Part 6 (1/2)
”But that was in Spain.”
”Bear with me, Cardinal, while I repeat a parable to you. Pedro the Great of Arragon inquired of a learned Jew which was the best religion.
He replied: 'Ours is best for us, and yours for you,' The king was not satisfied with this answer, and the Jew, after three days, returned to him seemingly in great perturbation, and said: 'A neighbour of mine journeyed to a far country lately, and gave each of his two sons a rich jewel to console them for his absence. The young men came to me to inquire which jewel was the most valuable. I a.s.sured them I was unable to decide, and said their father must be the best judge, on which they overwhelmed me with reproaches.' 'That was ill done of them,' said the king. 'O, king!' rejoined the Jew, 'beware how thou condemnest thyself.
A jewel has been given unto the Hebrew and likewise to the Christian, and thou hast demanded that I should decide which is the most precious.
I refer thee to our great Father, the Giver of all good gifts, who alone can exactly determine their comparative and absolute values.'”
This apologue pleased the Cardinal, though, in fact, it was very superficial. He inquired whether Bar Hhasdai could help him to any rare ma.n.u.scripts.
”The few which I possess,” said the physician, after a pause, ”are not such as would be of any value in your eyes: being either on our own law, or on the science of medicine--”
”Nay, but,” said the Cardinal, ”the latter are such as I should greatly prize.”
”They are altogether obsolete and unworthy of your notice,” said Bar Hhasdai, ”but I have a little treatise on Chess, which really is a curiosity in its way; and also a treatise on Aristotle's Ethics, by Rabbi Joseph ben Caspi, of Barcelona, which is at your service.”
”Let me have them both,” said the Cardinal, ”and in return I beg you to accept this ruby of small value.”
”This is a rare gem!” said the physician, with delight, ”and cut with Hebrew characters. May I really have it?”
”Certainly. And pray tell me before you go, do you think the Moorish girl will recover?”
”I have some hope of it.”
”Could not you, as you have a key to her confidence, which we have not, ascertain whether she is really faithful to the d.u.c.h.ess?”
”There can be no question of her fidelity. She has spoken of her mistress with grat.i.tude.”
”That is well. Farewell, then.”
CHAPTER VI.
THE SORROWS OF THE JEW.
When Cardinal Ippolito had taken leave, and the last glimpse of his scarlet tippet had been seen as his little cavalcade wound out of sight, Giulia found her remaining guests very stale, flat, and unprofitable; and when they too had departed, she became exceedingly listless and peevish; very much in the mood of little children in the nursery, when they weary their nurses with ”I don't know what to do!”
To do Giulia justice, it must be admitted that this mood was not habitual to her. Naturally sweet-tempered, and highly cultivated, she had too many resources within herself to be accustomed to find her time hang heavy on her hands. She could sing, play, and paint; she was skilful at her needle; she wrote very tolerable sonnets, and corresponded with many of the most celebrated people of the day. She was praised without insincerity by men whose names are still honoured among us. And yet she was just now in that vapid frame when one exclaims--”Man delighteth me not, nor woman either;” in that longing for some unknown, unattainable good which made St. Anselm say--”Libera me, Domine, a isto misero homine _meipso_!”
So she leant her head on her hand and shed a few tears: then, fancying she must be sickening of marsh miasma, she sent for Bar Hhasdai.
The physician, perceiving that there was nothing the matter with her, began to tell her, incidentally as it were, while he felt her pulse, of the grief of the Adimari family, whose son had been carried off by Barbarossa. The d.u.c.h.ess became interested in their sorrows, and forgot her imaginary ailments. She consulted with him how she might console them and relieve other bereaved persons.
”Surely,” said she, looking at his hand, ”I have seen that ruby worn by Cardinal Ippolito?”
”He gave it me but yesterday,” said Bar Hhasdai, ”in return for two ma.n.u.scripts of not half the value; whereon I sent him another really rare, and worthy of a place in the Vatican library.”
”You were determined not to be outdone by him in generosity, it seems,”
said Giulia. ”He told me he had held a very interesting conversation with you about your own people. Tell me, Bar Hhasdai, is it really true that you Jews mingle the blood of a Christian child with your unleavened bread at Pa.s.sover time?”