the decameron(十日谈)-第78章

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neither　would　he　suffer　her　to　marry；　although　she　had　outstept　（by
divers　yeeres）　the　age　meete　for　marriage。
　　Neverthelesse；　at　length；　he　matched　her　with　the　Sonne　to　the
Duke　of　Capua；　who　lived　no　long　while　with　her；　but　left　her　in　a
widdowed　estate；　and　then　she　returned　home　to　her　father　againe。
　　This　Lady；　had　all　the　most　absolute　perfections；　both　of　favour　and
feature；　as　could　be　wished　in　any　woman；　young；　queintly　disposed；
and　of　admirable　understanding；　more　（perhappes）　then　was　requisite　in
so　weake　a　body。　Continuing　thus　in　Court　with　the　King　her　Father；
who　loved　her　beyond　all　his　future　hopes；　like　a　Lady　of　great　and
glorious　magnificence；　she　lived　in　all　delights　and　pleasure。　She
well　perceiving；　that　her　Father　thus　exceeding　in　his　affection　to
her；　had　no　minde　at　all　of　re…marrying　her；　and　holding　it　most
immodest　in　her；　to　solicite　him　with　any　such　suite：　concluded　in　her
mindes　private　consultations；　to　make　choise　of　some　one　especiall
friend　or　favourite　（if　Fortune　would　prove　so　furtherous　to　her）　whom
she　might　acquaint　secretly；　with　her　sober；　honest；　and　familiar
purposes。　Her　Fathers　Court　being　much　frequented；　with　plentifull
accesse　of　brave　Gentlemen；　and　others　of　inferiour　quality；　as
commonly　the　Courts　of
Kings　and　Princes　are；　whose　carriage　and　demeanor　she　very
heedfully　observed。　There　was　a　young　Gentleman　among　all　the　rest；
a　servant　to　her　Father；　and　named　Cuiscardo；　a　man　not　derived　from
any　great　descent　by　blood；　yet　much　more　Noble　by　vertue　and
commandable　behaviour；　then　appeared　in　any　of　the　other；　none　pleased
her　opinion；　like　as　he　did；　so　that　by　often　noting　his　parts　and
perfections；　her　affections　being　but　a　glowing　sparke　at　first；
grew　like　a　Bavin　to　take　Rame；　yet　kept　so　closely　as　possibly　she
could；　as　Ladies　are　warie　enough　in　their　love。
　　The　young　Gentleman；　though　poore；　being　neither　blocke　nor　dullard；
perceived　what　he　made　no　outward　shew　of；　and　understood　himselfe
so　sufficiently；　that　holding　it　no　meane　happinesse　to　be　affected　by
her；　he　thought　it　very　base　and　cowardly　in　him；　if　he　should　not
expresse　the　like　to　her　againe。　So　loving　mutually　（yet　secretly）
in　this　maner；　and　she　coveting　nothing　more；　then　to　have　private
conference　with　him；　yet　not　daring　to　trust　any　one　with　so　important
a　matter；　at　length　she　devised　a　new　cunning　stratageme；　to
compasse　her　longing　desire；　and　acquaint　him　with　her　private
purpose；　which　proved　to　be　in　this　manner。　She　wrote　a　Letter；
concerning　what　was　the　next　day　to　be　done；　for　their　secret
meeting　together；　and　conveying　it　within　the　joynt　of　an　hollow　Cane；
in　jesting　manner　threw　it　to　Guiscardo；　saying；　Let　your　man　make　use
of　this；　insteed　of　a　paire　of　bellowes；　when　he　meaneth　to　make
fire　in　your　Chamber。　Guiscardo　taking　up　the　Cane；　and　considering
with　himselfe；　that　neither　was　it　given；　or　the　wordes　thus　spoken；
but　doubtlesse　on　some　important　occasion：　went　unto　his　lodging
with　the　Cane；　where　viewing　it　respectively；　he　found　it　to　be　cleft；
and　opening　it　with　his　knife；　found　there　the　written　Letter
enclosed。
　　After　he　had　reade　it；　and　well　considered　on　the　service　therein
concerned；　he　was　the　most　joyfull　man　of　the　world；　and　began　to
contrive　his　aptest　meanes；　for　meeting　with　his　gracious　Mistresse；
and　according　as　she　had　given　him　direction。　In　a　corner　of　the　Kings
Palace；　it　being　seated　on　a　rising　hill；　a　cave　had　long　beene　made
in　the　body　of　the　same　hill；　which　received　no　light　into　it；　but
by　a　small　spiracle　or　vent…loope；　made　out　ingeniously　on　the　hils
side。　And　because　it　had　not　beene　a　long　time　frequented；　by　the
accesse　of　any　body；　that　vent…light　was　over…growne　with　briars　and
bushes；　which　almost　engirt　it　round　about。　No　one　could　descend
into　this　cave　or　vault；　but　only　by　a　secret　paire　of　staires；
answering　to　a　lower　Chamber　of　the　Palace；　and　very　neere　to　the
Princesse　lodging；　as　being　altogether　at　her　command；　by　meanes　of
a　strong　barred　and　defensible　doore；　whereby　to　mount　or　descend　at
her　pleasure。　And　both　the　cave　it　selfe；　as　also　the　degrees
conducting　downe　into　it；　were　now　so　quite　worne　out　of　memory　（in
regard　it　had　not　beene　visited　by　any　one　in　long　time　before）　as
no　man　remembred　that　there　was　any　such　thing。
　　But　Love；　from　whose　bright　discerning　eies；　nothing　can　be　so
closely　concealed；　but　at　the　length　it　commeth　to　light；　had　made
this　amorous　Lady　mindefull　thereof；　and　because　she　would　not　be
discovered　in　her　intention；　many　dayes　together；　her　soule　became
perplexed；　by　what　meanes　that　strong　doore　might　best　be　opened；
before　she　could　compasse　to　performe　it。　But　after　that　she　had　found
out　the　way；　and　gone　downe　her　selfe　alone　into　the　cave；　observing
the　loope…light　and　had　made　it　commodious　for　her　purpose；　she　gave
knowledge　thereof　to　Guiscardo；　to　have　him　devise　an　apt　course　for
his　descent；　acquainting　him　truly　with　the　height；　and　how　farre　it
was　distant　from　the　ground　within。　After　he　had　found　the
souspirall　in　the　hils　side；　and　given　it　a　larger　entrance　for　his
safer　passage；　he　provided　a　Ladder　of　cords；　with　steppes
sufficient　for　his　descending　and　ascending；　as　also　a　wearing　sute
made　of　leather；　to　keepe　his　skinne　unscrached　of　the　thornes；　and　to
avoyde　all　suspition　of　his　resorting　thither。　In　this　manner　went
he　to　the　saide　loope…hole　the　night　following；　and　having　fastened
the　one　end　of　his　corded　ladder；　to　the　strong　stumpe　of　a　tree　being
by　it；　by　meanes　of　the　saide　ladder；　descended　downe　into　the　cave；
and　there　attended　the　comming　of　his　Lady。
　　She；　on　the　morrow　morning；　pretending　to　her　waiting　woman；　that
she　was　scarsly　well；　and　therefore　would　not　be　diseased　the　most
part　of　that　day；　commanded　them　to　leave　her　alone　in　her　Chamber；
and　not　to　returne　untill　she　called　for　them；　locking　the　doore　her
selfe　for　better　security。　Then　opened　she　the　doore　of　the　cave；
and　going　downe　the　staires；　found　there　her　amorous　friend　Guiscardo；
whom　she　saluting　with　a　chaste　and　modest　kisse；　causing　him　to
ascend　up　the　stayres　with　her　into　her　Chamber。　This　long　desired；
and　now　obtained　meeting；　caused　the　two　deerely　affected　Lovers；　in
kinde　discourse　of　amorous　argument　（without　incivill　or　rude
demeanor）　to　spend　there　the　most　part　of　that　day；　to　their　hearts
joy　and　mutuall　contentment。　And　having　concluded　on　their　often
meeting　there；　in　this　cunning　and　concealed　sort；　Guiscardo　went
downe　into　the　cave　againe；　the　Princesse　making　the　doore　fast
after　him；　and　then　went　forth　among　her　Women。　So　in　the　night
season；　Guiscardo　ascended　up　againe　by　his　Ladder　of　cords；　and
covering　the　loopehole　with　brambles　and　bushes；　returned　（unseene
of　any）　to　his　owne　lodging：　the　cave　being　afterward　guilty　of
their　often　meeting　there　in　this　manner。
　　But　Fortune；　who　hath　alwayes　bin　a　fatall　enemy　to　lovers　stolne
felicities；　became　envious　of　their　thus　secret　meeting；　and　overthrew
（in　an　instant）　all　their　poore　happinesse；　by　an　accident　most
spightfull　and　malicious。　The　King　had　used　divers　dayes　before；　after
dinner　time；　to　resort　all　alone　to　his　daughters　Chamber；　there
conversing　with　her　in　most　loving　manner。　One　unhappy　day　amongst　the
rest；　when　the　Princesse；　being　named　Ghismonda；　was　sporting　in　her
private　Garden　among　her　Ladies；　the　King　（at　his　wonted　time）　went　to
his　daughters　Chamber；　being　neither　heard　or　seene　by　any。　Nor
would　he　have　his　daughter　called　from　her　pleasure；　but　finding　the
windowes　fast　shut；　and　the　Curtaines　close　drawne　about　the　bed；　he
sate　downe　in　a　chaire　behind　it；　and　leaning　his　head　upon　the　bed；
his　body　being　covered　with　the　curtaine；　as　if　he　hid　himselfe
purposely；　he　mused　on　so　many　matters；　at　last　he　fell　fast　asleepe。
　　It　hath　bin　observed　as　an　ancient　Adage；　that　when　disasters　are
ordained　to　any　one；　commonly　they　prove　to　be　inevitable；　as　poore
Ghismonda　could　witnesse　too　well。　For　while　the　King　thus　slept；
she　having　（unluckily）　appointed　another　meeting　with　Guiscardo；
left　hir　Gentlewomen　in　the　Garden；　and　stealing　s