NOVEL III.
Mithridanes envies the generosity of Nathan, and goes to kill him, when, conversing with him, but not knowing him, and being informed in what manner he may do the deed, he goes to meet him in a wood, as Nathan had directed. There he recognises him, is ashamed, and becomes his friend.
The abbot's extraordinary generosity seemed almost a miracle to all that heard it. Then Filostrato was commanded to speak, who instantly said, - Great, most noble ladies, was the magnificence of the King of Spain, and that of the abbot of Cligni something quite unusual; but perhaps it will appear no less strange to you to be told how a person, as a proof of his liberality to another, who thirsted after his blood, nay, and his very soul too, should contrive industriously to gratify him. And he would have done so, if the other would have taken what was so offered, as I am going to show you.
Most certain it is, if any faith may be given to the Genoese, and others who have been there, that in the country of Cattaio lived a person of noble descent, and rich, beyond comparison, called Nathan, who, having an estate adjoining to the great road which led from the east to the west, and being of a generous spirit, and desirous of showing it by his good works, summoned together many master artificers, and in a very short time raised one of the most grand and beautiful palaces that ever was seen, furnishing it with everything necessary for the more honourable reception of persons of distinction. He had also great numbers of servants, and kept open house for all comers and goers, continuing this noble way of living, till not only the east, but the west also, resounded with his fame. He had now grown into years, his hospitality remaining unabated, when it happened that his renown reached the ears of a young gentleman, named Mithridanes, living in an adjacent country, who, thinking himself full as wealthy as Nathan, began to envy his fame and virtue, resolving to extinguish or obscure them both by a superior generosity. So he built such another palace as Nathan's and was so extravagantly generous to everybody, that how famous he soon became it is needless to say.
Now one day it happened, as he was all alone in his palace-court, that a woman came in at one of the gates, and demanded alms, which she received; after which she came in at a second, and was relieved a second time, and so on for twelve times successively. On her returning the thirteenth, he said, "Good woman, you grow troublesome;" but yet he gave her. The old woman, on hearing these words, said, "O the prodigious generosity of Nathan! How greatly is it to be admired! I went in at all the thirty-two gates which there are to his palace, as well as this, and received an alms at every one, without being known all the time, as it seemed to me; and here I come but thirteen times, and am known and flouted!" and away she went, and never was seen there more. Mithridanes, imagining that what he heard of Nathan was a diminution of his own fame, grew extremely incensed, and said, "Alas! when shall I equal Nathan in great things, not to say surpass him, as is my desire, when I fall short even in the smallest matters? Undoubtedly, it is all labour in vain, unless I dismiss him from the world, which, seeing old age ineffectual, I must do instantly with my own hands."
So rising up in a passion, without making any one acquainted with his design, he mounted his horse, taking very few attendants with him; and the third day he arrived at Nathan's palace, when he ordered his people not to seem to belong to him, but provide themselves with lodgings till they heard farther from him.
Coming there towards the evening, and being left by himself, he found Nathan alone, not far from his palace, taking a walk for his amusement, in a very plain habit, when he, not knowing him, desired he would show him the way to Nathan's dwelling. Nathan cheerfully replied, "son, there is nobody in this country can show you better than myself; then, if you please, I will conduct you thither." The young gentleman replied, "I should be extremely obliged to you: but could wish, if it were possible, neither to be seen nor known by Nathan." - "This also," quoth Nathan, "I will do for you, if it be your design."
So he alighted, and walked along with him, falling agreeably into discourse together, till they came to the palace, when Nathan bade one of his servants take the horse, and he whispered in the fellow s ear for him to acquaint all the people in the house that none of them should let the gentleman know he was Nathan, which was done. Being entered into the palace, he put Mithridanes into a very fine apartment, where nobody should see him but those whom he had appointed to wait upon him, and showed him all possible respect, himself constantly keeping him company. After Mithridanes had been for some time with him, he asked with a great deal of reverence, who he was. "I am an inferior servant of Nathan's," he replied, "who has grown old in his service, and yet he never promoted me to anything more than what you see; and therefore, though other people commend him, I have little reason to do so."
These words gave Mithridanes some hopes that he might the better and more securely effect his base purpose. Nathan then inquired very courteously of him concerning what he was, and the occasion of his coming thither, offering him his best advice and assistance. Mithridanes hesitated a little upon that, but at length resolved to let him into his design; so, after a long preamble requesting secrecy, and that he would lend a helping hand, he declared who he was, what he came thither for, and his inducement. Nathan, hearing his detestable resolution, was quite changed within himself; nevertheless, without any appearance thereof, he replied boldly, and with a steady countenance, "Mithridanes, your father was truly a noble person, nor are you willing to degenerate, having undertaken so glorious an enterprise as is that of being liberal to all people; I do greatly commend the envy you bear to Nathan's virtue, because, were there many more men of the same principle, the world, though bad enough at present, would soon grow better. Your affair I shall most assuredly keep secret, which I can further more by my advice, than any help I am able to give you, and that in the following manner: - About half a mile from hence is a grove, where he generally takes a walk for a considerable time every morning; there you may easily meet with him, and do what you purpose. If you should kill him, in order to return home without any hindrance, do not go the way you came, but take a path that leads out of the grove to the left, which, though not so much frequented as the other, is yet a shorter way to your house, as well as more secure." When Mithridanes had received this instruction, and Nathan was departed, he let his attendants, that were in the same house, know privately where they were to wait for him the next day.
Early in the morning Nathan arose, his mind being no way changed from the counsel given to Mithridanes, and went to the grove with a design of meeting with his death. Mithridanes also took his bow and sword, having no other weapon, and rode to the same place, where he saw Nathan walking at a distance by himself, and being minded before he put him to death, to hear what he had to say, he laid hold of the turban that was upon his head, and cried out, "Old dotard! thou art a dead man." Nathan made no reply but this: "Then I have deserved it." Mithridanes, hearing his voice, and looking in his face, found it was the same person that had so kindly received him, kept him company, and faithfully advised him: upon which his rage and malice were turned into shame and remorse; and throwing away his sword, which he had ready drawn to stab him, he dismounted and fell with tears at his feet, saying, "My dearest father, I am now convinced of your liberality, considering what pains you have taken to bestow your life upon me, which I was very unjustly desirous of having. But God, more careful of my doing my duty than I was myself, opened the eyes of my understanding, which envy had closed, at a time when there was the greatest need of it. The more ready, therefore, you were to oblige me, so much the greater I acknowledge my remorse to be. Take that revenge, then, of me which you think adequate to the nature of my crime." Nathan raised him up, and embraced him, saying, "son, your design, call it wicked, or what you will, needs neither your asking any pardon nor yet my granting it;" because it was out of no hatred, but only a desire to excel. Be assured, then, there is nobody regards you more than I do, considering the greatness of your soul, which was given you not for the amassing of wealth, as is the case of misers, but the distribution of it; be not ashamed of your design of cutting me off, to become more famous, nor think I am at all surprised at it; the greatest monarchs, by no other art than that of killing not one man only, as you would have done, but infinite numbers, destroying whole countries, and laying cities in ruins, have enlarged their empire, and consequently their fame. Therefore, to kill me alone, to make yourself famous, is neither new nor strange."
Mithridanes, far from excusing his evil intent, but commending Nathan's honest gloss upon it, proceeded so far as to tell him that he wondered exceedingly how he could bring himself to such readiness to die, and be even advising and aiding to it. Nathan replied, "I would not have you wonder at all at it; for ever since I have been my own master, and resolved to do that wherein you have endeavoured to follow my example, - nobody ever came to my house whom I did not content to the utmost of my power, as to what was required of me. Now it was your fortune to come for my life; therefore that you should not be the only person who went away ungratified, I resolved to give it, advising you in such a manner that you might be secure of it without losing your own. Therefore I conjure you to take it, if it will be any pleasure to you: I do not know how I can better bestow it. Eighty years have I had the full enjoyment of it; and, according to the course of nature, and as it fares with other men, and all other things, I can keep it but very little longer: so I hold it better to part with it of my own accord, as I have done with my wealth and estate, than to keep it till it is wrested from me by nature. A hundred years are really no great matter: what, then, are six or eight, which are all that are left me? Take it, then, I say again, if you please; for I never met with any one before that desired it, nor do I expect any other will accept it, if you do not. Besides, the longer it is kept, of the less value it grows; so take it once for all, whilst it is worth something." Mithridanes was extremely confounded, and said, "God forbid, that, so far from touching a thing of the value your life is, I should even desire it as I did just now. Instead of lessening your years, I would willingly add to them of my own, if it were possible." - "And would you," he replied, "if you could? That would be doing to you what I have done yet to no one, I mean robbing you to enrich myself. But I will tell you what you shall do: you shall come and live here, and be called Nathan, and I will go to your house, and take the name of Mithridanes." - "If I knew how to behave as well as you do," said Mithridanes, "I should readily embrace your offer; but as I am sensible I should only lessen the fame of Nathan, I shall never seek to impair that in another which I cannot increase in myself: so pray excuse me."
With these, and more such compliments, they returned to the palace, where Nathan showed great respect to Mithridanes, confirming him in his great and noble design; and the latter, being disposed to return home, took his leave, fully convinced that he could never come up to Nathan in liberality.
