e?" and he was on the point of
coming forth and giving him a sound beating; but there came to his mind
the final admonition of the abbot: "Think over a thing before you do it,
for a thing deliberated is very fine;" and he refrained. He saw them
both sit down at the table, but before eating his wife turned to the
young priest and said: "My son, let us say our accustomed Paternoster
for your father." When he heard this he came from under the bed crying
and laughing for joy, and embraced and kissed them both so that it was
affecting to see him. Then he remembered the loaf his master had given
him and told him to eat in his happiness; he broke the loaf and there
fell on the table all the three hundred ounces, which the master had
secretly put in the loaf.[23]

* * * * *

We now turn to some stories taken from a collection more famous in some
respects than those previously mentioned, The Seven Wise Masters, which
enjoyed during the Middle Ages a popularity second only to that of the
Bible. Of this collection there are several Italian translations
reaching back to the fourteenth century.[24] From one of these, or
possibly from oral tradition, the stories about to be mentioned passed
into the popular tales of Italy. The first story we shall cite is
interesting because popular tradition has connected it with Pier delle
Vigne, the famous chancellor of the Emperor Frederick the Second. The
Venetian version (Bernoni, _Trad. pop. venez._ Punt. I. p. 11) is in
substance as follows:

XLII. VINEYARD I WAS AND VINEYARD I AM.

A king, averse to marriage, commanded his steward to remain single. The
latter, however, one day saw a beautiful girl named Vigna, and married
her secretly. Although he kept her closely confined in her chamber, the
king became suspicious and sent the steward off on an embassy. After his
departure the king entered the apartment occupied by him, and saw his
officer's wife sleeping. He did not disturb her, but, in leaving the
room, dropped one of his gloves accidentally on the bed. When the
husband returned he found it, but kept a discreet silence, ceasing,
however, all demonstrations of affection, believing his wife had been
faithless. The king, anxious to see again the beautiful woman, made a
feast and ordered the steward to bring his wife. He denied in vain that
he had one, but brought her at last, and while every one else was
talking gayly at the feast she was silent. The king