e of
pearls, of the rarest quality, and truly worthy of your Excellency; I
do not believe it would be possible to put together eighty pearls
which could show better than these do in a necklace. My counsel
therefore is that you should buy them, for they are in good sooth
miraculous." He responded on the instant, "I do not choose to buy
them; they are not pearls of the quality and goodness you affirm; I
have seen the necklace, and they do not please me." Then I added,
"Pardon me, Prince! These pearls exceed in rarity and beauty any which
were ever brought together for a necklace." The Duchess had risen, and
was standing behind a door listening to all I said. Well, when I had
praised the pearls a thousandfold more warmly than I have described
above, the Duke turned toward me with a kindly look, and said, "O my
dear Benvenuto, I know that you have an excellent judgment in all
these matters. If the pearls are as rare as you certify, I should not
hesitate about their purchase; partly to gratify the Duchess and
partly to possess them, seeing I have always need of such things, not
so much for her Grace as for the various uses of my sons and
daughters." When I heard him speak thus, having once begun to tell
fibs, I stuck to them with even greater boldness; I gave all the color
of truth I could to my lies, confiding in the promise of the Duchess
to help me at the time of need. More than two hundred crowns were to
be my commission on the bargain, and the Duchess had intimated that I
should receive so much; but I was firmly resolved not to touch a
farthing, in order to secure my credit, and convince the Duke I was
not prompted by avarice. Once more his Excellency began to address me
with the greatest courtesy: "I know that you are a consummate judge of
these things; therefore, if you are the honest man I always thought
you, tell me now the truth." Thereat I flushed up to my eyes, which at
the same time filled with tears, and said to him, "My lord, if I tell
your most illustrious Excellency the truth, I shall make a mortal foe
of the Duchess; this will oblige me to depart from Florence, and my
enemies will begin at once to pour contempt upon my Perseus, which I
have announced as a masterpiece to the most noble school of your
illustrious Excellency. Such being the case, I recommend myself to
your most illustrious Excellency."

The Duke was now aware that all my previous speeches had been, as it
were, forced out of me. So he rejoined