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Saladin was a minstrel who, being in Sicily one day at table with many knights, was washing 109 his hands; and a knight said to him: wash your mouth and not your hands.
And Saladin replied: Messer, I have not spoken of you to-day.
Then as they were strolling about, to rest after eating, Saladin was questioned by another knight, who said: tell me, Saladin, if I wished to tell a story of mine, to whom must I tell it as being the wisest amongst us? Saladin answered: Messer, tell it to whoever appears to you to be the most foolish.
The knights questioned this answer, and begged him to expatiate upon it.
Saladin replied: to fools every fool appears wise because of his resemblance.
Therefore whoever appears most foolish to a fool, will be the wisest, because wisdom is the contrary of folly. To ever fool wise men seem fools. Therefore to wise men fools seem truly foolish and full of doltishness.
1 Perhaps Saladin of Pavia is meant, a poet who lived about 1250.
110Messer Polo Traversaro2 came from Romagna, and was the greatest noble in all that land, and he ruled over almost all of it without opposition.
There were three very swaggering knights, and they held that in all Romagna there was no man worthy to sit with them as a fourth in company.
And so in their meeting-place they had a bench for three, and more could not be seated thereon, and no one dared to seat himself there for fear of their truculence.
And although Messer Polo was their superior and in other things, they were obedient to his commands, yet in that desirable place he did not dare to sit. They admitted, however, that he was the first lord of Romagna and the one who came nearest of all to making a fourth in their company.
What did the three knights do, seeing that 111 Messer Polo was pressing them hard? They walled up half the door of their palace so that he could not enter3. For the man was of a very stout build. Not being able to enter, he undressed and went in in his shirt.
When they heard him, they got into their beds, and had themselves covered up as though they were ill.
Messer Polo, who had thought to find them at table, discovered them in bed. He comforted them, and interrogated them, and inquired as to their ailments, and perceiving everything, too his leave and went away.
The knights said: this is no joke!
They went to the village of one of their number where he had a beautiful little castle with moats and a draw-bridge.
They decided to winter there. One day Messer Polo went thither with a numerous company, and when they wanted to enter, the three knights raised the bridge. Say what they would, they did not succeed in entering.
So they went away.
112When the winter had passed, the knights returned to the city.
Messer Polo, at their return, did not rise, and they were astonished, and one of them said: O Messer, alack, is this the courtesy you show? When strangers come to your city, do you show them no honour?
And Messer Polo replied: pardon me, gentle sirs, if I do not rise save for the bridge that rose for me.
Then the knights made much of him.
One of the knights died, and the other two sawed off the third of the bench on which they sat, when the third was dead, because in all Romagna they could not find any knight who was worthy to sit in his place.
2 Paolo, or Paul. The Traversaro family was one of the principal families of Ravenna. See Dante, Purg. XIV, 98 and 107. Also Boccaccio, Decameron, Giorno X, Nov. 8.
3 Following the reading of Biagi.
William of Borganda4 was a noble knight of 113 Provence, in the days of Count Raymond Berenger5.
One day it came to pass that some knights were boasting6 and William boasted that there was no nobleman in Provence whom he had not knocked from his saddle, and then he said that there was no woman in Provence who deserved the honour of a tournament7. And this he said in the Count’s presence. And the Count answered: does that include me too? William replied: yes, you, my lord; I say it to you.
He sent for his horse, saddled and well caparisoned, attached his spurs, and set his feet in the stirrups, and when he was ready, he turned to the Count and said: you sir, I neither include nor accept8. And he mounted his horse and 114 spurred it and went off. The Count was so sore grieved that he did not return to the court.
One day some ladies were gathered together for a splendid banquet; and they sent for William of Borganda, and the Countess was there and they said: now tell us, William, why you have so insulted the ladies of Provence? It shall cost you dear.
Each one of them had a stick hidden away.
The one who acted as spokeswoman said: lo! William for your folly it behoves you to die.
And William spoke, and said, seeing that he was taken unawares in such a fashion: I beg you, ladies, by your courtesy that you grant me one favour. The ladies answered: ask, save that you ask not to escape.
Then William spoke and said: ladies, I beg you of your courtesy that whoever among you be the greatest hussy be the first to strike me.
Then they looked at one another: no one was found willing to deal the first blow, and so on that occasion he got away unscathed9.
4 Or “Bergdam”.
5 The last count of Provence, who died in 1245. See Dante, Par. VI, 135.
6 The boasts of the knights figure greatly in knightly legend and story.
7 Underlined so in the original.
8 Orig.: ne metto, ne traggo. I do not put you among the number of knights defeated by me nor do I exclude you from them. In other words: I don’t know what to make of you. The tale is probably corrupt in the MS.
9 The story is told of other knights in several different places. See Livre du Chevalier de la Tour Landry.
115Messer Giacopino Rangone10, a noble knight of Lombardy, being one day at table,, had two flasks of very fine white and red wine before him.
A buffoon being at the table, did not dare to ask for some of the wine, much as he desired to. Getting up, and taking a beaker, he washed it well and ostentatiously. Then when he had washed it, he flourished it in his hand and said: sire, I have washed it.
And Messer Giacopino put his hand into the glass and said: Well you can complete your toilet11 somewhere else.
The buffoon remained there and had no wine.
10 Giacopino Rangone, son of Gherardo, was podestà (governor) of Bologna in 1240. Also possibly at Cremona. There are doubts as to the personality of the Giacopino referred to here.
11 lit: do your combing elsewhere.
116Marco Lombardo12 was a noble courtier and extremely wise. One Christmas he was in a city, where they distributed many gifts, and he received none. He found another courtier who was an ignorant man compared with him, and yet he had received many presents. This gave rise to a good remark, for that courtier said to Marco: how is this, Marco, that I have received seven gifts and you none>? And yet you are far superior to me and wiser. What is the reason?
And Marco replied: only this, that you found more of your kind than I of mine.
12 Marco Lombardo is mentioned by Dante (Purg.. XVI, 46).
Sir Lancelot was fighting one day at a fountain with a knight of Sansonia13 whose name was 117 Aliban; and they fought keenly, with their swords, dismounted from their horses.
And when they paused to draw breath, they asked one another’s names.
Sir Lancelot replied: since you desire to hear my name, know that I am called Lancelot.
Then the combat began once more, and the knight spoke to Lancelot, and siad: your name is deadlier to me than your prowess.
For when he knew that the knight was Lancelot, he began to mistrust his own worth.
1e Saxony?
Narcissus14 was a valiant knight of great beauty.
One day it befell that he was resting beside a lovely fountain. And in the water he beheld his own most beautiful image. And he began to gaze upon it, and rejoiced in seeing it in the fountain; and he thought that the image had a 118 life of its own, that it was in the water, and did not perceive that it was but an image of himself. He began to love it, and to fall so deeply in love with it, that he wished to seize it.
And the water grew troubled, and the image vanished, wherefore he began to weep.
Then he let himself slip into the fountain, so that he drowned.
The season was spring-time.
Some women came to the fountain for sport. They saw the fair Narcissus drowned. They drew him from the fountain with great lamentation, and set him by its rim.
The news of it came to the God of Love.
Wherefore the God of Love made of him a most lovely and verdant almond tree, and it was and is the first tree that bears fruit and renews the time for loving15.
14 Narcis in the text.
15 The almond is the first tree to blossom but not to bear fruit. In Ovid (Metam. III) Narcissus is, of course, changed into the flower that bears his name.
119A knight once begged a lady for her love, and told her among other things that he was noble and rich and passing fair. And your husband is so ugly, as you know.
And that husband was behind the wall of the room. He spoke and said: Messer, by your courtesy further your own affairs, but do not mar those of other men.
Meser di Val Buona was the ugly man. And Messer Rinieri da Calvoli was the other16
16 These two knights are mentioned by Dante in the 14th Canto of the Purgatorio, vv. 88-90 and 97.
We read of King Conrad17 that when he was a boy he enjoyed the company of twelve boys of his 120 own age. Whenever King Conrad was at fault, the masters who were entrusted with his care did not beat him, but they beat those boys who were his companions. And he would say: Why do you beat those boys? The masters answered: Because of your misdemeanours. And he said: Why do you not beat me, for I am to blame? And the masters answerd: Because you are our lord. But we beat them in your place. Wherefore sorely should you be grieved if you have a gentle heart, that others pay the penalty of your faults.
And therefore, we are told, King Conrad took great heed not to act wrongly, for pity of them.
17 Conrad IV of Svevia, son of Frederic II, elected Emperor of Germany in 1250, came to Italy to take possession of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
A physician of Toulouse took to wife a gentlewoman of Toulouse, niece to the Archbishop. He took her home. In two months she was about to give birth to a daughter. The 121 physician showed no anger. On the contrary, he comforted the woman, and showed her reasons, in accordance with science, that the child could be his.
And with these words and with a show of friendliness he prevented the woman from thwarting his purpose. He showed her every attention during the child-birth.
After her travail, he said to her: Madonna, I have honoured you as much as I could. Now I beg you by the love you bear me, to return home to your father’s house. And your daughter I will hold in all honour.
Matters went so far, that the Archbishop heard that the physician had sent his niece away. He sent for him, and as he was a great man, he addressed him with high words, mingled with scorn and menaces.
And when he had had his say, the physician replied and said: Messer, I took your niece to wife, thinking, with my riches, to be able to supply and nourish my family; and it was my intention to have a son every year, and no more. Whereas the woman has begun to give birth after two 122 months. For this reason I am not sufficiently opulent, if things are to continue in this way, to be able to nourish them all; and for you it would not be decorous that your kindred should live in poverty. Wherefore I beg you humbly, to give her to a man wealthier than I am, so that she may be no dishonour to you.
Master Francis, son of Master Accorso of the city of Bologna,18 when he returned from England, where he had long sojourned, put this problem to the municipality of Bologna, and said: the father of a family left his town in poverty and abandoned his sons, and went into remote parts. After a certain time, he saw some men of his own country. Prompted by love of his children, he questioned them, and they replied: Messer, your children 123 have had great gains, and are grown rich. When he heard this, he decided to depart and returned home. He found his sons rich. He asked them to reinstate him in his possessions as their father and lord. The sons refused, saying: father we have earned this: it has naught to do with you. So that there came about a law-suit.
Now, in accordance with the law, the father became master of all the sons had earned. And so I ask of the commune of Bologna that the possessions of my sons come under my keeping, that is the possessions of my scholars. For they have become great masters, and have learned much since I left them.
May it please the commune of Bologna, now that I have returned, to make me once more master and father, in obedience to the law which treats of the father of a family.
18 Francis, son of the famous jurist of Florence, Accorso da Bagnolo, was professor of Civil Law in the University of Bologna. He went to England at the request of Edward I, where he remained until 1281. See Dante, Inferno, XV, 110.
There was a Gascon woman in Cyprus, who suffered such a villainous and shameful offence 124 that she could not endure it19. So she went before the King of Cyprus20 and said: Sire, you have already suffered ten thousand insults, and I only one. I beg you who have borne so many, pray teach me how to bear mine.
The King was ashamed, and began to avenge his wrongs, and not to endure others.
19 Guasca, a woman from Gascony.
20 The reference may be to Guido di Lusignano, fourth son of Hugh VII. Called to the throne of Jerusalem in 1186, he was soon made prisoner by Saladin. He ceded his title, when released to King Richard of England, receiving in exchange the kingdom of Cyprus.
In the days of King John of Acre21 a bell was hung for anyone to ring who had received a great wrong, whereupon the King would call together the wise men appointed for this purpose, in order that justice might be done.
It happened that the bell had lasted a long time and the rope had wasted, so that a vine clung to it.
125Now it befell that a knight of Acre had a noble charger which had grown old, so that it had lost its worth, and the knight, to avoid the expense of its keep, let it wander about. The famished horse tugged at the vine to eat it. As it tugged, the bell rang.
The judges assembled, and understood the petition of the horse who, it seemed, asked for justice. They sentenced the knight whom the horse had served when it was young, should feed it now that it was old.
The King commanded him to do so under grave penalties.
21 Or Atri. See Longfellow’s poem The Bell of Atri.
The Emperor granted a privilege to one of his barons, that whosoever should pass through his lands should pay him a penny as toll-traverse for each manifest physical defect. The baron set a gate-keeper at his door to gather the tolls.
126One day it befell that a one-footed man came to the gate: the gate-keeper asked him for a penny. The man refused and began to pick a quarrel with him. The keeper took hold of him.
The man, in order to defend himself, drew forth the stump of his arm, for he had lost one hand.
When the keeper saw this, he said: you shall now pay me two pence, one for the hand, and one for the foot. So they went on fighting. The man’s hat fell off his head. He had only one eye. The keeper said: you shall pay me three pence. They took hold of each other by the hair. The keeper felt his head: it was scabby. The keeper said: now you shall pay me four pence.
So, he who could have passed on without a quarrel, instead of one penny had to pay four22.
22 The tale is from Disciplina Clericalis.
A parish priest who was called Porcellino in 127 the days of Bishop Mangiadore23 was accused before the bishop of conducting his parish badly because of his light behaviour with women.
The bishop, holding an inquiry on him, found him most guilty.
And as he was dwelling at the bishop’s palace, waiting to be deposed, his family, to help him, showed him how he might escape punishment.
They hid him at night under the Bishop’s bed.
And that night the Bishop sent for one of his paramours. And being with her in bed, he sought to take hold of her, but the woman refused him, saying: many promises you have made me, but you never keep your word. The Bishop replied: light of my eyes, I promise and swear it. No, she said, I want the money paid down.
The Bishop rose to fetch the money in order to give it to his mistress, when the priest came from under the bed and said: Messer, for this 128 do they punish me? Now who could do otherwise?
The Bishop was ashamed and forgave him. But sorely did he take him to task before the other clergy.
23 Mangiadore was Bishop of Florence from 1251-74. Therefore the ordinary editions are wrong when they write: mangiadore meaning gluttonous. The tale is to be found in Wright’s Anecdota literaria, London 1884, under the title “the Bishop and the Priest”.
Marco Lombardo24 who was wiser than any other man of his calling, was one day approached by a poor but distinguished gentleman who secretly accepted gifts of money from people of substance, but did not take other gifts. He had a very sharp tongue, and his name was Paolino. He put such a question to Marco as he thought Marco would not be able to answer.
Marco, he said, you are the wisest man in all Italy, and you are poor, and disdain to petition for gifts: why did you not take forethought so as to be rich and not have to beg?
129And Marco turned round and then said: no one sees us, and no one hears us. And how did you manage? And Sharp-Tongue replied: I have indeed but managed to be poor. And Marco said: then do not betray me, and I will not betray you25
24 See Novella XLIV.
25 No doubt this is thirteenth century wit, though to us neither of the two minstrels seems to have had a particularly sharp tongue. In original: tiello credenza a me et io a te. In other words: do not say we are poor. Neither shall you say it to me, nor I to you.
A man from the Marches26 went to study in Bologna. His means ran short. He wept. Another saw him, and learnt why he was weeping. He said to him: I will furnish you with means to study, and do you promise me that you will give me a thousand lire when you win your first law-suit.
130The scholar studied and returned to his home.
The other went after him for the recompense.
The scholar, for fear of having to pay the sum, remained idle and did not pursue his profession, and so both were losers, the one in his learning, the other in his money.
Now what did that other man devise to get his money? He sued him, and brought an action for two thousand lire against him, and said to him: either you win or you lose. If you win, you shall pay me the sum agreed upon. If you lose, you shall pay me what I sue you for.
Then the scholar paid, and refused to litigate with him.
26 Le Marche, the province of which Ancona is now the chief town.
There was once a rich man who had a very beautiful woman to wife, and this man loved her much and was very jealous of her.
Now it happened, in God’s pleasure, that this man had an illness of the eyes whence he became blind and saw the light no more.
131Now it befell that his man did not leave his wife, nor ever let her out of his reach, for he feared she might go astray.
Thus it chanced that a man of the countryside fell in love with this woman, and not seeing how he could find an opportunity to converse with her — for her husband was always at her side — he came near to losing his reason for love of her.
And the woman seeing him so enamoured of her, said to him: you see, I can do nothing, for this man never leaves me.
So the good man did not know what to do or say. It seemed he would die for love. He could find no way of meeting the woman alone.
The woman, seeing the behaviour of this gentle man and all that he did, thought of a way of helping him. She made a long tube of cane, and placed it to the ear of the man, and spoke to him in this fashion so that her husband could not hear. And she said to the good man: I am sorry for you, and I have thought of a way of helping you. Go into the garden, and climb up a pear-tree which has many fine pears, and wait for me up there, and I will come up to you.
132The good man went at once into the garden, and climbed up the pear-tree, and awaited the woman.
Now came the time when the woman was in the garden, and she wished to help the good man, and her husband was still by her side, and she said: I have a fancy for those pears which are at the top of that pear-tree, for they are very fine. And the husband said: call some one to pluck them for you. And the woman said: I will pluck them myself; otherwise I should not enjoy them.
Then the woman approached the tree to climb it, and her husband came with her to the foot of the tree, and he put his arms around the trunk of the tree, so that no one could follow her up it.
Now it happened that the woman climbed up the pear-tree to her friend, who was awaiting her, and they were very happy together, and the pear-tree shook with their weight, and the pears fell down on the top of the husband.
Then the husband said: what are you doing, woman, you are knocking all the pears down? And the woman replied: I wanted the pears off a certain branch, and only so could I get them.
133Now you must know that the Lord God and Saint Peter seeing this happening, Saint Peter said to the Lord God: do you not see the trick that woman is playing on her husband. Order that the husband see again, so he may perceive what his wife does.
And the Lord God said: I tell you, Saint Peter, that no sooner does she see the light than the woman will find an excuse, so I will that light come to him, and you shall see what she will say.
Then the light came to him, and he looked up and saw what the woman was doing. What are you doing with that man? You honour neither yourself nor me, nor is this loyal in a woman. And the woman replied at once: if I had not done so, you would not have seen the light.
And the husband, hearing this, was satisfied.
So you see how women and females are loyal, and how quickly they find excuses27.
27 This novella is not in the Gualteruzzi edition, but is to be found in that by Papanti founded on the Panciatichiano MS.
134The most understanding beasts are monkeys, dogs and bears. These are the most understanding beasts that there are. God has given them more cleverness than all the others.
So we find in the book of Noah Servus Dei that when he was in the ark during the deluge, these three beasts kept closer to him than all the others.
And when they came out of the ark, they were the last to leave him, for out of their cleverness, they feared that the deluge might begin again28.
28 From the Panciatichiano MS.
The Emperor Frederick one day had a great nobleman hanged for a certain misdeed. And that his justice might be visible to all, he had him 135 guarded by a noble knight with the severe command not to let him be removed; but the knight paid little attention, and the hanged man was carried away.
When the knight became aware of this, he took thought with himself as to what he might do to save his head.
And during the night, deep in thought, he went to a neighbouring abbey to see if he could find some one newly buried there, that he might swing him from the gallows in the other one’s place.
That same night he reached the abbey, and found a woman in tears dishevelled and ungirt and weeping loudly; and she was grievously afflicted and bewailed her dear husband who had died that very day.
The knight asked her softly: what manner of grief is this?
And the lady replied: I loved him so much that I never wish to be consoled but desire to end my days here in lamentation.
Then the knight said to her: lady, what sense is there in this? Do you wish to die here of 136 grief? Neither with tears nor with lamentations can you bring back to life a dead body. Therefore what folly is this in which you are indulging? Do as I say: take me to husband, of I have no wife, and save my life, for I am in danger. And I do not know where to hide, for at my lord’s bidding I was guarding a knight who had been hanged by the neck, and some men of his kindred carried him off. Show me how I may escape, if you can, and I will be your husband and maintain you honourably.
Then the woman, hearing this, fell in love with the knight, and said: I will do even as you bid me; so great is the love I bear you. Let us take this husband of mine, and draw him out of his sepulchre, and hang him in the place of the man who was taken from you.
And she ceased her plaint, and helped him to draw her husband from his grave, and assisted him to hang him by the neck, dead as he was.
The knight said: lady, he had on tooth missing from his mouth, and I fear that if they came and saw him again, I might be dishonoured. And she, hearing this, broke off a tooth from his 137 mouth, and if more had been required, she would have done it.
Then the knight, seeing what she had done with her husband, said: lady, since you showed so little regard fro one towards whom you professed such love, so would you have even less regard for me.
Then he left her, and went about his business, and she remained behind in great shame29.
29 This story is well-known in many countries. The best known version of it is perhaps The Ephesian Widow in Petronius’s Satyricon.
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