La Fiammetta

Giovanni Boccaccio

PROLOGUE

Beginneth the Book called Elegy of Madonna Fiam-metta, sent by her to Ladies in Love.

When the wretched perceive or feel that theirwoes arouse compassion, their longing to givevent to their anguish is thereby increased. Andso, since, from long usance, the cause of myanguish, instead of growing less, has becomegreater, the wish has come to me, noble la-dies—in whose hearts, mayhap, abides a lovemore fortunate than mine—to win your pity, ifI may, by telling the tale of my sorrows. Nor isit at all my intent that these my words shouldcome to the ears of men. Nay, rather would I,so far as lies in my power, withhold my com-plaints from them; for, such bitterness has thediscovery of the unkindness of one man stirredin me, that, imagining all other men to be like

him, methinks I should be a witness of theirmocking laughter rather than of their pityingtears. You alone do I entreat to peruse mystory, knowing full well that you will feel withme, and that you have a pious concern for oth-ers' pangs. Here you will not find Grecian fa-bles adorned with many lies, nor Trojan battles,foul with blood and gore, but amorous senti-ments fed with torturing desires. Here will ap-pear before your very eyes the dolorous tears,the impetuous sighs, the heart-breaking words,the stormy thoughts, which have harrowed mewith an ever-recurring goad, and have tornaway from me sleep and appetite and thepleasant times of old, and my much-lovedbeauty. When you behold these things, andbehold them with the ardent feelings whichladies are wont to have, sure I am that thecheeks of each separately, and of all whenbrought together, will be bathed in tears, be-cause of those ills which are alone the occasionof my never-ending misery. Do not, I beseech

you, refuse me these tears, reflecting that yourestate is unstable as well as mine, and that,should it ever come to resemble mine (thewhich may God forfend!), the tears that othersshed for you will be pleasing to you in return.And that the time may pass more rapidly inspeaking than in, weeping, I will do my best tofulfil my promise briefly, beginning with thatlove which was more happy than lasting, sothat, by comparing that happiness with mypresent case, you may learn that I am nowmore unhappy than any woman ever has been.And afterward I will trace with mournful pen,as best I can, all the agonies which are justly thesource of my lamentations. But first, if theprayers of the wretched are heard, if there is inHeaven any Deity whose holy mind can betouched with compassion for me, afflicted as Iam, bathed in my own tears, Him I beseech toaid my despondent memory and support mytrembling hand in its present task. So may thetortures which I have felt and still feel in my

soul become fruitful, and the memory will sug-gest the words for them, and the hand, moreeager than apt for such duty, will write themdown.

Chapter I

Wherein the lady describes who she was, and bywhat signs her misfortunes were foreshadowed, andat what time, and where, and in what manner, andof whom she became enamored, with the descriptionof the ensuing delight.

In the time when the newly-vestured earth ap-pears more lovely than during all the rest of theyear came I into the world, begotten of noble

parents and born amid the unstinted gifts ofbenignant fortune. Accursed be the day, to memore hateful than any other, on which I wasborn! Oh, how far more befitting would it havebeen had I never been born, or had I been car-ried from that luckless womb to my grave, orhad I possessed a life not longer than that of theteeth sown by Cadmus, or had Atropos cut thethread of my existence at the very hour when ithad begun! Then, in earliest childhood wouldhave been entombed the limitless woes that arethe melancholy occasion of that which I amwriting. But what boots it to complain of thisnow? I am here, beyond doubt; and it has plea-sed and even now pleases God that I should behere. Born and reared, then, amid boundlessaffluence, I learned under a venerable mistresswhatever manners and refinements it beseemsa demoiselle of high rank to know. And as myperson grew and developed with my increasingyears, so also grew and developed my beauty.Alas! even while a child, on hearing that beauty

acclaimed of many, I gloried therein, and culti-vated it by ingenious care and art. And when Ihad bidden farewell to childhood, and had at-tained a riper age, I soon discovered that this,my beauty —ill-fated gift for one who desiresto live virtuously!—had power to kindle amo-rous sparks in youths of my own age, and othernoble persons as well, being instructed there-upon by nature, and feeling that love can bequickened in young men by beauteous ladies.And by divers looks and actions, the sense ofwhich I did but dimly discern at the time, didthese youths endeavor in numberless ways tokindle in my heart the fire wherewith their ownhearts glowed—fire that was destined, not towarm, but rather to consume me also in thefuture more than it ever has burned anotherwoman; and by many of these young men wasI sought in marriage with most fervid and pas-sionate entreaty. But after I had chosen amongthem one who was in every respect congenialto me, this importunate crowd of suitors, being

now almost hopeless, ceased to trouble me withtheir looks and attentions. I, therefore, beingsatisfied, as was meet, with such a husband,lived most happily, so long as fervid love,lighted by flames hitherto unfelt, found no en-trance into my young soul. Alas! I had no wishunsatisfied; nothing that could please me orany other lady ever was denied me, even for amoment. I was the sole delight, the peculiarfelicity of a youthful spouse, and, just as heloved me, so did I equally love him. Oh, howmuch happier should I have been than all otherwomen, if the love for him that was then in myheart had endured!

It was, then, while I was living in sweet con-tent, amid every kind of enjoyment, that For-tune, who quickly changes all things earthly,becoming envious of the very gifts which sheherself had bestowed, withdrew her protectinghand. At first uncertain in what manner shecould succeed in poisoning my happiness, she

at length managed, with subtle craft, to makemine own very eyes traitors and so guide meinto the path that led to disaster. But the godswere still propitious to me, nay, were evenmore concerned for my fate than I myself. Hav-ing seen through her veiled malice, theywished to supply me with weapons, had I butknown how to avail me thereof, wherewith Imight fend my breast, and not go unarmed tothe battle wherein I was destined to fall. Yea,on the very night that preceded the day whichwas the beginning of all my woes, they re-vealed to me the future in my sleep by meansof a clear and distinct vision, in such wise asfollows:

While lying on my spacious couch, with all mylimbs relaxed in deepest slumber, I seemed tobe filled with greater joy than I had ever feltbefore, and wherefore I knew not. And the daywhereon this happened was the brightest andloveliest of days. I was standing alone in ver-

dant grass, when, with the joy whereof I spoke,came the thought to me that it might be well forme to repose in a meadow that appeared to beshielded from the fervid rays of the sun by theshadows cast by various trees newly garbed intheir glossy foliage. But first, gathering diversflowers, wherewith the whole sward was be-jeweled, I placed them, with my white hands,in a corner of my robe, and then, sitting downand choosing flower after flower, I wove there-from a fair garland, and adorned my head withit. And, being so adorned, I arose, and, likeunto Proserpine at what time Pluto ravishedher from her mother, I went along singing inthis new springtime. Then, being perchanceweary, I laid me down in a spot where the ver-dure was deepest and softest. But, just as thetender foot of Eurydice was pierced by the con-cealed viper, so meseemed that a hidden ser-pent came upon me, as I lay stretched on thegrass, and pierced me under the left breast. Thebite of the sharp fang, when it first entered,

seemed to burn me. But afterward, feelingsomewhat reassured, and yet afraid of some-thing worse ensuing, I thought I clasped thecold serpent to my bosom, fancying that bycommunicating to it the warmth of that bosom,I should thereby render it more kindly dis-posed in my regard in return for such a service.But the viper, made bolder and more obdurateby that very favor, laid his hideous mouth onthe wound he had given me, and after a longspace, and after it had drunk much of myblood, methought that, despite my resistance, itdrew forth my soul; and then, leaving mybreast, departed with it. And at the very mo-ment of the serpent's departure the day lost itsbrightness, and a thick shadow came behindme and covered me all over, and the farther theserpent crept, the more lowering grew theheavens, and it seemed almost as if the reptiledragged after it in its course the masses ofthick, black clouds that appeared to follow inits wake, Not long afterward, just as a white

stone flung into deep water gradually vanishesfrom the eyes of the beholder, so it, too, van-ished from my sight. Then the heavens becamedarker and darker, and I thought that the sunhad suddenly withdrawn and night had surelyreturned, as it had erstwhile returned to theGreeks because of the crime of Atrcus. Next,flashes of lightning sped swiftly along the skies,and peals of crashing thunder appalled theearth and me likewise. And through all, thewound made in my breast by the bite of theserpent remained with me still, and full of vi-perous poison; for no medicinal help waswithin my reach, so that my entire body ap-peared to have swollen in a most foul and dis-gusting manner. Whereupon I, who before thisseemed to be without life or motion—why, I donot know—feeling that the force of the venomwas seeking to reach my heart in divers subtleways, now tossed and rolled upon the coolgrass, expecting death at any moment. Butmethought that when the hour of my doom

arrived, I was struck with terror at its approach,and the anguish of my heart was so appalling,while looking forward to its coming, that myinert body was convulsed with horror, and somy deep slumber was suddenly broken. Nosooner was I fully awake than, being stillalarmed by the things I had seen, I felt with myright hand for the wound in my breast, search-ing at the present moment for that which wasalready being prepared for my future misery.Finding that no wound was there, I began tofeel quite safe and even merry, and I made amock of the folly of drearns and of those whobelieve in them, and so I rendered the work ofthe gods useless. Ah, wretched me! if I mockedthem then, I had good reason to believe in themafterward, to my bitter sorrow and with theshedding of useless tears; good reason had Ialso to complain of the gods, who reveal theirsecrets to mortals in such mystic guise that thethings that are to happen in the future canhardly be said to be revealed at all. Being then

fully awake, I raised my drowsy head, and, assoon as I saw the light of the new-risen sunenter my chamber, laying aside every otherthought directly, I at once left my couch.

That day, too, was a day of the utmost solem-nity for almost everyone. Therefore, attiringmyself carefully in glittering cloth of gold, andadorning every part of my person with deft andcunning hand, I made ready to go to the Au-gust festival, appareled like unto the goddessesseen by Paris in the vale of Ida. And, while Iwas lost in admiration of myself, just as thepeacock is of his plumage, imagining that thedelight which I took in my own appearancewould surely be shared by all who saw me, aflower from my wreath fell on the ground nearthe curtain of my bed, I know not wherefore—perhaps plucked from my head by a celestialhand by me unseen. But I, careless of the occultsigns by which the gods forewarn mortals,picked it up, replaced it on my head, and, as if

nothing portentous had happened, I passed outfrom my abode. Alas! what clearer token ofwhat was to befall me could the gods havegiven me? This should have served to prefigureto me that my soul, once free and sovereign ofitself, was on that day to lay aside its sover-eignty and become a slave, as it betided. Oh, ifmy mind had not been distempered, I shouldhave surely known that to me that day wouldbe the blackest and direst of days, and I shouldhave let it pass without ever crossing thethreshold of my home! But although the godsusually hold forth signs whereby those againstwhom they are incensed may be warned, theyoften deprive them of due understanding; andthus, while pointing out the path they ought tofollow, they at the same time sate their ownanger. My ill fortune, then, thrust me forthfrom my house, vain and careless that I was;and, accompanied by several ladies, I movedwith slow step to the sacred temple, in whichthe solemn function required by the day was

already celebrating. Ancient custom, as well asmy noble estate, had reserved for me a promi-nent place among the other ladies. When I wasseated, my eyes, as was my habit of old,quickly wandered around the temple, and Isaw that it was crowded with men and women,who were divided into separate groups. Andno sooner was it observed that I was in thetemple than (even while the sacred office wasgoing on) that happened which had alwayshappened at other times, and not only did themen turn their eyes to gaze upon me, but thewomen did the same, as if Venus or Minervahad newly descended from the skies, andwould never again be seen by them in that spotwhere I was seated. Oh, how often I laughedwithin my own breast, being enraptured withmyself, and taking glory unto myself becauseof such things, just as if I were a real goddess!And so, nearly all the young gentlemen left offadmiring the other ladies, and took their stationaround me, and straightway encompassed me

almost in the form of a complete circle; and,while speaking in divers ways of my beauty,each finished his praises thereof with well-nighthe same sentences. But I who, by turning myeyes in another direction, showed that mymind was intent on other cares, kept my earsattentive to their discourse and received there-from much delectable sweetness; and, as itseemed to me that I was beholden to them forsuch pleasure, I sometimes let my eyes rest onthem more kindly and benignantly. And notonce, but many times, did I perceive that someof them, puffed up with vain hopes because ofthis, boasted foolishly of it to their companions.

While I, then, in this way looked at a few, andthat sparingly, I was myself looked at by many,and that exceedingly, and while I believed thatmy beauty was dazzling others, it came to passthat the beauty of another dazzled me, to mygreat tribulation. And now, being already closeon the dolorous moment, which was fated to be

the occasion either of a most assured death orof a life of such anguish that none before mehas ever endured the like, prompted by I knownot what spirit, I raised my eyes with decentgravity, and surveyed with penetrating lookthe crowds of young men who were standingnear me. And I discerned, more plainly than Isaw any of the others, a youth who stood di-rectly in front of me, all alone, leaning against amarble column; and, being moved thereto byirresistible fate, I began to take thought withinmy mind of his bearing and manners, thewhich I had never before donc in the case ofanyone else. I say, then, that, according to myjudgment, which was not at that time biased bylove, he was most beautiful in form, mostpleasing in deportment, and apparently of anhonorable disposition. The soft and silky locksthat fell in graceful curls beside his cheeks af-forded manifest proof of his youthfulness. Thelook wherewith he eyed me seemed to beg forpity, and yet it was marked by the wariness

and circumspection usual between man andman. Sure I am that I had still strength enoughto turn away my eyes from his gaze, at least fora time; but no other occurrence had power todivert my attention from the things alreadymentioned, and upon which I had deeply pon-dered. And the image of his form, which wasalready in my mind, remained there, and thisimage I dwelt upon with silent delight, affirm-ing within myself that those things were truewhich seemed to me to be true; and, pleasedthat he should look at me, I raised my eyes be-times to see whether he was still looking at me.But anon I gazed at him more steadily, makingno attempt to avoid amorous snares. And whenI had fixed my eyes on his more intently thanwas my wont, methought I could read in hiseyes words which might be uttered in this wise:

"O lady, thou alone art mine only bliss!"

Certainly, if I should say that this idea was notpleasing to me, I should surely lie, for it drew

forth a gentle sigh from my bosom, accompa-nied by these words: "And thou art mine!" un-less, perchance, the words were but the echo ofhis, caught by my mind and remaining withinit. But what availed it whether such wordswere spoken or not? The heart had good un-derstanding within itself of that which was notexpressed by the lips, and kept, too, within it-self that which, if it had escaped outside, might,mayhap, have left me still free. And so, fromthat time forward, I gave more absolute libertyto my foolish eyes than ever they had pos-sessed before, and they were well contentwithal. And surely, if the gods, who guide allthings to a definite issue, had not deprived meof understanding, I could still have been mis-tress of myself. But, postponing every consid-eration to the last one that swayed me, I tookdelight in following my unruly passion, andhaving made myself meet, all at once, for suchslavery, I became its thrall. For the fire thatleaped forth from his eyes encountered the

light in mine, flashing thereunto a most subtleray. It did not remain content therewith, but, bywhat hidden ways I know not, penetrated di-rectly into the deepest recesses of my heart; thewhich, affrighted by the sudden advent of thisflame, recalled to its center its exterior forcesand left me as pale as death, and also with thechill of death upon me. But not for long did thiscontinue, rather it happened contrariwise; and Ifelt my heart not only glow with sudden beat,but its forces speeded back swiftly to theirplaces, bringing with them a throbbing warmththat chased away my pallor and flushed mycheeks deeply; and, marveling wherefore thisshould betide, I sighed heavily; nor thereafterwas there other thought in my soul than how Imight please him.

In like fashion, he, without changing his place,continued to scrutinize my features, but withthe greatest caution; and, perhaps, having hadmuch practice in amorous warfare, and know-

ing by what devices the longed-for prey mightbe captured, he showed himself every momentmore humble, more desperate, and morefraught with tender yearning. Alas! how muchguile did that seeming desperation hide, which,as the result has now shown, though it mayhave come from the heart, never afterward re-turned to the same, and made manifest laterthat its revealment on the face was only a lureand a delusion! And, not to mention all hisdeeds, each of which was full of most artfuldeception, he so wrought upon me by his owncraft, or else the fates willed it should so hap-pen, that I straightway found myself enmeshedin the snares of sudden and unthought-of love,in a manner beyond all my powers of telling,and so I remain unto this very hour.

It was this one alone, therefore, most pitifulladies, that my heart, in it mad infatuation, cho-se, not only among so many high-born, hand-some and valiant youths then present, but even

among all of the same degree having their abo-de in my own Parthenope, as first and last andsole lord of my life. It was this one alone that Iloved, and loved more than any other. It wasthis one alone that was destined to be the be-ginning and source of my by any pleasure, al-though often tempted, being at last van-quished, have burned and now burn in the firewhich then first caught me. Omitting manythoughts that came into my mind, and manythings that were told me, I will only say that,intoxicated by a new passion, I returned with asoul enslaved to that spot whence I had goneforth in freedom.

When I was in my chamber, alone and unoccu-pied, inflamed with various wild wishes, filledwith new sensations and throbbing with manyanxieties, all of which were concentrated on theimage of the youth who pleased me, I arguedwithin myself that if I could not banish lovefrom my luckless bosom, I might at least be

able to keep cautious and secret control of ittherein; and how hard it is to do such a thing,no one can discover who does not make trial ofthe same. Surely do I believe that not even Lovehimself can cause so great anguish as such anattempt is certain to produce. Furthermore, Iwas arrested in my purpose by the fact that Ihad no acquaintance with him of whom I pro-fessed myself enamored. To relate all thethoughts that were engendered in me by thislove, and of what nature they were, would takealtogether too much time. But some few I mustperforce declare, as well as certain things thatwere beginning to delight me more than usual.I say, then, that, everything else being ne-glected, the only thing that was dear to me wasthe thought of my beloved, and, when it oc-curred to my mind that, by persevering in thiscourse, I might, mayhap, give occasion to someone to discover that which I wished to conceal,I often upbraided myself for my folly. But whatavailed it all? My upbraidings had to give way

to my inordinate yearning for him, and dis-solved uselessly into thin air.

For several days I longed exceedingly to learnwho was the youth I loved, toward whom mythoughts were ever clearly leading me; and thisI craftily learned, the which filled me with greatcontent. In like manner, the ornaments forwhich I had before this in no way cared, as hav-ing but little need thereof, began to be dear tome, thinking that the more I was adorned thebetter should I please. Wherefore I prized morethan hitherto my garments, gold, pearls, andmy other precious things. Until the presentmoment it had been my custom to frequentchurches, gardens, festivals, and seaside re-sorts, without other wish than the companion-ship of young friends of my own sex; now, Isought the aforesaid places with a new desire,believing that both to see and be seen wouldbring me great delectation. But, in sooth, thetrust which I was wont to place in my beauty

had deserted me, and now I never left mychamber, without first seeking the faithfulcounsel of my mirror: and my hands, newlyinstructed thereunto by I know not what cun-ning master, discovering each day some moreelegant mode of adornment than the day be-fore, and deftly adding artificial charms to mynatural loveliness, thereby caused me to out-shine all the other ladies in my surpassingsplendor. Furthermore, I began to wish for thehonors usually paid to me by ladies, because oftheir gracious courtesy, though, perhaps, theywere rather the guerdon of my noble birth, be-ing due to me therefor, thinking that if I ap-peared so magnificent to my beloved's eyes, hewould take the more delight in beholding me.Avarice, too, which is inborn in women, fledfrom me, so that I became free and open-handed, and regarded my own possessionsalmost as if they were not my own. The sedate-ness that beseems a woman fell away from mesomewhat, and I grew bolder in my ways; and,

in addition to all this, my eyes, which until thatday looked out on the world simply and natu-rally, entirely changed their manner of looking,and became so artful in their office that it was amarvel. And many other alterations appearedin me over and above these, all of which I donot care to relate, for besides that the reportthereof would be too tedious, I ween full wellthat you, like me, also have been, or are, inlove, and know what changes take place inthose who are in such sad case.

He was a most wary and circumspect youth,whereunto my experience was able to bear wit-ness frequently. Going very rarely, and alwaysin the most decorous manner, to the placeswhere I happened to be, he used to observe me,but ever with a cautious eye, so that it seemedas if he had planned as well as I to hide thetender flames that glowed in the breasts ofboth. Certainly, if I denied that love, although ithad clutched every corner of my heart and

taken violent possession of every recess of mysoul, grew even more intense whenever it hap-pened that my eyes encountered his, I shoulddeny the truth; he added further fuel to thefires that consumed me, and rekindled such asmight be expiring, if, mayhap, there were anysuch. But the beginning of all this was by nomeans so cheerful as the ending was joyless, assoon as I was deprived of the sight of this, mybeloved, inasmuch as the eyes, being thusrobbed of their delight, gave woful occasion oflamentation to the heart, the sighs whereofgrew greater in quality as well as in quantity,and desire, as if seizing my every feeling, tookme away from myself, and, as if I were notwhere I was, I frequently gave him who sawme cause for amazement by affording number-less pretexts for such happenings, being taughtby love itself. In addition to this, the quiet ofthe night and the thoughts on which my fancyfed continuously, by taking me out of myself,sometimes moved me to actions more frantic

than passionate and to the employment of un-usual words.

But it happened that while my excess of orna-ments, heartfelt sighs, lost rest, strange actions,frantic movements, and other effects of my re-cent love, attracted the notice of the other do-mestics of the household, they especially struckwith wonder a nurse of mine, old in years andexperienced, and of sound judgment, who,though well aware of the flames that torturedmy breast, yet making show of not knowingthereof, frequently chided me for my alteredmanners. One day in particular, finding melying disconsolate on my couch, seeing that mybrow was charged with doleful thoughts, andbelieving that we were not likely to be inter-rupted by other company, she began to speakas follows:

"My dearest daughter, whom I love as my veryself, tell me, I pray you, what are the sorrowsthat have for some time past been harassing

you? You who were wont to be so gay for-merly, you whom I have never seen before witha mournful countenance, seem to me now to bethe prey of grief and to let no moment passwithout a sigh."

Then, having at first feigned to be asleep andnot to have heard her, I heaved a deep sigh,and, my face, at one time flushing, at anotherturning pale, I tossed about on the couch, seek-ing what answer I should make, though, in-deed, in my agitation, my tongue could hardlyshape a perfect sentence. But, at length, I an-swered:

"Indeed, dear nurse, no fresh sorrows harassme; nor do I feel that I am in any way differentfrom what I am wont to be. Perhaps some trou-bles I may have, but they are such as are inci-dental to all women."

"Most certainly, you are trying to deceive me,my child," returned the aged nurse, "and you

seem not to reflect how serious a matter it is toattempt to lead persons of experience to believeone thing because it is couched in words and todisbelieve the opposite, although it is madeplainly evident by deeds. There is no reasonwhy you should hide from me a fact whereof Ihave had perfect knowledge since several daysago."

Alas! when I heard her speak thus, provokedand stung by her words, I said:

"If, then, thou wittest of all this, wherefore dostthou question me? All that thou hast to do nowis to keep secret that which thou hast discov-ered."

"In good truth," she replied, "I will conceal allthat which it is not meet that another shouldknow, and may the earth open and engulf mein its bowels before I ever reveal aught thatmight turn to thy open shame! Therefore, dothou live assured of this, and guard thyself ca-

refully from letting another know that which I,without either thyself or anyone else telling me,have learned from observing thy looks. As formyself, it is not now, but long ere now, that Ihave learned to keep hidden that which shouldnot be disclosed. Therefore, do thou continue tofeel secure as to this matter, and watch mostcarefully that thou lettest not another knowthat which I, not witting it from thee or fromanother, most surely have discovered from thi-ne own face and from its changeful seeming.But, if thou art still the victim of that folly bywhich I know thou hast been enslaved, if thouart as prone now as erewhile to indulge thatfeeling to which thou hast already given way,then know I right well that I must leave thee tothy own devices, for bootless will be my teach-ings and my warnings. Still, although this crueltyrant, to whom in thy youthful simplicity be-ing taken by surprise thou hast yielded thyfreedom, appears to have deprived thee of un-derstanding as well as of liberty, I will put thee

in mind of many things, and entreat thee tofling off and banish wicked thoughts from thychaste bosom, to quench that unholy fire, andnot to make thyself the thrall of unworthyhopes. Now is the time to be strong in resis-tance; for whoso makes a stout fight in the be-ginning roots out an unhallowed affection, andbears securely the palm of victory; but whoso,with long and wishful fancies, fosters it, will trytoo late to resist a yoke that has been submittedto almost unresistingly."

"Alas!" I replied, "how far easier it is to say suchthings than to lead them to any good result."

"Albeit they be not easy of fulfilment," she said,"yet are they possible, and they are things thatit beseems you to do. Take thou thought whet-her it would be fitting that for such a thing asthis thou shouldst lose the luster of thy exaltedparentage, the great fame of thy virtue, the flo-wer of thy beauty, the honor in which thou artnow held, and, above all, the favor of the spou-

se whom thou hast loved and by whom thouart loved: certainly, thou shouldst not wish forthis; nor do I believe thou wouldst wish it, ifthou didst but weigh the matter seriously inthine own mind. Wherefore, in the name ofGod, forbear, and drive from thy heart the falsedelights promised by a guilty hope, and, withthem, the madness that has seized thee. By thisaged breast, long harassed by many cares, fromwhich thou didst take thy first nutriment, Ihumbly beseech thee to have the courage to aidthyself, to have a concern for thine own honor,and not to disdain my warnings. Bethink theethat the very desire to be healed is itself oftenproductive of health."

Whereto I thus made answer:

"Only too well do I know, dear nurse, the truthof that which thou sayest. But a furious mad-ness constrains me to follow the worse course;vainly does my heart, insatiable in its desires,long for strength to enable it to adopt thy ad-

vice; what reason enjoins is rendered of noavail by this soul-subduing passion. My mindis wholly possessed by Love, who rules everypart thereof, in virtue of his all-embracing de-ity; and surely thou art aware that his power isabsolute, and 'twere useless to attempt to resistit."

Having said these words, I became almost un-conscious, and fell into her arms. But she, nowmore agitated than before, in austere and re-buking tones, said:

"Yes, forsooth, well am I aware that you and anumber of fond young women, inflamed andinstigated thereunto by vain thoughts, havediscovered Love to be a god, whereas a justername for him would be that of demon; and youand they call him the son of Venus, and saythat his strength has come to him from the thirdheaven, wishing, seemingly, to offer necessityas an excuse for your foolishness. Oh, was everwoman so misled as thou? Truly, thou must be

bereft entirely of understanding! What a thingthou sayest! Love a deity! Love is a madness,thrust forth from hell by some fury. He speedsacross the earth in hasty flight, and they whomhe visits soon discover that he brings no deitywith him, but frenzy rather; yet none will hevisit except those abounding overmuch inearthly felicity; for they, he knows, in theiroverweening conceit, are ready to afford himlodgment and shelter. This has been proven tous by many facts. Do we not see that Venus, thetrue, the heavenly Venus, often dwells in thehumblest cot, her sole concern being the per-petuation of our race? But this god, whomsome in their folly name Love, always hanker-ing after things unholy, ministers only to thosewhose fortunes are prosperous. This one, re-coiling from those whose food and raimentsuffice to meet the demands of nature, uses hisbest efforts to win over the pampered and thesplendidly attired, and with their food andtheir habiliments he mixes his poisons, and so

gains the lordship of their wicked souls; and,for this reason, he gladly seeks a harborage inlofty palaces, and seldom, or rather never, en-ters the houses of the lowly, because this horri-ble plague always resorts by choice to scenes ofelegance and refinement, well knowing thatsuch places are best fitted for the achievementof his fell purposes. It is easy for us to see thatamong the humble the affections are sane andwell ordered; but the rich, on the other hand,everywhere pluming themselves on theirriches, and being insatiable in their pursuit ofother things as well as of wealth, always showmore eagerness therein than is becoming; andthey who can do much desire furthermore tohave the power of doing that which they mustnot do: among whom I feel that thou hastplaced thyself, O most hapless of women, see-ing that thou hast already entered and traveledfar on a path that will surely lead to guilt andmisery."

After hearing which, I said:

"Be silent, old woman, and provoke not thewrath of the gods by thy speech. Now that thouart incapacitated from love by age and rejectedby all the gods, thou railest against this one,blaspheming him in whom thou didst erstwhiletake delight. If other ladies, far more puissant,famous, and wise than I, have formerly calledhim by that name, it is not in my power to givehim a name anew. By him am I now truly en-slaved; whatever be the cause of this, and whet-her it be the occasion of my happiness or mis-ery, I am helpless. The strength wherewith Ionce opposed him has been vanquished andhas abandoned me. Therefore either death orthe youth for whom I languish can alone endmy tortures. If thou art, then, as wise as I holdthee to be, bestow such counsel and help on meas may lighten my anguish, or, at least, abstainfrom exasperating it by censuring that to which

my soul, unable to act differently, is inclinedwith all its energy."

Thereupon, she, being angry, and not withoutreason, making no answer, but muttering toherself, passed out of the chamber and left mealone.

When my dear nurse had departed withoutmaking further discourse, and I was again alo-ne, I felt that I had acted ill in despising heradvice. I revolved her sayings within my rest-less breast; and, albeit my understanding wasblinded, I perceived that what she had said wasreplete with wisdom, and, almost repenting ofwhat I had uttered and of the course which Ihad declared I purposed taking, I was waver-ing in my mind. And, already beginning tohave thoughts of abandoning that course whichwas sure to be in every way most harmful, Iwas about to call her back to give me encour-agement, when a new and unforeseen eventsuddenly changed my intention. For a most

beautiful lady, come to my private chamber Iknow not whence, presented herself before myeyes, enveloped in such dazzling light thatscarcely could my sight endure the brightnessthereof. But while she stood still and silent be-fore me, the effulgent radiance that had almostblinded my vision, after a time left it unob-scured, and I was able so to portray her everyaspect to my mind, as her whole beauteousfigure was impressed on my memory. I sawthat she was nude, except for a thin and deli-cate drapery of purple, which, albeit in someparts it covered the milk-white body, yet nomore concealed it from my ravished eyes thandoes the transparent glass conceal the portraitbeneath it. Her head, the hair whereof as muchsurpassed gold in its luster as gold surpassesthe yellowest tresses to be found among mor-tals, was garlanded with a wreath of greenmyrtle, beneath whose shadow I beheld twoeyes of peerless splendor, so enchanting that Icould have gazed on them forever; they flashed

forth such luminous beams that it was a mar-vel; and all the rest of her countenance hadsuch transcendent loveliness that the like neverwas seen here below. At first she spake noword, perchance content that I should lookupon her, or perchance seeing me so content tolook upon her. Then gradually through thetranslucent radiance, she revealed more clearlyevery hidden grace, for she was aware that Icould not believe such beauty possible except Ibeheld it with my eyes, and that even thenwords would fail me to picture it to mortalswith my tongue. At last, when she observedthat I had sated my eyes with gazing on her,and when she saw that her coming hither wasas wondrous to me as her loveliness, with smil-ing face, and in a voice sweeter than can beconceived by minds like ours, she thus ad-dressed me:

"Prithee, young woman, what art thou, themost fickle of thy sex, preparing to do in obedi-

ence to the late counsels of thy aged nurse?Knowest thou not that such counsels are farharder to follow than that very love which thoudesirest to flee? Hast thou reflected on the direand unendurable torments which compliancewith them will entail on thee? O most insensateone! dost thou then, who only a few hours agowert my willing vassal, now wish to breakaway from my gentle rule, because, forsooth, ofthe words of an old woman, who is no longervassal of mine, as if, like her, thou art now un-witting of what delights I am the source? Omost witless of women! forbear, and reflectwhether thou shouldst not find befitting hap-piness in that which makes the happiness ofHeaven and earth. All things that Phoebus be-holds during the bright day, from what time heemerges from Ganges, until he plunges with histired steeds into the Hesperian waves, to seekdue repose after his wearisome pilgrimage; allthings that are confined between cold Arcturusand the red-hot pole, all own the absolute and

authentic lordship of my wingéd son; and inHeaven not only is he esteemed a god, like theother deities, but he is so much more puissantthan them all that not one remains who has notheretofore been vanquished by his darts. He,flying on golden plumage throughout hisrealms, with such swiftness that his passagecan hardly be discerned, visits them all in turn,and, bending his strong bow, to the drawnstring he fits the arrows forged by me and tem-pered in the fountains sacred to my divinity.And when he elects anyone to his service, asbeing more worthy than others, that one herules as it likes him. He kindles raging fires inthe hearts of the young, fans the flames that arealmost dead in the old, awakens the fever ofpassion in the chaste bosoms of virgins andinstils a genial warmth into the breasts of wivesand widows equally. He has even aforetimeforced the gods, wrought up to a frenzy by hisblazing torch, to forsake the heavens and dwellon earth under false appearances. Whereof the

proofs are many. Was not Phoebus, thoughvictor over huge Python and creator of the ce-lestial strains that sound from the lyres of Par-nassus, by him made the thrall, now of Daphne,now of Clymene, and again of Leucothea, andof many others withal? Certainly, this was so.And, finally, hiding his brightness under theform of a shepherd, did not Apollo tend theflocks of Admetus? Even Jove himself, whorules the skies, by this god coerced, molded hisgreatness into forms inferior to his own. Some-times, in shape of a snow-white fowl, he gavevoice to sounds sweeter than those of the dyingswan, and anon, changing to a young bull andfitting horns to his brow, he bellowed along theplains, and humbled his proud flanks to thetouch of a virgin's knees, and, compelling histired hoofs to do the office of oars, he breastedthe waves of his brother's kingdom, yet sanknot in its depths, but joyously bore away hisprize. I shall not discourse unto you of his pur-suit of Semele under his proper form, or of

Alcmena, in guise of Amphitryon, or of Cal-listo, under the semblance of Diana, or ofDanaë for whose sake he became a shower ofgold, seeing that in the telling thereof I shouldwaste too much time. Nay, even the savage godof war, whose strength appals the giants, re-pressed his wrathful bluster, being forced tosuch submission by this my son, and becamegentle and loving. And the forger of Jupiter,and artificer of his three-pronged thunderbolts,though trained to handle fire, was smitten by ashaft more potent than he himself had everwrought. Nay I, though I be his mother, havenot been able to fend off his arrows: Witnessthe tears I have shed for the death of Adonis!But why weary myself and thee with the utter-ance of so many words? There is no deity inheaven who has passed unscathed from hisassaults; except, perhaps, Diana only, who mayhave escaped him by fleeing to the woods;though some there be who tell that she did notflee, but rather concealed the wound. If haply,

however, thou, in the hardness of thy unbelief,rejectest the testimony of heaven, and searchestrather for examples of those in this netherworld who have felt his power, I affirm them tobe so multitudinous that where to begin I knownot. Yet this much may I tell thee truly: all whohave confessed his sway have been men ofmight and valor. Consider attentively, in thefirst place, that undaunted son of Alcmena,who, laying aside his arrows and the formida-ble skin of the huge lion, was fain to adorn hisfingers with green emeralds, and to smoothand adjust his bristling and rebellions hair.Nay, that hand which aforetime had wieldedthe terrific club, and slain therewith Antæus,and dragged the hound of hell from the lowerworld, was now content to draw the woolenthreads spun from Omphale's distaff; and theshoulders whereon had rested the pillars of theheavens, from which he had for a time freedAtlas, were now clasped in Omphale's arms,and afterward, to do her pleasure, covered with

a diaphanous raiment of purple. Need I relatewhat Paris did in obedience to the great deity?or Helen? or Clytemnestra? or Ægisthus? Theseare things that are well known to all the world.Nor do I care to speak of Achilles, or of Scylla,of Ariadne or Leander, of Dido, or of manyothers, of whom the same tale could be told,were there need to tell it. Believe me when Iaffirm that this fire is holy, and most potent aswell. Thou hast heard that heaven and earth aresubject to my son because of his lordship overgods and men. But what shall I say of the po-wer that he exercises over irrational animals,whether celestial or terrene? It is through himthat the turtle is fain to follow her mate; it isthrough him that my pigeons have learned tocaress his ringdoves with fondest endearments.And there is no creeping or living creature thathas ever at any time attempted to escape fromhis puissance: in the woods the timid stag, ma-de fierce by his touch, becomes brave for sakeof the coveted hind and by bellowing and fight-

ing, they prove how strong are the witcheries ofLove. The ferocious boars are made by Love tofroth at the mouth and sharpen their ivorytusks; the African lions, when Love quickensthem, shake their manes in fury. But leavingthe groves and forests, I assert that even in thechilly waters the numberless divinities of thesea and of the flowing rivers are not safe fromthe bolts of my son. Neither can I for a momentbelieve that thou art ignorant of the testimonythereof which has been rendered by Neptune,Glaucus, Alpheus, and others too numerous tomention: not only were they unable to quenchthe flame with their dank waters, but theycould not even moderate its fury, which, whenit had made its might felt, both on the earth andin the waters, continued its onward course, andrested not until it had penetrated into thegloomy realms of Dis. Therefore Heaven andEarth and Ocean and Hell itself have had ex-perience of the potency of his weapons. And, inorder that thou mayest understand in a few

words the power of the deity, I tell thee that,while everything succumbs to nature, and not-hing can ever be emancipated from her domin-ion, Nature herself is but the servant of Love.When he commands, ancient hatreds perish,and angry moods, be they old or new, give pla-ce to his fires; and lastly, his sway has such far-reaching influence that even stepmothers be-come gracious to their stepchildren, a thingwhich it is a marvel to behold. Therefore whatseekest thou? Why dost thou hesitate? Whydost thou rashly avoid him? When so manygods, when so many men, when so many ani-mals, have been vanquished by him, art as-hamed to be vanquished by him also? In goodsooth, thou weenest not what thou art doing. Ifthou fearest to be blamed for thy obedience tohim, a blame so unmerited never can be thyportion. Greater sins than thou canst commithave been committed by thousands far greaterthan thou, and these sins would plead as thyexcuse, shouldst thou pursue that course which

others have pursued—others who far excelthee. Thou wilt have sinned but a little, seeingthat thou hadst far less power of resistance thanthose aforementioned. But if my words movethee not, and thou wouldst still wish to with-stand the god, bethink thee that thy power fallsfar short of that of Jove, and that in judgmentthou canst not equal Phoebus, nor in wealthJuno, nor me in beauty; and yet, we all havebeen conquered. Thou art greatly deceived, andI fear me that thou must perish in the end, ifthou persist in thy changed purpose. Let thatwhich has erstwhile sufficed for the wholeworld, suffice for thee, nor try to render thyselfcold-hearted, by saying: 'I have a husband, andthe holy laws and the vowed faith forbid methis'; for bootless are such reasonings againstthe puissance of this god. He discards the lawsof others scornfully, as thinking them of noaccount, and ordains his own. Pasiphæ? had ahusband, and Phædra, and I, too, even though Ihave loved. And it is these same husbands who

most frequently fall in love with others, albeitthey have wives of their own: witness Jasonand Theseus and valiant Hector and Ulysses.Therefore to men we do no wrong if we applyto them the same laws that they apply to oth-ers; for to them no privilege has been grantedwhich is not accorded to us withal. Banish,then, thy foolish thoughts, and, in all security,go on loving him whom thou hadst alreadybegun to love. In good sooth, if thou refusest toown the power of mighty Love, it behoovesthee to fly; but whither canst thou fly? Knowestthou of any retreat where he will not followand overtake thee? He has in all places equalpuissance. Go wheresoever thou wilt, nevercanst thou pass across the borders of hisrealms, and within these realms vain it is formortals to try to hide themselves when hewould smite them. But let it comfort thee toknow, young woman, that no such odious pas-sion shall trouble thee as erstwhile was thescourge of Myrrha, Semiramis, Byblis, Canace,

and Cleopatra. Nothing strange or new will bewrought by my son in thy regard. He has, ashave the other gods, his own special laws,which thou art not the first to obey, andshouldst not be the last to entertain hopes the-refrom. If haply thou believest that thou artwithout companions in this, foolish is thy be-lief. Let us pass by the other world, which isfraught with such happenings; but observe at-tentively only thine own city! What an infinitenumber of ladies it can show who are in thesame case with thyself! And remember thatwhat is done by so many cannot be deemedunseemly. Therefore, be thou of our following,and return thanks to our beauty, which thouhast so closely examined. But return specialthanks to our deity, which has sundered theefrom the ranks of the simple, and persuadedthee to become acquainted with the delightsthat our gifts bestow."

Alas! alas! ye tender and compassionate ladies,if Love has been propitious to your desires, saywhat could I, what should I, answer to suchand so great words uttered by so great a god-dess, if not: "Be it done unto me according tothy pleasure"? And so, I affirm that as soon asshe had closed her lips, having already har-vested within my understanding all her words,and feeling that every word was charged withample excuse for what I might do, and know-ing now how mighty she was and how resist-less, I resolved at once to submit to her guid-ance; and instantly rising from my couch, andkneeling on the ground, with humbled heart, Ithus began, in abashed and tremulous accents:

"O peerless and eternal loveliness! O divinest ofdeities! O sole mistress of all my thoughts!whose power is felt to be most invincible bythose who dare to try to withstand it, forgivethe ill-timed obstinacy wherewith I, in my greatfolly, attempted to ward off from my breast the

weapons of thy son, who was then to me anunknown divinity. Now, I repeat, be it doneunto me according to thy pleasure, and accord-ing to thy promises withal. Surely, my faithmerits a due reward in time and space, seeingthat I, taking delight in thee more than do allother women, wish to see the number of thysubjects increase forever and ever."

Hardly had I made an end of speaking thesewords, when she moved from the place whereshe was standing, and came toward me. Then,her face glowing with the most fervent expres-sion of affection and sympathy, she embracedme, and touched my forehead with her divinelips. Next, just as the false Ascanius, when pan-ting in the arms of Dido, breathed on hermouth, and thereby kindled the latent flame, sodid she breathe on my mouth, and, in that wise,rendered the divine fire that slumbered in myheart more uncontrollable than ever, and this Ifelt at that very moment. Thereafter, opening a

little her purple robe, she showed me, claspedin her arms against her ravishing breast, thevery counterpart of the youth I loved, wrappedin the transparent folds of a Grecian mantle,and revealing in the lineaments of his counte-nance pangs that were not unlike those I suf-fered.

"O damsel," she said, "rivet thy gaze on theyouth before thee: we have not given thee forlover a Lissa, a Geta, or a Birria, or anyone re-sembling them, but a person in every way wor-thy of being loved by every goddess in the hea-vens. Thee he loves more than himself, as wehave ordained, and thee will he ever love;therefore do thou, joyfully and securely, aban-don thyself to his love. Thy prayers have mo-ved us to pity, as it is meet that prayers so de-serving should, and so, be of good hope, andfear not that thou shalt be without the rewarddue thee in the future."

And thereafter she suddenly vanished from myeyes. Oimè! wretched me! I do not for a mo-ment doubt now, after considering the thingswhich followed, that this one who appearedunto me was not Venus, but rather Tisiphone,who, doffing from her head the horrid snakesthat served it for hair, and assuming for thewhile the splendid form of the Goddess of Lo-ve, in this manner lured me with deceitfulcounsels to that disaster which at length over-whelmed me. Thus did Juno, but in differentfashion, veiling the radiance of her deity andtransforming herself for the occasion into theexact likeness of her aged nurse, persuadedSemele to her undoing. Woe is me! my resolveto be so advised was the cause—O hallowedModesty! O Chastity, most sacred of all thevirtues! sole and most precious treasure of righ-teous women!—was the cause, I repeat, where-fore I drove ye from my bosom. Yet do I ven-ture to pray unto ye for pardon, and surely thesinner who repents and perseveres in repen-

tance should in due season obtain your for-giveness.

Although the goddess had disappeared frommy sight, my whole soul, nevertheless, contin-ued to crave her promised delights; and, albeitthe ardor of the passion that vexed my souldeprived me of every other feeling, one piece ofgood fortune, for what deserving of mine Iknow not, remained to me out of so many thathad been lost—namely, the power of knowingthat seldom if ever has a smooth and happyending been granted to love, if that love be di-vulged and blazed abroad. And for this reason,when influenced by my highest thoughts, I re-solved, although it was a most serious thing todo so, not to set will above reason in carryingthis my desire unto an ending. And assuredly,although I have often been most violently con-strained by divers accidents to follow certaincourses, yet so much grace was conceded to methat, sustained by my own firmness, I passed

through these agonies without revealing thepangs that tortured me. And in sooth, I havestill resolution enough to continue to follow outthis my purpose; so that, although the things Iwrite are most true, I have so disposed themthat no one, however keen his sagacity, canever discover who I am, except him who is aswell acquainted with these matters as I, being,indeed, the occasion of them all. And I implorehim, should this little book ever come into hishands, in the name of that love which he oncebore me, to conceal that which, if disclosed,would turn neither to his profit nor honor.And, albeit he has deprived me of himself, andthat through no fault of mine, let him not take itupon himself to deprive me of that honorwhich I still possess, although, perchance, un-deservedly; for should he do so, he could neveragain give it back to me, any more than he cannow give me back himself.

Having, therefore, formed my plans in this wi-se, I showed the most long-suffering patience inmanifesting my keenest and most covetousyearnings, and I used my best efforts, but onlyin secret ways and when opportunities wereafforded me, to light in this young man's soulthe same flames wherewith my own soul glo-wed, and to make him as circumspect as myselfwithal. Nor, in truth, was this for me a task ofgreat difficulty; for, inasmuch as the lineamentsof the face always bear most true witness to thequalities of the heart, it was not long before Ibecame aware that my desire would have itsfull fruition. I perceived that, not only was hethrobbing with amorous enthusiam, but that hewas also imbued with most perfect discretion,and this was exceedingly pleasing to me. He,being at once wishful to preserve my honor inall its luster, and, at the same time, to arrangeconvenient times and places for our meetings,employed many ingenious stratagems, which,methinks, must have cost him much toil and

trouble. He used every subtle art to win thefriendship of all who were related to me, and,at last, of my husband; and not only did he en-joy their friendship, but he possessed it in sucha supreme degree that no pleasure was agree-able to them unless he shared it. How much allthis delighted me you will understand withoutits being needful to me to set it down in words.And is there anyone so dull of wit as not toconclude that from the aforesaid friendshiparose many opportunites for him and me ofholding discourse together in public? But al-ready had he bethought himself of acting inmore subtle ways; and now he would speak tothis one, now to that one, words whereby I,being most eager for such enlightenment, dis-covered that whatever he said to these wasfraught with figurative and hidden meanings,intended to show forth his ardent affection formyself. When he was sensible that I had a clearperception of the occult significance of hisquestions and answers, he went still further,

and by gestures, and mobile changes in theexpression of his features, he would makeknown to me his thoughts and the various pha-ses of his passion, which was to me a source ofmuch delectation; and I strove so hard to com-prehend it all and to make fitting response the-reunto, that neither could he shadow forth any-thing to me, nor I to him, that either of us didnot at once understand.

Nay, not satisfied even with this, he employedother symbols and metaphors, and labored ear-nestly to discipline me in such manner ofspeech; and, to render me the more assured ofhis unalterable love, he named me Fiammetta,and himself Panfilo. Woe is me! How often,when warmed with love and wine, did we telltales, in the presence of our dearest friends, ofFiammetta and Panfilo, feigning that they wereGreeks of the days of old, I at one time, he atanother; and the tales were all of ourselves;how we were first caught in the snares of Love,

and of what tribulations we were long the vic-tims, giving suitable names to the places andpersons connected with the story! Certainly, Ifrequently laughed at it all, being made merryby the simplicity of the bystanders, as well asby his astuteness and sagacity. Yet betimes Idreaded that in the flush of his excitement hemight thoughtlessly let his tongue wander indirections wherein it was not befitting it shouldventure. But he, being ever far wiser than Iimagined, guarded himself craftily from anysuch blundering awkwardness.

Oimè! most compassionate ladies, what is therethat Love will not teach to his subjects? andwhat is there that he is not able to render themskilful in learning? I, who of all young womenwas the most simple-minded, and ordinarilywith barely power to loose my tongue, whenamong my companions, concerning the mosttrivial and ordinary affairs, now, because ofthis my affection, mastered so speedily all his

modes of speech that, in a brief space, my apt-ness at feigning and inventing surpassed that ofany poet! And there were few questions put tome in response to which, after meditating ontheir main points, I could not make up a pleas-ing tale: a thing, in my opinion, exceedinglydifficult for a young woman to begin, and stillmore difficult to finish and relate afterward.But, if my actual situation required it, I mightset down numerous details which might, per-haps, seem to you of little or no moment, as, forinstance, the artful experiment whereby wetested the fidelity of my favorite maid towhom, and to whom alone, we meditated en-trusting the secret of this hidden passion, con-sidering that, should another share it, our un-easiness, lest it should not be kept, would bemost grievous. Furthermore, it would wearyyou if I mentioned all the plans we adopted, inorder to meet divers situations, plans that I donot believe were ever imagined by any beforeus; and albeit I am now well aware that they all

worked for my ultimate destruction, yet theremembrance of them does not displease me.

Unless, O ladies, my judgment be greatly atfault, the strength of our minds was by nomeans small, if it be but taken in account howhard a thing it is for youthful persons in love toresist long the rush of impetuous ardor withoutcrossing the bounds set by reason: nay, it wasso great and of such quality that the most val-iant of men, by acting in such wise, would winhigh and worthy laud as a result thereof. Butmy pen is now about to depict the final endingto which love was guided, and, before I do so, Iwould appeal to your pity and to those softsentiments which make their dwelling in yourtender breasts, and incline your thoughts to alike termination.

Day succeeded day, and our wishes draggedalong with them, kept alive by torturing anxi-ety, the full bitterness whereof each of us ex-perienced; although the one manifested this to

the other in disguised language, and the othershowed herself over-discreet to an excessivedegree; all of which you who know how ladieswho are beloved behave in such circumstanceswill easily understand. Well, then, he, puttingfull trust in the veiled meaning of my words,and choosing the proper time and place, cameto an experience of that which I desired asmuch as he, although I feigned the contrary.Certainly, if I were to say that this was thecause of the love I felt for him, I should alsohave to confess that every time it came back tomy memory, it was the occasion to me of a sor-row like unto none other. But, I call God towitness, nothing that has happened between ushad the slightest influence upon the love I borehim, nor has it now. Still, I will not deny thatour close intimacy was then, and is now, mostdear to me. And where is the woman so unwiseas not to wish to have the object of her affectionwithin reach rather than at a distance? Howmuch more intensely does love enthrall us

when it is brought so near us that we and it aremade almost inseparable! I say, then, that aftersuch an adventure, never afore willed or eventhought of by me, not once, but many times didfortune and our adroit stratagems bring usgood cheer and consolation, not indeedscreened entirely from danger, for which Icared less than for the passing of the fleeingwind. But while the time was being spent insuch joyous fashion—and that it was joyous,Love, who alone may bear witness thereof, cantruly say—yet sometimes his coming inspiredme with not a little natural apprehension, in-asmuch as he was beginning to be indiscreet inthe manner of his coming. But how dear to himwas my own apartment, and with what glad-ness did it see him enter! Yet was he filled withmore reverence for it than he ever had been fora sacred temple, and this I could at all timeseasily discern. Woe is me! what burning kisses,what tender embraces, what delicious momentswe had there!

Why do I take such pleasure in the mere wordswhich I am now setting down? It is, I say, be-cause I am forced to express the gratitude Ithen felt to the holy goddess who was the pro-miser and bestower of Love's delights. Ah, howoften did I visit her altars and offer incense,crowned with a garland of her favorite foliage!How often did I think scornfully of the coun-sels of my aged nurse! Nay, furthermore, beingelated far more than all my other companions,how often did I disparage their loves, sayingwithin myself: "No one is loved as I am loved,no one loves a youth as matchless as the youthI love, no one realizes such delights from loveas I!" In short, I counted the world as nothing incomparison with my love. It seemed to me thatmy head touched the skies, and that nothingwas lacking to the culmination of my ecstaticbliss. Betimes the idea flashed on my mind thatI must disclose to others the occasion of mytransports, for surely, I would reflect, it wouldbe a delight to others to hear of that which has

brought such delight to me! But thou, O Shame,on the one side, and thou, O Fear, on the other,did hold me back: the one threatening me witheternal infamy; the other with loss of thatwhich hostile Fortune was soon afterward totear from me. In such wise then, did I live forsome time, for it was then pleasing to Love thatI should live in this manner; and, in good sooth,so blithely and joyously were these days spentthat I had little cause to envy any lady in thewhole world, never imagining that the delightwherewith my heart was filled to overflowing,was to nourish the root and plant of my futuremisery, as I now know to my fruitless andnever-ending sorrow.