He [the Marquis of Saluzzo] had taken a fancy, some time before, to
the behavior of a poor country girl, who lived in a village not far
from his palace; and thinking he might live comfortably enough with
her, he determined, without seeking any further, to marry her.... The
people all declared themselves pleased, and promised to regard her in
all things as their mistress. Afterward they made preparations for a
most noble feast, and the like did the prince, inviting all his
relations, and the great lords in all parts and provinces about him;
he had also most rich and costly robes made, shaped by a person that
seemed to be of the same size with his intended spouse; and provided a
girdle, ring, and fine coronet, with everything requisite for a bride.
And when the day appointed was come, about the third hour he mounted
his horse, attended by all his friends and vassals, and, having
everything in readiness, he said, "My lords and gentlemen, it is now
time to go for my new spouse."
[Footnote 29: This, the most famous of Boccaccio's stories, is the
last of those related on the tenth day. Lowndes's "Manual" mentions
under Boccaccio "the Booke called de John Bochas, descriving the Falle
of Princis and Princessis and Other Nobles, translated into Englisshe
by John Lydgate, Folio, London, 1494." Another early translation
appeared in 1560, but this appears to have contained parts only of the
"Decameron." An edition issued in 1620-25 is called by Lowndes "the
first English translation," by which apparently is meant the first
complete one. A translation by E. Dubois was issued in 1806.
Boccaccio's Tales were known in England before the invention of
printing. Chaucer, who made use of the story of Griselda, has told as
follows how he first obtained it from Petrarch in Padua.
"I wolle you telle a tale which that I
Lernid at Padow of a worthie clerke,
Fraucis Petrarke, the laureate poete."
]
So on they rode to the village, and when he was come near the father's
house he saw her carrying some water from the well, in great haste to
go afterward with some of her acquaintances to see the new
marchioness; when he called her by her name, which was Griselda, and
inquired where her father was. She modestly replied, "My gracious
lord, he is in the house." He then alighted from his horse, commanding
them all to wait for him, and went alone into the cottage, where he
found the father, who was called Giannucolo, and said to him, "Honest
man, I am come to espouse thy daughter, but would first ask her some
questions before thee." He then inquired whether she would make it her
study to please him, and not be uneasy at any time, whatever he should
do or say; and whether she would always be obedient; with more to
that purpose. To which she answered, "Yes." He then led her out by
the hand, and, ordering the rich apparel to be brought which he had
provided, he had her clothed completely, and a coronet set upon her
head, all disordered as her hair was; after which, every one being in
amaze, he said, "Behold, this is the person whom I intend for my wife,
provided she will accept of me for her husband." Then, turning toward
her, who stood quite abashed, "Will you," said he, "have me for your
husband?" She replied, "Yes, if it so please your lordship." "Well,"
he replied, "and I take you for my wife."
So he espoused her in that public manner, and, mounting her on a
palfrey, conducted her honorably to his palace, celebrating the
nuptials with as much pomp and grandeur as tho he had been married to
the daughter of the King of France; and the young bride showed
apparently that with her garments she had changed both her mind and
behavior. She had a most agreeable person, and was so amiable, and so
good-natured withal, that she seemed rather a lord's daughter than a
poor shepherd's; at which every one that knew her before was greatly
surprized. She was so obedient, also, to her husband, and so obliging
in all respects, that he thought himself the happiest man in the
world; and to her subjects likewise so gracious and condescending that
they all honored and loved her as their own lives, praying for her
health and prosperity, and declaring, contrary to their former
opinion, that Gualtieri was the most prudent and sharp-sighted prince
in the whole world; for that no one could have discerned such virtues
under a mean habit and a country disguise but himself. In a very
short time her discreet behavior and good works were the common
subject of discourse, not in that country alone, but everywhere else;
and what had been objected to the prince, with regard to his marrying
her, now took a contrary turn. They had not lived long together before
she proved with child, and at length brought forth a daughter, for
which he made great rejoicings.
But soon afterward a new fancy came into his head, and that was to
make trial of her patience by long and intolerable sufferings: so he
began with harsh words and an appearance of great uneasiness--telling
her that his subjects were greatly displeased with her for her mean
parentage, especially as they saw she bore children, and that they did
nothing but murmur at the daughter already born. Which when she heard,
without changing countenance or her resolution in any respect, she
replied, "My lord, pray dispose of me as you think most for your honor
and happiness: I shall entirely acquiesce, knowing myself to be meaner
than the meanest of the people, and that I was altogether unworthy of
that dignity to which your favor was pleased to advance me."
This was very agreeable to the prince, seeing that she was in no way
elevated with the honor he had conferred upon her. Afterward, having
often told her, in general terms, that his subjects could not bear
with the daughter that was born of her, he sent one of his servants,
whom he had instructed what to do, who, with a very sorrowful
countenance, said to her, "Madam, I must either lose my own life or
obey my lord's commands; now he has ordered me to take your daughter,
and--" without saying anything more. She, hearing these words, and
noting the fellow's looks, remembering also what she had heard before
from her lord, concluded that he had orders to destroy the child. So
she took it out of the cradle, kissed it, and gave it her blessing;
when, without changing countenance, tho her heart throbbed with
maternal affection, she tenderly laid it in the servant's arms, and
said, "Take it, and do what thy lord and mine has commanded; but,
prithee, leave it not to be devoured by the fowls or wild beasts,
unless that be his will." Taking the child, he acquainted the prince
with what she said, who was greatly surprized at her constancy; and he
sent the same person with it to a relation at Bologna, desiring her,
without revealing whose child it was, to see it carefully brought up
and educated. Afterward the lady became with child a second time, and
was delivered of a son, at which he was extremely pleased.
But, not satisfied with what he had already done, he began to grieve
and persecute her still more, saying one day to her, seemingly much
out of temper, "Since thou hast brought me this son, I am able to live
no longer with my people; for they mutiny to that degree that a poor
shepherd's grandson is to succeed, and be their lord after me, that,
unless I would run the risk of being driven out of my dominions, I
must needs dispose of this child as I did of the other, and then send
thee away, in order to take a wife more suitable to me." She heard
this with a great deal of resignation, making only this reply: "My
lord, study only your own ease and happiness, without the least care
for me; for nothing is agreeable to me but what is pleasing to
yourself." Not many days after he sent for the son in the same manner
as he had done for the daughter, and seeming also as if he had
procured him to be destroyed, had him conveyed to Bologna, to be taken
care of with the daughter. This she bore with the same resolution as
before, at which the prince wondered greatly, declaring to himself
that no other woman was capable of doing the like. And were it not
that he had observed her extremely fond of her children, while that
was agreeable to him, he should have thought it want of affection in
her; but he saw it was only her entire obedience and condescension.
The people, imagining that the children were both put to death, blamed
him to the last degree, thinking him the most cruel and worst of men,
and showing great compassion for the lady, who, whenever she was in
company with the ladies of her acquaintance, and they condoled with
her for her loss, would only say, "It was not my will, but his who
begot them."
But more years being now passed, and he resolving to make the last
trial of her patience, declared, before many people, that he could no
longer bear to keep Griselda as his wife, owning that he had done very
foolishly, and like a young man, in marrying her, and that he meant to
solicit the pope for a dispensation to take another and send her away;
for which he was much blamed by many worthy persons; but he said
nothing in return, only that it should be so. She, hearing this, and
expecting to go home to her father's, and possibly tend the cattle as
she had done before, while she saw some other lady possest of him,
whom she dearly loved and honored, was perhaps secretly grieved; but
as she had withstood other strokes of fortune, so she determined
resolutely to do now. Soon afterward Gualtieri had counterfeit letters
come to him, as from Rome, acquainting all his people that his
holiness thereby dispensed with his marrying another and turning away
Griselda. He then brought her before him, and said, "Woman, by the
pope's leave I may dispose of thee, and take another wife. As my
ancestors, then, have been all sovereign princes of this country, and
thine only peasants, I intend to keep thee no longer, but to send thee
back to thy father's cottage, with the same fortune which thou
broughtest me, and afterward to make choice of one more suitable in
quality to myself." It was with the utmost difficulty she could now
refrain from tears; and she replied, "My lord, I was always sensible
that my servile condition would no way accord with your high rank and
descent. For what I have been, I own myself indebted to Providence and
you; I considered it as a favor lent me: you are now pleased to demand
it back; I therefore willingly restore it. Behold the ring with which
you espoused me; I deliver it you. You bid me take the dowry back
which I brought you; you will have no need for a teller to count it,
nor I for a purse to put it in, much less a sumpter horse to carry it
away."... So she left his palace in that manner, and returned weeping
to her father's, to the great grief of all who saw her.
The poor man, never supposing that the prince would keep her so long
as his wife, and expecting this thing to happen every day, safely laid
up the garments of which she had been despoiled the day he espoused
her. He now brought them to her, and she put them on, and went as
usual about her father's little household affairs, bearing this fierce
trial of adverse fortune with the greatest courage imaginable. The
prince then gave out that he was to espouse a daughter of one of the
counts of Panago; and, seeming as if he made great preparations for
his nuptials, he sent for Griselda to come to him, and said to her, "I
am going to bring this lady home whom I have just married and intend
to show her all possible respect at her first coming: thou knowest
that I have no woman with me able to set out the rooms, and do many
other things which are requisite on so solemn an occasion. As,
therefore, thou art best acquainted with the state of the house, I
would have thee make such provision as thou shalt judge proper, and
invite what ladies thou wilt, even as tho thou wert mistress of the
house, and when the marriage is ended get thee home to thy father's
again." Tho these words pierced like daggers to the heart of Griselda,
who was unable to part with her love for the prince so easily as she
had done with her great fortune, yet she replied, "My lord, I am ready
to fulfil all your commands." She then went in her coarse attire into
the palace, and with her own hands did she begin to sweep, and set all
the rooms to rights, cleaning the stools and benches in the hall like
the meanest servant, and directing what was to be done in the
kitchen, never giving over till everything was in order and as it
ought to be. After this was done she invited, in the prince's name,
all the ladies in the country to come to the feast. And on the day
appointed for the marriage, meanly clad as she was, she received them
in the most genteel and cheerful manner imaginable.
Now, Gualtieri, who had his children carefully brought up at Bologna
(the girl being about twelve years old, and one of the prettiest
creatures that ever was seen, and the boy six), had sent to his
kinswoman there, to desire she would bring them, with an honorable
retinue, to Saluzzo, giving it out all the way she came, that she was
bringing the young lady to be married to him, without letting any one
know to the contrary. Accordingly, they all three set forward,
attended by a goodly train of gentry, and, after some days' traveling,
reached Saluzzo about dinner-time, when they found the whole company
assembled, waiting to see their new lady. The young lady was most
graciously received by all the women present, and being come into the
hall where the tables were all covered, Griselda, meanly drest as she
was, went cheerfully to meet her, saying. "Your ladyship is most
kindly welcome." The ladies, who had greatly importuned the prince;
tho to no purpose, to let Griselda be in a room by herself, or else
that she might have some of her own clothes, and not appear before
strangers in that manner, were now seated, and going to be served
round, while the young lady was universally admired, and every one
said that the prince had made a good change; but Griselda, in
particular, highly commended both her and her brother. The marquis
now thinking that he had seen enough with regard to his wife's
patience, and perceiving that in all her trials she was still the
same, being persuaded, likewise, that this proceeded from no want of
understanding in her, because he knew her to be singularly prudent, he
thought it time to take her from that anguish which he supposed she
might conceal under her firm and constant deportment. So, making her
come before all the company, he said, with a smile, "What thinkest
thou, Griselda, of my bride?" "My lord," she replied, "I like her
extremely well; and if she be as prudent as she is fair, you may be
the happiest man in the world with her: but I most humbly beg that you
would not take those heart-breaking measures with this lady as you did
with your last wife, because she is young and has been tenderly
educated, whereas the other was inured to hardships from a child."
Gualtieri perceiving that, tho Griselda thought that person was to be
his wife, she nevertheless answered him with great humility and
sweetness of temper, he made her sit down by him, and said, "Griselda,
it is now time for you to reap the fruit of your long patience, and
that they who have reputed me to be cruel, unjust, and a monster in
nature may know that what I have done has been all along with a view
to teach you how to behave as a wife; to show them how to choose and
keep a wife; and, lastly, to secure my own ease and quiet as long as
we live together, which I was apprehensive might have been endangered
by my marrying. Therefore I had a mind to prove you by harsh and
injurious treatment; and, not being sensible that you have ever
transgrest my will, either in word or deed, I now seem to have met
with that happiness I desired. I intend, then, to restore in one hour
what I have taken away from you in many, and to make you the sweetest
recompense for the many bitter pangs I have caused you to suffer.
Accept, therefore, this young lady, whom thou thought my spouse, and
her brother, as your children and mine. They are the same whom you and
many others believed that I had been the means of cruelly murdering;
and I am your husband, who love and value you above all things,
assuring myself that no person in the world can be happier in a wife
than I am."
With this he embraced her most affectionately, when, rising up
together (she weeping for joy), they went where their daughter was
sitting, quite astonished with these things, and tenderly saluted both
her and her brother, undeceiving them and the whole company. At this
the women all arose, overjoyed, from the tables, and, taking Griselda
into the chamber, they clothed her with her own noble apparel, and as
a marchioness, resembling such a one even in rags, and brought her
into the hall. And being extremely rejoiced with her son and daughter,
and every one expressing the utmost satisfaction at what had come to
pass, the feasting was prolonged many days. The marquis was adjudged a
very wise man, tho abundantly too severe, and the trial of his lady
most intolerable; but as for Griselda, she was beyond compare.