Cornazano

PROVERBS IN JESTS OR THE TALES OF CORNAZANO (xv'ii century) Literally translated into English. With the Italian text. ISIDORE LISEUX  19, PuHge Cholieul
188B

PREFACE
1 TovtrUi in Fùatìt ìs one of ibe
most agreeable collections of
Tales bequeathed os by Italy,
I so rich in this kmd of literature;
ivas a small popular book,
sold in the sixteenth century, ornamented
with woodcuts of a workmanship a* primitive

I) Tramlated from the French edition ; Lit F^Mtrhti t» facitia iAntono Cornataiu (xv*
sUcU). Traduit pour la primùrl fiia, Uxtt ItalUn
IH rigard [par H. Aldde Bonneau]. Farà,
Zistux, 1SS4, iii-16.



VI PftBTACB

as ùìost of the Ben Bergtr (Good She^wrd),
by Jehan de Brie. The publishers issued
twenty editions of it from 1 518 to 1560, which
did not prevent its becoming exceedingly rare.
Renouard published at Didot, the elder's, in
1812, a new edition which, without becom-
ing common, is more ea^ly had than the
former ones, and the teit of which, being less
inaccurate^ has served us for the present trans-
lation.

Antonio Cornazano, the author of a work
which has been in such vogue, is hardly
known dcept ^pngh it, although he wrote
several others. Like so many other laborious
literati of his time, he had founded hit re-
nown on volaminous works in wfakh he
£uicted that he had concentrated all hb genius,
and posterity reads but a few amusing pages
of them, penned in faia most mirthful hours.
His famous poem De fide et vita ChrUti {On
the Faith and Life of Christ) in tir\a rima^
which overwhelmed his contemporaries with
admiration and inade him Dante^s equal, is
now quite neglected; and the Germans, who
know everything, are doubtlesr ignorant that,



PABFACE Vn

previous to K]opctock» he had composed t
Mesànd. His ttnfe ritm io honor of the Yirgio
Maiy have shared the same £ite» as wdl aa
hMvdUiactie poem» in nine camoa, on ^ art
of war; thesixbookaofCommentaiks which
he carefnUy composed in Latin» on one of
the g;feat captains of his time, BartoJomoieD
Galeoni» are lost among the vast compilationa
ol Graevios and Burmami. it is not as lival
of Dante and Petrarch, nor as continuator of
Vegetius and Frontinus that he has escaped
from oblivion.

He was bom at Piacenza in I4}i. A few
biographers pretend that he was bom at
Ferrara» where he resided during the last
twenty years of his life ; but he himself speaks»
in various parts of his works, of Piacenza as
his native town, and even assumes the
title» at one of their headings, di poeta Placm-
Hnus (Piacenzian poet). Passano relates» in his
short note consecrated, to him (Novellkri Ita-
liani in prosa, 1878, vol. ij, that while pur-
suing his studies, being then about twelve
years old, he fell madly in love with a young
g^l; and that his father, in order to cure him»
sent him to the University of Siena. We have



vili PREFACE

found this fact verified, though k is of but
little importance, in a place where we should
not have thought of looking for it, namely :
in his poem to the Virgin : De la sanctissitna
vita di Nostra Dannatala illustrissima Madotma
Hippofyta Visconti^ duchessa di Calabria^ in 4°
without date or name of the place of publica-
tion and of the greatest rarity {i). The poet
states therein that he had passed his twenty
dghth year :

Da cK io nacqué,„„

Ck or compisce il vigisimo octavo anno.

Sèmpre in amare ho la mia vita frusta;

€ Since I was bom but I have accomplished

my twenty-eighth year, I have spent my life in
constantly wooing. »

and he adds :

Uno angel vivo, unpin co i/ructi a^oro
El fior do giorni mUi posseduto hanno
Fra sedeci anni,,»^

« A living angel, a gold-fruit-pine have during



(x) It is to be had at the Library of the Arsenal,
Paris»



PREPACE fìC

these sixteen years possessed the flower of my
days. »

Twelve and sixteen are indeed twenty*eight,
wluch proves that, in spite of his exile at
Siena, he remained faithful» and this gdld^
fruit-pine would indicate to us the family of
his adored one, if we were sufficiently initiatod
into the mysteries of the blazon.

He lived from 1455 till 1466 at the Court
of the Duke Francesco Sforza, at Milan. He
had come to the Duke's in search of fortune,
and was warmly recdved and kept by him
until his death in 1466. While he was there
he composed the greater part of his works.
The poem we have already mentioned was
not his first literary essay, and he had made
his debut by compositions of quite another kind,
and more in accordance with his amorous
temper; for he says in his Invocation of the
debut to the Madonna :

E pria che Morti in me Forco suo scJkocchi,
RedriMMa, prigp^ in laude de toi rai.
Le mie lascive rime e i versi sciocchi.

€ Before Death lets fly his arrow at me, repair,



X PKBFACB

I beseech tbcel my wvitoo rimes, and fooliih
verses, in praise of thy rays. »

These wtmoa rhymes and foolish verses
tre perhaps among Comazano's onaeiDiis
insanusoipts which are deposited in ths libra-
ries of Modena and Florence, and which die
biographers of the poet, some of whose
extracts appear in the Thesaurus of Graofrins
and Bnrmann, call Elogia quaiam, Po$mata
varia^ Comma in ocuhrum laudem, Latin titles
which most likely de»gnate works written in
Italian. There is another great poem, and, as
the preceding one, it is in terxfl rima : Opera
ieUissima de l'arte mìitar, del excellefUisiimo
poeta miser AnUmio CorMi\a$io, printed only in
1493 (Venice, in fdio). It ought to be also
attiibitted to the same epoch ; for the author
sped» of it elsewhere as a work of his youth,
as well as the Df fide et vita Christie which
was published in 147a. Comazano held more-
over with the Duke Francesco Sforza the
office which poets of the court, admitted into
intimacy with princes, usually do hold : he
wrote his love letters. ** Words," says he,
V< can also give pleasure to lovely young wo-



PltBFACB XI

men; I can Uàrìy answer for that, I, who was
some twelve yeais In the Doke^s Court, and
often requested by his Lordship to compoaei
for him love lettera and sonnets." (i)

-^mazano passed in 1466 from the service
of Francesco Sforsa to that of Bartoiommco
Coleoin, the famous condottiere, then general
of the Venetian RepoUic. He wrote down the
general's lofty eapkrits most minnteiy, and-
from his own Ups too» for the recital is not
followed up to the Captain's death. This bte-
resttng work in Latin is a sett oi epitome of
the history of Italy during the second half of
the fifteenth century, Cokoni having been
actively engaged in all the wars of his time.
Comaaano had not had it pablished during
his Iffethne; Graevius and Burmann having
found out this manuscript» they inserted it
in the ninth volume, part seven, of thdr
Thesaurus autìquitatum it histoHarum Tt(àia
(Treasure of Antiquities and Histories of Italy).
Coleoni having died in 1475, Comaaano re*
turned to Piacensa, and w» sent in 1479, ^



(z) Novdia duaàe, inserted at tbeend oi thePro-
^trHim Fécttk, in the old aditloBs.



XII PREFACE

amliassador, to Milan; he went also to France,
as he relates in his poem De fide et vita Christie
bnt iiobody knows when or on what occa»on.
He passed in [1480 or 1481 to the Court of
Hercules d'Esta, at Ferrara, where he was
received and entertained with profound respect.
He married rather late in life, Taddea de
Varrò, of ancient and noble pedigree, and he
died some twenty years afterwards in the year
1500. He was interred in the church of the
Servites. Zilioli is satisfied with stating in his
rU$ U Poeti lUdiani (Lives of Italian Poets),
that he knew Greek just as well as Latin, and
that he wrote dififeient works in Italian which
are both useful and amusing : an honorable
occupation in which he gaily spent his life
and attained a good round old age* ''His
style, in verses»" he adds, ''was agreeable
and easy and not wanting in elegance; but he
was licentious in his choice of words, though
notlung more, and used terms which persons
of taste can not read without blushing."

This over exaggerated criticism can not be
applied to any of Comazano's works, to
which we have already alluded, nor much
less to any of the others belonging to the



PREFACE XIII

same class, such as the treaty Del modo di
rigare e di regnare (On the Manner of Ruling
and Reigning) and the Triumphus Caroli Magni
(Triumph of Charles the Great), of which
there was in Renouard's library a magnificent
parchment manuscript with silver letters and
initials in gold and colouring; it solely aims
at the Proverbs in Jests that exist under two
forms, namely : in elegiac Latin verses and
Italian prose, without its being precisely de-
termined which of the two languages Coma-
zano had at first preferred.

The Latin collection, published three years
after the author's death, bears the following
title : Antonii Corna^^ani Piacentini novi poeta
facetissimi quod de Proverbiorum inscribitur opus
nunquam alias impressum, adeo delegabile etjoco-
sum vùriisque facetiis refertum, ut unicuique
etiam penitus nujesto hilaritatem maximam afferai.
Impressum Mediolani per Petrum Martyrem de
Mantegatiisy anno sàlutis MCCCCCIII, die
ultima Septenibris (A work, by a most witty
poet, the late Antonio Cornazano, of Piacenza,
which, written under the heading '* Proverbs,"
is so delightful and witty and told in various
jests, that it excites the greatest mirth in every

Ò



XIV PREFACE

Otte who reads it though he be exceedingly
asd, is now published for the first time. Pub-
fislier» Peter Martyr, of Mantegazzi, liGìan,
die 3rear of our Lord, one thousand five
hnndred and three, on the last day of Sep-
tember). There is another undated edition,
wldch contdns under exactly the same head-
ii^ the nunqmm alias impressutn^ and it diffett
only in the name of the editor : impnsso in
MSam per Gotordo da Ponte (published ia
AGka by Gotardo da Ponte). It is considered
by all bibliographers, Brunet, Passano, etc., to
be a second edition or counterfeit of the first.
Both are of the greatest rarity. The volume is
composed of a Prologue and ten poems c£
unequal length, but they are all longer than
the tales oi the Italian collection» and treat of
the foUowing proverbs :

I. Quare dicatur : Pur fieno che. gii è paglia
d^orxp*

. *

JI. Quare dicattir : Futuro caret.

III. Quare dieatur : Non me curo de pompe
pur (he sia hen vestita,

IV. Quare dicatur : La va di Fiorentino a
Bergamasco.



PREFACE XY

V. Quare dkatur : Dove U Diavolo turn pò
mcUere il capo gli mette h coda,

VI. Quare dicatttr : Chi fa U fatti suoi mm
fmibratta h numi.

VII. Qtiarc dicatur : Si crede Biasio,

Vm. Quare dicatur : Se ne accorger ébero gli
orbi.

IX. Quare dicatur r El mm i quello, vd : Tu
sei quello,

X. Quare dicatur : Tu hai le noce et io hole
vece.

The Prologue is addressed Ad magnificum et
potentem Ciccum Simonetamy ducalem consiliarium
dignissimum (To the magnificent and powerful
Geco Simonetta, most worthy minister of
councils), namely : Francesco Simonetta, a
Milanese statesman, who was first prime mi-
nister of Francesco Sforza, then of Galeas-
Maria, and finally of Bonne of Savoy, regent
of the Duchy during the minority of Jofan-
Galeas. Ludovic the Moor had him beheaded
in 1480, when he seized on the Estates of his
nephew. Comazano speaks in it as of a time



XVI PREFACE

already far back; he speaks of his youth, his
writings on war, the slight profit they brought
him then; but Piacenza honors me now, he
adds, on an equal footing with the grandest
poets :

Tantagué bella tnece cecini sub flore juventof
Ut Mortis galeam me tinnisse putes;

Est et opus pairiijuvenes quod adtetherajcictant,
Sedme par meritum non habuisse dolent,

Hactenus ut nulhs enixa Placeniia vates
Me colit, Aonidum sum sibi primus honor,

« I sung of so many wars in the flower of my
years, that thou wouldst fancy I wore the helmet
of Mars ; the youths of my time extol this work
to the skies, but grievQ I have not had a just
reward for it. Matchless Piacenza honors me now
more than any other poet ; in her eyes I am the
brightest glory of Aonia. »

It is therefore when his native town, of which
he had become one of the first citizens, sent
him as ambassador to Milan, that he dedicated
Ms work to Simonetta, then at the climax of
his favor, but on the threshold of his tragical
death.

The Italian collection is not a translation.



PREFACE XVII

as Libri and a few other bibliographers assert,
nor even an abridgment of the former. Of the
sixteen short tales explaining the same number
of proverbs contained therein, only four, I,
VI, VII, XV, have their equivalents in La-
tin. The two oldest known editions of it,
namely, that of Venice, 1518, per Francesco Bin-
doni e Maffeo Pasini compagni (marked out by
Passano), and that of Venice, 1523, contain
only fourteen tales. We can accurately des-
cribe the second, which is kept in the Library
-of the Arsenal. It is entitled : Proverbii de
messer Antonio Cornaxano infacecia,et Luciano de
AHno aureo, et historiati novamente stampati sub
poena excommunicationis lata sententia, come nel
breve appare. Stampataneìla inclyta Città di Vene-
tia, per Nicolo Zoppino e Vincentio compagno^
net MCCCCCIII, a di XXII de Agosto. Re-
gnante lo inclito Principe messer Andrea
Gritti (Proverbs in Jests, by Mister Antonio
Comazano, and the Golden Ass^ by Ludan,
and stories recently printed. Sentences passed
under pain of excommunication, as appears in
the Brief. Printed in the renowned city of
Venice, by Nicolo Zoppino and his parmer,
Vincentio, in 1 523 , on the twenty-second day of



XVIII PREFACE

Aii^su The renowned Pnoce, Mister Andrea
Grttty reigning.) The translation of Lucian's
GdUUn Ass is doe to coont Boiardo, author of
^e Enamoured Orlando; the stories are com-
. posed s(^ly of Comazano*s Novdia ducale^ of
which the hero is the Duke Francesco Sforza,
aad from wluch we have already given
extracts. But as it does not enter the domain
of the book of Prcverbii in faatie, we have
not thought fit to reproduce it. As to the Poce
tifical privilege, it is all a )pke. We see indeed
on the other side of the title a Brief threaten»
Ing counterfeiters with a fine ; but this Brief
refers to quite another book than the Pro*
verbs : Historia rerum in Italia ab anno Domi-
ni MCCCCVC usque in hodiemum ferme ges-
tarum (A history of the things peiformed in
Italy from the year of our Lord 1495 to
about the present day), published by the
same booksdlers, Nicolo Zoppino and his
partner, Vincentio; it was placed there only
to frighten those who did not know Latin. In
all the editions issued from 1525 (and we
count not fewer than ^xteen up to that of
Didot's in 1 8 12) we read as a sub-title; am
tre praverhii aggiunti e due Dialoghi, although



PREFACE XfX

two only were really added; ihese are two
double versions of one and the same adage t
namely, ^n^' coma che croUy and Tutta è fava.
We may lawfully doubt of their being Coma-
zano's, especially as the first of them is in the
Convito of Gio-Baptista Modio, printed in

Passano concludes from this that the Latin
work, Dc orìgine proverbiorum, may alone he
attributed with certdnty to G>mazano. Ac-
cording to him, the Italian collection of Pro-
verhii in faceUe would be nothing more than
a mere compilation placed by some anonymus
author under the cover of a renowned writer.
Sebastiano Poli on the contrary believes, in
his idoii di dire Toscani (1761, in-80), after
the adage; Adio fave^ that Comazano is the
author of both ; that he had written the Li-
lian version before the Latin one, of which
we should find ifae indication, in a distich of
the Prologue adcesfed to Fcancesco Simonetta :

Jlhqué makmo (paa nmt semum$,puellat
Mi scfpt mfirikfits prtfUr^wKU legumi,,.

Aaà be affirms sx>reover, diat the work
WAS in blank verse (in mrso sciolto)^ pHntèd



XX PREFACE

since through the ignorance of the typogra-
phers, as if it was in prose. We shall not dedde
about the thorough exactness of this second
allegation ; but the first is wholly false. The
distich, of which there is question, only beco-
mes applicable to what they will have it mean,
when they detach it from that which pre-
cedes :

Pit me habet hie cauta quce scribat amator

[amicai,

Nee r espansa sua negliget ipsa manu,
Illague, materno quia sunt sermone, puellce

Me scepe in foribus prcetereunte legunt,

« Through me the lover knows how to write to
his cunning mistress ; nor does she neglect the
answers in her hand : as they are in our lan-
guage, the young girls are often reading them
at their doors, when I am passing. »

We see by this extract only an allusion to
a certain work, every trace of which, except
the above quotation, seems lost. It must have
been a sort of Lovers' Letter-Writer, unless it
was a translation or an imitation of Ovid's
Htroids, Comazano must have indeed publish-
ed some small book of this kind ; for here is



PREFACE XXI

what we read at the end of his tenia rima in
honor oif Christ :

A7 gut prometto un stii gayo i giocondo,
Come hebbi gia fral gregge di Cupido,
Nel guaU era el mio colpo più profondo;

Ahro è legger d'un strai percossa Dido^
E donna dardeggiar con vano amante.
Aprendogli esso el cor per fargli nido :

Altro è legger virtuti e cose sante,
. E contemplar el figlio di Maria
Pendante in croce per l'homo peccante,

« I do not promise here that gay and pleasing
style 1 lately had in Cupid's troop in which my
pitch was deeper. It is one thing to read Dido
transpierced by an arrow, a woman goring
with darts her silly lover who opens to her his
heart to make her a nest ; but it is quite another
thing to read virtues and holy works, and con-
template the son of Mary hanging from the cross
for sinful man. "

However it be, this handbook of love cor-
respondence which the young girls used to be
reading on their door steps, and in which they
found ther inspiration in order to write to
the gallants, has nothing to do ^th the
Proverbii in facetie. The bibliographer beats
about the fields while giving the two verses of



X]pi PREFAGB

the Prologue a sense that can act possibly be
theirs.

We nevertheless believe, as he does, that
the Italian coQection is really Comazano*s;
it has been always attributed to him; and
moreover it could not be the producti(Mi of
any ordinary ounpiler^ It is the offspring of a
masterly vmter, foU of art and finish, equal in
style to that of the best stor3rtellers, surpas-
sing some of them by its originality of inven-
tion. The idea of taking ordinary proverbs and
assigning them, by means of amusing stories,
quite an unexpected origin, is most mgeaious
indeed. Cynthio degli Fabritii, in his Origine
dtjlt volgari ProvtrbU (1527, in-folio), another
very airious book (i), began the same kind of
worka&er lum ; and while treating sometimes



(i) Exceedingly rare, having been suppressed
as poon as published. One of thè forty-five Tales
contained m this work has been recently tram-
ìat/tìà into Frencfa, under the title : Zg Cowoent
hospiiàUer, contt tire du Livre de l'Origine des
Proverhes d' Aloyst Cynthio degli FabritH, litter a-
Umen.i traduitpòur la première fois [par M. À1-
dde Bonnean*], UxU Itaiien en regard i^vn»



PREFACE XXIII

of the same subjects, he spins them out to a
dangerous length, and says in several thousand
verses what G)mazano slightly sketched in
two or three pages. These short and amuang
stories vnìì be read with the greatest interest.
They possess all the charm of those of Bocca-
do, together with the keenness of Poggio's
Facetia,




*




PROVERBS IN JESTS




PROVERBII IN FACETIE



PROVERBIO PRIMO

PERCHE SI DICE : Puf ficno che gli è
paglia d'orzo.



APERE doveUy che gli è un
proverbio molto frequentato,
che a troppo tediosi si risponde
per tutto quasi il mondo popu-
lato; che quando uno i molto importuno
addimandare, e quello che i chiesto dar non
pò ni vole, gli risponde : Pur fieno che gli




PROVERBS IN JESTS



FIRST PROVERB

Why they say : For want of hay there is

barky straw.




ou must know there is a
much used proverb, which,
in almost every part of the
inhabited world, is said to
over troublesome people; when anybody
asks with great importunity, and when he
who is asked neither can nor wishes to
give, he answers him : For want of hay



4 PROVERBS

è paglia d'orzo. Fil ^origine sua di tal
natura :

Nella regione nostra d'Italia, alla pro-
vincia formosa di Toscana, fa una richis-
sima vedova di ville e di castelli, Monna
Cecca chiamata volgarmente; ni figli ha-
veva, eccetta una fanciulla che s'aspettava
herede a tanta riches^za et a tanta robba,
d'età circa d'anni dieciotto, bella se mai fu
bella pittura, et era l'occhio destro della
madre, la quale quanto contento al mondo
bavere sperava, era di videre a quella figlia
un bel marito, el quale nelle fatiche nutiali
fusse robusto e non temesse scontro : parendo
a lei ch'altro a perfetto ben di questa vita
non le mancasse, né mancare potesse, stendo
dia rica, giovane, famosa e del sangue
gentile di Toscana. E già repulsa a molti
haveva dato, ricchi e nobili ancho essi, che
(lederla per donna la facevano, parendo ad



IN JESTS 5

tbere is hurley straw. The origin of this
saying was thus :

In our country of Italy, in the lovely
province of Tuscany, there lived a widow
very rich in lands and dominions, and
commonly called Monna Cecca. She had
no children, save one daughter, about
eighteen years old, handsome if ever
painting was such, and destined to rt-
main the heiress of so much riches and
wealth. She was her mother's right eye,
whose whole content in this world would
consist as she hoped in seeing a good
husband with her daughter : a husband
who would be robust against the nuptial
fatigues and fearless of the shock; it
seeming to her that nothing else was or
could be wanting her during this life,
since she was rich, young, well reputed
and of the noble blood of Tuscany. She
had already rejected a number of suitors,
though they too were rich^ noble, and had
bad her asked in marriage, because she



6 PROVERBS

ella in laro pUsionomia che in le notturne
Truffe non dovessero essere molto valenti.

Accade perseverando in questo proposito,
^he un giorno devotissimo a noi di tutto
Vanno, chiamato il Venere santo, nel quale
tutte le don:^elle ascoste si menan de lor
madre alle perdonatu^. Monna Cecca, con
la figliuola avanti e quatro donne dreto in
compagnia, cosi cercando le indulgentie
ditte, e per la beltà mirabile della figlia
ovunque andava se le faceva circulo, con-
correndo la vaga gioventute a contemplarla .
Hor entrando in una chiesa assai divota,
un giovinastro della terra, bello, di circa
anni venticinque o meno, se gli fé inanti
con alguni seguaci; e vista questa, sbardeU
lato e pronto, disse con gli compagni : —
« Hai me di qua e di la, che farei io, se
» Vhavessi una notte entro le braccia I »
Gli compagni, chel sapevano esser poten-



IN JESTS 7

fancied she read by their physiognomies
that they must not be very valiant in
the nightly assaults.

While she was still brooding over this
idea, arrives the most solemn day in the
year among us, called Good Friday, the
day on which all the young girls that live
a retired life are brought by their mothers
for the Pardons. Monna Cecca, with her
daughter before her and four handmaids
behind her, set out for the said indul-
gences; and owing to the daughter's
marvellous beauty, the people formed in
rings everywhere she passed, amor-
ous youths running up to contemplate
her. But as she was going into the
church, which was quite thronged^ a
handsome young countryman of about
twenty five got right before her with a
few of his comrades, and after having
viewed her well, badly rigged out and,
prompt as was his habit, he says to the
others : « Look here! what would I do,
» if I had her for a night in my arms ! »



8 PROVERBS

tissimo in tal campo, dissero: — ^Sandro »
(che cosi Jjavea nome), « quante miglia,
» per la fede tua? — Dieci, t» rispose
quello, ^ per lo corpo mio I e si piacevole
» la potrei trovare, che sarian dodici. »
La madre della giovane, nel trapassare
udito hebbe costui, e mostrando voltarsi
alle sue vecchie, gli gittb rocchio adesso e
guardollo fisso. Egli era grande, formoso
di membri, un occhio maschio largo entro
la testa, ma male in punto di gambe e del
dosso, che venuto dal soldo frescamente^
ferruginoso e tutto (Carme tinto era, le
stringhe anchor delle braccia pendenti,
parse a lei che troppo ben gl'impisse Cocchio,
e disse, entrato il tempio, alla figliuola :
— « Per mia fi, quantunque hoggi sia dì
» di Passione, costui non parla male;
» egli è uno bello homo. » Et ella, rivol-
tata inver la madre, dimanda : — « Havete



IN JESTS 9

His comrades, who knew he was very
bold in this field, said to him : « Sandro »
(this was his name), e( how many miles,
» upon your faith? — Ten, upon my
» body! » he answers, « and I would
» find her so amiable that I should go to
» twelve. » The young lady's mother
happening to hear him, and turning
towards her old maids by the way, stuck
her eyes on him and kept staring at him.
He was tall, well shaped, a manly eye
wide open in his £ice, but badly provided
in legs and back : lately returned fi'om
the camp, covered with the rust and
grease of arms, his sleeve strings still
hanging down, he nevertheless seemed
right enough to her to fill her eye, and
having entered the church, she says to
the daughter : — « Faith, although this
» is Passion day, that fellow there does
.» not speak too badly; he is a fine
man. » The young lady turned towards
her mother : — « Have you heard? »
she asked her; a twelve miles, said he,

2



IO PROVERBS

» udito? dodici miglia, disse, in una notte;
» tentate, investigate chi e costui. » La
madre in breve, lassandogli Giudei intomo
a Christo, attese a la passione de la figli-
uola e con alcune donne pratiche sernuh
nando, an^^chede li si partisse, intesocostui
essere un gagliardo homo, non nóbil molto,
ni molto anchor vile, povero e sen^a niuna
alimonia al mondo, tornata a casa d dice
alla figliuola ; e non curando lei sangue ni
robha, f nostra che molto ilgiovin le piacesse.
La madre sen:^ indivia mandò per lui, e
concluse dargli la figlia, dicendo a quello
che rohba hanno d^avan:^o e ponnolo nobili-
tare e farlo grande, attenda pure a ben
trattare la sposa. Esso, piegato el capo alla
fortuna, la donna accetta e la eccellente
dota; et in mano posergli ducento fiorini.



IN JESTS 11

» in one night; inquire, try to know
» who he is. »

Briefly, the mamma, leaving the Jews
round Christ, occupied herself with her
daughter's passion; and talking over the
matter with a few experienced women,
learned even before coming out of
church, that he was a brave boy, not
very noble, or too meanly extracted
either; poor and without any patrimony
ia this world. On her arrival home, she
told the news to the daughter, and as the
latter did not preoccupy herself about
either birth or fortune, she hinted that
this young man pleased her very much.
The mother, without farther delay, sent
for him and agreed to give him the
daughter, telling him that as to riches
she had even spares, how they could
ennoble and make him a great fellow;
but that he should apply himself to treat
his wife well. He, bowing his head at the
fortune, accepted the woman as well as
the good dowry; they handed him two



12 PROVERBS

che s'adornasse e si mettesse in ponto, e
fenno ben lucire tutto d'argento, con grande
ammiratione di tutta la provincia.

Fenuto el di che doveva accompagnarsi,
se n'andò alPhora statuita al letto, ove
trovata la aspettante sposa, come poco uso
a care^iT^e muliebri, sen^a altri abbraccia-
menti, salire alla militare volse a cavallo;
Ut nob il giovine, del rustico modo sgomma
tata , volendo per la prima volta farsi
schiva, si tira in sponda e ributtalo con
mani, et in quelle altercationi gli venne
dato al marito in uno occhio e graffic^o
alquanto in su una gota. Esso, come detto
è, d'amore di donne rigido et inetto, benché
valente poi nelle opere fusse, se tragge an^fje
esso sopra la sua sponda, e sentendosi la
gota sanguinare, fa sacramento nell' ani-
mo suo di mai, per fin che lei el preghi



IN i£STS 13

hundred florins with which he should
dress himself up very grand : they made
him shine all over with silver, to the
great wonder of the whole province.

The day on which he was to be wedded
having arrived, he was oflf at the ap-
pointed hour to the bed, where finding
the bride who was waiting for him, he,
like a man little accustomed to women's
catesses, wanted, without further embrac-
ings, to mount horse, as a bold soldier.
The noble child, maddened by such rustic
proceedings and desirous of showing
hetself reserved at the first approach,
draws back to the bed-side, pushing him
off with her hand, and, in the scuffle,
has just given some of her fist in one of
her husband's eyes and scratches his
cheek. He being, as we have said, rude
and awkward in love, although very
valiant afterwards at the business, with-
draws also on his side and, feeling his
cheek bleeding, takes an oath in his
ino^nnost conscience never again to



14 PROVERBS

lui, non la toccare; e con questo proposito
ti giorno venne.

La giovine alla madre per la prìmera
notte non hebbe ardire di dimostrarsi
mesta; passa dimane e passa l'altro
giorno. Perseverando lui nel sacramento,
insurguQt taedìa corvo, e la madre in-
cominciò la tristiiia della figlia intendere;
che entrata nella lor camera una mane a
honotta, vide fra se gran spatio di man-
tàgna, segno di nulla approssimatione ; e
dimandata in secreto la figlia, risposele
essere quella cVera anx}che'l vedesse mai.
La madre, cV altro desiderio non hebbe mai
che di vedere contenta la figliuola in questa
parte, cominciò battere di palme per casa,
sospirando e sborrandolo : « Figliuola
^y cara, dove f ho io affocata ? figliuola
» mia, ove t' ho io seppelita ? Io non cu-
» rava se non darti uno huomo, et hoti



IN JESTS 15

touch his wife before she begs him to do
so ; thereupon the day dawned.

For this first night, the young girl had
not the courage to let her mother sec
her chagrin. The day after, the following
day passed. He perseveres in his oath,
insurgunt tadia corvo, and the mother
begins to perceive her daughter's sadness.
Entering their room early one morning,
she beholds the large interval of a moun-
tain between them, no token of rappro^
cbement, and having secristely questioned
the daughter, receives firom her as an
answer that she was such as she had ever
before seen her. The mother, who had
no other desire in life but to see her
daughter contented on this point, sets to
clapping her hands through the house,
sighing and exclaiming : « — Darling
» daughter, where have I drowned thee?
» my child, where have I buried thee?
» I cared only to give thee a man, and
» I have given thee a worthless block of
» wood! that man is not a man, he is a



1 6 PROVERBS

» dato un vii pe:^ diletto I costui hmmo
» iwn i, gli i un saccone. » E cosi conti"
nuando in queste querele, le sopragiunse lo
sposo e tutto intese; e perchè se haveva
udito appellare non essere huomo, fece sua
scusa con poche parole^ mostrandole la parte
grafficata la prinui notte che toccare la
volse. Poscia, per prova che 'l non fusse
(emina, sguainava una misura di cordone
di si notabil forma, quale mai a lei paresse
havere più vista. — « Madonna, » disse,
« questo é tutto mio; se Usa si vole »
(che cotale era il nome della sposa), « con-
» vien che lo dimandi a me, non io più a
» lei, perche feci sacramento all' hora,
» quando Vunghie mi pose intro la gotta,
» non gli ne dare, se non me ne chiedeva,
i eh' io non son qua per combattere con
» gatti. » Madonna Cecca, al scoprir del
membro, ben presto con le dita aperte copri



IN JESTS 17

» sack of bran. » And while continuing
thus her waitings, the spouse rejoins her
and hears all. As it had been heard ^aid
that he was not a man, he excused
himself in few words, showing the place
scratched on the first night that he
wanted to come at her. Then, to prove
he was not a woman, he exhibited a
stump of a bodkin of such notable size,
that it seemed indeed to her that she had
never beheld so great a one. « — Ma-
» donna, » he added, « that tool there
» is wholly mine ; if Lisa will have any
» of it » (this was the bride's name),
« she must ask it of me, and not that
» I should ask anything firom her;
» because I took an oath, when she
» stuck her nails in my cheek, to give
» her only as much of it as she should
» demand of me. I am not come here to
» fight with cats. » Madonna Cecca, at
the exhibition of the member, very
quickly covers her face with her hand,
the fingers scattered, as when one looks

3



iS PROVERBS

el viso, came chi detro una grcdix^^ guardi;
e visto et udito la rasone dello sponso, sen
corse alla figliuola, ad esclamarle : —
« Lisa, figliuola, tu hai molto errato;
» costui è un huomo maschio et i compito;
)) beata te, se tu sai festeggiarlo I Tu te
» potevi ben mostrar don^iella sen:(a cctcciar
» l'unghie entro la faccia; chiamati in
» colpa e richiedilo lui, cVio ti prometto
» egli ha come servirti. » La figlia, cu-
pida eputibonda tutto ad un tratto : —
« Madre, » risponde, « dolcissima mia,
» come debbo io a questo mai inclinarmi ?
» eh* io, che voglio mostrarmi don:(ella,
» m* inchini a chiedere lui : Fammi tale
» cosa? » La madre alP hora : — «Lo
)> conciarà questo fatto, » Udisse; a tu ver-
» gognosa sei e lui soldato; tei farò di-
» mandare per modo occulto, che haverai
» il debito tuo, salvando lui il suo sacra-



IN JESTS 19

through a grating; and having fairly seen

and heard the reasons of her son-in-law,

ran off to her daughter to scold her. « Lisa,

» my dear daughter, thou art greatly

» mistaken. Thy husband is a male, an

» accomplished male; good luck is thine,

» if thou only knowest how to feast on

» him! Thou couldst very well show

» thyself a maiden without sticking thy

» nails into his face. Acknowledge thyself

» in fault, and request him for it ; I pro-

» mise thee he has it in his power to

» serve tkee. » Then quite ashamed and

forsaken at the same time : — « Mother, »

she answers, « my very kind mother,

» how can I ever stoop to that? I, who

» wish to show myself a well behaved

» girl, how could I abase myself so low

» as to bid him ; Do me that? » Then

the mother : « — I shall settle matters, »

she says to her; « thou art bashful, and

» he is a soldier. I will get thee to ask

» him in a round-about way, so that

» thou may est have what is due to thee.



20 PROVERBS

» mento, e tu il tuo honore. Digli, come a
» letto sete : Da del fieno a mio cavallo. »
La figlia disse : — « Per mia fi, mi
» piace; andate a chiedere lui sei si
» contenta. »

Mossa la madre alV bora ambascia-
trice, scontra el genero in me^ de la
sala, e dice : — « Sai com* i, Sandro;
» m4J figliuola i garxpna e vergognosa ;
» non aspettasti tu mai che te disse fora :
» Fammi cosi; ma poiché tu se' stato
y> soldato, tenedimanderà che intenderai. ))
Rispose Sandro ; — « Pur che intendo,
» basta. » Ella disse : — « Ti dirà :
» Da del fien al mio cavallo. — A ponto, »
rispose Sandro y « non voglio altro; mi
» parrà essere ritornato in campo, i cor-
» rerò la lanT^a alla polita. » Concluso
adunque questo ordine fra loro, e fatta
sera, come fur sotto coltre i sposi entrati,
la giovine disse al marito : — « Da del
» fien al mio cavallo, » e subito esso il



IN JESTS 21

» be keeping his oath, and thou thy
» honor. When you are in bed, say to
» him : Give my horse bay. » The
daughter replied : — « Upon my word,
» that will do nicely; go and ask him if
» he will be satisfied with it. »

The mother, transformed into an
ambassadress, sets oflf, meets the son-in-
law in the middle of the hall, and says to
him : « Thou art aware how it is, Sandro.
» . Thou hast never expected that she will
»ibid thee : Do me that; but, since
» thou hast been a soldier, she will ask
% thee for it in such a way as thou
». understandest. — Provided I under-
» stand, suffices, » answers Sandro. The
mother continued : — « She will say
» to thee : Give my horse hay. — All
» right, » says Sandro ; « I want nothing
» else. It will seem to me, as it were, I
» am gone back to the camp, and fixed
». bayonet merrily. » This agreed upon
between them, and, the evening arrived



22 PROVERBS

debito suo fece, empiendo ben la rastelliera
vota; ma quello ron:(ino anchor presto
hebbefame et entrò sotto la seconda volta :
« Sandro, date del fieno al mio cavallo. »
Sandro del fieno al modo usato gli da;
cosi la terT^aj la quarta e quinta feccy
fino alla somma de nove bracciate, diman-
dando pur lei ghiotta del cibo, sen^a debito
intervallo : « Dagli del fieno. » Ma essen-
dosi il marito ritratto alquanto verso la
sua sponda, per riposo e per potere aU
quanto prendere fiato, ben con opinione di
giungere alli dodici, questa indiscreta e
lecca del boccone se gli ridusse intorno a
tediarlo, e come lo senti ronfiare alquanto,
che già volontà haveva di dormire, e co-
minciò con gomiti e ginocchi a tempestarlo :
Air hora lui scorgendo la stoltitia della
donna, pose presto la mano in la lettiera,
e presa un manciata grandissima di pa-
glia, gliela pose fra le gambe al loco che



IN JESTS 23

when the two spouses were under the
blankets, the young girl says to her
husband : — « Give my horse hay; »
and thereupon he does his duty, tho-
roughly filling her empty manger. But
the charger was soon hungry again, and
she says to him for the second time : -^
« Sandro, give my horse hay. » Sandro
gave him hay in the accustomed way,
and did the same for the third, fourth
and fifth time, up to the total of nine
arm-fiills, the greedy one continually
demanding, without observing the requis-
ite interval : — « Give him hay. » But
the husband having retired a- little to his
side of the bed in order to repose himself
and catch his breath a while, remaining
fiiDy resolved to go to the dozen, this
indiscreet one, this glutton of the sweet
bit drew herself over to him, to torment
him, and hearing him snoring (for he had
a great mind to sleep), she gets at
punching him with her elbow and knees :
« — Sandro, give my horse hay! » Then



24 PROVERBS

tanto fieno haveva ntafigtato, e disse : —
» paglia d'or^p; sei vostro cavallo ha
» fame, mangi di questa; se non ne vole,
» habbia patientia. » La dileggiata gio-
vine con ragione tirossi in su il suo lato a
spagliucarsi, e tacita quello resto della
notte stette, possando il marito affannato;
il quale levato, contando la novella per lo
popolo, diede principio al proverbio alle-
gato^ il quale dalV bora in qua sempre a
troppo importuni allegare suolsi.




IK JESTS 25

remarking the folly ot his wife, he
plunged his hand into the paillasse, and
taking a big fistful of straw, thrusted it
up between her legs, into the place which
had already devoured so much hay, and
says : — « Madonna, there is no more
» hay, here is some barley straw; if your
» nag is hungry, let him eat it; why, if
A he does not want it, let him have
» patience. » The young lass, rightly
made a fool of, withdrew to her side,
to get out the straw, and kept quiet the
rest of the night, while her tired husband
was reposing himself. He, as soon as he
had risen, told the story in the neighbour-
hood, and gave rise to the aforesaid pro-
verb which, up to the present moment.
Is still quoted to over troublesome people.




4




PROVERBIO SECONDO

PERCHE SI DICE : Chi cosi vuole, cosi

habbia.




REaUENTASI MCOT ffiolto

in molte parti dire a persone
che san di sua testa, istiman-
dosi pia di quello che va-
gliano : Chi cosi vuole, cosi habbia,
dapoi che riuscito gli i il pensiero in male.
La forma del proverbio ha questa origine :

Un giovine Fiorentino haveva una
donna prudentissima e bella ; lui debile
era, ma superbo molto, et haveva alquanto
del milantatore. S'accorse costui la donna




SECOND PROVERB

WHY THEY SAY : Tbou wouldst have it,
thou shall have it.




T is still said in many places
to people that think and
esteem themselves more than
they are worth: Thou wouldst
have ity thou shall have it, when one o^
their schemes has turned out bad. The
form of the proverb had the following
origin :

A young Florentine had a very wise and
pretty wife ; he was himself poorly con-
stituted, but exceedingly proud and a bit
of a wag. He finds out that his wife was



28. PROVERBS

sua esser da un bel giovane vagheggiata,
del quale, ben che lei già in mille chiari
inditii accorta fussCy non però tnai^ come
savia e cauta, ne haveva relatione fatta
al marito, per non fondare principio a
qualche scandalo ; ma stavasi in suoi ter-
mini, poco mostrando accorgersi di lui. Il
marito deliberò di sfastidirsi, e chiamata
un di la moglie sola disse : — « Non mi
» t'ascondere da quello eh' i palese ; io so
» che Sindone ti vagheggia » (che cosi era
il nome del giovane); « delibero del tutto
» ama:^arlo, o almen segnarlo, si che'l
» stia da canto. Fagli bon volto e donagli
» la posta; in altro modo io a te torrò la
» vita. » La donna, ben conoscendo la
poca prosperità del suo marito e la robus^
tità de l'altro giovane, che grande e grosso
era, et animoso ancora, e Parmesan per
patria, che più da fatti son che da parole,
mal volintieri accettava di farlo; ma pur ^
per i spurgare ogni sospetto appresso quello



IN JESTS 29

courted by a handsome youngster; al-
though she had herself already perceived
it by a thousand distinct marks, she, like
a wise and prudent woman, said nothing
about it to her husband, in order to give
rise to no scandal, but kept reserved, show-
ing herself little uneasy about him. The
husband deliberated how to remove this
annoyance; and, having one day called
his wife aside, says to her : — « Do not
» try to conceal from me what is noto-
» rious. I know that Bindone » (this was
the young man*s name) « is courting you;
» I am resolved to kill him or at least to
» brand him in such a manner as he will
» remain quiet. Receive him kindly and
9 give him a rendezvous; if not, it is
» your own life I shall take. » The wife,
knowing perfectly her husband's weak
health, and the vigorous strength of the
other, a tall stout jolly fellow, courageous
into the bargain, native of Parmesa, arace
rather of action than words, resigned her-
self most unwillingly to do so; but at



30 PROVERBS

con cui sempre havea a vivere, fessi obse-
quente all'imperio del marito, e cominciò
di dargli alquanto vista, e non molti di
toi ledie la posta.

H marito, avisatone da lei, s^ ascose con
la spada sotto il letto; il giovane alla bora
data non falli di ponto, ma quasi ima--
ginandosi quello cV era, venne con un
mantello e cora:(^ina sotto alla secreta, e
con la spada e^l broccolieri a canto, che
giocava benissino di scrimia. Gioftto in
la camera con la donna e gittato già il
mantello, cava la spada e fa una levata,
fulminando qua e la de tich, tach, e di--
mandando sempre : — « Dove sono questi
» poltroni ? se fossero dieci, io gli voglio
» affrontare; se non son più che dua,
» voglio il maggiore boccone sia Vorec-
JD chia. » Il marito, tutto ciò udendo,
incominciò a tremare fin sotto il letto. Il
giovane, quando gli parse, pigliala donna
e gittolla sul letto, ecominciato già caricar



IN JESTS 31

length to rid the man with whom she had
always to live of all suspicion, she obeys
her husband's behest, receives the gallant
kindly, and, a few days after, gave him a
rendezvous.

Warned by her, the husband, sword in
hand, hides himself under the bed. The
young man did not fail to come at the
appointed time; but as he had imagined
what really was so, he came with his
cloak which concealed his cuirass, sword
and shield at his side; for he was very
skilftil at fencing. Having come into the
room with the lady and thrown off his
cloak, he draws ont his sword, goes
through the passes, fetching here and there
tick tacks, and ever enquiring : — « Where
» are the poltroons ? Even though they
» were ten, I will pepper them ; and if
» they are not more than two, the least
» morsel shall be the ear. » The husband,
who was listening to all this, fell ashaking
under the bed. The gallant, when the no-
tion took him, seized the lady, stretch-



32 PROVERBS

rór^aj vedendo lei che'l marito non usciva
per tema, sistettepatientea quei malanni,
sempre sul fatto dicendo : « — Chi cosi
» vuole, cosi habbia ; chi cosi vuole, cosi
» habbia. » Il giovane, havendo il primo
miglio fatto, non consenti alla donna
anchor levarsi, ma pur gridendo a lei :
« — Di che temete ìper vostro amore non
» temer 6 dieci huomini!^ batte due ferri
gagliardissimamente cid una calda, e poi
smontato giuso et fatta anchor per la ca-
mera una levata, die due basi alla donna,
e libero, sen'^a offesa, indi partissi.




IN JESTS 33

ed her upon the bed. She on seeing,
as he was beginning to hoist the sail,
how her husband did not dare show
himself for fear, patiently bore the misad-
venture, saying unceasingly : — « Thou
» wouldst have it, thou shalt have it;
» thou wouldst have it, thou shalt have
» it. » The young man, having furnished
the first mile, did not allow the lady to
get up ; and while saying to her : —
« Of what are you afraid ? for your sake
» I should not fear ten of them, » merrily
beats her out two nails with one heating ;
then lighted oflF his saddle ; and, having
performed a few more passes through
the room, he gave the lady two kisses ,
and free of encumbrances he went away.





\ . PROVERBIO TERZO

PERCHE SI DICE : À buono intenditore
poche parole.



N



iCESi Spesso per ogni provin-
cia, qtutndo uno intende Vor
nimo d-un altro che gli parla
lungo, e pare a lui che men
dande gti bastino : A bìiono intenditore
poche parole; di tal proverbio il nasci-
mento è questo :




Un gentilhuomo geloso e'Vecchio anchor,
rispetto della moglie, per la belle\i^a d'essa
e per la sua clemenT^a, che forse era mag-
giore che el non voleva, entrò in tanto sos-




THIRD PROVERB

WHY THEY SAY : Few wofds io the
intelligent.




N every province j wljen
anyone understands what
another person that is speak-
ing a long while means, and
when it seems to him that less prating
would do, it is said : Few words to the in--
telligent. The origin of the proverb Was
thus :



An old gentleman, jealous of his wife^s
•beauty and goodness which was, perhap^^
greater than he would have wished, con-
ceived so violent a suspicion, that he had



36 PROVERBS

petto di costei, che né giorno ni notte non
haveva bene, e molto chiusa la tema e con
gran guardia; e tanto più che conoscendo
la impotentia {che gelosia spesso vieti da
poco animo), cassò quanti famigli che
elio havea in casa, quali per esser gio-
vani et intelligenti dubitava di quello
eh* essere potea, et un solo schiavo, non
possendo sen:(a, comprò, menato dal monte
di Barca giovinastro. Era di buona per-
sona, ma intendea nulla di nostro lin-
guaggio, e subito come fu in casa gli pose
nome Buono intenditore, e batti^pllo in
tutto per lo contrario, che niente inten-
dendo, alluse all' imperlila del famiglio.
La moglie^ visto questo novo gar:(pne
ignaro al tutto del Italian parlare, e
benché fusse negro era pur giovine, pro-
mettente anco nell'aspetto un buon manico
sotto di misura, disse in la mente sua



IN JESTS 37

no rest day or night and kept her strictly
shut up under safe custody. He worked
himself into such a state that, knowing
his impotency (for jealousy often proceeds
only from want of courage), he drove
away all the servants she kept in the house,
mistrusting what might happen with them
for their being young and intelligent ; but
unable to get on altogether without any,
he bought a slave brought quite young
from the Balkan, mountains. He was wel]
built in person, but understood nothing of
our language ; and his master, as soon as
he got home, christened him Quickwit, in
allusion to his non-intelligence, quite the
contrary to what he was.

The wife, on seeing this new waiter
entirely ignorant of Italian, and, though
he was black, full of youth, promising
moreover by his countenance to have
underneath a good sized handle, says
to herself, against her husband : « I wish
» this fellow to work at me, when thou
» burstest at it, jealous cuckold. For one



38 9ROVERB6

contro il marito : (X Io voglio che costui
» mi calchi y ancor che crepi, becco geloso;
» che per un male io ne vo far sei, poi
» che tanto serrata voi tenermi, che gli
» uuélli del aere a pena veggio I » Un di ,
sendo il marito in casa su i suoi conti
dentro lo studio^ lo famiglio in la camera
con lei, si fitto sopra il letto in quella
forma che serviva al marito, e segna a
quello che di sopra le monti, perche inten-
deva ancor parola nulla. Il famiglio,
parendo a lui dover fare uno gran fallo,
ii tira indietro e su montare non vuole ^
iemendo ancor d'esser cosi isperimentato,
e poi battuto. La donna, vedendo che
montar rifiuta, si leva fulminando a fin
che'l marito oda ' — « E che diavol è
» questo? debbo io esser fantesca d'un can
» moro? Egli ha cacciati via i buoni fa-
» migli e tolto un boia che non vole fare
» nulla; se io gli comando, el par che



IN JESTS ^9

» evil, I will render thee six ; since thou
» pretendest to keep me locked up,. and
» it is with difficulty that I am allowed .to.
» see the birds flying in the air. » One
day, the husband: being in his eabinet
with his nose over his accounts, and the
slave in the room with her, she throws
herself- oil the bed, in the positioà 'ia
which she used to put herself with h^'
husband, and beckons to him to climb
UJ), as he did not yet* "understand a single
word. The negro^ believing that he would
commit a gross fault, draw$ back and',
refuses to mount, fearing. moreover that
they only wanted to try him thus, theq
beat him. The wife, seeing he refused
to mount, gets up storming furiously,
so that the husband should hear : -7
«' And what the devil is that ? Am I to be
«always the servant of a negro dog? tfe
» sent away our good footmen and took
» a beggar who will do nothing; if I or-
» der him> one would say he was making
»« gaoie of me ! » The husband, at. the



40 PROV£RBS

» mi dileggi I » // marito, al udire delle
querele j che pur l'amava caldissimamente,
esce dello studio e vietisene da lei, di-
mandò : — « Che é questo, caro thesoro
» mio ? perchè t'adiri ? » Lei intra con
furia lo lamento^ lo schiavo incolpa che
non Vubedisse ; lui prima escusa quello^
che non intende, poscia si rivolta minac-
ciandolo : — « O Buono intenditore ! poi-
» iron gaglioffo I se tu non ubidisci a
» Petronella, ti romperò le ossa ! » {Pe-
tronella haveva nome la mogliera;) « e
» fa, » gli dice, « che lei piti presto servi
» che me stesso, »

Detto cosi, si parti, e come elfù nello
studio, la moglie concia anco alla prima
forma gli fa cenno chel monti sul letto e
la cavalchi : esso di nuovo anchor dinega
farlo, e le volta le spalle, come stando in
proposito di partirsi. All'hora lei presto
si leva suso, e gridando anco se ne va al
marito : — « Guardate che poltrone havete



IN JESTS 41

noise of these complaints, comes out of
his cabinet, walks up to her, for he was
very fond of his wife, and cries out : —
« What is the matter? my darling trea-
» sure, why art thou in a passion ? » She
redoubles most furiously her wailings and
accuses the slave of not obeying her ; he,
quite at first, excuses him on the plea
that he does not understand what is said
to him, then turning round towards him
while threatening him : — « Quick-
» wit ! You wretched lazybones, if you
» do not obey Petronella, I'll break your
» back. » (Petronella was the wife's
name.) « Try, » he adds, « and wait on
» her more promptly than myself. »

Having said this, he walks off, and as
soon as he had entered his cabinet, the
wife, putting herself into the same position
as before, beckons to the negro to get
upon the bed and ride her. He refuses
again and turns his back to her, as if he
was about going away. Then she gets up
and runs to find her husband, crying ont

6



42 PROVERBS

» compro! logli ho cucito il :(accho tutto
» rottOy et è sul vostro letto; hor ch*io li
» s^no chel lo spumi e netti per potervi
>) pulito venirvi dentro, mi volta le spalle
» e si mi smatta. » Il marito all' hor for
sene vien coH furia, e pigliato uno stan-
ghetto gli dava neonate a man tenente.^
•W garzone sgratiato comincia a piangere,
e pur tanto seppe proferire in nostra
lingua, che disse : — « Messer, mi non
» intendere. » Rispose lui : — a Chi tu
» non intendere? un cenno basta ; » e levò
il dito guardandolo fisso, replicandogli
puf e ; « Un cenno basta, poche parole
» bisogna ; fa, come ella alza il dito, che
» tu voli. » Il Moro, benché non inten-
desse la parola, pur notava li segni del
nutrito, che pur teneva il dito al^to saldo,
4icendo ancor: icA buon intenditore poche
T^ parole; sé non intendi il parlare, un
1^: cenno basta; » e gli fa cenno proprio



IN JESTS 4}

as she was : — « Look ^hat an idler you
to^ Ipought ! I have sewed his frock which
» was all torn; it is on your bed; as I
3 made a sign to him to beat and brush
» it, that it niight be clean when he goes
» for you, he turned his back to me wijli
» a jeering air. » The husband steps out
in a rage, seizes a wattle and administers
him a sound twigging. The poor boy sets
up a pitiful crying and is just able to mus-
ter enough of words to say : — « Master,
» me not understand. » The master bawls
out : — « Who you not understand ? one
» sign suffices ; » and, pointing his finger,
while rivetting his eyes upon him, he re-
peats : — a One sign suffices ; no need of
» words ; try and fly as soon as she lins
» her finger. » The negro, though riot
understanding the language, remarked
however the signs of the- husband who
was holding his finger straight up and
§tiff. « Few words to the intelligent; if
» you do not understand speech, a sign
» suffices, » he added, while showing him



44 PROVERBS

verso il suo xflccho cV era sul letto, mettu-
toll da lei a gran cautela; e poi si parti
con questo rebuffo.

Come il fu in studio, cJje la moglie il
conobbe alla campanella del uscio che cor-
riva, di novo montò lei sul letto, accon-
ciandosi ut supra, e segna ancora a lui
che su le monte, leva el dito come fi il ma-
rito, parendo a lei che a quello che notare
li vide battendolo il messere, si dovesse
bur movere per paura. Et alhora lo schiavo,
credendosi essere stato battuto per non mon-
tare suso, sali sul letto cosi piangolento,
e diri:^to il cordone, calca costei; e come,
per vendetta del suo male, davale botte
molto impetuose, sempre sgunucando,
rancognando seco, donde credeva farle un
gran dispetto, faceva tutto quello che lei
cercava. Il marito che V udiva infin dallo
studio, pero che un sol parete il divideva,



IN JESTS 45

on the bed the frock which the wife had
very cunningly laid there. After this re-
buke, he went off.

And as soon as he was in his closet,
which the wife knew by the creaking of
the door, she tosses herself on the bed
again, fixing herself ut supra, and beckons
to the n^o to mount, while holding up
her finger as her husband had done. She
was expecting that he would make up his
mind to do, through fear what her hus-
band had pointed out to him while flog-
ging him. The slave, on thinking then
that he had been flogged, because of his
being unwilling to mount, bestrode the
bed crying as he was, and, with a strong
cock-stand sets to working at the woman.
And, so as to revenge himself for the
stripes he received, he went at it with
most violent shocks, gruntmg and snort-
ing the while within himself; thinking
he was giving her great displeasure, he
administered her precisely what she was
in search of. The husband, who overheard



46 4>ROVERBS

diceva : — « Hai poltrone I sgnoioloz^i
^ benel tu sei parente de gatti, sii che
» fanno quello fatto è piangono. » Credeva
[lui chel fusse intomo ai \acco a nette-*
giarlOy e spacciava la móglie in altra
guisa. Caricato un tratto l'orgia, inco-
minciò a costui sapergli buono y e ritornò
a l'officio altre due fiate avanti che'l mes-
sere di studio uscisse, il quale, poscia
venuto a desinare, trovò ogn uno allegro;
e la moglie, a cui era sommamente piac-
ciuto il manico dello schiavo, disse : —
« Dà quelle botte in qua, è devenfato
» troppo da bene ; il spiova alle volte
» grattarli un pochetto. — Ti diceva
3> bene, mia Petronella, » risponde il bec-
cacelo, « chel si butterà uri bon gar:(pne,n
e tutta volta, sendo lui presente ^ gli ride
in volto e ragiona con ella, industrian-
dosi lei molto a queste demostrationi ,
aceioche lo schiavo credesse chel messere
havesse un gran piacere ch'ella spacciasse.



IN JESTS 47

him from the end of his closet, being se-
parated from them only by a partition^
hallooed : « Ah! rascal, you are grunting 1
» you are a near, akin to cats, eh ? which
» do that ^vhile purring. » He imagined
that the negro was busy in thumping his*
frock, whereas he was thumping his ^ifein
quite another way. The sail being once*
hoisted, he took a liking to it, returning,
twice to the charge before the master
should come out of his closet. When he
did come out afterwards to dine, he found
everyone contented. The wife, who was
exceedingly well pleased with the slave's
handle, opens the conversation : —
« Ever since .the wattling you gave him,
» he has become very good ; he is ia
» need of a beating occasionally. — I told
» you so, my Petronella, » replied the
cuckold, a that he would succeed in màk-
» ing himself useful; » and everytime.
he looked at him, smiled, while tatkitig
with his wife ^ she devising how to make
ther** demonstrations clearer, in order



48 PROVERBS

e dissali la moglie, poscia che Vhebbe
comendato assai : — « Voglio che gli
» comprate hoggi un paro di cal:(e et un
» buon Tiuppetto. » E cosi, come presto
Jjebbe pran:(atOy andò in increato collo
schiavo e gli le pose in dosso, rimandan--
dolo a casa a fare^ i letti, e nel partire
gli disse : — « Buono intenditore, tu
» m' hai inteso ; ve, un s^no basta, » et
al:^a pure il prelibato dito. Lo schiavo il
guarda f e dice pur .* — « Mi intendere
» ben, messere; poche parole, — Poche
» parole, » responde il messere ; « ubidisci
» a Petronella ; un cenno basta. »

Giunto lo schiavo a casa tutto ripolito,
la prima cosa abbraccia la patrona, cre-
dendosi havere havuto dal marito questa
commissione sino in mercato, e guada-
gnate le cal^^per quello, et in breve altre
due fiate anchor la inchiava ; e seguendo
sto stile, ogni fiata che'l marito iva in



IN JESTS 49

that the slave should be brought to believe
that his master was highly delighted be-
cause he thumped her ; and she said, after
having praised herself warmly for it : —
a I wish you to buy him this very day a
» pair of hose and a good vest. » It is
precisely what he did. As soon as he had
dined, he went oflf to the market with the
slave, puts the goods he bought on his
back, and then, despatching him home to
make the beds, did not fail to say to him
on parting : — « Quickwit, you have un-
» derstood me ? go, one sign suffices, »
and he held up his finger. The slave looks
at him and says : — « Me well under-
» stand, master, few words. — Few
» words, » answers the master; « obey
» Petronella ; one sign suffices. »

The slave, newly decked out, reaches
home ; the first thing he does is to em-
brace mistress, believing that this had
been the husband's commission at the
market. Having earned his hose, he work-
ed twice more at her, and continued in



50 PROVERBS

mercato, rimandandolo a casa con qualche
cosa comprata j gli diceva nel partire : —
a Buono intenditore, un cenno basta ;r^
ricordare volendogli chel fusse ohedienté^
e lui pur rispondeva : — « Poche parole,
» messere; » quasi con dire: « Tu vuoi,
» come a casa son, monti suso, e cosi
» farà io. » Poi se ne ritornava o con
cauli con pesce y ma a pena era giunto
che metteva giù i cauli, e piantava su i
porri, appendea il pesce et inspedava
carne.

Molto continuò questa tal prattica , per
la sagacità di questa donna, non forse
mai pid audita che con costui che non
sapeva parlare. Vende il marito fin tanto
che si senti gravida; lo schiavo sdamalo
per troppo premere. Ella, sentendo subito
il suo caso, usò maggior industria della
prima, che rendendosi certa partorir
figliuol negro come'l padre, f ecesi fare un



IN JESTS yr

the same style; every morning that the
husband went to market and sent him
back hpme with some object he had
bought, he used to. say, to him on parting :
— « Quickwit, one sign suffices ; » to
remind him how he ought to be obedient,
and the negro used to answer : — « Few
» words, master, » thinking to mean
thereby : « You wish me, as soon as
» I enter, to dimb upon mistress; that
» is what I am going to do. » Then he
returned either with cabbage or . fish ;
but hardly arrived when he quickly laid
down the cabbage and planted the leak,
or hung up the fish and stuck the spit into
the meat.

This practice lasted a long time, thanks
to the wife's subterfiige, never perhaps
better understood than by this negro who
could not speak. At length, the husband
went so often to market, that she felt
herself growing bulky, and that thè slave
was foiling ill by dint of working at her.
Seeing what was happening herself, she-



J2 PROVERBS

capocielo dal Ietto con Varme del suo
parentado sotto, che era un Moro nudo
sopra uno scoglio, e subornò il medico che
serviva alla casa con cento ducati di Trecca,
acciò che a partorire lei fusse presente, e
visto il figliuolo negro, causasse et affer-
masse che, per la imagine del sopradelo
del letto, il parto generato fosse negro,
dicendo che imaginatione fa caso in me-
dicina, e la donna concipiente col marito,
per iegnire gli occhi fitti in tal figura,
haveva mutato il seme in embrione.



Or così giunto il tempo a partorir due
gemelli tinti come il padre, il medico
onto, con allegatione gli fu presente, si
che il marito se V hebbe in pace. Lo schiavo
stette quattro mesi in letto, estenuato per



IN JESTS J 5

made use of a stratagem, cleverer still
than the former one ; and, certain of being
brought to bed with a son who would be
black, like his father, she got herseiì
made a tester, ornamented with the &-
mily coat of arms, which was a naked
black upon a rock ; then, by the aid of
a hundred silver ducats, corrupted the
family Doctor to preside over her child-
bed and, on seeing the little black, to
state and affirm that, owing to the image
on the tester, the engendered foetus was
transformed into a n^ro ; that the ima-
gination occupies a vast space in medi-
cine; that the woman having duly con-
ceived of her husband, had, by force of
staring at this image, changed the seed
into embryo.

When her time came, she gave birth
to a pair of twins, black like the Either ;
and the Doctor, whose hand was tipped,
assisted her so well with his allegations,
that the husband took everything very
peaceably. The slave remained four months



J4 PROVERBS

troppo lambiccare in fino alP ossa, a cui
andando il medico per curarlo, doman^
dogli : — « Che male hai? che ti dole? »
Buono intenditore non rispondea, ni
sapeva respondere altro, se non che diceva :
> — « T?oche parole, messere; poche parole. »
AK mai di quanto interrogò il suo male,
potè cavarne altro, se non : ^ A buono
y^ intenditore poche parole, messere; »
volendoli per questo significare che per
troppo tirar l'arco se moriva. Il medico,
credendo lui chel volesse dire che parlare
gli nocesse, il lassò peggiorare nella mal*
bora ; ma conosciutolo a l'orina poi, che
sfilato era il mal hormai incurabile,
lassolo andare a Dio, et i dinari hebbe;
e la Ustoria in la terra per lui poi divol-
gata die principio al proverbio sopradetto,
il quale molti della causa ignari alle-
gano fuor del suo essere, et abusivamente
hanno usurpato.



IN JESTS 55

in bed, quite extenuated having worn
himself out to the bones. And the Doctor,
when going to look after him, asks him :
— « What illness have you ? whereabouts
» is it you suffer? » Quickwit simply
answered and only knew how to answer
either : — « Few words, master; few
» words ; » he would have vainly ques-
tioned him about his illness, nor would he
have ever got anything else out of him
but : — « To the intelligent few words,
» master; » which in his eyes signified
that he was dying firom having shot two
much out of the bow. The Doctor thought
he meant by this that talking made him
suffer, so he let him run on from bad to
worse; and, having discovered by the
urine that the disease was henceforth in-
curable, he let him go to God, and car-
ried off his emoluments. The story being
afterwards divulged by him in the town,
gave rise to the aforesaid proverb, which
many people, ignorant of its origin, quote
out of season, and make an abuse of it.




PROVERBIO QUARTO



PERCHE SI DICE : Anzi corna che croce,




N altro pur geloso e un poco
grosso leva il proverbio in
pie si divulgato, quando
alcuno parlando della moglie
si vole mostrare di non curare che faccia,
lassandola come vole fare, et non vo-
lendo per lei fare questione mettersi a peri-
colo della vita. Onde all' hor si dice :
Anzi corna che croce.




FOURTH PROVERB

WHY THEY SAY : HoTtis father than

crosses.




N OTHER jealous man, so-
mewhat of a simpleton, gave
rise to the so frequently
quoted proverb; when
anybody, in speaking of his wife, wants
to show that he does not care what she
does ; when he allows her to act accord-
ing to her own good pleasure, being
unwilling to quarrel or risk his life on
her account. Then they say : Horn^
rather than crosses.



58 PROVERBS

Fù uno mercante forestiero con bella
donna, della qtmle vivendo poco sicuro per
dover navicare, essendo lei forte amata e
vagheggiata molto, s'ingegnò di far e eh' ella
peccar non posse ancor volendo, e fé fare
alla Siriana uno paro di brache di cui
Semiramis per gelosia del figliuolo fù
l'inventrice, e lasciatole solo i busi neoes-
sarii all' oportune cose, le cinse quella e
ritenne la chiave, volendola portar seco in
Levante. La moglie di questo niente si
mostrò turbata, ma el di dreto gli disse:,

— « Marito mio, come farei s* io parto-
rì rissi inanT^ il tornar vostro, cV io mi
» sento piena ? y> A cui il marito disse :

— « Tu hai ragione, dolcissima mogliere;
» io non haveria già pensato in questo. »
E levole le brache prestamente, quasi con
opinione di non cercare altro, e lasciar in



IN JESTS 59

There was a foreign merchant, who
bad a pretty wife, and having to take
shipping and not being sure of her, be-
cause she suflFered herself to be much
loved and courted, he set his wits to
work at how he could manage to prevent
her from falling, even though she was
willing; so he got one of those girdles
of which Semiramis, through the jealousy
of her yoiing son, was the inventress,
febricated in the Syrian style. This
girdle leaving the woman only the open-
nings requisite for the necessities of
nature, he fastened vit on her and kept
the key thereof, fully resolved to carry
it with him to the Levant. The wife did
not seem in the least startled at these
proceedings, but she says to him, the
day before his departure :

« My deiar husband, what shall I do
»'if I am brought to bed before you
» come back? for I feel big with child. »
He answers her : — « You are right,
» my dearest wife; I never thought of



60 PROVERBS

SUO arbitrio con buono animo. Ma essendo
già aviato per andare al porto et entrare
in nave, senti alcuni gioveni dicenti Vun
l'altro: — « Che mercatante è quello che
» va lai — El tale. — Oh ! quante
» corna se gli apparecchiano an:(i chel
» torni I Ti so dire eh* egli ha una moglie
» che si farà dar entro le carni. » Costui,
udendo le parole mordenti et odiose, col
capo basso, e ritornato a casa fingendo
altro, s^inaginò di tutta industria che
non potesse esser dato, come inteso havea,
alla bella mogliere entro le carni, e presa
una croce, gli cinse la cordella al ira^
verso dei fianchi, e la croce per modo che
proprio le pendeva in su quel fatto, di-
cendo a lei : — « Hormai me ne vo sicuro;
» che'l saria ben Giudeo e traditore quello
» che volesse dar entro la croce; » e pen-



IN JESTS 6 1

» that. » He quickly removed the girdle,
almost decided not to look for another,
but heartly leave her to her own free
will. But as he had set out on his way
for the place of embarking, he hears
some young fellows saying to one ano-
ther : — « What merchant is that going
» by? — He is such a one. — Oh!
» what a lot of horns they will plant for
» him before he comes back! I can tell
» you he has a wife that will get some
» stuck into her belly. » On hearing
these sarcastic and hard words, he went
back home with his head down, feigning
quite another motive; he thought ovqr
all sorts of means to hinder them from
bestowing any of them to his wife's
belly, as he had heard. And taking a
cross, he fastens it on her with a rope
twisted round her flanks, so that tb^
cross hung right over the suspected spot.
Then he says to her : — « Now, I am
» going away tranquil. He who would
» transgress in spite of the cross is indeed



6l PROVERBS

sando in suo core se costei cento fiate il di
le gambe aprisse a cento homine in ordine,
ognun tornaria in drieto per non voler
dare éntro la crou, e strinse la mogliere
a sacramento che non la moveria fin chel
tornasse i e cosi se aviò verso la nave,
alloro d'essere troppo assicurato.



Come esso fu entrato in mare e lontano
circa miglia sei, piena la vela di secondo
vento, scontrò in un batello circa dieci
pescatori e marinari, gioveni tutti fieri in
giupparello, i quali remirandoli indi
d'appresso, perche tutti eran cognoscenti
suoi e famigliarissimi di casa, che veni-
vano alla città, salutò domesticamente e
disse : — « Fratelli mìei e figliuoli, vi
» raccomando la. casa e Madalw^a »
(cosi si dimandava la mogliera). Loro
tutti ad una voce : — « Andate, » dissero.



IK JESTS 63

» a Jew. » Being persuaded, ki .the
bottom of his soul, that his wife would
all the same open her legs a hundred
times a day to a hundred fellows willing
to act, that every one would draw back
immediately refusing to enter in con-
tempt of the cross, he obliged her to
swear that she should not remove it'
from there until he should return. And,
quite delighted at being so secure, he
made his way again for the ship.

When he was out at sea about six
miles from land, driving at full sail
before a favorable wind, he met a bark
with a dozen fishermen and sailors, all
young robust fellows in short jackets. On
viewing them closely, he recognises them
all as acquaintances and familiar friends
making for the town. He saluted them
friendly and says to them : — « My
«brethren, my dear children, I recom-
» mend to you my house and Madaluza. »
(This was the name of his wife). They
cried out unanimously : a Go, sir; go



64 PROVERBS

« messere^ alla hori bora : non vi date
» pensiero ; che per lo corpo mio ! per
» servire Madonna noi dariemo tutti den-
» tro la croce. — Ohimè ì » gridò quello,
« peccatori voi I i> E non disse altro, ma
in sua mente pensò: « Costoro sono peggio
» che cani o che Zudei; non ho fatto
» covellea legarle la croce in su vai cava,
» che costoro hanno sacramento darle
» dentro; pare che sappino tutto ciò ho
» fatto. » E cosi detto, fé voltare la nave,
disarborando e cogliendo la vela, dicendo
havere scordato importantissisme cose al
suo viaggio, e ritornò per onde era venuto.
Giunse alla casa sua ove la tnoglie trovò
non l'aspettando e tutta stupefatta del suo
intrare. — « MadaluT^a, » disse quello,
« non ti maravigliare; io son tornato a
» dislegare la croce, tu sei con questa in



IN JESTS 65

» without fear; don't give yourself the
» spleen. By my body! we would all of
» us pass through the cross to wait on
» Madonna. — Hold ! » cried the other ;
« what wicked fellows you are! » And
he added not a word more, but set at
thinking within himself: « These fellows
» are worse than dogs or Jews, I did
» nothing worth while by fastening the
» cross over the hollow vale; they have
» sworn to traverse it, and seem to know
» everything I have done. » Having
sohloquized thus, he made the ship re-
trace her track, lowered the mast, and
plied the sail, under the pretext of having
forgotten something of great importance
for his voyage, and reaches the place
from which he had set out. He arrived
home, where he found his wife, who
was but little expecting him, quite asto-
nished at seeing him stepping in. —
a Madaluza, » he says to her, « be not
» surprised; I have come to take off your
» cross; you are more in danger with it



66 PROVERBS

» pericolo maggiore che non sei sen:(a :
» alcuni marinari e pescatori me hanno
» giurato venire qua per tuo amore e
» darle dentro. Io non hebbi timore a
» cento per uno di quelli che mi minacciò
» in pia's^a delle corna ^ e pero prima io
» voglio corna che croce. » Cosi fattala
resupinare levò la croce e segui lui il
viaggio suo, e lei sua usanT^a. La quale
Ustoria intesa per la terra fu fondamento
del proverbio ditto.




'e>T^tóì?<£)



IN JESTS 67

» than without it. Certain sailors and
» fishermen swore in my presence that
» they were going to come here for
» your sake, and to stick it into you. I
» am a hundred times less afraid of horns,
» compared with what they threaten me,
» and consequently, I prefer horns to
» crosses. » Having placed her again on
her back, he took off the cross and conti-
nued his voyage, and she her usual way
of living. This story, being soon spread
over the country, was the reason of the
said proverb.





PROVERBIO QUINTO

ALiTER PERCHE SI DICE : Anzi corna

che croce.




h proverbio de : Inanzi corna
che croce nacqtie in questo
modo :



Fu un gentiV huomo Padovano, gio*
vane e bello , della casa de quelli della
Croce, il quale desideroso di fare il mestier
del soldo, essercitìo pertinente ad huomini
nobili, si deliberò di andarsi a fornir
d'armi per suo bisogno a Brescia , e con
duo famigli honorevolmente posto in ca-




FIFTH PROVERB

AN OTHER EXPLANATION, WHY THEY SAY :

Horns rather than crosses.




H E proverb Horns rather than
crosses OTÌgìnixieà in this way :

There was a Paduan gen-
tleman, a young and handsome fellow of
the house of La Croce, who, desirous of
embracing the profession of soldier, a
profession which suits noblemen, re-
solved to go and supply himself at
Brescia with the arms that were necessary
for him ; and having set out on his way,
honorably attended by two footmen,



70 PROVERBS

mino, pervenne presso alla sera tra Fi-
centia e Verona aduno loco chiamato Torre
de* Confini, dove mandò innanzi uno de
gli famigli suoi, accioche facesse provedere
per la cena e per Valbergo. Il famiglio
non fu cosi presto giunto all'hostaria,
che'l vide un prete con una croce che li
entrava dentro per torre un corpo morto.
Onde senza dare altro ordine e senza dir
causa alcuna, stette tanto li fermo che il
patrone sopragiunse, il quale, havendogli
addimandato dell' ordine che dato havea,
intese da lui come non havea fatto nulla.
Et all' hora usci fuori il sacerdote con la
croce inan^i, e con uno fanciullo morto
tanto piccolo che un solo il portava. Ve-
dendo questo, il patrone disse a gli fami-
gli : — « Non state per questa croce di
» intrar dentro, di alloggiare i cavalli e
» di farvi dar camera per noi, eh' io me
» la piglio per bono augurio, essendo
)> stata antica insegna di casa mia. »



IN JESTS 71

arrives towards evening, between Venice
and Verona, at a place called Torre de'
Confini, where he had sent before him
one of his men to get supper and lodgings
ready. The footman had no sooner drawn
near the inn, than he beheld a priest
entering, who, preceded ,by the cross,
was going to look for someone dead.
For this reason, without giving any
order and without sajring a word, he
stood there stock-still, awaiting the ar-
rival of his master, who, having asked
him what orders he had given, learned
fi-om him that he had done nothing. At
this moment the priest was going out,
the cross before him, accompanying a
dead child, so little that one man carried
it. On seeing this, the gentleman said to
his men : — « Let not this cross hinder
» you firom entering, lodging the horses
» and from making them give you rooms
» for us ; I take this as a good foreboding,
» since it is the ancient blazon of my
» funily. » Themselves and theh: horses



72 PROVERBS

E cosi alloggiati loro e gli cavalli , furono
male attrattati di mangiare e peggio di
dormire. Vero i che la mattina fecero lor
scusa, dicendo che per esser morto un fi-
gliuolo a rhoste, che unico haveva, non
gli havevano atteso come meritava, per la
occupatione del dolore e del pianto.

Il gentil' huomo, montato a cavallo, a
Verona se ne andò, dove espedito di alcune
sue Jacende, giunse a Peschiera molto
tardi, e vedendo presso al ponte una hos-
taria, di alloggiarli si dispose; e volendo
entrar dentro, vidde sopra ali* uscio due
grandi et arborose corna di cervo, le qimli
rhostCy eh' era gran cacciatore, per vana
gloria d'un cervo che havea preso quella
settimana, posto gli haveva; e subito che
T hebbe vedute, disse : — « Dio me faccia
» del bene lai' altra hostaria me incon-
» trai in una croce e fui male attrattalo,
-a et a questa vedo un paio di corna ! »
Pur essendo sera, e non volendo andar



IN JESTS 75

lodged, they were badly treated at table,
and still worse in bed. The truth is that,
owing to the death of the inn-keeper's
son, an only son, they could not treat
him as he deserved, plunged as they were
in sorrow and tears.



The gentleman mounted horse and was
oflF to Verona, and having forwarded some
of his things, reached Peschiera very late;
espying an inn near the bridge, he made up
his mind to lodge there and, as he was enter-
ing, saw over the door two enormous and
branchy stag s horns : the inn-keeper,
who was a great sportsman, had, through
vanity of a stag which he had levelled that
week, nailed them there. The gentleman,
as soon as he beheld them, cried out :
— « God be good to me! at the other
» inn I met with a cross and was badly
» treated; at this one I see a pair of
» horns! » But as it was night and he
did not wish to go farther, he sent the

10