The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-03-02
WOnIGII'S Rights in the
18th Century.
From the italian OF BOcaccIO'S De-
cameron.
TRANSLATED BY GEO. GAssMAN.

TRANSLATED BY GEO. GASSMAN.
In introducing this Novelette, to those
readers Of the TRIBUNE who are not already
acquainted with BocacciO, we would say,
that the famous Decameron of this Illus
trious Italian consists of one hundred sto-
ries, ten of which are told each day by seven
ladies and three gentlemen, who retired
from Florence to a country villa during the
great plague OF 1918, and who endeavored to
Danish fear by devoting their entire time to
pleasant story telling, as a means of avert
ing its terrible visitations. The one we have
selected is one among the few we would feel
justifiable in giving to the public. For, al
though the literary merits of Bocaccio can
not be too highly spoken of, we might new
ertheIess be charged with introducing sto-
ries Of doubtful purity, We do not pretend
to reproduce the beauties Of the mellifiuOus
Tuscan, but rather to furnish the ladies
with description of the manner in which
their "rights" were disposed OF by the most
genial writer of Italy, who wrote these tales
more than five hundred years ago, and who,
despite the pretended progress OF modern
literature, has never yet been surpassed in
enlightened scholarship, or winning graces
ofstyle, by the most gifted OF his country
men.-TRANs.
1t being the presiding lady's ts'rI,- 80
tell story, which privilege she would
gladly nave waived III favor of Dion
eus, and the ladies having quite a
laugh over the pleasing adventures of
Biondello, she began blithely to speak
in the following strain: If the order
of things be regarded with a sane
mind, it is easy to perceive that the
great mass of women are subjected to
man, either by nature, customs or laws,
and that they should be ruled and
governed according to his discretion,
and that every one desiring peace, con-
ISOLATION or repose from her husband
should be humble, patient and ODE
dent, besides being hORest-the great
est and especial treasure of the wise.
The all-pervadjng law, made for the
common good of all things, can never
be changed by a mere whim, and
even usages and customs, as we have
already said, are powerful influences,
much to be revered; natureitself hay
ing sufficiently testified, by its own
acts, that we should be subject to
another, having created US with soft
and delicate limbs, modest and timer
Gus souls, pleasing voices. as well as
by having assigned an easy and grace
full movement to our bodies Now, if
any beings be so dependent as to be in
need of support, or of being governed
by another, should they not then, as
is most reasonable, be obedient, sub
missive and respectful toward their
governor; aud whom else should we
ask to be our supporters and COVER
nors but these very men? 1t is to the
men, then, that we owe all honor and
submission; and whoever deviates
from this fixed dictum of nature is de-
serving, as regard it, of not only
grave reprimands but severe chastise-
ments. Out of these considerations,
and from what I have already told
you, not long since, in regard to Zala-
nos ungovernable wife, for whom God
provided chastisement her husband
would never have thought of, it ap-
pears to me, as I have already said,
that all such women as are inclined
tO-abandon that pleasing, graceful and
charming department which usage,
the laws and nature herself require,
should be severely punished. For
which reasons I feel anxious to tell
you of advice given by Solomon, as
a medicine and a cure, for all those
who do not behave themselves as il
is proper they should, and even fol
those who do not stand in direct need
of this medicine, to keep that proverb
so much used by the men, in mind:
s'Bu0n cdudLo E NAL cdrdL0
CtOle SprOne
haEQufN farufun . u1uFu