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Book FirstPart LXVI
Part LXVI
It happened one day, close on the hours of vespers, that I had to go at
an unusual time for me from my house to my workshop; for I ought to say that
the latter was in the Banchi, while I lived behind the Banchi, and went rarely
to the shop; all my business there I left in the hands of my partner, Felice.
Having stayed a short while in the workshop, I remembered that I had to say
something to Alessandro del Bene. So I arose, and when I reached the Banchi, I
met a man called Ser Benedetto, who was a great friend of mine. He was a
notary, born in Florence, son of a blind man who said prayers about the
streets for alms, and a Sienese by race. This Ser Benedetto had been very many
years at Naples; afterwards he had settled in Rome, where he transacted
business for some Sienese merchants of the Chigi. ^1 My partner had over and
over again asked him for some moneys which were due for certain little rings
confided to Ser Benedetto. That very day, meeting him in the Banchi, he
demanded his money rather roughly, as his wont was. Benedetto was walking with
his masters, and they, annoyed by the interruption, scolded him sharply,
saying they would be served by somebody else, in order not to have to listen
to such barking. Ser Benedetto did the best he could to excuse himself, swore
that he had paid the goldsmith, and said he had no power to curb the rage of
madmen. The Sienese took his words ill, and dismissed him on the spot. Leaving
them, he ran like an arrow to my shop, probably to take revenge upon Felice.
It chanced that just in the middle of the street we met. I, who had heard
nothing of the matter, greeted him most kindly, according to my custom, to
which courtesy he replied with insults. Then what the sorcerer had said
flashed all at once upon my mind; and bridling myself as well as I was able,
in the way he bade me, I answered: "Good brother Benedetto, don`t fly into a
rage with me, for I have done you no harm, nor do I know anything about these
affairs of yours. Please go and finish what you have to do with Felice. He is
quite capable of giving you a proper answer; but inasmuch as I know nothing
about it, you are wrong to abuse me in this way, especially as you are well
aware that I am not the man to put up with insults." He retorted that I knew
everything, and that he was the man to make me bear a heavier load than that,
and that Felice and I were two great rascals. By this time a crowd had
gathered round to hear the quarrel. Provoked by his ugly words, I stooped and
took up a lump of mud - for it had rained - and hurled it with a quick and
unpremeditated movement at his face. He ducked his head, so that the mud hit
him in the middle of the skull. There was a stone in it with several sharp
angles, one of which striking him, he fell stunned like a dead man: whereupon
all the bystanders, seeing the great quantity of blood, judged that he was
really dead.
[Footnote 1: The MS. has Figi; but this is probably a mistake of the
amanuensis.]
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