NOVEL III.

—­ Pietro Boccamazza runs away with Agnolella, and encounters a gang of robbers:  the girl takes refuge in a wood, and is guided to a castle.  Pietro is taken, but escapes out of the hands of the robbers, and after some adventures arrives at the castle where Agnolella is, marries her, and returns with her to Rome. —­

Ended Emilia’s story, which none of the company spared to commend, the queen, turning to Elisa, bade her follow suit; and she, with glad obedience, thus began:—­

’Tis a story, sweet ladies, of a woeful night passed by two indiscreet young lovers that I have in mind; but, as thereon ensued not a few days of joy, ’tis not inapposite to our argument, and shall be narrated.

’Tis no long time since at Rome, which, albeit now the tail,(1) was of yore the head, of the world, there dwelt a young man, Pietro Boccamazza by name, a scion of one of the most illustrious of the Roman houses, who became enamoured of a damsel exceeding fair, and amorous withal—­her name Agnolella—­the daughter of one Gigliuozzo Saullo, a plebeian, but in high repute among the Romans.  Nor, loving thus, did Pietro lack the address to inspire in Agnolella a love as ardent as his own.  Wherefore, overmastered by his passion, and minded no longer to endure the sore suffering that it caused him, he asked her in marriage.  Whereof his kinsfolk were no sooner apprised, than with one accord they came to him and strongly urged him to desist from his purpose:  they also gave Gigliuozzo Saullo to understand that he were best to pay no sort of heed to Pietro’s words, for that, if he so did, they would never acknowledge him as friend or relative.  Thus to see himself debarred of the one way by which he deemed he might attain to his desire, Pietro was ready to die for grief, and, all his kinsfolk notwithstanding, he would have married Gigliuozzo’s daughter, had but the father consented.  Wherefore at length he made up his mind that, if the girl were willing, nought should stand in the way; and having through a common friend sounded the damsel and found her apt, he brought her to consent to elope with him from Rome.  The affair being arranged, Pietro and she took horse betimes one morning, and sallied forth for Anagni, where Pietro had certain friends, in whom he placed much trust; and as they rode, time not serving for full joyance of their love, for they feared pursuit, they held converse thereof, and from time to time exchanged a kiss.  Now it so befell, that, the way being none too well known to Pietro, when, perhaps eight miles from Rome, they should have turned to the right, they took instead a leftward road.  Whereon when they had ridden but little more than two miles, they found themselves close to a petty castle, whence, so soon as they were observed, there issued some dozen men at arms; and, as they drew near, the damsel, espying them, gave a cry, and said:—­“We are