Lisetta

Lisetta is the daughter of Bernardo the apothecary and the beloved of Don Pedro, the king who answers her devotion with honor rather than possession. Her story turns a love across a vast difference in rank into a test of restraint: she speaks candidly of her desire, yet makes the king’s dignity, her own modesty, and the queen’s consent part of how that desire may be expressed.

Identity and Circumstances

Lisetta is introduced as a young woman fit for marriage and the daughter of an apothecary, a position she herself contrasts with Don Pedro’s kingship. Her account makes clear that she was never confused about their unequal standing. She knew he was a king and she was Bernardo’s daughter, and believed that her passion was not a matter of choosing a suitable match. The tale presents her love as an inclination she struggled against before acknowledging that she could not overcome it.

The story also shows the consequences of that attachment in her changed condition. After Don Pedro’s humanity toward her, Lisetta is sustained by hope and recovers within a few days. When he later visits her father’s house with barons, the queen and other ladies join them, and Lisetta is received among them. The scene moves her from private longing into a public encounter in which her place and future can be openly addressed.

Love and Self-Command

Don Pedro offers to arrange a marriage for Lisetta, while declaring that he will continue to call himself her knight and asks only for a kiss. Lisetta blushes, but does not answer with either denial or unrestrained surrender. She explains that she had understood the difference between their stations from the beginning, and that although she resisted her inclination, she came to love him and expects to continue doing so.

Her response distinguishes devotion from entitlement. She willingly accepts the honor of taking a husband whom Don Pedro chooses, and says that she would obey even a far harsher command if it pleased him. But she declines the requested kiss unless the queen gives permission. Her reserve does not cancel her love; it defines the terms on which she will express it, acknowledging both the royal household and the limits of her own position.

Marriage and Reward

Don Pedro summons Lisetta’s father and mother and confirms that they approve of his plan. He then chooses Perdicone, a young man of gentle birth who is poor, and marries him to Lisetta, giving rings at the ceremony. The marriage converts the king’s response to her love into a recognized social arrangement rather than a secret liaison.

The material settlement is substantial. Don Pedro grants the couple Ceffalu and Calatabellotta as Lisetta’s dowry, while he and the queen give her many precious jewels. He also promises further provision for Perdicone in the future. Lisetta’s parents are pleased, and she herself accepts the match; the wedding is celebrated with a joyous feast. The tale thus gives her a future secured not only by marriage but by land, wealth, and the king’s continuing favor.

The King’s Knight

The final measure of Don Pedro’s promise is its duration. According to the account, for as long as Lisetta lives he continues to call himself her knight, and whenever he goes to perform a deed of arms he wears no favor other than the one she sends him. The relationship survives the marriage he has arranged, but in a form that recognizes Lisetta’s affection without claiming her as his own.

Lisetta’s story joins personal desire to an examination of rank and royal conduct. Her frankness allows her love to be heard, while her insistence on the queen’s permission keeps her from treating the king’s request as a license. Don Pedro’s marriage arrangement, dowry, gifts, and lasting observance of their bond make her response the occasion for a portrait of generosity exercised with restraint.