the decameron(十日谈)-第27章

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Caracalla。　This　Henriet　held　the　government　of　the　Kingdome　of　Sicily；
and　understanding　that　King　Charles　the　first；　had　wonne　the　battle　at
Beneventum；　and　slaine　King　Manfred；　the　whole　Kingdome　revolting　also
to　his　devotion；　and　little　trust　to　be　reposed　in　the　Sicillians；
or　he　willing　to　subject　himselfe　to　his　Lordes　enemie；　provided　for
his　secret　flight　from　thence。　But　this　being　discovered　to　the
Sicillians；　he　and　many　more；　who　had　beene　loyall　servants　to　King
Manfred；　were　suddenly　taken　and　imprisoned　by　King　Charles；　and　the
sole　possession　of　the　Iland　confirmed　to　him。
　　Madam　Beritola　not　knowing　（in　so　sudden　and　strange　an　alteration
of　State　affaires）　what　was　become　of　her　Husband；　fearing　also
greatly　before；　those　inconveniences　which　afterward　followed；　being
overcome　with　many　passionate　considerations；　having　left　and　forsaken
all　her　goods；　going　aboord　a　small　Barke　with　a　Sonne　of　hers；　aged
about　some　eight　yeeres；　named　Geoffrey；　and　growne　great　with　child
with　another；　she　fled　thence　to　Lapary；　where　she　was　brought　to
bed　of　another　Sonne；　whom　she　named　（answerable　both　to　his　and　her
hard　fortune；）　The　poore　expelled。
　　Having　provided　her　selfe　of　a　Nurse；　they　altogether　went　aboard
againe；　setting　sayle　for　Naples　to　visit　her　Parents；　but　it
chanced　quite　contrary　to　her　expectation；　because　by　stormie　windes
and　weather；　the　vessell　being　bound　for　Naples；　was　hurried　to　the
Ile　of　Ponzo；　where　entring　into　a　small　Port　of　the　Sea；　they
concluded　to　make　their　aboade；　till　a　time　more　furtherous　should
favour　their　voyage。
　　As　the　rest；　so　did　Madam　Beritola　goe　on　shore　in　the　Iland；
where　having　found　a　separate　and　solitary　place；　fit　for　her　silent
and　sad　meditations；　secretly　by　her　selfe；　shee　sorrowed　for　the
absence　of　her　husband。　Resorting　daily　to　this　her　sad　exercise；
and　continuing　there　her　complaints；　unseene　by　any　of　the
Marriners；　or　whosoever　else：　there　arrived　suddenly　a　Galley　of
Pyrates；　who　seazing　on　the　small　Barke；　carried　it　and　all　the　rest
in　it　away　with　them。　When　Beritola　had　finished　het　wofull
complaints；　as　daily　shee　was　accustomed　to　doe；　shee　returned　backe
to　her　children　againe；　but　find　no　person　there　remayning；　whereat
she　wondered　not　a　little：　immediately　（suspecting　what　had　happened
indeede）　she　lent　her　lookes　on　the　Sea；　and　saw　the　Galley；　which
as　yet　had　not　gone　farre；　drawing　the　smaller　vessell　after　her。
Hereby　plainly　she　perceyved；　that　now　she　had　lost　her　children；　as
formerly　shee　had　done　her　husband；　being　left　there　poore；
forsaken；　and　miserable；　not　knowing　when；　where；　or　how　to　finde
any　of　them　againe；　and　calling　for　her　Husband　and　Children；　shee
fell　downe　in　a　swound　uppon　the　shore。
　　Now　was　not　any　body　neere；　with　coole　water　or　any　other　remedy
to　helpe　the　recovery　of　her　lost　powers；　wherefore　her　spirits
might　the　more　freely　wander　at　their　owne　pleasure：　but　after　they
were　returned　backe　againe；　and　had　won　their　wonted　offices　in　her
body；　drowned　in　teares；　and　wringing　her　hands；　she　did　nothing　but
call　for　her　children　and　husband；　straying　all　about　in　hope　to　finde
them；　seeking　in　caves；　dens；　and　every　where　else；　that　presented　the
verie　least　glimpse　of　comfort。　But　when　she　saw　all　her　paines　sort
to　no　purpose；　and　darke　night　drawing　swiftly　on；　hope　and　dismay
raising　infinite　perturbations；　made　her　yet　to　be　somewhat　respective
of　her　selfe；　and　therefore　departing　from　the　sea…shore；　she　returned
to　the　solitary　place；　where　she　used　to　sigh　and　mourne　alone　by
her　selfe。
　　The　night　being　over…past　with　infinite　feares　and　afrights；　and
bright　day　saluting　the　world　againe；　with　the　expence　of　nine
houres　and　more；　she　fell　to　her　former　fruitlesse　travailes。　Being
somewhat　sharply　bitten　with　hunger；　because　the　former　day　and
night　shee　had　not　tasted　any　foode：　shee　made　therefore　a　benefit
of　necessity；　and　fed　on　the　greene　hearbes　so　well　as　she　could；
not　without　any　piercing　afflictions；　what　should　become　of　her　in
this　extraordinary　misery。　As　shee　walked　in　these　pensive
meditations；　she　saw　a　Goate　enter　into　a　Cave；　and　（within　a　while
after）　come　forth　againe；　wandring　along　thorow　the　woods。　Whereupon
she　stayed；　and　entred　where　she　saw　the　beast　issue　foorth；　where　she
found　two　young　Kids；　yeaned　（as　it　seemed）　the　selfesame　day；　which
sight　was　very　pleasing　to　her；　and　nothing　in　that　distresse　could
more　content　her。
　　As　yet；　she　had　milke　freshly　running　in　both　her　brests；　by
reason　of　her　so　late　delivery　in　child　bed；　wherefore　shee　lay
downe　unto　the　two　yong　Kids；　and　taking　them　tenderly　in　her　armes；
suffered　each　of　them　to　sucke　a　teate；　whereof　they　made　not　any
refusall；　but　tooke　them　as　lovingly　as　their　dammes；　and　from　that
time　forward；　they　made　no　distinguishing　betweene　their　damme　and
her。　Thus　this　unfortunate　Lady；　having　found　some　company　in　this
solitary　desart；　fed　on　herbes　and　roots；　drinking　faire　running
water；　and　weeping　silently　to　her　selfe；　so　often　as　she　remembred
her　husband；　children；　and　former　dayes　past　in　much　better　manner。
Heere　she　resolved　now　to　live　and　dye；　being　at　last　deprived　both　of
the　damme　and　yonger　Kids　also；　by　theyr　wandering　further　into　the
neere　adjoyning　Woods；　according　to　their　naturall　inclinations；
whereby　the　poore　distressed　Ladie　became　more　savage　and　wilde　in　her
daily　conditions；　then　otherwise　shee　would　have　bene。
　　After　many　monthes　were　over…passed；　at　the　very　same　place　where
she　tooke　landing；　by　chance；　there　arrived　another　small　vessell　of
certaine　Pisans；　which　remained　there　divers　daies。　In　this　Barke
was　a　Gentleman；　named　Conrado　de　Marchesi　Malespini；　with　his　holy
and　vertuous　wife；　who　were　returned　backe　from　a　Pilgrimage；　having
visited　all　the　sanctified　places　that　then　were　in　the　kingdome　of
Apulia；　and　now　were　bound　homeward　to　their　owne　abiding。　This
Gentleman；　for　the　expelling　of　melancholly　perturbations；　one
especiall　day　amongst　other；　with　his　wife；　servants；　and　wainting
hounds；　wandred　up　into　the　Iland　not　far　from　the　place　of　Madam
Beritolaes　desert　dwelling。　The　hounds　questing　after　game；　at　last
happened　on　the　two　Kids　where　they　were　feeding；　and　（by　this　time）
had　attained　to　indifferent　growth；　and　finding　themselves　thus
pursued　by　the　hounds；　fled　to　no　other　part　of　the　wood；　then　to
the　cave　where　Beritola　remained；　and　seeming　as　if　they　sought　to
be　rescued　only　by　her；　she　sodainly　caught　up　a　staffe；　and　forced
the　hounds　thence　to　flight。
　　By　this　time；　Conrado　and　his　wife；　who　had　followed　closely　after
the　hounds；　was　come　thither；　and　seeing　what　had　hapned；　looking　on
the　Lady；　who　was　become　blacke；　swarthy；　meager；　and　hairy；　they
wondered　not　a　little　at　her；　and　she　a　great　deale　more　at　them。　When
（uppon　her　request）　Conrado　had　checkt　backe　his　hounds；　they
prevailed　so　much　by　earnest　intreaties；　to　know　what　she　was；　and　the
reason　of　her　living　there；　that　she　intirely　related　her　quality；
unfortunate　accidents；　and　strange　determination　for　living　there。
Which　when　the　Gentleman　had　heard；　who　very　well　knew　her　husband；
compassion　forced　teares　from　his　eyes；　and　earnestly　he　laboured　by
kinde　perswasions；　to　alter　so　cruell　a　deliberation；　making　an
honourable　offer；　for　conducting　her　home　to　his　owne　dwelling；
where　shee　should　remaine　with　him　in　noble　respect；　as　if　she　were
his　owne　sister；　without　parting　from　him；　till　Fortune　should　smile
as　fairely　on　her；　as　ever　she　had　done　before。
　　When　these　gentle　offers　could　not　prevaile　with　her；　the
Gentleman　left　his　wife　in　her　company；　saying；　that　he　would　go　fetch
some　foode　for　her；　and　because　her　garments　were　all　rent　and
torne；　hee　would　bring　her　other　of　his　wives；　not　doubting　but　to
winne　her　thence　with　them。　His　wife　abode　there　with　Beritola；
verie　much　bemoaning　her　great　disasters：　and　when　both　viands　and
garments　were　brought；　by　extremitie　of　intercession；　they　caused
her　to　put　them　on；　and　also　to　feede　with　them；　albeit　shee
protested；　that　shee　would　not　part　thence　into　any　place；　where　any
knowledge　should　be