[Day the First]
THE MARCHIONESS OF MONFERRATO, WITH A DINNER OF HENS AND
CERTAIN SPRIGHTLY WORDS, CURBETH THE EXTRAVAGANT PASSION OF
THE KING OF FRANCE
The story told by Dioneo at first pricked the hearts of the listening
ladies with somewhat of shamefastness, whereof a modest redness
appearing in their faces gave token; but after, looking one at other
and being scarce able to keep their countenance, they listened,
laughing in their sleeves. The end thereof being come, after they had
gently chidden him, giving him to understand that such tales were not
fit to be told among ladies, the queen, turning to Fiammetta, who sat
next him on the grass, bade her follow on the ordinance. Accordingly,
she began with a good grace and a cheerful countenance, "It hath
occurred to my mind, fair my ladies,--at once because it pleaseth me
that we have entered upon showing by stories how great is the efficacy
of prompt and goodly answers and because, like as in men it is great
good sense to seek still to love a lady of higher lineage than
themselves,[50] so in women it is great discretion to know how to keep
themselves from being taken with the love of men of greater condition
than they,--to set forth to you, in the story which it falleth to me
to tell, how both with deeds and words a noble lady guarded herself
against this and diverted another therefrom.
[Footnote 50: An evident allusion to Boccaccio's passion for the
Princess Maria, _i.e._ Fiammetta herself.]
The Marquis of Monferrato, a man of high worth and gonfalonier[51] of
the church, had passed beyond seas on the occasion of a general
crusade undertaken by the Christians, arms in hand, and it being one
day discoursed of his merit at the court of King Phillippe le
Borgne,[52] who was then making ready to depart France upon the same
crusade, it was avouched by a gentleman present that there was not
under the stars a couple to match with the marquis and his lady, for
that, even as he was renowned among knights for every virtue, so was
she the fairest and noblest of all the ladies in the world. These
words took such hold upon the mind of the King of France that, without
having seen the marchioness, he fell of a sudden ardently in love with
her and determined to take ship for the crusade, on which he was to
go, no otherwhere than at Genoa, in order that, journeying thither by
land, he might have an honourable occasion of visiting the
marchioness, doubting not but that, the marquis being absent, he might
avail to give effect to his desire.
[Footnote 51: Or standard-bearer.]
[Footnote 52: _i.e._ the One-eyed (syn. le myope, the short-sighted,
the Italian word [_Il Bornio_] having both meanings), _i.e._ Philip
II. of France, better known as Philip Augustus.]
As he had bethought himself, so he put his thought into execution;
for, having sent forward all his power, he set out, attended only by
some few gentlemen, and coming within a day's journey of the
marquis's domains, despatched a vauntcourier to bid the lady expect
him the following morning to dinner. The marchioness, who was well
advised and discreet, replied blithely that in this he did her the
greatest of favours and that he would be welcome and after bethought
herself what this might mean that such a king should come to visit her
in her husband's absence, nor was she deceived in the conclusion to
which she came, to wit, that the report of her beauty drew him
thither. Nevertheless, like a brave lady as she was, she determined to
receive him with honour and summoning to her counsels sundry gentlemen
of those who remained there, with their help, she let provide for
everything needful. The ordinance of the repast and of the viands she
reserved to herself alone and having forthright caused collect as many
hens as were in the country, she bade her cooks dress various dishes
of these alone for the royal table.
The king came at the appointed time and was received by the lady with
great honour and rejoicing. When he beheld her, she seemed to him fair
and noble and well-bred beyond that which he had conceived from the
courtier's words, whereat he marvelled exceedingly and commended her
amain, waxing so much the hotter in his desire as he found the lady
overpassing his foregone conceit of her. After he had taken somewhat
of rest in chambers adorned to the utmost with all that pertaineth to
the entertainment of such a king, the dinner hour being come, the king
and the marchioness seated themselves at one table, whilst the rest,
according to their quality, were honourably entertained at others. The
king, being served with many dishes in succession, as well as with
wines of the best and costliest, and to boot gazing with delight the
while upon the lovely marchioness, was mightily pleased with his
entertainment; but, after awhile, as the viands followed one upon
another, he began somewhat to marvel, perceiving that, for all the
diversity of the dishes, they were nevertheless of nought other than
hens, and this although he knew the part where he was to be such as
should abound in game of various kinds and although he had, by
advising the lady in advance of his coming, given her time to send
a-hunting. However, much as he might marvel at this, he chose not to
take occasion of engaging her in parley thereof, otherwise than in the
matter of her hens, and accordingly, turning to her with a merry air,
'Madam,' quoth he, 'are hens only born in these parts, without ever a
cock?' The marchioness, who understood the king's question excellent
well, herseeming God had vouchsafed her, according to her wish, an
opportune occasion of discovering her mind, turned to him and answered
boldly, 'Nay, my lord; but women, albeit in apparel and dignities they
may differ somewhat from others, are natheless all of the same fashion
here as elsewhere.'
The King, hearing this, right well apprehended the meaning of the
banquet of hens and the virtue hidden in her speech and perceived that
words would be wasted upon such a lady and that violence was out of
the question; wherefore, even as he had ill-advisedly taken fire for
her, so now it behoved him sagely, for his own honour's sake, stifle
his ill-conceived passion. Accordingly, without making any more words
with her, for fear of her replies, he dined, out of all hope; and the
meal ended, thanking her for the honourable entertainment he had
received from her and commending her to God, he set out for Genoa, so
by his prompt departure he might make amends for his unseemly visit."