Beleeve me Sir, the journey is over-farre for mee to undertake, but if it were neerer; I could affoord to goe in your Company; onely to see how they make these _Macherones_, and to fill my belly with them.
But now wee are in talke Sir, I pray you pardon mee to aske, whether any such precious stones, as you spake off, are to be found in that Countrey, or no? Yes indeed, replyed _Maso_, there are two kinds of them to be found in those Territories, both being of very great vertue. One kind, are gritty stones, of _Settignano_, and of _Montisca_, by vertue of which places, when any Mill-stones or Grind-stones are to bee made, they knede the sand as they use to doe meale, and so make them of what bignesse they please. In which respect, they have have a common saying there: that Nature maketh common stones, but _Montisca_ Mill-stones. Such plenty are there of these Mill-stones, so slenderly here esteemed among us, as Emeralds are with them, whereof they have whole mountaines, farre greater then our _Montemorello_, which shine most gloriously at midnight. And how meanly soever we account of their Mill-stones; yet there they drill them, and enchase them in Rings, which afterward they send to the great Soldane, and have whatsoever they will demaund for them.
The other kinde is a most precious Stone indeede, which our best Lapidaries call the _Helitropium_, the vertue whereof is so admirable; as whosoever beareth it about him, so long as he keepeth it, it is impossible for any eye to discerne him, because he walketh meerely invisible. O Lord Sir (quoth _Calandrino_) these stones are of rare vertue indeede: but where else may a man finde that _Helitropium_? Whereto _Maso_ thus answered: That Countrey onely doth not containe the _Helitropium_; for they be many times found upon our plaine of _Mugnone_. Of what bignesse Sir (quoth _Calandrino_) is the Stone, and what coulour? The _Helitropium_, answered _Maso_, is not alwayes of one quality, because some are bigge, and others lesse; but all are of one coulour, namely blacke.
_Calandrino_ committing all these things to respective memory, and pretending to be called thence by some other especiall affaires; departed from _Maso_, concluding resolvedly with himselfe, to finde this precious stone, if possibly hee could: yet intending to doe nothing, untill hee had acquainted _Bruno_ and _Buffalmaco_ therewith, whom he loved dearly: he went in all hast to seeke them; because, (without any longer trifling the time) they three might bee the first men, that should find out this precious stone, spending almost the whole morning, before they were all three met together. For they were painting at the Monastery of the Sisters of _Faenza_, where they had very serious imployment, and followed their businesse diligently: where having found them, and saluting them in such kinde manner, as continually he used to doe, thus he began.