Nicole

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST

Historic Center of Florence

Jurisdiction of Saint- Emilion

Paris, Banks of the Seine

Independence Hall

I was in a sort of ecstasy, from the idea of being in Florence,
close to the great men whose tombs I had seen.
Absorbed in the contemplation of sublime beauty...
I reached the point where one encounters celestial sensations...
Everything spoke so vividly to my soul. Ah, if I could only forget.
I had palpitations of the heart, what in Berlin they call 'nerves.'
Life was drained from me.
I walked with the fear of falling. - Stendhal

* * * * *

Affrighted by the knight's words, insomuch that there was scarce a hair on his head but stood on end, Nastagio shrank
back still gazing on the hapless damsel, and waited all a tremble to see what the knight would do.
Nor had he long to wait; for the knight, as soon as he had done speaking, sprang, rapier in hand,
like a mad dog upon the damsel, who, kneeling, while the two mastiffs gripped her tightly,
cried him mercy; but the knight, thrusting with all his force, struck her between the breasts,
and ran her clean through the body.

Thus stricken, the damsel fell forthwith prone on the ground sobbing and shrieking:
whereupon the knight drew forth a knife, and having therewith opened her in the back,
took out the heart and all the circumjacent parts, and threw them to the two mastiffs,
who, being famished, forthwith devoured them.
And in no long time the damsel, as if nought thereof had happened, started to her feet,
and took to flight towards the sea, pursued,
and ever and anon bitten, by the dogs, while the knight, having gotten him to horse again,
followed them as before, rapier in hand; and so fast sped
they that they were quickly lost to Nastagio's sight.

Nastagio caused a lordly breakfast to be prepared,
and had the tables set under the pines about the place
where he had witnessed the slaughter of the cruel lady;
and in ranging the ladies and gentlemen at table he so
ordered it, that the damsel whom he loved was placed
opposite the spot where it should be enacted.

And when the knight proceeded to do as he had done before,
all the ladies that were there,
many of whom were of kin to the suffering damsel
and to the knight, and called to mind his love and death,
wept as bitterly as if 'twere their own case.

- Boccaccio