Search -
The Decameron of Giovanni Boccacci, Now First Completely Done Into Engl. Prose and Verse by J. Payne
The Decameron of Giovanni Boccacci Now First Completely Done Into Engl Prose and Verse by J Payne Author:Giovanni Boccaccio General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1886 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: 3Hje Jfttst Stotg. GULFARDO BORROWETH OFGUASPARRUOLO CERTAIN MONIES, FOR WHICH HE HATH AGREED WITH HIS WIFE THAT HE SHALL LIE WITH HER, AND ACCORDINGLY GIVETH THEM TO HER; THEN, IN HER PRESENCE, HE TELLETH GUASPARRUOLO THAT HE GAVE THEM TO HER, AND SHE CONFESSETH IT TO BE TRUE. "Since God hath so ordered it that I am to give a beginning to the present day's discourses with my story, I am content, and therefore, lovesome ladies, seeing that much hath been said of the tricks played by women upon men, it is my pleasure to relate one played by a man upon a woman, not that I mean therein to blame that which the man did or to deny that it served the woman aright, nay, rather to commend the man and blame the woman and to show that men also know how to cozen those who put faith in them, even as themselves are cozened by those in whom they believe. Indeed, to speak more precisely, that whereof I have to tell should not be called cozenage; nay, it should rather be styled a just requital; for that, albeit a woman should still be virtuous and guard her chastity as her life nor on any account suffer herself be persuaded to sully it, yet, seeing that, by reason of our frailty, this is not always possible as fully as should be, I affirm that she who consenteth to her own dishonour for a price is worthy of the fire, whereas she who yieldeth for Love's sake, knowing hisexceeding great puissance, meriteth forgiveness from a judge not too severe, even as, a few days agone, Filo- strato showed it to have been observed towards Madam Filippa at Prato. There was, then, aforetime at Milan a German, by name Gulfardo, in the...« less