King Pedro Arranges Lisa’s Marriage

In the story told by Pampinea, Don Pedro answers Lisa’s love not by taking her as his own, but by arranging her marriage to Perdicone and providing the couple with wealth and status. The episode converts Lisa’s private devotion into a public settlement: she receives a husband she accepts, while the king keeps faith with her as her self-proclaimed knight.

Lisa’s Request and the King’s Restraint

Lisa tells Don Pedro that she has loved him despite knowing that he is her king and that she cannot reasonably expect him to marry her. She is willing to accept a husband chosen by him and promises to honor that choice; she even says she would endure fire if it would please him. But she draws a boundary around the king’s desire for a kiss, saying that it cannot be granted without the leave of the queen. Her declaration makes her affection explicit while acknowledging the limits imposed by his royal marriage and her own social position.

The queen approves of Lisa’s answer and considers her as discreet as Don Pedro had described. The king does not treat Lisa’s devotion as permission to possess her. Instead, he calls her parents and confirms that they approve the marriage he intends to arrange. Their consent makes the match a family agreement as well as the king’s intervention.

The Marriage and Its Dowry

Don Pedro summons Perdicone, a young man of gentle birth but little wealth, and gives him rings with which to marry Lisa. The marriage is completed there and then. The queen and king also give Lisa many precious jewels, and Don Pedro grants Perdicone Ceffalu and Calatabellotta as a rich dowry for his bride. The gifts materially transform the poor young man’s prospects and establish the couple in an elevated position.

The account presents the marriage as welcome to Lisa, Perdicone, and Lisa’s parents. They celebrate with a joyful wedding feast. Don Pedro then takes Lisa’s head in his hands and kisses her on the brow: a gesture that acknowledges her love but stops short of the kiss she had reserved for the queen’s permission.

A Lasting Bond and Its Public Meaning

The settlement does not erase Lisa’s place in the king’s affections. According to the story, Don Pedro faithfully keeps his covenant with her: for as long as she lives, he calls himself her knight and wears no token of favor in arms except one she sends him. Lisa’s marriage and the king’s continued allegiance thus coexist, expressed through public honor and a chosen token rather than a concealed affair.

The narrator draws a political lesson from the episode. By rewarding Lisa and providing for her marriage, Don Pedro wins the hearts of his subjects, encourages others to act well, and earns lasting renown. The contrast between his considerate use of royal power and the cruelty attributed to many princes gives the arrangement significance beyond the couple: generosity and restraint become means of good government.