Page 144 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

The Decameron The Sixth Day | The First Novell tell you how a lady courteously imposed silence upon a gentleman,
demonstrating the excellence of speech apt for the occasion.
Storyteller: Filomena
Not long ago, there lived in our city a noble, debonair lady of
A knight asked Madam Oretta to ride with him on horseback and
excellent discourse, whom some of you may have seen or heard of.
promised to tell her an excellent tale along the way. However,
Her name, for such high qualities merit not oblivion, was Madonna
the lady, noticing that his discourse was dull and poorly
Oretta, and her husband was Messer Geri Spina. One day, while
delivered, politely requested him to let her walk again.
she was in the country, moving from place to place for pleasure
with a company of ladies and gentlemen whom she had entertained
at breakfast the day before, they were to go afoot to their next
destination, which was some distance away. One of the gentlemen
of the company said to her, "Madonna Oretta, if you please, I will
carry you a great part of the way with one of the finest stories in
the world." "Indeed, Sir," replied the lady, "I pray you do so; and I
shall deem it the greatest of favors."

The gentleman, who perhaps was no better master of his story than
of his weapon, began a tale that was excellent in itself. However,
by repeating the same word three, four, or six times, and now and
again harking back and saying, "I said not well," and often erring
in the names, setting one in place of another, he utterly spoiled
it. His mode of delivery also ill-suited the character of the persons
1985 HAND COLORED AQUA TINTA / AQUA FORTE
29,5X19,5 CM. | 11¾X7½ IN. (IMAGE SIZE). and incidents. Madonna Oretta, as she listened, often sweated
and was like to faint, as if she were ill and at the point of death. At
length, unable to bear it any longer, knowing that the gentleman
had gotten into a mess and was unlikely to get out of it, she said
pleasantly to him, "Sir, this horse of yours trots too hard; I pray
As stars adorn the serene expanse of heaven, and flowers and leafy
you be pleased to set me down." The gentleman, perhaps more
shrubs embellish the green meadows in springtime, so, ladies, in
quick of apprehension than skillful in narration, missed not the
the hour of rare and excellent discourse, is wit with its bright sallies.
meaning of her sally and took it in good and gay humor. So, leaving
Being brief, wit is much more proper for ladies than for men, as
the tale unfinished and mishandled, he addressed himself to tell
prolixity of speech, where brevity is possible, is much less allowable
her other stories.
for them. But for whatever reason, whether it be the poor quality
of our understanding or some special enmity that heaven bears to
our generation, few ladies today are able to meet the occasion with
apt speech, or if they hear such speech, can understand it aright:
to our common shame be it spoken! But as Pampinea has already
said enough on this matter, I will not enlarge upon it. Instead, I will
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The Decameron