the prince-第28部分

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d　paved　with　fine　stones　representing　flowers　and　foliage　of　the　most　beautiful　colouring。　Castruccio　gathered　some　saliva　in　his　mouth　and　spat　it　out　upon　Taddeo；　and　seeing　him　much　disturbed　by　this；　said　to　him：　〃I　knew　not　where　to　spit　in　order　to　offend　thee　less。〃　Being　asked　how　Caesar　died　he　said：　〃God　willing　I　will　die　as　he　did。〃　Being　one　night　in　the　house　of　one　of　his　gentlemen　where　many　ladies　were　assembled；　he　was　reproved　by　one　of　his　friends　for　dancing　and　amusing　himself　with　them　more　than　was　usual　in　one　of　his　station；　so　he　said：　〃He　who　is　considered　wise　by　day　will　not　be　considered　a　fool　at　night。〃　A　person　came　to　demand　a　favour　of　Castruccio；　and　thinking　he　was　not　listening　to　his　plea　threw　himself　on　his　knees　to　the　ground；　and　being　sharply　reproved　by　Castruccio；　said：　〃Thou　art　the　reason　of　my　acting　thus　for　thou　hast　thy　ears　in　thy　feet；〃　whereupon　he　obtained　double　the　favour　he　had　asked。　Castruccio　used　to　say　that　the　way　to　hell　was　an　easy　one；　seeing　that　it　was　in　a　downward　direction　and　you　travelled　blindfolded。　Being　asked　a　favour　by　one　who　used　many　superfluous　words；　he　said　to　him：　〃When　you　have　another　request　to　make；　send　someone　else　to　make　it。〃　Having　been　wearied　by　a　similar　man　with　a　long　oration　who　wound　up　by　saying：　〃Perhaps　I　have　fatigued　you　by　speaking　so　long；〃　Castruccio　said：　〃You　have　not；　because　I　have　not　listened　to　a　word　you　said。〃　He　used　to　say　of　one　who　had　been　a　beautiful　child　and　who　afterwards　became　a　fine　man；　that　he　was　dangerous；　because　he　first　took　the　husbands　from　the　wives　and　now　he　took　the　wives　from　their　husbands。　To　an　envious　man　who　laughed；　he　said：　〃Do　you　laugh　because　you　are　successful　or　because　another　is　unfortunate？〃　Whilst　he　was　still　in　the　charge　of　Messer　Francesco　Guinigi；　one　of　his　companions　said　to　him：　〃What　shall　I　give　you　if　you　will　let　me　give　you　a　blow　on　the　nose？〃　Castruccio　answered：　〃A　helmet。〃　Having　put　to　death　a　citizen　of　Lucca　who　had　been　instrumental　in　raising　him　to　power；　and　being　told　that　he　had　done　wrong　to　kill　one　of　his　old　friends；　he　answered　that　people　deceived　themselves；　he　had　only　killed　a　new　enemy。　Castruccio　praised　greatly　those　men　who　intended　to　take　a　wife　and　then　did　not　do　so；　saying　that　they　were　like　men　who　said　they　would　go　to　sea；　and　then　refused　when　the　time　came。　He　said　that　it　always　struck　him　with　surprise　that　whilst　men　in　buying　an　earthen　or　glass　vase　would　sound　it　first　to　learn　if　it　were　good；　yet　in　choosing　a　wife　they　were　content　with　only　looking　at　her。　He　was　once　asked　in　what　manner　he　would　wish　to　be　buried　when　he　died；　and　answered：　〃With　the　face　turned　downwards；　for　I　know　when　I　am　gone　this　country　will　be　turned　upside　down。〃　On　being　asked　if　it　had　ever　occurred　to　him　to　become　a　friar　in　order　to　save　his　soul；　he　answered　that　it　had　not；　because　it　appeared　strange　to　him　that　Fra　Lazerone　should　go　to　Paradise　and　Uguccione　della　Faggiuola　to　the　Inferno。　He　was　once　asked　when　should　a　man　eat　to　preserve　his　health；　and　replied：　〃If　the　man　be　rich　let　him　eat　when　he　is　hungry；　if　he　be　poor；　then　when　he　can。〃　Seeing　on　of　his　gentlemen　make　a　member　of　his　family　lace　him　up；　he　said　to　him：　〃I　pray　God　that　you　will　let　him　feed　you　also。〃　Seeing　that　someone　had　written　upon　his　house　in　Latin　the　words：　〃May　God　preserve　this　house　from　the　wicked；〃　he　said；　〃The　owner　must　never　go　in。〃　Passing　through　one　of　the　streets　he　saw　a　small　house　with　a　very　large　door；　and　remarked：　〃That　house　will　fly　through　the　door。〃　He　was　having　a　discussion　with　the　ambassador　of　the　King　of　Naples　concerning　the　property　of　some　banished　nobles；　when　a　dispute　arose　between　them；　and　the　ambassador　asked　him　if　he　had　no　fear　of　the　king。　〃Is　this　king　of　yours　a　bad　man　or　a　good　one？〃　asked　Castruccio；　and　was　told　that　he　was　a　good　one；　whereupon　he　said；　〃Why　should　you　suggest　that　I　should　be　afraid　of　a　good　man？〃

I　could　recount　many　other　stories　of　his　sayings　both　witty　and　weighty；　but　I　think　that　the　above　will　be　sufficient　testimony　to　his　high　qualities。　He　lived　forty…four　years；　and　was　in　every　way　a　prince。　And　as　he　was　surrounded　by　many　evidences　of　his　good　fortune；　so　he　also　desired　to　have　near　him　some　memorials　of　his　bad　fortune；　therefore　the　manacles　with　which　he　was　chained　in　prison　are　to　be　seen　to　this　day　fixed　up　in　the　tower　of　his　residence；　where　they　were　placed　by　him　to　testify　for　ever　to　his　days　of　adversity。　As　in　his　life　he　was　inferior　neither　to　Philip　of　Macedon；　the　father　of　Alexander；　nor　to　Scipio　of　Rome；　so　he　died　in　the　same　year　of　his　age　as　they　did；　and　he　would　doubtless　have　excelled　both　of　them　had　Fortune　decreed　that　he　should　be　born；　not　in　Lucca；　but　in　Macedonia　or　Rome。





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