Dante's Heart
The Seven Sages of Rome
The Old Husband and the Young Wife
“…But you must do to her as a wise old man did to a young and beautiful
wife of his who loved a young man. And wishing to secretly do her own
business with him, she said as much to her mother, who discouraged her in it.
And yet when the mother saw her will, she said to her that she must first
commit a great injury to her lord, and if her lord did not become disturbed
about that, then she could do what she wanted. Then the young wife went to
the garden and destroyed a mulberry tree which had been a delight to him,
and she burned it. Her husband, seeing this, asked who had done such an
evil deed -- and the woman said that she had done it because she didn’t have
any wood. The husband, because he loved her greatly, said to her, ‘You
have done wrong -- but do not ever let such a thing happen to you.’
"The woman went to her mother at once and told her what had happened,
and she said that she wanted the mother’s promise. Then her mother said, ‘I
want you to try another thing: go and kill his artisan, whom he loves greatly –
make a reason for him to rend his clothes.’ And thus it was done. The
husband responded to his wife as he had said about the first matter. The
wife, returning to her mother, told her what had happened. The mother
said, ‘I want you to try a third time, and if he does not change his response, I
will do all of your will. You will be present Sunday when your husband will
have a grand banquet with his friends. You will go and sit near him, and you
will tie his purse to the ring of the table so that the table is overturned. And
if he is not upset by this, then you can do your will.’
"And after this was done, the husband was greatly upset with her, but he
did not show his anger in front of those who were at the table. He had the
other table immediately set full of everything. And when the company had
left, the husband had a great fire made, and he had his wife go in front of
the fire, and he said to her, ‘You have too much mad blood in you’ -- and he
made her bleed from both her arms, and he had so much blood taken from
her that it appeared she would die. Then he ordered the bleeding stopped,
and he had her carried to bed.
"Her mother came to her and said, ‘Daughter of mine, shall I make happen
to you what you asked of me?’ And her daughter was scarcely able to reply,
and she said that she did not want it anymore. Lord emperor, thus you must
do: take the insane blood from the body of your wife and do not believe
what she tells you, to make your son die.”
Hearing this, the emperor suspended the sentence. When he returned that
evening to his wife, she said:
back next page: "The Blind King, the Seven Sages, and Merlin"
The Old Husband and the Young Wife
“…But you must do to her as a wise old man did to a young and beautiful
wife of his who loved a young man. And wishing to secretly do her own
business with him, she said as much to her mother, who discouraged her in it.
And yet when the mother saw her will, she said to her that she must first
commit a great injury to her lord, and if her lord did not become disturbed
about that, then she could do what she wanted. Then the young wife went to
the garden and destroyed a mulberry tree which had been a delight to him,
and she burned it. Her husband, seeing this, asked who had done such an
evil deed -- and the woman said that she had done it because she didn’t have
any wood. The husband, because he loved her greatly, said to her, ‘You
have done wrong -- but do not ever let such a thing happen to you.’
"The woman went to her mother at once and told her what had happened,
and she said that she wanted the mother’s promise. Then her mother said, ‘I
want you to try another thing: go and kill his artisan, whom he loves greatly –
make a reason for him to rend his clothes.’ And thus it was done. The
husband responded to his wife as he had said about the first matter. The
wife, returning to her mother, told her what had happened. The mother
said, ‘I want you to try a third time, and if he does not change his response, I
will do all of your will. You will be present Sunday when your husband will
have a grand banquet with his friends. You will go and sit near him, and you
will tie his purse to the ring of the table so that the table is overturned. And
if he is not upset by this, then you can do your will.’
"And after this was done, the husband was greatly upset with her, but he
did not show his anger in front of those who were at the table. He had the
other table immediately set full of everything. And when the company had
left, the husband had a great fire made, and he had his wife go in front of
the fire, and he said to her, ‘You have too much mad blood in you’ -- and he
made her bleed from both her arms, and he had so much blood taken from
her that it appeared she would die. Then he ordered the bleeding stopped,
and he had her carried to bed.
"Her mother came to her and said, ‘Daughter of mine, shall I make happen
to you what you asked of me?’ And her daughter was scarcely able to reply,
and she said that she did not want it anymore. Lord emperor, thus you must
do: take the insane blood from the body of your wife and do not believe
what she tells you, to make your son die.”
Hearing this, the emperor suspended the sentence. When he returned that
evening to his wife, she said:
back next page: "The Blind King, the Seven Sages, and Merlin"
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