ying, as of letting my comedy be represented without it. Zounds! is
the public to lose that magnificent spectacle! Just imagine the splendid
effect on the stage of a supreme Pontiff and twelve grave cardinals,
with all the other dignitaries, who will of course accompany them! By
heavens, it will be one of the grandest things ever seen on the stage,
not excepting even the nosegay of Duraja!"

I now perceived that one of these young men was a poet, and the other a
comedian. The latter advised the former that he should cut out a few of
his cardinals, if he did not want to make it impossible for the manager
to produce the piece. The poet would not listen to this, but said they
might be thankful that he had not brought in the whole conclave, to be
present at the memorable event which he proposed to immortalise in his
brilliant comedy. The player laughed, left him to his occupation, and
returned to his own, which was studying a part in a new play. The poet,
after having committed to writing some verses of his magnificent comedy,
slowly and gravely drew from his pocket some morsels of bread, and about
twenty raisins, or perhaps not so many, for there were some crumbs of
bread among them, which increased their apparent number. He blew the
crumbs from the raisins, and ate them one by one, stalks and all, for I
did not see him throw anything away, adding to them the pieces of bread,
which had got such a colour from the lining of his pocket, that they
looked mouldy, and were so hard that he could not get them down, though
he chewed them over and over again. This was lucky for me, for he threw
them to me, saying, "Catch, dog, and much good may it do you." Look,
said I to myself, what nectar and ambrosia this poet gives me; for that
is the food on which they say these sons of Apollo are nourished. In
short, great for the most part is the penury of poets; but greater was
my need, since it obliged me to eat what he left.

As long as he was busy with the composition of his comedy he did not
fail to visit the garden, nor did I want crusts, for he shared them with
me very liberally; and then we went to the well, where we satisfied our
thirst like monarchs, I lapping, and he drinking out of a pitcher. But
at last the poet came no more, and my hunger became so intolerable, that
I resolved to quit the Morisco and seek my fortune in the city. As I
entered it, I saw my poet coming out of the famous monastery of San
Geronimo. He came to me wit