Il Novellino/The Hundred Old Tales
Le ciento novelle antike (c. 1290-1300)
Written in Italian at the end of the thirteenth century, this collection of 100 different slightly moralistic stories contains an early literary adaptation of the Prester John legend. Although the purpose of the story is not entirely clear, it should be understood as a departure from the typical Prester John narrative of the time insofar as it eschews attempts at historical or geographical accuracy in favor of an entertaining narrative.
Uebel describes the plot of Il Novellino, in which an embassy from 'Presto Giovanni' arrives at the court of 'Frederick' (Barbarossa? II?):
An emissary from Prester John arrives at the court of a Western potentate to explain the difference of precious stones already possessed, only to vanish with the stones elucidating their virtues. But the Italian story is from its outset a moral tale: ‘the form and intent of the mission was double: a desire to put to the test whether the emperor was learned in speech and in deeds.’ Having received the three stones, the emperor is supposed to indicate ‘what is the best thing in the world.’ The emperor, however, fails to inquire about the stones’ virtues, choosing to praise their beauty instead. The emperor concludes, somewhat ironically given the great opulence of his own court, that the best thing in the world is misura (moderation; the golden mean). After hearing report of the emperor’s words, Presto Giovanni judges the emperor ‘very wise in words, but not in deed, in as much as he had not asked about the virtue of such precious stones.’ Prester John then dispatches his jeweler (lapidaro) to retrieve the stones. Once the jeweler holds all the stones, he becomes invisible, returns to India, and presents the stones to Prester John ‘con grande allegrezza’ [with great happiness]” (p. 265).
Read the short narrative on Prester John in Edward Storer’s translation of Il Novellino.
Read the tale in print in its original Italian.
