Page 182 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

The Decameron The Eighth Day | The First Novell returned. Women ought to be chaste and honest, preserving
their honor as their lives, without yielding to contamination
Storyteller: Neifile
for any reason. Yet, due to our frailty, we often fail to be as
constant as we should be. I believe that a woman who sells
Gulfardo made a deal with the wife of Gasparuolo to obtain her
her honesty for money deserves to be burned. However, a
favor in exchange for money. He borrowed the sum from her
woman who falls into sin solely through genuine affection,
husband and paid her as if settling a debt. When Gasparuolo
returned, Gulfardo told him he had paid his wife, and she
from a judge who is not overly harsh, as we recently heard
reluctantly confirmed it. under the powerful laws of love, merits pardon, especially
from Philostratus regarding what happened to Madam
Phillippa de Prato under a dangerous edict.

Understand, my esteemed listeners, that there once lived
in Milan a German soldier named Gulfardo, a commendable
man and very loyal to those he served, a rare quality among
Germans. Because he always repaid his loans, he gained
great credit and familiarity with the best merchants, who
were often more willing to lend him money than he was to
borrow it. While living in Milan, he fell in love with a beautiful
woman named Mistress Ambrosia, the wife of a wealthy
merchant named Signior Gasparuolo Sagastraccio, who was
well-acquainted with Gulfardo and treated him respectfully.
Gulfardo loved this woman discreetly, without her husband’s
1985 HAND COLORED AQUA TINTA / AQUA FORTE
29,5X19,5 CM. | 11¾X7½ IN. (IMAGE SIZE). suspicion, and one day he sent her a message, asking to enjoy
her love, promising to fulfill her every command.

The woman, after many solicitations, agreed to Gulfardo's
Since it is my turn, gracious ladies, to begin today’s request on two conditions: first, he must keep it secret
storytelling, I am content to do so with a tale I find fitting. from everyone, and second, he must give her two hundred
As the deceits of women towards men have been generously crowns for some important business. Offended by her greed,
recounted, I will share a clever trick a man played on a Gulfardo’s love turned to loathing, and he decided to deceive
woman. This is not to blame him for the deed or to think the her, using her avarice against her.
deceit ill-suited to the woman but to commend the man and
justly condemn the woman, showing how men can outwit He sent word that he would fulfill her request and any greater
even the craftiest women who least expect such cunning. matter for her and asked when he could visit her to give her
the money. Only a dear friend, who always accompanied
To speak properly, the matter I will report does not deserve him in important matters, knew his plan. The woman joyfully
the reproachful title of deceit but rather a recompense duly replied that her husband, Gasparuolo, had business in Genoa,

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