NOVEL VI.
Isabella, being in company with her gallant, called Leonetto, and being visited at uie same time by one Lambertuccio, her husband returns, when she sends Lambertuccio away with a drawn sword in his hand, whilst the husband escorts Leonetto safely to his own house.
They were all pleased with Fiammetta's story, declaring that the woman had served the brute exactly right. And it being concluded, the king ordered Pampinea to go on, who then said: - There are many people so" foolish as to affirm, that love deprives persons of their understanding, and that they who are in love are out of their wits. But how ridiculous this assertion is, will appear by what has been said before, and also by what I am now going to tell you.
In our city, abounding with everything that is good, there was formerly a beautiful lady, wife to a certain worthy knight, who desiring a little variety, as will sometimes happen, began to grow indifferent towards her husband, casting her eyes upon a certain young spark, called Leonetto, one of no great family, but agreeable enough; he likewise began to show the same good will towards her; and it was not long before their wishes were accomplished. Now it happened, that another gentleman was in love with her also, called Lambertuccio, one by no means agreeable to her; but he ceased not to solicit her in all manner of ways, threatening at the same time, as he was a man of note and power, to lessen and expose her, unless she would comply with his desires. This terrified her so much, that she thought herself obliged to listen to him.
Being now, that it was summer time, at one of their country houses, and her husband gone from home to make some stay, she sent for Leonetto to come and be with her in the meantime. He obeyed her summons with great pleasure. Lambertuccio, knowing also that her husband was abroad, came all alone on horseback, and knocked at the gate. Her maid, seeing him there, ran up stairs to her mistress, who was in her chamber with Leonetto, and said, "Madam, Signor Lambertuccio is here below." The lady was in the greatest perplexity imaginable, and desired Leonetto not to mind stepping behind the curtain of the bed till the other was gone. Leonetto, who feared him as much as she did, went and hid himself there, whilst she ordered her maid to go and let Lambertuccio in. Accordingly he dismounted, hung his horse's bridle at the door, and was immediately shown up stairs; when she, meeting him at the top, asked, with a smile, how she came to be favored with the visit. "My life! "quoth he, "I understood your husband was abroad, and it was for that reason I came to see you." Thereupon they went to her room, and locked themselves in.
While they were diverting themselves there, the lady's husband returned, quite unexpectedly. As soon as the maid saw him, she came suddenly into the chamber, and said to her mistress, "Madam, my master is returned, and now in the court." The lady was quite confounded at hearing this, and, considering that she had two men in the house, and that the knight could not be concealed, on account of his horse, she gave herself over for lost: yet, resolving at length what to do, she said to Lambertuccio, "sir, if you have any regard for me, and are willing to save me from destruction, pray do as I shall direct you. Go down stairs with an angry countenance, and your sword in your hand, saying, "I vow to Heaven, if ever I meet with him anywhere else -."
And if my husband should offer to stop you, or ask any questions, say nothing more than that; but mount your horse directly, and ride away, nor offer to stay with him upon any account whatever." Accordingly, he obeyed her directions, and went down stairs with his naked sword in his hand, and his face all crimsoned, both by his recent exertions and his vexation at the knight's inopportune return. The latter, meanwhile, on entering the courtyard, had been surprised to see the horse there; and was still more so when he went to the door and met Lambertuccio coming out with such a fierce countenance, and heard him talk in that manner; "Pray what is the matter, sir?" he said to him. The other put his foot in the stirrup, muttered only these words, "If ever I meet the villain again," and rode away. The knight, going up stairs, found his wife at the stair-head, terrified out of her wits, and said to her, "What is the reason of Lambertuccio's going away in so much heat and fury?" When she, drawing nearer to her chamber, that Leonetto might hear, replied, "My dear, I never was so frightened in my whole life. A gentleman whom I never saw before, ran in here, and Lambertuccio after him with a drawn sword, and finding the chamber-door open, he came trembling into it, saying, "I entreat you. Madam, to protect me, otherwise I shall be murdered in your very presence." I stood up, and was going to ask him who he was, and what was the matter, when Lambertuccio was at the top of the stairs, roaring out, " Where is the villain?" Upon this, I ran to the chamber-door, and stopped him as he was just coming in, when he was so civil to me indeed, after he saw I was unwilling he should come into the chamber, that, after a few words, he went back again just as you met him."
"My dear," said the husband, "you did quite right; it would have been a great discredit to us to have had anybody murdered in our house; and Lambertuccio was highly to blame to pursue a person hither. But where is the gentleman?"
"He is hid somewhere or other," she replied; "I know not where." - "Where are you?"cried the knight, "you may come out without any danger." Leonetto, who had heard all this, came out from where he was concealed, much terrified, as indeed he had reason; when the knight said to him, "Pray what affair is this that you have had with Lambertuccio?" - "Nothing," he replied, "in the world, that I know of; so that I am convinced he has either lost his senses, or else mistakes me for some other person; for, upon seeing me in the street, at a distance from your house, he drew his sword, and said, " Villain, thou art a dead man! " I stayed to ask no questions, but made the best of my way, and came hither, where, thanks be to heaven and this lady, I have found protection." - "Then," said the knight, "be under no fear; I will see you safe home, when you may make inquiry what the ground of his quarrel with you is." After supper, then, he mounted him upon one of his horses, and conducted him to Florence to his own house. And that night, by the lady's direction, Leonetto had a private conference with Lambertuccio, when they so planned it, that, though there was much talk afterwards about it, the husband never knew how he had been tricked by his wife.
[The original of this story is a tale in the Greek Syntipas, the most ancient European form of the "Seven Wise Masters,” but it has been omitted in some of the more modem versions. There are corresponding stories in Petrus Alphonsus, Le Grand's "Fabliaux,” Bandello, and Parabosco. One or other of these tales suggested a part of Beaumont and Fletcher's comedy of "Woman pleased" (Act II, Scene 6), where Isabella in a similar manner conveys two lovers out of her chamber, when surprised by the coming of her husband.]
