Christ Legends

public, a man lived there named Raniero di Raniero. He was the son of an armor

ad given many proofs of his strength. Once he was in a house where grain was stored in the loft. Too much grain had been heaped there; and while Raniero was in the house on

ard any noise in the street, he rushed out from the workshop, in hopes that a fight had arisen in which he might participate. If he could only distinguis

eace. Sturdy men were plentiful, but they were not quarrelsome, and they were proud of the fact that in their city better order prevailed than elsewhere. Raniero often grumbled

e to live with. He would have been handsome if he had not had several deep scars across his face which

ver marry any one else. When Jacopo finally gave his consent, he said to Raniero: "I have observed that men like you can more easily win a woman's love than keep it; therefore I shall exact this promise from you: If my daughter finds life with you so hard that she wishes to come back to me, you will

nting which hung upon a wall. He soon became skilled, and hit the mark every time. At last he thought he would like to try and shoot at a more difficult mark. He looked around for something suitable, but discovered nothing ex

shot, and he boasted of it to a

ooked hard at him. She marveled that he had wished to do a thing which mus

t well again

copo also heard this chatter, and tried at once to put a stop to it. He let several other flax weavers examine his yarn and cloth, and they found all of it to be of the very finest flax. Only in one pack, which was designed to be sold outside of Florence, was there any mixture. Then Jacopo

n having succeeded in exposing a fraud, and he

nly to see her love before her; and it was like a great piece of shimmery gold cloth. She could see how big it was, and how it shi

e thought: "It will probably last as long as I live

which she and Raniero were just a

had purchased garments of silk and velvet. When he came home he paraded around in them. Now, in Fl

sable linings, and a violet jacket. Raniero tempted him to drink so much wine that he fell asleep,

t she saw before her the big piece of gold cloth-which was her love-and s

sca was no longer so happy as in former days, because she always feare

ld never be tranquil. He wished that people should a

heavy shield, which had been placed there by one of Francesca's ancestors. It was the heaviest shield any man in Florence had been a

shield one day, hung it on h

ad expected that she would commend him for his feat, became very angry. He retorted that he had long observed that she did not rejoice in his success, but though

, for Raniero happened nearly always to do the v

s, undertook to joke with him before all who sat at a table. It went so far that finally the man could no longer bear to be held up to ridicule in Francesca's hearing, so he rushed upon Ra

ntinually that she saw her love before her as a shimmery piece of cloth, but on all sides lar

"If I stay with Raniero another year, he will destroy my lo

live with her father, that the day might not come when

ing. He said that now the thing had come to pass which he had long expected, and bade her be welcome

ed to me and begged that she may live again under my roof," he said to his son-in-law. "And no

ed calmly: "Even if I had not given you my word, I would not

him, and said to himself: "She wi

ppear either that

ers who had long disturbed the Florentine merchants. He suc

this feat was known throughout the city. But it did not turn ou

he felt himself unable to do this because of his promise. It seemed impossible for him to

e himself commander of a volunteer company. He

lways said he would. He was made a knight by

athedral to present to the Blessed Virgin the best and rarest that he won in every b

ive city. He marveled much that Francesca degli Uberti did

and Raniero took the cross and departed for the Orient. He not only hoped to win castles and lands to rule over,