Sore stricken at heart by the Count’s words,
and the more mortified that he acknowledged their
truth, the King heaved a fervent sigh or two, and
then:—“Count,” quoth he, “that
enemy there is none, however mighty, but to the practised
warrior is weak enough and easy to conquer in comparison
of his own appetite, I make no doubt, but, great though
the struggle will be and immeasurable the force that
it demands, so shrewdly galled am I by your words,
that not many days will have gone by before I shall
without fail have done enough to shew you that I,
that am the conqueror of others, am no less able to
gain the victory over myself.” And indeed
but a few days thereafter, the King, on his return
to Naples, being minded at once to leave himself no
excuse for dishonourable conduct, and to recompense
the knight for his honourable entreatment of him, did,
albeit ’twas hard for him to endow another with
that which he had most ardently desired for himself,
none the less resolve to bestow the two damsels in
marriage, and that not as Messer Neri’s daughters,
but as his own. Wherefore, Messer Neri consenting,
he provided both with magnificent dowries, and gave
Ginevra the Fair to Messer Maffeo da Palizzi, and
Isotta the Blonde to Messer Guglielmo della Magna,
noble knights and great barons both; which done, sad
at heart beyond measure, he betook him to Apulia,
and by incessant travail did so mortify his vehement
appetite that he snapped and broke in pieces the fetters
of Love, and for the rest of his days was no more
vexed by such passion.
Perchance there will be those who say that ’tis
but a trifle for a king to bestow two girls in marriage;
nor shall I dispute it: but say we that a king
in love bestowed in marriage her whom he loved, neither
having taken nor taking, of his love, leaf or flower
or fruit; then this I say was a feat great indeed,
nay, as great as might be.
After such a sort then did this magnificent King,
at once generously rewarding the noble knight, commendably
honouring the damsels that he loved, and stoutly subduing
himself.
NOVEL VII.
— King Pedro, being apprised of the fervent
love borne him by Lisa, who thereof is sick, comforts
her, and forthwith gives her in marriage to a young
gentleman, and having kissed her on the brow, ever
after professes himself her knight. —
When Fiammetta was come to the end of her story, and
not a little praise had been accorded to the virile
magnificence of King Charles, albeit one there was
of the ladies, who, being a Ghibelline, joined not
therein, Pampinea, having received the king’s
command, thus began:—None is there of discernment,
worshipful my ladies, that would say otherwise than
you have said touching good King Charles, unless for
some other cause she bear him a grudge; however, for
that there comes to my mind the, perchance no less
honourable, entreatment of one of our Florentine girls
by one of his adversaries, I am minded to recount the
same to you.
