er."

"I had indeed heard," said Longarine, "that the Italians were prone to
three especial vices; but I should not have thought that vengeance and
cruelty would have gone so far as to deal a cruel death for so slight a
cause."

"Longarine," said Saffredent, laughing, "you have told us one of the
three vices, but we must also know the other two."

"If you did not know them," she replied, "I would inform you, but I am
sure that you know them all."

"From your words," said Saffredent, "it seems that you deem me very
vicious."

"Not so," said Longarine, "but you so well know the ugliness of vice
that, better than any other, you are able to avoid it."

"Do not be amazed," said Simontault, "at this act of cruelty. Those who
have passed through Italy have seen such incredible instances, that this
one is in comparison but a trifling peccadillo."

"Ay, truly," said Geburon. "When Rivolta was taken by the French, (5)
there was an Italian captain who was esteemed a knightly comrade, but
on seeing the dead body of a man who was only his enemy in that being a
Guelph he was opposed to the Ghibellines, he tore out his heart, broiled
it on the coals and devoured it. And when some asked him how he liked
it, he replied that he had never eaten so savoury or dainty a morsel.
Not content with this fine deed, he killed the dead man's wife, and
tearing out the fruit of her womb, dashed it against a wall. Then he
filled the bodies both of husband and wife with oats and made his horses
eat from them. Think you that such a man as that would not surely have
put to death a girl whom he suspected of offending him?"

5 Rivolta or Rivoli was captured by the French under Louis
XII. in 1509. An instance of savagery identical in character
with that mentioned by "Geburon" had already occurred at the
time of Charles VIII.'s expedition to Naples, when the
culprit, a young Italian of good birth, was seized and
publicly executed.--Ed.

"It must be acknowledged," said Ennasuite, "that this Duke of Urbino
was more afraid that his son might make a poor marriage than desirous of
giving him a wife to his liking."

"I think you can have no doubt," replied Simon-tault, "that it is the
Italian nature to love unnaturally that which has been created only for
nature's service."

"Worse than that," said Hircan, "they make a god of things that are
contrary to nature."

"And there," said Longarine, "you have another one of t