The first painted the sorrel almost to the life, and filled up the rest of his canvas with light strokes and shades. The other painter was not so perfect in the dapple-grey; but, to make amends, he adorned the upper part of his picture with trees, clouds, a beautiful perspective and venerable ruins, and he represented, at the lower part, an open country abounding with shrubs, meadows, and waterfalls. In the corner of his piece he had suspended all manner of horse-furniture on the trunk of a tree, with a hunting-saddle, which for workmanship could not be excelled. When the gentleman saw the two paintings, he with reason very much preferred the sorrel to the other, paid without hesitation what the artist demanded, and presented him besides with a fine ring. The other painter seeing the stranger so liberal, and conceiving that he deserved a much greater recompence than his rival, set his performance at an excessive rate; at which the gentleman, being surprised, asked him, “How he could for a moment imagine that he would purchase his painting at a higher rate than the other, to which it was undoubtedly much inferior?” “Inferior!” answered the painter: “I grant that my brother may have excelled me in the _horse_, but my shrubs and ruins alone are worth much more than the whole of his painting.” “I had no occasion,” answered the gentleman, “for your shrubs and ruins, we have enough of those in our own country. In one word, all that I desired of you was a true painting of my horse.” The painter replied, that “a horse alone would have had but a very poor effect in so large a piece, whereas the ornaments he had introduced had given great relief to its appearance. Besides,” added he, “I could not think of leaving a horse without saddle and bridle, and those that I have made I would not change for others, though made of gold.” “Once more,” said the stranger, “all I asked of you was a horse, for which I am ready to pay you a reasonable price. In regard to the saddle and bridle, you have only to dispose of them as you please.” Thus, for having done more than was desired of him, the artist was not paid for his trouble. How many people are there in the world like this painter! A plain horse only is required of them, and they will, peremptorily, give you him saddled and bridled. Once more, slanderous commentaries are the fashion, and nobody escapes them. Judge then, reader, if my parents have been spared. CHAP. II. _Of the Parents of Guzman, but more particularly of his Father._ My ancestors, as well as my Father, were originally from the Levant; but having settled in Genoa, and been ingrafted with the noblesse there, I shall call them Genoese.