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who should catch one. Ruy Diaz Melgarejo, he adds, had been thus fortunate. He had caught a carbuncle-beast, and taken out the stone,.. but the canoe in which he embarked with it upset, and the jewel was lost. I, says D. Martin, saw him lamenting his evil fortune, and heard him say, that if he had not lost the carbuncle, he would have presented it to King Philip.*

Argentina, Canto 3,

TABLE-TALK.

PART III. ITALIAN. GERMAN.

TABLE-TALK.

POGGIANA.*

I. THE MADMAN OF MILAN.

A PHYSICIAN at Milan undertook to cure madmen within a certain time. His plan was, to place the patient in a bath of dirty water up to the knees, or deeper, according to the extent of his disorder, and to leave him there fastened till he showed signs of returning reason. One day a madman was brought to him, whom he put into the water up to the middle. When he had been there a fortnight, he begged the physician to let him out, which he did, on condition that he should not go beyond the court of the house. As he was walking up and down the court, a gentleman rode up, with hawks and hounds. "Would you inform me," said the madman to him, "what is the name of that animal you are sitting upon, and what use you make of him ?" "He is a horse for hunting," said the gentleman. "And the bird you have on your wrist, and these

From the Facetiæ and Poggiana of Poggio.

creatures that follow you?" continued the madman. "These," said the gentleman, "are hawks and hounds for catching game." And what may be the value of the game which it costs you so much trouble to catch?"-" Why, very little-some six or seven ducats."-" And the expense of the horses and dogs?"—" Why, fifty perhaps."-" Ah!" said the madman," make off as fast as possible before my physician comes, for if he catch you here, he will put you into the water up to the very chin."

II. LAZINESS.

There was a young Gascon gentleman at Constance, named Bonac, who rose every morning very late. As his comrades used to rally him upon his laziness-"I am obliged," said he, " to listen every morning to a long pleading between laziness and diligence. The latter exhorts me to get up, and employ myself in something useful; the other ingeniously pleads the comfort of a warm bed, and that rest is better than labour. I listen to the pleadings on both sides, till matters are made up; and this is the cause of my late rising."

III. LENT.

In a small village among the Apennines, the priest was so ignorant, that not being himself aware of the annual feasts, he never announced them to his congregation. Having gone to Terranuova one day, and seeing the priests preparing their branches of olive and palm for next day, he found he had totally forgot to announce Lent to his flock. Having returned eight days afterwards, he made the palm branches be gathered, and, addressing his congregation, said, "To-morrow, my friends, is Palm Sunday. Easter will take place next week; we shall fast during this week only, for Lent has come

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