_Mistresse Dianora demaunded of maister Ansaldo a garden so faire in
Ianuary, as in the moneth of May. Mayster Ansaldo (by meanes of an
obligation which he made to a Nicromancer) caused the same to bee
done. The husband agreed with the gentlewoman that she should do the
pleasure which maister Ansaldo required, who hearinge the liberality
of the husband, acquited hir of hir promise, and the Necromancer
discharged maister Ansaldo._
Of all things commonly accompanying the maner and trade of man's
life, nothing is more circumspectly to be attended and prouided
for, than regard and estimation of honesty: which attire, as it
is most excellent, and comely, so aboue al other vayne Toyes of
outward apparell to bee preferred: and as honesty hath all other
good Conditions included in it selfe, as the same by any meanes
cannot stray out of that tract, troden before by the steppes of
that most excellent vertue: euen so, impossible it is for the
party adorned with the same, to wander one iote from that
foretrodden Path: wherefore let eche wyght that traceth this
worldly Lyfe, foresee the due obseruation of all thinges
incident to that which is honest. Nothinge in thys lyfe (sayth
Tully in his oration, for the Poet Archias) is so mutch to bee
regarded. Honesty, for the gettinge whereof all torments of
body, all perills and daungers of death be not to be regarded:
honesty then beinge a Treasure so precious, what care not onely
for the atchieuinge but for the conseruation ought to bee
employed? in the practise whereof, one speciall thinge ought to
be attended, which is, how a vow or promise ought to be made, or
how the estimation of honesty ought to be hazarded for any
thinge seeme it neuer so impossible: for what is it that loue
and Money hath not brought to passe? what heard aduentures by
Iason? what sleight by Alexander the Sonne of kynge Pryamus?
what monsters slayne and labours sustayned by Hercules? what
daungers and exploits some haue incurred and other attempted by
diuers? to bee short,
_Nihil est quod non effreno captus amore, ausit._
As Ouide the Poet sayth:
_Nothinge there is, but that the louing man doth dare,_
_Surprised with frantike fit, eche deed he doth not spare._
Wherfore let euery wight beware how they gage their honesty for
any enterprise (seeme it neuer so impossible). Maistresse
Dianora deerely beloued of a gentleman, and earnestly assayled,
in the ende yelded vpon a condition: which if it could be
brought to passe (which she thought impossible) was content to
surrender to his loue: who consulting with a Magitian, performed
hir request: then what folowed, and what counsel hir husband
gaue hir, after she had broken the effect of hir promise to hym,
and what Curtesie was vsed on all sides, the sequele hereof
dyscloseth. The Countrey of Frioli although it be colde, yet is
it pleasaunt by reason of many faire mountaines, riuers, and
cleere sprynges that are in the same: where there is a City
called Vdina, and in the same sometime dwellyng a faire
gentlewoman called Mistresse Dianora, the wyfe of Gilberto,
a notable rich man, a very curteous personage, and of good
behauiour. This Lady, for hir graces and vertues, was intierly
beloued of a Gentleman and great Lord, called maister Ansaldo
Grandese, who for his liberalyty and valyance in armes, was
famous and well knowen: and albeit that hee loued hir feruently,
seking al meanes possible to be beloued of hir, soliciting hir
many tymes by Ambassadours, yet his labour was in vayn. And the
Lady being offended for hys dayly sute and trauayle, hee for al
hir refusal and disagreement to his desire, would not abstaine
from louing hir, but still mayntayne his importunate sute: she
deuising with her selfe how to rid him away, made a request vnto
him, so straunge and impossible, (in hir iudgement) as he was
not able to bring the same to passe: and vpon a day she sayd
vnto an old woman, (the which cam often tymes to sue vnto hir in
hys behalf) these words: "Good wife, thou hast many times
assured me, that Maister Ansaldo doth loue mee aboue all other,
and thou hast offered vnto me maruellous giftes and presents in
hys name: al which I haue refused, vpon consideration, that I
mynd not to fauour or loue him for his goods: but if thou canst
iustify by warrantize or other probable argument, that hee
loueth me so mutch as thou sayest, I will condescend without
fayle to loue him againe and to doe the thing that it shal
please him to commaund me: therfore if he wil assure me to do
that thing which I shal require hym to do, tel him that I am at
his commaundement." "What is that madame," (said the old woman)
"that you desire?" "The thing which I demaund" (answered the
Gentlewoman) "is, that he should cause to be made here without
the Citie, during the moneth of Januarie next commyng, a garden
full of greene herbes, floures and trees, bespred wyth leaues,
euen as it were in the moneth of May: and if so be that he do it
not, then let him neuer send thee or any other vnto me agayn:
for if afterwards he be importunate vpon me, like as I haue
hitherto kept it close from my husbande and parents, euen so
complayning vnto them, I wyll assaye to bee dispatched from hys
long and tedious sute." When the knight vnderstoode that
request, and the offer that hys Mystresse made him (although it
seemed a thinge very difficulte and all most impossible to bee
done) knowinge very well that she did the same for none other
purpose, but onely to put him out of hope that euer hee should
enioy hir, hee determined notwithstandinge, to proue what hee
was able to do. And for that purpose sent to seeke in many
places of the Worlde if there were any man that could assist him
and geue him Counsel therin. In the ende there was one found
that offred to doe it (if he were well waged thereunto) by the
art of Necromancie, with whom maister Ansaldo bargained for a
great summe of Money. Then he expected the moneth of Ianuarie
with great deuotion, whych beeing come, euen when the coldest
wether was, and that al places were ful of snow and yce, this
Necromancer vsed his art in sutch sort, as in the night after
the holy dais of Christmasse, in a faire medow adioyning to the
city, ther appered in the morning (as they can testify that saw
the same) one of the fairest gardens that euer any man saw, full
of herbes, trees, and fruites of all sortes: which when maister
Ansaldo had seen, God knoweth if he were glad or not: and
incontinently caused to be gathered the fairest fruites and
floures that were there, and secretlye sente the same to his
Friende, inuiting hir to come and see the Garden which she had
procured him to make, to the intent thereby she might know the
loue that he bare hir, and to remember the promise which she
made him, and confirmed by othe, that he might from that time
forth esteeme hir a woman so good as hir promise. When the
Gentlewoman sawe the flowers and fruictes and hearing tell by
report of the straunge things that were in that Garden, began to
repent hir selfe of the promise which shee had made: but for all
her repentaunce, she like one desirous to se straung things,
wente wyth many other women to see the same: and hauing praised
it, not wythout greate admiration, she returned home, the
angriest woman that euer was, when she had considered in what
sort she had abused hir selfe by meanes of that Garden: and hir
rage was so greate, that she could by no meanes keepe the same
so secrete or close, but that her husband muste perceiue the
same, who woulde needes knowe of hir al the whole matter: the
Gentlewoman a long time kepte it secrete: in the ende she was
constrained to declare vnto him the same in order. Hir husbande
hearing what she had promised was sodainly very angry:
afterwardes considering the pure intente of his wife, hee wisely
appeaseed hir, and sayd: "Dianora, it is not the acte of a wyse
and vertuouse wife to encline hir eare to sutch messages as
those be, and lesse honest to make any marte or bargain of hir
honesty with any person, vnder what condicion soeuer it be.
Words which the hart receiueth by the eares, haue greater force
than many do esteme, and there is nothing so difficult, but by
the amorous is brought to passe. First therfore thou hast done
euil to giue eare vnto such ambassage, and afterwards for
agreement to the bargaine: for the weight of chastity is so
ponderous, as by no meanes it ought to be laid in balance,
eyther by impossibilities to boast and bragge therof, or else by
assurance of their conceiued thought to bring it into question,
leaste in all places the same may be dysputed vpon, and blemysh
with the note of lightnesse, the person tyll that time
vnspotted: but bycause I know the purity of thy heart, I wyll
agree vnto thee for discharge of thy promise, whych
peraduenture, some other would not doe, moued therunto for the
feare I haue of the Necromancer, who if he see Mayster Ansaldo
to be offended bicause thou hast deluded hym, may doe vs some
displeasure: wherfore I wyll that thou go to maister Ansaldo,
and if thou canest by any meanes to vse thy selfe (as thyne
honour saued) thou mayst discharge thy promise, I shall commende
thy wit: but if there be no remedye otherwyse, for that onely
time then lende forth thy Body and not thy wyll." The
gentlewoman hearyng hir husband so wisely speake, could doe
nought else but weepe, and sayd, that she would not agree to his
requeste. Notwythstanding, it pleased the husband (for al the
denial whych his wife did make) that it shoulde be so: by meanes
wherof, the next morning vpon the point of day the Gentlewoman
in the homliest attire she had, with two of hir seruantes
before, and hir mayde behinde, wente to the lodging of maister
Ansaldo, who when he hearde tell that hys Louer was come to see
hym, maruelled mutch, and rising vp, called the Necromancer, and
sayde vnto him: "My wyll is, that thou see how mutch thyne arte
hath preuailed:" and going vnto hir, without any disordinate
lust, he saluted hir wyth reuerence, and honestly receiued hir.
Then they entred into a faire Chamber, and sittyng downe before
a great fire, he sayde vnto hir these Wordes: "Madame, I humbly
beseeche you, if the loue which I haue borne you of long time,
and yet doe beare, deserue some recompence, that it please you
to tell me vnfainedly the cause which haue made you to come
hither thus early, and with such a company." The shamefast
Gentlewoman, hir eyes ful of teares, made answere: "Sir, the
loue which I beare you, nor any promised faith haue brought me
hither, but rather the only commaundement of my husband, who
hath greater respect to the payne and trauaile of your
disordinate loue, than to his own honour or my reputation, who
hath caused me to come hither, and by hys commaundement am redy
for this once to satisfie your pleasure." If Mayster Ansaldo
were abashed at the begynnyng, be much more did maruell when he
hearde the Gentlewoman thus to speake, and moued with the
liberality of hir husband, he began to chaunge his heate into
compassion, and said: "Mistresse, God defend if it be true that
you do say, that I should soyle the honour of hym, whych hath
pity vpon my loue, and therefore you may tarrie here so long as
it shall please you, with sutch assurance of your honesty as if
you were my naturall sister, and frankly may depart when you be
disposed, vpon sutch condicion, that you render in my behalf
those thanks vnto your husband which you shal thinke conuenient,
for the great liberality whych he hath imployed vpon me, deeming
my selfe henceforth so much bound vnto him, as if I were his
brother or Seruaunt." The Gentlewoman hearing those wordes, the
best contented that euer was, sayd vnto him: "All the worlde
could neuer make me beleue (your great honesty considered) that
other thing could happen vnto mee by my commyng hyther, than
that which presently I see: for which I recken my selfe
perpetually bounde vnto you." And takynge hir leaue, honorablye
returned in the aforesayde company home to hir husband, and
tolde hym what had chaunced, which engendred perfect loue and
amytye betweene hym and mayster Ansaldo. The Necromancer to whom
maister Ansaldo determined to gyue the price, couenanted betwene
them, seyng the liberality which the husbande had vsed towards
mayster Ansaldo, and the like of mayster Ansaldo towards the
Gentlewoman, sayd: "God defend, that sith I haue seene the
husband lyberall of his honour, and you bountiful of your loue
and curtesie, but that I be likewyse franke in my reward: for
knowing that it is well employed of you, I purpose that you
shall keepe it still." The knyghte was ashamed, and would haue
forced him to take the whole, or part: but in offryng the same,
he lost his laboure: and the Necromancer the third day after,
hauying vndon his Garden, and desirous to departe, tooke his
leaue. Thus Ansaldo extinguishing the dishonest loue kindled in
hys hearte, for inioying of his Lady, vpon consideration of
honest charity, and regard of Curtesie, repressed his wanton
minde, and absteyned from that which God graunte that others by
lik Example may refrayne.