THE SIXTH NOVEL

  Michiele Scalza proves to some young men that the family of the

Baronchi was the most noble in the world, for which he gets a good

supper.

  Michiele Scalza, a young Florentine, had so facetious and productive

a genius that the principal youth of Florence took a great deal of

pleasure in and thought it an honour to enjoy his company. Being one

day at Mont Ughi with many gentlemen, the discussion happened to run

upon the antiquity and nobility of the Florentine families. Some

gave the preference to that of the Uberti, others to that of the

Lamberti, everyone speaking, as people ordinarily do, according to

their different humours and interests.

  When Scalza heard what they all had to say, he smiling cried: "You

are none of you in the right. I will maintain the family of the

Baronchi to be the most ancient and noble not only in Florence but

also in the whole world. All philosophers and such as can be

supposed to know that family,. I'm confident, are of my opinion; and

that you may not mistake my meaning I must tell you I mean the

Baronchi our neighbours, who dwell near Santa Maria Maggiore." They

all presently fell a-laughing, and asked him whether he took them

for people of the other world that they should not know the Baronchi

as well as he. "Gentlemen," says Scalza, "I am so far from taking

you for people of the other world that I will lay any one of you a

good supper enough for six on what I affirm, and be judged by whom you

please."

  The wager was laid, and they all agreed to leave the decision to

Pietro di Florentino, who was then present. Everyone expected Scalza

would lose, and began to laugh at him beforehand. He that was to

determine the matter, being very judicious, first heard the reasons of

the opposite party, and then asked Scalza how he could prove his

assertion.

  "I will prove it so sufficiently," says he, that you shall all be

thoroughly convinced. Gentlemen," says he, "by how much a family is

most ancient by so much it is most noble. The family of the Baronchi

is the most ancient in Florence, ergo it is the most noble. I have

nothing, then, to prove but the antiquity of the Baronchi. This will

appear in that Prometheus made them at the time that he first began to

learn to paint, and made others after he was master of his art. To

convince you of this, do but examine the figures of the one and the

other: you'll find art and proportion in the composition of the one,

whereas the others are but rough-drawn and imperfect. Among the

Baronchi you'll meet with one with a long narrow face, another with

a prodigiously broad one; one is flat-nosed, another has a nose that

measures an ell; one has a long chin and jaws like an ass, another has

his short and flat, and is monkey-faced. Nay, there are some of them

that have but one eye either larger or lower than the others have.

In a word, their faces for all the world resemble such as children

make when they first begin to draw. Prometheus, you will allow, must

be no great master when he made these figures, as I told you before;

and consequently they must be more noble as they are more ancient."

  So diverting an argument made them all to laugh heartily. The

representation he gave of the Baronchi was so ust and natural that

they all agreed he had won: and nothing was heard for a full quarter

of an hour but "Scalza has won!" and "The Baronchi are the most

ancient and noble family in all Florence!"