as a man of flesh, and not of glass,
as I now am, I saw many things that might be adduced in support of what
I have now said, but the relation of these I refer to some other time."

A certain person asked him what he should do to avoid envying another,
and Rodaja bade him go to sleep, for, said he, "While you sleep you will
be the equal of him whom you envy."

It happened on a certain occasion that the Criminal Judge passed before
the place where Rodaja stood. There was a great crowd of people, and two
alguazils attended the magistrate, who was proceeding to his court, when
Rodaja inquired his name. Being told, he replied, "Now, I would lay a
wager that this judge has vipers in his bosom, pistols in his inkhorn,
and flashes of lightning in his hands, to destroy all that shall come
within his commission. I once had a friend who inflicted so exorbitant a
sentence in respect to a criminal commission which he held, that it
exceeded by many carats the amount of guilt incurred by the crime of the
delinquents. I inquired of him wherefore he had uttered so cruel a
sentence, and committed so manifest an injustice? To which he replied
that he intended to grant permission of appeal, and that in this way he
left the field open for the Lords of the Council to show their mercy by
moderating and reducing that too rigorous punishment to its due
proportions. But I told him it would have been still better for him to
have given such a sentence as would have rendered their labour
unnecessary, by which means he would also have merited and obtained the
reputation of being a wise and exact judge."

Among the number of those by whom Rodaja, as I have said, was constantly
surrounded, was an acquaintance of his own, who permitted himself to be
saluted as the Senor Doctor, although Thomas knew well that he had not
taken even the degree of bachelor. To him, therefore, he one day said,
"Take care, gossip mine, that you and your title do not meet with the
Fathers of the Redemption, for they will certainly take possession of
your doctorship as being a creature unrighteously detained captive."

"Let us behave well to each other, Senor Glasscase," said the other,
"since you know that I am a man of high and profound learning."

"I know you rather to be a Tantalus in the same," replied Rodaja; "for
if learning reach high to you, you are never able to plunge into its
depths."

He was one day leaning against the stall of a tailor, who was seated
with