second that of Mercury, the third that of Venus,
the fourth that of the Sun, the fifth that of Mars, the sixth that of
Jupiter, the seventh that of Saturn and the eighth or lowest that of
the fixed stars and of the Earth.]

[Footnote 424: _D'azzurrino in color cilestro._ This is one of the
many passages in which Boccaccio has imitated Dante (cf. Purgatorio,
c. xxvi. II. 4-6, "... il sole.... Che gia, raggiando, tutto
l'occidente Mutava in bianco aspetto di cilestro,") and also one of
the innumerable instances in which former translators (who all agree
in making the advent of the light change the colour of the sky from
azure to a darker colour, instead of, as Boccaccio intended, to
watchet, _i.e._ a paler or greyish blue,) have misrendered the text,
for sheer ignorance of the author's meaning.]

THE FIRST STORY

[Day the Ninth]

MADAM FRANCESCA, BEING COURTED BY ONE RINUCCIO PALERMINI AND
ONE ALESSANDRO CHIARMONTESI AND LOVING NEITHER THE ONE NOR
THE OTHER, ADROITLY RIDDETH HERSELF OF BOTH BY CAUSING ONE
ENTER FOR DEAD INTO A SEPULCHRE AND THE OTHER BRING HIM
FORTH THEREOF FOR DEAD, ON SUCH WISE THAT THEY CANNOT AVAIL
TO ACCOMPLISH THE CONDITION IMPOSED

"Since it is your pleasure, madam, I am well pleased to be she who
shall run the first ring in this open and free field of story-telling,
wherein your magnificence hath set us; the which an I do well, I doubt
not but that those who shall come after will do well and better. Many
a time, charming ladies, hath it been shown in our discourses what
and how great is the power of love; natheless, for that medeemeth not
it hath been fully spoken thereof (no, nor would be, though we should
speak of nothing else for a year to come,) and that not only doth love
bring lovers into divers dangers of death, but causeth them even to
enter for dead into the abiding-places of the dead, it is my pleasure
to relate to you a story thereof, over and above those which have been
told, whereby not only will you apprehend the puissance of love, but
will know the wit used by a worthy lady in ridding herself of two who
loved her against her will.

You must know, then, that there was once in the city of Pistoia a very
fair widow lady, of whom two of our townsmen, called the one Rinuccio
Palermini and the other Alessandro Chiarmontesi, there abiding by
reason of banishment from Florence, were, without knowing one of
other, passionately enamoured, having b