There was once in Rome an ugly young lady; yes, the ugliest on earth! And, as if this were not enough, she was ill-tempered and spiteful, and in his whole course the sun did not shine on a more treacherous being. She was a true devilkin, being as small as a dwarf. However, devil or not, she was worth millions, and had the luck to be betrothed to the handsomest young man in Rome, who was, indeed, poor.
One day a certain Countess said to Virgil:
“I cannot understand how it comes to pass that such a splendid fellow is allied to such a horrid little fright—un tal spauracchio!”
Virgil said nothing, but he went home and took two scorpions, and by his magic art turned them into gold, and of these he made two ear-rings and sent them to the Countess, who was delighted with them, and when Virgil asked her if she liked them, answered: “Tanta, tanta, sono molto belli”—“Very much, they are so beautiful!”
“You said to me a little while ago,” replied Virgil, “that you did not see what the handsomest man in Rome finds to admire in the ugliest girl. It is gold, Signora Contessa, which does it all—gold which makes scorpions so charming that you wear them in your ears, and call them beautiful!”
The Countess laughed, and said: “Thou speakest truth—
“‘Gold like the sun turns darkness to night,
And fear or hatred to love and delight.
Gold makes raptures out of alarms,
Gold turns horror to beautiful charms,
And gives the beauty of youth to the old.
On earth there’s no magic like that of gold.’”
VIRGIL AND THE GEM.
SHOWING HOW VIRGIL BY HIS ART DROVE ALL THE FLIES OUT OF ROME.
“Cil une mouche d’arain fist,
Que toutes mouches qui estoient.
Celle approchier ne povoient.”Renars Contrefais, A.D. 1318.
“Et fist une mousche d’arain,
De quoi encor le pris et ain.
A Naples cele mousche mist
Et de tel maniere la fist,
Que tant com la mousche fu la
Mousche dedenz Naples n’entra,
Mais je ne sai que puis devint,
La mousche, ne qu’il en avint.”Adenès li Rois: Roman de Cleomadès. XIIIth Century.
“There were at that time near the city many swamps, in consequence of which were swarms of flies, which caused death. And Virgil . . . made a fly of gold, as large as a frog, by virtue of which all the flies left the city.”—La Cronaca di Partenope, 1350.
“Trovasi chi egli fece una moscha di rame, che dove la posa niuna moscha apariva mai presso a due saettate che incontanente non morissi.”
Antonio Pucci, XIVth Century.