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The Decameron

✒ Author
📖 Pages909
⏰ Reading time 49 hours 30 minutes
💡 Originally published1353
🌏 Original language Italian
📌 Types Novella , Novels
📌 Genres Drama, Love, Historical, Adventure, Prose, Realism, Satire, irony, Philosophical, Humor
📌 Sections Love history , Historical novel , Love story , Adventure novel , Realistic novel , Philosophical novel , Humor novel

Table of contents

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PROEM1
Day the First2
THE FIRST STORY26
THE SECOND STORY42
THE THIRD STORY48
THE FOURTH STORY52
THE FIFTH STORY57
THE SIXTH STORY62
THE SEVENTH STORY66
THE EIGHTH STORY74
THE NINTH STORY78
THE TENTH STORY80
Day the Second89
THE FIRST STORY90
THE SECOND STORY96
THE THIRD STORY103
THE FOURTH STORY116
THE FIFTH STORY125
THE SIXTH STORY145
THE SEVENTH STORY163
THE EIGHTH STORY193
THE NINTH STORY214
THE TENTH STORY216
Day the Third221
THE FIRST STORY222
THE SECOND STORY224
THE THIRD STORY225
THE FOURTH STORY227
THE FIFTH STORY228
THE SIXTH STORY230
THE SEVENTH STORY240
THE EIGHTH STORY262
THE NINTH STORY275
THE TENTH STORY289
Day the Fourth299
THE FIRST STORY308
THE SECOND STORY322
THE THIRD STORY336
THE FOURTH STORY345
THE FIFTH STORY352
THE SIXTH STORY358
THE SEVENTH STORY367
THE EIGHTH STORY372
THE NINTH STORY379
THE TENTH STORY384
Day the Fifth402
THE FIRST STORY403
THE SECOND STORY417
THE THIRD STORY424
THE FOURTH STORY433
THE FIFTH STORY439
THE SIXTH STORY447
THE SEVENTH STORY454
THE EIGHTH STORY464
THE NINTH STORY470
THE TENTH STORY478
Day the Sixth492
THE FIRST STORY495
THE SECOND STORY497
THE THIRD STORY502
THE FOURTH STORY504
THE FIFTH STORY507
THE SIXTH STORY509
THE SEVENTH STORY511
THE EIGHTH STORY515
THE NINTH STORY517
THE TENTH STORY521
Day the Seventh539
THE FIRST STORY540
THE SECOND STORY545
THE THIRD STORY551
THE FOURTH STORY558
THE FIFTH STORY564
THE SIXTH STORY574
THE SEVENTH STORY579
THE EIGHTH STORY587
THE NINTH STORY599
THE TENTH STORY612
Day the Eighth621
THE FIRST STORY622
THE SECOND STORY627
THE THIRD STORY634
THE FOURTH STORY645
THE FIFTH STORY649
THE SIXTH STORY652
THE SEVENTH STORY659
THE EIGHTH STORY686
THE NINTH STORY692
THE TENTH STORY712
Day the Ninth730
THE FIRST STORY731
THE SECOND STORY738
THE THIRD STORY743
THE FOURTH STORY748
THE FIFTH STORY755
THE SIXTH STORY766
THE SEVENTH STORY773
THE EIGHTH STORY776
THE NINTH STORY780
THE TENTH STORY787
Day the Tenth796
THE FIRST STORY797
THE SECOND STORY801
THE THIRD STORY807
THE FOURTH STORY816
THE FIFTH STORY827
THE SIXTH STORY832
THE SEVENTH STORY839
THE EIGHTH STORY847
THE NINTH STORY868
THE TENTH STORY889
Conclusion of the Author906

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PROEM

HERE BEGINNETH THE BOOK CALLED DECAMERON AND SURNAMED PRINCE GALAHALT WHEREIN ARE CONTAINED AN HUNDRED STORIES IN TEN DAYS TOLD BY SEVEN LADIES AND THREE YOUNG MEN
A kindly thing it is to have compassion of the afflicted and albeit it well beseemeth every one, yet of those is it more particularly required who have erst had need of comfort and have found it in any, amongst whom, if ever any had need thereof or held it dear or took pleasure therein aforetimes, certes, I am one of these. For that, having from my first youth unto this present been beyond measure inflamed with a very high and noble passion (higher and nobler, perchance, than might appear, were I to relate it, to sort with my low estate) albeit by persons of discretion who had intelligence thereof I was commended therefor and accounted so much the more worth, natheless a passing sore travail it was to me to bear it, not, certes, by reason of the cruelty of the beloved lady, but because of the exceeding ardour begotten in my breast of an ill–ordered appetite, for which, for that it suffered me not to stand content at any reasonable bounds, caused me ofttimes feel more chagrin than I had occasion for. In this my affliction the pleasant discourse of a certain friend of mine and his admirable consolations afforded me such refreshment that I firmly believe of these it came that I died not. But, as it pleased Him who, being Himself infinite, hath for immutable law appointed unto all things mundane that they shall have an end, my love, — beyond every other fervent and which nor stress of reasoning nor counsel, no, nor yet manifest shame nor peril that might ensue thereof, had availed either to break or to bend, — of its own motion, in process of time, on such wise abated that of itself at this present it hath left me only that pleasance which it is used to afford unto whoso adventureth himself not too far in the navigation of its profounder oceans; by reason whereof, all chagrin being done away, I feel it grown delightsome, whereas it used to be grievous. Yet, albeit the pain hath ceased, not, therefore, is the memory fled of the benefits whilom received and the kindnesses bestowed on me by those to whom, of the goodwill they bore me, my troubles were grievous; nor, as I deem, will it ever pass away, save for death. And for that gratitude, to my thinking, is, among the other virtues, especially commendable and its contrary blameworthy, I have, that I may not appear ungrateful, bethought myself, now that I can call myself free, to endeavour, in that little which is possible to me, to afford some relief, in requital of that which I received aforetime, — if not to those who succoured me and who, belike, by reason of their good sense or of their fortune, have no occasion therefor, — to those, at least, who stand in need thereof. And albeit my support, or rather I should say my comfort, may be and indeed is of little enough avail to the afflicted, natheless meseemeth it should rather be proffered whereas the need appeareth greater, as well because it will there do more service as for that it will still be there the liefer had. And who will deny that this [comfort], whatsoever [worth] it be, it behoveth much more to give unto lovesick ladies than unto men? For that these within their tender bosoms, fearful and shamefast, hold hid the fires of love (which those who have proved know how much more puissance they have than those which are manifest), and constrained by the wishes, the pleasures, the commandments of fathers, mothers, brothers and husbands, abide most time enmewed in the narrow compass of their chambers and sitting in a manner idle, willing and willing not in one breath, revolve in themselves various thoughts which it is not possible should still be merry. By reason whereof if there arise in their minds any melancholy, bred of ardent desire, needs must it with grievous annoy abide therein, except it be done away by new discourse; more by token that they are far less b than men to endure. With men in love it happeneth not on this wise, as we may manifestly see. They, if any melancholy or heaviness of thought oppress them, have many means of easing it or doing it away, for that to them, an they have a mind thereto, there lacketh not commodity of going about hearing and seeing many things, fowling, hunting, fishing, riding, gaming and trafficking; each of which means hath, altogether or in part, power to draw the mind unto itself and to divert it from troublous thought, at least for some space of time, whereafter, one way or another, either solacement superveneth or else the annoy groweth less. Wherefore, to the end that the unright of Fortune may by me in part be amended, which, where there is the less strength to endure, as we see it in delicate ladies, hath there been the more niggard of support, I purpose, for the succour and solace of ladies in love (unto others the needle and the spindle and the reel suffice) to recount an hundred stories or fables or parables or histories or whatever you like to style them, in ten days' time related by an honourable company of seven ladies and three young men made in the days of the late deadly pestilence, together with sundry canzonets sung by the aforesaid ladies for their diversion. In these stories will be found love–chances, both gladsome and grievous, and other accidents of fortune befallen as well in times present as in days of old, whereof the ladies aforesaid, who shall read them, may at once take solace from the delectable things therein shown forth and useful counsel, inasmuch as they may learn thereby what is to be eschewed and what is on like wise to be ensued, — the which methinketh cannot betide without cease of chagrin. If it happen thus (as God grant it may) let them render thanks therefor to Love, who, by loosing me from his bonds, hath vouchsafed me the power of applying myself to the service of their pleasures.

Day the First

HERE BEGINNETH THE FIRST DAY OF THE DECAMERON WHEREIN (AFTER DEMONSTRATION MADE BY THE AUTHOR OF THE MANNER IN WHICH IT CAME TO PASS THAT THE PERSONS WHO ARE HEREINAFTER PRESENTED FOREGATHERED FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEVISING TOGETHER) UNDER THE GOVERNANCE OF PAMPINEA IS DISCOURSED OF THAT WHICH IS MOST AGREEABLE UNTO EACH
As often, most gracious ladies, as, taking thought in myself, I mind me how very pitiful you are all by nature, so often do I recognize that this present work will, to your thinking, have a grievous and a weariful beginning, inasmuch as the dolorous remembrance of the late pestiferous mortality, which it beareth on its forefront, is universally irksome to all who saw or otherwise knew it. But I would not therefore have this affright you from reading further, as if in the reading you were still to fare among sighs and tears. Let this grisly beginning be none other to you than is to wayfarers a rugged and steep mountain, beyond which is situate a most fair and delightful plain, which latter cometh so much the pleasanter to them as the greater was the hardship of the ascent and the descent; for, like as dolour occupieth the extreme of gladness, even so are miseries determined by imminent joyance. This brief annoy (I say brief, inasmuch as it is contained in few pages) is straightway succeeded by the pleasance and delight which I have already promised you and which, belike, were it not aforesaid, might not be looked for from such a beginning. And in truth, could I fairly have availed to bring you to my desire otherwise than by so rugged a path as this will be I had gladly done it; but being in a manner constrained thereto, for that, without this reminiscence of our past miseries, it might not be shown what was the occasion of the coming about of the things that will hereafter be read, I have brought myself to write them.
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Download the free e-book by Giovanni Boccaccio, «The Decameron» , in English. You can also print the text of the book. For this, the PDF and DOC formats are suitable.

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