THE CHRONICLE OF CLEMENDY
(who had to wife Yolande of Perpignan) was expecially averse to the townsfolk, and when they gave him any trouble, always burnt a village, without stopping to enquire whether it were the right one; and thus his neighbours grew to understand him and his odd ways, and agreed to let him go his own road. Fourth in descent from Duke Mark was Duke Guido, and he it is of whom I am about to devise, for searching in the byways of my brain I can find no better tale than this, which is still relished of cool evenings in the taverns of Tuscany, though the case fell out three hundred years ago, or maybe more. Now this Duke Guido di San Giuliano is confessed to have been a very witty and ingenious personage, and to have had a good knowledge of Grammar, Law, Logic, and Philosophy, and some say he smattered in Theology to boot; but I believe he was too wise a man to do so, since he must have known that our Holy Religion is under the charge of the Holy Father and the Cardinals who do not require any help in their duties. And they are quite right to keep these affairs right under their fists; for what should I say to a ploughboy who would teach me how to tune my lute, and for laymen to dispute over weighty matters of clergy is not a jot the wiser. But in all other learning I am convinced that the duke was far gone; and he had learnt the Greek tongue from one Argyropulo, a scholar from Byzantium, who was then in Italy, being an envoy from the Patriarch to the Pope. Also he showed great favour to those who did things in the vulgar speech, to painters
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