CHAPTER I. BOCCACCIO'S PARENTAGE, BIRTH, AND CHILDHOOD 3
II. HIS ARRIVAL IN NAPLES--HIS YEARS WITH THE MERCHANT--HIS ABANDONMENT OF TRADE AND ENTRY ON THE STUDY OF CANON LAW 15
III. HIS MEETING WITH FIAMMETTA AND THE PERIODS OF THEIR LOVE STORY 27
IV. THE YEARS OF COURTSHIP--THE REWARD--THE BETRAYAL--THE RETURN TO FLORENCE 41
V. BOCCACCIO'S EARLY WORKS--THE _FILOCOLO_--THE _FILOSTRATO_--THE _TESEIDE_--THE _AMETO_--THE _FIAMMETTA_--THE _NINFALE FIESOLANO_ 61
VI. IN FLORENCE--HIS FATHER'S SECOND MARRIAGE--THE DUKE OF ATHENS 96
VII. IN NAPLES--THE ACCESSION OF GIOVANNA--THE MURDER OF ANDREW OF HUNGARY--THE VENGEANCE 108
VIII. IN ROMAGNA--THE PLAGUE--THE DEATH OF FIAMMETTA 119
IX. THE _RIME_--THE SONNETS TO FIAMMETTA 130
X. BOCCACCIO AS AMBASSADOR--THE MEETING WITH PETRARCH 145
XI. TWO EMBASSIES 162
XII. BOCCACCIO'S ATTITUDE TO WOMAN--THE _CORBACCIO_ 170
XIII. LEON PILATUS AND THE TRANSLATION OF HOMER--THE CONVERSION OF BOCCACCIO 189
XIV. THE EMBASSIES TO THE POPE--VISITS TO VENICE AND NAPLES--BOCCACCIO'S LOVE OF CHILDREN 207
XV. PETRARCH AND BOCCACCIO--THE LATIN WORKS 223
XVI. DANTE AND BOCCACCIO--THE _VITA_--AND THE _COMENTO_ 249
XVII. ILLNESS AND DEATH 279
XVIII. THE _DECAMERON_ 291
APPENDICES
I. THE DATES OF BOCCACCIO'S ARRIVAL IN NAPLES AND OF HIS MEETING WITH FIAMMETTA 319
II. DOCUMENT OF THE SALE OF "CORBIGNANO" (CALLED NOW "CASA DI BOCCACCIO") BY BOCCACCIO IN 1336 325
III. FROM "LA VILLEGGIATURA DI MAIANO," A MS. BY RUBERTO GHERARDI; A COPY OF WHICH IS IN POSSESSION OF MRS. ROSS, OF POGGIO GHERARDO, NEAR SETTIGNANO, FLORENCE 335
IV. THE ACROSTIC OF THE _AMOROSA VISIONE_ DEDICATING THE POEM TO FIAMMETTA 348
V. THE WILL OF GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO 350
VI. ENGLISH WORKS ON BOCCACCIO 355
VII. BOCCACCIO AND CHAUCER AND SHAKESPEARE 360
VIII. SYNOPSIS OF THE _DECAMERON_, TOGETHER WITH SOME WORKS TO BE CONSULTED 367
IX. AN INDEX TO THE _DECAMERON_ 394
INDEX 409
ILLUSTRATIONS
TRADITIONAL PORTRAITS OF BOCCACCIO AND FIAMMETTA (MARIA D'AQUINO) _Frontispiece_
From the frescoes in the Spanish Chapel at S. Maria Novella, Florence. Photogravure.
_To face page_
THE BURNING OF THE MASTER OF THE TEMPLE 6 From a miniature in the French version of the _De Casibus Virorum_, made in 1409 by Laurent le Premierfait. MS. late XV century. (Brit. Mus. Showcase V, MS. 126.)
CASA DI BOCCACCIO, CORBIGNANO, NEAR FLORENCE 12
KING ROBERT OF NAPLES CROWNED BY S. LOUIS OF TOULOUSE 18 From the fresco by Simone Martini in S. Lorenzo, Naples.
POPE JOAN 24 A woodcut from the _De Claris Mulieribus_. (Berne, 1539.) (By the courtesy of Messrs. J. and J. Leighton.)
LUCRECE 30 A woodcut from _De Claris Mulieribus_. (Berne, 1539.) (By the courtesy of Messrs. J. and J. Leighton.)
BOCCACCIO AND MAINARDI CAVALCANTI 36 By the Dutch engraver called "The Master of the Subjects in the Boccaccio." _De Casibus Virorum._ (Strasburg, 1476.)
SAPOR MOUNTING OVER THE PROSTRATE VALERIAN 42 By the Dutch engraver called "The Master of the Subjects in the Boccaccio." _De Casibus Virorum._ (Strasburg, 1476.)
MANLIUS THROWN INTO THE TIBER 48 By the Dutch engraver called "The Master of the Subjects in the Boccaccio." _De Casibus Virorum._ (Strasburg, 1476.)
ALLEGORY OF WEALTH AND POVERTY 54 From a miniature in the French version of the _De Casibus Virorum_, made in 1409 by Laurent le Premierfait. MS. late XV century. (Brit. Mus. Rothschild Bequest. MS. XII.)
THE MURDER OF THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS 62 From a miniature in the French version of the _De Casibus Virorum_, made in 1409 by Laurent le Premierfait. MS. late XV century. (Brit. Mus. Showcase V, MS. 126.)
A WOODCUT FROM _DES NOBLES MALHEUREUX (DE CASIBUS VIRORUM_). PARIS, 1515 68 This cut originally appears in the _Troy Book_. (T. Bonhomme, Paris, 1484.) Unique copy at Dresden. (By the courtesy of Messrs. J. and J. Leighton.)
MARCUS MANLIUS HURLED FROM THE TARPEIAN ROCK 74 An English woodcut from Lydgate's _Falles of Princes_. (Pynson, London, 1527.) It is a copy in reverse from the French translation of the _De Casibus_. (Du Pré, Paris, 1483.) (By the courtesy of Messrs. J. and J. Leighton.)
THE TITLE OF THE _NOBLES MALHEUREUX_ (_DE CASIBUS_). PARIS, 1538 80 (By the Courtesy of Messrs. J. and J. Leighton.)
FRONTISPIECE OF THE _DECAMERON_. VENICE, 1492 86
CHAPTER HEADING FROM THE _DECAMERON_. VENICE, 1492 92
THE THEFT OF CALANDRINO'S PIG (_DEC._, VIII, 6) 98
GHINO AND THE ABBOT (_DEC._, X, 2) 98 Woodcuts from the _Decameron_. (Venice, 1492.)
THE DUKE OF ATHENS 104
THE EXECUTION OF FILIPPA LA CATANESE 104 From miniatures in the French version of the _De Casibus Virorum_, made in 1409 by Laurent le Premierfait. Ms. Late XV century. (Brit. Mus. Rothschild Bequest. Ms. XII.)
CIMON AND IPHIGENIA (_DEC._, V, 1) 110 From a miniature in the French version of the _Decameron_, made in 1414 by Laurent le Premierfait. MS. late XV century. (Brit. Mus. Rothschild Bequest. MS. XIII.)
GULFARDO AND GUASPARRUOLO (_DEC._, VIII, 1) 116 From a miniature in the French version of the _Decameron_, made in 1414 by Laurent le Premierfait. MS. late XV century. (Brit. Museum. Rothschild Bequest, MS. XIV.)
MADONNA FRANCESCA AND HER LOVERS (_DEC_., IX, 1) 124 From a miniature in the French version of the _Decameron_, made in 1414 by Laurent le Premierfait. MS. late XV century. (Brit. Mus. Rothschild Bequest. MS. XIV.)
THE KNIGHT WHO THOUGHT HIMSELF ILL-REWARDED (_DEC._, X, 1) 132 From a miniature in the French version of the _Decameron_, made in 1414 by Laurent le Premierfait. MS. late XV century. (Brit. Mus. Rothschild Bequest. MS. XIV.)
THE STORY OF GRISELDA (_DEC._, X, 10) 138 From the picture by Pesellino in the Morelli Gallery at Bergamo.
THE STORY OF GRISELDA (_DEC._, X, 10) 146 i. The Marquis of Saluzzo, while out hunting, meets with Griselda, a peasant girl, and falls in love; he clothes her in fine things. From the picture in the National Gallery by (?) Bernardino Fungai.
THE STORY OF GRISELDA (_DEC._, X, 10) 152 ii. Her two children are taken from her, she is divorced, stripped, and sent back to her father's house. From the picture in the National Gallery by (?) Bernardino Fungai.
THE STORY OF GRISELDA (_DEC._, X, 10) 158 iii. A banquet is prepared for the new bride; Griselda is sent for to serve, but is reinstated in her husband's affections and finds her children. From the picture in the National Gallery by (?) Bernardino Fungai.
THE PALACE OF THE POPES AT AVIGNON 164
MASETTO AND THE NUNS (_Dec._, iii, 1) 174 In 1538 this woodcut appears in Tansillo's _Stanze_. (By the courtesy of Messrs. J. and J. Leighton.)
MASETTO AND THE NUNS (_Dec._, iii, 1) 174 A woodcut from _Le Cento Novelle_ in ottava rima. (Venice, 1554.) (By the courtesy of Messrs. J. and J. Leighton.)
MONNA TESSA EXORCISING THE DEVIL. (_Dec._, vii, 1) 184 A woodcut from the _Decameron_. (Venice, 1525.)
MONNA TESSA EXORCISING THE DEVIL. (_Dec._, vii, 1) 184 Appeared in Sansovino's _Le Cento Novelle_ (Venice, 1571.) (By the courtesy of Messrs. J. and J. Leighton.)
A WOODCUT FROM THE _DECAMERON_. (STRASBURG, 1535) 194 (By the courtesy of Messrs. J. and J. Leighton.)
TITLE OF THE SPANISH TRANSLATION OF THE _DECAMERON_ (VALLADOLID, 1539) 204 (By the courtesy of Messrs. J. and J. Leighton.)
A WOODCUT FROM THE _DECAMERON_ (VENICE, 1602.) TITLE TO DAY V 214 (By the courtesy of Messrs. J. and J. Leighton.)
PETRARCH AND BOCCACCIO DISCUSSING 224 From a miniature in the French version of the _De Casibus Virorum_, made in 1409 by Laurent le Premierfait. MS. late XV century. (Brit. Mus. Showcase V, MS. 126.)
POMPEIA, PAULINA, AND SENECA 230 A woodcut from the _De Claris Mulieribus_ (Ulm, 1473), cap. 92. (By the courtesy of Messrs. J and J. Leighton.)
EPITHARIS 234 A woodcut from the _De Claris Mulieribus_ (Ulm, 1493), cap. 91. (By the courtesy of Messrs. J. and J. Leighton.)
PAULINA, MUNDUS, AND THE GOD ANUBIS 238 A woodcut from the _De Claris Mulieribus_ (Ulm, 1473), cap. 89. (By the courtesy of Messrs. J. and J. Leighton.)
THE TORTURE OF REGULUS 244 A woodcut from Lydgate's _Falle of Princes of John Bochas_. (London, 1494.)
BOCCACCIO DISCUSSING 250 From a miniature in the French version of the _De Casibus Virorum_, made in 1409 by Laurent le Premierfait. MS. late XV century. (Brit. Mus. Rothschild Bequest. MS. XII.)
GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO 265 From the fresco in S. Apollonia, Florence. By Andrea dal Castagno (1396(?)-1457).
CERTALDO 280
BOCCACCIO'S HOUSE IN CERTALDO 284
ROOM IN BOCCACCIO'S HOUSE AT CERTALDO 288
THE LADIES AND YOUTHS OF THE _DECAMERON_ LEAVING FLORENCE 292 From a miniature in the French version of the _Decameron_, made in 1414 by Laurent le Premierfait. MS. late XV century. (Brit. Mus. Rothschild Bequest. MS. XIV.)
POGGIO GHERARDO, NEAR SETTIGNANO, FLORENCE 298 (The scene of the first two days of the _Decameron_.)
VILLA PALMIERI, NEAR FLORENCE 302 (The scene of the third and following days of the _Decameron_.)
LA VALLE DELLE DONNE 306 From a print of the XVIII century in Baldelli's _Vita di Gio. Boccaccio_.
TITLE PAGE OF VOLUME II OF THE FIRST ENGLISH EDITION OF THE _DECAMERON_ (ISAAC JAGGARD, 1620.) 312
GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO