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218 asunder, and then again collected them; another weighed his chain in his hand; another measured it by the span; another took it to his mouth and kissed it; another covered it with a kerchief to preserve it against frost, heat, and injury. Sometimes two or three met together, measured their chains, and weighed them one against the other. He who found his chain the lighter one grieved and envied his neighbour. He who had a larger and heavier one strutted about, puffing himself up, boasting and talking vaingloriously. Yet some, again, sat quietly in corners, rejoicing secretly only over their chains and fetters; for they wished not that others should know of them, fearing, methought, enmity and thievery. Others, again, had trunks full of clods and stones, which they carried with them from place to place. Others did not even put their trust in such trunks; they fastened and hung so many precious goods around their person that they could neither stand nor walk, but merely crept along gasping and panting. Then seeing this, I said: "Are these, then, in the name of all the saints, to be called happy? Even when I beheld the labour and striving of men, I saw nothing more wretched than this happiness!" Searchall said: "It is true (why should I conceal it?) that merely to possess Fortuna's gifts, and not to use them, gives more anxiety than pleasure." "But this is not the fault of the Lady Fortuna," quoth the interpreter, "that some know not how to use her gifts. She is not chary of her goods, but some misers know not how