WHEN Solosmeo had inspected his affairs at Monte Cassino, we resumed our
journey; and having come within a mile of Naples, we were met by an
innkeeper, who invited us to his house, and said he had been at Florence
many years with Carlo Ginori; [1] adding, that if we put up at his inn,
he would treat us most kindly, for the reason that we both were
Florentines. We told him frequently that we did not want to go to him.
However, he kept passing, sometimes in front and sometimes behind,
perpetually repeating that he would have us stop at his hostelry. When
this began to bore me, I asked if he could tell me anything about a
certain Sicilian woman called Beatrice, who had a beautiful daughter
named Angelica, and both were courtesans. Taking it into his head that I
was jeering him, he cried out: “God send mischief to all courtesans and
such as favour them!” Then he set spurs to his horse, and made off as
though he was resolved to leave us. I felt some pleasure at having rid
myself in so fair a manner of that ass of an innkeeper; and yet I was
rather the loser than the gainer; for the great love I bore Angelica had
come back to my mind, and while I was conversing, not without some
lover’s sighs, upon this subject with Solosmeo, we saw the man returning
to us at a gallop. When he drew up, he said: “Two or perhaps three days
ago a woman and a girl came back to a house in my neighbourhood; they
had the names you mentioned, but whether they are Sicilians I cannot
say.” I answered: “Such power over me has that name of Angelica, that I
am now determined to put up at your inn.”
We rode on all together with mine host into the town of Naples, and
descended at his house. Minutes seemed years to me till I had put my
things in order, which I did in the twinkling of an eye; then I went to
the house, which was not far from our inn, and found there my Angelica,
who greeted me with infinite demonstrations of the most unbounded
passion. I stayed with her from evenfall until the following morning,
and enjoyed such pleasure as I never had before or since; but while
drinking deep of this delight, it occurred to my mind how exactly on
that day the month expired, which had been prophesied within the
necromantic circle by the devils. So then let every man who enters into
relation with those spirits weigh well the inestimable perils I have
passed through!
Note 1. A Gonfalonier of the Republic in 1527.