Page 70 - THE DECAMERON: 100 Days on 100 Etchings by Petru Rusu
P. 70
“Tedaldo degli Elisei“
Tedaldo degli Elisei (a Florentine) has the bad luck to fall in love clear the way to perpetrate those sins themselves. He convinces
with Monna Ermellina, who’s inconveniently married to another Ermellina that she, in fact, had stolen from Tedaldo (because she
man, Aldobrandino Palermini. For a while, it works out: Ermellina had given herself to him and then took herself away) and sent him
gives him what he asks for and he’s very pleased.But suddenly, into exile and ultimately caused him to be murdered. Isn’t that
she refuses to see him without giving a reason. Tedaldo’s much worse, he says, than garden-variety adultery? To sum up:
devastated, so he decides to slink away without telling anyone Ermellina’s husband is about to die for murder and she herself is
except one friend. He arrives in Ancona and takes the name Filippo in despair all because of her stupid need to follow the advice of
di Sanlodecchio. This Filippo finds employment with a merchant a “holy man.” The “friar” makes her promise that if Tedaldo should
and he immediately ships off for Cyprus. He does so well in his return, she’ll give herself to him again. Ermellina thinks that this
new position that he’s rewarded with a good salary and great is nuts she’s seen Tedaldo’s dead body but she promises. With
responsibility. Things stay like this for seven years. But one day, that, Tedaldo shows her a ring that she’d given to him on their last
Filippo hears someone singing a song that he’d composed about night and reveals his identity. Ermellina’s mighty freaked out. She
his former lover, and all of his longing returns. He decides to return thinks Tedaldo has come back from the grave. After a few kisses,
home to catch a glimpse of her. When he arrives in Florence, he Tedaldo’s off to see Aldobrandino in jail. Still disguised, he asks
walks to Ermellina’s house and finds that it’s been closed up. Aldo to do one thing if he’s freed: forgive Tedaldo’s brothers for
Filippo then walks on to his former home and sees his brothers landing him in jail. Aldobrandino promises readily to do this and
standing around, all dressed in black. He asks around and finds Tedaldo is off again to see the judge. In the end Tedaldo manages
out that his own brothers are in mourning because their brother to convince the judge that the two innkeeper brothers were guilty
Tedaldo (i.e. himself) had been murdered. Filippo/Tedaldo is even of the murder in question. The men are arrested and confess to
more amazed to hear that Aldobrandino has been accused of his the murder of Tedaldo, but the reason they give is interesting: the
murder. As he tries to sleep at his inn that night, Tedaldo sees man had been pestering one of their wives and had tried to rape
three men enter from the roof and confess to the murder of a her. So the thugs are summarily dispatched and Aldobrandino
man they call Tedaldo. The real Tedaldo knows that he has to do is released. There’s much rejoicing in his house, but still no one
something to save Aldobrandino (even though he’s the husband of knows that Tedaldo’s really alive. Aldobrandino makes good on
his lady love), so he comes up with a plan. First, he visits Ermellina his promise to reconcile with Tedaldo’s brothers and invites them
to learn why she snubbed him so long ago. She doesn’t recognize for a banquet, where he pardons them in public. Finally, Tedaldo
him and Tedaldo manages to impress her so much with his intimate reveals himself to them. At first, they don’t believe he’s alive. He
knowledge of her situation that Ermellina thinks he’s a prophet. has to convince them by relating things only the real Tedaldo
Tedaldo exploits that very nicely. He tells Ermellina that God’s angry would know. After the partying dies down (a few days, give or
with her for one particular sin that she committed in her youth take), Tedaldo settles back into his life. The people of Florence still
(i.e. rejecting Tedaldo). Ermellina tells him that she cut off Tedaldo weren’t 100% convinced that he was the real Tedaldo. Then they
because a friar told her she’d wind up in the deepest pit of Hell if learn, by accident, who the real dead man was. One day, a group
she continued her affair. Tedaldo tells her that he’s a friar himself of soldiers passes through town and greets Tedaldo by the name
(FYI, a total lie) and he can say with total certainty that “modern” Faziulo. As soon as Tedaldo speaks, they realize their mistake, but
friars are far from holy. In fact, they only want women and money, the description they give of their missing friend and his clothing fit
so they torment lay people with stories of hell and punishments. the murdered man to a tee. Now that the question of his identity is
Tedaldo spends a long time on the wickedness of friars to say cleared up, Tedaldo lives happily ever after. And no Ermellina never
one thing: friars denounce the sins of lay people so that they can refuses him again.
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