The Decameron (Day 1 to Day 5) Containing an hundred pleasant Novels

THE DECAMERON - CONTAINING An hundred pleasant Novels. - Wittily discoursed, betweene seaven Honourable Ladies, and three Noble Gentlemen. - London, printed by Isaac Jaggard, 1620.

The Epistle Dedicatory. - TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, Sir Phillip Herbert, Knight of the Bath at the Coronation of our Soveraigne Lord King James, Lord Baron of Sherland, Earle of Montgomery, and Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter, &c.

The Authors Prologue, to the Lords, Ladies, and Gentlewomen.

The Table.

The End of the Table.

THE DECAMERON, Containing, an Hundred pleasant Novelles. - Wherein, after demonstration made by the Author, upon what occasion it hapned, that the persons (of whom we shall speake heereafter) should thus meete together, to make so queint a Narration of Novels: Hee declareth unto you, that they first begin to devise and conferre, under the government of Madam Pampinea, and of such matters as may be most pleasing to them all. - The Induction of the Author, to the following Discourses.

Messire Chappelet du Prat, by making a false confession, beguyled an holy Religious man, and after dyed. And having (during his life time) bene a verie bad man, at his death was reputed to be a Saint, and called S. Chappelet. - The first Novell. - Wherein is contained, how hard a thing it is, to distinguish goodnesse from hypocrisie; and how (under the shadow of holinesse) the wickednes of one man, may deceive many.

Abraham a Jew, being admonished or advised by a friend of his, named Jehannot de Chevigny, travailed from Paris unto Rome: And beholding there the wicked behaviour of men in the Church, returned backe to Paris again, where yet (neverthelesse) he became a Christian. - The Second Novell. - Wherein is contained and expressed, the liberality and goodnesse of God, extended to the Christian Faith.

Melchisedech a Jew, by recounting a Tale of three Rings, to the great Soldan, named Saladine, prevented a great danger which was prepared for him. - The third Novell. - Whereby the Author, approving the Christian Faith, sheweth, how beneficiall a sodaine and ingenious answer may fall out to bee, especially when a man finds himselfe in some evident danger.

A Monke, having committed an offence, deserving to be very grievously punished; freede himselfe from the paine to be inflicted on him, by wittily reprehending his Abbot, with the very same fault. - The fourth Novell. - Wherein may be noted, that such men as will reprove those errors in others, which remaine in themselves, commonly are the Authors of their owne reprehension.