Dante's Heart
The Seven Sages of Rome
“…Now the old crow comes and demands her from the youth, and the youth
said that he did not wish to hand her over to him. Now they are asking you
for the verdict, and as soon as you have rendered it they will leave.’
"And the king said, ‘And I give it, that she must belong to the young crow.’
"And immediately the crows left.
"And when the king was freed, he gave his daughter to this young man. This
young man greatly recompensed his lord.
"Then it happened that the king died, and the young man was made king. In a
little while there was such a great famine in the land of his father and
mother, that they left their home and came into the lands of this son of
theirs. Riding along one day through his land, the young man encountered
his father and mother, and he recognized them. He sent his lads behind
them to learn where their inn was. And in the morning he took a great
company of folk and went to them at the house of the innkeeper, and he
told them that he wished to dine with them. He had things well prepared for
eating, and he returned at dinner time, and about this his knights marvelled
greatly.
"And the king asked for water to wash his hands, and the father took the
water to him, and he threw himself on his knees on the ground, and his
mother brought the towel. The king then said, ‘Now let my servants do this
work,’ and he ordered that his father be placed at the head of the table,
and he went near him; then his mother was placed with other women.
"The dinner finished, the king said to his father and to his mother, ‘What
are your names?’ And they told him.
"Then he said to his father, ‘Do you recognize me?’
"And the king then appeared to him to be his son, whom he had thought he
had thrown into the sea. The king said to his father, ‘What evil came to you
because of my honor? Know that I am your son, whom you threw into the
sea: thus do I pardon you, and I want you to be lord of all my kingdom.’
"And the father and mother were very glad. Thus I say to you, lord
emperor, that you do wrong to have my head cut off, because your whole
kingdom is to be governed by me. Therefore have this wicked woman
burned who has committed so much evil, that is, to wish to have my life taken
from me."
Seeing this, the emperor ordered that she be burned immediately.
The reason this young man did not speak for seven days was the star that
he had seen advising him how to escape the danger of death. And his
wisdom ruled through all the world, and everyone came to him for advice.
And as soon as the emperor was dead, the young man ruled for many
years in the empire, in great peace, through his wisdom. And to his
philosophers who had taught him that wisdom and who had saved him from
death he gave a very great treasure, and he made them very great lords.
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“…Now the old crow comes and demands her from the youth, and the youth
said that he did not wish to hand her over to him. Now they are asking you
for the verdict, and as soon as you have rendered it they will leave.’
"And the king said, ‘And I give it, that she must belong to the young crow.’
"And immediately the crows left.
"And when the king was freed, he gave his daughter to this young man. This
young man greatly recompensed his lord.
"Then it happened that the king died, and the young man was made king. In a
little while there was such a great famine in the land of his father and
mother, that they left their home and came into the lands of this son of
theirs. Riding along one day through his land, the young man encountered
his father and mother, and he recognized them. He sent his lads behind
them to learn where their inn was. And in the morning he took a great
company of folk and went to them at the house of the innkeeper, and he
told them that he wished to dine with them. He had things well prepared for
eating, and he returned at dinner time, and about this his knights marvelled
greatly.
"And the king asked for water to wash his hands, and the father took the
water to him, and he threw himself on his knees on the ground, and his
mother brought the towel. The king then said, ‘Now let my servants do this
work,’ and he ordered that his father be placed at the head of the table,
and he went near him; then his mother was placed with other women.
"The dinner finished, the king said to his father and to his mother, ‘What
are your names?’ And they told him.
"Then he said to his father, ‘Do you recognize me?’
"And the king then appeared to him to be his son, whom he had thought he
had thrown into the sea. The king said to his father, ‘What evil came to you
because of my honor? Know that I am your son, whom you threw into the
sea: thus do I pardon you, and I want you to be lord of all my kingdom.’
"And the father and mother were very glad. Thus I say to you, lord
emperor, that you do wrong to have my head cut off, because your whole
kingdom is to be governed by me. Therefore have this wicked woman
burned who has committed so much evil, that is, to wish to have my life taken
from me."
Seeing this, the emperor ordered that she be burned immediately.
The reason this young man did not speak for seven days was the star that
he had seen advising him how to escape the danger of death. And his
wisdom ruled through all the world, and everyone came to him for advice.
And as soon as the emperor was dead, the young man ruled for many
years in the empire, in great peace, through his wisdom. And to his
philosophers who had taught him that wisdom and who had saved him from
death he gave a very great treasure, and he made them very great lords.
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