Page 104 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

The Decameron The Fourth Day | The Sixth Novell The ladies were indeed glad to have heard Filomena's story, for although
Storyteller: Panfilo
Andreana shared dreams with her love, Gabriello, who
suddenly died in her arms. When caught carrying his body,
the magistrate attempted to take advantage of her. Her father
proved her innocence, and she later became a nun, seeking
peace and solace.
1985 HAND COLORED AQUA TINTA / AQUA FORTE
29,5X19,5 CM. | 11¾X7½ IN. (IMAGE SIZE).
100
The Decameron
they had often heard the song sung, they had never been able to learn
the occasion upon which it was made. When it ended, Pamfilo received
the king's command to follow suit and began:
"The dream told in the previous story prompts me to relate one in which
two dreams are told, dreams of what was to come, just as Lisabetta's
dream was of what had been. Both dreams were fulfilled almost as soon as
they were told by those who had dreamed them. So, dear ladies, you must
know that it is common for people to have various visions during sleep.
While sleeping, the dreamer believes them all to be true, but upon waking,
judges some to be true, others probable, and others completely false. Yet,
many dreams are found to come true. For this reason, many people are as
sure of their dreams as they are of what they see while awake, and their
dreams bring them fear or hope, making them sorrowful or joyous. On the
other hand, some people believe no dream until they find themselves in
the very peril they were warned about. I do not approve of either approach,
for not all dreams are true, nor are all false. That they are not all true, we
have often experienced; and that they are not all false has been shown
in Filomena's story and will also be shown in mine. Therefore, I believe
that in a virtuous life, there is no need to fear any dream that contradicts
it or to abandon any just plan because of a dream. As for crooked and
sinister enterprises, however dreams may seem to favor them, no one
should trust them. Instead, all should believe those that run counter to
such enterprises. But let us come to the story.
In the city of Brescia, there once lived a gentleman named Messer Negro
da Ponte Carraro, who had a very fair daughter named Andreuola. She
fell in love with a neighbor, Gabriotto, a man of low degree but goodly
in person and endowed with admirable qualities. With the help of the
housemaid, Andreuola made Gabriotto aware of her love, and they often
met in her father's garden. They became secretly married, and while they
continued their clandestine meetings, one night Andreuola had a dream.
She saw herself in the garden with Gabriotto, who held her in his arms.
Suddenly, something dark and frightful emerged from his body, grabbed
Gabriotto, and with great force, took him underground, leaving her stricken
with grief. She awoke, relieved it was only a dream, but the fear lingered.