im somewhat whereby he may live according to his condition, I doubt
not anywise but you will, in brief space of time, deem of him even as
I do.' The pope, who was great of soul and a lover of men of worth,
hearing this, replied that he would gladly do it, an Ghino were indeed
of such account as the abbot avouched, and bade the latter cause him
come thither in all security. Accordingly, Ghino, at the abbot's
instance, came to court, upon that assurance, nor had he been long
about the pope's person ere the latter reputed him a man of worth and
taking him into favour, bestowed on him a grand priory of those of the
Hospitallers, having first let make him a knight of that order; which
office he held whilst he lived, still approving himself a loyal friend
and servant of Holy Church and of the Abbot of Cluny."

[Footnote 442: _i.e._ fortune.]

THE THIRD STORY

[Day the Tenth]

MITHRIDANES, ENVYING NATHAN HIS HOSPITALITY AND GENEROSITY
AND GOING TO KILL HIM, FALLETH IN WITH HIMSELF, WITHOUT
KNOWING HIM, AND IS BY HIM INSTRUCTED OF THE COURSE HE SHALL
TAKE TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSE; BY MEANS WHEREOF HE FINDETH
HIM, AS HE HIMSELF HAD ORDERED IT, IN A COPPICE AND
RECOGNIZING HIM, IS ASHAMED AND BECOMETH HIS FRIEND

Themseemed all they had heard what was like unto a miracle, to wit,
that a churchman should have wrought anywhat magnificently; but, as
soon as the ladies had left discoursing thereof, the king bade
Filostrato proceed, who forthright began, "Noble ladies, great was the
magnificence of the King of Spain and that of the Abbot of Cluny a
thing belike never yet heard of; but maybe it will seem to you no less
marvellous a thing to hear how a man, that he might do generosity to
another who thirsted for his blood, nay, for the very breath of his
nostrils, privily bethought himself to give them to him, ay, and would
have done it, had the other willed to take them, even as I purpose to
show you in a little story of mine.

It is a very certain thing (if credit may be given to the report of
divers Genoese and others who have been in those countries) that there
was aforetime in the parts of Cattajo[443] a man of noble lineage and
rich beyond compare, called Nathan, who, having an estate adjoining a
highway whereby as of necessity passed all who sought to go from the
Ponant to the Levant or from the Levant to the Ponant, and being a man
of great and generous soul and desirous that it shou