Romance of Roman Villas (The Renaissance)

ence at the outset-the tale abo

s witness who, being adjured by the judge to speak the truth, replied: "Of a s

iographers as give their quills solely to statecraft and wars, yet it lies like a pressed flower between the musty leaves of the novellini of Franco Sac

scrupulous antiquaries who, discovering an antique statue, straightway replace its missing parts by oth

ee to assemble are still preserved, properly ticketed, in the museum of history, while for him who cavils with the authenticity of this "restoration" the bu

ati. The Grand Cascade an

fice for apology-

niched conspicuously to the fore of the grand terrace; but the other is in a hidden pleasance, and is but a lop-sided vase, considered to have settled thus awry from the natural subsidence of the soil rather than to have been so placed by design. Neverthe

las was he named not at his baptism, but half in admiration, half in derision by his mates, for his burliness of body and his inordinate

Provence, and though a bachelor of upwards of seventy-one winters found himself mightily distraught

prefacing his request with lavish gifts of steeds, falcons, and hounds, besought her hand

Toulouse, of Perpignan, and vavasours of the great Emperor beyond the Rhone, who might all join together and fall upon me. It is my one desire to live at peace with my neighbours a

, Villa Aldob

s to the event, for I will devise a method of arra

o slept not a wink that night, but concocted a

s hand, and is of a rank and wealth sufficient to warrant such pretension, shall ha

ould object. Moreover, it was even generous, coming as it did from Aldobrandino, who, though he had been a doughty kn

t into all countries near and far, and the tour

ging him to lend him to act as his champion for this occasion his most doughty knight, the most invincible that could be met with in all feats of arms. In consideration of his

ever capacity may be most agreeable to you. Give your ord

re you at this tournament until I ride into the field, when I will engage you, and yo

h also we shall later return; but let us, for the sake of novelty in the telling of an old story, for a little space

our fair daughters of Raymond Berenger, Count of Provence, wh

uis of France the strong castle of Tarascon as the dowry of his daughter Marguerite. But Villeneuve very shrewdly consoled him. "For," quoth he, "let

ow the rank of their future husbands, for, requested to draw at venture from a pack of cards, Marguerite straightwa

realms, namely, England; that Beatrice should have the misfortune to mate with a hard-hitting savage, but still a king-a forecast fulfilled in Charles of Anjou, brother of St. Louis, who won his kingdom of the two Sicilies by as hard and as cruel fighti

t was besought and contracted, when their father, fearing perchance that the prediction would be carried

r elder sister Sancie, and Charles of Anjou must perforce hold his amoro

ver, on Sancie fortune had bestowed a full half dozen. But though their numbers flattered the vanity

ad as yet applied for Sancie's hand it struck his humour that a tournament such as Aldobrandino proposed, well advertised in ever

r, consort of Henry III. of England, was visiting her sister of France, and together

Sancie from her own path to true love, and of all the four daughters of R

her, explaining that though there would be a great show of fair dealing yet they had plotte

cession files before him in the grand entrée of the lists. You shall sit beside him and indicate any whom you wish disallowed.

notoriously inept in arms, you shall have resource to another trial of skill-namely that of min

lf dozen, and shall tell me secretly to which of these I am to award the prize. Now confess, can anyt

have no true love," she said,

at the outset. The tournament also shall be delayed a week after the time set,

d caught Sancie's cheek

my husband's brother, Richard, Earl of Cornwall[6]; well worthy he to bear the name of his great uncle,

me more of him, sweet sister. Is he as valiant in ar

far is he not. Always when he stands on the verge of success he yields his advantage t

d me, think you?"

re to your instant acquaintance, I have bidden him this af

ot confided to them that he would do so in behalf of Prince Aldobrandino. The pretensions of this aged lover had greatly amused the ladies. They co

to the compact. King Louis had indeed explained it to him before sending him to Aldobrandino, and Richard had demanded carelessly: "Of what sort i

and, what time he went to claim his bride, of her beauty, he had answered: "All of the daught

d, "it were well to leave the matter to an umpire," and h

declared that prince; "my Beatrice is fa

h each of these her sisters, whose beauty I esteem not at all, she is not worth the wi

f Sancie drive you to such madness as to play me false then of a surety I will kill you. Not in vain am I dubbed Atlas, for all things upon earth w

y I marvel that you have set your heart upon her if the opinion of her brothers-in

grunted this reply: "You mind me

r o' th

fancies, his own

ars. Whereas the peach is a stocky tree, prolific and profitable to its owner, for to its unadmired and modest blossom succeedeth a toothsome fruitage. Therefore say I the flower o' the peach for me. For, hist, Ricciardo, I am past the age when one goes maying for flowers only. Women have had no great power over me, and a bachelor I should die but that I have regard for what shall happen after me, and a natural desire for the continuance