and orb, with many a fine girdle, buckle,ring, and whatever else of jewellery I possess; the other is full ofearth: choose then, and whichever you shall choose, be it yours; therebyyou will discover whether 'tis due to me or to your fortune that yourdeserts have lacked requital." Such being the King's pleasure, MesserRuggieri chose one of the chests, which at the King's command beingopened and found to be that which contained the earth:--"Now, MesserRuggieri," quoth the King with a laugh, "your own eyes may warrant you ofthe truth of what I say touching Fortune; but verily your merit demandsthat I take arms against her in your cause. I know that you are notminded to become a Spaniard, and therefore I shall give you neithercastle nor city; but that chest, which Fortune denied you, I bestow onyou in her despite, that you may take it with you to your own country,and there with your neighbours justly vaunt yourself of your deserts,attested by my gifts." Messer Ruggieri took the chest, and having thankedthe King in a manner befitting such a gift, returned therewith, wellpleased, to Tuscany.
NOVEL II.
--Ghino di Tacco captures the Abbot of Cluny, cures him of a disorder ofthe stomach, and releases him. The abbot, on his return to the court ofRome, reconciles Ghino with Pope Boniface, and makes him prior of theHospital.--
When an end was made of extolling the magnificence shewn by King Alfonsotowards the Florentine knight, the king, who had listened to the storywith no small pleasure, bade Elisa follow suit; and forthwith Elisabegan:--Dainty my ladies, undeniable it is that for a king to bemagnificent, and to entreat magnificently one that has done him service,is a great matter, and meet for commendation. What then shall we say whenthe tale is of a dignitary of the Church that shewed wondrousmagnificence towards one whom he might well have entreated as an enemy,and not have been blamed by a soul? Assuredly nought else than that whatin the king was virtue was in the prelate nothing less than a miracle,seeing that for superlative greed the clergy, one and all, outdo uswomen, and wage war to the knife upon every form of liberality. Andalbeit all men are by nature prone to avenge their wrongs, 'tis notoriousthat the clergy, however they may preach longsuffering, and commend ofall things the forgiving of trespasses, are more quick and hot to beavenged than the rest of mankind. Now this, to wit, after what manner aprelate shewed magnificence, will be made manifest to you in my story.
Ghino di Tacco, a man redoubtable by reason of his truculence and hishigh-handed deeds, being banished from Siena, and at enmity with theCounts of Santa Fiore, raised Radicofani in revolt against the Church ofRome, and there abiding, harried all the surrounding country with hissoldiers, plundering all wayfarers. Now Pope Boniface VIII. being atRome, there came to court the Abbot of Cluny, who is reputed one of thewealthiest prelates in the world; and having there gotten a disorder ofthe stomach, he was advised by the physicians to go to the baths ofSiena, where (they averred) he would certainly be cured. So, havingobtained the Pope's leave, reckless of the bruit of Ghino's exploits, hetook the road, being attended by a great and well-equipped train ofsumpter-horses and servants. Ghino di Tacco, getting wind of hisapproach, spread his nets to such purpose as without the loss of so muchas a boy to surround the abbot, with all his servants and effects, in astrait pass, from which there was no exit. Which done, he sent one of hismen, the cunningest of them all, with a sufficient retinue to the abbot,who most lovingly on Ghino's part besought the abbot to come and visitGhino at the castle. Whereto the abbot, very wroth, made answer that hewould none of it, for that nought had he to do with Ghino; but that hepurposed to continue his journey, and would fain see who would hinderhim. "Sir," returned the envoy, assuming a humble tone, "you are come toa part of the country where we have no fear of aught save the might ofGod, and where excommunications and interdicts are one and all under theban; wherefore you were best be pleased to shew yourself agreeable toGhino in this particular." As they thus spoke, Ghino's soldiers shewedthemselves on every side, and it being thus manifest to the abbot that heand his company were taken prisoners, he, albeit mightily incensed,suffered himself with all his train and effects to be conducted by theenvoy to the castle; where the abbot, being alighted, was lodged in asmall and very dark and discomfortable room, while his retinue, accordingto their several conditions, were provided with comfortable quarters indivers parts of the castle, the horses well stabled and all the effectssecured, none being in any wise tampered with. Which done, Ghino hied himto the abbot, and:--"Sir," quoth he, "Ghino, whose guest you are, sendsme to entreat you to be pleased to inform him of your destination, andthe purpose of your journey." The abbot, vailing his pride like a wiseman, told whither he was bound and for what purpose. Whereupon Ghino lefthim, casting about how he might cure him without a bath. To which end hekept a great fire ever burning in the little chamber, and had it closelyguarded, and returned not to the abbot until the ensuing morning, when hebrought him in a spotless napkin two slices of toast and a great beakerof vernaccia of Corniglia, being of the abbot's own vintage; and:--"Sir,"quoth he to the abbot, "Ghino, as a young man, made his studies inmedicine, and avers that he then learned that there is no bettertreatment for disorder of the stomach than that which he will afford you,whereof the matters that I bring you are the beginning; wherefore takethem and be of good cheer."
The abbot, being far too hungry to make many words about the matter, ate(albeit in high dudgeon) the toast, and drank the vernaccia; which done,he enlarged on his wrongs in a high tone, with much questioning andperpending; and above all he demanded to see Ghino. Part of what theabbot said Ghino disregarded as of no substance, to other part he repliedcourteously enough; and having assured him that Ghino would visit him assoon as might be, he took his leave of him; nor did he return until themorrow, when he brought him toast and vernaccia in the same quantity asbefore; and so he kept him several days: then, having marked that theabbot had eaten some dried beans that he had secretly brought and leftthere of set purpose, he asked him in Ghino's name how he felt in thestomach. "Were I but out of Ghino's hands," replied the abbot, "I shouldfeel myself well, indeed: next to which, I desire most of all a goodbreakfast, so excellent a cure have his medicines wrought on me."Whereupon Ghino caused the abbot's servants to furnish a goodly chamberwith the abbot's own effects, and there on the morrow make ready a grandbanquet, at which all the abbot's suite and not a few of the garrisonbeing assembled, he hied him to the abbot, and:--"Sir," quoth he, "'tistime you left the infirmary, seeing that you now feel yourself well;" andso saying, he took him by the hand, and led him into the chamber madeready for him, and having left him there with his own people, made it hischief concern that the banquet should be magnificent. The abbot's spiritsrevived as he found himself again among his men, with whom he talked awhile, telling them how he had been entreated, wherewith they contrastedthe signal honour which they, on the other hand, had, one and all,received from Ghino.
Breakfast-time came, and with order meet the abbot and the rest wereregaled with good viands and good wines, Ghino still suffering not theabbot to know who he was. But when the abbot had thus passed severaldays, Ghino, having first had all his effects collected in a saloon, andall his horses, to the poorest jade, in the courtyard below, hied him tothe abbot and asked him how he felt, and if he deemed himself strongenough to ride. The abbot replied that he was quite strong enough, andthat 'twould be well indeed with him, were he once out of Ghino's hands.Ghino then led him into the saloon in which were his effects and all hisretinue, and having brought him to a window, whence he might see all hishorses:--"Sir Abbot," quoth he, "you must know that 'tis not for that hehas an evil heart, but because, being a gentleman, he is banished fromhis home, and reduced to poverty, and has not a few powerful enemies,that in defence of his life and honour, Ghino di Tacco, whom you seebefore you, has become a robber of highways and an enemy to the court ofRome. But such as I am, I have cured you of your malady of the stomach,and taking you to be a worthy lord, I purpose not to treat you as I wouldanother, from whom, were he in my hands, as you are, I should take suchpart of his goods as I should think fit; but I shall leave it
to you,upon consideration of my need, to assign to me such portion of your goodsas you yourself shall determine. Here are they before you undiminishedand unimpaired, and from this window you may see your horses below in thecourtyard; wherefore take the part or take the whole, as you may see fit,and be it at your option to tarry here, or go hence, from this hourforth."
The abbot marvelled to hear a highway robber speak thus liberally, andsuch was his gratification that his wrath and fierce resentment departedfrom him, nay, were transformed into kindness, insomuch that in allcordial amity he hasted to embrace Ghino, saying:--"By God I swear, thatto gain the friendship of a man such I now deem thee to be, I would becontent to suffer much greater wrong than that which