Dante's Heart
The Seven Sages of Rome
The Emperor's Three Masters in the Defense of Rome
“…Thus you will be tricked by these philosophers as was a pagan king who
was in arms around Rome with a great army. So much was he there at the
siege that the Romans were not able to go to war, so that the emperor threw
his crown at his subjects, saying to them that they should defend the crown.
For this reason the Romans wished to go to battle. And with all that, the
emperor had three masters, who were telling him, ‘Lord, do not go into
battle, because the last refuge is that of battle.’ And the one said, ‘I will
make it so that the pagans will not come this day unto battle.’
"And thus the second also did, on the second day.
"And the third day they expected the battle. But the third master came and
had very long vermilion and gold vestments made, and he had great wings
made, and he took a grand and shining sword and climbed up on a very
great tower at the rising of the sun. The pagans, seeing this, marvelled
greatly: they wondered if it was the god of the Romans who menaced them,
and then they departed from the siege.”
Hearing this, the emperor ordered that his son be led to judgment.
The sixth philosopher came in the morning and said to the emperor, “Thus
it will happen to you as it happened to a cavalier who died through love of
his wife.”
The emperor said, “How?”
The philosopher replied:
back next page: "The Widow"
The Emperor's Three Masters in the Defense of Rome
“…Thus you will be tricked by these philosophers as was a pagan king who
was in arms around Rome with a great army. So much was he there at the
siege that the Romans were not able to go to war, so that the emperor threw
his crown at his subjects, saying to them that they should defend the crown.
For this reason the Romans wished to go to battle. And with all that, the
emperor had three masters, who were telling him, ‘Lord, do not go into
battle, because the last refuge is that of battle.’ And the one said, ‘I will
make it so that the pagans will not come this day unto battle.’
"And thus the second also did, on the second day.
"And the third day they expected the battle. But the third master came and
had very long vermilion and gold vestments made, and he had great wings
made, and he took a grand and shining sword and climbed up on a very
great tower at the rising of the sun. The pagans, seeing this, marvelled
greatly: they wondered if it was the god of the Romans who menaced them,
and then they departed from the siege.”
Hearing this, the emperor ordered that his son be led to judgment.
The sixth philosopher came in the morning and said to the emperor, “Thus
it will happen to you as it happened to a cavalier who died through love of
his wife.”
The emperor said, “How?”
The philosopher replied:
back next page: "The Widow"
 |
 |
 |
 |