t it. He made a
low bow, and replied:

"Your father died as a holy man, leaving his gold to the church."

This was incomprehensible to me, yet what should I do? I had no
witnesses against the priest, and must console myself with the
reflection that he had not also regarded the house and goods of my
father as a legacy to the church. This was the first misfortune that
happened to me, but from this time forth, stroke followed stroke. My
reputation as a physician did not spread, because I could not stoop to
advertise myself on the market-place; and, above all, I missed my
father, whose recommendation would have secured me admittance to the
wealthiest and most influential families, which now never gave a
thought to the poor Zaleukos. Then, too, my father's goods found no
sale, as the old customers disappeared after his death, and to gain new
ones would require time.

Once, as I was hopelessly thinking over my situation, it occurred to me
that I had often seen countrymen of mine wandering through the land of
the Franks, and displaying their wares in the squares of the cities. I
remembered that their goods found a ready sale, because they came from
a strange country, and that the profits on such merchandise were very
large. My resolution was taken at once. I sold the homestead, gave a
part of the sale money to a trustworthy friend to keep for me, and with
the remainder bought such goods as were not common among the Franks;
shawls, silk stuff's, ointments, oils, etc. I then took passage on a
ship, and so began my second journey to the land of the Franks.

It seemed as though fortune smiled on me again the moment we left the
Dardanelles behind. Our voyage was short and fortunate. I wandered
through the cities and towns of the Franks, and every-where found ready
purchasers for my wares. My friend in Stamboul kept forwarding me
consignments of fresh goods, and day by day my financial condition
improved. When I thought I had made money enough to venture on some
larger undertaking, I went to Italy with my goods. I have omitted
speaking on one thing that brought me in quite a little sum of money;
this was my knowledge of medicine. When I entered a town, I scattered
notices announcing the arrival of a Greek physician, whose skill had
restored many to health; and my balsams and medicines brought me in
many a sequin.

At last I reached the city of Florence. It was my intention to remain
some time in this place, partly because the