THE SECOND BOOK OF THE COURTIER Madonna):"^ Then the Pope could not keep from laughing, although he was a very grave man. "Still another man at Padua, said that Calfurnio'*' was so named because he was accustomed to heat {scaldare) ovens {forni). And when I one day asked Fedra"" why it was that on Good Friday, while the Church offered prayer not only for Christians but even for pagans and Jews, no mention is made of cardinals along with bishops and other prelates, — he answered me that cardinals were included in that prayer which says : * Let us pray for heretics and schismatics.' " And our friend Count Ludovico said that the reason why I censured a lady for using a certain cosmetic that gave a high polish, was because I saw myself in her face, when it was painted, as in a mirrour; and being ill favoured I could have no wish to see myself. " Of this kind was that retort of messer Camillo Paleotto'^' to messer Antonio Porcaro,"^ who, in speaking of a companion who told the priest at confession that he fasted zealously, at- tended mass and the sacred offices, and did all the good in the world, said: 'The man praises himself instead of owning his sins;' to which messer Camillo replied: -Nay, he confesses these things because he thinks it a great sin to do them.' " Do you not remember what a good thing my lord Prefect said the other day? When Giantommaso Galeotto'** was sur- prised at a man's asking two hundred ducats for a horse, be- cause, as Giantommaso said, it was not worth a farthing and^ among other defects was so afraid of w^eapons that no one could make it come near them, — my lord Prefect (wishing to tw^it the man with cowardice) said: ' If the horse has this trick of run- ning away from weapons, I wonder that he does not ask a thou- sand ducats for it.' 63 — " Moreover the very same word is sometimes employed, but in a sense different from the usual one. As when my lord Duke,' being about to cross a very rapid river, said to a trum- peter: 'Cross over' (passu), • and the trumpeter turned cap in hand, and said respectfully: 'After your Lordship' (passi la Si- gnoria Vostra). "Another amusing kind of banter is where a man takes the 138
