Page 60 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

The Decameron The Second Day | The Ninth Novell When Elisa finished her touching story, Queen Philomena, a young
woman as stately as she was beautiful, with a sweet and smiling
Storyteller: Filomena
demeanor, composed herself to speak and began: "Our agreement
with Dioneo will be faithfully observed. Since only he and I remain to
Bernabo of Genoa, deceived by Ambrogiuolo, loses his money and
complete the day's narration, I will tell my story first, and he shall have
commands his innocent wife to be put to death. She escapes, habits
the grace he requested and be the last to speak." After this prelude,
herself as a man, and serves the Soldan. She discovers the deceiver,
she began her story:
and brings Bernabo to Alexandria, where the deceiver is punished.
"There is a common saying that the deceived has the better of the
She then resumes the garb of a woman, and returns to Genoa.
deceiver. This proverb, if not supported by events, might seem
unjustified. While adhering to our theme, I want to show you that
there is truth in this proverb, which should be a welcome reminder to
guard against deceivers.

Some great merchants of Italy, meeting for various reasons at a hostelry
in Paris, jovially supped together one evening and discussed various
matters. Eventually, they talked about the ladies they had left at home.
One merchant joked, 'I can't speak for my wife, but whenever a girl
catches my eye, I forget my love for my wife and enjoy the new girl
as best I can.' Another said, 'I do the same because I know my wife
tries her luck too, whether I suspect it or not. It's a case of do as you
are done by.' A third agreed, and soon all seemed to concur that their
wives were likely to take advantage of opportunities.

However, a Genoese merchant named Bernabo Lomellin disagreed,
claiming that by God's special grace, he had a wife who was the
epitome of all virtues proper to a lady and even to a knight or squire. She
was fair, young, skilled in embroidery and other crafts, well-mannered,
discreet, and sensible. She could manage a horse, fly a hawk, read,
write, and do accounts better than a merchant. He swore that she
was the most honest and chaste woman, and he believed that even
if he were away for ten years, she would never think of another man.

Among the merchants was a young man named Ambrogiuolo da
Piacenza, who laughed and asked Bernabo if he had this privilege by
special patent of the Emperor. Bernabo, somewhat angrily, replied that
it was a boon from God, who was more powerful than the Emperor.
Ambrogiuolo rejoined, 'I don't doubt that you believe what you say,
but you must have been a careless observer of human nature. Men,
1985 HAND COLORED AQUA TINTA / AQUA FORTE
29,5X19,5 CM. | 11¾X7½ IN. (IMAGE SIZE). who are more perfect than women, cannot resist a woman's charms.
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The Decameron