[The Apothecary’s Wife giving the Dose of Cantharides
to her Husband]
TALE LXVIII.
An apothecary’s wife, finding that her husband made no
great account of her, and wishing to be better loved by him,
followed the advice that he had given to a “commère” (1) of
his, whose sickness was of the same kind as her own; but she
prospered not so well as the other, and instead of love
reaped hate.
1 Mr W. Kelly has pointed out (Bohn’s Heptameron, p. 395)
that in France the godfather and godmother of a child are
called in reference to each other compère and commère, terms
implying mutual relations of an extremely friendly kind. “The
same usage exists in all Catholic countries,” adds Mr Kelly,
“and one of the novels of the Decameron is founded on a
very general opinion in Italy that an amorous connection
between a compadre and his commadre partook almost of
the nature of incest.”
In the town of Pau in Beam there was an apothecary whom men called Master Stephen. He had married a virtuous wife and a thrifty, with beauty enough to content him. But just as he was wont to taste different drugs, so did he also with women, that he might be the better able to speak of all kinds. His wife was greatly tormented by this, and at last lost all patience; for he made no account of her except by way of penance during Holy Week.
One day when the apothecary was in his shop, and his wife had hidden herself behind him to listen to what he might say, a woman, who was “commère” to the apothecary, and was stricken with the same sickness as his own wife, came in, and, sighing, said to him—
“Alas, good godfather, I am the most unhappy woman alive. I love my husband better than myself, and do nothing but think of how I may serve and obey him; but all my labour is wasted, for he prefers the wickedest, foulest, vilest woman in the town to me. So, godfather, if you know of any drug that will change his humour, prithee give it me, and, if I be well treated by him, I promise to reward you by all means in my power.”
The apothecary, to comfort her, said that he knew of a powder which, if she gave it to her husband with his broth or roast, after the fashion of Duke’s powder, (2) would induce him to entertain her in the best possible manner. The poor woman, wishing to behold this miracle, asked him what the powder was, and whether she could have some of it. He declared that there was nothing like powder of cantharides, of which he had a goodly store; and before they parted she made him prepare this powder, and took as much of it as was needful for her purpose. And afterwards she often thanked the apothecary, for her husband, who was strong and lusty, and did not take too much, was none the worse for it.