Chapter 4 Summary

Boccaccio devotes this section of the book to unhappy endings.

Tancredi is a kind, humane lord who, in his old age, is fortunate to have a daughter. The daughter, Ghismunda, is faithful to Tancredi and stays by his side long after the girl should have married. Finally, Tancredi allows Ghismunda to marry the son of a duke, who dies shortly after the wedding. Ghismunda returns home, and seeing that Tancredi has no intentions of marrying her off again, seeks out a lover.

Ghismunda settles on Guiscardo, a man of humble birth. Since Ghismunda is closely watched, she and Guiscardo must meet in secret. Ghismunda remembers a secret stairway that leads to a cave. The pair meets many times. One day Tancredi goes to see Ghismunda to chat and waiting for her, falls asleep. Ghismunda and Guiscardo sneak into her bedroom and spend the...