I.--THE EIGHT PENNIES 103 II.--THE THREE TRUTHS 105 III.--THE HUSBAND OF AGLAES 106 IV.--THE THREE CASKETS 111 V.--THE THREE CAKES 116 VI.--THE HERMIT 118 VII.--THE LOST FOOT 121 VIII.--PLACIDUS 122 IX.--DEAD ALEXANDER 131 X.--THE TREE OF PALETINUS 132 XI.--HUNGRY FLIES 132 XII.--THE HUMBLING OF JOVINIAN 133 XIII.--THE TWO PHYSICIANS 139 XIV.--THE FALCON 141 XV.--LET THE LAZIEST BE KING 142 XVI.--THE THREE MAXIMS 143 XVII.--A LOAF FOR A DREAM 146 XVIII.--LOWER THAN THE BEASTS 148 XIX.--OF REAL FRIENDSHIP 151 XX.--ROYAL BOUNTY 152 XXI.--WILY BEGUILED 153 XXII.--THE BASILISK 155 XXIII.--THE TRUMP OF DEATH 155 XXIV.--ALEXANDER AND THE PIRATE 157 XXV.--A TALE OF A PENNY 158 XXVI.--OF AVOIDING IMPRECATIONS 159 XXVII.--A VERSE EXERCISE 161 XXVIII.--BRED IN THE BONE 164 XXIX.--FULGENTIUS 167 XXX.--VENGEANCE DEFERRED 173 I.--THE EIGHT PENNIES. When Titus was Emperor of Rome, he made a decree that the natal day of his first-born son should be held sacred, and that whosoever violated it by any kind of labour should be put to death. Then he called Virgil to him, and said, "Good friend, I have made a certain law; we desire you to frame some curious piece of art which may reveal to us every transgressor of the law." Virgil constructed a magic statue, and caused it to be set up in the midst of the city. By virtue of the secret powers with which it was invested, it told the emperor whatever was done amiss. And thus by the accusation of the statue, an infinite number of persons were convicted and punished. Now there was a certain carpenter, called Focus, who pursued his occupation every day alike. Once, as he lay in bed, his thoughts turned upon the accusations of the statue, and the multitudes which it had caused to perish. In the morning he clothed himself, and proceeded to the statue, which he addressed in the following manner: "O statue! statue! because of thy informations, many of our citizens have been taken and slain. I vow to my God, that if thou accusest _me_, I will break thy head." Having so said, he returned home.