THE THIRD DAY.
The rising sun had now changed the complexion of the morning from scarlet to yellow, when the queen rose on Monday, and had all her company called up. The master of the household had long before sent many things that were necessary, as also people to do whatever was required: and seeing the queen now upon the march, he had everything else packed up, and removed bag and baggage; the ladies and gentlemen following behind. The queen marched on with an easy pace, attended by her ladies and the three gentlemen, and conducted by the music of nightingales and other tuneful birds, along a path not much frequented, but enamelled with various flowers, which began to open their bosoms to the ascending sun; and, directing her course full west, chatting merrily with her company all the way, in a little more than two miles she brought them to a most beautiful palace, seated upon an eminence in the middle of a large plain. When they had entered, and had seen the great hall and the chambers, most elegantly fitted up, and furnished with everything that was proper, they greatly extolled it, judging its lord to be truly a magnificent person. Going afterwards below stairs, and observing the spacious and pleasant court, the cellars stored with the richest wines, and delicate springs of water everywhere running, they commended it yet more. Thence they went to rest themselves in an open gallery (which overlooked the court) set out with all the flowers of the season; whither the master of the household brought wine and sweetmeats for their refreshment.
They were now shown into the garden, which was on one side of the palace, and walled round about. It seemed so full of beauties at their first entrance, that they were the more attentive in viewing every part. All round and through the midst of it were broad straight walks flanked with vines, which seemed to promise a plenteous vintage; and being all in blossom, they gave so delicious a scent, joined with other flowers then blowing in the garden, that they thought themselves amongst the spiceries of the east. The sides of these walks were closed with white and red roses and jessamine, in such a manner as to exclude the morning and even the mid-day sun. What was the variety of plants, and how elegantly disposed, it would be needles to mention, since there was nothing belonging to our climate which was not there in great abundance. In the middle of this garden, what seemed more delightful than anything else, was a plot of ground like a meadow; the grass of a deep green, spangled with a thousand different flowers, and set round with orange and cedar trees, whose branches were stored with ripe fruit and blossoms, at the same time affording a most pleasing object to the eye, as well as a grateful odour to the smell. In the centre of this meadow was a fountain of white marble, beautifully carved; and (whether by a natural or artificial spring I know not) from a figure standing on a column in the midst of the fountain, a jet of water spouted up, which made a most agreeable sound in its fall: the water which came thence ran through the meadow by a secret passage; when, being received into canals, it appeared again, and was carried to every part of the garden, uniting in one stream at its going out, and falling with such force into the plain, as to turn two mills before it got thither. The sight of this garden, its form and contrivance, with the fountains and the spring proceeding from it, pleased the gentlemen and ladies so much, that they spared not to say that if there was a paradise on earth, it could be in no other form, nor was it possible to add anything to it. While they were walking about, therefore, diverting themselves with weaving chaplets of flowers, and listening to the various melody of the birds, who seemed to vie with each other, a new beauty presented itself to them, which they had before taken no notice of; they perceived the garden to be full of a hundred different creatures: in one place they saw rabbits issuing forth; from another quarter they saw hares: here were goats lying down, and there were deer grazing, with many others passing backwards and forwards at their pleasure, as though they were tame. When their senses had sufficiently feasted on these several beauties, the table was spread by the side of the fountain, and, after half a dozen songs and some dances, they sat down to eat, being served in a sumptuous manner with everything that was dainty and elegant; and when they had done feasting, they began again to sing and dance, till the queen commanded them to give over, and permitted such as were so disposed to take their ease. Accordingly some departed; and others, charmed with the pleasantness of the place, stayed to read or play at chess. At nine they arose, and went into the meadow at the fountain-side, and being seated there as usual, they waited for the time when they should begin their novels upon the subject which the queen had proposed. The first who was ordered to speak was Filostrato, who thus addressed them: -
NOVEL I.
Masetto da Lamporecchio, pretending to be dumb, is taken in to be gardener to a convent of nuns: what happens in consequence.
There are many people, fair ladies, so simple as to imagine, that, after a young lady has put on the white veil, and the black hood, she ceases to have the feelings and passions of a woman, as if by becoming a nun she was converted into stone. If these people hear anything contrary to this opinion, they are as much offended as though some very heinous and unnatural crime was committed; never thinking of themselves, who cannot be satisfied, although they have the liberty of doing as they will; nor considering the prevalency of leisure and solitude. In like manner, there are others who think that the spade and pick-axe, with hard labour and gross feeding, quench all lustful appetites, depriving the people of all sense and understanding; but how much they are both mistaken, I shall, at the queen's command, now show you, keeping close to the subject which she has given us.
There was formerly in our neighbourhood (and may be still) a convent of nuns, famous for their sanctity. In this convent (which shall be nameless, because I would not lessen the characters of its pious inmates), there were only eight young ladies, with an abbess; there was also a gardener to look after their fine garden, who, not being satisfied with his salary, made up his accounts with their steward, and returned to Lamporecchio, whence he came. Amongst many others who came to welcome him home, was a fine strapping young fellow named Masetto, who inquired of him where he had been to all that time? The honest man (whose name was Nuto) told him. The other inquired again in what capacity be served the convent?" I had care of the garden," he replied, "and used to go to the wood for faggots; I drew water for them also, with such-like services; but my wages were so small that they would scarcely find me shoes; and besides they are all so young and giddy, that I could do nothing to please them; for when I have been in the garden, one would cry do this, and another do that, and another would take the spade out of my hand, and tell me "that thing is in a wrong place,” and they have given me so much trouble altogether, that I have left them. The steward desired, at my departure, if I met with a proper person, to send him; but hang me if I do any such thing."
When Massetto heard this, he had a great desire to get among those nuns, guessing from what Nuto had said, that he might be able to gain his ends. But lest his purpose should be defeated, if he let the other into the secret, he said to him, "You did very right to come away: what has a man to do among so many women? He might as well be with as many devils: for it is not once in ten times they know what they would be at." After they had done talking together, Masetto began to contrive what method he should take to get introduced; and being assured that he could do all the work that Nuto had mentioned, he had no fears upon that account: all the danger seemed rather to be in his youth and person: whether he might not be rejected. After much reflection, he reasoned thus with himself: "I live far enough off and nobody knows me: suppose I feign myself dumb, they will certainly receive me then." Resolved on this, without saying a word to any one about where he was going, he took an axe on his shoulder, and went like a poor man to the convent; and finding the steward in the court-yard, he made signs like a dumb person for a little bread, and that he would cleave wood if they bad any occasion. The steward gave him something to eat, and afterwards shewed him divers pieces of wood, which Nuto was not able to rend, but which Masetto, in a little time (being very strong), split all to pieces. The steward, having occasion to go to the wood, took him with him; where he made him fell several trees, load the ass with them, and drive it home before him: this Masetto did very well; and the steward wanting him for other things, he continued there for several days, till at length the abbess saw him, and asked the steward what the man did there?" Madam," he replied, "this is a poor man, deaf and dumb, who came the other day to ask charity, which I gave him, and he has done many things for us since: I believe, if he knows anything of gardening and could be prevailed upon to stay, that he might be of good service; for we want such a person, and he is strong, and will do what work we please: besides, there will be no fear of his seducing any of the young ladies." - "Why, truly," quoth the abbess, "you say right: see if he knows bow to work, and if so, try to keep him; make much of him, give him a pair of shoes, and an old coat, and let him have his fill of victuals." This the steward promised to do. Masetto, who was at no great distance, but seemed busy in sweeping the court, heard all this, and said merrily to himself, "Yes, if you let me stay here, I'll do your business as it never was done before." The steward, who was aware that he knew how to work, now inquired of him by signs whether he was willing to stay: and Masetto having made signs that he was, the steward took him into the garden, shewed him what he wished to have done, and left him there.
Now the nuns used to come every day to tease and laugh at the deaf and dumb gardener, and would say the naughtiest words in the world before him, imagining that he did not hear them: whilst the abbess took no notice of all this, thinking perhaps that as the man could not wag his tongue, he was equally harmless in other respects. One day when he had lain down to rest himself, two nuns, who were walking in the garden, came to the place where he pretended to be asleep: and as they stood looking at him, one, who was a little more forward than the other said, "Could I be assured of your secrecy, I would tell you of a thought I have often had in my head, which might be of service to yourself." "You may speak safely," said the other, "for I will never disclose it." Then said the first nun: "We are kept here in strict confinement, and not a man suffered to come near us, but our steward, who is old, and this dumb man. Now I have many and many a time heard from ladies who have come to see us, that all the other delights in the world are nothing to what a woman enjoys in a man's arms. I have often therefore had it in my mind to try the experiment with this dumb fellow, since no other is to be had; besides he is the fittest in the world for our purpose, being such an idiot, that he cannot expose us if he would; what is your opinion? - "Alas!" quoth the other, "what is that you say? Do not you know that we have promised our virginity to God?"
"Oh! but sister," she replied, "how many things do we promise every day, which we never perform? If we have promised, there will be others found that shall be more punctual." - "But, if we should be with child, what would become of us then?" - "You think of the worst before it happens: it will be time enough to talk of that when it comes: there are a thousand ways of managing in such a case, that nobody will ever be the wiser unless we ourselves make the discovery." - "Well, then," said the second nun, who was even more curious than her friend to know what sort of an animal a man might be; "how shall we contrive this matter?" - "You see," replied the other, "it is about midday, and I believe our sisters are all asleep; let us look round the garden, and if nobody be in it, what have we to do, but for one of us to lead him into yonder arbour, whilst the other keeps watch. He is such a fool that we can do what we like with him."
Masetto heard all this, and was quite ready to gratify the ladies, but waited until one of them should come and rouse him from his pretended sleep. The two nuns having assured themselves that nobody could see them, she who had been the first to move in the affair went and shook the gardener. He got up; the nun playfully took him by the hand, and led him, grinning and laughing like an idiot, to the arbour, where without giving her much trouble to explain her wishes he did what she wanted. Her curiosity having been satisfied, she made way for her companion, to whom Masetto, fool as he seemed, behaved equally well. Before they left him, each of them repeated the experiment once more, and they agreed in declaring that the result surpassed all that they could have imagined. After this it may easily be guessed how frequent were their visits to the arbour, and how punctually they availed themselves of the fitting hours to take their diversion with the good natured mute.
It chanced, however, one day that their proceedings were observed by one of the sisterhood, who immediately brought two others to witness them. At first the trio were for informing the lady abbess, but afterwards they changed their minds, entered into an arrangement with the detected pair, and became jointly interested with them in Masetto's services. There now remained but three nuns who were not privy to the secret; but in course of time they too came in various ways to share in it with the rest.
Finally the Abbess, who as yet had no notion of these doings, was taking a walk all alone in the garden one very sultry day, and found Masetto stripped to his shirt and asleep on the broad of his back, under an almond tree, having, it seems, not much to do that day, because he had been hard at work all the night before. Just then the wind fluttered the loose end of his single garment, and the Abbess saw what immediately gave her a fit of the complaint then prevalent in the convent. Waking up Masetto she took him to her chamber, where she kept him close for some days, to the great mortification of the nuns, who complained loudly that the gardener did not come to his daily labour. She let him go at last, but often had him back again, and altogether engrossed more than her fair share of his attendance. Masetto began to find it no easy task to please so many mistresses, and was strongly of opinion that things would come to a bad pass with him if he continued dumb much longer. One night then, when he was with the abbess, his tongue was suddenly untied, and said he, "I have often heard say, madam, that one cock can do very well for ten hens, but that ten men can hardly with their best endeavours satisfy one woman, whereas I have to serve nine. I can't stand it any longer. I'm fairly worn out with what I have done already; so please either to let me go my way in God's name, or put this matter to rights somehow."
The abbess was astounded to hear him speak. "Why, how is this?" she said, "I thought you were dumb." - "so I was, madam, but not by nature. I had a long disorder which deprived me of my speech; and it was only this very night, thanks be to God, that I felt it come back to me."
The abbess believed this tale, or feigned to do so, and asked him what he meant by saying that he had nine women to satisfy. Masetto explained the whole case to her; and she, like a discreet abbess, instead of sending him away, resolved to come to an understanding with her nuns, and devise with them how they might keep such a good gardener without incurring any scandal. A full and unreserved explanation soon took place between all parties, and the old steward happening to die very opportunely, Masetto was, with his own consent, unanimously chosen to fill the vacant place, and his duties were so apportioned that he could discharge them without inordinate fatigue. At the same time the people of the neighbourhood were made to believe that through the prayers of the sisterhood, and through the merits of the saint to whom the convent was dedicated, the man who had been so long dumb had been recovered his speech. Under the new steward's management the convent became a little nursery for the propagation of the monastic order, but everything was so quietly done that there never was any talk about it until after the death of the abbess, when Masetto, being now in years and wealthy, was desirous of returning home.
His desire was readily complied with: and thus, taking no care for his children, but bequeathing them to the place where they were bred and born, he returned a wealthy man to his native place, which he had quitted with nothing but an axe over his shoulder, having had the wit to employ the season of his youth to good purpose.
[Boccaccio took this story from the "Cento Novelle Antiche” but substituted an abbess and her nuns for a countess and her camerarie. He in his turn has been followed, with some slight modifications, by La Fontaine, in his "Mazet de Lamporechio.”]
