryheavy sighs, he said, 'Certes, Count, I hold every other enemy,however strong, weak and eath enough to the well-lessoned warrior toovercome in comparison with his own appetites; natheless, great as isthe travail and inexpressible as is the might it requireth, your wordshave so stirred me that needs must I, ere many days be past, cause yousee by deed that, like as I know how to conquer others, even so do Iknow how to overcome myself.' Nor had many days passed after thisdiscourse when the king, having returned to Naples, determined, aswell to deprive himself of occasion to do dishonourably as to requitethe gentleman the hospitality received from him, to go about (grievousas it was to him to make others possessors of that which he covetedover all for himself) to marry the two young ladies, and that not asMesser Neri's daughters, but as his own. Accordingly, with MesserNeri's accord, he dowered them magnificently and gave Ginevra the Fairto Messer Maffeo da Palizzi and Isotta the Blonde to Messer Guglielmodella Magna, both noble cavaliers and great barons, to whom withinexpressible chagrin consigning them, he betook himself into Apulia,where with continual fatigues he so mortified the fierceness of hisappetite that, having burst and broken the chains of love, he abodefree of such passion for the rest of his life. There are some belikewho will say that it was a little thing for a king to have married twoyoung ladies, and that I will allow; but a great and a very greatthing I call it, if we consider that it was a king enamoured who didthis and who married to another her whom he loved, without havinggotten or taking of his love leaf or flower or fruit. On this wise,then, did this magnanimous king, at once magnificently guerdoning thenoble gentleman, laudably honouring the young ladies whom he loved andbravely overcoming himself."