Chapter 9 story six

An honest man ridiculed the friar's hypocrisy with a biting and dignified remark. The ladies admired the chastity of the Marchioness, and her tact with which the King of France was silenced with a single word.Sitting next to Fiameta was Emilia, following the Queen's order, she immediately said: I am also going to tell a story about how an upright commoner refuted a money-grubbing monk with a sharp remark, which made people not only laugh but also respect him. Dear ladies, not long ago there lived in our town a Franciscan priest who served in the Inquisition.Like all priests, he looks sanctimonious on the outside, respects the Lord with all his heart, and is really good at it; in fact, he not only controls whether people believe in the Lord, but also whether people have money in their pockets. Refuse to relax.He was so eager to inquire about these matters that he once met a good man with a rich family and a simple mind.It was also the man who drank a few cups of wine and casually said to the crowd: Even Jesus could drink the fine wine he was drinking.When he said this, he was originally on the spur of the moment, and did not mean to blaspheme religion.Who would have thought that if this word reached the ears of the magistrate, it would be a bad thing.He inquired that the man had fields, gold and silver, and issued an urgent order to arrest him on a serious charge.He did not do this to strengthen the accused's religion, but to transfer the accused's money from his purse to his own, in accordance with his usual practice.

He called the man before him and asked him if he admitted to such a thing.The good man replied that there was such a thing, and explained the situation at the beginning.What a holy priest the Inquisitor was, and what adoration of St. John the Golden Beard, retorted at his words: "According to what you say, then Christ is a big drinker who hangs out with you drunkards in the tavern and judges whether the wine is good or bad? You can play it lightly like this! Don't be so confused! Well, if this matter is handled in accordance with the law, you will have to be burned alive on the stake!"

The magistrate also spoke harshly, as if to take the poor wretch for an Epicurus who denied the immortality of the soul.The good man was frightened by him, and he only hoped for a lenient sentence, so he quickly asked someone to come forward to have his joints opened, and he was willing to offer a large piece of yellow "grease" for the priest to rub on his eyes, so as to heal the monks who were jealous of money. It is said that this ointment is especially effective for those Franciscan monks who dare not touch money at all. Although Galen never mentioned this ointment in his medical books, it was very effective.The magistrate had kept saying that he was going to be tied to the stake, but now he was gracious and allowed him to wear a cross on his body, and also specially stipulated that the yellow background should be black, as if to grant him a beautiful military flag, let him To be a crusader, cross the sea to fight the Turks.When the gold and silver were in his possession, he detained the good man for a few days in the court, and ordered him to go to Mass every morning in the Church of Santa Croce, as a token of penance; Waiting; having done these two things in one day, he can act as he pleases.The good man followed the magistrate's words and did not dare to neglect.

One morning, while watching mass, the good man heard a "gospel" song, which said something like this: "You, if you donate one, you will be rewarded a hundredfold, and you will inherit eternal life." I kept my words firmly in my mind; when it was time to eat, I followed the instructions and waited at the magistrate's dining table.The priest asked him if he had been to Mass that morning; and he answered hastily, "Yes, sir." "But there is something difficult that you don't understand, do you want to ask me?" "Yes," replied the good man, "of course I do not doubt everything I have heard, but firmly believe that it is all true. But I have heard one thing, which really makes me feel for you and for You priests are worried to death; I can't help thinking how terrible your next life will be."

"What have you heard that worries you so much about us?" asked the magistrate. "Sir," answered the good man, "that's a line from the 'Gospel': 'You give one, and you take a hundred.'" "That's a good point," replied the magistrate, "why should it worry you?" "Sir," answered the good man, "listen to me: I come up here every day, and I see sometimes a big, sometimes two big pots of stew left over from you and your brothers in the monastery, poured To the poor gathered outside the door; then if you donate a pot of vegetable soup, you will be rewarded with a hundred pots in the next life, how can you bear it—you must be drowned in the vegetable soup!"

Everyone at the table laughed when they heard this.The magistrate felt that he had received a blow, because this sentence hit the nail on the head, and exposed the gluttony and false mercy of him and their group of priests.He dared to laugh at him and their useless priests, which was another damnable crime. Fortunately, he was willing to be punished, and the magistrate had no choice but to put a face on him and send him out. The man showed his face in front of his master referee.