Tanto replica l’un, tanto soggiunge350
L’altro, che sono à grave lite insieme.
Vengon da’ motti ad un parlar, che punge;
Ch’ad amenduo l’esser beffato preme.
Chiaman Fiammetta, che non era lunge,
E de la fraude esser scoperta teme;
Per fare in viso l’uno all’altro dire
Quel, che negando ambi parean mentire.
Dimmi (le disse il Re con fiero sguardo)351
E non temer di me, né di costui,
Chi tutta notte fu quel sì gagliardo,
Che ti godé, senza far parte altrui?
Credendo l’un provar l’altro bugiardo
La risposta aspettavano ambedui.
Fiammetta a’ piedi lor si gittò, incerta
Di viver più, vedendosi scoperta.
Domandò lor perdono, che d’amore,352
Ch’à un giovinetto havea portato, spinta,
E da pietà d’un tormentato core,
Che molto havea per lei patito, vinta,
Caduta era la notte in quello errore,
E seguitò, senza dir cosa finta,
Come tra lor con speme si condusse,
Ch’ambi credesser, che’l compagno fusse.
“Gazing on one another, with surprise,
The monarch and Jocundo are confused;
Nor even to have heard a case surmise
Of two, that ever thus had been abused:
Then laughed so, that they sate with winking eyes,
And open mouth, and lungs which breath refused;
And, wearied with the mirth her tale had bred,
Fell backwards, both, exhausted on the bed.
“When they had laughed so loud a laugh, the dew
Stood in their eyes, and each with aching breast
Remained, the pair exclaimed: ‘What shall we do
In order not to be a woman’s jest?
Since we, with all our heed, between us two,
Could not preserve the one by us possest,
A husband, furnished with more eyes than hair,
Perforce must be betrayed with all his care.
“ ‘A thousand, beauteous all, have we found kind,
Nor one of those so many has stood fast.
If tried, all women we by proof should find
Like these; but be the experiment our last.
Then we may deem our own not worse inclined
Than are the wives of others, and as chaste:
And, if like others we our own discern,
I hold it best that we to them return.’
“When they have come to this resolve, they, through
Flammetta, call the youth into their bower;
And with the girl her leman, in the view
Of many, gift, and add a fitting dower.
They mount, and to the east their way pursue,
Accustomed westward hitherto to scower;
To their deserted wives again repair,
Nor of their after-deeds take farther care.”
Here paused mine host; to whom on every side
His audience had with careful heed attended.
Rodomont listened, nor a word replied,
Until the landlord’s story was suspended.
Then—“Fully I believe,” that paynim cried,
“The tale of women’s frauds would ne’er be ended;
Nor could that man in any volume note
The thousandth part, who would their treasons quote.”
Of sounder judgement, ’mid that company,
There was an elder, one more wise and bold;
That undefended so the sex to see,
Was inly wroth, and could no longer hold:
To the relater of that history
He turned; and, “Many things we have been told”
(Exclaimed that ancient) “wherein truth is none,
And of such matters is thy fable one.
“Him I believe not, that told this truth to you,
Though in all else he gospel-truths exprest;
As less by his experience, than untrue
Conceit respecting women prepossest.
The malice which he bears to one or two,
Makes him unjustly hate and blame the rest.
But you shall hear him, if his wrath o’erblow,
Yet greater praise than blame on these bestow.
“And he a larger field for speaking well
Will find, than blaming womankind withal;
And of a hundred worthy fame may tell,
For one whose evil deeds for censure call.
He should exalt the many that excel,
Culled from the multitude, not rail at all,
If otherwise your friend Valerio said,
He was by wrath, and not by reason, led.
Ditemi un poco, è di voi forse alcuno,353
C’habbia servato à la sua moglie fede?
Che nieghi andar, quando gli sia oportuno,
À l’altrui donna, e darle ancor mercede?
Credete in tutto’l mondo trovarne uno?
Chi’l dice, mente; e folle è ben chi’l crede.
Trovatene vo’ alcuna, che vi chiami?
Non parlo de le publiche, ed infami.
Conoscete alcun voi, che non lasciasse354
La moglie sola, ancor che fosse bella,
Per seguire altra donna, se sperasse,
In breve, e facilmente ottener quella?
Che farebbe egli, quando lo pregasse,
Ò desse premio à lui donna, ò donzella?
Credo per compiacere or queste, hor quelle,
Che tutti lasciaremmovi la pelle.
Quelle, che i lor mariti hanno lasciati,355
Le più volte cagione havuta n’hanno.
Del suo di casa li veggon svogliati,
E che fuor, de l’altrui bramosi vanno.
Dovriano amar, volendo esser’ amati,
E tor con la misura ch’à lor danno.
Io farei (se à me stesse il darla, e torre)
Tal legge, c’huom non vi potrebbe opporre.
Saria la legge, ch’ogni donna colta356
In adulterio, fosse messa à morte;
Se provar non potesse, ch’una volta
Havesse adulterato il suo consorte.
Se provar lo potesse, andrebbe asciolta,
Né temeria il marito, né la Corte.
Cristo ha lasciato ne i precetti suoi;
Non far altrui quel, che patir non vuoi.
La incontinenza è quanto mal si puote357
Imputar lor, non già à tutto lo stuolo;
Ma in questo chi ha di noi più brutte note?
Che continente non si trova un solo.
E molto più n’ha d’arrossir le gote;
Quando bestemmia, ladroneccio, dolo,
Usura, ed omicidio, e se v’e peggio,
Raro, se non dagli huomini, far veggio.
So reasoning, that just elder and sincere,
With ready instances, supports his creed;
Showing there many women are who ne’er
Sinned against chastity, in word or deed:
But him with impious visage and severe
The paynim scared, ill pleased the truth to read.
So that, through fear, he further
