Giovanni Boccaccio

“ I am thy Girolamo." Whereupon she, trembling in every limb:--"Nay, but for God's sake, Girolamo, begone: 'tis past, the time of our childhood, when our love was excusable. Thou seest I am married; wherefore 'tis no longer seemly that I should care for any other man than my husband, and so by the one God, I pray thee, begone; for, if my husband were to know that thou art here, the least evil that could ensue would be that I should never more be able to live with him in peace or comfort, whereas, having his love, I now pass my days with him in tranquil happiness." ”

“ Whereupon the worthy men plied him with fresh argument, but were unable to elicit other answer from him, and told his mother so. Whereat she was mightily incensed, and gave him a great scolding, not for his refusing to go to Paris, but for his love; which done, she plied him with soft, wheedling words, and endearing expressions and gentle entreaties that he would be pleased to do as his guardians would have him; whereby at length she prevailed so far, that he consented to go to Paris for a year and no more ”

“ And as Girolamo could not give it up, she confided her distress to his guardians, speaking--for by reason of her boy's great wealth she thought to make, as it were, an orange-tree out of a bramble--on this wise:--"This boy of ours, who is now scarce fourteen years old, is so in love with a daughter of one of our neighbours, a tailor-- Salvestra is the girl's name--that, if we part them not, he will, peradventure, none else witting, take her to wife some day, and I shall never be happy again; or, if he see her married to another, he will pine away ”