The Decameron, Giovanni Boccaccio [top ten books of all time .TXT] 📗
- Author: Giovanni Boccaccio
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Tedaldo marvelled exceedingly that anyone should so resemble him as to be taken for him and was grieved for Aldobrandino’s ill fortune. Then, having learned that the lady was alive and well and it being now night, he returned, full of various thoughts, to the inn and having supped with his servant, was put to sleep well nigh at the top of the house. There, what with the many thoughts that stirred him and the badness of the bed and peradventure also by reason of the supper, which had been meagre, half the night passed whilst he had not yet been able to fall asleep; wherefore, being awake, himseemed about midnight he heard folk come down into the house from the roof, and after through the chinks of the chamber-door he saw a light come up thither. Thereupon he stole softly to the door and putting his eye to the chink, fell a-spying what this might mean and saw a comely enough lass who held the light, whilst three men, who had come down from the roof, made towards her; and after some greetings had passed between them, one of them said to the girl, ‘Henceforth, praised be God, we may abide secure, since we know now for certain that the death of Tedaldo Elisei hath been proved by his brethren against Aldobrandino Palermini, who hath confessed thereto, and judgment is now recorded; nevertheless, it behoveth to keep strict silence, for that, should it ever become known that it was we [who slew him], we shall be in the same danger as is Aldobrandino.’ Having thus bespoken the woman, who showed herself much rejoiced thereat, they left her and going below, betook themselves to bed.
Tedaldo, hearing this, fell a-considering how many and how great are the errors which may befall the minds of men, bethinking him first of his brothers who had bewept and buried a stranger in his stead and after of the innocent man accused on false suspicion and brought by untrue witness to the point of death, no less than of the blind severity of laws and rulers, who ofttimes, under cover of diligent investigation of the truth, cause, by their cruelties, prove that which is false and style themselves ministers of justice and of God, whereas indeed they are executors of iniquity and of the devil; after which he turned his thought to the deliverance of Aldobrandino and determined in himself what he should do. Accordingly, arising in the morning, he left his servant at the inn and betook himself alone, whenas it seemed to him time, to the house of his mistress, where, chancing to find the door open, he entered in and saw the lady seated, all full of tears and bitterness of soul, in a little ground floor room that was there.
At this sight he was like to weep for compassion of her and drawing near to her, said, ‘Madam, afflict not yourself; your peace is at hand.’ The lady, hearing this, lifted her eyes and said, weeping, ‘Good man, thou seemest to me a stranger pilgrim; what knowest thou of my peace or of my affliction?’ ‘Madam,’ answered Tedaldo, ‘I am of Constantinople and am but now come hither, being sent of God to turn your tears into laughter and to deliver your husband from death.’ Quoth she, ‘An thou be of Constantinople and newly come hither, how knowest thou who I am or who is my husband?’ Thereupon, the pilgrim beginning from the beginning, recounted to her the whole history of Aldobrandino’s troubles and told her who she was and how long she had been married and other things which he very well knew of her affairs; whereat she marvelled exceedingly and holding him for a prophet, fell on her knees at his feet, beseeching him for God’s sake, an he were come for Aldobrandino’s salvation, to despatch, for that the time was short.
The pilgrim, feigning himself a very holy man, said, ‘Madam, arise and weep not, but hearken well to that which I shall say to you and take good care never to tell it to any. According to that which God hath revealed unto me, the tribulation wherein you now are hath betided you because of a sin committed by you aforetime, which God the Lord hath chosen in part to purge with this present annoy and will have altogether amended of you; else will you fall into far greater affliction.’ ‘Sir,’ answered the lady, ‘I have many sins
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