“A Proverb is a relic or remain of ancient philosophy, preserved among many ruins by its brevity and fitness.”—Aristotle ap. Synesius.
“I Proverbi e la sapienza dell uomo
El Proverbio no fale.”Proverbi Veneti, da Pasqualigo.
“He who leaves money leaves what may be lost,
But he who leaves a Proverb keen and true
Leaves that wherein his soul will never die.”C. G. Leland.
“Tremendo leone, destriero animoso
Che in lungo riposo giaceste al suo pié.
Mostrate agli audaci cui grato e l’ errore
Che ’l vostro vigore scemato non è.”Gabriel Rossetti (1832).
There was once a young man of genius, and honest; he was a true gentleman (vero galantuomo), with a good heart.
At that time there was also in Rome a great magician who was called the Poet, but his real name was Virgilio. And the honest youth, whose name was Pollione, was a student with Virgilio, and also his servant.
Everybody may have heard who Virgilio was, and how he was a sorcerer above all others. He had a custom of giving to his friends sayings and proverbs, or sentences [190a] wherein there was always wisdom or a moral. His friends did not know it, but with every one of these sayings there went a spirit, and if they gave heed to the saying [190b] the spirit took care that from it some good resulted to them.
One day when Virgil gave sayings to his friends, he said to Pollione:
“When a man speaks to you, hear to the end all that he has to say before answering.”
After a while Pollione left Rome, and went to Florence. While wandering, he found himself not far from Lucca, in a solitary forest. And while resting he observed a stone, almost hidden under the grass, on which stone were letters, and, clearing it away, he read the word “Lift.” So he raised the stone, and found under it a small ancient vase, in which was a gold ring. Then he took the ring, and went his way.
And after weary wandering he found a small house, empty, into which he entered. It was one of the cabins in which peasants store chestnuts or grain or their implements for work. Therein was a partition of boards, and the youth lay down behind it and went to sleep.
After a little time there entered two friars, who never suspected there was anybody behind the screen, so they began to talk freely. And Pollione, awaking, listened to them.
One friar said to the other: