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Book FirstPart LXVIII
Part LXVIII
When Solosmeo had inspected his affairs at Monte Cassino, we resumed our
journey; and having come within a mile of Naples, we were met by an innkeeper,
who invited us to his house, and said he had been at Florence many years with
Carlo Ginori; ^1 adding, that if we put up at his inn, he would treat us most
kindly, for the reason that we both were Florentines. We told him frequently
that we did not want to go to him. However, he kept passing, sometimes in
front and sometimes behind, perpetually repeating that he would have us stop
at his hostelry. When this began to bore me, I asked if he could tell me
anything about a certain Sicilian woman called Beatrice, who had a beautiful
daughter named Angelica, and both were courtesans. Taking it into his head
that I was jeering him, he cried out: "God send mischief to all courtesans and
such as favour them!" Then he set spurs to his horse, and made off as though
he was resolved to leave us. I felt some pleasure at having rid myself in so
fair a manner of that ass of an innkeeper; and yet I was rather the loser than
the gainer; for the great love I bore Angelica had come back to my mind, and
while I was conversing, not without some lover`s sighs, upon this subject with
Solosmeo, we saw the man returning to us at a gallop. When he drew up, he
said: "Two or perhaps three days ago a woman and a girl came back to a house
in my neighbourhood; they had the names you mentioned, but whether they are
Sicilians I cannot say." I answered: "Such power over me has that name of
Angelica, that I am now determined to put up at your inn."
[Footnote 1: A Gonfalonier of the Republic in 1527.]
We rode on all together with mine host into the town of Naples, and
descended at his house. Minutes seemed years to me till I had put my things in
order, which I did in the twinkling of an eye; then I went to the house, which
was not far from our inn, and found there my Angelica, who greeted me with
infinite demonstrations of the most unbounded passion. I stayed with her from
evenfall until the following morning, and enjoyed such pleasure as I never had
before or since; but while drinking deep of this delight, it occurred to my
mind how exactly on that day the month expired, which had been prophesied
within the necromantic circle by the devils. So then let every man who enters
into relation with those spirits weigh well the inestimable perils I have
passed through!
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