of flambeaux; then, pulling off his bonnet, he delicately
unfolded the taffetas wrapper and brought out the casket. Having first
pronounced certain ejaculations in praise and commendation of the
Angel Gabriel and of his relic, he opened the casket and seeing it
full of coals, suspected not Guccio Balena of having played him this
trick, for that he knew him not to be man enough; nor did he curse him
for having kept ill watch lest others should do it, but silently
cursed himself for having committed to him the care of his gear,
knowing him, as he did, to be negligent, disobedient, careless and
forgetful.

Nevertheless, without changing colour, he raised his eyes and hands to
heaven and said, so as to be heard of all, 'O God, praised be still
thy puissance!' Then, shutting the casket and turning to the people,
'Gentlemen and ladies,' quoth he, 'you must know that, whilst I was
yet very young, I was dispatched by my superior to those parts where
the sun riseth and it was expressly commanded me that I should seek
till I found the Privileges of Porcellana, which, though they cost
nothing to seal, are much more useful to others than to us. On this
errand I set out from Venice and passed through Borgo de' Greci,[322]
whence, riding through the kingdom of Algarve and Baldacca,[323] I
came to Parione,[324] and from there, not without thirst, I came after
awhile into Sardinia. But what booteth it to set out to you in detail
all the lands explored by me? Passing the straits of San Giorgio,[325]
I came into Truffia[326] and Buffia,[327] countries much inhabited and
with great populations, and thence into the land of Menzogna,[328]
where I found great plenty of our brethren and of friars of other
religious orders, who all went about those parts, shunning unease for
the love of God, recking little of others' travail, whenas they saw
their own advantage to ensue, and spending none other money than such
as was uncoined.[329] Thence I passed into the land of the Abruzzi,
where the men and women go in clogs over the mountains, clothing the
swine in their own guts;[330] and a little farther I found folk who
carried bread on sticks and wine in bags. From this I came to the
Mountains of the Bachi, where all the waters run down hill; and in
brief, I made my way so far inward that I won at last even to India
Pastinaca,[331] where I swear to you, by the habit I wear on my back,
that I saw hedge-bills[332] fly, a thing incredible to whoso hath n