La Fiammetta

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of La Fiammetta, by Giovanni Boccaccio

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Title$ La Fiammetta

%uthor$ Giovanni Boccaccio

&elease 'ate$ (ovember ), *++ -EBook ./+++01

Language$ English

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LA FIAMMETTA

BY

GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO

TRANSLATED BY JAMES C. BROGAN

1907.


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INTRODUCTION

Youth, beauty, and love, wit, gayety and laughter, are the component parts of the delightful picture conjured up by the mere name of Giovanni Boccaccio, the prince of story-tellers for allgenerations of men. This creator of a real literary epoch was born in Paris, in ! !, "in theeleventh year of #ante$s e%ile&, of an 'talian father and a (rench-woman of good family. )isfather was a merchant of (lorence, whither he returned with his son when the child was sevenyears old. The boy received some education, but was placed in a counting-house when he wasonly thirteen, and at seventeen he was sent by his father to *aples to enter another commercialestablishment. But he disli+ed commerce, and finally persuaded his father to allow him to studylaw for two years at the niversity of *aples, during which period the lively and attractive youthmade bris+ use of his leisure time in that gay and romantic city, where he made his way into thehighest circles of society, and unconsciously gleaned the material for the rich harvest of song andstory that came with his later years. t this time he was present at the coronation of the poetPetrarch in the apitol, and was fired with admiration for the second greatest poet of that day. )echose Petrarch for his model and guide, and in riper manhood became his most intimate friend.

By the time he was twenty-five, Boccaccio had fallen in love with the /ady 0aria, a naturaldaughter of 1ing 2obert of *aples, who had caused her to be adopted as a member of the familyof the ount d$ 3uino, and to be married when very young to a *eapolitan nobleman. Boccacciofirst saw her in the hurch of 4an /oren5o on the morning of 6aster eve, in !!7, and theirensuing friendship was no secret to their world. (or the entertainment of this youthful beauty hewrote his Filicopo , and the fair 0aria is undoubtedly the heroine of several of his stories and

poems. )is father insisted upon his return to (lorence in !89, and after he had settled in thatcity he occupied himself seriously with literary wor+, producing, between the years !8! and!::, the Teseide "familiar to 6nglish readers as ;The 1night$s Tale; in haucer, moderni5ed by#ryden as ;Palamon and rcite;&, Ameto, Amorosa Visione, La Fiammetta, Ninfale Fiesolona ,and his most famous wor+, the Decameron , a collection of stories written, it is said, to amuse


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'n several of his poems and in the Decameron he alludes to her as being cold as a marble statue,which no fire can ever warm> and there is no proof, notwithstanding the ardor of (iammetta as

portrayed by her loverAwho no doubt wished her to become the reality of his glowing pictureA that he ever really received from the charmer whose name was always on his lips anything morethan the friendship that was apparent to all the world. But she certainly inspired him in the

writing of his best wor+s.

The best critics agree in pronouncing La Fiammetta a marvelous performance. =ohn ddington4ymonds says ;'t is the first attempt in any literature to portray subjective emotion e%terior tothe writer> since the days of Cirgil and @vid, nothing had been essayed in this region of mentalanalysis. The author of this e%traordinary wor+ proved himself a profound anatomist of feeling

by the subtlety with which he dissected a woman$s heart.; The story is full of e%3uisite passages,and it e%ercised a widespread and lasting influence over all the narrative literature that followedit. 't is so rich in material that it furnished the motives of many tales, and the novelists of thesi%teenth century availed themselves freely of its suggestions.

fter Boccaccio had ta+en up a permanent residence in (lorence, he showed a lively interest inher political affairs, and fulfilled all the duties of a good citi5en. 'n !:9 he was chosen to visitthe lords of various towns of 2omagna, in order to engage their cooperation in a league againstthe Cisconti family, who, already lords of the great and powerful city of 0ilan, desired to e%tendtheir domains beyond the pennines. 'n !: Boccaccio had the pleasure of bearing to the poetPetrarch the news of the restoration of his rights of citi5enship and of his patrimony, both ofwhich he had lost in the troubles of !D!, and during this visit the two geniuses became friendsfor life. They delved together into the literature of the ancients, and Boccaccio determined,through the medium of translation, to ma+e the wor+ of the great Gree+ writers a part of theliberal education of his countrymen. +nowledge of Gree+ at that time was an e%ceedingly rareaccomplishment, since the serious study of living literatures was only just beginning, and the

Gree+ of )omer had been almost forgotten. 6ven Petrarch, whose erudition was marvelous,could not read a copy of the Iliad that he possessed. Boccaccio as+ed permission of the(lorentine Government to establish a Gree+ professorship in the niversity of (lorence, and

persuaded a learned alabrian, /eon5io Pilato, who had a perfect +nowledge of ancient Gree+, toleave Cenice and accept the professorship at (lorence, and lodged him in his own house.Together the alabrian and the author of La Fiammetta and the Decameron made a /atintranslation of the Iliad , which Boccaccio transcribed with his own hand. But his literaryenthusiasm was not confined to his own wor+ and that of the ancients. )is soul was filled with agenerous ardor of admiration for #ante> through his efforts the (lorentines were awa+ened to atrue sense of the merits of the sublime poet, so long e%iled from his native city, and the youngergenius succeeded in persuading them to establish a professorship in the niversity for the solestudy of the Divine Comedy , he himself being the first to occupy the chair, and writing a Life of

Dante , besides commentaries on the Comedy itself.

0ainly through his intimacy with the spiritual mind of Petrarch, Boccaccio$s moral charactergradually underwent a change from the rec+less freedom and unbridled love of pleasure intowhich he had easily fallen among his associates in the court life at *aples. )e admired thedelicacy and high standard of honor of his friend, and became awa+ened to a sense of man$s dutyto the world and to himself. #uring the decade following the year !E: he occupied himself at


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at what time Pluto ravished her from her mother, ' went along singing in this new springtime.Then, being perchance weary, ' laid me down in a spot where the verdure was deepest andsoftest. But, just as the tender foot of 6urydice was pierced by the concealed viper, so meseemedthat a hidden serpent came upon me, as ' lay stretched on the grass, and pierced me under the left

breast. The bite of the sharp fang, when it first entered, seemed to burn me. But afterward,

feeling somewhat reassured, and yet afraid of something worse ensuing, ' thought ' clasped thecold serpent to my bosom, fancying that by communicating to it the warmth of that bosom, 'should thereby render it more +indly disposed in my regard in return for such a service. But theviper, made bolder and more obdurate by that very favor, laid his hideous mouth on the woundhe had given me, and after a long space, and after it had drun+ much of my blood, methoughtthat, despite my resistance, it drew forth my soul> and then, leaving my breast, departed with it.nd at the very moment of the serpent$s departure the day lost its brightness, and a thic+ shadowcame behind me and covered me all over, and the farther the serpent crept, the more loweringgrew the heavens, and it seemed almost as if the reptile dragged after it in its course the massesof thic+, blac+ clouds that appeared to follow in its wa+e, *ot long afterward, just as a whitestone flung into deep water gradually vanishes from the eyes of the beholder, so it, too, vanished

from my sight. Then the heavens became dar+er and dar+er, and ' thought that the sun hadsuddenly withdrawn and night had surely returned, as it had erstwhile returned to the 'reeks because of the crime of trcus. *e%t, flashes of lightning sped swiftly along the s+ies, and pealsof crashing thunder appalled the earth and me li+ewise. nd through all, the wound made in my

breast by the bite of the serpent remained with me still, and full of viperous poison> for nomedicinal help was within my reach, so that my entire body appeared to have swollen in a mostfoul and disgusting manner. ?hereupon ', who before this seemed to be without life or motionA why, ' do not +nowAfeeling that the force of the venom was see+ing to reach my heart in diverssubtle ways, now tossed and rolled upon the cool grass, e%pecting death at any moment. Butmethought that when the hour of my doom arrived, ' was struc+ with terror at its approach, andthe anguish of my heart was so appalling, while loo+ing forward to its coming, that my inert

body was convulsed with horror, and so my deep slumber was suddenly bro+en. *o sooner was 'fully awa+e than, being still alarmed by the things ' had seen, ' felt with my right hand for thewound in my breast, searching at the present moment for that which was already being preparedfor my future misery. (inding that no wound was there, ' began to feel 3uite safe and evenmerry, and ' made a moc+ of the folly of drearns and of those who believe in them, and so 'rendered the wor+ of the gods useless. h, wretched me if ' moc+ed them then, ' had goodreason to believe in them afterward, to my bitter sorrow and with the shedding of useless tears>good reason had ' also to complain of the gods, who reveal their secrets to mortals in such mysticguise that the things that are to happen in the future can hardly be said to be revealed at all.Being then fully awa+e, ' raised my drowsy head, and, as soon as ' saw the light of the new-risensun enter my chamber, laying aside every other thought directly, ' at once left my couch.

That day, too, was a day of the utmost solemnity for almost everyone. Therefore, attiring myselfcarefully in glittering cloth of gold, and adorning every part of my person with deft and cunninghand, ' made ready to go to the ugust festival, appareled li+e unto the goddesses seen by Parisin the vale of 'da. nd, while ' was lost in admiration of myself, just as the peacoc+ is of his

plumage, imagining that the delight which ' too+ in my own appearance would surely be shared by all who saw me, a flower from my wreath fell on the ground near the curtain of my bed, '+now not whereforeAperhaps pluc+ed from my head by a celestial hand by me unseen. But ',


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'n li+e fashion, he, without changing his place, continued to scrutini5e my features, but with thegreatest caution> and, perhaps, having had much practice in amorous warfare, and +nowing bywhat devices the longed-for prey might be captured, he showed himself every moment morehumble, more desperate, and more fraught with tender yearning. las how much guile did thatseeming desperation hide, which, as the result has now shown, though it may have come from

the heart, never afterward returned to the same, and made manifest later that its revealment onthe face was only a lure and a delusion nd, not to mention all his deeds, each of which was fullof most artful deception, he so wrought upon me by his own craft, or else the fates willed itshould so happen, that ' straightway found myself enmeshed in the snares of sudden andunthought-of love, in a manner beyond all my powers of telling, and so ' remain unto this veryhour.

't was this one alone, therefore, most pitiful ladies, that my heart, in it mad infatuation, chose,not only among so many high-born, handsome and valiant youths then present, but even amongall of the same degree having their abode in my own Parthenope, as first and last and sole lord ofmy life. 't was this one alone that ' loved, and loved more than any other. 't was this one alone

that was destined to be the beginning and source of my by any pleasure, although often tempted, being at last van3uished, have burned and now burn in the fire which then first caught me.@mitting many thoughts that came into my mind, and many things that were told me, ' will onlysay that, into%icated by a new passion, ' returned with a soul enslaved to that spot whence ' hadgone forth in freedom.

?hen ' was in my chamber, alone and unoccupied, inflamed with various wild wishes, filledwith new sensations and throbbing with many an%ieties, all of which were concentrated on theimage of the youth who pleased me, ' argued within myself that if ' could not banish love frommy luc+less bosom, ' might at least be able to +eep cautious and secret control of it therein> andhow hard it is to do such a thing, no one can discover who does not ma+e trial of the same.

4urely do ' believe that not even /ove himself can cause so great anguish as such an attempt iscertain to produce. (urthermore, ' was arrested in my purpose by the fact that ' had noac3uaintance with him of whom ' professed myself enamored. To relate all the thoughts thatwere engendered in me by this love, and of what nature they were, would ta+e altogether toomuch time. But some few ' must perforce declare, as well as certain things that were beginningto delight me more than usual. ' say, then, that, everything else being neglected, the only thingthat was dear to me was the thought of my beloved, and, when it occurred to my mind that, by

persevering in this course, ' might, mayhap, give occasion to some one to discover that which 'wished to conceal, ' often upbraided myself for my folly. But what availed it allH 0y upbraidingshad to give way to my inordinate yearning for him, and dissolved uselessly into thin air.

(or several days ' longed e%ceedingly to learn who was the youth ' loved, toward whom mythoughts were ever clearly leading me> and this ' craftily learned, the which filled me with greatcontent. 'n li+e manner, the ornaments for which ' had before this in no way cared, as having butlittle need thereof, began to be dear to me, thin+ing that the more ' was adorned the better should' please. ?herefore ' pri5ed more than hitherto my garments, gold, pearls, and my other preciousthings. ntil the present moment it had been my custom to fre3uent churches, gardens, festivals,and seaside resorts, without other wish than the companionship of young friends of my own se%>now, ' sought the aforesaid places with a new desire, believing that both to see and be seen


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would bring me great delectation. But, in sooth, the trust which ' was wont to place in my beautyhad deserted me, and now ' never left my chamber, without first see+ing the faithful counsel ofmy mirror and my hands, newly instructed thereunto by ' +now not what cunning master,discovering each day some more elegant mode of adornment than the day before, and deftlyadding artificial charms to my natural loveliness, thereby caused me to outshine all the other

ladies in my surpassing splendor. (urthermore, ' began to wish for the honors usually paid to me by ladies, because of their gracious courtesy, though, perhaps, they were rather the guerdon ofmy noble birth, being due to me therefor, thin+ing that if ' appeared so magnificent to my

beloved$s eyes, he would ta+e the more delight in beholding me. varice, too, which is inborn inwomen, fled from me, so that ' became free and openhanded, and regarded my own possessionsalmost as if they were not my own. The sedateness that beseems a woman fell away from mesomewhat, and ' grew bolder in my ways> and, in addition to all this, my eyes, which until thatday loo+ed out on the world simply and naturally, entirely changed their manner of loo+ing, and

became so artful in their office that it was a marvel. nd many other alterations appeared in meover and above these, all of which ' do not care to relate, for besides that the report thereofwould be too tedious, ' ween full well that you, li+e me, also have been, or are, in love, and +now

what changes ta+e place in those who are in such sad case.

)e was a most wary and circumspect youth, whereunto my e%perience was able to bear witnessfre3uently. Going very rarely, and always in the most decorous manner, to the places where 'happened to be, he used to observe me, but ever with a cautious eye, so that it seemed as if hehad planned as well as ' to hide the tender flames that glowed in the breasts of both. ertainly, if' denied that love, although it had clutched every corner of my heart and ta+en violent possessionof every recess of my soul, grew even more intense whenever it happened that my eyesencountered his, ' should deny the truth> he added further fuel to the fires that consumed me, andre+indled such as might be e%piring, if, mayhap, there were any such. But the beginning of allthis was by no means so cheerful as the ending was joyless, as soon as ' was deprived of the

sight of this, my beloved, inasmuch as the eyes, being thus robbed of their delight, gave wofuloccasion of lamentation to the heart, the sighs whereof grew greater in 3uality as well as in3uantity, and desire, as if sei5ing my every feeling, too+ me away from myself, and, as if ' werenot where ' was, ' fre3uently gave him who saw me cause for ama5ement by affordingnumberless prete%ts for such happenings, being taught by love itself. 'n addition to this, the 3uietof the night and the thoughts on which my fancy fed continuously, by ta+ing me out of myself,sometimes moved me to actions more frantic than passionate and to the employment of unusualwords.

But it happened that while my e%cess of ornaments, heartfelt sighs, lost rest, strange actions,frantic movements, and other effects of my recent love, attracted the notice of the otherdomestics of the household, they especially struc+ with wonder a nurse of mine, old in years ande%perienced, and of sound judgment, who, though well aware of the flames that tortured my

breast, yet ma+ing show of not +nowing thereof, fre3uently chided me for my altered manners.@ne day in particular, finding me lying disconsolate on my couch, seeing that my brow wascharged with doleful thoughts, and believing that we were not li+ely to be interrupted by othercompany, she began to spea+ as follows


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; lbeit they be not easy of fulfilment,; she said, ;yet are they possible, and they are things that it beseems you to do. Ta+e thou thought whether it would be fitting that for such a thing as thisthou shouldst lose the luster of thy e%alted parentage, the great fame of thy virtue, the flower ofthy beauty, the honor in which thou art now held, and, above all, the favor of the spouse whomthou hast loved and by whom thou art loved certainly, thou shouldst not wish for this> nor do '

believe thou wouldst wish it, if thou didst but weigh the matter seriously in thine own mind.?herefore, in the name of God, forbear, and drive from thy heart the false delights promised bya guilty hope, and, with them, the madness that has sei5ed thee. By this aged breast, longharassed by many cares, from which thou didst ta+e thy first nutriment, ' humbly beseech thee tohave the courage to aid thyself, to have a concern for thine own honor, and not to disdain mywarnings. Bethin+ thee that the very desire to be healed is itself often productive of health.;

?hereto ' thus made answer

;@nly too well do ' +now, dear nurse, the truth of that which thou sayest. But a furious madnessconstrains me to follow the worse course> vainly does my heart, insatiable in its desires, long for

strength to enable it to adopt thy advice> what reason enjoins is rendered of no avail by this soul-subduing passion. 0y mind is wholly possessed by /ove, who rules every part thereof, in virtueof his all-embracing deity> and surely thou art aware that his power is absolute, and $twereuseless to attempt to resist it.;

)aving said these words, ' became almost unconscious, and fell into her arms. But she, nowmore agitated than before, in austere and rebu+ing tones, said

;Yes, forsooth, well am ' aware that you and a number of fond young women, inflamed andinstigated thereunto by vain thoughts, have discovered /ove to be a god, whereas a juster namefor him would be that of demon> and you and they call him the son of Cenus, and say that his

strength has come to him from the third heaven, wishing, seemingly, to offer necessity as ane%cuse for your foolishness. @h, was ever woman so misled as thouH Truly, thou must be bereftentirely of understanding ?hat a thing thou sayest /ove a deity /ove is a madness, thrustforth from hell by some fury. )e speeds across the earth in hasty flight, and they whom he visitssoon discover that he brings no deity with him, but fren5y rather> yet none will he visit e%ceptthose abounding overmuch in earthly felicity> for they, he +nows, in their overweening conceit,are ready to afford him lodgment and shelter. This has been proven to us by many facts. #o wenot see that Cenus, the true, the heavenly Cenus, often dwells in the humblest cot, her soleconcern being the perpetuation of our raceH But this god, whom some in their folly name /ove,always han+ering after things unholy, ministers only to those whose fortunes are prosperous.This one, recoiling from those whose food and raiment suffice to meet the demands of nature,uses his best efforts to win over the pampered and the splendidly attired, and with their food andtheir habiliments he mi%es his poisons, and so gains the lordship of their wic+ed souls> and, forthis reason, he gladly see+s a harborage in lofty palaces, and seldom, or rather never, enters thehouses of the lowly, because this horrible plague always resorts by choice to scenes of eleganceand refinement, well +nowing that such places are best fitted for the achievement of his fell

purposes. 't is easy for us to see that among the humble the affections are sane and well ordered> but the rich, on the other hand, everywhere pluming themselves on their riches, and beinginsatiable in their pursuit of other things as well as of wealth, always show more eagerness


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therein than is becoming> and they who can do much desire furthermore to have the power ofdoing that which they must not do among whom ' feel that thou hast placed thyself, @ mosthapless of women, seeing that thou hast already entered and traveled far on a path that will surelylead to guilt and misery.;

fter hearing which, ' said

;Be silent, old woman, and provo+e not the wrath of the gods by thy speech. *ow that thou artincapacitated from love by age and rejected by all the gods, thou railest against this one,

blaspheming him in whom thou didst erstwhile ta+e delight. 'f other ladies, far more puissant,famous, and wise than ', have formerly called him by that name, it is not in my power to givehim a name anew. By him am ' now truly enslaved> whatever be the cause of this, and whether it

be the occasion of my happiness or misery, ' am helpless. The strength wherewith ' onceopposed him has been van3uished and has abandoned me. Therefore either death or the youth forwhom ' languish can alone end my tortures. 'f thou art, then, as wise as ' hold thee to be, bestowsuch counsel and help on me as may lighten my anguish, or, at least, abstain from e%asperating it

by censuring that to which my soul, unable to act differently, is inclined with all its energy.;

Thereupon, she, being angry, and not without reason, ma+ing no answer, but muttering toherself, passed out of the chamber and left me alone.

?hen my dear nurse had departed without ma+ing further discourse, and ' was again alone, ' feltthat ' had acted ill in despising her advice. ' revolved her sayings within my restless breast> and,albeit my understanding was blinded, ' perceived that what she had said was replete withwisdom, and, almost repenting of what ' had uttered and of the course which ' had declared '

purposed ta+ing, ' was wavering in my mind. nd, already beginning to have thoughts ofabandoning that course which was sure to be in every way most harmful, ' was about to call her

bac+ to give me encouragement, when a new and unforeseen event suddenly changed myintention. (or a most beautiful lady, come to my private chamber ' +now not whence, presentedherself before my eyes, enveloped in such da55ling light that scarcely could my sight endure the

brightness thereof. But while she stood still and silent before me, the effulgent radiance that hadalmost blinded my vision, after a time left it unobscured, and ' was able so to portray her everyaspect to my mind, as her whole beauteous figure was impressed on my memory. ' saw that shewas nude, e%cept for a thin and delicate drapery of purple, which, albeit in some parts it coveredthe mil+-white body, yet no more concealed it from my ravished eyes than does the transparentglass conceal the portrait beneath it. )er head, the hair whereof as much surpassed gold in itsluster as gold surpasses the yellowest tresses to be found among mortals, was garlanded with awreath of green myrtle, beneath whose shadow ' beheld two eyes of peerless splendor, soenchanting that ' could have ga5ed on them forever> they flashed forth such luminous beams thatit was a marvel> and all the rest of her countenance had such transcendent loveliness that the li+enever was seen here below. t first she spa+e no word, perchance content that ' should loo+upon her, or perchance seeing me so content to loo+ upon her. Then gradually through thetranslucent radiance, she revealed more clearly every hidden grace, for she was aware that 'could not believe such beauty possible e%cept ' beheld it with my eyes, and that even then wordswould fail me to picture it to mortals with my tongue. t last, when she observed that ' had satedmy eyes with ga5ing on her, and when she saw that her coming hither was as wondrous to me as


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her loveliness, with smiling face, and in a voice sweeter than can be conceived by minds li+eours, she thus addressed me

;Prithee, young woman, what art thou, the most fic+le of thy se%, preparing to do in obedience tothe late counsels of thy aged nurseH 1nowest thou not that such counsels are far harder to follow

than that very love which thou desirest to fleeH )ast thou reflected on the dire and unendurabletorments which compliance with them will entail on theeH @ most insensate one dost thou then,who only a few hours ago wert my willing vassal, now wish to brea+ away from my gentle rule,

because, forsooth, of the words of an old woman, who is no longer vassal of mine, as if, li+e her,thou art now unwitting of what delights ' am the sourceH @ most witless of women forbear, andreflect whether thou shouldst not find befitting happiness in that which ma+es the happiness of)eaven and earth. ll things that Phoebus beholds during the bright day, from what time heemerges from Ganges, until he plunges with his tired steeds into the )esperian waves, to see+due repose after his wearisome pilgrimage> all things that are confined between cold rcturusand the red-hot pole, all own the absolute and authentic lordship of my wingId son> and in)eaven not only is he esteemed a god, li+e the other deities, but he is so much more puissant

than them all that not one remains who has not heretofore been van3uished by his darts. )e,flying on golden plumage throughout his realms, with such swiftness that his passage can hardly be discerned, visits them all in turn, and, bending his strong bow, to the drawn string he fits thearrows forged by me and tempered in the fountains sacred to my divinity. nd when he electsanyone to his service, as being more worthy than others, that one he rules as it li+es him. )e+indles raging fires in the hearts of the young, fans the flames that are almost dead in the old,awa+ens the fever of passion in the chaste bosoms of virgins and instils a genial warmth into the

breasts of wives and widows e3ually. )e has even aforetime forced the gods, wrought up to afren5y by his bla5ing torch, to forsa+e the heavens and dwell on earth under false appearances.?hereof the proofs are many. ?as not Phoebus, though victor over huge Python and creator ofthe celestial strains that sound from the lyres of Parnassus, by him made the thrall, now of

#aphne, now of lymene, and again of /eucothea, and of many others withalH ertainly, thiswas so. nd, finally, hiding his brightness under the form of a shepherd, did not pollo tend thefloc+s of dmetusH 6ven =ove himself, who rules the s+ies, by this god coerced, molded hisgreatness into forms inferior to his own. 4ometimes, in shape of a snow-white fowl, he gavevoice to sounds sweeter than those of the dying swan, and anon, changing to a young bull andfitting horns to his brow, he bellowed along the plains, and humbled his proud flan+s to the touchof a virgin$s +nees, and, compelling his tired hoofs to do the office of oars, he breasted the wavesof his brother$s +ingdom, yet san+ not in its depths, but joyously bore away his pri5e. ' shall notdiscourse unto you of his pursuit of 4emele under his proper form, or of lcmena, in guise ofmphitryon, or of allisto, under the semblance of #iana, or of #anaJ for whose sa+e he

became a shower of gold, seeing that in the telling thereof ' should waste too much time. *ay,even the savage god of war, whose strength appals the giants, repressed his wrathful bluster,

being forced to such submission by this my son, and became gentle and loving. nd the forger of=upiter, and artificer of his three-pronged thunderbolts, though trained to handle fire, was smitten

by a shaft more potent than he himself had ever wrought. *ay ', though ' be his mother, have not been able to fend off his arrows ?itness the tears ' have shed for the death of donis But whyweary myself and thee with the utterance of so many wordsH There is no deity in heaven who has

passed unscathed from his assaults> e%cept, perhaps, #iana only, who may have escaped him byfleeing to the woods> though some there be who tell that she did not flee, but rather concealed the


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wound. 'f haply, however, thou, in the hardness of thy unbelief, rejectest the testimony ofheaven, and searchest rather for e%amples of those in this nether world who have felt his power, 'affirm them to be so multitudinous that where to begin ' +now not. Yet this much may ' tell theetruly all who have confessed his sway have been men of might and valor. onsider attentively,in the first place, that undaunted son of lcmena, who, laying aside his arrows and the

formidable s+in of the huge lion, was fain to adorn his fingers with green emeralds, and tosmooth and adjust his bristling and rebellions hair. *ay, that hand which aforetime had wieldedthe terrific club, and slain therewith ntKus, and dragged the hound of hell from the lowerworld, was now content to draw the woolen threads spun from @mphale$s distaff> and theshoulders whereon had rested the pillars of the heavens, from which he had for a time freedtlas, were now clasped in @mphale$s arms, and afterward, to do her pleasure, covered with adiaphanous raiment of purple. *eed ' relate what Paris did in obedience to the great deityH or)elenH or lytemnestraH or LgisthusH These are things that are well +nown to all the world. *ordo ' care to spea+ of chilles, or of 4cylla, of riadne or /eander, of #ido, or of many others, ofwhom the same tale could be told, were there need to tell it. Believe me when ' affirm that thisfire is holy, and most potent as well. Thou hast heard that heaven and earth are subject to my son

because of his lordship over gods and men. But what shall ' say of the power that he e%ercisesover irrational animals, whether celestial or terreneH 't is through him that the turtle is fain tofollow her mate> it is through him that my pigeons have learned to caress his ringdoves withfondest endearments. nd there is no creeping or living creature that has ever at any timeattempted to escape from his puissance in the woods the timid stag, made fierce by his touch,

becomes brave for sa+e of the coveted hind and by bellowing and fighting, they prove howstrong are the witcheries of /ove. The ferocious boars are made by /ove to froth at the mouthand sharpen their ivory tus+s> the frican lions, when /ove 3uic+ens them, sha+e their manes infury. But leaving the groves and forests, ' assert that even in the chilly waters the numberlessdivinities of the sea and of the flowing rivers are not safe from the bolts of my son. *either can 'for a moment believe that thou art ignorant of the testimony thereof which has been rendered by

*eptune, Glaucus, lpheus, and others too numerous to mention not only were they unable to3uench the flame with their dan+ waters, but they could not even moderate its fury, which, whenit had made its might felt, both on the earth and in the waters, continued its onward course, andrested not until it had penetrated into the gloomy realms of #is. Therefore )eaven and 6arth and@cean and )ell itself have had e%perience of the potency of his weapons. nd, in order that thoumayest understand in a few words the power of the deity, ' tell thee that, while everythingsuccumbs to nature, and nothing can ever be emancipated from her dominion, *ature herself is

but the servant of /ove. ?hen he commands, ancient hatreds perish, and angry moods, be theyold or new, give place to his fires> and lastly, his sway has such far-reaching influence that evenstepmothers become gracious to their stepchildren, a thing which it is a marvel to behold.Therefore what see+est thouH ?hy dost thou hesitateH ?hy dost thou rashly avoid himH ?hen somany gods, when so many men, when so many animals, have been van3uished by him, artashamed to be van3uished by him alsoH 'n good sooth, thou weenest not what thou art doing. 'fthou fearest to be blamed for thy obedience to him, a blame so unmerited never can be thy

portion. Greater sins than thou canst commit have been committed by thousands far greater thanthou, and these sins would plead as thy e%cuse, shouldst thou pursue that course which othershave pursuedAothers who far e%cel thee. Thou wilt have sinned but a little, seeing that thouhadst far less power of resistance than those aforementioned. But if my words move thee not, andthou wouldst still wish to withstand the god, bethin+ thee that thy power falls far short of that of


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=ove, and that in judgment thou canst not e3ual Phoebus, nor in wealth =uno, nor me in beauty>and yet, we all have been con3uered. Thou art greatly deceived, and ' fear me that thou must

perish in the end, if thou persist in thy changed purpose. /et that which has erstwhile sufficed forthe whole world, suffice for thee, nor try to render thyself cold-hearted, by saying $' have ahusband, and the holy laws and the vowed faith forbid me this$> for bootless are such reasonings

against the puissance of this god. )e discards the laws of others scornfully, as thin+ing them ofno account, and ordains his own. PasiphKH had a husband, and PhKdra, and ', too, even though 'have loved. nd it is these same husbands who most fre3uently fall in love with others, albeitthey have wives of their own witness =ason and Theseus and valiant )ector and lysses.Therefore to men we do no wrong if we apply to them the same laws that they apply to others>for to them no privilege has been granted which is not accorded to us withal. Banish, then, thyfoolish thoughts, and, in all security, go on loving him whom thou hadst already begun to love.'n good sooth, if thou refusest to own the power of mighty /ove, it behooves thee to fly> butwhither canst thou flyH 1nowest thou of any retreat where he will not follow and overta+e theeH)e has in all places e3ual puissance. Go wheresoever thou wilt, never canst thou pass across the

borders of his realms, and within these realms vain it is for mortals to try to hide themselves

when he would smite them. But let it comfort thee to +now, young woman, that no such odious passion shall trouble thee as erstwhile was the scourge of 0yrrha, 4emiramis, Byblis, anace,and leopatra. *othing strange or new will be wrought by my son in thy regard. )e has, as havethe other gods, his own special laws, which thou art not the first to obey, and shouldst not be thelast to entertain hopes therefrom. 'f haply thou believest that thou art without companions in this,foolish is thy belief. /et us pass by the other world, which is fraught with such happenings> butobserve attentively only thine own city ?hat an infinite number of ladies it can show who are inthe same case with thyself nd remember that what is done by so many cannot be deemedunseemly. Therefore, be thou of our following, and return than+s to our beauty, which thou hastso closely e%amined. But return special than+s to our deity, which has sundered thee from theran+s of the simple, and persuaded thee to become ac3uainted with the delights that our gifts

bestow.;

las alas ye tender and compassionate ladies, if /ove has been propitious to your desires, saywhat could ', what should ', answer to such and so great words uttered by so great a goddess, ifnot ;Be it done unto me according to thy pleasure;H nd so, ' affirm that as soon as she hadclosed her lips, having already harvested within my understanding all her words, and feeling thatevery word was charged with ample e%cuse for what ' might do, and +nowing now how mightyshe was and how resistless, ' resolved at once to submit to her guidance> and instantly risingfrom my couch, and +neeling on the ground, with humbled heart, ' thus began, in abashed andtremulous accents

;@ peerless and eternal loveliness @ divinest of deities @ sole mistress of all my thoughtswhose power is felt to be most invincible by those who dare to try to withstand it, forgive the ill-timed obstinacy wherewith ', in my great folly, attempted to ward off from my breast theweapons of thy son, who was then to me an un+nown divinity. *ow, ' repeat, be it done unto meaccording to thy pleasure, and according to thy promises withal. 4urely, my faith merits a duereward in time and space, seeing that ', ta+ing delight in thee more than do all other women,wish to see the number of thy subjects increase forever and ever.;


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no fault of mine, let him not ta+e it upon himself to deprive me of that honor which ' still possess, although, perchance, undeservedly> for should he do so, he could never again give it bac+ to me, any more than he can now give me bac+ himself.

)aving, therefore, formed my plans in this wise, ' showed the most long-suffering patience in

manifesting my +eenest and most covetous yearnings, and ' used my best efforts, but only insecret ways and when opportunities were afforded me, to light in this young man$s soul the sameflames wherewith my own soul glowed, and to ma+e him as circumspect as myself withal. *or,in truth, was this for me a tas+ of great difficulty> for, inasmuch as the lineaments of the facealways bear most true witness to the 3ualities of the heart, it was not long before ' became awarethat my desire would have its full fruition. ' perceived that, not only was he throbbing withamorous enthusiam, but that he was also imbued with most perfect discretion, and this wase%ceedingly pleasing to me. )e, being at once wishful to preserve my honor in all its luster, and,at the same time, to arrange convenient times and places for our meetings, employed manyingenious stratagems, which, methin+s, must have cost him much toil and trouble. )e used everysubtle art to win the friendship of all who were related to me, and, at last, of my husband> and not

only did he enjoy their friendship, but he possessed it in such a supreme degree that no pleasurewas agreeable to them unless he shared it. )ow much all this delighted me you will understandwithout its being needful to me to set it down in words. nd is there anyone so dull of wit as notto conclude that from the aforesaid friendship arose many opportunites for him and me ofholding discourse together in publicH But already had he bethought himself of acting in moresubtle ways> and now he would spea+ to this one, now to that one, words whereby ', being mosteager for such enlightenment, discovered that whatever he said to these was fraught withfigurative and hidden meanings, intended to show forth his ardent affection for myself. ?hen hewas sensible that ' had a clear perception of the occult significance of his 3uestions and answers,he went still further, and by gestures, and mobile changes in the e%pression of his features, hewould ma+e +nown to me his thoughts and the various phases of his passion, which was to me a

source of much delectation> and ' strove so hard to comprehend it all and to ma+e fittingresponse thereunto, that neither could he shadow forth anything to me, nor ' to him, that either ofus did not at once understand.

*ay, not satisfied even with this, he employed other symbols and metaphors, and laboredearnestly to discipline me in such manner of speech> and, to render me the more assured of hisunalterable love, he named me (iammetta, and himself Panfilo. ?oe is me )ow often, whenwarmed with love and wine, did we tell tales, in the presence of our dearest friends, of(iammetta and Panfilo, feigning that they were Gree+s of the days of old, ' at one time, he atanother> and the tales were all of ourselves> how we were first caught in the snares of /ove, andof what tribulations we were long the victims, giving suitable names to the places and personsconnected with the story ertainly, ' fre3uently laughed at it all, being made merry by thesimplicity of the bystanders, as well as by his astuteness and sagacity. Yet betimes ' dreaded thatin the flush of his e%citement he might thoughtlessly let his tongue wander in directions whereinit was not befitting it should venture. But he, being ever far wiser than ' imagined, guardedhimself craftily from any such blundering aw+wardness.

(im)* most compassionate ladies, what is there that /ove will not teach to his subjectsH andwhat is there that he is not able to render them s+ilful in learningH ', who of all young women


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was the most simple-minded, and ordinarily with barely power to loose my tongue, when amongmy companions, concerning the most trivial and ordinary affairs, now, because of this myaffection, mastered so speedily all his modes of speech that, in a brief space, my aptness atfeigning and inventing surpassed that of any poet nd there were few 3uestions put to me inresponse to which, after meditating on their main points, ' could not ma+e up a pleasing tale a

thing, in my opinion, e%ceedingly difficult for a young woman to begin, and still more difficultto finish and relate afterward. But, if my actual situation re3uired it, ' might set down numerousdetails which might, perhaps, seem to you of little or no moment, as, for instance, the artfule%periment whereby we tested the fidelity of my favorite maid to whom, and to whom alone, wemeditated entrusting the secret of this hidden passion, considering that, should another share it,our uneasiness, lest it should not be +ept, would be most grievous. (urthermore, it would wearyyou if ' mentioned all the plans we adopted, in order to meet divers situations, plans that ' do not

believe were ever imagined by any before us> and albeit ' am now well aware that they allwor+ed for my ultimate destruction, yet the remembrance of them does not displease me.

nless, @ ladies, my judgment be greatly at fault, the strength of our minds was by no means

small, if it be but ta+en in account how hard a thing it is for youthful persons in love to resistlong the rush of impetuous ardor without crossing the bounds set by reason nay, it was so greatand of such 3uality that the most valiant of men, by acting in such wise, would win high andworthy laud as a result thereof. But my pen is now about to depict the final ending to which lovewas guided, and, before ' do so, ' would appeal to your pity and to those soft sentiments whichma+e their dwelling in your tender breasts, and incline your thoughts to a li+e termination.

#ay succeeded day, and our wishes dragged along with them, +ept alive by torturing an%iety, thefull bitterness whereof each of us e%perienced> although the one manifested this to the other indisguised language, and the other showed herself over-discreet to an e%cessive degree> all ofwhich you who +now how ladies who are beloved behave in such circumstances will easily

understand. ?ell, then, he, putting full trust in the veiled meaning of my words, and choosing the proper time and place, came to an e%perience of that which ' desired as much as he, although 'feigned the contrary. ertainly, if ' were to say that this was the cause of the love ' felt for him, 'should also have to confess that every time it came bac+ to my memory, it was the occasion tome of a sorrow li+e unto none other. But, ' call God to witness, nothing that has happened

between us had the slightest influence upon the love ' bore him, nor has it now. 4till, ' will notdeny that our close intimacy was then, and is now, most dear to me. nd where is the woman sounwise as not to wish to have the object of her affection within reach rather than at a distanceH)ow much more intensely does love enthrall us when it is brought so near us that we and it aremade almost inseparable ' say, then, that after such an adventure, never afore willed or eventhought of by me, not once, but many times did fortune and our adroit stratagems bring us goodcheer and consolation, not indeed screened entirely from danger, for which ' cared less than forthe passing of the fleeing wind. But while the time was being spent in such joyous fashionAandthat it was joyous, /ove, who alone may bear witness thereof, can truly sayAyet sometimes hiscoming inspired me with not a little natural apprehension, inasmuch as he was beginning to beindiscreet in the manner of his coming. But how dear to him was my own apartment, and withwhat gladness did it see him enter Yet was he filled with more reverence for it than he ever had

been for a sacred temple, and this ' could at all times easily discern. ?oe is me what burning+isses, what tender embraces, what delicious moments we had there


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?hy do ' ta+e such pleasure in the mere words which ' am now setting downH 't is, ' say, because ' am forced to e%press the gratitude ' then felt to the holy goddess who was the promiserand bestower of /ove$s delights. h, how often did ' visit her altars and offer incense, crownedwith a garland of her favorite foliage )ow often did ' thin+ scornfully of the counsels of myaged nurse *ay, furthermore, being elated far more than all my other companions, how often

did ' disparage their loves, saying within myself ;*o one is loved as ' am loved, no one loves ayouth as matchless as the youth ' love, no one reali5es such delights from love as ' ; 'n short, 'counted the world as nothing in comparison with my love. 't seemed to me that my head touchedthe s+ies, and that nothing was lac+ing to the culmination of my ecstatic bliss. Betimes the ideaflashed on my mind that ' must disclose to others the occasion of my transports, for surely, 'would reflect, it would be a delight to others to hear of that which has brought such delight tome But thou, @ 4hame, on the one side, and thou, @ (ear, on the other, did hold me bac+ theone threatening me with eternal infamy> the other with loss of that which hostile (ortune wassoon afterward to tear from me. 'n such wise then, did ' live for some time, for it was then

pleasing to /ove that ' should live in this manner> and, in good sooth, so blithely and joyouslywere these days spent that ' had little cause to envy any lady in the whole world, never imagining

that the delight wherewith my heart was filled to overflowing, was to nourish the root and plantof my future misery, as ' now +now to my fruitless and never-ending sorrow.

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