Page 271 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

Messer Torello bestowed part of his rare jewels upon the one who had After the king's long story, which everyone seemed to enjoy, Dioneo
borne the cost of the wedding feast, part on the abbot, and many other laughed and said: "The good man who thought he could make the
people. He sent word of his safe homecoming and prosperous estate to bogey's tail droop that night would hardly have contributed two
Saladin by more than one messenger, acknowledging himself ever his pennies' worth of all the praise you bestow on Messer Torello." Then,
friend and servant. He lived many years thereafter with his worthy lady, knowing it was his turn to tell a story, he began: "Ladies, today seems
conducting himself even more courteously than before. Such was the end to be dedicated to kings and sultans and people of similar rank. So,
of the troubles of Messer Torello and his dear lady, and such the reward to stay in line with you, I will tell you about a marquis. Certainly not
of their cheerful and ready courtesies. a magnificent one, but a piece of mad folly, although it turned out
Now some strive to do acts of courtesy and have the means, but do them well for him in the end. I advise no one to copy him, for it was a
with such ill grace that, before they are done, they have in effect sold them great pity that it turned out well for him.
at a price above their worth. Therefore, if no reward comes to them from
it, neither they nor other people have cause to wonder. There was once a certain Marquis of Saluzzo, named Gualtieri, a
young man and head of the house. Having neither wife nor child,
he spent his time in nothing but hawking and hunting, and had no
thought of taking a wife and having children. In this, he should have
The Tenth Day | The Tenth Novell been considered very wise. But his servants, unhappy with this, often
Storyteller: Dioneo urged him to take a wife so that he would not die without an heir and
leave them without a lord. They offered to find him a suitable wife
The Marquess of Saluzzo, Gualtiero, married Grizelda, a poor of good parentage, so that he might marry with good hope and be
countryman's daughter. Pretending their children were murdered, content with the outcome. To which Gualtieri replied: "My friends,
he later feigned taking another wife, expelling Grizelda. Testing her you are forcing me to do something I had resolved never to do, seeing
patience, he eventually honored her and their children, bringing how hard it is to find a wife whose ways align well with one's own,
them back to his palace. and how plentiful is the supply of those who do not. And to say that
you think you know the daughters by the qualities of their fathers
and mothers, and thereby provide me with a wife to my liking, is
folly. For I do not know how you may penetrate the secrets of their
mothers to know their fathers; and granted that you do know them,
daughters often resemble neither of their parents. However, as
you are determined to impose these fetters upon me, I am content
that it be so. And that I may have no cause to reproach anyone but
myself if it turns out badly, I am resolved that my wife shall be of
my own choosing. But rest assured that, no matter whom I choose,
if she does not receive from you the honor due to a lady, you shall
prove to your great cost how sorely I resent being thus constrained
by your importunity to take a wife against my will."

The worthy men replied that they were well content, so long as
he would marry without further delay. And Gualtieri, who had long
1985 HAND COLORED AQUA TINTA / AQUA FORTE
29,5X19,5 CM. | 11¾X7½ IN. (IMAGE SIZE). noted with approval the demeanor of a poor girl who lived on a farm
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