subtle tale of Machiavelli, that at
the end of the thirteenth century there was born out of the family of
Castracani one Antonio, who, entering himself into Orders, was made a
Canon of S. Michele in Lucca, and was even called Messer Antonio. He had
for sister a widow of Buonaccorso Cinami, who at the death of her
husband had come to live with him, resolved to marry no more. Now behind
the house where he lived, Messer Antonio, good man, had a vineyard, and
it happened one morning about sunrise that Donna Dianora (for that was
the sister's name) walking in the vineyard to gather herbs for a salad
(as women frequently do), heard a rustling under the leaves, and turning
toward it she fancied it cried, and going towards it she saw the hands
and face of a child, which, tumbling up and down in the leaves, seemed
to call for relief. Donna Dianora, partly astonished and partly afraid,
took it up very tenderly, carried it home, washed it, and having put it
in clean clothes, presented it to Messer Antonio. "_Eccololi_!" says
she, "and what will Messere do with this?" "Dianora," says he, with a
gasp, "Dianora...!" "No, it is not," says she, fluttering suddenly with
rage, "and I'll thank you, Messer Antonio," and that she said for spite,
"I'll thank you to keep your lewd thoughts to yourself," says she, "and
for the fine ladies, fine ladies," says she, "that come to see you at S.
Michele," and she fell to weeping, holding the child in her arms. "I
that might have had little hands (_manine_) under my chin many's the
time if Buonaccorso had not died so old." And she carried the child out
of his sight. Then Messer Antonio later, when he understood the case,
being no less affected with wonder and compassion than his sister before
him, debated with himself what to do, and presently concluded to bring
the little fellow up; for, as he said, "I, Antonio, am a priest, and my
sister hath no children." So he christened the child Castruccio after
his own father, and Dianora looked to him as carefully as if he had been
her own. Now Castruccio's graces increased with his years, and therefore
in his heart Messer Antonio designed him for a priest; but Dianora would
not have it so, and indeed he showed as yet but little inclination to
that kind of life, which was not to be wondered at, his natural
disposition, as Dianora said, tending quite another way. For though he
followed his studies, when he was scarce fourteen years old he began to
run after th