“There is a precept, my dear Rocca, ‘When in Rome do as the Romans do.’ An excellent rule, removing a thousand absurdities; and its reverse is also excellent. ‘When absent from Rome, conform yourself to your country.’ Not indeed that I would advise imitating the rites and banquets of the fabled anthropophagi or of other utterly outlandish speaking-animals, but I esteem it both unwisdom and discourteous for the newcomer from one land to another to refuse to adapt himself to the honest habits of his hosts, assuming both have the names of decent folk and Christians. Therefore I think I quite scandalized Andrea by the way in which I drained a great horn of atrocious Harz-brewed ale which the fat and worthy seneschal’s wife brought me when I leaped down in the castle court. And from that time on I strove diligently to appear, if not a right German, at least a compliant guest. Much do I fear I have offended the loyal folk around me; as when I so far forgot myself as to curse the heavy feather beds they had heaped up for me in the state chamber, and to adjure Andrea by all the saints to bring me my comfortable travelling pallet. Likewise the next morning I trod on Adolf’s toes most sorely when I hinted my displeasure at suffering so many swine to root around the castle yard, delving in innumerable dunghills. “‘But your Grace--may I humbly present to you--the honest pigs have rooted in these dunghills since Regenstein was a castle. ’Twere depriving them of an established privilege--an undoubted right. Whither shall they go?’ “‘To the sty or the field where God intended them. If I am king here, I will change their evil privilege, will-you, nill-you.’ “‘It shall be done, your Grace,’ grumbled the bear; but under his mustachios he kept muttering, ‘Oh, these Welschland (Italian) customs! What a lord we have over us! _Liebe Gott!_ To remove the pigs!’