Ecco come avenne—behold how it came to pass! It chanced one day that when walking alone in the environs of Florence, he found himself in a place where there were four very beautiful Venuses. [67] And looking at them with great admiration, and observing their forms, he said:
“Truly they all please me well; and if they could converse I hardly know which I would choose for a companion. Ebbene! I will make them all talk and walk, live and move, and can then see if anyone of them will show any gratitude for the gift of life.”
Then he took human fat, and anointed with it all the statues, and then of the blood of a wild boar, and rubbed it very thoroughly over them, and when this was done he waved his magic wand, and said:
“In the name of my magic art and power I order you to speak and move and live!”
And with this they all awoke, as it were, from a long dream, and stepping down from their pedestals, they walked about, seeming far more beautiful than before. And they gathered round Virgil, for truly they were enchanted with him as well as by him, in more ways than one, and embraced and kissed him with a thousand caresses and endearments, and each and all wished him to select her as his mate.
Then Virgilio, laughing, said:
“I know not which to choose among the four;
I cannot make all four into a wife;
But to determine who shall be the first,
Do ye go forth and seek each one a gift,
And come to-morrow evening to my house,
And she who brings the gift which I prefer
Shall be the fair one first preferred by me.”
And on the following eve the first who came was the Venus Agamene; thus was she called who brought the first gift, and this was a splendid diamond. Virgilio received it with admiration, but said that he must wait to see what the others would bring before he could decide.
Then the second was announced, whose name was Enrichetta, and she presented a marvellous garment, richly embroidered and adorned. And this too was admired; but to her also Virgilio said he would await what was to come.
The third, whose name was Veronica, brought such a wonderful bouquet of flowers that the magician was more pleased with it than he had been by the diamond or the robe.