Dante Alighieri by Paget Toynbee Read Free Book Online Page A

have been preserved by various Italian writers, the majority of which are undoubtedly apocryphal. Some of them, however, are worth recording, as representing the popular conception of what Dante was like in ordinary life.
    Â Â Â Â  One of the earliest is that told by Petrarch 1 of Dante at the court of Can Grande della Scala at Verona, after he had been exiled from Florence:—
    Â Â Â Â  “Dante Alighieri, erewhile my fellow-citizen, was a man greatly accomplished in the vulgar tongue; but on account of his pride he was somewhat more free in his manners and speech than was acceptable to the sensitive eyes and ears of the noble princes of our country. Thus, when he was exiled from his native city, and was a guest at the court of Can Grande, at that time the refuge and resort of all who were in misfortune, he was at first held in high honour; but afterwards by degrees he began to lose favour, and day by day became less pleasing to his host. Among the guests at the same time were, according to the custom of those days, mimics and buffoons of everydescription, one of whom, an impudent rascal, by means of his coarse remarks and broad jests made himself a universal favourite and a person of considerable influence. Can Grande, suspecting that this was a cause of vexation to Dante, sent for the buffoon, and, after lavishing praise upon him, turned to Dante and said: ‘I wonder how it is that this man, fool though he be, understands how to please us all, and is petted by every one; while you, for all your reputed wisdom, can do nothing of the kind!’ Dante replied: ‘You would hardly wonder at that, if you remembered that like manners and like minds are the real causes of friendship’.” 2
    Â Â Â Â  A similar anecdote is told by Michele Savonarola, the grandfather of the famous Florentine preacher and reformer, Girolamo Savonarola: “I will tell you the answer made by Dante to a buffoon at the court of the Lord della Scala of Verona, who, having received from his master a fine coat as a reward for some piece of buffoonery, showed it to Dante, and said: ‘You with all your letters, and sonnets, and books, have never received a present like this’. To which Dante answered: ‘What you say is true; and this has fallen to you and not to me, because you have found your likes, and I have not yet found mine. There, you understand that!’ ” 3
    Â Â Â Â  John Gower introduces a story of Dante and a flatterer into the
Confessio Amantis
(
c
. 1390):—
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  “How Dante the poete answerde
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  To a flatour, the tale I herde.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  Upon a strif bitwen hem tuo
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  He seide him, ‘Ther ben many mo
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  Of thy servantes than of myne.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  For the poete of his covyne
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  Hath non that wol him clothe and fede,
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  But a flatour may reule and lede
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  A king with al his lond aboute’ ”.
    (Bk. vii. 11. 2329*-37*.) 4
    Â Â Â Â  Another story of Dante and Can Grande turns on his host’s name, Cane (“dog”):—“Once when Dante was at his table Cane della Scala, who was a very gracious lord, wishing to have a joke with the poet and to incite him to some smart saying, ordered his servants to collect all the bones from the repast and to put them privily at Dante’s feet. When the tables were removed, and the company saw the pile of bones at Dante’s feet, they all began to laugh, and asked him if he were a bone-merchant. Whereupon Dante quickly replied: ‘It is no wonder if the dogs have eaten all their bones; but I am not a dog, and so