appointed to be on a certain day, there will the man be found. Therefore
do thou, O reader, so manage it that wherever thou art appointed to be,
thou canst _get well out of it_. For even Fate smiles when it desires to
do so."

FRATE GIOCONDO, THE MONK OF SANTA MARIA NOVELLA

"_In illo tempore_--no--_in diebus illis_, che i frati sogliono
percorrere il contado delle terre e delle citta per far proviste alla
barba degli scimuniti d'ogni genere pappatorio, vale dir di grano,
formentone, legumi, mosto, cacio, olio, canape, lino, uova et
cetera--un certo fra Zeffiro, se ne gira alla volta d'un villagio e
tenevagli compagnia il suo ciucarello che carica gia a doppio
sacchetto."--_L'Asino e il suo Frate_, _Racconti Piacevoli_, 1864,

"Und sie war gar sehr erstannet uber die Adresse und List dieses
Munchleins."--_Lustige Thaten des Kloster-bruders Hannes von Lehnin_,
A.D. 1589.

"Monachus in claustro
Non valet ova dua,
Sed extra--bene valet triginta."--_Rabelais_.

Among the monks of Santa Maria Novella in ancient days was one known as
Frate Giocondo, who was truly of the kind who are of little use at home,
or at any steady or reputable calling, but who was profitable enough when
scouring the country on the loose, blarneying and begging from the good
wives, giving counsel to the peasants, and profitable advice, while he
ate their chickens and drank their wine, chucking all the pretty girls
under their chins, or _sub silentio_, and making himself sociable,
edifying, amusing, or holy--according to circumstances. Of whom it could
be truly said:

"Monaco in convento
Non vale niente,
Ma fuori vale venti."

"Monk in monastery
Is not worth a cherry;
But abroad when sent, he
Often is worth twenty."

As a preaching friar of Saint Dominic, truly Brother Giocondo was not a
success, but as a beggar he beat all the Zoccoloni out of Rome, {27} and
that is saying a great deal. For there never was a friar with such an
oiled and honeyed tongue, with which he could flatter and wheedle, tell
legends of the saints, witches, or goblins by the hour, give all the
gossip going; nor was he above selling his collections, or trading
donkeys, or taking a hand at a game of cards, or singing to a lute, or
even fiddling to a dance--so that, being a great, burly, handsome,
merry-eyed knave, he got on marvellously well in the world, his jests
being reporte