the
townsfolk; and the young lady, heartening herself and letting rear her
little son, became ere long fairer than ever. Then, being risen from
childbed, she went out to meet Fineo, whose return was expected from
Rome, and paid him reverence as to a father; whereupon he, exceeding
well pleased to have so fair a daughter-in-law, caused celebrate their
nuptials with the utmost pomp and rejoicing and receiving her as a
daughter, ever after held her such. And after some days, taking ship
with his son and her and his little grandson, he carried them with him
into Lazistan, where the two lovers abode in peace and happiness, so
long as life endured unto them."

THE EIGHTH STORY

[Day the Fifth]

NASTAGIO DEGLI ONESTI, FALLING IN LOVE WITH A LADY OF THE
TRAVERSARI FAMILY, SPENDETH HIS SUBSTANCE WITHOUT BEING
BELOVED IN RETURN, AND BETAKING HIMSELF, AT THE INSTANCE OF
HIS KINSFOLK, TO CHIASSI, HE THERE SEETH A HORSEMAN GIVE
CHASE TO A DAMSEL AND SLAY HER AND CAUSE HER BE DEVOURED OF
TWO DOGS. THEREWITHAL HE BIDDETH HIS KINSFOLK AND THE LADY
WHOM HE LOVETH TO A DINNER, WHERE HIS MISTRESS SEETH THE
SAME DAMSEL TORN IN PIECES AND FEARING A LIKE FATE, TAKETH
NASTAGIO TO HUSBAND

No sooner was Lauretta silent than Filomena, by the queen's
commandment, began thus: "Lovesome ladies, even as pity is in us
commended, so also is cruelty rigorously avenged by Divine justice;
the which that I may prove to you and so engage you altogether to
purge yourselves therefrom, it pleaseth me tell you a story no less
pitiful than delectable.

In Ravenna, a very ancient city of Romagna, there were aforetime many
noblemen and gentlemen, and amongst the rest a young man called
Nastagio degli Onesti, who had, by the death of his father and an
uncle of his, been left rich beyond all estimation and who, as it
happeneth often with young men, being without a wife, fell in love
with a daughter of Messer Paolo Traversari, a young lady of much
greater family than his own, hoping by his fashions to bring her to
love him in return. But these, though great and goodly and
commendable, not only profited him nothing; nay, it seemed they did
him harm, so cruel and obdurate and intractable did the beloved damsel
show herself to him, being grown belike, whether for her singular
beauty or the nobility of her birth, so proud and disdainful that
neither he nor aught that pleased him pleased her. This was so
gri