is sacred to the passion of our Lord, which, if ye
remember, we kept devoutly when Neifile was queen,
intermitting delectable discourse, as we did also on
the ensuing Saturday. Wherefore, being minded
to follow Neifile’s excellent example, I deem
that now, as then, ’twere a seemly thing to surcease
from this our pastime of story-telling for those two
days, and compose our minds to meditation on what
was at that season accomplished for the weal of our
souls.” All the company having approved
their queen’s devout speech, she, as the night
was now far spent, dismissed them; and so they all
betook them to slumber.
(1) A play upon laurea (laurel wreath) and Lauretta.
— Endeth here the seventh day of the Decameron,
beginneth the eighth, in which, under the rule of
Lauretta, discourse is had of those tricks that, daily,
woman plays man, or man woman, or one man another.
—
The summits of the loftiest mountains were already
illumined by the rays of the rising sun, the shades
of night were fled, and all things plainly visible,
when the queen and her company arose, and hied them
first to the dewy mead, where for a while they walked:
then, about half tierce, they wended their way to
a little church that was hard by, where they heard
Divine service; after which, they returned to the palace,
and having breakfasted with gay and gladsome cheer,
and sung and danced a while, were dismissed by the
queen, to rest them as to each might seem good.
But when the sun was past the meridian, the queen
mustered them again for their wonted pastime; and,
all being seated by the fair fountain, thus, at her
command, Neifile began.
— Gulfardo borrows moneys of Guasparruolo,
which he has agreed to give Guasparruolo’s wife,
that he may lie with her. He gives them to her,
and in her presence tells Guasparruolo that he has
done so, and she acknowledges that ’tis true.
—
Sith God has ordained that ’tis for me to take
the lead to-day with my story, well pleased am I.
And for that, loving ladies, much has been said touching
the tricks that women play men, I am minded to tell
you of one that a man played a woman, not because
I would censure what the man did, or say that ’twas
not merited by the woman, but rather to commend the
man and censure the woman, and to shew that men may
beguile those that think to beguile them, as well
as be beguiled by those they think to beguile; for
peradventure what I am about to relate should in strictness
of speech not be termed beguilement, but rather retaliation;
for, as it behoves woman to be most strictly virtuous,
and to guard her chastity as her very life, nor on
any account to allow herself to sully it, which notwithstanding,
’tis not possible by reason of our frailty that
there should be as perfect an observance of this law
as were meet, I affirm, that she that allows herself
to infringe it for money merits the fire; whereas
she that so offends under the prepotent stress of Love
will receive pardon from any judge that knows how
to temper justice with mercy: witness what but
the other day we heard from Filostrato touching Madonna
Filippa at Prato.(1)
