A brief summary of the 'Man of Law's Tale'
Here is a brief summary of the 'Man of Law's Tale' which was taken from Boccaccio's
'The Story of Constance':
A rich Syrian merchant was selling grocery and was famous for the high quality of his products.
While he was in Rome on business, he heard of the Emperor's daughter: Costance who was famous for being perfect. He was so amazed by her personality that when he came back to Syria he spoke of her to the sultan who decided to have the lady for him anyway. But he had to abandon his religion and take the lady’s one: Christianity. So they married but everybody was sad as Costance had to leave Rome and go to an unknown place with an unknown man. There she was welcomed by the people, but not by the Sultan’s mother. She gathered some muslims and they all swore not to abandon their religion and to eliminate the Sultan's Christian followers. So this was done and only Costanza remained alive thanks to
her God. She began to travel by sea without any guide. Three years later she arrived to the
Northumberland coast where she was welcomed by some people living in a castle. Everybody liked her immediately.
She converted “Madonna Ermengilda”,a lady that considered Costance as her daughter to her religion.
A boy fell in love with Costance but she refused him; he killed Ermengilda and let everybody believe Costance was guilty for this murder. Besides her sorrow for Ermengilda's death, the poor girl was also tried for murder. Thanks to God her innocence was proved and the king wanted to marry her for her perfect behaviour and humility. But also this time the devil interfered: the Sultan’s mother considered this marriage a scandal. A messenger was bringing a letter to the king, who was in war, informing him about the birth of his son. As he stopped at her house, she modified the letter and made the king believe his son was a baby monster and that he was alone and hated by everyone. The king suffered for this and ordered to look after his son until he wouldn't be back home. But the bad Dongilda changed also this letter and ordered to bring his wife and her son away.
The messenger executed the order and the poor lady was travelling again. When the King came back and didn't find his family he asked the messenger to explain him all.
The guilty was discovered and condemned to death.
Meanwhile Costance was having lots of difficulties at sea. Her father knew all the story and sent a senator to Syiria to take revenge. While the senator was going back to Rome, he happened to meet the ship where Costance was. She didn't reveal her identity and the senator took her home with him. His wife was Costance’s aunt. Meanwhile the king went to Rome to be forgiven by the Pope. There the senator wanted to meet him. When the king saw the baby he guessed he was his son ‘cause he was looked like his wife. Finally they met and made peace after some explanations; they all went to England but were happy only for a short while: the king died and Costance decided to go back to Rome where she lived finally free from any problems, surrounded by her friends.