“your own eyes may warrant you of the truth
of what I say touching Fortune; but verily your merit
demands that I take arms against her in your cause.
I know that you are not minded to become a Spaniard,
and therefore I shall give you neither castle nor
city; but that chest, which Fortune denied you, I bestow
on you 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 thanked the King in a manner befitting
such a gift, returned therewith, well pleased, to
Tuscany.
— Ghino di Tacco captures the Abbot of
Cluny, cures him of a disorder of the stomach, and
releases him. The abbot, on his return to the
court of Rome, reconciles Ghino with Pope Boniface,
and makes him prior of the Hospital. —
When an end was made of extolling the magnificence
shewn by King Alfonso towards the Florentine knight,
the king, who had listened to the story with no small
pleasure, bade Elisa follow suit; and forthwith Elisa
began:—Dainty my ladies, undeniable it is
that for a king to be magnificent, and to entreat
magnificently one that has done him service, is a
great matter, and meet for commendation. What
then shall we say when the tale is of a dignitary
of the Church that shewed wondrous magnificence towards
one whom he might well have entreated as an enemy,
and not have been blamed by a soul? Assuredly
nought else than that what in the king was virtue
was in the prelate nothing less than a miracle, seeing
that for superlative greed the clergy, one and all,
outdo us women, and wage war to the knife upon every
form of liberality. And albeit all men are by
nature prone to avenge their wrongs, ’tis notorious
that the clergy, however they may preach longsuffering,
and commend of all things the forgiving of trespasses,
are more quick and hot to be avenged than the rest
of mankind. Now this, to wit, after what manner
a prelate shewed magnificence, will be made manifest
to you in my story.
Ghino di Tacco, a man redoubtable by reason of his
truculence and his high-handed deeds, being banished
from Siena, and at enmity with the Counts of Santa
Fiore, raised Radicofani in revolt against the Church
of Rome, and there abiding, harried all the surrounding
country with his soldiers, plundering all wayfarers.
Now Pope Boniface VIII. being at Rome, there came
to court the Abbot of Cluny, who is reputed one of
the wealthiest prelates in the world; and having there
gotten a disorder of the stomach, he was advised by
the physicians to go to the baths of Siena, where
(they averred) he would certainly be cured. So,
having obtained the Pope’s leave, reckless of
the bruit of Ghino’s exploits, he took the road,
being attended by a great and well-equipped train of
sumpter-horses and servants. Ghino di Tacco, getting
wind of his approach, spread his nets to such purpose
