Nothing in mine opinion can be more acceptable vnto thee (friendly
Reader) then oft reading and perusing of varietie of Hystories, which as
they be for diuersitie of matter pleasaunt and plausible, euen so for
example and imitation good and commendable. The one doth reioyce the
werie and tedious minde, many times inuolued with ordinarie cares, the
other prescribeth a directe pathe to treade the tracte of this present
life. Wherefore if in these newes or Nouelles here presented, there do
appeare any thing worthy of regarde, giue thankes to the noble gentleman
to whome this booke is dedicated, for whose sake onely, that paine (if
any seme to bee) was wholy imployed. Inioy therefore with him this
present booke, and curteously with frendly talke report the same, for if
otherwise thou do abuse it, the blame shal light on thee, and not on me,
which only of good will did meane it first. But yet if blaming tongues
and vnstayed heades, wil nedes be busy, they shal sustain the shame, for
that they haue not yet shewen forth any blamelesse dede to like effect,
as this is ment of me, which when they do, no blame but prayse they can
receiue. For prayse be they well worthy for to haue which in well doing
do contende. No vertuous dede or zelous worke can want due prayse of the
honest, though faulting fooles and youthly heades full ofte do chaunt
the faultles checke, that Momus mouth did once finde out in Venus
slipper. And yet from faultes I wyll not purge the same, but whatsoeuer
they seme to be, they be in number ne yet in substaunce such, but that
thy curteous dealing may sone amende them or forget them. Wherefore to
giue the full aduertisement of the whole collection of these nouels,
vnderstande that sixe of them haue I selected out of Titus Liuius, two
out of Herodotus, certayn out of Aelianus, Xenophon, Aulus Gellius,
Plutarche, and other like approued authors. Other Nouels haue I
adioyned, chosen out of diuers Italian and Frenche wryters. Wherein I
confesse my selfe not to be so well trayned, peraduenture as the fine
heads of suche trauailers would desire, and yet I trust sufficiently to
expresse the sense, of euerye of the same. Certaine haue I culled out of
the Decamerone of Giouan Boccaccio, wherin be conteined one hundred
Nouelles, amonges whiche there be some (in my iudgement) that be worthy
to be condempned to perpetual prison, but of them such haue I redemed to
the libertie of our vulgar, as may be best liked, and better suffered.
Although the sixt part of the same hundreth may full well be permitted.
And as I my selfe haue already done many other of thesame worke, yet for
this present I haue thought good to publish only tenne in number, the
rest I haue referred to them that be able with better stile to expresse
the authour’s eloquence, or vntil I adioyne to this another tome, if
none other in the meane time do preuent me, which with all my heart I
wishe and desire: because the workes of Boccaccio for his stile, order
of writing, grauitie, and sententious discourse, is worthy of intire
prouulgation. Out of Bandello I haue selected seuen, chosing rather to
follow Launay and Belleforest the French Translatours, than the barren
soile of his own vain, who being a Lombard, doth frankly confesse
himselfe to be no fine Florentine, or trimme Thoscane, as eloquent and
gentle Boccaccio was. Diuers other also be extracted out of other
Italian and French authours. All which (I truste) be both profitable and
pleasaunt, and wil be liked of the indifferent Reader. Profitable they
be, in that they disclose what glorie, honour, and preferment eche man
attaineth by good desert, what felicitie, by honest attempts, what good
successe, laudable enterprises do bring to the coragious, what happy ioy
and quiet state godly loue doth affecte the imbracers of the same.
Profitable I say, in that they do reueale the miseries of rapes and
fleshly actions, the ouerthrow of noble men and Princes by disordered
gouernment, the tragical ends of them that vnhappely do attempt
practises vicious and horrible. Wilt thou learne how to behaue thy selfe
with modestie after thou hast atchieued any victorious conquest, and not
to forget thy prosperous fortune amyd thy glorious triumphe, by
committing a facte vnworthy of thy valiaunce: reade the first Nouel of
the fortunate Romane Horatius? Wilt thou vnderstande what dishonour and
infamie, desire of libidinous lust doth bring, read the rape of Lucrece?
Wilt thou know what an vnkinde part it is vnnaturally to abuse the state
of thine own countrie, reade Martius Coriolanus? Wilt thou learne what
fruite is reaped of wicked luste, to dispoyle virgins and maydens of
their greatest vertue see the hystorie of Appius Claudius and Sir Didaco
the Spanish knight? Desirest thou to knowe howe closely thou oughtest to
keepe the secrets of honorable mariage, peruse the history of Candaules?
Dost thou covet to be aduertised what is true felicitie, reade of kyng
Cræsus and the wyse man Solon? Hath the Lady, Gentlewoman, or other of
the feminine kinde a desire to beholde a mirrour of chastitie, let theim
reade ouer the nouelles of the lady Panthea, of the Duchesse of Sauoy,
of the Countesse of Salesburie, of Amadour and Florinda? Is the nobleman
affected to vnderstand what happy end the vertue of loyaltie and
fidelitie doth conduce, the Earle of Angiers may be to him a right good
example? Will gentlemen learne howe to prosecute vertue, and to
profligat from their minde, disordinate Loue, and affection, I referre
theim to the Historie of Tancredi, and to Galgano of Siena? Is not the
marchaunt contented with his goodes already gotten, but will needes go
seeke some other trade, let him note and consider the daungers wherein
the Aduenturer Landolpho was. Is he disposed to sende his factor beyonde
the seas, about his affaires, let him first bidde him to peruse
Andreuccio, and then commaunde him to beware of Madame Floredelice? If
the yeoman intendeth to be carefull of his businesse, meaning to reape
that he hath sowen in due time, let him take hede howe he repose any
trust in friendes and kinsmen, least in haruest he be deceiued, which
Æsope’s larke doth pretely note. If the artificer will not faithfully
deale according to the truste reposed in him, I would not wyshe him to
suffer that whiche Bindo did, but aduisedly to reade the Historie, and
trustelye to accomplishe that he taketh in hande. If scornefull speache
or flouting sport do flowe in ripe wittes and lauishe tongues of
womankinde let them beware they do not deale with the learned sort,
least Maister Alberto with phisicke drougues, or Philenio with Sophist
art do staine their face, or otherwise offende them with the innocencie
of their great Graundmother Eue when she was somoned from Paradise ioye.
If the poore mayden of base birth be aduaunced (by fortune’s grace) to
highe estate: let her fixe in mynde the lady of Thurin. Finallye, for
all states and degrees, in these Nouelles be sette forth singuler
documentes and examples, right commodious and profitable to them that
will vouchsafe to reade them.
Pleasaunt they be, for that they recreate, and refreshe weried mindes,
defatigated either with painefull trauaile, or with continuall care,
occasioning them to shunne and auoid heauinesse of minde, vaine
fantasies, and idle cogitations. Pleasaunt so well abroade as at home,
to auoyde the griefe of Winter’s night and length of Sommer’s day, which
the trauailers on foote may vse for a staye to ease their weried bodye,
and the iourneors on horsback for a chariot or lesse painful meane of
trauaile, insteade of a merie companion to shorten the tedious toyle of
wearie wayes. Delectable they be (no doubt) for al sortes of men, for
the sad, the angry, the cholericke, the pleasaunt, the whole and sicke,
and for al other with whatsoeuer passion rising either by nature or vse
they be affected.
The sad shal be discharged of heauinesse, the angrie and cholericke
purged, the pleasaunt mainteined in mirthe, the whole furnished with
disporte, and the sicke appaysed of griefe. These Nouelles then, being
profitable and pleasaunt Histories, apt and meete for all degrees,
I truste the indifferent Reader, of what complexion, nature and
disposition so euer he bee, will accepte in good parte, althoughe
perchaunce not so set foorth or decked with eloquent stile, as this age
more braue in tongue then manners dothe require, and do praye thee to
receiue them into thy curteous hands, with no lesse good wil (though not
with like regard) then Alphonsus king of Arogon did Q. Curtius, out of
whome be some of these selected, Who vpon a time beinge sicke at Capua,
receiuing at the handes of diuers Phisitions manye medicines, in his
greatest fit called for the historie of Q. Curtius, in whome hauing
great delight for his eloquent description of gestes and factes of king
Alexander, when he was restored to health, sayd: Farewell Auicen, Adieu
Hipocrates and other Phisitians, welcome Curtius the restitutor and
recouerie of my health. Whereby he declared what pleasure he had in the
exercise and reading of Histories, not contempning for all that, the
honorable science of Phisicke, which in extremities be holsomely vsed.
What commoditie and pleasure histories doe yelde to the diligent
serchers and trauailers in the same, Tullie in his fift booke _De
finibus bonorum et malorum ad Brutam_, doth declare who affirmeth that
he is not ignorant, what pleasure and profit the reading of Histories
doth import. And after hee hath described what difference of commoditie,
is betweene fained fables, and liuely discourses of true histories,
concludeth reading of histories to be a certain prouacation and
allurement to moue men to learne experience. If Tullie then, the Prince
of Orators, doth affirme the profite and pleasure to be in perusing of
histories, then fitlye haue I intituled this volume the Palace of
Pleasure. For like as the outwarde shew of Princesse Palaces be
pleasaunt at the viewe and sight of eche man’s eye, bedecked and
garnished with sumptuous hanginges and costlye arras of splendent shewe,
wherein be wrought and bet with golde and sylke of sondrye hewes, the
dedes of noble states: Euen so in this our Palace here, there bee at
large recorded the princely partes and glorious gestes of renowmed
wights represented with more liuely grace and gorgeous sight then
Tapestrie or Arras woorke, for that the one with deadlye shape doth
shewe, the other with speaking voyce declare what in their time they
were. Vpon whom do wayte (as meete it is) inferiour persones, eche one
vouchsafing to tell what hee was, in the transitorie trade of present
life.
Wherefore accepte the same in gratefull wise, and thinke vpon the mynde
of him that did the same, which fraughted is with no lesse plentie of
good will, then the coafers of kyng Cræsus were, with store of worldlye
pelfe. Farewell.