--
Mitridanes, holding Nathan in despite by reason of his courtesy, journeys
with intent to kill him, and falling in with him unawares, is advised by
him how to compass his end. Following his advice, he finds him in a
copse, and recognizing him, is shame-stricken, and becomes his friend.
--
Verily like to a miracle seemed it to all to hear that a prelate had done
aught with magnificence; but when the ladies had made an end of their
remarks, the king bade Filostrato follow suit; and forthwith Filostrato
began:--Noble ladies, great was the magnificence of the King of Spain,
and perchance a thing unheard-of the magnificence of the Abbot of Cluny;
but peradventure 'twill seem not a whit less marvellous to you to hear of
one who, to shew liberality towards another, did resolve artfully to
yield to him his blood, nay, his very life, for which the other thirsted,
and had so done, had the other chosen to take them, as I shall shew you
in a little story.
Beyond all question, if we may believe the report of certain Genoese, and
other folk that have been in those regions, there dwelt of yore in the
parts of Cathay one Nathan, a man of noble lineage and incomparable
wealth. Who, having a seat hard by a road, by which whoso would travel
from the West eastward, or from the East westward, must needs pass, and
being magnanimous and liberal, and zealous to approve himself such in
act, did set on work cunning artificers not a few, and cause one of the
finest and largest and most luxurious palaces that ever were seen, to be
there builded and furnished in the goodliest manner with all things meet
for the reception and honourable entertainment of gentlemen. And so,
keeping a great array of excellent servants, he courteously and
hospitably did the honours of his house to whoso came and went: in which
laudable way of life he persevered, until not only the East, but
well-nigh all the West had heard his fame; which thus, what time he was
well-stricken in years, albeit not for that cause grown weary of shewing
courtesy, reached the ears of one Mitridanes, a young man of a country
not far distant. Who, knowing himself to be no less wealthy than Nathan,
grew envious of the renown that he had of his good deeds, and resolved to
obliterate, or at least to obscure it, by a yet greater liberality. So he
had built for himself a palace like that of Nathan, of which he did the
honours with a lavish courtesy that none had ever equalled, to whoso came
or went that way; and verily in a short while he became famous enough.
Now it so befell that on a day when the young man was all alone in the
courtyard of the palace, there came in by one of the gates a poor woman,
who asked of him an alms, and had it; but, not content therewith, came
again to him by the second gate, and asked another alms, and had it, and
after the like sort did even unto the twelfth time; but, she returning
for the thirteenth time:--"My good woman," quoth Mitridanes, "thou art
not a little pertinacious in thy begging:" howbeit he gave her an alms.
Whereupon:--"Ah! the wondrous liberality of Nathan!" quoth the
beldam:--"thirty-two gates are there to his palace, by every one of which
I have entered, and asking alms of him, was never--for aught he
shewed--recognized, or refused, and here, though I have entered as yet by
but thirteen gates, I am recognized and reprimanded." And therewith she
departed, and returned no more. Mitridanes, who accounted the mention of
Nathan's fame an abatement of his own, was kindled by her words with a
frenzy of wrath, and began thus to commune with himself:--Alas! when
shall I attain to the grandeur of Nathan's liberality, to say nought of
transcending it, as I would fain, seeing that in the veriest trifles I
cannot approach him? Of a surety my labour is in vain, if I rid not the
earth of him: which, since old age relieves me not of him, I must
forthwith do with mine own hands. And in the flush of his despite up he
started, and giving none to know of his purpose, got to horse with a
small company, and after three days arrived at the place where Nathan
abode; and having enjoined his comrades to make as if they were none of
his, and knew him not, and to go quarter themselves as best they might
until they had his further orders, he, being thus alone, towards evening
came upon Nathan, also alone, at no great distance from his splendid
palace. Nathan was recreating himself by a walk, and was very simply
clad; so that Mitridanes, knowing him not, asked him if he could shew him
where Nathan dwelt. "My son," replied Nathan gladsomely, "that can none
in these parts better than I; wherefore, so it please thee, I will bring
thee thither." The young man replied that 'twould be mighty agreeable to
him, but that, if so it might be, he had a mind to be neither known nor
seen by Nathan. "And herein also," returned Nathan, "since 'tis thy
pleasure, I will gratify thee." Whereupon Mitridanes dismounted, and with
Nathan, who soon engaged him in delightsome discourse, walked to the
goodly palace. Arrived there Nathan caused one of his servants take the
young man's horse, and drawing close to him, bade him in a whisper to see
to it without delay that none in the house should tell the young man that
he was Nathan: and so 'twas done.
Being come into the palace, Nathan quartered Mitridanes in a most goodly
chamber, where none saw him but those whom he had appointed to wait upon
him; and he himself kept him company, doing him all possible honour. Of
whom Mitridanes, albeit he reverenced him as a father, yet, being thus
with him, forbore not to ask who he was. Whereto Nathan made answer:--"I
am a petty servant of Nathan: old as I am, I have been with him since my
childhood, and never has he advanced me to higher office than this
wherein thou seest me: wherefore, howsoever other folk may praise him,
little cause have I to do so." Which words afforded Mitridanes some hope
of carrying his wicked purpose into effect with more of plan and less of
risk than had otherwise been possible. By and by Nathan very courteously
asked him who he was, and what business brought him thither; offering him
such counsel and aid as he might be able to afford him. Mitridanes
hesitated a while to reply: but at last he resolved to trust him, and
when with no little circumlocution he had demanded of him fidelity,
counsel and aid, he fully discovered to him who he was, and the purpose
and motive of his coming thither. Now, albeit to hear Mitridanes thus
unfold his horrid design caused Nathan no small inward commotion, yet
'twas not long before courageously and composedly he thus made
answer:--"Noble was thy father, Mitridanes, and thou art minded to shew
thyself not unworthy of him by this lofty emprise of thine, to wit, of
being liberal to all comers: and for that thou art envious of Nathan's
merit I greatly commend thee; for were many envious for a like cause, the
world, from being a most wretched, would soon become a happy place. Doubt
not that I shall keep secret the design which thou hast confided to me,
for the furtherance whereof 'tis good advice rather than substantial aid
that I have to offer thee. Which advice is this. Hence, perhaps half a
mile off, thou mayst see a copse, in which almost every morning Nathan is
wont to walk, taking his pleasure, for quite a long while: 'twill be an
easy matter for thee to find him there, and deal with him as thou mayst
be minded. Now, shouldst thou slay him, thou wilt get thee home with less
risk of let, if thou take not the path by which thou camest hither, but
that which thou seest issue from the copse on the left, for, though 'tis
somewhat more rough, it leads more directly to thy house, and will be
safer for thee."
Possessed of this information, Mitridanes, when Nathan had left him,
privily apprised his comrades, who were likewise lodged in the palace, of
the place where they were to await him on the ensuing day; which being
come, Nathan, inflexibly determined to act in all respects according to
the advice which he had given Mitridanes, hied him forth to the copse
unattended, to meet his death. Mitridanes, being risen, took his bow and
sword, for other arms he had none with him, mounted his horse, and rode
to the copse, through which, while he was yet some way off, he saw Nathan
passing, quite alone. And being minded, before he fell upon him, to see
his face and hear the sound of his voice, as, riding at a smart pace, he
came up with him, he laid hold of him by his head-gear,
exclaiming:--"Greybeard, thou art a dead man." Whereto Nathan answered
nought but:--"Then 'tis but my desert." But Mitridanes, hearing the
voice, and scanning the face, forthwith knew him for the same man that
had welcomed him heartily, consorted with him familiarly, and counselled
him faithfully; whereby his wrath presently subsided, and gave place to
shame. Wherefore, casting away the sword that he held drawn in act to
strike, he sprang from his horse, and weeping, threw himself at Nathan's
feet, saying:--"Your liberality, dearest father, I acknowledge to be
beyond all question, seeing with what craft you did plot your coming
hither to yield me your life, for which, by mine own avowal, you knew
that I, albeit cause I had none, did thirst. But God, more regardful of
my duty than I myself, has now, in this moment of supreme stress, opened
the eyes of my mind, that wretched envy had fast sealed. The prompter was
your compliance, the greater is the debt of penitence that I owe you for
my fault; wherefore wreak even such vengeance upon me as you may deem
answerable to my transgression." But Nathan raised Mitridanes to his
feet, and tenderly embraced him, saying:--"My son, thy enterprise,
howsoever thou mayst denote it, whether evil or otherwise, was not such
that thou shouldst crave, or I give, pardon thereof; for 'twas not in
malice but in that thou wouldst fain have been reputed better than I that
thou ensuedst it. Doubt then no more of me; nay, rest assured that none
that lives bears thee such love as I, who know the loftiness of thy
spirit, bent not to heap up wealth, as do the caitiffs, but to dispense
in bounty thine accumulated store. Think it no shame that to enhance thy
reputation thou wouldst have slain me; nor deem that I marvel thereat. To
slay not one man, as thou wast minded, but countless multitudes, to waste
whole countries with fire, and to raze cities to the ground has been
well-nigh the sole art, by which the mightiest emperors and the greatest
kings have extended their dominions, and by consequence their fame.
Wherefore, if thou, to increase thy fame, wouldst fain have slain me,
'twas nothing marvellous or strange, but wonted."
Whereto Mitridanes made answer, not to excuse his wicked design, but to
commend the seemly excuse found for it by Nathan, whom at length he told
how beyond measure he marvelled that Nathan had not only been consenting
to the enterprise, but had aided him therein by his counsel. But Nathan
answered:--"Liefer had I, Mitridanes, that thou didst not marvel either
at my consent or at my counsel, for that, since I was my own master and
of a mind to that emprise whereon thou art also bent, never a soul came
to my house, but, so far as in me lay, I gave him all that he asked of
me. Thou camest, lusting for my life; and so, when I heard thee crave it
of me, I forthwith, that thou mightst not be the only guest to depart
hence ill content, resolved to give it thee; and to that end I gave thee
such counsel as I deemed would serve thee both to the taking of my life
and the preservation of thine own. Wherefore yet again I bid thee, nay, I
entreat thee, if so thou art minded, to take it for thy satisfaction: I
know not how I could better bestow it. I have had the use of it now for
some eighty years, and pleasure and solace thereof; and I know that, by
the course of Nature and the common lot of man and all things mundane, it
can continue to be mine for but a little while; and so I deem that 'twere
much better to bestow it, as I have ever bestowed and dispensed my
wealth, than to keep it, until, against my will, it be reft from me by
Nature. 'Twere but a trifle, though 'twere a hundred years: how
insignificant, then, the six or eight years that are all I have to give!
Take it, then, if thou hadst lief, take it, I pray thee; for, long as I
have lived here, none have I found but thee to desire it; nor know I when
I may find another, if thou take it not, to demand it of me. And if,
peradventure, I should find one such, yet I know that the longer I keep
it, the less its worth will be; wherefore, ere it be thus cheapened, take
it, I implore thee."
Sore shame-stricken, Mitridanes made answer:--"Now God forefend that I
should so much as harbour, as but now I did, such a thought, not to say
do such a deed, as to wrest from you a thing so precious as your life,
the years whereof, so far from abridging, I would gladly supplement with
mine own." "So then," rejoined Nathan promptly, "thou wouldst, if thou
couldst, add thy years to mine, and cause me to serve thee as I never yet
served any man, to wit, to take from thee that which is thine, I that
never took aught from a soul!" "Ay, that would I," returned Mitridanes.
"Then," quoth Nathan, "do as I shall bid thee. Thou art young: tarry here
in my house, and call thyself Nathan; and I will get me to thy house, and
ever call myself Mitridanes." Whereto Mitridanes made answer:--"Were I
but able to discharge this trust, as you have been and are, scarce would
I hesitate to accept your offer; but, as too sure am I that aught that I
might do would but serve to lower Nathan's fame, and I am not minded to
mar that in another which I cannot mend in myself, accept it I will not."
After which and the like interchange of delectable discourse, Nathan and
Mitridanes, by Nathan's desire, returned to the palace; where Nathan for
some days honourably entreated Mitridanes, and by his sage counsel
confirmed and encouraged him in his high and noble resolve; after which,
Mitridanes, being minded to return home with his company, took his leave
of Nathan, fully persuaded that 'twas not possible to surpass him in
liberality.