yield to him his blood, nay, his very life, for which the other thirsted,
and had so done, had the other chosen to take them, as I shall shew you
in a little story.

Beyond all question, if we may believe the report of certain Genoese, and
other folk that have been in those regions, there dwelt of yore in the
parts of Cathay one Nathan, a man of noble lineage and incomparable
wealth. Who, having a seat hard by a road, by which whoso would travel
from the West eastward, or from the East westward, must needs pass, and
being magnanimous and liberal, and zealous to approve himself such in
act, did set on work cunning artificers not a few, and cause one of the
finest and largest and most luxurious palaces that ever were seen, to be
there builded and furnished in the goodliest manner with all things meet
for the reception and honourable entertainment of gentlemen. And so,
keeping a great array of excellent servants, he courteously and
hospitably did the honours of his house to whoso came and went: in which
laudable way of life he persevered, until not only the East, but
well-nigh all the West had heard his fame; which thus, what time he was
well-stricken in years, albeit not for that cause grown weary of shewing
courtesy, reached the ears of one Mitridanes, a young man of a country
not far distant. Who, knowing himself to be no less wealthy than Nathan,
grew envious of the renown that he had of his good deeds, and resolved to
obliterate, or at least to obscure it, by a yet greater liberality. So he
had built for himself a palace like that of Nathan, of which he did the
honours with a lavish courtesy that none had ever equalled, to whoso came
or went that way; and verily in a short while he became famous enough.

Now it so befell that on a day when the young man was all alone in the
courtyard of the palace, there came in by one of the gates a poor woman,
who asked of him an alms, and had it; but, not content therewith, came