the decameron(十日谈)-第133章

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but　stop　her　nose；　as　if　all　men　or　women　she　met　withall；　and
whatsoever　else　she　lookt　on；　were　stinking　and　offensive。　But　let
us　leave　all　further　relation　of　her　ill　conditions；　being　every　way
（indeed）　so　bad；　and　hardly　becomming　any　sensible　body；　that　we
cannot　condemne　them　so　much　as　we　should。
　　It　chanced　upon　a　day；　that　shee　comming　home　to　the　house　where　her
Unckle　dwelt；　declared　her　wonted　scurvy　and　scornfull　behaviour；
swelling；　puffing；　and　pouting　extreamly；　in　which　humor　she　sat　downe
by　her　Unckle；　who　desiring　to　know　what　had　displeased　her；　said。　Why
how　now　Francesca？　what　may　the　meaning　of　this　bee？　This　being　a
solemne　festivall　day；　what　is　the　reason　of　your　so　soone　returning
home？　She　coily　biting　the　lip；　and　brideling　her　head；　as　if　she
had　bene　some　mans　best　Gelding；　sprucely　thus　replyed。
　　Indeede　you　say　true　Unckle；　I　am　come　home　verie　earely；　because；
since　the　day　of　my　birth；　I　never　saw　a　City　so　pestered　with
unhandsome　people；　both　men　and　women；　and　worse　this　high　Holyday；
then　ever　I　did　observe　before。　I　walked　thorow　some　store　of
streetes；　and　I　could　not　see　one　proper　man：　and　as　for　the　women；
they　are　the　most　mishapen　and　ugly　creatures；　that；　if　God　had　made
me　such　an　one；　I　should　be　sory　that　ever　I　was　borne。　And　being　no
longer　able　to　endure　such　unpleasing　sights；　you　wil　not　thinke
（Unckle）　in　what　an　anger　I　am　come　home。　Fresco；　to　whome　these
stinking　qualities　of　his　Neece　seemed　so　unsufferable；　that　hee　could
not　（with　patience）　endure　them　any　longer；　thus　short　and　quickely
answered。　Francesca；　if　all　people　of　our　Citie　（both　men　and　women）
be　so　odious　in　thy　eyes；　and　offensive　to　thy　nose；　as　thou　hast
often　reported　to　me：　bee　advised　then　by　my　counsell。　Stay　stil　at
home；　and　look　upon　none　but　thy　selfe　onely；　and　then　thou　shalt　be
sure　that　they　cannot　displease　thee。　But　shee；　being　as　empty　of
wit　as　a　pith…lesse　Cane；　and　yet　thought　her　judgement　to　exceed
Salomons；　could　not　understand　the　lest　part　of　hir　Unkles　meaning；
but　stood　as　senselesse　as　a　sheepe。　Onely　she　replyed；　that　she　would
resort　to　some　other　parts　of　the　country；　which　if　shee　found　as
weakly　furnished　of　handsome　people；　as　heere　shee　did；　shee　would
conceive　better　of　her　selfe；　then　ever　she　had　done　before。




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　SIXT　DAY；　THE　NINTH　NOVELL

　　　　　　　NOTABLY　DISCOVERING　THE　GREAT　DIFFERENCE　THAT　IS　BETWEENE
　　　　　　　　　LEARNING　AND　IGNORANCE；　UPON　JUDICIOUS　APPREHENSION

　　Signior　Guido　Cavalcante；　with　a　sodaine　and　witty　answer；
reprehended　the　rash　folly　of　certaine　Florentine　Gentlemen；　that
thought　to　scorne　and　flout　him。

　　When　the　Queene　perceived；　that　Madame　Aemillia　was　discharged　of
her　Novell；　and　none　remained　now　to　speake　next；　but　onely　her　selfe；
his　priviledge　alwayes　remembred；　to　whom　it　belonged　to　be　the
last；　she　began　in　this　manner。
　　Faire　Company；　you　have　this　day　disappointed　me　of　two　Novells　at
the　least；　whereof　I　had　intended　to　make　use。　Neverthelesse；　you
shall　not　imagine　mee　so　unfurnished；　but　that　I　have　left　one　in
store；　the　conclusion　whereof；　may　minister　such　instruction；　as
will　not　bee　reputed　for　ydle　and　impertinent：　but　rather　of　such
materiall　consequence；　as　better　hath　not　this　day　past　among　us。
　　Understand　then　（most　faire　Ladies）　that　in　former　times　long
since　past；　our　Cittie　had　many　excellent　and　commendable　customes
in　it；　whereof　（in　these　unhappy　dayes　of　ours）　we　cannot　say　that
poore　one　remaineth；　such　hath　beene　the　too　much　encrease　of　Wealth
and　Covetousnesse；　the　onely　supplanters　of　all　good　qualities
whatsoever。　Among　which　lawdable　and　friendly　observations；　there
was　one　well　deserving　note；　namely；　that　in　divers　places　of
Florence；　men　of　the　best　houses　in　every　quarter；　had　a　sociable
and　neighbourly　assemblie　together；　creating　their　company　to
consist　of　a　certaine　number；　such　as　were　able　to　supply　their
expences；　as　this　day　one；　and　to　morrow　another：　and　thus　in　a
kinde　of　friendly　course；　each　dally　furnished　the　Table；　for　the　rest
of　the　company。　Oftentimes；　they　did　honour　to　divers　Gentlemen　and
strangers；　upon　their　arrivall　in　our　Citty；　by　inviting　them　into
their　assembly；　and　many　of　our　worthiest　Citizens　beside；　so　that
it　grew　to　a　customary　use；　and　one　especially　day　in　the　yeare
appointed；　in　memory　of　this　so　loving　a　meeting；　when　they　would　ride
（triumphally　as　it　were）　on　horsebacke　thorow　the　Cittie；　sometimes
performing　Tilts；　Tourneyes；　and　other　Martiall　exercises；　but　they
were　reserved　for　Feastivall　dayes。
　　Among　which　company；　there　was　one　called；　Signior　Betto
Bruneleschi；　who　was　earnestly　desirous；　to　procure　Signior　Guido
Cavalcante　de　Cavalcanti；　to　make　one　in　this　their　friendly
society。　And　not　without　great　reason：　for；　over　and　beside　his
being　one　of　the　best　Logitians　as　those　times　could　not　yeeld　a
better：　He　was　also　a　most　absolute　naturall　Philosopher　（which　worthy
qualities　were　little　esteemed　among　these　honest　meeters）　a　very
friendly　Gentleman；　singularly　well　spoken；　and　whatsoever　else　was
commendable　in　any　man；　was　no　way　wanting　in　him；　being　wealthy
withall；　and　able　to　returne　equall　honors；　where　he　found　them　to
be　duly　deserved；　as　no　man　therin　could　go　beyond　him。　But　Signior
Betto；　notwithstanding　his　long　continued　importunitie；　could　not　draw
him　into　their　assembly；　which　made　him　and　the　rest　of　his　company
conceive；　that　the　solitude　of　Guido；　retiring　himselfe　alwaies　from
familiar　conversing　with　men：　provoked　him　to　many　curious
speculations：　and　because　he　retained　some　part　of　the　Epicurean
Opinion；　their　vulgare　judgement　passed　on　him；　that　his
speculations　tended　to　no　other　end；　but　onely　to　finde　out　that　which
was　never　done。
　　It　chanced　upon　a　day；　that　Signior　Guido　departing　from　the
Church　of　Saint　Michaell　d'Horta；　and　passing　along　by　the　Adamari；　so
farre　as　to　Saint　Johns　Church；　which　evermore　was　his　customarie
Walke：　many　goodly　Marble　Tombes　were　then　about　the　saide　Church；
as　now　adayes　are　at　Saint　Reparata；　and　divers　more　beside。　He
entring　among　the　Collumbes　of　Porphiry；　and　the　other　Sepulchers
being　there；　because　the　doore　of　the　Church　was　shut：　Signior　Betto
and　his　companie；　came　riding　from　S。　Reparata；　and　espying　Signior
Guldo　among　the　graves　and　tombes；　said。　Come；　let　us　go　make　some
jests　to　anger　him。　So　putting　the　spurs　to　their　horses；　they　rode
apace　towards　him：　and　being　upon　him　before　he　perceived　them；　one　of
them　said。　Guido　thou　refusest　to　be　one　of　our　society；　and　seekest
for　that　which　never　was：　when　thou　hast　found　it；　tell　us；　what
wilt　thou　do　with　it？
　　Guido　seeing　himselfe　round　engirt　with　them；　sodainly　thus　replyed：
Gentlemen；　you　may　use　mee　in　your　owne　house　as　you　please。　And
setting　his　hand　on　one　of　the　Tombes　（which　was　some…what　great）　he
tooke　his　rising；　and　leapt　quite　over　it　on　the　further　side；　as
being　of　an　agile　and　sprightly　body；　and　being　thus　freed　from
them；　he　went　away　to　his　owne　lodging。　They　stoode　all　like　men
amazed；　strangely　looking　one　upon　another；　and　began　afterward　to
murmure　among　themselves：　That　Guido　was　a　man　without　any
understanding；　and　the　answer　which　he　had　made　unto　them；　was　to　no
purpose；　neither　favoured　of　any　discretion；　but　meerely　came　from
an　empty　brain　because　they　had　no　more　to　do　in　the　place　where　now
they　were；　then　any　of　the　other　Citizens；　and　Signior　Guido
（himselfe）　as　little　as　any　of　them；　whereto　Signior　Betto　thus
replyed。
　　Alas　Gentlemen；　it　is　you　your　selves　that　are　void　of
understanding：　for；　if　you　had　but　observed　the　answer　which　he　made
unto　us：　hee　did　honestly；　and　（in　verie　few　words）　not　onely
notably　expresse　his　owne　wisedome；　but　also　deservedly　reprehend
us。　Because；　if　wee　observe　things　as　we　ought　to　doe；　Graves　and
Tombes　are　the　houses　of　the　dead；　ordained　and　prepared　to　be　their
latest　dwellings。　He　tolde　us　moreover；　that　although　we　have　heere
（in　this　life）　other　habitations　and　abidings；　yet　these　（or　the　like）
must　at　last　be　our　houses。　To　let　us　know；　and　all　other　foolish；
indiscreete；　and