This etext was produced by Donna Holsten.
The Decameron
of
Giovanni Boccaccio
Faithfully Translated
By J.M. Rigg
with illustrations by Louis Chalon
NOVEL I. - Ser Ciappelletto cheats a holy friar by a false confession, anddies; and, having lived as a very bad man, is, on his death, reputed asaint, and called San Ciappelletto.
NOVEL II. - Abraham, a Jew, at the instance of Jehannot de Chevigny, goes tothe court of Rome, and having marked the evil life of clergy, returns toParis, and becomes a Christian.
NOVEL III. - Melchisedech, a Jew, by a story of three rings averts a dangerwith which he was menaced by Saladin.
NOVEL IV. - A monk lapses into a sin meriting the most severe punishment,justly censures the same fault in his abbot, and thus evades the penalty.
NOVEL V. - The Marchioness of Monferrato by a banquet of hens seasoned withwit checks the mad passion of the King of France.
NOVEL VI. - A worthy man by an apt saying puts to shame the wicked hypocrisyof the religious.
NOVEL VII. - Bergamino, with a story of Primasso and the Abbot of Cluny,finely censures a sudden access of avarice in Messer Cane della Scala.
NOVEL VIII. - Guglielmo Borsiere by a neat retort sharply censures avaricein Messer Ermino de' Grimaldi.
NOVEL IX. - The censure of a Gascon lady converts the King of Cyprus from achurlish to an honourable temper.
NOVEL X. - Master Alberto da Bologna honourably puts to shame a lady whosought occasion to put him to shame in that he was in love with her.
NOVEL I. - Martellino pretends to be a paralytic, and makes it appear as ifhe were cured by being placed upon the body of St. Arrigo. His trick isdetected; he is beaten and arrested, and is in peril of hanging, but finallyescapes.
NOVEL II. - Rinaldo d'Asti is robbed, arrives at Castel Guglielmo, and isentertained by a widow lady; his property is restored to him, and he returnshome safe and sound.
NOVEL III. - Three young men squander their substance and are reduced topoverty. Their nephew, returning home a desperate man, falls in with anabbot, in whom he discovers the daughter of the King of England. She marrieshim, and he retrieves the losses and re-establishes the fortune of hisuncles.
NOVEL IV. - Landolfo Ruffolo is reduced to poverty, turns corsair, iscaptured by Genoese, is shipwrecked, escapes on a chest full of jewels, and,being cast ashore at Corfu, is hospitably entertained by a woman, andreturns home wealthy.
NOVEL V. - Andreuccio da Perugia comes to Naples to buy horses, meets withthree serious adventures in one night, comes safe out of them all, andreturns home with a ruby.
NOVEL VI. - Madam Beritola loses two sons, is found with two kids on anisland, goes thence to Lunigiana, where one of her sons takes service withher master, and lies with his daughter, for which he is put in prison.Sicily rebels against King Charles, the son is recognized by the mother,marries the master's daughter, and, his brother being discovered, isreinstated in great honour.
NOVEL VII. - The Soldan of Babylon sends one of his daughters overseas,designing to marry her to the King of Algarve. By divers adventures shecomes in the space