Page 145 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

The Sixth Day | The Second Novell the least likely to be suspected. In the hour of their greatest need, they
Storyteller: Pampinea bring them forth, the base place having kept them safer than the dainty
chamber would have done. Thus, these two arbitresses of the world often
Demonstrating that a request should be reasonable before hide their most precious commodities in the obscurity of the crafts that
it is granted to anyone. Cistio, a baker, provided a witty are reputed most base, so that when brought to light, they may shine with
response to Messer Geri Spina, causing him to realize the a brighter splendor. How Cisti, the baker, gave proof of this in a trifling
indiscretion of his request. matter, restoring the eyes of the mind to Messer Geri Spina, whom the
story of his wife, Madonna Oretta, has brought to my recollection, I am
minded to show you in a brief narrative.

Pope Boniface, with whom Messer Geri Spina stood very high in favor
and honor, sent several of his courtiers to Florence as ambassadors to
treat certain matters of great moment. They were lodged in Messer Geri's
house, where he treated with them about the Pope's affairs. For some
reason, it was the custom of Messer Geri and the ambassadors to pass
almost every morning by Santa Maria Ughi, where Cisti, the baker, had his
bakehouse and plied his craft in person. Although Fortune had allotted him
a humble occupation, she had prospered him to such a degree that he had
grown very wealthy. Without aspiring to change his occupation, he lived in
magnificent style, having among his other good things a cellar of the best
wines, white and red, to be found in Florence or the countryside. Noting
that Messer Geri and the ambassadors passed by his door every morning,
1985 HAND COLORED AQUA TINTA / AQUA FORTE
29,5X19,5 CM. | 11¾X7½ IN. (IMAGE SIZE). he thought it would be courteous to offer them his good wine. However,
comparing his rank with that of Messer Geri, he deemed it unseemly to
invite him and thought of how he might lead Messer Geri to invite himself.

So, wearing the whitest of doublets and a spotless apron, which denoted a
All the ladies and the men alike greatly commended Madonna Oretta's apt
miller rather than a baker, he brought out a spick-and-span bucket of fresh
saying, and the queen bade Pampinea follow suit. Thus, Pampinea began:
and cool spring water, a small Bolognese flagon of his good white wine,
"Fair ladies, I cannot determine whether Nature or Fortune is more at
and two beakers that shone like silver. There he sat, and as they came
fault: Nature for furnishing a noble soul with a vile body, or Fortune for
by, he drank his wine with such gusto that it would have raised a thirst in
allotting a base occupation to a body endowed with a noble soul. We
a corpse. Messer Geri observed this on two successive mornings and on
may have seen an example of this in our fellow-citizen, Cisti, who, though
the third said, "What is it, Cisti? Is it good?" Cisti jumped up and answered,
furnished with a lofty soul, was made a baker by Fortune. I would curse
"Yes, Sir, it is good; but I cannot make you understand how good unless you
Nature and Fortune alike, did I not know that Nature is most discreet and
taste it." Messer Geri, in whom either the heat of the weather, unwonted
that Fortune, though the foolish imagine her blind, has a thousand eyes.
fatigue, or the gusto with which he had seen Cisti drink had bred a thirst,
They do as mortals often do, who, uncertain of their future, bury their
turned to the ambassadors and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, it would be
most precious treasures in the basest places in their houses, as being
well to test the quality of this worthy man's wine: it may be such that we
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