“Ecce tibi viridi se _Lilia_ candice tollunt,
Atque humiles alto despactant vertice flores
Virginea ridente coma.”
P. LAURENCE LE BRUN, _El._ 50, 1. 7.
Once the Emperor went hunting, when he heard a marvellously sweet voice
as of a lady singing, and all his dogs, as if called, ran into the
forest.
The Emperor followed and was amazed at seeing a lady, beautiful beyond
any he had ever beheld, holding in one hand a lily and wearing a broad
girdle as of steel and gold, which shone like diamonds. The dogs fawned
round her when the Emperor addressed her, but as he spoke she sank into
the ground, and left no trace.
The Emperor came the second day also, alone, and beheld her again, when
she disappeared as before.
The third day he told the whole to Virgil, and took the sage with him.
And when the lady appeared Virgil touched her with his wand, and she
stood still as a statue.
Then Virgil said:
“Oh, my lord, consider well this Lady of the Lily, and especially her
girdle; for in the time when that lady shall lose that girdle Florence
will gain more in one year than it now increases in ten.”
And with this the lady vanished as before, and they returned home.