[Day the Ninth]
CECCO FORTARRIGO GAMETH AWAY AT BUONCONVENTO ALL HIS GOOD
AND THE MONIES OF CECCO ANGIOLIERI [HIS MASTER;] MOREOVER,
RUNNING AFTER THE LATTER, IN HIS SHIRT, AND AVOUCHING THAT
HE HATH ROBBED HIM, HE CAUSETH HIM BE TAKEN OF THE
COUNTRYFOLK; THEN, DONNING ANGIOLIERI'S CLOTHES AND MOUNTING
HIS PALFREY, HE MAKETH OFF AND LEAVETH THE OTHER IN HIS
SHIRT
Calandrino's speech concerning his wife had been hearkened of all the
company with the utmost laughter; then, Filostrato being silent,
Neifile, as the queen willed it, began, "Noble ladies, were it not
uneather for men to show forth unto others their wit and their worth
than it is for them to exhibit their folly and their vice, many would
weary themselves in vain to put a bridle on their tongues; and this
hath right well been made manifest to you by the folly of Calandrino,
who had no call, in seeking to be made whole of the ailment in which
his simplicity caused him believe, to publish the privy diversions of
his wife; and this hath brought to my mind somewhat of contrary
purport to itself, to wit, a story of how one man's knavery got the
better of another's wit, to the grievous hurt and confusion of the
over-reached one, the which it pleaseth me to relate to you.
There were, then, in Siena, not many years ago, two (as far as age
went) full-grown men, each of whom was called Cecco. One was the son
of Messer Angiolieri and the other of Messer Fortarrigo, and albeit in
most other things they sorted ill of fashions one with the other, they
were natheless so far of accord in one particular, to wit, that they
were both hated of their fathers, that they were by reason thereof
grown friends and companied often together. After awhile, Angiolieri,
who was both a handsome man and a well-mannered, himseeming he could
ill live at Siena of the provision assigned him of his father and
hearing that a certain cardinal, a great patron of his, was come into
the Marches of Ancona as the Pope's Legate, determined to betake
himself to him, thinking thus to better his condition. Accordingly,
acquainting his father with his purpose, he took order with him to
have at once that which he was to give him in six months, so he might
clothe and horse himself and make an honourable figure. As he went
seeking some one whom he might carry with him for his service, the
thing came to Fortarrigo's knowledge, whereupon he presently repaired
to Angiolieri and besought him, as best he knew, to carry him with
him, offering himself to be to him lackey and serving-man and all,
without any wage beyond his expenses paid. Angiolieri answered that he
would nowise take him, not but he knew him to be right well sufficient
unto every manner of service, but for that he was a gambler and
bytimes a drunkard, to boot. But the other replied that he would
without fail keep himself from both of these defaults and affirmed it
unto him with oaths galore, adding so many prayers that Angiolieri was
prevailed upon and said that he was content.
Accordingly, they both set out one morning and went to dine at
Buonconvento, where, after dinner, the heat being great, Angiolieri
let make ready a bed at the inn and undressing himself, with
Fortarrigo's aid, went to sleep, charging the latter call him at the
stroke of none. As soon as his master was asleep, Fortarrigo betook
himself to the tavern and there, after drinking awhile, he fell to
gaming with certain men, who in a trice won of him some money he had
and after, the very clothes he had on his back; whereupon, desirous of
retrieving himself, he repaired, in his shirt as he was, to
Angiolieri's chamber and seeing him fast asleep, took from his purse
what monies he had and returning to play, lost these as he had lost
the others. Presently, Angiolieri awoke and arising, dressed himself
and enquired for Fortarrigo. The latter was not to be found and
Angiolieri, concluding him to be asleep, drunken, somewhere, as was
bytimes his wont, determined to leave him be and get himself another
servant at Corsignano. Accordingly, he caused put his saddle and his
valise on a palfrey he had and thinking to pay the reckoning, so he
might get him gone, found himself without a penny; whereupon great was
the outcry and all the hostelry was in an uproar, Angiolieri declaring
that he had been robbed there and threatening to have the host and all
his household carried prisoners to Siena.
At this moment up came Fortarrigo in his shirt, thinking to take his
master's clothes, as he had taken his money, and seeing the latter
ready to mount, said, 'What is this, Angiolieri? Must we needs be gone
already? Good lack, wait awhile; there will be one here forthwith who
hath my doublet in pawn for eight-and-thirty shillings; and I am
certain that he will render it up for five-and-thirty, money down.' As
he spoke, there came one who certified Angiolieri that it was
Fortarrigo who had robbed him of his monies, by showing him the sum of
those which the latter had lost at play; wherefore he was sore
incensed and loaded Fortarrigo with reproaches; and had he not feared
others more than he feared God, he had done him a mischief; then,
threatening to have him strung up by the neck or outlawed from Siena,
he mounted to horse. Fortarrigo, as if he spoke not to him, but to
another, said, 'Good lack, Angiolieri, let be for the nonce this talk
that skilleth not a straw, and have regard unto this; by redeeming
it[429] forthright, we may have it again for five-and-thirty
shillings; whereas, if we tarry but till to-morrow, he will not take
less than the eight-and-thirty he lent me thereon; and this favour he
doth me for that I staked it after his counsel. Marry, why should we
not better ourselves by these three shillings?'
[Footnote 429: _i.e._ the doublet.]
Angiolieri, hearing him talk thus, lost all patience (more by token
that he saw himself eyed askance by the bystanders, who manifestly
believed, not that Fortarrigo had gamed away his monies, but that he
had yet monies of Fortarrigo's in hand) and said to him, 'What have I
to do with thy doublet? Mayst thou be strung up by the neck, since not
only hast thou robbed me and gambled away my money, but hinderest me
to boot in my journey, and now thou makest mock of me.' However,
Fortarrigo still stood to it, as it were not spoken to him and said,
'Ecod, why wilt thou not better me these three shillings? Thinkest
thou I shall not be able to oblige thee therewith another time?
Prithee, do it, an thou have any regard for me. Why all this haste? We
shall yet reach Torrenieri betimes this evening. Come, find the purse;
thou knowest I might ransack all Siena and not find a doublet to suit
me so well as this; and to think I should let yonder fellow have it
for eight-and-thirty shillings! It is worth yet forty shillings or
more, so that thou wouldst worsen me in two ways.'[430]
[Footnote 430: _i.e._ do me a double injury.]
Angiolieri, beyond measure exasperated to see himself first robbed and
now held in parley after this fashion, made him no further answer,
but, turning his palfrey's head, took the road to Torrenieri, whilst
Fortarrigo, bethinking himself of a subtle piece of knavery, proceeded
to trot after him in his shirt good two miles, still requiring him of
his doublet. Presently, Angiolieri pricking on amain, to rid his ears
of the annoy, Fortarrigo espied some husbandmen in a field, adjoining
the highway in advance of him, and cried out to them, saying, 'Stop
him, stop him!' Accordingly, they ran up, some with spades and others
with mattocks, and presenting themselves in the road before
Angiolieri, concluding that he had robbed him who came crying after
him in his shirt, stopped and took him. It availed him little to tell
them who he was and how the case stood, and Fortarrigo, coming up,
said with an angry air, 'I know not what hindereth me from slaying
thee, disloyal thief that thou wast to make off with my gear!' Then,
turning to the countrymen, 'See, gentlemen,' quoth he, 'in what a
plight he left me at the inn, having first gamed away all his own! I
may well say by God and by you have I gotten back this much, and
thereof I shall still be beholden to you.'
Angiolieri told them his own story, but his words were not heeded;
nay, Fortarrigo, with the aid of the countrymen, pulled him off his
palfrey and stripping him, clad himself in his clothes; then, mounting
to horse, he left him in his shirt and barefoot and returned to Siena,
avouching everywhere that he had won the horse and clothes of
Angiolieri, whilst the latter, who had thought to go, as a rich man,
to the cardinal in the Marches, returned to Buonconvento, poor and in
his shirt, nor dared for shamefastness go straight back to Siena, but,
some clothes being lent him, he mounted the rouncey that Fortarrigo
had ridden and betook himself to his kinsfolk at Corsignano, with whom
he abode till such time as he was furnished anew by his father. On
this wise Fortarrigo's knavery baffled Angiolieri's fair
advisement,[431] albeit his villainy was not left by the latter
unpunished in due time and place."
[Footnote 431: Syn. goodly design of foresight (_buono avviso_).]