NOVEL V.
Guidotto da Cremona dying, left a daughter to the care of Giacomino da Pavia. Giannole di Severino and Minghino di Mingole are both in love with her, and fight on her account, when she is found to be Giannole's sister, and is married to Minghino.
The ladies laughed, as if they would never give over, at the story of the nightingale. As soon as their merriment was a little abated, the queen turned to Filostrato, and said, "If you gave us concern with your subject of yesterday, you have made ample amends by your last story; therefore you shall hear no more from us on that score." She then turned to Neifile, who began in this manner: - As Filostrato lays his scene in Romagna, I intend to have my novel also from that quarter.
In the city of Fano dwelt two Lombards, one named Guidotto da Cremona, and the other Giacomino da Pavia, both advanced in years, and men who had lived as soldiers all their days. Guidotto, being at the point of death, and having no son, nor any friend in whom he put greater confidence than in Giacomino, after settling all his affairs, he left to his care a daughter of about ten years of age, with the management of his whole substance. In the meantime, the city of Faenza, which had long been embroiled in wars and confusion, being now brought into a more flourishing state, and every one that pleased having leave to return; it chanced that Giacomino, who had formerly lived there, and liked the place, went back with all his effects, carrying with him this young lady, whom he loved and treated as his own child, and who, as she grew up, became the most celebrated beauty in the whole city, and as accomplished in all respects as she was fair. Accordingly she began to be admired by divers young gentlemen; but two especially, of equal fortunes, were so much in love, than an utter hatred commenced between them for her sake; one was called Giannole di Severino, and the other Minghino di Mingole. Either of these gentlemen would gladly have married her, she being now fifteen; but, finding themselves rejected by her friends, they resolved to try other means of obtaining her.
Giacomino had in his house an old maid-servant, and a man called Crivello, a facetious, as well as an honest person, with whom Giannole was acquainted, and to whom he made known his love, offering at the same time a great reward, if; by his assistance, he should in any way obtain his desire. Said Crivello, "The only thing I can do for you in this matter is to bring you where she is when my master is gone out to sup some where; for were I to put in a word for you, she would never give me the hearing; if you like this, I dare promise you so far, afterwards you may do what you think most proper." Giannole told him, he desired no more. On the other part Minghino made his court to the maid, who had delivered several messages to the lady in his favour, and given her a good opinion of him: she had also undertaken to introduce him the first evening that Giacomino happened to be abroad. Soon after this it happened that Giacomino was invited out by Crivello's contrivance, who immediately gave notice to Giannole, and arranged with him that he should come, upon a certain signal being given, when he should find the door open. In like manner the maid, being unacquainted with this, informed Minghino of the same thing, adding, that, upon observing a certain token, he should then come into the house.
In the evening the two lovers, knowing nothing of one another's intention, but yet each jealous of his rival, came with some friends armed for their greater security. Minghino waited at a friend's in the neighbourhood to watch for the sign, whilst Giannole, with his people, stood a little distance from the house. Meanwhile, Crivello and the maid were each contriving how to send the other out of the way.
"Why do you not go to bed?'said he, "what are you doing about the house?" "Why do not you go to your master?" she retorted. "You have had your supper. What do you stay for, then?"But neither of them would budge. At last Crivello, knowing the time to be come that he had appointed, said to himself, "What need I care for this woman?
If she will not hold her tongue, I will find a way to make her." Giving the signal, then, he went to open the door, when Giannole, with two of his companions, immediately rushed in, and finding the lady in the hall, they seized, and were going to carry her off: she, however, defended herself as well as she could, crying out loudly, as did also the maid. Minghino, perceiving this, ran thither with his party, and seeing them bear her away, they drew their swords, and called out aloud, "Traitors, ye are all dead men; it shall never be so. What violence is this?"And with these words, they fell pell-mell upon them. The neighbours also were soon up in arms, and blaming such proceedings, took part with Minghino. After a long skirmish, Minghino took the lady away from Giannole, and brought her back to Giacomino's house. Nor was the fray at an end till the city officers came, and seized many of the persons concerned, and amongst the rest Minghino, Giannole, and Crivello, and carried them to prison.
As soon as things were a little quieted, and Giacomino re- turned, he became very uneasy at what had happened, till hearing that his ward was not in fault, he was better satisfied; but resolved, for fear of the like accidents in future, to marry her as soon as possible. In the morning the parents of both the young men having heard the truth of the story, and being sensible of the evil which might ensue to their sons, who were in custody, should Giacomino proceed rigorously against them, they came to him, and entreated him not to regard so much the injury which he had received from the little indiscretion of the young men, as the esteem and friendship which, they hoped, he bore towards themselves, who now requested this favour at his hands; submitting themselves, and the youths also who had committed the offence, to make any satisfaction he should insist upon. Giacomino, who had seen much of the world, and was a person of understanding, answered in few words, - "Gentlemen, were I in my own country, as I am now in yours, I hold myself so much your friend, that I should do this or any thing else to oblige you; but in this respect I am the more ready to do it, as the offence is now committed against yourselves. For this lady is not, as many may think, either of Cremona or Pavia, but of Faenza; although neither myself, nor she, nor yet the person who bequeathed her to me, knew whose daughter she was; everything then shall be done according to your desire."
The honest men hearing that she was of Faenza, began to wonder; and after thanking him for his gracious reply, they desired he would be so kind as to tell them in what manner she came into his hands, and how he knew that she was of Faenza. He replied, "Guidotto da Cremona was my very good friend and companion, and as he lay upon his death-bed, he told me, that when this city was taken by the Emperor Frederick, and given to be pillaged by the soldiers, he and some others went into a house full of rich booty, which was forsaken by the owners, only this girl, who seemed then but two years old, was left behind, and she seeing him go up stairs, called "Papa! "for which reason he took pity on her, and brought her away, with everything that was of value in the house, to Fano. On his death-bed there, he left her in charge to me, desiring, when she should be of age, that I would bestow her in marriage, and give what was her own, by way of fortune. Since she has been grown up, however, I have met with nobody that I thought a fit match for her, otherwise I would willingly dispose of her, lest the like accident should happen again, as befell us last night."
At this time there was present one Gulielmino da Medicini, who was with Guidotto in that expedition, and knew very well whose house it was that he had plundered, and seeing that person in the company, he accosted him, and said, "Bernarbuccio, do you hear what Giacomino has been talking of?" - "Yes," he replied, "and I am now thinking about it; for in that confusion I remember to have lost a daughter about the same age that he speaks of." - "Then," said Gulielmino, "it is certainly the same; for I was there at that time, and heard Guidotto relate how he plundered such a house, when I knew it must be yours: see, therefore, if you can call to mind any mark that she had, whereby you may know her, for she is plainly your daughter." He then remembered that she had a scar like a cross under her left ear, and he desired Giacomino to take him to his house, that he might convince himself by seeing her. Accordingly, he brought him thither very willingly, when the very first sight of her put him in mind of her mother; but not regarding that, he told Giacomino, that he should take it as a favour if he might turn aside the hair from her left ear; which being permitted, he found the same mark, and was convinced that she was his daughter: he then said to Giacomino, "Brother, this is my daughter; it was my house that Guidotto pillaged, when this child was forgotten by her mother, in our great hurry, and we supposed that she was burnt along with the house." The lady hearing this, and seeing him to be a person of gravity, moved also perhaps by a secret instinct, she easily gave credit to it, and both of them burst into tears. Bemarbuccio then sent for her mother, and her other relations, and after relating what had happened, he carried her home, to the great joy of them all, as well as to the satisfaction of Giacomino; whilst the governor of the city, who was a worthy man, knowing that Giannole, whom he had in custody, was son to Bernarbuccio, and the lady's own brother, resolved to overlook the crime he had committed. Conversing then with Bemarbuccio and Giacomino about it, he undertook to make peace between Giannole and Minghino, to whom, by the consent of all parties, he gave her to wife, and set all the other people at liberty. Minghino then made a most sumptuous wedding, and carried his bride home in great state where they lived happily together for a long course of years.
[This story is related by Tonducci, in his "History of Faenza," and had been previously told in an old Latin chronicle.]
