the decameron(十日谈)-第65章

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thinking　him　verily　to　be　a　Prophet；　and　kneeling　at　his　feete；
entreated　him　very　earnestly；　that　if　he　were　come　to　deliver　her
Father　Aldobrandino　from　death；　to　doe　it　speedily；　because　the　time
was　very　short。　The　Pilgrime　appearing　to　be　a　man　of　great　holinesse；
saide。　Rise　up　Madame；　refraine　from　weeping；　and　observe
attentively　what　I　shall　say；　yet　with　this　caution；　that　you　never
reveale　it　to　any　person　whatsoever。　This　tribulation　whereinto　you
are　falne；　（as　by　revelation　I　am　faithfully　informed）　is　for　a
grievous　sinne　by　you　heretofore　committed；　whereof　divine　mercy　is
willing　to　purge　you；　and　to　make　a　perfect　amends　by　a　sensible
feeling　of　this　affliction；　as　seeking　your　sound　and　absolute
recovery；　least　you　fall　into　farre　greater　danger　then　before。　Good
man　（quoth　shee）　I　am　burthened　with　many　sinnes；　and　doe　not　know　for
which　any　amends　should　be　made　by　me；　any　one　sooner　then　other：
wherefore　if　you　have　intelligence　thereof；　for　charities　sake　tell　it
me；　and　I　will　doe　so　much　as　lieth　in　me；　to　make　a　full　satisfaction
for　it。　Madame；　answered　the　Pilgrime；　I　know　well　enough　what　it
is；　and　will　demand　it　no　more　of　you；　to　winne　any　further
knowledge　thereof；　then　I　have　already：　but　because　in　revealing　it
your　selfe；　it　may　touch　you　with　the　more　true　compunction　of
soule；　let　us　goe　to　the　point　indeede；　and　tell　mee；　doe　you
remember；　that　at　any　time　you　were　married　to　an　Husband；　or　no？
　　At　the　hearing　of　these　words；　shee　breathed　foorth　a　very
vehement　sigh；　and　was　stricken　with　admiration　at　this　question；
beleeving　that　not　any　one　had　knowledge　thereof。　Howbeit；　since　the
day　of　the　supposed　Theobaldaes　buriall；　such　a　rumour　ran　abroade；　by
meanes　of　some　speeches；　rashly　dispersed　by　a　friend　of
Theobaldoes；　who　（indeede）　knew　it；　whereupon　shee　returned　him　this
answer。　It　appeareth　to　me　（good　man）　that　divine　ordinativation
hath　revealed　unto　you　all　the　secrets　of　men；　and　therefore　I　am
determined；　not　to　conceale　any　of　mine　from　you。　True　it　is；　that
in　my　younger　yeeres；　being　left　a　widdow；　I　entirely　affected　an
unfortunate　young　Gentleman；　who　（in　secret）　was　my　Husband；　and　whose
death　is　imposed　on　my　Father。　The　death　of　him　I　have　the　more
bemoaned；　because　（in　reason）　it　did　neerely　concerne　me；　by　shewing
my　selfe　so　savage　and　rigorous　to　him　before　his　departure：
neverthelesse；　let　me　assure　you　Sir；　that　neither　his　parting　long
absence　from　me；　or　his　untimely　death；　never　had　the　power　to　bereave
my　heart　of　his　remembrance。
　　Madame；　saide　the　Pilgrime；　the　unfortinate　young　Gentleman　that
is　slaine；　did　never　love　you；　but　sure　I　am；　that　Theobaldo　Elisei
loved　you　deerely。　But　tell　me；　what　was　the　occasion　whereby　you
conceived　such　hatred　against　him？　Did　he　at　any　time　offend　you？　No
truly　Sir；　quoth　shee；　but　the　reason　of　my　anger　towards　him；　was
by　the　words　and　threatnings　of　a　religious　Father；　to　whom　once　I
revealed　（under　confession）　how　faithfully　I　affected　him；　and　what
private　familiarity　had　passed　betweene　us。　When　iristantly　he　used
such　dreadfull　threatnings　to　me；　and　which　（even　yet）　doe　afflict
my　soule；　that　I　did　not　abstaine；　and　utterly　refuse　him；　the
Divell　would　fetch　me　quicke　to　Hell；　and　cast　me　into　the　bottome
of　his　quenchlesse　and　everlasting　fire。
　　These　menaces　were　so　prevailing　with　me；　as　I　refused　all　further
conversition　with　Theobaldo；　in　which　regard；　I　would　receive
neither　letters　or　messages　from　him。　Howbeit；　I　am　perswaded；　that　if
he　had　continued　here　still；　and　not　departed　hence　in　such
desperate　manner　as　hee　did；　seeing　him　melt　and　consume　dayly　away；
even　as　Snow　by　power　of　the　Sunne…beames：　my　austere　deliberation　had
beene　long　agoe　quite　altered；　because　not　at　any　time　（since　then）
life　hath　allowed　me　one　merry　day；　neither　did　I；　or　ever　can　love
any　man　like　unto　him。
　　At　these　wordes　the　Pilgrime　sighed；　and　then　proceeded　on　againe
thus。　Surely　Madame；　this　one　onely　sin；　may　justly　torment　you；
because　I　know　for　a　certainty；　that　Theobaldo　never　offered　you　any
in　many；　the　day　hee　first　became　enamoured　of　you；　and　what　grace
or　favour　you　affoorded　him；　was　your　owne　voluntary　gift；　and　（as
he　tooke　it）　no　more　then　in　modesty　might　well　become　you；　for　hee
loving　you　first；　you　had　beene　most　cruell　and　unkinde；　if　you　should
not　have　requited　him　with　the　like　affection。　If　then　he　continued　so
just　and　loyall　to　you；　as　（of　mine　owne　knowledge）　I　am　able　to　say
he　did；　what　should　move　you　to　repulse　him　so　rudely？　Such　matters
ought　well　to　bee　considered　on　before　hand；　for　if　you　did　imagine；
that　you　should　repent　it　as　an　action　ill　done；　yet　you　could　not　doe
it；　because　as　hee　became　yours；　so　were　you　likewise　onely　his；　and
he　being　yours；　you　might　dispose　of　him　at　your　pleasure；　as　being
truely　obliged　to　none　but　you。　How　could　you　then　with…draw　your
selfe　from　him；　being　onely　his；　and　not　commit　most　manifest　theft；　a
farre　unfitting　thing　for　you　to　doe；　except　you　had　gone　with　his
consent。
　　Now　Madame；　let　me　further　give　you　to　understand；　that　I　am　a
religious　person；　and　a　pilgrime；　and　therefore　am　well　acquainted
with　all　the　courses　of　their　dealing；　if　therefore　I　speake
somewhat　more　amply　of　them；　and　for　your　good；　it　can　not　be　so
unseeming　for　mee　to　doe　it；　as　it　would　appeare　ugly　in　another。　In
which　respect；　I　will　speake　the　more　freely　to　you；　to　the　ende；　that
you　may　take　better　knowledge　of　them；　then　（as　it　seemeth）　hitherto
you　have　done。　In　former　passed　times　such　as　professed　Religion；　were
learned　and　most　holy　persons；　but　our　religious　professours　now
adayes；　and　such　as　covet　to　bee　so　esteemed；　have　no　matter　at　all　of
Religion　in　them；　but　onely　the　outward　shew　and　habite。　Which　yet
is　no　true　badge　of　Religion　neither；　because　it　was　ordained　by
religious　institutions；　that　their　garments　should　bee　made　of
arrow；　plaine；　and　coursest　spun　cloth；　to　make　a　publike
manifestation　to　the　world；　that　（in　meere　devotion；　and　religious
disposition）　by　wrapping　their　bodies　in　such　base　clothing；　they
condemned　and　despised　all　temporall　occasions。　But　now　adaies　they
make　them　large；　deepe；　glistering；　and　of　the　finest　cloth　or　stuffes
to　bee　gotten；　reducing　those　habites　to　so　proude　and　pontificall　a
forme；　that　they　walke　Peacock…like；　rustling；　and　strouting　with　them
in　the　Churches；　yea；　and　in　open　publike　places；　as　if　they　were
ordinary　secular　persons；　to　have　their　pride　more　notoriously
observed。　And　as　the　Angler　bestoweth　his　best　cunning；　with　one
line　and　baite　to　catch　many　fishes　at　one　strike；　even　so　do　these
counterfeited　habit…mongers；　by　their　dissembling　and　crafty
dealing；　beguile　many　credulous　widdowes：　simple　women；　yea；　and　men
of　weake　capacity；　to　credit　whatsoever　they　doe　or　say；　and　herein
they　doe　most　of　all　exercise　themselves。
　　And　to　the　end；　that　my　speeches　may　not　savor　of　any　untruth
against　them；　these　men　which　I　speake　of；　have　not　any　habite　at
all　of　religious　men；　but　onely　the　colour　of　their　garments；　and
whereas　they　in　times　past；　desired　nothing　more　then　the　salvation　of
mens　soules；　these　fresher　witted　fellowes；　covet　after　women　and
wealth；　and　employ　all　their　paines　by　their　whispering　confessions；
and　figures　of　painted　fearefull　examples；　to　affright　and　terrifie
unsetled　and　weake　consciences；　by　horrible　and　blasphemous
speeches；　yet　adding　perswasion　withall；　that　their　sinnes　may　be
purged　by　Almes…deedes　and　Masses。　To　the　end；　that　such　as　credit
them　in　these　their　dayly　courses；　being　guided　more　by　apparance　of
devotion；　then　any　true　compunction　of　heart；　to　escape　severe
penances　by　them　enjoyned：　may　some　of　them　bring　bread；　others
wine；　others　coyne；　all　of　them　matter　of　commoditie　and　benefit；
and　simply　say；　these　gifts　are　for　the　soules　of　their　good　friends
deceased。
　　I　make　not　any　doubt；　but　almes…deedes　and　prayers；　are　very　mighty；
and　prevailing　meanes；　to　appease　heavens　anger　for　some　sinnes
committed；　but　if　such　as　bestow　them；　did　either　see　or　know；　to　whom
they　give　them：　they　would　more　warily　keepe　them；　or　els