NOVEL IX.
Gillette de Narbonne cures the King of France of a complaint, and demands the Count de Roussillon in marriage, as her reward; he marries her against his will, and goes in a pet to Florence, where he falls in love with a young lady, and lies with his own wife, thinking himself with his mistress. She has two sons by him, and, by that means, matters are accommodated at last between them.
There remained now only the queen to speak (saving his privilege to Dioneo); therefore she began, without being called upon, in this manner: - Who can say anything now to please, since we have heard Lauretta's story? It is well for most of the company she was not the first; for few would have been thought so agreeable after her; and so I believe it will be with regard to such as are yet to speak; however, I shall keep to the subject, and give you my story, such as it is. There lived in France a gentleman named Isnard, Count de Roussillon, who, because he was in a bad state of health, always kept a physician in his house, called Master Gerard de Narbonne. Now the count had an only son, whose name was Bertram, a fine youth, who had been brought up along with other children of his own age, amongst whom was a daughter to this physician, called Gillette, who had for him an infinite esteem and love, more than is common for one at such an age. His father's death, and his being left to the king's care, obliged him to go to Paris, which gave her the utmost concern. Shortly afterwards, her own father dying also, she would gladly, if she could have found a fit pretence, have gone thither to see Bertram; but such care was taken of her, because she was an heiress, that it was impossible. Being now of an age to marry, and being unable to forget her first love, though she had many suitors, on one of whom her guardians would willingly have bestowed her, she rejected them all, without assigning any reason. In the meantime, her love growing more violent every day, being fed by the admirable reports she heard of Bertram, news was brought that the King of France had a dangerous ailment, which succeeded an ill-cured swelling in his breast, and gave him extreme anguish; nor could he meet with a physician, though he had tried many, who was able to heal it; on the contrary, they had made it worse, insomuch that he was determined to have no more advice. This was agreeable enough to the young lady, not only as it afforded a pretence for her going to Paris, but also she had great hopes, if the disorder proved of the kind suspected, of getting Bertram for her husband. So, mixing up such drugs as her father was wont to use in cases of that nature, she hastened away to Paris. The first thing she did, after she had obtained a sight of Bertram, was to wait upon the king, and desire he would acquaint her with his malady. His majesty most graciously condescended to grant her request, when she was instantly convinced she was able to make a cure, and said, "sir, if you will give me leave, I hope, without any pain or trouble, to restore your health in eight days." The king could not help making a jest of this, saying to himself, "What! shall a woman undertake to do that which has baffled all the best physicians in the world?" He thanked her, therefore, for her good intention, and told her that he was resolved to try no more medicines. "sir," replied the lady, "you ridicule my art because I am young, and a woman; but I must remind you that I do not pretend to this from my own knowledge; but I rely upon the help of God, and the judgment of Master Gerard de Narbonne, who was a most eminent physician in his time, and my father."
The king, hearing this, said to himself, "Perhaps she is sent from God to my assistance; why should I not, therefore, make trial of her, as she promises to cure me, without any trouble, in so short a time?" Then turning to her, "But suppose you should prove mistaken, what would you forfeit for making us break our resolution?" She replied, "If your majesty pleases, you may set a guard upon me; and if you are not cured in eight days, then burn me alive: but if I succeed, and you get well, what reward am I then to have?" "You are a maiden, it appears," said the king: "we will dispose of you in marriage to a person of great account." - "sir," quoth she, "I accept your offer of a husband, but I will name the person, excepting all of your royal house." He immediately promised, and she began to administer her medicines; and before the limited time she had wrought a thorough cure. The king then said, "Fair maid, you have well earned a husband." - "Then, sir," she replied, "I have gained the Count de Roussillon, whom I have loved ever since I was a child."
The king thought her demand very great, but, as he had given his word, he would not depart from it. He sent for the count, therefore, and said to him, "Bertram, you are now of age to take upon you the government of your own country; it is our will that you return thither, and take a wife whom we shall recommend to you." - "And who is the lady, my liege?” replied Bertram. "It is she," said the king, "who has cured us with her medicines." Bertram knew and liked her well enough, only that he thought her birth too low for his quality; so he said, with some disdain, "And does your majesty then mean to give me a doctress for ray wife? Surely I may do much better for myself." - "Then," quoth the king, "would you have us to be worse than our word? She requested to have you, and we promised, upon condition that we were made well." - "My liege," replied Bertram, "you may take away what I now possess, or you may add to it if you please; but this I assure your majesty, that I will never consent to such a match." - "It is our pleasure to have it so," continued the king; " She is a prudent and beautiful lady, and you may be happier with her, than if you were married to one of greater quality."
Bertram then held his peace; and the king ordered a magnificent entertainment in honour of the nuptials, and, when the day came, Bertram espoused Gillette, much against his will, in the king's presence, which being done, he took his leave of his majesty, as if he was going to keep his wedding in his own country; but, instead of that, he went a quite different way, and came to Tuscany. Finding that the Florentines were at war with the Sienese, he willingly joined them, and, having a command given him, he continued some time in their service. The bride, not at all pleased with his behaviour, went to Roussillon, in hopes of gaining his affections by her prudent mai^agement, and was received by his people as their lady and mistress. Finding everything in disorder, on account of her husband's long minority, she used such care and diligence in restoring all to its wonted tranquillity, that she gained the favour and good-will of her subjects, who blamed the count highly for his neglect of her. When that was done, she sent two knights to him, desiring to know if it was on her account he stayed away from home; and bidding them tell him that she was willing to go elsewhere to please him. But he answered roughly, that she might use her pleasure; "For," said he, "I will go to her only when she shall have this ring upon her finger, and a son, begotten by me, in her arms." Now he valued the ring at a high rate, and never parted with it from his finger, because of some secret virtue which he supposed it to have. The knights looked upon the condition as implying two impossibilities; and, perceiving that he was not to be moved from his resolution, they returned, and reported his answer.
The lady was much afflicted at this, and began to consider, if there were no way to effect these two points, and consequently regain her husband. Taking her measures then accordingly, she assembled all the principal people of the country, when she recounted to them, in a most tender and affectionate manner, all that she had done for the love of the count, and what ensued thereupon; and she let them know, that it never was her intention, by staying amongst them, to keep him in perpetual banishment; therefore was she resolved to spend the remainder of her life in pilgrimage, for the good of her soul; and her desire was, that they would take the government upon them, and inform the count that she had quitted possession, and left the country with a design never more to return. As she was speaking these words, they all began to weep, and they entreated her much to change her resolution, but to no purpose. Taking her leave, then, and being attended only by a maid-servant and a relation, they set forward together like pilgrims, having provided themselves well with money and jewels; and, without anybody's knowing whither they were gone, they made no stop till they came to Florence. There, by chance, they met with an inn that was kept by a widow, where she stayed, with a desire of learning some news concerning her lord.
The next day it happened, that he passed by the house on horseback, along with his troops, when, though she knew him very well, yet she asked the landlady who he was?" It is a gentleman, a stranger," answered she, "one of the best natured men in the world, and much respected in this country, who is in love with a gentlewoman of small fortune in this neighbourhood: she bears a good character, but is yet unmarried, on account of her scanty circumstances, and lives with her mother." The countess, upon hearing this, began to consider more fully what she should do. Having learned the young lady's name, and where she lived, she went one day to the house, and, after the usual salutation, told the mother, that she had a mind to speak to her: the other rose, and said, with all her heart. They then went into a chamber by themselves, and, sitting down together, the countess began in this manner: "Madam, you seem to be as little obliged to fortune as myself; but perhaps it is now in your power to do us both a kindness."
The other replied, that she should be very willing, if it could be done honestly. The countess rejoined, "I put myself entirely into your hands; if you deceive me, you frustrate the purposes of both." - 'speak out," said the lady; "you shall find I never will deceive you."
The countess then related her whole story, from beginning to end, part of which the old lady had heard from common report: and she added, "You hear the two things which I am to compass to gain my husband, with regard to which there is no person in the world can serve me besides yourself, if it be true, as I am told, that he is violently in love with your daughter." - "Madam," quoth the lady, "there is some appearance of the count's liking my daughter; but whether there be anything real, that I cannot pretend to say. But what has this to do with your affair?" - "That," answered she, "I shall soon tell you. But you must first hear what I intend to do in consideration of this service of yours.
I understand that you have a daughter, of age to marry, whom you are forced to keep at home with you, for want of a fortune to give her: now my design is, to advance such a sum of money as you yourself shall think sufficient to marry her reputably." The lady liked the offer very well, but yet, having the spirit of a gentlewoman, she replied: "Tell me what you want to have done, and if it appear fair and honest, I will do it most willingly, and leave the reward to you."
The countess then said, "You must give the count to understand, by some person whom you can trust, that your daughter is ready to oblige him, as soon as she can be assured that he has that real love for her which he pretends, and which she knows not how to credit, unless he sends her the ring that he usually wears, and which, she hears, he sets such a value upon. This ring you must give to me, and then you may let him know that your daughter is at his service, and that he may come privately hither as soon as he pleases, when you must put me to bed to him instead of your daughter. Perhaps, by God's grace, I may prove with child; so that, by having his ring on my finger, and a son of his in my arms, which were the two conditions required, I may live with him afterwards as my husband, and you be the happy instrument of it." The lady hesitated at first, fearing some scandal might befall her daughter; but considering afterwards how fit it was that the good lady should have her husband, she not only promised her assistance, but in a few days obtained the ring, much against the count's will, and afterwards put the lady to bed to him, instead of her daughter. Accordingly it happened, that she became with child of two sons, as the event made manifest. Nor was it once only that the lady afforded the countess the enjoyment of her husband's embraces, but many times, taking her measures so secretly that the count never knew a word of it, but always thought he was with his mistress, not with his wife.
At last, when the countess found herself pregnant, not wishing to give the lady more trouble, she said to her, "Madam, my end is now answered, I have nothing more to do but to satisfy you for your trouble." She replied, "If you are contented, it is well; I did it out of no expectation of reward, but only as it appeared to me quite a right thing." "Madam," continued the countess, "I am entirely pleased, and I intend to make you a recompense suitable to your great merit." She then, moved by her necessity, desired, but with the utmost modesty, a hundred pounds for her daughter's portion; whilst the other, knowing her great worth, and hearing her humble demand, gave her five hundred, and jewels to the amount of as much more, for which she was very thankful; and, to take away all pretence of the count's coming any more to her house, the lady removed with her daughter to her friends in the country.
After some time, Bertram, hearing that his countess had departed out of his territories, went thither, at the request of his subjects, whilst she stayed at Florence, till her time of labour came, when she was brought to bed of two sons, very like their father. She took care to have them well nursed, and, in due time, without being discovered by any person, she came to Montpelier, where she made some stay to rest herself, and to make inquiry concerning her husband. Hearing, at last, that he was to make a great feast at Roussillon, on the day of All Saints, she went thither in the same pilgrim's dress as she first set out in; and, just as the guests were going to sit down at table, she pressed forwards, through the midst of the crowd of gentlemen and ladies, with her two children in her arms, till, coming where the count was, she threw herself at his feet, saying, with tears, "My lord, I am your unhappy wife, who have undertaken a long pilgrimage, in order that you might return to your own house. I conjure you, in the presence of God, that you abide by the two conditions enjoined me by the two knights whom I sent to you. Behold, not one son only of yours in my arms, but two; and, see, here is the ring." The count was confounded with admiration, recognising the ring, and the children too, they were so like him, and said: - "How can this have happened?"
The countess then related the whole story before all the company; whilst he, knowing her to speak the truth, perceiving also her constancy and good management, and beholding two such pretty children, was moved to fulfil his promise, as well as to oblige the whole company, who requested him to take her as his wife: upon all these considerations, I say, he laid his inveterate hatred aside, raised her up, and saluted her, acknowledging her for his lawful countess, and the two babies for his children: he ordered also suitable apparel to be brought for them, to the great joy of the whole court; whilst the feasting continued not that day only, but many others: and from that time he shewed her all due respect, and they continued happy together as long as they lived.
[Shakespeare's "All's Well that Ends Well" is based on this story.]
