The Decameron

text, Nathan’s estate being described as adjoining a highway leading from the Ponant (or Western shores of the Mediterranean) to the Levant (or Eastern shores), e.g. the road from Cattaro on the Adriatic to Salonica on the Aegean. Cathay (China) seems, from the circumstances of the case, out of the question, as is also the Italian town called Cattaio, near Padua. ↩

I.e. to show the most extravagant hospitality. ↩

Or as we should say, “After much beating about the bush.” ↩

I.e. jealousies. ↩

I.e. all sections of the given theme. ↩

Lit. accident (accidente). ↩

I.e. with news of her life. ↩

Dubbio, i.e. a doubtful case or question. ↩

I.e. who would have recognized her as Madam Catalina. ↩

Compassione, i.e. emotion. ↩

Lit. I leave you free of Niccoluccio (libera vi lascio di Niccoluccio). ↩

I.e. Ansaldo, Dianora and the nigromancer. ↩

I.e. the money promised him by way of recompense. ↩

I.e., nicety, minuteness (strettezza). ↩

A town on the Bay of Naples, near the ruins of Pompeii. ↩

Per amore amiate (Fr. aimiez par amour). ↩

In si forte punto, or, in modern parlance, at so critical or ill-starred a moment. ↩

Sollevata, Syn. solaced, relieved or (3) agitated, troubled. ↩

Sic, Publio Quinzio Fulvo; but quaere should it not rather be Publio Quinto Fulvio, i.e. Publius Quintus Fulvius, a form of the name which seems more in accordance with the genius of the Latin language? ↩

Or “his” (a sè). ↩

Or “thine” (a te). ↩

Lit. “hope” (sperare). See note 12 in the Day 1 Introduction. ↩

I.e. I would have her in common with thee. ↩

Or “arguments” (consigli). ↩

I.e. of your counsel. ↩

I.e. my riches are not the result of covetous amassing, but of the favours of fortune. ↩

Sic (tiepidezza); but semble “timidity” or “distrustfulness” is meant. ↩

I.e. perils. ↩

I.e. to cross the Alps into France. ↩

Adagiarono; see note 436 in the sixth story of Day 9. ↩

I.e. to place themselves according to their several ranks, which were unknown to Torello. ↩

Sic (la vostra credenza raffermeremo); but the meaning is, “whereby we may amend your unbelief and give you cause to credit our assertion that we are merchants.” ↩

I.e. should any rumour get wind of death. ↩

Sic (all’ altro esercito). The meaning of this does not appear, as no mention has yet been made of two Christian armies. Perhaps we should translate “the rest of the army,” i.e. such part of the remnant of the Christian host as fled to Acre and shut themselves up there after the disastrous day of Hittin (23 June, 1187). Acre fell on the 29th July, 1187. ↩

It may be well to remind the European reader that the turban consists of two parts, i.e. a skullcap and a linen cloth, which is wound round it in various folds and shapes, to form the well-known Eastern headdress. ↩

I.e. he who was to have married Madam Adalieta. ↩

See here in the first story of Day 7. ↩

Or “strange” (nuovo); see ante, passim. ↩

I.e. his vassals. ↩

I.e. the husband of his kinswoman aforesaid. ↩

I.e. unwetted with tears. ↩

I.e. of overmuch licence. ↩

Two noted wine-bidders of the time. ↩

Lit. living folk (viventi). ↩

Quaere⁠—natal?⁠—perhaps meaning her birthday (lo giorno della festa). ↩

Or “purchased” in the old sense of obtained, acquired (accattai). ↩

Glossary

Alegresse

Joy.

Algates

In any case.

Amain

Exceedingly, to the utmost degree.

Assainment

Salvation.

Assoiled

Absolved, set free of.

Astonied

Astonished.

Canzonet

Short song.

Certes

Certainly.

Clip

Embrace.

Cozen

Deceive.

Eath

Easy.

Ecod

Egad.

Fashous

Troublesome.

Guerdon

Reward.

Incontinent

Forthwith, immediately.

Liefer

Rather.

Miniver

White or light gray fur.

Nigromancer

Necromancer.

Occult

Mysterious.

Othergates

Of a different kind.

Ouches

Mounted gems.

Peradventure

Perhaps, perchance.

Puissance

Power.

Reck

Care.

Shamefast

Modest, bashful.

Somedele

A little, some.

Sovantry

Sovereignty.

Stale

Urinate.

Thereanent

Concerning that, thereabout.

Unrecking

Uncaring.

Uneath

Adj. Difficult, hard.

Adv. Scarcely, reluctantly.

Visnomy

Physiognomy.

Worship

Honor.

Ywis

Certainly.

Colophon

The Decameron
was written from 1348⁠–⁠1353 by
Giovanni Boccaccio.
It was translated from Italian in 1886 by
John Payne.

This ebook was produced for
Standard Ebooks
by
Vince Rice,
and is based on a transcription produced in 2007 by
Ted Garvin, Linda Cantoni, and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team
for
Project Gutenberg
and on digital scans available at the
Internet Archive (Volume 1,