“I would liefer have a man that lacketh of riches than riches that lack of a man”

Madam Giovanna’s choice, expressed in the words “I would liefer have a man that lacketh of riches than riches that lack of a man,” makes character outweigh fortune. Spoken when her brothers press her to marry again, the line turns Federigo degli Alberighi’s poverty from an apparent disqualification into a contrast with the worth she values in him.

Context and Meaning

Madam Giovanna speaks after Federigo has slain his falcon to entertain her, not knowing that she had come hoping to obtain the bird for her sick son. Her son dies soon afterward, and she is left young and very wealthy. When her brothers urge her to take another husband, she says she would gladly remain as she is, but, if they insist, she will marry no one but Federigo. Her declaration answers their objection that he has nothing in the world: wealth alone cannot compensate for the absence of a man she esteems.

From Sacrifice to Marriage

The phrase recalls Federigo’s final act of generosity as the decisive evidence of his character. The falcon had been his last precious possession, and he gave it up for her entertainment; Madam Giovanna calls this his magnificence even as she acknowledges his poverty. Her brothers initially make light of her choice, but, recognizing Federigo’s merit, they give her to him with all her wealth. The ending reverses the apparent imbalance between them: he becomes a more careful steward of his substance, and the two live together in joy.