After my experience with these who have
done me wrong, I know full well that a good man's love may be
befouled by wicked servants in his employ. He who is attended by
a wicked servant will surely have cause to rue it, sooner or
later. Now I will tell you how the arrow, which has come into my
keeping and possession, is made and fashioned; but I fear greatly
that I shall fail in the attempt; for the fashion of it is so
fine that it will be no wonder if I fail. Yet I shall devote all
my effort to telling you how it seems to me. The notch and the
feathers are so close together, when carefully examined, that the
line of separation is as fine as a hair's breadth; but the notch
is so smooth and straight that in it surely no improvement could
be made. The feathers are coloured as if they were of gold or
gilt; but gilt is here beside the mark, for I know these feathers
were more brilliant than any gilt. This dart is barbed with the
golden tresses that I saw the other day at sea. That is the dart
which awakes my love. God! What a treasure to possess! Would
he who could gain such a prize crave other riches his whole life
long? For my part I could swear that I should desire nothing
else; I would not give up even the barb and the notch for all the
gold of Antioch.
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