the decameron(十日谈)-第214章

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reducing　you　from　death　to　life：　you　shal　find　no　other
entertainment　here；　then　as　if　you　were　mine　owne　Sister。　And　yet
the　good　deed　which　I　have　this　night　done　for　you　doth　well
deserve　some　courteous　requitall：　in　which　respect；　I　would　have　you
not　to　deny　me　one　favour；　which　I　will　presume　to　crave　of　you。
Whereto　the　Lady　lovingly　replyed；　that　she　was　willing　to　grant　it；
provided；　it　were　honest；　and　in　her　power：　whereto　Signior　Gentile
thus　answered。
　　Madame；　your　parents；　kindred　and　friends；　and　generally　all
throughout　Bologna；　doe　verily　thinke　you　to　be　dead；　wherefore
there　is　not　any　one；　that　will　make　any　inquisition　after　you：　in
which　regard；　the　favour　I　desire　from　you；　is　no　more　but　to　abide
here　secretly　with　my　Mother；　untill　such　time　as　I　returne　from
Modena；　which　shall　be　very　speedily。　The　occasion　why　I　move　this
motion；　aymeth　at　this　end；　that　in　presence　of　the　chiefest　persons
of　our　City；　I　may　make　a　gladsome　present　of　you　to　your　Husband。　The
Lady　knowing　her　selfe　highly　beholding　to　the　Knight；　and　the　request
he　made　to　be　very　honest：　disposed　her　selfe　to　doe　as　he　desired
（although　she　earnestly　longed；　to　glad　her　parents　and　kindred　with
seeing　her　alive）　and　made　her　promise　him　on　her　faith；　to　effect
it　in　such　manner；　as　he　pleased　to　appoint　and　give　her　direction。
　　Scarcely　were　these　words　concluded；　but　she　felt　the　custome　of
women　to　come　upon　her；　with　the　paines　and　throwes　incident　to
childing：　wherefore；　with　helpe　of　the　aged　Lady；　Mother　to　Signior
Gentile；　it　was　not　long　before　her　deliverance　of　a　goodly　Sonne；
which　greatly　augmented　the　joy　of　her　and　Gentile；　who　tooke　order；
that　all　things　belonging　to　a　woman　in　such　a　case；　were　not　wanting；
but　she　was　as　carefully　respected；　even　as　if　she　had　been　his　owne
Wife。　Secretly　he　repaired　to　Modena；　where　having　given　direction　for
his　place　of　authority；　he　returned　back　againe　to　Bologna；　and
there　made　preparation　for　a　great　and　solemne　feast；　appointing　who
should　be　his　invited　guests；　the　very　chiefest　persons　in　Bologna；
and　（among　them）　Signior　Nicoluccio　Caccianimico　the　especiall　man。
　　After　he　was　dismounted　from　horsebacke；　and　found　so　good　company
attending　for　him　（the　Lady　also；　more　faire　and　healthful　then
ever；　and　the　Infant　lively　disposed）　he　sate　downe　at　the　Table
with　his　guests；　causing　them　to　be　served　in　most　magnificent　manner；
with　plenty　of　all　delicates　that　could　be　devised；　and　never　before
was　there　such　a　joviall　feast。　About　the　ending　of　dinner；　closely　he
made　the　Lady　acquainted　with　his　further　intention；　and　likewise　in
what　order　every　thing　should　be　done；　which　being　effected；　he
returned　to　his　company；　and　used　these　speeches。
　　Honourable　friends；　I　remember　a　discourse　sometime　made　unto　me；
concerning　the　Countrey　of　Persia；　and　a　kind　of　custome　there
observed；　not　to　be　misliked　in　mine　opinion。　When　any　one　intended　to
honour　his　friend　in　effectuall　manner；　he　invited　him　home　to　his
house；　and　there　would　shew　him　the　thing；　which　with　greatest　love　he
did　respect；　were　it　Wife；　Friend；　Sonne；　Daughter；　or　any　thing
else　whatsoever；　wherewithall　hee　spared　not　to　affirme；　that　as　he
shewed　him　those　choyce　delights；　the　like　view　he　should　have　of
his　heart；　if　with　any　possibility　it　could　be　done；　and　the　very　same
custome　I　meane　now　to　observe　here　in　our　City。　You　have　vouchsafed
to　honour　me　with　your　presence；　at　this　poore　homely　dinner　of
mine；　and　I　will　welcome　you　after　the　Persian　manner；　in　shewing
you　the　jewell；　which　（above　all　things　else　in　the　world）　I　ever　have
most　respectively　esteemed。　But　before　I　doe　it；　I　crave　your
favourable　opinions　in　a　doubt；　which　I　will　plainely　declare　unto
you。
　　If　any　man　having　in　his　house　a　good　and　faithfull　servant；　who
falling　into　extremity　of　sickenesse；　shall　be　throwne　forth　into
the　open　street；　without　any　care　or　pitty　taken　on　him：　A　stranger
chanceth　to　passe　by；　and　（moved　with　compassion　of　his　weakenesse）
carryeth　him　home　to　his　owne　house；　where　using　all　charitable　and
not　sparing　any　cost；　he　recovereth　the　sicke　person　to　his　former
health。　I　now　desire　to　know；　if　keeping　the　said　restored　person；　and
imploying　him　about　his　owne　businesse：　the　first　Master　（by
pretending　his　first　right）　may　lawfully　complaine　of　the　second；
and　yeeld　him　backe　againe　to　the　first　master；　albeit　he　doe　make
challenge　of　him？
　　All　the　Gentlemen；　after　many　opinions　passing　among　them；　agreed
altogether　in　one　sentence；　and　gave　charge　to　Signior　Nicoluccio
Caccianimico；　（because　he　was　an　excellent　and　elegant　speaker）　to
give　answere　for　them　all。　First；　he　commended　the　custome　observed　in
Persia；　saying；　he　jumpt　in　opinion　with　all　the　rest；　that　the
first　Master　had　no　right　at　all　to　the　servant；　having　not　onely
（in　such　necessity）　forsaken　him；　but　also　cast　him　forth　into　the
comfortlesse　street。　But　for　the　benefits　and　mercy　extended　to　him；
it　was　more　then　manifest；　that　the　recovered　person；　was　become
justly　servant　to　the　second　Master；　and　in　detayning　him　from　the
first；　hee　did　not　offer　him　any　injury　at　all。　The　whole　Company
sitting　at　the　Table　（being　all　very　wise　and　worthy　men）　gave　their
verdict　likewise　with　the　confession　of　Signior　Nicoluccio
Caccianimico。　Which　answere　did　not　a　little　please　the　Knight；　and　so
much　the　rather；　because　Nicoluccio　had　pronounced　it；　affirming
himselfe　to　be　of　the　same　minde。
　　So；　sitting　in　a　pretended　musing　a　while；　at　length　he　said。　My
honourable　guests；　it　is　now　more　then　high　time；　that　I　should　doe
you　such　honour；　as　you　have　most　justly　deserved；　by　performing　the
promise　made　unto　you。　Then　calling　two　of　his　servants；　he　sent
them　to　Madame　Catharina　（whom　he　had　caused　to　adorne　her　self　in
excellent　manner）　entreating　her；　that　she　would　be　pleased　to　grace
his　guests　with　her　presence。　Catharina；　having　deckt　her　child　in
costly　habiliments；　layed　it　in　her　armes；　and　came　with　the
servants　into　the　dyning　Hall；　and　sate　down　（as　the　Knight　had
appointed）　at　the　upper　end　of　the　Table；　and　then　Signior　Gentile
spake　thus。　Behold；　worthy　Gentlemen；　this　is　the　jewell　which　I
have　most　affected；　and　intend　to　love　none　other　in　the　world；　be　you
my　judges；　whether　I　have　just　occasion　to　doe　so；　or　no？　The
Gentlemen　saluting　her　with　respective　reverence；　said　to　the
Knight；　that　he　had　great　reason　to　affect　her：　And　viewing　her
advisedly；　many　of　them　thought　her　to　be　the　very　same　woman　（as
indeed　she　was）　but　that　they　beleeved　her　to　be　dead。
　　But　above　all　the　rest；　Nicoluccio　Caccianimico　could　never　be
satisfied　with　beholding　her；　and；　enflamed　with　earnest　desire；　to
know　what　she　was；　could　not　refraine　（seeing　the　Knight　was　gone
out　of　the　roome）　but　demaunded　of　her；　whether　she　were　of　Bologna；
or　a　stranger？　when　the　Lady　heard　her　selfe　to　be　thus　questioned；
and　by　her　Husband；　it　seemed　painefull　to　her；　to　containe　from
answering：　Neverthelesse；　to　perfect　the　Knights　intended　purpose；　she
sate　silent。　Others　demaunded　of　her；　whether　the　sweet　Boy　were　hers；
or　no；　and　some　questioned；　if　she　were　Gentiles　Wife；　or　no；　or
else　his　Kinsewoman；　to　all　which　demaunds；　she　returned　not　any
answere。　But　when　the　Knight　came　to　them　againe；　some　of　them　said　to
him。　Sir；　this　woman　is　a　goodly　creature；　but　she　appeareth　to　be
dumbe；　which　were　great　pitty；　if　it　should　be　so。　Gentlemen　（quoth
he）　it　is　no　small　argument　of　her　vertue；　to　sit　still　and　silent
at　this　instant。　Tell　us　then　（said　they）　of　whence；　and　what　she
is。　Therein　（quoth　he）　I　will　quickely　resolve　you；　upon　your
conditionall　promise：　that　none　of　you　do　remove　from　his　place；
whatsoever　shall　be　said　or　done；　untill　I　have　fully　delivered　my
minde。　Every　one　bound　himselfe　by　solemne　promise；　to　perform　what　he
had　appointed；　and　the　Tables　being　voided；　as　also　the　Carpets
laid；　then　the　Knight　（sitting　downe　by　the　Lady）　thus　began。
　　Worthy　Gentlemen；　this　Lady　is　that　true　and　faithfull　servant；
wherof　I　moved　the　question　to　you；　whom　I　tooke　out　of　the　cold
street；　where　her　parents；　kindred　an