Page 158 - THE DECAMERON: 100 Days on 100 Etchings by Petru Rusu
P. 158
“Lodovico and Beatrice“
Lodovico is the only child of a Florentine nobleman-turned- that she’ll leave the door open and making sure he knew
merchant. He was sent to the French royal household to be which side of the bed was hers. So the next night, he slips
brought up among other young noblemen. One day, Lodovico into bed with her. Egano’s there, too. Then Beatrice does
was hanging around with the lads, debating the beauty of something that makes Anichino’s heart stop: she wakes up
women from different countries when some knights returned her husband. She asks Egano who his most trusted servant
from crusade told them of the beauty of one Madonna is (she knows it’s Anichino). Beatrice tells him that his trust is
Beatrice. Beatrice was from Bologna and, unfortunately for misplaced. Beatrice makes him believe that Anichino is down
them, was married to Egano de’ Galluzzi. Young Lodovico’s in the garden at that very moment, waiting for her. If Egano
very taken by all this talk about Beatrice and decides to wants proof, all he has to do is put on a dress, pretend to
go to Bologna to catch a glimpse of her. He tells his father be Beatrice and go into the garden. Of course, Egano goes.
that he wants to go visit the Holy Sepulcher, takes on the Beatrice bolts the door behind him and has Anichino all to
name Anichino, and makes his way to Bologna. Anichino herself. When they’ve finished up with each other, Beatrice
sees Beatrice and realizes that her description was totally tells him to get a big stick and go into the garden. She tells
accurate and then some. And now he’s seriously determined him to say that he was putting Beatrice to the test and then
to win her affection. He decides the best way to do this is to go ahead and beat up her husband pretending the whole
to be Egano’s servant. So he sells his horses, asks his own time that he doesn’t know it isn’t Beatrice. So Anichino does
servants to pretend not to know him and moves into his just this, cursing “Beatrice” out for being a brazen hussy
new job at Egano and Beatrice’s house. Pretty soon, Egano who dared accuse him of betraying his master. When Egano
completely relies on Anichino. One day, Beatrice invites returns to Beatrice, he’s covered in bruises, but he’s kind of
Anichino to play chess with her. Her husband’s away from happy. Anichino really is a good guy and deserves a reward.
home. He lets her win. After the “defeat,” he reveals himself And Egano’s convinced that he has the best servant and
to her. She takes a shine to him immediately and kisses most faithful wife. Beatrice and Egano carry on as long as
him. She invites him to her room the next night, saying Anichino works for her husband.
“Lodovico and Beatrice” retrieved from publicly source: shmoop
DECAMERON 158 <https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/decameron/summary/seventh-day-seventh-story>
