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may catch a whale”; and this was not only heard by Castruc-
cio with patience but rewarded. When told by a priest that it
was wicked for him to live so sumptuously, Castruccio said:
‘If that be a vice than you should not fare so splendidly at
the feasts of our saints.’ Passing through a street he saw a
young man as he came out of a house of ill fame blush at be-
ing seen by Castruccio, and said to him: ‘Thou shouldst not
be ashamed when thou comest out, but when thou goest
into such places.’ A friend gave him a very curiously tied
knot to undo and was told: ‘Fool, do you think that I wish to
untie a thing which gave so much trouble to fasten.’ Cas-
truccio said to one who professed to be a philosopher: ‘You
are like the dogs who always run after those who will give
them the best to eat,’ and was answered: ‘We are rather like
the doctors who go to the houses of those who have the
greatest need of them.’ Going by water from Pisa to Leg-
horn, Castruccio was much disturbed by a dangerous storm
that sprang up, and was reproached for cowardice by one of
those with him, who said that he did not fear anything. Ca-
struccio answered that he did not wonder at that, since
every man valued his soul for what is was worth. Being
asked by one what he ought to do to gain estimation, he
said: ‘When thou goest to a banquet take care that thou dost
not seat one piece of wood upon another.’ To a person who
was boasting that he had read many things, Castruccio said:
‘He knows better than to boast of remembering many
things.’ Someone bragged that he could drink much with-
out becoming intoxicated. Castruccio replied: ‘An ox does
the same.’ Castruccio was acquainted with a girl with whom

1 0 The Prince