The Decameron, Volume II

toinfringe Dioneo's privilege. Wherefore, when the ladies had laughed theirfill over the misfortunes of Biondello, thus gaily the queenbegan:--Observe we, lovesome ladies, the order of things with a soundmind, and we shall readily perceive that we women are one and allsubjected by Nature and custom and law unto man, by him to be ruled andgoverned at his discretion; wherefore she, that would fain enjoy quietudeand solace and comfort with the man to whom she belongs, ought not onlyto be chaste but lowly, patient and obedient: the which is the discreetwife's chief and most precious possession. And if the laws, which in allmatters have regard unto the common weal, and use and wont or custom(call it what you will), a power very great and to be had in awe, shouldnot suffice to school us thereto; yet abundantly clear is the witness ofNature, which has fashioned our frames delicate and sensitive, and ourspirits timorous and fearful, and has decreed that our bodily strengthshall be slight, our voices tunable, and our movements graceful; whichqualities do all avouch that we have need of others' governance. Andwhoso has need of succour and governance ought in all reason to beobedient and submissive and reverent towards his governor. And whom havewe to govern and succour us save men? 'Tis then our bounden duty to givemen all honour and submit ourselves unto them: from which rule if anydeviate, I deem her most deserving not only of grave censure but ofsevere chastisement. Which reflections, albeit they are not new to me, Iam now led to make by what but a little while ago Pampinea told ustouching the perverse wife of Talano, on whom God bestowed thatchastisement which the husband had omitted; and accordingly it jumps withmy judgment that all such women as deviate from the graciousness,kindliness and compliancy, which Nature and custom and law prescribe,merit, as I said, stern and severe chastisement. Wherefore, as a salutarymedicine for the healing of those of us who may be afflicted with thisdisease, I am minded to relate to you that which was once delivered bySolomon by way of counsel in such a case. Which let none that stands notin need of such physic deem to be meant for her, albeit a proverb iscurrent among men; to wit:--

  Good steed, bad steed, alike need the rowel's prick, Good wife, bad wife, alike demand the stick.

  Which whoso should construe as a merry conceit would find you all readyenough to acknowledge its truth. But even in its moral significance I saythat it ought to command assent. For women are all by nature apt to beswayed and to fall; and therefore, for the correction of the wrong-doingof such as transgress the bounds assigned to them, there is need of thestick punitive; and also for the maintenance of virtue in others, thatthey transgress not these appointed bounds, there is need of the stickauxiliary and deterrent. However, to cut short this preachment, and tocome to that which I purpose to tell you, I say:

  That the bruit of the incomparable renown of the prodigious wisdom ofSolomon, as also of the exceeding great liberality with which he accordedproof thereof to all that craved such assurance, being gone forth overwell-nigh all the earth, many from divers parts were wont to resort tohim for counsel in matters of most pressing and arduous importance; amongwhom was a young man, Melisso by name, a very wealthy nobleman, who was,as had been his fathers before him, of Lazistan, and there dwelt. And asMelisso fared toward Jerusalem, on his departure from Antioch he fell inwith another young man, Giosefo by name, who was going the same way, andwith whom, after the manner of travellers, he entered into converse.Melisso, having learned from Giosefo, who and whence he was, asked himwhither he went, and on what errand: whereupon Giosefo made an answerthat he was going to seek counsel of Solomon, how he should deal with hiswife, who had not her match among women for unruliness and perversity,insomuch that neither entreaties nor blandishments nor aught else availedhim to bring her to a better frame. And thereupon he in like manner askedMelisso whence he was, and whither he was bound, and on what errand:whereto:--"Of Lazistan, I," replied Melisso, "and like thyself in evilplight; for albeit I am wealthy and spend my substance freely inhospitably entertaining and honourably entreating my fellow-citizens, yetfor all that, passing strange though it be to think upon, I find never asoul to love me; and therefore I am bound to the self-same place as thou,to be advised how it may come to pass that I be beloved."

  So the two men fared on together, and being arrived at Jerusalem, were,by the good offices of one of Solomon's barons, ushered into hispresence, and Melisso having briefly laid his case before the King, wasanswered in one word:--"Love." Which said, Melisso was forthwithdismissed, and Giosefo discovered the reason of his coming. To whomSolomon made no answer but:--"Get thee to the Bridge of Geese." WhereuponGiosefo was likewise promptly ushered out of the King's presence, andfinding Melisso awaiting him, told him what manner of answer he hadgotten. Which utterances of the King the two men pondered, but findingtherein nought that was helpful or relevant to their need, they doubtedthe King had but mocked them, and set forth upon their homeward journey.

  Now when they had been some days on the road, they came to a river, whichwas spanned by a fine bridge, and a great caravan of sumpter mules andhorses being about to cross, they must needs tarry, until the caravan hadpassed by. The more part of which had done so, when it chanced that amule turned sulky, as we know they will not seldom do, and stood stockstill; wherefore a muleteer took a stick and fell a beating the muletherewith, albeit at first with no great vigour, to urge the muleforward. The mule, however, swerving, now to this, now to the other sideof the bridge, and sometimes facing about, utterly refused to go forward.Whereat the muleteer, wroth beyond measure, fell a belabouring him withthe stick now on the head, now on the flanks, and anon on the croup,never so lustily, but all to no purpose. Which caused Melisso and Giosefoofttimes to say to him:--"How now, caitiff? What is this thou doest?Wouldst kill the beast? Why not try if thou canst not manage him kindlyand gently? He would start sooner so than for this cudgelling of thine."To whom:--"You know your horses," replied the muleteer, "and I know mymule: leave me to deal with him." Which said, he resumed his cudgellingof the mule, and laid about him on this side and on that to such purposethat he started him; and so the honours of the day rested with themuleteer. Now, as the two young men were leaving the bridge behind them,Giosefo asked a good man that sate at its head what the bridge wascalled, and was answered:--"Sir, 'tis called the Bridge of Geese." WhichGiosefo no sooner heard than he called to mind Solomon's words, andturning to Melisso:--"Now, comrade, I warrant thee I may yet findSolomon's counsel sound and good, for that I knew not how to beat my wifeis abundantly clear to me; and this muleteer has shewn me what I have todo."

  Now some days afterwards they arrived at Antioch, where Giosefo prevailedupon Melisso to tarry with him and rest a day or two; and meeting withbut a sorry welcome on the part of his wife, he told her to take herorders as to supper from Melisso, who, seeing that such was Giosefo'swill, briefly gave her his instructions; which the lady, as had been herwont, not only did not obey, but contravened in almost every particular.Which Giosefo marking:--"Wast thou not told," quoth he angrily, "afterwhat fashion thou wast to order the supper?" Whereto:--"So!" replied thelady haughtily: "what means this? If thou hast a mind to sup, why takenot thy supper? No matter what I was told, 'tis thus I saw fit to orderit. If it like thee, so be it: if not, 'tis thine affair." Melisso heardthe lady with surprise and inward disapprobation: Giosefo retorted:--"Aywife, thou art still as thou wast used to be; but I will make thee mendthy manners." Then, turning to Melisso:--"Friend," quoth he, "thou wiltsoon prove the worth of Solomon's counsel: but, prithee, let it not irkthee to look on, and deem that what I shall do is but done in sport; andif thou shouldst be disposed to stand in my way, bear in mind how we wereanswered by the muleteer, when we pitied his mule." "I am in thy house,"replied Melisso, "and thy pleasure is to me law."

  Thereupon Giosefo took a stout cudgel cut from an oak sapling, and hiedhim into the room whither the lady had withdrawn from the table in highdudgeon, seized her by the hair, threw her on to the floor at his feet,and fell a beating her amain with the cudgel. The lady at first uttered ashriek or two, from which she passed to threats; but seeing that, for alltha
t, Giosefo slackened not, by the time she was thoroughly wellthrashed, she began to cry him mercy, imploring him not to kill her, andadding that henceforth his will should be to her for law. But stillGiosefo gave not over, but with ever fresh fury dealt her mightyswingeing blows, now about the ribs, now on the haunches, now over theshoulders; nor had he done with the fair lady, until, in short, he hadleft never a bone or other part of her person whole, and he was fairlyspent. Then, returning to Melisso:--"To-morrow," quoth he, "we shall seewhether 'Get thee to the Bridge of Geese' will prove to have been soundadvice or no." And so, having rested a while, and then washed his hands,he supped with Melisso. With great pain the poor lady got upon her