NOVEL VI.
Gianni di Procida is discovered with a young lady, formerly his mistress, but then given to King Frederick, for which he is condemned to be burnt with her at a stake, when being known by Ruggieri dell’ Oria, he escapes and marries her.
Neifile’s agreeable novel being ended, Pampinea received an order to proceed, and quickly raising her lovely countenance, she thus began: – Great, most gracious ladies, is the force of love, which often leads people to rash and perilous attempts, as you have heard set forth in divers instances, both now and heretofore, and as I shall further evince in what I am going to relate concerning an enamoured youth.
Ischia is an island near Naples, in which lived a beautiful young lady named Restituta, daughter to a certain gentleman called Marin Bolgaro. A young gentleman of Procida, called Gianni, was in love with her, and she had the same affection for him. Not a day passed but he would go to Ischia to se: her, and frequently in the night; if he could not get a boat, he would swim over, though it was only to olease himself with a sight of her house. Whilst his love continued thus fervent, it chanced that she was walking out one summer’s day on the sea-shore, and passing from one rock to another, picking up shells, she came near a grotto, where some young Sicilians, just come from Naples, were assembled together, partly for the sake of the shade, and partly for the fresh water, of which there was a cool and pleasant spring. They, seeing her by herself (whilst she was not aware of their presence), agreed to seize and carry lier away. Accordingly they surprised her, took her to their ship, although she made a great outcry, and sailed off with her. Being arrived at Calabria, a dispute arose as to which of them should have her; and, as they could not come to any agreement about her amongst themselves, it was at last thought convenient to remove all cause of dissention by making a present of her to Frederick, king of Naples, who was young, and addicted to pleasure. 1 hey took her accordingly to Palermo, and presented her to the king, who was greatly pleased with her; but being a little indisposed at that time, he had her sent to a pleasant seat built in one of his gardens, called La Cuba, to be kept there till his strength was recruited.
The lady’s abduction made a great noise all over Ischia, and so much the more as the persons concerned were unknown. But Gianni, who was more particularly interested in the affair, never expecting to hear any tidings of her there, and understanding which way the vessel had steered, got another ready, and went all along the sea-coast, from Minerva to Scalea, in Calabria, to inquire after her; and at this last place he was told, that she was carried by some Sicilian sailors to Palermo. Thither then he went, with all possible speed, and after much inquiry, he found that she was presented to the king, and kept for his purpose in La Cuba. This gave him infinite concern, and he began to despair, not only of getting her back, but even of ever seeing her more. He sent his frigate home, but being detained by his love, he resolved to stay there, as nobody knew him. As he passed pretty often in sight of the house, they chanced one day to spy each other through the window, to the intense joy of both. Seeing that the place was private, he got near enough to speak to her, and being instructed by her what course to take, if he desired to have a nearer interview, he left her for that time, taking particular notice of the situation of the place, and waiting for night. When a good part of that was spent, he returned, and clambering over the walls which seemed inaccessible, he made his way into the garden, where finding a long piece of timber, he set it against the window, and, by the help of it, got into the chamber. The lady, reflecting that she had lost her honour, of which she had before been very tenacious, and believing that she could bestow her favours on none who deserved them better, was the less scrupulous in this affair, and had left the casement open on purpose for him. She now begged earnestly of him, that he would contrive some method to get her thence, and he promised to order everything so that the next time he came he should take her away. This being agreed, be went and lay down on the bed by her. In the meantime, the king, being much smitten with her beauty, and finding himself recovered, had a mind, though it was far in the night, to go and spend some time with her. Coming, therefore, with a few servants, to the house, and going softly to the chamber where he knew she was, to his great surprise he saw Gianni and her asleep together. This provoked him to that degree, that he was on the point of putting both to death; till, reflecting that it would be base in any person, and more so in a king, to kill people unarmed and asleep, he held his hand, but resolved to make a public example of them, and burn them alive. Turning to one of his retinue, he said, “What do you think of this base woman, on whom I had fixed all my hopes?” Then he inquired if they knew the man who had the assurance to come there to commit such an outrage; but none remembered ever to have seen him before. The king upon this went away greatly disturbed, commanding that as soon as it was light they should be brought bound to Palermo, when they were to be tied back to back, and kept there till three o’clock, for everybody to see them, and then to be burnt, as they deserved. Accordingly they were seized and bound without the least remorse or pity; and being brought, as the king had ordered, to Palermo, they were tied to a stake in the great square, surrounded with faggots ready to burn them at the time appointed: whilst all the people of the city flocked to see the sight, the women greatly pitying and commending the man, the men also shewing the same regard for the i>oor woman, every one highly admiring her most extraordinary beauty. But the two lovers stood with their eyes fixed on the ground, lamenting their hard fate, and waiting every moment for their sentence to be put in execution.
Whilst they were kept in this manner, till the time fixed upon, the news was carried to Ruggieri dell’ Oria, a person of great worth and valour, who was the king’s high admiral; and he coming to the place, cast his eye first upon the lady, and praised her beauty very much. He then turned to Gianni, whom he soon recognised, and asked him if he was not Gianni di Procida? Gianni lifted up his eyes, and remembering the admiral, said, “I was once that person; but now I am to be no more.” The admiral then inquired what it was had brought him to this? Gianni replied, “Love and the king’s displeasure.” The admiral made him tell the whole story, and as he was going away, Gianni called him back, and said, “My lord, if it be possible, pray obtain one favour of his majesty for me.” Ruggieri asked what that was? Gianni made answer, “I find that I am to die without delay; therefore I only beg that, as I am tied with my back to this lady, whom I have loved dearer than my own life, and am not able to see her, that we may be bound with our faces to each other, and so I may expire with the pleasure of looking upon her.” Ruggieri laughed, and said, “I will take care that you shall see her to much better purpose.”
He then commanded those who had the care of the execution to respite it till farther orders, and went directly to the king. Finding him a good deal out of temper, he spared not to speak his mind to this effect: – “My liege, what have these two young people done to offend you, whom you have now ordered to be burnt?” The king told him. Ruggieri then said, “their crime may deserve it, but not from you; if mis- deeds require punishment, no less do benefits demand rewards, as well as thanks. Do you know who they are whom you have sentenced to be burnt?” The king answered, “No.” -“Then,” said he, “I will tell you, that you may see how unwisely you suffer yourself to be transported with passion. The young man is son to Landolfo, the brother of Gianni di Procida, by whose means you are lord of Sicily. The lady is daughter to Marin Bolgaro, whose influence it was that secured your dominion over Ischia. Besides, they have long loved each other; and it was this, and no disrespect to your highness, that put them upon committing the crime, if crime it may be called, for which you are going to make them suffer death, instead of which you ought rather to give them some noble reward.
The king hearing this, and being assured that the admiral spoke nothing but truth, not only put a stop to the proceedings, but was grieved for what he had done: he therefore ordered that the lovers should be set at liberty, and brought before him. Then hearing their whole case, he resolved to make them amends for the injury they had received; ami giving them noble apparel, and many royal presents, he had them married, as it was their mutual desire, and afterwards sent them home thoroughly satisfied with their good fortune, which they long happily enjoyed together.
[This seems partly an historical tale; it is uninteresting in itself, but contains an incident which appears to have suggested to Tasso the punishment of Olindo and Sophronia, who are tied back to back to a stake, and are about to be burned in this posture, when rescued by the arrival and intercession of Clorinda. Like Gianni di Procida, Olindo cries out in the crisis of his fate:
“Ed oh mia morte avventurosa appieno,
Oh fortunati miei dolci martiri,
S’impetrero che giunto seno a seno
L’anima mia ne la tua bocca io spiri!
E venendo tu meco a un tempo meno
In me fuor mandi gli ultimi sospiri.” – Gerus, Lib.,c. 2.]
