the decameron(十日谈)-第86章

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love　I　beare　to　you　both；　being　as　willing　to　worke　any　meanes　that
may　tend　to　your　good；　as　I　desire　to　compasse　And　because　the　truth
of　mine　affection　cannot　conceale　it　selfe　to　you；　I　meane　to　acquaint
you　with　an　intention；　wherewith　my　braine　hath　a　long　While　travelled
and　now　may　soone　be　delivered　of；　if　it　may　passe　with　your　liking
and　approbation。　Let　me　then　tell　you；　that　except　your　speeches
savour　of　untruth；　and　your　actions　carry　a　double　understaning；　in
common　behaviour　both　by　night　and　day；　you　appeare　to　and　consume
away；　in　the　cordiall　love　you　beare　to　two　of　the　Sisters；　as　I
suffer　the　same　afflictions　for　the　third；　with　reciprocall。　requitall
of　their　deerest　affection　to　us。　Now；　to　qualifie　the　heate　of　our
tormenting　flames；　if　you　will　condescend　to　such　a　course　as　I
shall　advise　you；　the　remedy　will　yeild　them　equall　ease　to　ours；
and　we　may　safely　injoy　the　benefit　of　contentment。　As　wealth
aboundeth　with　you　both；　so　doth　want　most　extremely　tyrannize　over
me：　but　if　one　banke　might　be　made　of　both　your　rich　substances；　I
embraced　therein　as　a　third　partaker；　and　some　quarter　of　the　world
dissigned　out　by　us；　where　to　live　at　hearts　ease　upon　your
possessions；　I　durst　engage　my　credit；　that　all　the　sisters　（not
meanely　stored　with　their　Fathers　treasure）　shall　beare　us　company
to　what　place　soever　we　please。　There　each　man　freely　enjoying　his
owne　deerest　love；　may　live　like　three　brethren；　without　any
hinderance　to　our　mutuall　content：　it　remaineth　now　in　you
Gentlemen；　to　accept　this　comfortable　offer；　or　to　refuse　it。
　　The　two　Brothers；　whose　pass　exceeded　their　best　means　for
support；　perceiving　some　hope　how　to　enjoy　their　loves；　desired　no
long　time　of　deliberation；　or　greatly　disputed　with　their　thoughts
what　was　best　to　be　done：　but　readily　replyed；　that　let　happen　any
danger　whatsoever；　they　would　joyne　with　him　in　this　determination；
and　he　should　partake　with　them　in　their　wealthiest　fortunes。　After
Restagnone　had　heard　their　answer；　within　some　few　dayes　following；　he
went　to　confer　with　Ninetta；　which　was　no　easie　matter　for　him　to
compasse。　Neverthelesse；　opportunity　proved　so　favourable　to　him；　that
meeting　with　her　at　a　private　place　appointed；　he　discoursed　at　large；
what　had　passed　betweene　him　and　the　other　two　young　Gentlemen；
maintaining　the　same　with　many　good　reasons；　to　have　her　like　and
allow　of　the　enterprize。　Which　although　（for　a　while）　he　could　very
hardly　doe；　yet；　in　regard　shee　had　more　desire　then　power；　without
suspition　to　be　daily　in　his　company；　she　thus　answered。　My　hearts
chosen　friend；　I　cannot　any　way　mislike　your　advice；　and　will　take
such　order　with　my　Sisters；　that　they　shal　agree　to　our　resolution。
Let　it　therefore　be　your　charge；　that　you　and　the　rest　make　every
thing　ready；　to　depart　from　hence　so　soone；　as　with　best　convenient
meanes　we　may　be　enabled。
　　Restagnone　being　returned　to　Folco　and　Hugnetto；　who　thought
everie　houre　a　yeare；　to　heare　what　would　succeede　upon　the　promise
past　between　them；　he　told　them　in　plain　termes；　that　their　Ladies
were　as　free　in　consent　as　they；　and　nothing　wanted　now；　but
furnishment　for　their　sodaine　departing。　Having　concluded；　that　Candye
should　bee　their　harbour　for　entertainment；　they　made　sale　of　some　few
inheritances　which　lay　the　readiest　for　the　purpose；　as　also　the　goods
in　their　Houses；　and　then；　under　colour　of　venting　Merchandizes
abroad；　they　bought　a　nimble　Pinnace；　fortified　with　good　strength　and
preparation；　and　wayted　but　for　a　convenient　winde。　On　the　other　side；
Ninetta　who　was　sufficiently　acquainted　with　the　forwardnesse　of　her
Sisters　desires；　and　her　owne；　had　so　substantially　prevailed　with
them；　that　a　good　Voyage　now　was　the　sole　expectation。　Whereupon；
the　same　night　when　they　should　set　away；　they　opened　a　stronk
barred　Chest　of　their　Fathers；　whence　they　tooke　great　store　of　Gold
and　costly　jewels；　wherewith　escaping　secretly　out　of　the　house；
they　came　to　the　place　where　their　Lovers　attended　for　them；　and　going
all　aboord　the　Pinnace；　the　windes　were　so　furtherous　to　them；　that
without　touching　any　where；　the　night　following；　they　arrived　at
Geneway。
　There　being　out　of　perill　or　pursuit；　they　all　knit　the　knot　of
holy　wedlocke；　and　then　freely　enjoyed　their　long　wished　desires；　from
whence　setting　saile　againe；　and　being　well　furnished　with　all
things　wanting　passing　on　from　Port　to　Port；　at　the　end　of　eight
dayes；　they　landed　in　Candie；　not　meeting　with　any　impeachment　on
the　way。　Determining　there　to　spend　their　daies；　first　they　provided
themselves　of　goodly　land　in　the　Countrey；　and　then　of　beautifull
dwelling　houses　in　the　City；　with　al　due　furnishments　belonging　to
them；　and　Families　well　beseeming　such　worthy　Gentlemen；　and　all
delights　else　for　their　dally　recreations；　inviting　their。　Neighbours；
and　they　them　againe　in　loving　manner；　so　that　no　lovers　could　wish　to
live　in　more　ample　contentment。
　　Passing　on　their　time　in　this　height　of　felicity；　and　not　crossed　by
any　sinister　accidents；　it　came　to　passe　（as　often　wee　may　obserye
in　the　like　occasions；　that　although　delights　doe　most　especially
please　us；　yet　they　breede　surfet；　when　they　swell　too　over…great　in
abundance）　that　Restagnone；　who　most　deerely　affected　his　faire
Ninetta；　and　had　her　now　in　his　free　possession；　without　any　perill　of
loosing　her：　grew　now　also　to　bee　weary　of　her；　and　consequently；　to
faile　in　those　familiar　performances；　which　formerly　had　passed
betweene　them。　For；　being　one　day　invited　to　a　Banket；　hee　saw　there　a
beautifull　Gentlewoman　of　that　Countrey；　whose　perfections　pleasing
him　beyond　all　comparison：　he　laboured　（by　painfull　pursuite）　to　win
his　purpose；　and　meeting　with　her　in　divers　private　places；　grew
prodigall　in　his　expences　upon　her。　This　could　not　be　so　closely
carried；　but　being　seene　and　observed　by　Ninetta；　she　became　possessed
with　such　extreame　jealousie；　that　hee　could　not　doe　any　thing
whatsoever；　but　immediately　she　had　knowledge　of　it：　which　fire；
growing　to　a　flame　in　her；　her　patience　became　extreamely　provoked；
urging　rough　and　rude　speeches　from　her　to　him；　and　daily　tormenting
him　beyond　power　of　sufferance。
　　As　the　enjoying　of　any　thing　in　too　much　plenty；　makes　it　appeare
irkesome　and　loathing　to　us；　and　the　deniall　of　our　desires；　do　more
and　more　whet　on　the　appetite：　even　so　did　the　angry　spleen　of　Ninetta
proceed　on　in　violence；　against　this　new　commenced　love　of　Restagnone。
For；　in　succession　of　time；　whether　he　enjoyed　the　embracements　of　his
new　Mistresse；　or　no：　yet　Ninetta　（by　sinister　reports；　but　much
more　through　her　owne　jealous　imaginations）　held　it　for　infallible；
and　to　bee　most　certaine。　Heereupon；　she　fell　into　an　extreame
melancholly；　which　melancholly　begat　implacable　fury；　and
（consequently）　such　contemptible　disdaine；　as　converted　her　formerly
kindely　love　to　Restagnone；　into　Most　cruell　and　bloudie　hatred；
yea；　and　so　strangely　was　reason　or　respect　confounded　in　her；　as　no
revenge　else　but　speed　death；　might　satisfie　the　wrongs　shee
imagined　to　receive　by　Restagnone　and　his　Minion。
　　Upon　enquiry；　by　what　meanes　shee　might　best　compasse　her　bloody
intention；　she　grew　acquainted　with　a　Grecian　woman；　and　wonderfully
expert　in　the　compounding　of　poysons；　whom　shee　so　perswaded　by
gifts　and　bounteous　promises；　that　at　the　length　shee　prevayled　with
her。　A　deadly　water　was　distilled　by　her；　which　（without　any　other
counsell　to　the　contrary）　on　a　day　when　Restagnone　had　his　blood
somewhat　over…heated；　and　little　dreamed　on　any　such　Treason　conspired
against　him　by　his　Wife；　shee　caused　him　to　drinke　a　great　draught
thereof；　under　pretence；　that　it　was　a　most　soveraigne　and　cordiall
water；　but　such　was　the　powerfull　operation　thereof；　that　the　very
next　morning；　Restagnone　was　found　to　bee　dead　in　his　bed。　When　his
death　was　understoode　by　Folco；　Hugnetto；　and　their　Wives；　and　not
knowing　how　hee　came　to　bee　thus　empoysoned　（because　their　Sister
seemed　to　bemoane　his　sodaine　death；　with　as　apparant　shewes　of
mourning；　as　they　could　possibly　expresse）　they　buried　him　very
honourably；　and　so　all　suspition　ceased。
　　But