_Rinaldo of Esti being robbed, arriued at Castel Guglielmo, and was
succoured of a wydowe: and restored to his losses, retourning saulfe
and sounde home to his owne house._
In the tyme of Azzo Marques of Ferrara, there was a marchaunt named
Rinaldo of Esti, come to Bologna to do certaine affaires. Whiche when
hee had dispatched, in retourning homewardes, it chaunced as he departed
out of Ferrara, and riding towardes Verona, hee mette certayne men on
horsebacke, whiche semed to be Marchauntes, but in verie deede were
arrant theues: with whome he kepte companie, and without suspicion what
they were, rode together familiarly talking. These good felowes seing
this Marchaunt and thinking that he had money about hym, determined to
robbe him, when they sawe their aduauntage, and to the intent he should
not suspecte them, they rode lyke graue men of honest conuersation,
debating with him of honest causes, and faithfull, shewing them selues
counterfactely, to be lowly and gentle. Uppon whiche occasion, he
thought him selfe moste happy that he had mette with such companie,
because he and his seruaunt rode together alone. And as they were
talking of diuers matters (as chaunceth in communication) they fel in
talke of prayers, that men do make vnto God. And one of the theues (for
they were three in nomber) sayd vnto Rinaldo: “And you gentleman, what
praier bee you accustomed to saye, when you ryde by the waye?” To whom
Rinaldo answered: “To tel you the truth, I am a man very playne, and
rude in those matters, and I haue a fewe prayers at my fingers endes:
suche as myne auncestours vsed before me. And I let go currant II. S.
for XXIIII D. But neuerthelesse, I haue alwayes accustomed, when I ryde
by the way, to say in the morning at my going forth of my lodging,
a _Pater noster_ and an _Aue Maria_, for the soule of the father and
mother of sainct Iulian: and after that, I pray to God and sainct
Iulian, to sende me good lodging the night folowing. And full oft in my
time I haue founde, in trauailing of Countries many great daungers, all
whiche hauing escaped, it hath bene my fortune always (when night
approched) to chaunce vppon good lodging: whiche maketh me stedfastly
beleue that sainct Iulian (vnto whose honour I saye the same) hath
obteined this benefite of God for me, and I thought that daye wherein I
neglected, to saye in the morning that prayer, I could neither saulfely
trauell, ne yet at night obtain good harborough.” He that demaunded the
question, asked him: “And haste thou said them this morning?” “Yea
verely,” answered Rinaldo. Then he whiche already knewe howe the matter
would go, said to him selfe, thou shalt haue enough to doe anone, for if
thou haue not sayde them this morninge, it may so happe that thou shalt
lodge full ill this night. And afterwardes hee saide, “I haue likewyse
trauayled in my dayes a great waye, and neuer said those praiers, but I
haue heard many men greatly prayse them (although) I could neuer
perceiue but that I haue bene well lodged. And peraduenture this night
you shal proue, which of vs two shal haue best lodging, you that haue
sayd them, or I which haue not said them. It is most true that I haue
accustomed, in stede of that praier, to saye that verse _Dirupisti_,
or the antheme _Intemerata_, or the _De profundis_, which are (as my
graundmother did teach and instructe me) of verie great effecte and
vertue.” And speaking thus of diuers thinges, alwayes riding, expecting
the place and time, to accomplish their wicked intent: it chaunced that
approching nere to Castel Guglielmo, when they had passed ouer a ryuer,
these three theues, late in the euening in a darke place, did sette
vppon him and robbed him, dismounting him from his horse, and left him
there in his shyrte. And as they were going awaye, they sayde vnto hym:
“Goe and seeke if thy sainct Iulian, will helpe thee to good lodging
this nighte, for our saincte wyll helpe vs to good.” And repassing
through the Riuer, they went their waye. The seruaunt of Rinaldo, seyng
the theues sette vppon his maister (like a cowarde) helped him nothing,
but tourned his brydle and neuer left galloping vntill he came to
Castell Guglielmo: where because it was nighte, he lodged in an Inne,
without any further care for his Maister. Rinaldo being stil there in
his shyrte, bare footed and bare legged, in the great Frost and Snowe,
not knowing what to doe, and seing night already approche, quaking, and
his teethe clacketing in his head, began to looke about hym, if he
coulde see anye place there for hym to resorte for succour, that he
might not dye for colde: but (seyng none at all, because a litle before,
the warres had with fyre consumed all thynges) being sore afflicted for
colde, he began to make spede towardes the Castell Guglielmo, not
knowyng that his seruaunt was fledde thither: thynking that if he might
come in, God would sende hym some succour, but darke night ouertooke him
a good waye of, before hee coulde come to the Castell, almoste the space
of a mile, by whiche meanes he arriued there verye late, the gates being
shutte vp and the bridges drawen, that he could not goe in. By reason
whereof hee was verie sorowefull and discomforted, lamentable casting
his eyes about, to espie if it wer possible that at the lest he might
shroude him selfe free from the snowe: and by chaunce he sawe a house
vpon the walles of the Castell, vnder whiche he determined to reste tyll
it was daye, and repairing thether, he found vnder the house a doore,
(whiche was locked) vnder which doore gathering a litle strawe that he
founde thereabout, he sat down very heauie and pensife: making his
complaint many tymes vnto saincte Iulian, that the faith which he
reposed in him had nowe deceiued him. But saincte Iulian taking pitie
vpon him, without any further delaye, prepared him (as it chaunced) a
good lodging: for there dwelled in that Castell a woman whiche was a
wydowe so faire a persone as might be seene, whom the Marques Azzo lou d
as his life, and kepte her there for his owne pleasure. And the same
woman dwelte in the house, vnder the porche wherof Rinaldo was gone to
reste him selfe, vnto whome the daye before, the Marques resorted to
disport him selfe that night, and in her house had secretly caused a
bathe to be made, and a great supper to be prepared. All which being
readie, and the good wyfe expecting nothing els but the comming of the
Marques, it chaunced that one of his men called at the gates of the
Castell, with newes to the Marques, that sodainly he must ryde awaye;
wherefore he sent woorde to the wydowe, that shee should not attende his
comming: who, not a litle displeased with the message, not knowing what
to doe, determined to enter the Bathe whiche was prepared for the
marques, and when she had supped to goe to bedde. This Bathe was harde
by the doore whereunto poore Rinaldo was approched. The widowe being in
the Bathe, hearing the plaintes and trembling voyce of Rinaldo, thought
it had been the noyse of a Storke. Whereupon she called her mayde and
saide vnto her: “Goe vp, and looke ouer the walles, to know who is at
the doore and what he would haue.” The mayde, according to her maistres
commaundement, went to the doore, and the night being somewhat cleare,
sawe Rinaldo sitting in his shyrte, bare legged, shaking for colde, as
is before said, and asked him what he was. Rinaldo with his teethe
shyuering in his head, coulde scarse well speake, or vtter a woorde, but
yet so brieflie as he coulde, he tolde her what he was, howe and for
what purpose he was come thither. Afterwardes he piteously began to
praye her (if she could) not to suffer him that night to sterue for
colde. The maide pitying his estate, returned to her maistres, and tolde
her what she sawe: who likewyse hauiug compassion vppon him, remembring
that she had the keye of the dore (whiche sometimes serued the turne,
when the marques was disposed secretly to come in) she sayde to her
mayde: “Go open the doore softly, for we haue prepared a supper, and
here is no man to eate it: and also here is lodging sufficient to
harbour him.” The mayde greatly praysing her maistres for her curtesie,
wente forth and opened the doore. And when he was let in, they sawe him
to be almoste frosen for colde: sayinge vnto him, dispatche good felowe,
goe into the Bathe, being yet hotte. Whiche thinge he right willingly
did, not looking that he should be bidden againe, and being recomforted
with the warmth therof, he felt him selfe reuiued from death to life.
The good wyfe caused certayne apparel of her late dead husband, to be
searched out for him, and when he had put them on, they were so mete, as
though they had bene made of purpose, and waiting what it should please
the good wife to commaunde him, he began humbly to thanke God and
saincte Iulian, that hee was deliuered from that euill nighte (contrarie
to his expectation) to so good a lodging. After this the fayre wydowe,
somewhat reposing her selfe, caused a great fyre to be made in one of
her great chambers, into the whiche shee came, and demaunded her mayde
what maner of man he was. The maid aunswered: “Maistres, nowe he is in
good apparell, he is a verie handsome felowe, and seemeth to be of good
reputation and honestie.” “Goe thy wayes (quod her maistres) and call
hym hether. Bidde him come to the fyre, and tell hym that he shall suppe
with me, for perchaunce he hath eaten no meate this nighte.” Rinaldo
came into the chamber, and seing the wydowe, he made to her great
reuerence: thanking her for her kindnesse shewed vnto him. When the
wydowe had seene him, and heard him speake, perceiuing him to be suche a
one as her mayde reported, shee intertaigned him in curteous wyse,
causing him familiarly to sitte downe before the fire, and demaunded
what mishap brought him to that place. To whome Rinaldo rehersed the
whole discourse. For she had heard at the comming of Rinaldo his
seruaunt to the Castell, a brute of his roberie, whiche made her to
beleue him the better: She tolde him also, that his man was come to the
towne, and howe hee might easely finde him the next morning. And after
meate was serued to the table, Rinaldo and she washed together, and then
sat down to supper. He was a goodly personage, faire and pleasaunt to
beholde, yonge and of good behauiour, vpon whom the woman many times did
cast her eyes, and liked him well. To be shorte, this lecherous Lady,
burning inwardlye with amourous desyre, abused her selfe with hym, in
steede of the Marques. But when the morning began to shewe foorth her
light, the wydowe, to the intent no suspicion might bee hadde, gaue him
certayne base and course apparell, and filled his purse with money,
praying him to kepe her counsell, and first tolde him whiche way he
should take to seeke his man, letting him out at the doore whereat he
came in. Who seming as though he had traueiled a great waye that
morning, when the gates were opened, went into the Castell, and founde
his seruaunte. And then putting vppon hym suche apparell as was in his
male, and being about to mounte vpon his man’s horse, it came to passe,
like as it had bene a diuine miracle, that the three theues, whiche had
robbed him the night before, were taken for doing an other robberie a
little whyle after, and were brought to the Castell, and vppon their
confession, his horse, apparell, and money, were restored to him againe,
losing nothing but a payre of garters. Wherefore Rinaldo thanking God
and saint Iulian, mounted vppon his horse and retourned whole and saulfe
to his owne house. And the nexte daye, the three theues were conueied
foorth, to blesse the worlde with their heeles.