The decameron containing an hundred pleasant nouels. Wittily discoursed, betweene seauen honourable ladies, and three noble gentlemen.

Messer Forese da Rabatte, and Maister Giotto, a Painter by his professi∣on, comming together from Mugello, scornfully reprehended one another for their deformity of body.

The Fift Nouell.

Whereby may bee obserued, that such as will speake contemptibly of others, ought (first of all) to looke respectiuely on their owne imperfections.

[illustration]

SO soone as Madame Nei∣phila sate silent (the Ladies hauing greatly commen∣ded the pleasant answer of Chi∣chibio) Pamphilus, by command from the Queene, spake in this manner. Woorthy Ladies, it commeth to passe oftentimes, that like as Fortune is obserued diuers wayes, to hide vnder vile and contemptible Arts, the most great and vnvalewable treasures of vertue (as, not long since, was well discoursed vnto vs by Ma∣dame Pampinea:) so in like man∣ner hath appeared; that Nature hath infused very singular spirits

into most mishapen and deformed bodies of men. As hath beene no∣ted in two of our owne Citizens, of whom I purpose to speake in fewe words. The one of them was named Messer Forese de Rabatta, a man of little and low person, but yet deformed in body, with a flat face, like a Terrier or Beagle, as if no comparison (almost) could bee made more vgly. But notwithstanding all this deformity, he was so singularly ex∣perienced in the Lawes, that all men held him beyond any equall, or ra∣ther reputed him as a Treasury of ciuill knowledge.

The other man, being named Giotto, had a spirit of so great excellen∣cy, as there was not any particular thing in Nature, the Mother and Worke-mistresse of all, by continuall motion of the heauens; but hee by his pen and pensell could perfectly portrait; shaping them all so tru∣ly alike and resemblable, that they were taken for the reall matters in∣deede; and, whether they were present or no, there was hardly any pos∣sibility of their distinguishing. So that many times it happened, that by the variable deuises he made, the visible sence of men became deceiued, in crediting those things to he naturall, which were but meerly painted. By which meanes, hee reduced that singular Art to light, which long time before had lyen buried, vnder the grosse error of some; who, in the mysterie of painting, delighted more to content the ignorant, then to please the iudicious vnderstanding of the wise, he iustly deseruing there∣by, to be tearmed one of the Florentines most glorious lights. And so much the rather, because he performed all his actions, in the true and lowly spirit of humility: for while he liued, and was a Master in his Art, aboue all other Painters: yet he refused any such title, which shined the more maiestically in him, as appeared by such, who knew much lesse then he, or his Schollers either: yet his knowledge was extreamly coue∣ted among them.

Now, notwithstanding all this admirable excellency in him: he was not (thereby) a iot the handsommer man (either in person or counte∣nance) then was our fore-named Lawyer Messer Forese, and therefore my Nouell concerneth them both. Vnderstand then (faire Assemblie) that the possessions and inheritanees of Messer Forese and Giotto, lay in Mugello; wherefore, when Holy-dayes were celebrated by Order of Court, and in the Sommer time, vpon the admittance of so apt a vaca∣tion; Forese rode thither vpon a very vnsightly Iade, such as a man can can sildome meet with worse. The like did Giotto the Painter, as ill fit∣ted euery way as the other; and hauing dispatched their busines there, they both returned backe towards Florence, neither of them being able to boast, which was the best mounted.

Riding on a faire and softly pace, because their Horses could goe no faster: and they being well entred into yeeres, it fortuned (as oftentimes the like befalleth in Sommer) that a sodaine showre of raine ouer-tooke them; for auoyding whereof, they made all possible haste to a poore Countrey-mans Cottage, familiarly knowne to them both. Hauing continued there an indifferent while, and the raine vnlikely to cease: to

preuent all further protraction of time, and to arriue at Florence in due season; they borrowed twoold cloakes of the poore man, of ouer-worn and ragged Country gray, as also two hoodes of the like Complexion, because the poore man had no better) which did more mis••ape them, then their owne vgly deformity, and made them notoriously flouted and scorned, by all that met or ouertooke them.

After they had ridden some distance of ground, much moyled and bemyred with their shuffling Iades, flinging the dirt euery way about them, that well they might be termed two filthy companions: the raine gaue ouer, and the euening looking somwhat cleare, they began to con∣fer familiarly together. Messer Forese, riding a lofty French trot, euerie step being ready to hoise him out of his saddle, hearing Giottos discreete answers to euery ydle question he made (for indeede he was a very ele∣gant speaker) began to peruse and surueigh him, euen from the foote to the head, as we vse to say. And perceiuing him to be so greatly defor∣med, as no man could be worse, in his opinion: without any considera∣tion of his owne mishaping as bad, or rather more vnsightly then hee; in a scoffing laughing humour, hee saide Giotto, doest thou imagine▪ that a stranger, who had neuer seene thee before, and should now hap∣pen into our companie, would beleeue thee to bee the best Painter in the world, as indeede thou art? Presently Giotto (without any further meditation) returned him this answere. Signior Forese, I think he might then beleeue it, when (beholding you) hee could imagine that you had learned your A. B. C. Which when Forese heard, he knew his owne er∣ror, and saw his payment returned in such Coine, as he sold his Wares for.