ANDOLOSIA
Now hear how Ampedo and Andolosia, the two sons of Fortunatus, fared with
the two magical treasures. When
their lord and father died, they wore their
grief and observed mourning for a year, like dutiful sons. And while Andolosia was living a quiet life, not daring to participate in jousts or other courtly pastimes, he came across his fatherfs books. When he read them, and learnt how many Christian kingdoms and heathen
lands his father had passed through, he was filled with such delight and desire that he fixed on the earnest resolve to travel.
So he went to see Ampedo. gDear brother, what are we doing
here? Let us travel and strive for
honour, following in our fatherfs footsteps! If you havenft yet read about all the distant lands he travelled across, then read now.h
Ampedo answered his brother good-naturedly: gGod speed the man
who wants to travel. But I have no
desire to, for I could easily come to a place where I am not so well-off as I
am here. I shall stay put in
gIf youfre of that mood and mind,
then letfs share out the
treasures,h said Andolosia.
gDo you wish to overrule our fatherfs
command? Arenft you aware that his last
will was that we should not, on any account, separate the two valuables?h
Andolosia
replied, gI donft care about that; hefs dead,
Ifm alive; and I want
to share.h
gThen take the Hat and go wherever
you will,h said Ampedo.
gYou take it yourself and stay here,h rejoined
Andolosia.
And they could not come to an agreement, for they
both wanted
the Purse. Finally, Andolosia said: gDear
brother, I know how we can resolve this; according to our fatherfs advice, we
should share our division with no one.
So letfs fill two chests with gold from the Purse, and you keep them
here; they will more than meet your needs.
You also keep the Hat – itfll give you many happy hours – and leave the
Purse to me. Ifll travel and strive
for honour for six years, and when I return, the Purse will be yours for six
years. In this way we can own and
enjoy it in common.h
Ampedo, who was a kindly soul, let it pass as his brother
suggested; and when
Andolosia understood that he was going to be allowed to depart with the Purse,
he was happy with all his heart. He began his preparations, hiring
strong servants and
buying handsome
horses; and he had a cart
constructed, which was to follow in his train and bear his jousting equipment and other
courtly paraphernalia.
Then he took his leave of Ampedo and rode out of
Andolosia, seeing that his appearance and society were pleasing to the
nobility, invited them, and all their wives, to be his guests. He provided them with a splendid
banquet, which delighted the noble ladies and convinced them
that he was born of noble lineage. In the midst of their merriment,
there was a nobleman at the Kingfs Court whose wife was a paragon of beauty;
her appearance far surpassed that of all other women. This nobleman was Andolosiafs
jousting-partner, and there was no one to match them for skill. His wife captivated Andolosia, who began
to woo her assiduously, promising her a thousand crowns if she would spend
one night with him. The wife
thought that a thousand crowns were soon earned, but her
honour prevented her from complying, and she told her husband. He said: gOh wife, the thousand crowns
would be handy, we could really use them – but it is best not to do this, for
honour takes precedence over riches.
gI know what we can do,h he
continued. gWe have a beautiful,
shapely neighbour, an accommodating
companion, who refuses her body to no one if the price is right. How if you were to tell her about the proposal that has been
made you, which you do not dare undertake, for your husband is a stickler for
honour and you would fear for your life?h
The woman
followed her husbandfs instructions and spoke to their
neighbour: gSo that is what has
occurred. If
you wish to take the matter
on, I will see to it that you take my place, in my house, and you will lie with
the nobleman who is here at the moment and
is good with his lance. He offered me a thousand crowns for
spending a night with him; if you do this
for me, Ifll give you a hundred.h
The good neighbour said: gI donft care much about that – I would
lie with such a man for nothing.
But Ifm afraid that if I went through with this, you wouldnft give me
the hundred crowns, but would send me away with one or two, because of my low
station.h
gIfll give you the hundred crowns up front, before you earn them,h the wife assured her.
She was satisfied with this, and said
that if the lady arranged the
preparations, she would oblige her with great gusto. The lady told her husband how she had
won their neighbour over to her will, and he expressed his contentment.
Then Andolosia came up to the lady
and urged his suit in true loverfs fashion, mentioning the thousand
crowns. She replied: gIf you are
not merely fooling, then come to me tomorrow night and bring the money with
you; for tomorrow my husband rides out
in the Kingfs service.h
Andolosia was overjoyed, and he regarded the expense as a mere
trifle. So the following night he sneaked away from his men, bearing the thousand crowns, and
crept alone to the ladyfs house, where she was waiting for him. She received him with the money, which was in a bag, and she did not count it out, for she could tell by the weight that all was in order. Leading him to her room, she told him to
get into the bed and not make a
sound; she would join him presently. Then she hurriedly sent for her neighbour and gave her a hundred crowns. The good lass had really
spruced herself up with clean and sweet-scented hands and other enticements, for she was well
versed in the ins-and-outs of these affairs. And as they lay together in vigorous
joy, Andolosia believed himself to be in
the arms of his jousting-companionfs wife.
But when the good young lady heard how deeply she pleased Andolosia, and how wonderful he thought her, it
struck her as unfair that the lady should pocket nine hundred crowns, while she had no more than one hundred. So she disclosed the deception, and
when Andolosia
heard how he had been cheated, he did not care about the money he had expended, but he was afraid that the affair would spread throughout the city and he would
become a laughing-stock for having
let himself be tricked by two women. So he stood up and gave the lass another hundred crowns, and returning to his inn, he woke all his servants up and ordered them to make
ready: he was about to ride away. eFrom now on, Ifll be on my guard
against the tricks of faithless womenf, he thought; and he rode away from
And when he
had a dayfs ride from
As Andolosia rode away from the King
of Francefs court, he thought: eAt least the false women didnft cheat me out of
the Pursef. And he resolved to cast
the matter from his mind and to think of a way to restore his spirits.
He rode without stopping to the King of Aragonfs Court, and from there he continued on to
There was an old Count who had an only daughter at Court. The King wanted Andolosia to marry this
daughter, so he could make him a Count in the fatherfs place; but Andolosia refused,
for the Countfs daughter did not attract him – she was not pretty – and he was perfectly
indifferent to the promise of wealth and a comity, for he possessed Fortunefs Purse. And when he
had spent several
years with the King, Andolosia found that time began to hang heavy on his
hands, especially as there were no beauties at the Court to take to bed or
heart. So he asked the King for
leave to depart, which was graciously granted; and the King decorated him with
his livery[1]
and told him that whenever he returned, Andolosia would find
him a
well-disposed lord and master.
Then Andolosia sought out a sturdy
ship and hired a crew to take him and his to
Now when he was at Court, it so happened that the King of
England marched out against the King of Scotland. Andolosia joined his army at the head of
a great host assembled at his own cost, and performed so many knightly deeds
that he was extolled above all others.
Although it cannot be denied that there is no race on Earth prouder,
haughtier and less willing to acknowledge the merit of others or concede them honour
than the English, yet they spoke great praise of Andolosia for the extreme
valour he had displayed in battle.
Nevertheless, they maintained that it was still a shame that he was not an
Englishman, for they believe that
there is no greater race on Earth than their own.
The war having been brought to a successful conclusion,
everyone returned home. Andolosia
came to
And when he was alone at home, he
thought: eI would to God I were of royal descent! Then Ifd serve the King so loyally, and stand so in his
confidence, that hefd have to marry the
fair Agrippina to me.
What more could I ask for than so beautiful a
wife? But though my birth is not
high enough, yet I cannot help but strive for her favour and court her love –
may I be served as God wills!f Then he began to joust intensely, and to fling himself into
other knightly pursuits, for he knew that the Queen and her daughter were watching. So he hunted after honour with all his
might, and on one occasion invited the Queen, the Princess and all the noble
ladies at Court to a marvellous meal.
The King was told about this repast, how Andolosia had presented the
Queen and Princess with precious gifts, and how their maids and chambermaids
had also felt the full force of his generosity. This had been done to procure Andolosia
a warmer reception at Court, and it worked; when he visited next,
he was admitted to the Queen and the lovely Agrippina, to his no small
delight. On one such visit, the King said to him: gI have heard from the Queen and the other
ladies that you invited them to a feast fit for a King. Why did you not invite me?h
gMy most gracious King,h said
Andolosia, gif Your Majesty would not
scorn my hospitality, I should be delighted.h
gThen invite me; I shall come tomorrow and bring ten people with me.h
Highly
contented, Andolosia hurried
home and gave his servants great sums
of money to buy the best provisions they could find. He also ordered the cook to concoct the most mouth-watering meal
his hands had ever prepared, and not to omit
anything for the sake of saving money.
All was made ready, and the King
came, with counts and lords, at the arranged time. The whole company were astounded at the manifold courses of the choicest foods and at
the rare wines that were provided. The King thought: eThis Andolosia can spend without regret – yet he owns no land nor vassals. I must do something to teach him that he is not as powerful
as he thinksf. So one morning
soon after, the King sent a message to Andolosia, saying that he would dine
with him that day. Pleased to
receive this news, Andolosia sent his servants out to buy all that was needful. Now the King had forbidden, on pain of loss of body and goods, the sale of
wood, and wooden items
such as ships, to Andolosia. So
when the servants had bought all the victuals, and the cooks were ready to boil and roast, there was no wood. Andolosia sent men out to buy houses,
ships or fences, whatever they could get hold of, so that the food could be
cooked. But no matter where the servants went, they could not find anyone willing to sell. On learning this, Andolosia realised
that it was
the Kingfs commandment;
so he sent in haste
to the Venetians, who have warehouses in
When meal-time came round, the King
thought that the food
could not possibly have been prepared. Nonetheless, he rose, assembled
the lords who had accompanied him to the previous feast, and rode towards
Andolosiafs lodgings. And as they
approached the house, they were met by such an excellent and savoury aroma that they were struck with astonishment; and the
nearer they came, the
stronger this aroma grew. The King
asked if the meal was ready, and he was told yes, the cooks were boiling and
roasting with pure spices; which surprised him somewhat. And if Andolosia had served the King sumptuously at the previous feast, he
now supplied him and his men with yet more magnificent provision;
and once all the food had found a home, the Kingfs servants and his companionsf serving-lads came with five hundred horses to escort him
home. When they arrived, Andolosia
said: gGracious Majesty, if you have no objections, I should like to give ten crowns to every one of your men.h
gIf you want to hand out money,
thatfs fine by me,h replied the King.
So the servants were all summoned to
a room where Andolosia was standing by the door, and he gave every man ten
crowns; the servants were delighted,
and they all began to praise Andolosia. Once this was over, the King rode home; and when he arrived back in his palace, he began to wonder where
Andolosiafs great wealth came
from, for a King with land and lieges were unable to maintain so lavish a lifestyle. And while he was wondering, in walked
the Queen; so he told her about the splendid meal Andolosia had given him,
cooked with pure spices in the stead
of wood, and the ten crowns he had handed to each one of his
servants. He could not imagine whence Andolosia had so much money; there
was no stinting, yet time seemed only to increase his extravagance. The Queen said:
gI know no one who could discover the truth as soon as
Agrippina. He has taken such a
shine to her that, rest assured, whatever she asks him, he will tell her.h
gIf I could learn the truthc Ifd dearly like to know! I think he must scoop it from a
fountain. If I knew where this was,
Ifd be there myself,h
mused the King.
gIfll do my utmost to get to the bottom of this,h said the Queen; and returning to
her chambers,
she summoned Agrippina for a talk
in private. After telling her about Andolosiafs lavish mode of living, she continued: gThe
King and I cannot understand where all his money comes from, for he has neither
land nor lieges. Now everything about him tells me that
he is obsessed with you, and the next time he visits, Ifll allow you more time to converse with him,
to see if you can get him to reveal the
source of his wealth.h
gI shall certainly try,h promised Agrippina.
So when Andolosia made his next
appearance at Court, he was received
most handsomely, and admitted to the ladiesf quarters, to his great delight;
and it was arranged that he should talk in private with Agrippina. When they were alone, she began: gAndolosia, everyone is
saying that it was most honourable of you to regale the King in such grand
style and reward all his servants so bountifully. But tell me: arenft you afraid that, one
day, your money will run out?h
gDear lady,h he said, gwhile I
breathe, I cannot want for money.h
gThen it is meet and proper that you say prayers for your father, who has
left you such a store.h
Andolosia
replied, gI am
as rich as my father, and he was never richer than I am now. But his cast of mind was such that he
could take delight
only in visiting foreign lands; whereas
my pleasure lies with beautiful
ladies, in earning their
love and favour.h
gNow you have been at Kingsf Courts, where there is always a host
of beautiful women. Have you perhaps seen anything that takes your
fancy?h asked Agrippina.
gI have served at the Courts of six Kings, and Ifve seen many beautiful ladies and maidens;
but none of those women can begin to compare with you for beauty, elegant
deportment and exemplary conduct.
Your virtues have set my heart burning so fiercely with love that I
cannot help myself, I must reveal to you the great and unspeakable love I bear for you. Ifm fully aware that I canft reasonably expect you to return my ardour, for I was not born into the high
nobility. And yet love, which
conquers everything – love presses me so hard that I cannot stop myself, I must
ask for your love; and if you do not refuse me, then whatever you ask of me
will be granted.h
He had not long to wait before
Agrippina replied: gAndolosia, be honest with me. Show me where all your wealth
originates. If you do this in good
faith, and do not deceive me, then I shall comply with your desire.h
When Andolosia heard these words, his
heart skipped a beat, and with a
careless mind and joyful heart he cried out: gDear Agrippina, Ifll trust you with the
truth you wish to know! But give me
your word and your faith.h
gOh Andolosia my dearest, do not doubt my love or my word; what I promise with my lips, you shall
experience as works.h
At these kind
words, Andolosia said to the beautiful maiden, gNow hold out the lap of your skirt,h and pulling out Fortunefs Purse, he showed it to the
Princess, and said: gWhile I have this Purse, I have no end of money.h And he
counted out a thousand Crowns
into her lap, saying: gThese are a gift for you. And if you want more, Ifll tell you more. Do you believe that Ifve told you the
truth?h
gI see and acknowledge the truth,h she replied, gand now your
expenditure amazes me no longer.h
gNow fulfil your faith to me, as I fulfilled mine.h
gI shall do that, my darling
Andolosia. Tonight the Queen will
lie with the King, and I shall arrange with my ladyfs-maid for you to lie with
me. I cannot bring this to pass
without her; you will have to seal her lips with gold.h
Andolosia promised to do this and to
come that night. As soon as he had
gone, Agrippina ran to the Queen with the thousand Crowns in her skirts and told her with great delight how she had discovered Andolosiafs
secret, and the promise
she had made him, and the prospect she had given him for that night. The Queen was highly pleased, for she was a cunning woman, and she asked her daughter:
gCan you remember the shape of the Purse, and its colour and size?h
gYes,h said Agrippina.
Then the Queen sent for a bag-maker
and had him make a purse which exactly resembled Andolosiafs. It
was also softened, to give it
the appearance of age. After this
she ordered her physician to prepare a sleeping-draught – a drink strong enough
to sink a man into a sleep as deep as death for seven or eight hours. When the potion was ready, it was borne to Agrippinafs
chamber, and the
ladyfs-maid received instructions
to give Andolosia a good
reception when he came that night and then to conduct him to Agrippinafs chamber. The Queen would send her daughter to
him, and once they were together,
the ladyfs-maid was to present them
with sugared sweets with golden icing, then give him the draught; and she was to take
care to pour it
into Andolosiafs
goblet.
And as all
things were arranged, so they came to pass. Andolosia came quite surreptitiously and was led into Agrippinafs chamber; soon the lady herself appeared and sat down with him, and they
spoke to one another very cordially. Then no shortage of confections were brought in, and drinks were poured. Agrippina said to Andolosia: gI bring you a drink of friendshiph (that is the custom in those lands), and he drank to do her will; and she brought him one cordial after another until he had drunk the
whole draught. As soon as he had finished, he sat down
heavily, sank to the ground,
and fell so fast asleep
that he was insensible to what
followed. Agrippina
was on him in a flash, tearing his jerkin open and severing the Fortunate Purse from his body, before sewing the other purse in its
place. Oh Andolosia! What an unequal exchange!
Early in the morning Agrippina
brought the Purse to the Queen, who tested its power and, finding no end of gold coins, took her gold-filled skirts to the
King. She told him
how they had dealt by Andolosia; he asked
her to induce Agrippina to
give him the Purse, for she
might lose it. The Queen tried, but
Agrippina refused; so she asked her daughter to give it to her, but Agrippina refused this request as well, remarking that she had risked her
life to obtain it, for if Andolosia had woken up while she was busy about him, then ghe
would have beaten me to death, and with
justice.h
When Andolosia had slept off the draught,
he woke up and looked
around him, and he
saw no one save the old ladyfs-maid. He asked her what had become of
Agrippina.
gShe has just arisen; my good lady the
Queen has sent for her. Oh sir, you
were out like a light! I tried for long to wake you, but I couldnft
rouse you to pleasure and sport with
Agrippina. In fact,
your sleep was so sound that if I hadnft been able to sense your breath, Ifd have counted you among the
dead.h
When he heard that he had overslept Agrippinafs love, Andolosia
began to swear and to curse himself with the most terrible oaths his mind could devise. The old ladyfs-maid attempted to pacify
him, saying, gSir, donft
take on so. What didnft happen last night will come to pass hereafter.h
gMay God light a plague on you, you old procuress! Why didnft you wake me up? In all my life, Ifve never slept
so deeply that I wouldnft have woken had
anyone so much as prodded me.h
She said and
swore that she had tried, and gave him good words, for he had
handed her two hundred Crowns on the previous night; and with these good words,
she ushered him out of Agrippinafs bedchamber, and out of the Kingfs
palace. So Andolosia came home to his men, not as merry of mood as he was
want to be, and fretting at the thought of having overslept Matins. He did not yet
know that he had also overslept
fortune and felicity.
The King, knowing that Agrippina had the Purse, mused: eAndolosia may have more
of these virtuous Purses. If that
was his only one, then hefs an utter fool for taking so little care of it that
a pretty woman can ease it from his possession.f He set great store by the Purse,
thinking: eNow
money will never fail me, and I need not give my daughter a dowry; she can
provide for herself quite honourably. But how am I to discover if Andolosia has any
more of these
purses?f
So he sent him a message, saying that
he would ride out on the following day and he wished Andolosia to join the
party; before that, however, the King desired to dine with him. Hearing this,
Andolosia
replied that the King should not make requests, but command him at
all times as
his servant: he would always find him willing. When this came to
the Kingfs
ears, he
thought: he undoubtedly has more purses.
Andolosia summoned one of his servants, to whom he usually gave three
or four hundred crowns to keep a good house, and told him to prepare a
sumptuous meal, for the King was coming to dine. The man said:
gSir, Ifm afraid that I donft have enough money. Thisfll cost a lot.h
Andolosia, who was still in a black mood, opened his
jerkin and pulled out his purse, with a view to counting out four hundred
crowns. But when he put his hand
inside, after his accustomed fashion, it closed on air. He raised his eyes to the heavens, he
looked from one wall to the other, he turned the purse inside-out – there was a
distinct
absence of money.
And he realised that Agrippina had duped
him. He fell, as
you can well understand, into a foul mood. For the first time, he was plunged into
fear and want, and he thought of the advice that his father had given him
and his brother in good faith on his deathbed, namely to tell no one of the Purse as long as they
lived; for the moment that another learnt of its existence,
they would lose it. And this had,
alas, come to pass. Andolosia also
realised that the Kingfs message was meant to mock him, and there
was no hope of demanding the return of the Purse; he could expect nothing from the
King but disgrace, ignominy and derision.
In his heartfs pain it seemed that he could take no better course than
that of riding home to his brother: eand Ifll be an
unworthy guest,
returning without the Pursef.
Having made this resolve, he called for all
of his
servants and delivered the following speech:
gItfs now nigh on ten years since you entered my
service. I have maintained you
honourably and let you suffer no lack. I am in debt to
none; you
have all been paid in advance. The time has now come when I can no longer hold
court as I have been accustomed to, and I can no longer be a
lord, not yourfs, not anyonefs. Now every one
of you has a stout horse and good armour, but there is one more trifle
that I would like to share with you.h
And turning to his treasurer, he said: gNow
count. How much cash do you have?h
The treasurer told a hundred and sixty
crowns. There
were forty servants, and Andolosia gave two crowns to each, saying: gThese crowns, and the
horse and armour, are my gift to every one of you, and I
pronounce you free, released, and discharged from the vow you made me. Let each
one of you
provide for himself as he knows best from now on, for I cannot remain here any
longer, and I have no money beyond that which I
have shared with you.h
When he had finished speaking, the servants were
grievously shocked; they looked at one another, amazed that so luxurious a mode of life
and so grand a figure should disappear in one night. Then one of them spoke
out: gOur
dear, faithful master, if anyone has done you some injury, give
us to understand who it was for he must die by our hands, even if it was the King himself, and we should all lose our lives
for it.h
gNo one is to fight for my sake,h replied Andolosia.
They said, gWell, we donft want to part
from
you. Wefll sell our horses, armour,
and all we have, and not leave you.h
gI thank you all, my dear, dutiful servants, for the
offer. When fortune returns to me I
shall repay your loyalty. But do as
I said and saddle my horse for me at once; I will not
have anyone riding or walking with me.h
The servants were sad, and deeply pitied their worthy master, with whom they
had enjoyed such good cheer; and they lamented among
themselves
with tears in their eyes while they brought him his horse. Then Andolosia took his
leave of each man in turn, mounted the horse, and rode as fast as
he could to
his brother Ampedo in
And when he arrived at the beautiful palace, he knocked on the
doors and was admitted at once. Ampedo heard that his brother had come
home, and he was delighted; he thought that now he could
have his pleasure of the Purse and no longer have to scrimp as he had been doing for ten
years. So he went
to his brother
and received him with great joy, then asked why he came
alone and where he had left his retinue.
gI have dismissed them all, and I praise God that I am come home.h
Ampedo asked, gDear brother, what has
happened to you? Tell me, for it
pleases me little that you are come alone.h
Andolosia said, gLet us eat first,h and when the
meal was over they retired to a room, where Andolosia began to
speak with a humble
voice and a sorrowful air: gOh, my dearest brother, Ifm afraid
that I must be the herald of bad news, I have done us a
grievous
injury. Ifve lost our fortunate Purse. Ah God, it hurts me to the heart;
but I cannot, alas, change what is done.h
Ampedo was shaken to the core, and
he swayed on
the point of swooning; with heartfelt misery he asked, gWas it wrested from you
by force, or did you lose it?h
gI ignored the command our faithful father gave us when he
departed this world and I disclosed the secret of the Purse to
a loved one. And as soon as I revealed it to her, she
stole it from me – which I had not expected of her.h
gIf we had followed our fatherfs instructions,h said Ampedo, gwe
wouldnft have separated the two treasures.
You would go and visit foreign
countries! Well, just look at
the success you have met with, and the profit theyfve brought you.h
gOh, dear brother,h sighed Andolosia, git
hangs so heavy on my heart that I fear my days are almost done, and I am almost past caring.h
Hearing these words, Ampedo attempted to comfort Andolosia:
gDear brother, donft take it so hard to heart. We still have two chests crammed with
ducats; and we have the Hat, wefll write to the Sultan, and
hefll pay us handsomely for it. We
may not have the Purse any longer, but we still have enough money to lead
the rest of our lives in honourable state. There is no point in thinking
after things that canft be recovered.h
Andolosia replied, gItfs hard to let go of your
belongings, and so it is my wish that you give me the Hat; I have hopes of using it
to regain the Purse.h
gIt is said that when a man loses his possessions, he loses
his wits as well; and I can see that this is the case with you. Having lost us the Purse, you now want
to lose us the Hat as well. But I
wonft grant you my will and favour to take it away from here; you are,
however, welcome to use it for recreation.h
eThen Ifll just have to leave without your permissionf,
thought Andolosia.
gNow, my dear, faithful brother,h he began, gas I have been
guilty of folly, from this point on I shall live according to your will.h And he sent the servants to the forest
to prepare for a hunt, saying that he would soon follow. Once they had gone, Andolosia said:
gDear brother, lend me our Hat. I
want to go to the forest.h
Ampedo readily brought him the Hat, and the second he had it
in his hands he left the forest and the hunters to each other and wished
himself in
Now Andolosia knew that Princess
Agrippina went to church, so he hired a stall on the adjoining street and laid his jewels
out on
display. Presently Agrippina came
along, with many knaves and maids before and behind, including the old ladyfs-maid who
had given him the stupefying potion. He knew them all, but they did not
recognise him, for he was wearing a false nose, which was so large and bizarre
that his own mother would not have known him from Adam. When Agrippina had passed by, he picked
up two glittering rings and presented them to the two old ladyfs-maids, who he knew to be
Agrippinafs constant companions and counsellors, and he asked them to be so
good as to persuade the Princess to invite him to her palace; he would bring
with him jewels of such exquisiteness that he was certain they had never
seen the like. They promised
to bring this to pass; and when Agrippina came home from church, they showed her
the two pretty rings and told her about the adventurer.
gWhen he gives you two such beautiful rings, I can well
believe that he has precious jewels,h said the Princess. gSend for him to come here,
for I long to
see his wares.h
Once he was summoned, the stranger did not take long to arrive, and he was conducted to
Agrippinafs antechamber, where he set out his wares. Agrippina surveyed
them with delight, and she began to haggle over the ones she liked best. There were some jewels there worth a
thousand crowns, and others whose value was far greater; but she did not offer
him even half their worth.
gGracious Princess,h said the stranger, gI have heard that
you are the richest Princess in the whole of the world, and so I have sought out
the most beautiful jewels under the sun to bring to Your Majesty. But you offer me far too little, far
less than they cost me. Do not make
my time of no moment; I have journeyed long towards you with the constant dread of being
murdered for the sake of these jewels.
Gracious Princess, lay together those you like, and we
shall see what loss I can accept.h
Then she selected her favourites, some ten gems of varying size,
and the adventurer calculated their value at five thousand Crowns. She did not want to meet this amount;
Andolosia thought, eI donft want to wrangle with
her – just let her bring the Pursecf, and so they agreed on for four thousand
Crowns. The Princess carried the jewels to her
chamber in her skirts, took the Purse out of a chest, fastened it tightly to
her girdle and came through to pay the stranger.
He slowly edged his way towards her, and when she began to count out the
money, he threw his arms round her, grasped her tightly, and wished the two of
them in a wild, uninhabited desert.
No sooner had he made the wish than they flew through the air to a wretched island off
the coast of
And as the Princess sat under
the tree,
with the gems in her skirts and the Purse on her girdle, she
looked up and
saw the shining apples. Then she
cried to the adventurer: gAh God,
tell me where
we are and how we came here. I feel
so weak; if you could give me one of those apples, so
I may refresh myself.h
Hearing this, Andolosia laid the remaining gems in her lap
and placed his hat on her head, so that it would not impede him while he was
climbing. Then he clambered up
the tree and
started to look for the choicest apples. Agrippina, sitting under the tree
without the least idea of what was happening to her, exclaimed: gAh, would to God
I were back
in my bedchamber.h
And no sooner were the words out of her mouth than she was flew through the air and arrived, without a scratch, in her bedchamber. The King, the Queen and all the
courtiers were truly delighted, and they asked her where she had been. She replied that she did not know;
so they asked where the stranger was, who had abducted her. Agrippina said, gI left him up a tree. Donft ask me
any more, I must rest; I feel so weak and so weary.h
Now let us return to Andolosia, sitting up the tree, and
having just
seen Agrippina disappear with the Purse, the Hat and the jewels he had gathered
in three
great and
mighty cities. As you may imagine,
he was shocked beyond measure.
Climbing slowly back down, he looked at the tree, and
he said: gCursed
be the tree,
the fruit it bears, the man who planted it, and the hour
in which I
came here.h
Then he looked all around, but he did not know where he was, or which
direction would lead him to human society; and so he began to swear and
imprecate:
gCursed be the hour of my birth, and every day and hour of my
life. Oh, grim Death, why did you
not throttle
me before I fell into this desperate plight? Cursed be the day
and the hour
when I first
set eyes on Agrippina! Oh, Almighty
God, how wondrous are Thy works; how can it be that nature has the
power to conceal so false and faithless a heart beneath such a beautiful
exterior? If I had seen
into that false heart when I stared at that perfect countenance, I would have avoided
this misery.h
And he wandered hither and thither, grumbling and muttering:
gI wish to God my brother was with me in this wilderness;
I would choke
the life from him then hang myself from a tree with my belt. With our deaths, the Purse would lose
its power, and that old fiend the Queen and falseheart Agrippina would no
longer have their pleasure of it.h
And as Andolosia strayed, now here, now there, night
came and darkness fell; unable to see anything, he laid himself down beneath a tree and
rested awhile. However,
he could not
sleep for fear; there seemed no other prospect than death in the desert and dying without extreme
unction. There were no paths
around, no trace of anyone having trod this ground for years; and he lay as one
in despair, almost desiring death.
When day broke, Andolosia arose and,
of necessity,
continued to wander. But there was
still no sight or sound of anyone as he came to a tree with unusually
shiny red apples. Now
he was sorely and grievously hungry, so he threw a stone at the tree, knocking two large apples to the
ground. He resumed his
journey, eating as he walked; and once he had eaten both, two long horns, like a
goatfs, grew on his head. When
he felt the horns, and saw them on his shadow, he lowered his head and charged the tree,
thinking to butt them off. But
it was all to
no avail; so he ran around under the horns, crying: gPoor, miserable man,
poor, unhappy wretch that I am! How
can it be that Earth holds so many people, yet there is not a
single soul here to point me back to civilisation?h And he yelled out: gOh
Almighty God! Oh Queen of Heaven,
Virgin Mary! Come to
my aid in my
hour of direst need!h
His pitiable laments were heard by a wood-brother, a
hermit, who had been living in the wilderness for thirty years without clapping eyes on another human
being. Walking towards the sound,
he came upon Andolosia, and said: gOh, you poor man,
who brought
you here? Or what do you seek in this
wilderness?h
Andolosia replied, gDear Brother, Ifm sorry I
ever came here, for things have gone hard with me.h
And he was about to begin his story, but
the hermit had no ears for it: gIfve neither seen nor heard a
human being in thirty years, and I dearly wish you had not come here.h
gDear Brother, I am ravenous – have
you anything
to eat?h
The wood-brother took him to his hermitage, where there was
neither bread nor wine, and nothing but fruit and water,
on which he subsisted. But seeing see that this fare was
not for Andolosia, he told his guest: gI shall direct you to
where you can find sufficient food and drink.h
gDear Brother, what can I do about these horns? People will regard me as a sea-monster.h
The hermit led him down a narrow
path.
gDear son,h he said, breaking two apples off a tree, gtake
these and eat them.h
No sooner had Andolosia eaten the
apples than
his horns completely disappeared; and he asked how it was possible that he
could grow horns, then lose them, in the twinkling of an eye.
The hermit said: gThe Creator, who fashioned Heaven and Earth
and all that they contain, also conceived and created these trees and endowed
them with the gift of bringing forth such fruit. Their like is not to be found on the
face of this Earth, other than in this wilderness.h
gDear Brother, allow me to pick a few of these apples and take them
with me.h
gDear son, take what you will. Do not ask me; they are not mine. I own nothing but a poor soul; and if I
can return it to the Creator who gave me it, my struggles in this world will
have been worthwhile. It is written
on your face that your mind is enveloped in temporal affairs and heavily laden
with the burden of transitory concerns.
Fling them out and turn to God; or you will suffer a great loss for the
sake of a little pleasure in this short, ephemeral life.h
Andolosia did not at all take these
words to his heart, but thinking only of the great loss he had incurred, he picked some of the
apples which made the horns grow and some of those which made them
disappear. Then he asked the hermit
for the sake of God to show him the road to food, for in two days he had eaten
nothing but four apples, gand if I found some more apples, or any other fruit,
in this wilderness, I would not dare bite into them.h
The hermit took him to a path and said: gNow go straight down
this path, and you will come to a broad river, which is an arm of the
Thanking the Brother deeply and heartily, Andolosia took
his leave and
did as instructed. He crossed the
river unscathed, passed by the tower and arrived in the village,
where he ate and drank and restored his body with strength; for he had been
feeling weak and dulled. Now that
he was himself once again, he asked for the shortest way to
Andolosia soon rose up and walked to this port, where he
had the good fortune to find a ship from
Whenever he was asked how much they cost,
he replied,gThree
crowns! Three crowns an apple!h,
and they walked on. Of course, Andolosia would
have been sorry if they had purchased any of the apples.
In time the Princess came along, with her maids,
her servants, and her ladyfs-maids. Again he cried, gApples from
gHow much for one?h asked the Princess.
gThree crowns.h
gWhat is so special about them that you sell at
so high a price?h
gThey give a person beauty and sharp
understanding.h
When the Princess heard this, she ordered her
ladyfs-maids to buy two. The
purchase completed, Andolosia cleared away his wares, not wishing to sell to
anyone else. Agrippina
returned home, and it was not long before she ate both apples; and as soon as she had eaten
them, two large horns grew on her head with a severe pain
that made her
retire to her bed.
When the horns had shot
up to their
full height, and her headache had eased, she
rose up and
walked towards her mirror; and on seeing the two tall and hideous horns on her head, she
fell on them with her hands, thinking to tear them off – but they would not move. Then she screamed for two of her maids;
and when they saw the Princess, they started back and made many
crosses in the air before her, as if she were the Prince of Darkness. Agrippina was speechless with shock.
gOh Your Majesty, what has happened?h they asked. gHow has your noble person come to be
marked by such a deformity?h
She replied that she did not know. gI hold it to be a plague from God, or it
was caused by the apples from
The maids pulled with all their might, but the horns would
not move. So they brought a rope,
tied it to the horns, threw it over a beam and pulled down to raise her into the air. Then they swung from her ankles, hoping
to rip the horns off her head.
Agrippina suffered this with great patience, but when she realised how
firmly set the horns were, and that all their efforts were unavailing, she grew
progressively desperate:
gOh, miserable creature that I am! What use is my being a Kingfs daughter
now? What good is it that I am the
richest woman on Earth and have the Prize of Beauty over my sex? Now I resemble a senseless beast! Why was I ever born? If no one can help me remove these
monstrosities, Ifll drown myself in the
One of her senior ladyfs-maids began to comfort her:
gPrincess, you should not despair.
If those horns can appear just like that, then you may rely on their
disappearing
just as suddenly. You should make
your devotions to our dear lady
Agrippina was pleased with this advice and said: gTell no one
about this; and if anyone asks for me, say I am indisposed and will
admit no
one.h
Then she had expensive golden offerings
prepared and
sent away, and her old ladyfs-maid asked the doctors if there were any means to drive away
the two horns a relative had grown?
The doctors were astounded at this, and every one of them eagerly
desired to
see the invalid.
gYou canft see this person unless you know how to help them. And anyone who can do this will be amply
rewarded,h said the ladyfs-maid.
Not one of them had the courage to venture a remedy, for they
had never heard or read of this affliction, nor seen such a phenomenon. So they all refused their services, and
the ladyfs-maid, disgruntled and despairing of a doctor, prepared to return
to the Court with less favourable news than she had hoped to bear.
In the meantime, Andolosia had disguised himself as a doctor,
with a tall red cap and a scarlet robe; he had also assumed a huge nose and
applied some face-paint. He came up
to her and said:
gDear attendant, I notice that you have entered the
houses of three doctors: have they given you the advice you were seeking? Do not be angry at my asking; I
too am a
doctor of medicine. If you have a
pressing concern, you may reveal it to me; it would have to be an exceptionally
strange or severe ailment for me not to know how, with the
help of God,
to drive it away and return the patient to health.h
The ladyfs-maid thought that the doctor
had been sent her by God, and she told him how a person of note had
incurred a peculiar affliction: two long horns, like a goatfs, had shot up on their head, causing
concern beyond the expression of words.
gIf you can help, you will be well
rewarded, for they have no shortage of money and goods.h
Dr. Andolosia laughed warmly and said: gThis illness is known
to me, and I know the art of making the horns disappear painlessly. But it will cost a hefty sum, for the
ingredients are extremely expensive.
I also know the reason why such horns as you describe spring up.h
gDear doctor, what does cause such monstrous growths?h
And the doctor with the large nose
replied: gThey
are caused by one person committing an act of gross disloyalty to another
person and taking great delight in their wickedness. Because they do not dare display this
delight in public, it must break out somehow; and that man can count himself
lucky when it pushes forth on top – for if it pressed out anywhere else, he
would die. Many people have died
with no visible sign of illness, and no one knew the cause of death; until the
body was cut open and horns were discovered inside which, not having been able
to find the proper exit, fatally transfixed the heart or another organ. It is not yet two years since I was at the King of
Spainfs Court, where a powerful Count had a beautiful daughter with a graceful
physique, who
had grown two tall horns; I removed all trace of them, when all the other
doctors had given up in despair.h
The ladyfs-maid asked where his house was; she would soon
come to visit him.
gI have no house as of yet; I arrived here only three days
ago. I am lodging at The Swan, you may
inquire after me there. I am known as The Doctor with the Big Nose.h
The ladyfs-maid hastened back with unspeakable delight
to the despondent Agrippina and said: gGracious Princess,
be of good cheer, for help is at hand.h She recounted how three doctors had left
her without comfort, and how she had then found one who promised deliverance;
and she told her about the Doctor with the Big Nose, who knew how to cure her as he
had cured a Countess: gHe also gave me the reason why such horns sprout
up, and I can well believe it.h
The sad princess lay on her bed, downcast
and so fiercely ashamed that she would not look at herself, nor allow her maids to
see her. And she
said to the ladyfs-maid:
gWhy didnft you bring the doctor with you, when you know how badly
I want to be
freed from these horns? Go this
instant and fetch him, and tell him to bring what he needs and spare no
expense. Take him a hundred crowns,
and if he requires more, then give him as much as he wishes.h
The ladyfs-maid changed her clothes to avoid
recognition and made her way to The Swan, where she found the doctor. Giving him the hundred crowns,
she said:
gNow be diligent. You must
come to the person Ifm going to take you to only at night, and you must not
mention this to anyone; their own mother and father
know nothing about this affair.h
gRest assured that the secret will not pass
my lips; and I shall accompany you,h said the Doctor. gBut first I must go to the
apothecaryfs and buy the necessary ingredients. You may either wait here or come
back after two hours.h
She said she would wait, for
she did not dare return without him.
And The Doctor with the Big, Monstrous Nose went to an
apothecaryfs and bought a little rhubarb, which he
used, with sugar, to coat half an apple.
After adding many appetising delicacies, he bought a small tin of fragrant
ointment and
some musk. Then he returned to The
Swan, and the ladyfs-maid led him under cover of night to the Princess, who was
lying behind the bed-curtains. She
received him with the faintest of voices, as though she were terribly weak.
gGood day to you, dear lady,h said the doctor. gWith the help of God and my art, all
will soon go well with you. Now sit up
straight and let me grasp and examine your affliction; this will help me to
help you.h
Agrippina flushed with shame at being seen with the horns; but
she sat up on the bed. The doctor took a firm grip of the outgrowths
and pronounced:
gWe need a pelt-bag made of monkey-skin for each horn,
and the skin must be warm, for I am going to salve the horns.h
The ladyfs-maid gave the order for an old Court ape to be
killed and flayed. The skin was
brought and two bags made from it after the doctorfs instructions; then he
salved the horns with monkey-lard – a special remedy for such
afflictions. After he had salved
her, he pulled a pelt-bag over each horn and said:
gGracious Lady, what I have just done to the
horns will soften them, so that they can be removed by bowel
movements. To that end I have brought
you a
sweetmeat: eat it, then have a short nap; and when you wake up, you will
perceive
the improvement in your condition.h
Agrippina behaved as a patient bent on a
return to health: when the doctor gave her half an apple (one of those which made the
horns disappear), she ate it and fell asleep. Then the rhubarb began to work its
effect in her body and drive her to the privy. When she had returned to her bed, the
doctor declared:
gNow let us see if the medication has worked
any good.h
And he lifted the pelt-bags
up from the top: the horns had shrunk by a quarter.
Agrippina was so bitter an enemy to the horns that she would not touch
them; but on being told that they were disappearing, she reached up and
discovered that they had indeed become smaller and shorter. Delighted,
she requested that the doctor keep
doing his utmost to complete the cure.
He said, gI shall return tomorrow night and bring
what is required,h and went to the apothecaryfs
again. Then he had coated
half an apple, but with a different flavour from the previous time. At night he
was conducted
to the Princessfs chamber, and he feigned
ignorance of his surroundings. Andolosia did as he had done on the
previous night, but had the bags made smaller to fit the horns;
and after he
had given Agrippina the sweetmeat, and she had slept and then dropped her stool,
they found that the horns had shrunk to half their original size. Her previous delight was as nothing to
what she felt now; and she asked the doctor not to slacken his efforts, but to
expedite the cure – his pains would be well rewarded. He promised to do his best.
The third night was a repetition of the two preceding. As Andolosia sat by Agrippina, he
thought: eI wonder what reward she intends to give me? Even if she hands over two or three thousand Crowns – a handsome
remuneration for any doctor of medicine – the amount is
trifling when set against what she stole from me.
Before I remove the horns entirely, Ifll talk with her and tell her
my mind. If she refuses to do my will, Ifll make
her a sweetmeat to return the horns to full size. Then Ifll travel to
While he was formulating this resolve, the ladyfs-maid
appeared with a light to see how the Princess was; she was still asleep. The doctorfs cap had
slipped from
his grasp
when he took it off, and now, as he bent forward to pick it up, he saw the Wishing-Hat
lying under the bed, at the front. No one had paid it any attention, for they
did not know its power; nor did the Princess know that it was
this Hat
which had brought her home from the wilderness. If she had known this, there is little
doubt that she would have hung it on a different nail!
The doctor sent the ladyfs-maid away to fetch a tin of
medicine; and when she was gone, he hurriedly and jubilantly snatched up the
Hat and hid it under his robe. eIf
I could only make the Purse mine as wellf, he thought. Then the Princess awoke
and dressed herself. When the doctor pulled the pelt
bags off, the
horns were no more than stumps, to Agrippinafs great joy. The ladyfs-maid whispered to her: gOne
more night and youfll be back to your old self. Then wefll be spared the sight of the
ugly doctor with the monstrous nose – he could put you off men for
good.h
Now that Andolosia had the Hat, he abandoned his intention of
describing himself as a double Doctor.
gDear lady,h he began, gyou can clearly see how
effectively my remedies are working.
But the most demanding stage of the treatment is the expulsion of the
horns from the brain-pan, which requires rare ingredients, and if I cannot find
them here, I shall have to travel for them, or send another doctor – whom I would instruct in
the matter – to fetch them.
The expenditure will be great. So I would like to know what reward you
will give me when
the horns are completely removed and your head is as smooth as ever.h
The Princess remarked, gI have found
your art to be
skilled and efficient, and I request that
you help me and
spare no money.h
gYou say I should not be sparing with money,h replied the doctor, gbut I must be,
for I do not have any.h
Although she possessed the inexhaustible Purse,
Agrippina was shy of spending money.
She walked leisurely over to the chest beside her bed,
wherein was contained her most precious belongings, including the
Purse, which was fitted with a strong strap; and taking it out, she tied it around her waist, walked to a table in
front of a scenic window. and began to count. When she had
told three
hundred Crowns, the doctor put his hands
inside his robe, as if reaching for a purse to hold his fee;
and shaping as if to take the money, he threw his cap off, donned
the Hat,
grabbed the Princess and wished himself in a wild, uninhabited wood. His wish was
instantly fulfilled, and the old ladyfs-maid ran to the Queen to tell her
that Agrippina had been abducted once again. She related the history of
the horns and the doctor. The Queen,
her mother,
was startled, but thought: eAs she came back soon the last time, so may
she make a speedy return again. Besides, she
has the Purse with her, so she can pay people to help her homef.
But when she had waited all day and all
night, and there was still no sign of Agrippina, the Queen, as a mother, began
to feel in her heart that she had lost her beautiful daughter. She went with a heavy heart to tell the
King the full tale.
He said: gOh, thatfs a wise doctor – the wisest of his
profession! Itfs none other than
Andolosia, whom you so falsely deceived.
I perceive that whoever bestowed that good fortune on him also
endowed him with the wisdom to regain the Purse should he come
from its possession. Fortune wills that
he, and none other, have the Purse; and if Fortune had so willed,
then I, or the next man,
would also have such a Purse. There are many men in
gYour Majesty, be so good as to send out messengers to try to
discover where she is before she is reduced to poverty and misery,h pleaded the
Queen.
gIfm sending no messengers out. We would be held in disgrace for not
having taken better care of her.h
Andolosia, alone in the wild, uninhabited wood with
Agrippina, flung the doctorfs robe to the ground, threw the loathsome nose
away, and stepped roughly towards the Princess. She recognised him at once, and the shock
shot through every limb, rendering her speechless. For his eyes were rolling in
his head, he was gnashing his teeth, and he gave the appearance of being ready
to strike her to death. Drawing a
knife, he hacked her girdle off – his hurry was too great to untie it – and
separated the Purse, rudely flinging the girdle far away. Then he opened his jerkin and laced the
Purse to its accustomed place.
Agrippina, watching all this, trembled like an aspen in the
wind. Andolosia spat out in his
fury: gYou false, deceitful woman, now youfre in my hands,
now Ifll share
with you the
good faith you shared with me when you cut my Purse away
and sewed an
impotent one
on in its place! Now you can see
that itfs back where it belongs; now try asking your mother and old
ladyfs-maid for help and advice, and snap your fingers for a sparkling drink to
dupe me with! And even if both
those fiends were here with you, all their arts would never help you to take the
Purse from me again!
gOh Agrippina, how could you have it in your heart to show
such bad grace
to me, who was so faithful to you!
I would have shared my heart, my soul, my person and
possessions,
with you. How could you have it in
your heart to drive so manly a knight, who jousted and tourneyed every day for
your sake, to such extreme poverty, without showing me the slightest sign of
pity? The King and Queen
mocked and
made carnival fun of me, and the memory still rankles in my heart,
for the evil you did me drove me to despair. I was about to hang myself when Mary,
Mother of God, came with Grace to my aid against pernicious
temptation; and I shall serve her faithfully until the closing
of my
days. If I had proceeded, you would have been the
cause of my losing life and soul, honour and possessions. And when you had the virtuous Purse in
your power, and you were told that I was poorer than a church-mouse, and had
had to ride away on my own after having dismissed all my servants, you were
reluctant to send me a small sum to help me home to my friends with some honour intact. Now speak your judgement: is it not
right and proper that I should show you the mercy you showed me?h
Agrippina was filled with terror and did not know what to
say. Looking up to Heaven, she
nervously began to speak: gRigid and virtuous knight,
Andolosia, I confess that I have behaved harshly and dishonourably
towards you. I beg you to make allowances for the diffidence, ignorance and recklessness which Nature has given in
greater degrees to women, both young and old, than to the male
sex. Do not force this matter to a bitter
conclusion, but lay down your anger at this poor girl;
return good
for evil, as becomes a just and honourable knight.h
gThe injury, disgrace and grief you have occasioned me are still so alive in
my heart, that I cannot leave you unpunished.h
gOh Andolosia, reconsider! People would speak great dishonour of
you if you harmed a poor woman whom you held prisoner in a desert. Without doubt, every mention of this
would be ignominious to your knighthood.h
Andolosia replied, gWell, I shall resist my
anger, and I give you my word as a knight that I shall injure neither your
honour nor your body. But you have
a keepsake from me, and you must keep it till the grave, to hold me
in your mind.h
Agrippina had been in such dire fear for her life that she
had completely forgotten about the horns on her head. But once Andolosia had guaranteed
her life and honour, she recovered her composure, and said: gI wish to God I were
free of these horns and back in my fatherfs palace.h
Hearing her make a wish, Andolosia suddenly noticed the Hat
lying on the ground beside her, so he ran over, snatched it up and tied it
tight to his belt. Agrippina could
see from this that he was held the Hat especially dear, and it was the agent by
which means she had twice been carried off. Fuming at herself, she thought: eYou had
both the treasures in your keeping and you couldnft hold on to themf. But she hid her anger from Andolosia and
asked him very sweetly to remove the horns and take her home
to her father.
gIn short,h he said, gthe horns have a home on your head for
life. But I shall willingly take you within
sight of your
fatherfs palace; I am never setting foot inside there again.h
She asked him a second time, then a third. But in vain.
When Agrippina saw that no amount of pleading could
mollify him, she said: gIf I must then bear these horns and look
misshapen, I do not wish to return to
gThere is nowhere you would be better off than
with your
father and mother, the King and Queen,h said Andolosia.
But she would not agree. gTake me to a nunnery, so I can live
apart from the world.h
gIs that what you desire? Are you in earnest?h
And she said, gYes.h
Then he put on the Hat and took her to
gThe fee is two hundred crowns, for I provide every lady with
a maid and supply all that she needs.
So if you want to pay this threefold, bring her here.h
He soon returned with Agrippina, who thanked the Abbess for
her reception with such modesty, and dropped so graceful a curtsey, that the Abbess
knew her to be of noble lineage; and she felt sad that this beautiful
girl should
bear those cursed horns on her head.
gAgrippina,h she said, gis it your wish to make this convent
your home?h
gIt is, dear Abbess,h said Agrippina in the humblest of
voices.
gAnd will you be obedient to me, and chant in the
choir at
matins and all the other services?
If you cannot perform a task, will you learn how to do it? That is all
that our Order
requires. Anyone who wishes to enter another Order, or to take
a husband, is free to do so. But
the money given for her maintenance will never be returned.h
Agrippina replied: gDear lady, for my part, the venerable traditions
and customs of your honourable convent shall not be altered or broken.h
Then Andolosia paid the Abbess six hundred crowns and
recommended Agrippina to her care; and she expressly promised to do her utmost,
being delighted to have received so much ready money. So Andolosia took his leave the
Abbess, who was a Countess by birth; and she told her new charge: gGo and
escort your friend out.h
When they were at the doors, Andolosia
said: gAgrippina, God bless you, and may it be His will that
you long
remain in
health and acquire eternal bliss in this convent.h
gMay it be so.
Amen,h she said, then burst into tears. gO rigid, virtuous knight, now you
have accomplished your unbending will on this poor girl. Now the year is long,
there are many days, and the hours are unequal; and I have sincere faith in God that
there will yet come a happy hour when your noble heart will be moved to
charity, and your mind and mood given to mercy. At that time remember me, your
prisoner in this desolation; display pity towards me, and release me,
for I can serve
neither God nor the world, so averse am
I to these horns.h
These words found Andolosiafs heart,
and he could give no reply. Then,
saying gGodfs
will be done,h he went his way.
Agrippina sadly shut the doors and returned to the Abbess,
who gave her a chamber and a serving-maid to serve her. All alone, she served God to the best of
her powers, although she did not have a mind for prayer.
Having parted from Agrippina, Andolosia was a happy man. He put his Hat
on and wished
himself from one land to another, until he arrived in
Then, with his horses and his servants, he joyfully sailed
to
Ampedo replied, gI want nothing of that
Purse, for he who carries it must bear fear and anxiety
at all times. I have read about the pain and distress
it caused our father of blessed memoryh
These words were music to Andolosiafs ears,
and he
thought, eIf he had taken the Purse in his hands, it would not have been long before I had
to ask for it
back. And now,
without further ado, itfs minef. He did not dare tell his brother how he
had bought exquisite jewels without paying, lost Purse, Hat
and jewels in one blow – and in a wilderness to boot, where there was nothing to eat or drink –, or how he had wished to throttle
him before hanging himself. eBetter not
to mention
that,f he thought, ethe shock might kill him, or plunge him into
a grave illnessf.
So Andolosia began to make merry with
jousts, and he organised dances to give pleasure to all. He was generosity personified, so that
the whole town sang his praises; everyone revered him, and the common people
asked him to be with them always.
When he had been in
gYes, Your
Majesty,h replied Andolosia.
gThe King of England has a beautiful daughter, an only child,
called Agrippina. I had wanted her
as a wife for my son, but I have been informed that she has
disappeared. Tell me:
have you heard
any news of her? Is
she still missing, or has she been found?h
gYour Majesty, I can certainly inform you on this
matter. He does indeed have a
beautiful – an extremely beautiful – daughter, who has been transported to
gCould she not be brought back to her father?h asked the
King. gI am old, and I would dearly
like to settle my son on the throne before my death.h
gGracious Majesty, for your sake and for your son – who is deserving of every honour – I shall essay what I can in this affair. With Godfs help, I should soon return
her to her fatherfs palace.h
The King requested that Andolosia do this and spare no
expense; he and his would enjoy the royal favour and gratitude.
gYour Majesty, prepare a
distinguished
Embassy and send them out a fortnight after I leave; they will find the
Princess in her fatherfs palace in
gAndolosia, my good friend,h urged the King, gbe
sure to make a success of this matter. I shall be sending an Embassage in great pomp and
splendour; let their journey not be made in vain.h
gHave no fear. Order your sonfs portrait painted, and send
it with the
Embassy; you will see that it will please the King and Queen
and make them
all the more eager to wed their beautiful daughter to so handsome a youth.h
When the Prince heard of the planned transaction, he made his
way to Andolosia and urged him to work in earnest to bring the affair to a successful
conclusion; he had heard a great deal about Agrippinafs beauty and
perfection. Andolosia promised to do his utmost, and
taking his
leave, he rode back to
So Andolosia took the Hat, travelled
from one land to the other, and wished himself in the wilderness with the magic apples. The trees were full of fair fruit, but he could not tell which
apples were which, and he was reluctant to eat one. However, he did not want to leave without the
means to release Agrippina from her horns. So, after due consideration, Andolosia reached for an apple, ate
it, and a horn grew on his head; then he ate another, and the horn
disappeared. Filling his pockets
with some of both kinds, he atravelled to the convent and knocked on the
doors. He was presently admitted, and arriving
before the
Abbess, he asked for Agrippina, for he wished to have a word with
her. The Abbess, recognising him,
was only too happy to summon her charge; but when the Princess arrived,
she received Andolosia badly, for she did not know the reason for his visit,
and she was frightened.
gDear lady, allow Agrippina to hold some private converse
with me,h said Andolosia.
She willingly gave her assent, and Andolosia withdrew with
the Princess to a quiet place.
gAgrippina, do you still loathe those horns as deeply as when
I took my leave of you?h
gYes. The longer
I bear them, the harder I hate them,h she said.
gIf you were free and rid of them, where would you like to
be?h
gWhere should I wish to be but in
gAgrippina, God has hearkened to your prayer. Your wish will be granted.h
Then he gave her half an apple to eat and told her to
rest awhile; and by the time he roused her, there was no trace of the
horns. The maid she had been
allotted plaited her hair and dextrously arranged her head-dress; then they came
before the
Abbess. At the sight of Agrippina in
her complete beauty, the Abbess called all the nuns out of their
cells to witness the miracle that had effected so sudden a transformation. The nuns were astonished
that she had become free of the horns in so short a time, but Andolosia said:
gDo not be amazed. God can do anything; nothing is
impossible to Him. So
you see: when
He means well by somebody, no one may harm them. Agrippina is a Princess, born of the
blood, and I shall deliver her to her mother and father. Before a month has passed, she will be
married
to a young
Prince – the most handsome youth alive on Earth.h
Agrippina listened closely to his words.
Then Andolosia gave the Abbess and the nuns a hundred crowns as a
parting present, with expressions of his gratitude for their
honourable
maintenance of the Princess, and Agrippina thanked them very
decorously. They took their leave,
and once they were in the field, Andolosia equipped himself with the Hat and
bore the
Princess to the street before the King of Englandfs palace – for he shied away
from entering the place where he had been the victim of such great
infidelity. Then he returned to his brother and
servants in
The King, the Queen and their entourage were overjoyed to
find that Agrippina had come back; they hosted a tremendous feast and had their
daughter exquisitely attired in gorgeous and luxurious garments. In their
midst of their merriment, a herald announced to His Majesty that the King of Cyprusfs
messengers were on their way with a large cavalcade, and they had been sent to ask
him to give Agrippinafs hand in marriage to the young Prince of Cyprus.
When the Embassy arrived in
The Queen now took the portrait to Agrippina and
told her how it was intended to give her to this Prince, who was even more
handsome in the flesh. With
Andolosiafs words fresh in her memory, Agrippina trusted the painting as a
likeness and promised obedience to whatever decision the King and Queen should
make. Having heard their daughterfs
sentiments, the King and Queen discussed the matter further with the Cypriots,
until the arrangements for the wedding were finalised. Then the King had many ships loaded with provisions and manned with expert
sailors, and the Princess attired in magnificent robes and jewellery,
as befits a
mighty King with a care for his honour.
Agrippina was to be accompanied by many proud nobles, in particular a
Count who had long since been a pirate; and the King threw a banquet for the company
before they set sail.
When the ships were fully laden and ready to depart, the
noble
Princess took her leave of the King her father and the
Queen
her mother: gMy
gracious Lord King, and my gracious Lady Queen, may Almighty God in Heaven and his
virtuous mother Mary have you in their care at all times and grant you
health and long life.h
Then she knelt before her father, and
sighing deeply, with tears in her eyes she said: gI request your
blessing; for now I must part from you, and I know that I shall never see you or my
mother again.h
gAgrippina, my dearest daughter,h said the King, gmay the
blessing of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, shield you from
sorrow. And may the
Holy
Trinity grant
you, and all who aid you, peace, health, long life, prosperity, and the goodwill of all
men.h
The Queen could wish no more but: gMay this come to
pass. Amen.h
Then Agrippina stood up and walked, with her
train, to her
ship; and a large crowd followed to escort her to the sea, many of whom were
sorrowful that the beautiful Princess was leaving and they should
set eyes on
her no more. Now when
Agrippina and her retinue had boarded, the crew hoisted sail,
and they set
off in the name of God.
He
granted them good weather and a fortunate journey; whoever
wishes to travel from England to Cyprus must cross the Spanish Sea,
which is one
of the cruellest of all water-passages, yet they came unharmed, with Godfs help, to Cyprus.
When the beautiful young Princess Agrippina
and her attendants arrived, safe and sound, they were met by a welcoming-party
arranged by the King of Cyprus: a Duchess, four Countesses and many
noble ladies, with their male equivalents, who executed their duties
with fitting propriety. A
banquet was held, with sumptuous dishes and vintage wines, and there was plenty
for hosts and guests alike.
Everyone, young and old, was happy that their Prince was going to
have such a beautiful wife. Then
many horses, wagons and carts were made ready, and ceremonious leave
was taken.
Agrippina came to Medusa, where the King was holding
court. He had assembled the
mightiest nobles, male and female, in his whole Kingdom; and however
splendid the reception
at
The wedding celebrations continued for six weeks and
three days. Much
were to write about the regality of the wedding-procession, the feats and
displays, and the
presents given to the Princess!
But among the gifts was a shipload of malmsey and muscatel from
Candia, courtesy of Andolosia, which was lapped up like wine from the Kehlheim[3]
slopes; there was enough to last the length of the revels and beyond.
And all the while the festivities lasted, the
princes and
lords did nought but joust, tourney and pursue
courtly pastimes: the King and the Dukes jousted on the first day, the Counts, Barons
and knights
the day after, and the squires and servants on the third day. And every night, at the dance, Agrippina would
crown the champion
of the day with
a handsome
wreath; so that every competitor felt his courage stirred, and
he gave his all to hunt honour and be rewarded by the beautiful Princess.
Among the competitors was Andolosia; and
whenever the Counts, Barons and knights jousted, he rode to the
lists in more
splendid armour than everyone else, apart from the King,
who he made no attempt to equal. He was always the best in all
the knightly
sports, and he was often awarded the prize. Now it so happened that on one occasion,
Andolosia surpassed his previous accomplishments, producing
his best at the last; yet that night the prize, which in all fairness should have gone to
him, was awarded, as a mark of honour, to Count Theodore, who had accompanied the
Princess from England. Andolosia
paid no heed to this and willingly conceded the Count the honour he had been
shown. But the murmur
ran that
Andolosiafs prize had been wrongfully given to Count Theodore, and this reached
the Englishmanfs ears. A fierce
hatred of Andolosia secretly flared up in his heart, but he did
not know how he could do him disgrace and damage.
Although his heart, mind and mood were bent on
revenge, he
was a stranger in
Theodore told his companion that he was
annoyed, for there was a man called Andolosia, who lived a
lavish and arrogant
lifestyle, but was not of noble birth.
He had a high income of honour, being accorded more respect
than Counts and others of good birth - yet he owns neither lands
nor lieges. Was Limassol not always
infuriated by this?
gYes,h growled The Count of Limassol, git
infuriates me and many other nobles.
But he is held in such high favour by the King, to whom he lends and gifts whatever he is
asked; and the
King reaps bitter enmity from his nobles for the preference he
shows this man.h
Count Theodore exclaimed, gIt surprises
me that you,
and others of your station, can tolerate this,
and that you
donft have him killed. If I knew
how to do away with him, he would never confound another Count or nobleman
at the Kingfs Court.h
Each understood the otherfs will; and they concerted
the following plan: when the wedding festivities had run their course, and Andolosia
was riding back towards
And it so happened that the
utterly unsuspecting Andolosia was attacked as he rode home from the festivities by the two Counts and a
hired company, and all his servants were
cut down. He
was captured and taken to the castle on the islet of Limassol, where he was guarded
so closely that escape was impossible. He offered his guards great wealth if they would help him
escape, but they did not dare trust him, suspecting that, once he was free, he
would not give them a penny; and he did not dare show them the Purse,
for fear that they would take it only to refuse their aid. His plight was desperate.
The news reached the King that Andolosiafs entire retinue had
been butchered and no one knew whether their master were dead or
alive, imprisoned or free. Nor did anyone
know who had perpetrated this atrocity, but Turkish marauders
were suspected. The two guilty Counts rode back to Court
and kept their counsel.
Meanwhile, Ampedo had been informed of Andolosiafs
disappearance. He at once sent
messengers to Court to request the King to help him recover his brother. The King replied that he was grieved at
Andolosiafs misadventure, and he had no idea where he was or if he were still alive. But he would leave no stone unturned in
his search, and if he were able to discover Andolosiafs whereabouts, he would
consider no price too great to free him – should it cost him half his
Kingdom. Receiving this message, Ampedo
thought that his brother had been abducted because of the Purse, and he would
be racked and tortured until he disclosed the secret of the Hat:
then his
tormentors would lay their heads together to acquire the
second treasure as well. gNever,
by no means, shall that happen,h growled Ampedo; and in a fit of fury, he grabbed the magic,
unique Hat, hacked it to shreds, and flung the pieces into the fire. And he stood over it until it
had burnt to ashes and he was sure that no one could ever again enjoy its use.
Ampedo was continually sending messengers to the King,
but however many he dispatched, not one returned with news of his
brother. This caused him such
depression and
sorrow that he fell into a fatal illness.
No doctor could help him, and he died. Neither the beautiful palace nor his
money could help him.
After several days had risen and set, the two Counts, hearing
how the King grieved for his dutiful knight Andolosia, feigned
heavy sorrow. The King had it proclaimed that anyone
who could bring certain news of Andolosiafs whereabouts would
receive a thousand Ducats, whether he were alive or dead. A wave of enquiries followed, but all
were fruitless; those who knew, and had abetted, did not dare reveal the
truth for
fear of losing their lives.
In the meantime, The Count of Limassol took his leave of the
King and returned to his castle, where he found Andolosia sitting in a deep
dungeon, his wrists and ankles tightly clamped in stocks. On seeing the Count, his face brightened, and he began to
plead with him to show mercy and help him regain his freedom. He did not know whose prisoner he was,
or why he was being so cruelly constricted. If he had done anyone an injustice, he
would make amends for it and put his person and possessions at the injured partyfs
disposal.
gAndolosia,h said the Count, gyou have not been brought here to be
released. You are my prisoner, and you
will tell me the
source of the
money you expend throughout the year. And youfll do
that now, or
Ifll torture you until youfll be happy to tell me.h
Andolosia felt sick with shock; all hope drained away, and he was lost
for words. Eventually he
said: in his house, in
The Count of Limassol now sent money
to his debtors to settle his accounts, and victualled his castle, before
repairing with a happy heart to the Kingfs Court, where he sought out his companion,
Count Theodore, and was accorded a joyful reception. They
exchanged many words, true to form, and Limassol related how he had dealt by Andolosia – wresting
the Purse from his possession through torture and holding him in pinching chains.
gI donft like this,h said Count Theodore. gHe would be better dead than
alive. I have heard at Court that he is a Doctor of Necromancy and can travel
through the air. There is the danger that he
will escape and
spread word of his treatment at our hands, and then we shall lose the Kingfs favour – and maybe our lives.h
gHe is sitting so straitly chained that he
cannot do us
any harm,h replied The Count of Limassol.
And they both took their heartfs fill of money out of the
Purse. Each would dearly have liked
to have the magical treasure in his power; but they came to the
agreement that each should keep it for six months in turn, and the
guardian was to ensure that the other suffered no shortage of money. The Count of Limassol,
being the senior, was to take first possession.
Although the two Counts had money enough, they did not dare
to spend too lavishly or maintain too extravagant a state, for fear of arousing
suspicion. And they passed their days in great content, except
that Count
Theodore was plagued by the thought that Andolosia were
better dead than alive, for he dreaded the loss of the Purse. He also harboured the intention
to ride away with the Purse, and far enough away to escape the reach of the King and The Count of Limassol,
once it was in his keeping. So
he asked Limassol to lend him one of his servants and write a letter granting him
admission to Andolosia. The Cypriot Count did as
requested, giving him man, letter and money. Then Count Theodore took
his leave of
the King and Queen, claiming that he wished to take a look at His Majestyfs
lands; and so he galloped to the islet of Limassol,
where he was conducted to the castle and then the dungeon that held Andolosia. When he walked in, poor, disconsolate
Andolosia, whose arms and legs had half wasted away by this
time, took
comfort; he imagined that The Count of Limassol had sent Count Theodore to set
him free, and he thought, eNow that they have the Purse, they
wonft ask any more of mef.
Count Theodore began: gNow tell me, Andolosia – do you have
any more purses like the one you gave my companion? Come on, give me one.h
gGracious Count, I have no more. If I had another one, it would not be refused you.h
gPeople say that you are a Doctor of Necromancy, who can travel through the
air and invoke the Devil. Why donft
you invoke him now to help you out of here?h
gOh, gracious Count, I canft do it, Ifve never been able to
do it! All I did was divert myself with the Purse,
which you now possess. As God and
the world are my witness, I yield it to you and your companion, and Ifll never again lay claim to
it; and I
beg you, for the honour of God and his virtuous mother Mary, that you help this
poor, miserable man out of this cruel prison. Donft let me die a wretched death here, not having
been confessed, not having received the Holy Sacrament!h
gWill you now have a care for the health of your
soul? Why didnft you earlier, when you
paraded your arrogance and haughtiness before the King and Queen, showing
all of us dishonour? Where are they now, all the beautiful ladies
you served with such assiduity? Those who awarded you the
prize, call on them to help you now.
gBut I perceive that you wish to be
released from
this prison; do not worry, I shall soon help you out.h
Taking Andolosiafs guard to one side, he offered him fifty
ducats to strangle the prisoner.
The guard refused: gHefs a good man, and hefs so weak that hefll die
soon anyway. I wonft load myself
with that sin.h
gThen give me a rope; I shall throttle him
myself. I am not leaving until he is dead.h
Again, the guard refused; so Count Theodore unbuckled his
belt and wrapped it around wretched Andolosiafs neck. The prisoner, who sat with his ankles and wrists
in the stocks, could not move; and the Count twirled the belt around his
sword-hilt, thus garrotting good Andolosia
as he sat, and gave the guard money to dispose of the body. After this, Count Theodore did not make long
market in the castle, but rode back to the
Very much, was the reply; then they withdrew, and The
Count of Limassol asked how things stood with Andolosia.
gThey stand so that hefll never harm us again,h Count Theodore
joyfully exclaimed. gI killed him with my
own
hands. I could
find no rest
until I knew for certain that he was dead – as I know now.h
He thought he had acted wisely – Ah
God, he
did not know the evil he had worked!
For three days they did not have recourse
to the Purse;
and when the third day came to an end, the first half-year was over, and it was Count
Theodorefs turn to possess the treasure.
With a spring in his step he went to his
companion The
Count of Limassol and told him to fetch the Purse, take out all the money he
would be needing, and then hand it over: it was his turn now. The Count of Limassol
raised no objections, and after expressing his readiness to comply, he
said:
gWhen I take the Purse in my hands, I pity Andolosia. I wish you had not killed him;
he would soon have died by himself.h
gDead men wage no wars,h said Count Theodore.
And they retreated to a chamber where The
Count of Limassol kept the Purse in a chest. He took it out and placed it on a table, and Count
Theodore picked it up. He tried to count out money, as he had
previously done, but there was nothing inside. The two Counts did not know that the Purse had lost its
power with the deaths of Ampedo and Andolosia; if they had
known this,
they would have held Andolosia in honour and treated him kindly, to prolong his life, or
at least have filled a chest or two with gold to keep
themselves in wealth for the rest of their lives.
Each Count looked at the other. Then Theodore spoke with grim fury:
gO you false Count. So you thought to deceive me, passing
off an
ordinary purse for the magic one? On
no account shall I accept that from you.
So bring me the Purse of Fortune, and be quick about it!h
Limassol replied that it was the
Purse he took from Andolosia; he had no others. How it had come to lose its power,
he did not know. But Theodore would
not be satisfied with this; his anger turned to rage, and he cried: Limassol
wished to make him the victim of his villainy, but he would never succeed. And he drew his sword.
Seeing this, The Count of Limassol also drew, and they both began
to hew at one another so fiercely as to deal death. At the
clamour they
made, their servants burst into the chamber; and
seeing their
masters lunging at one another, they ran in between and separated them. But before the
two were parted, Count Theodore had given The Count of Limassol a mortal wound; when
they saw this, the Cypriotfs servants seized the Englishman. The King was informed of the fight between the two Counts,
who had been so close as to be joined at the hip; and he commanded that both be
arrested and brought to him in chains at once so he could examine them on the cause
of their disagreement. When moves were made to obey the Kingfs
messenger, it was realised that the Count of Limassol was too seriously wounded to
be taken anywhere, so Count Theodore was brought before the King on his own.
The King soon learned that Andolosiafs Purse was the cause
of their
estrangement, and he hurriedly sent for the executioner to extort,
before witnesses, the full and exact details of the case. Then Count Theodore was tortured and
brutally pained until he had to confess to garrotting Andolosia with his own hands
in the dungeon; and he disclosed the whole plot, from beginning to end.
When the King heard how they had handled good Andolosia, he was sad
to the heart and
furious at the murderers. Without
longer consideration,
he pronounced his right
and judgement:
both Counts must be strapped to the wheel. It did not matter how ill the Count of Limassol was;
even if he were dead, he was to be taken to the place of execution
and tied to the wheel. As
the judgement was passed, so was it executed: both murderous Counts
were broken, thus meeting the end they merited for their treatment of loyal
Andolosia. So they died because of the Purse, having
had their pleasure of it for but a short time.
The King then sent men to occupy the islet of Limassol,
with its castles,
towns and villages, and in particular the castle where good Andolosia had been
held prisoner. All the men and women who were
guilty of knowing of the murder and keeping silence were seized and hung without mercy from
its walls. Having discovered that
Andolosiafs corpse had been deposited in a ditch not far from the castle,
the King had it lifted out and honourably borne to
Epilogue[4]
From this history is to be noted: if young
Fortunatus had desired and chosen Wisdom from Lady Fortune
in the wood,
instead of the Purse of Riches, it would have been granted him in abundance,
and no one
could have stolen this treasure from him. Through this wisdom and intelligence he would have gained
temporal goods, an honourable sustenance, and extensive possessions. But because, at that
time in his youth, he preferred wealth and worldly goods,
for the sake of pleasure and sensual appetite – and many others would undoubtedly
desire such a Purse above a world of intelligence – he brought much
bitterness and gall on his own and his sonsf heads. All was milk and honey for a short
while, but the ending was such as you have heard.
So anyone who faces such a choice need not reflect for long: follow reason, ignore
forward folly, and select wisdom before wealth. This is what Solomon did, and it made
him the richest King on Earth. But
there is the real concern that Lady Fortune, who deals
such choices
and bestowed the Purse on Fortunatus, has been hunted from our lands, and is to be
found in this world no longer.
- End -
[1] Here: as a sign that Andolosia belongs to
the privileged few and is exempt from many duties.
[2] This is a reference to Rudolf von Emsf 13th-century
verse-tale of love and adventure, Willehalms
von Orlens und Amelies, one of the most widespread German texts of the
Middle Ages. Emsf poem, edited by
Victor Junk (Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1905), is available online
through the
[3] On the
[4] The epilogue was omitted as early as the second
edition (1518). It was almost certainly not written by the author; it may have
been added, with the foreword, by the printer, Johann Otmar.