recruit your powers, gave youlicense to discourse of such matters as should most commend themselves toeach in turn; and as thereby you are now rested, I judge that 'tis meetto revert to our accustomed rule. Wherefore I ordain that for to-morrowyou do each of you take thought how you may discourse of the ensuingtheme: to wit, of such as in matters of love, or otherwise, have donesomething with liberality or magnificence. By the telling, and (stillmore) by the doing of such things, your spirits will assuredly be dulyattuned and animated to emprise high and noble; whereby our life, whichcannot but be brief, seeing that 'tis enshrined in a mortal body, fameshall perpetuate in glory; which whoso serves not the belly, as do thebeasts, must not only covet, but with all zeal seek after and labour toattain."
The gay company having, one and all, approved the theme, rose at a wordfrom their new king, and betook them to their wonted pastimes, and so,according as they severally had most lief, diverted them, until theyblithely reunited for supper, which being served with all due care anddespatched, they rose up to dance, as they were wont, and when they hadsung, perhaps, a thousand ditties, fitter to please by their words thanby any excellence of musical art, the king bade Neifile sing one on herown account. And promptly and graciously, with voice clear and blithe,thus Neifile sang:--
In prime of maidenhood, and fair and feat 'Mid spring's fresh foison chant I merrily: Thanks be to Love and to my fancies sweet.
As o'er the grassy mead I, glancing, fare, I mark it white and yellow and vermeil dight With flowers, the thorny rose, the lily white: And all alike to his face I compare, Who, loving, hath me ta'en, and me shall e'er Hold bounden to his will, sith I am she That in his will findeth her joy complete.
Whereof if so it be that I do find Any that I most like to him approve, That pluck I straight and kiss with words of love, Discovering all, as, best I may, my mind; Yea, all my heart's desire; and then entwined I set it in the chaplet daintily, And with my yellow tresses bind and pleat.
And as mine eyes do drink in the delight Which the flower yields them, even so my mind, Fired with his sweet love, doth such solace find, As he himself were present to the sight: But never word of mine discover might That which the flower's sweet smell awakes in me: Witness the true tale that my sighs repeat.
For from my bosom gentle and hot they fly, Not like the gusty sighs that others heave, Whenas they languish and do sorely grieve; And to my love incontinent they hie: Whereof when he is ware, he, by and by, To meward hasting, cometh suddenly, When:--"Lest I faint," I cry, "come, I entreat."
The king and all the ladies did not a little commend Neifile's song;after which, as the night was far spent, the king bade all go to restuntil the morrow.
--Endeth here the ninth day of the Decameron, and beginneth the tenth, inwhich, under the rule of Pamfilo, discourse is had of such as in mattersof love, or otherwise, have done something with liberality ormagnificence.--
Some cloudlets in the West still shewed a vermeil flush, albeit those ofthe eastern sky, as the sun's rays smote them anear, were already fringedas with most lucent gold, when uprose Pamfilo, and roused the ladies andhis comrades. And all the company being assembled, and choice made of theplace whither they should betake them for their diversion, he,accompanied by Filomena and Fiammetta, led the way at a slow pace,followed by all the rest. So fared they no little space, beguiling thetime with talk of their future way of life, whereof there was much totell and much to answer, until, as the sun gained strength, theyreturned, having made quite a long round, to the palace; and beinggathered about the fountain, such as were so minded drank somewhat frombeakers rinsed in its pure waters; and then in the delicious shade of thegarden they hied them hither and thither, taking their pleasure untilbreakfast-time. Their meal taken, they slept as they were wont; and then,at a spot chosen by the king, they reassembled, where Neifile, havingreceived his command to lead the way, blithely thus began.
NOVEL I.
--A knight in the service of the King of Spain deems himself ill requited.Wherefore the King, by most cogent proof, shews him that the blame restsnot with him, but with the knight's own evil fortune; after which, hebestows upon him a noble gift.--
Highly graced, indeed, do I deem myself, honourable my ladies, that ourking should have given to me the precedence in a matter so arduous totell of as magnificence: for, as the sun irradiates all the heaven withhis glory and beauty, even so does magnificence enhance the purity andthe splendour of every other virtue. I shall therefore tell you a story,which, to my thinking, is not a little pretty; and which, assuredly, itmust be profitable to call to mind.
You are to know, then, that, among other honourable knights that fromdays of old even until now have dwelt in our city, one, and perchance theworthiest of all, was Messer Ruggieri de' Figiovanni. Who, being wealthyand magnanimous, reflecting on the customs and manner of life of Tuscany,perceived that by tarrying there he was like to find little or nooccasion of shewing his mettle, and accordingly resolved to pass sometime at the court of Alfonso, King of Spain, who for the fame of his highqualities was without a peer among the potentates of his age. So, beingwell provided with arms and horses and retinue suitable to his rank, hehied him to Spain, where he was graciously received by the King. Theretarrying accordingly, Messer Ruggieri very soon, as well by the splendidstyle in which he lived as by the prodigious feats of arms that he did,gave folk to know his high desert.
Now, having tarried there some while, and observed the King's ways withmuch care, and how he would grant castles, cities, or baronies, to this,that, or the other of his subjects, he deemed that the King shewedtherein but little judgment, seeing that he would give them to men thatmerited them not. And for that nought was given to him, he, knowing hismerit, deemed himself gravely injured in reputation; wherefore he made uphis mind to depart the realm, and to that end craved license of the King;which the King granted him, and therewith gave him one of the best andfinest mules that was ever ridden, a gift which Messer Ruggieri, as hehad a long journey to make, did not a little appreciate. The King thenbade one of his discreet domestics contrive, as best he might, to ridewith Messer Ruggieri on such wise that it might not appear that he did soby the King's command, and charge his memory with whatever MesserRuggieri might say of him, so that he might be able to repeat it; whichdone, he was on the very next morning to bid Ruggieri return to the Kingforthwith. The King's agent was on the alert, and no sooner was Ruggieriout of the city, than without any manner of difficulty he joined hiscompany, giving out that he was going towards Italy. As thus they rode,talking of divers matters, Messer Ruggieri being mounted on the mulegiven him by the King:--"Methinks," quoth the other, it being then hardupon tierce, "that 'twere well to give the beasts a voidance;" and by andby, being come to a convenient place, they voided all the beasts save themule. Then, as they continued their journey, the squire hearkeningattentively to the knight's words, they came to a river, and while therethey watered the beasts, the mule made a voidance in the stream.Whereat:--"Ah, foul fall thee, beast," quoth Messer Ruggieri, "that arteven as thy master, that gave thee to me!" Which remark, as also manyanother that fell from Ruggieri as they rode together throughout the day,the squire stored in his memory; but never another word did he hearRuggieri say touching the King, that was not laudatory to the lastdegree.
On the morrow, when they were gotten to horse, and had set their facestowards Tuscany, the squire apprised Ruggieri of the King's command, andthereupon Ruggieri turned back. On his arrival the King, having alreadyheard what he had said touching the mule, gave him gladsome greeting, andasked him wherefore he had likened him to the mule, or rather the mule tohim. Whereto Messer Ruggieri answered frankly:--"My lord, I likened youto the mule, for that, as you bestow your gifts where 'tis not meet, andwhere meet it were, bestow them not, so the mule where 'twas meet, voidednot, and where 'twas not meet, voided." "Messer Ruggieri," replied theKing, "'tis not because I have not discerned in you a knight most goodand true, for whose desert no gift were too great, that I have notbest
owed on you such gifts as I have bestowed upon many others, who incomparison of you are nothing worth: the fault is none of mine but solelyof your fortune, which would not suffer me; and that this which I say istrue, I will make abundantly plain to you." "My lord," returned MesserRuggieri, "mortified am I, not that you gave me no gift, for thereof Ihad no desire, being too rich, but that you made no sign of recognitionof my desert; however, I deem your explanation sound and honourable, andwhatever you shall be pleased that I should see, that gladly will I,albeit I believe you without attestation."
The King then led him into one of the great halls, in which, by hispreordinance, were two chests closed under lock and key, and, not a fewothers being present, said to him:--"Messer Ruggieri, one these chestscontains my crown, sceptre