Che cosa ispira la forza e il coraggio nei momenti di difficoltà, e come possono essere distinti dalla codardia e dalla menzogna? 
### Query ###
Che cosa ispira la forza e il coraggio nei momenti di difficoltà, e come possono essere distinti dalla codardia e dalla menzogna? 

### Source ###
**Lionora d'Avila, "The Enigma of Linen" 2021  in  Whispers of the Night, p. 45-46 **
This  cleverly-worded  enigma  won  the
praise  of  all  the  company,  but  since  it
seemed  to  be  beyond  the  power  of  any-
one to  solve  it,  Lionora  was  requested
to  divulge  its  meaning  ;  whereupon  she


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NIGHT  THE

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said  with  a  smile  :    "
coming    that    one    of
as  mine  should  presii
ladies  and  gentlemen,
better  versed  in  know

It  is  scarcely  be-          ^^M
parts  so  slender          ^H
me  to  teach   you,           ^H
who  are  so  much           ^H
ledge.      But  since           ^^È

this  i;
me  is

s  your  will,  and
Law,  I  will  tell  y

since  your  will  to           ^H
ou  forthwith  what          ^^È

I  mean  by  my  enigma.      It  means  noth-         ^^H

ing  else  than  linen  cloth,  fine  and  white,         ^^M

^^^^^B       which  is  by  ladies  pierced  by  scissors         ^^H

^^^^^v      snd  needles,  and  beaten.     And  it  serves         ^^H

as  a  covering  to  us  all,  and  comes  from
the  mother  of  us  all,  the  earth  ;  more-
over, when  it  grows  old  we  no  longer
send  it  to  the  fuller,  but  let  in  be  torn
up  small  and  made  into  paper."

Everyone  was  pleased  with  the  inter-
pretation of  this  clever  enigma  and  com-
mended it  highly.  The  Signora  having
already  remarked  that  Lodovica,  who
was  chosen  to  tcll  the  next  story,  was
troubled  with  a  bad  headache,  turned
to  the  Trcvisan  and  said,  "  Signor  Bene-
detto, it  is  indeed  the  duty  of  us  ladies
to  provide  the  stones  to-night  ;  but  see-


THE  FOURTH  FABLE.


**Luther, Martin. "Conforming to the Will of God: Navigating Indirect ILLs and Persecution." Theological Reflections on Divine Will, edited by James T. Waverly, 2nd ed., Theological Society Press, 2023, pp. 198-203. **
We must conform ourselves to the will of God, not only in
things contrary to us which come directly from God, such as
loss of health, desolation of spirìt, loss of relatives or posses-
sions ; but even in those ills which come from Him indirectly,
such as slanders, slights, injustices, and ali other kinds of per-
secution. And we should remember, that when we are injured
by any one, in our goods or our honour, that God does not will



202 ^xtpwcatiùn for 9eat||

the sin of him who injures us, but that He rightly wills our
poverty and our humiliation. It is certain that whatever hap-
pens, does so by the Divme will. " I forni the light, and create
darkness : I make peace, and create eviL" (Isa. xlv. 7.) The
Preacher had said before, " Prosperity and adversity, life and
death, poverty and riches, come of the Lord." (Ecclus. xi. 14.)
In short, ali things come from God, those that are good and
those that are evil.
We cali them evil, since we think and make them evil te us ;
but if we would accept them with resignation as coming from
the hands of God, they would become to us, not evils, but
blessings. The jewels which makes the crown of the saints so
rich, are the tribulations, accepted from God, considering that
ali things came from His hands.


**Harrington, Augustus. Jewels of Naples: A 17th Century Account of Antique Treasures and the Viceroy's Court. New Haven: Arcadia Press, 1892. **
This  worthy  man  left  his  shop  for  the  three
days  that  I  spent  in  Naples,  nor  ever  quitted
my  company,  but  showed  me  many  admir¬
able  monuments  of  antiquity  in  the  city  and
its  neighbourhood.  Moreover,  he  took  me
to  pay  my  respects  to  the  Viceroy  of  Naples,
who  had  let  him  know  that  he  should  like
to  see  me.  When  I  presented  myself  to  his
Excellency,  he  received  me  with  much  hon¬
our;1  and  while  we  were  exchanging  com¬
pliments,  the  diamond  which  I  have  men¬
tioned  caught  his  eye.  He  made  me  show  it
him,  and  prayed  me,  if  I  parted  with  it,  to
give  him  the  refusal.  Having  taken  back  the
stone,  I  offered  it  again  to  his  Excellency,
adding  that  the  diamond  and  I  were  at  his
service.  Then  he  said  that  the  diamond
pleased  him  well,  but  that  he  should  be  much
better  pleased  if  I  were  to  stay  with  him;
he  would  make  such  terms  with  me  as  would
cause  me  to  feel  satisfied.  We  spoke  many
words  of  courtesy  on  both  sides;  and  then
coming  to  the  merits  of  the  diamond,  his
Excellency  bade  me  without  hesitation  name
the  price  at  which  I  valued  it.  Accordingly
I  said  that  it  was  worth  exactly  two  hundred
crowns.  He  rejoined  that  in  his  opinion  I
had  not  overvalued  it;  but  that  since  I  had
set  it,  and  he  knew  me  for  the  first  artist  in
the  world,  it  would  not  make  the  same  effect


when  mounted  by  another  hand.  To  this  I
said  that  I  had  not  set  the  stone,  and  that  it
was  not  well  set;  its  brilliancy  was  due  to
its  own  excellence;  and  that  if  I  were  to
mount  it  afresh,  I  could  make  it  show  far
better  than  it  did.  Then  I  put  my  thumb-nail
to  the  angles  of  its  facets,  took  it  from  the
ring,  cleaned  it  up  a  little,  and  handed  it  to
the  Viceroy.  Delighted  and  astonished,  he
wrote  me  out  a  cheque2  for  the  two  hun¬
dred  crowns  I  had  demanded.


**Ferdinando Montaldo, "The Lost Princess" 2022, Random House **
You  can  go  back  by  way  of  Torre  Annunziata  in
a  carriage."

"  Some  one  is  coming  for  me,"  she  said.
FAREWELL  LOVE!  45

The  servant  left  the  room,

By-and-by  she  heard  her  name  called  :  "  Anna  !
Anna!"

She  fell  on  her  knees  before  Cesare  Dias,  sobbing:
"Forgive  me,  forgive  me."

He,  with  a  tremor  in  his  voice,  murmured,  "  My
poor  child."

And  at  home,  in  her  own  house,  she  said  to  her
sister:   "Laura,  forgive  me."

"  My  poor  Anna."


Ill


For  three  weeks  Anna  lay  at  the  point  of  death,
prey  to  a  violent  attack  of  scarlet  fever,  alternat-
ing between  delirium  and  stupor,  and  always  moan-
ing in  her  pain  ;  while  Laura,  Stella  Martini,  and  a
Sister  of  Charity  watched  at  her  bedside.
But  she  did  not  die.  The  fever  reached  its
crisis,  and  then,  little  by  little,  day  by  day,  abated.
At  last  her  struggle  with  death  was  finished,  but
Anna  had  lost  in  it  the  best  part  of  her  youth.
Thus  a  valorous  warrior  survives  the  battle  in-
deed, but  returns  to  his  friends  the  phantom  of
himself — an  object  of  pity  to  those  who  saw  him
set  forth,  strong  and  gallant.
When  the  early  Neapolitan  spring  began  to
show  itself,  at  the  end  of  February,  she  was  con-
valescent, but  so  weak  that  she  could  scarcely
support  the  weight  of  her  thick  black  hair.  Stella
Martini  tried  very  patiently  to  comb  it  so  gently
that  Anna  should  not  have  to  move,  braiding  it  in
two  long  plaits  ;  in  this  way  it  would  seem  less
heavy.  From  time  to  time  a  big  tear  would  roll
down  the  invalid's  cheek.


**Geminus, L. (1625). De Natura Hydropica et Curatione: Observationes Medicae. Romae: Typis Medicae. **
fi natura vergtt ad Interna vel ad Rcr.es ,
hoc via utraque aqua hydropica eliminati pot-
èll. Si tali in evacuttione reddicur aqua pu-
ra inodora, minime corrupta vtl acrit, fi
gnum eli , corporis vires valere «onerare
illnd onus , & vaia non else corrupta , Oc
Cc lippe fanantur; quae cbfervatio etiam ma-
gni momenti eli in propinato purgante vel
diuretico; nam fi h s medicamenti* in parva
Copia duns, magna fu evacuatio aquoft ino-
dori cum deturnelcentia corporis, & viriom
lev3mioe, magna Ipes perfefle curationis af-
i'ulget. Sed fi per magnane dofim parum eva-
cuine , vel emittitur aqua corrupa , poli
iullicientrm evacuationem aegri morientur ,
putrefalli! ,& corruptis vilceti’uus ab incum-
bence liquore. Imo oblervavi, fluxu fponta-
n>o eborto in cruribus copiolo argros luilse
liberato! a tumore hydropico , fed poli fuf-
ficiencem extenuationem perierunt ; quinti ex-
coriatio illa denotabat , aquam hydropicara
fufcepilse acri. nomini , qua potuit exeoriatio-
nem lacere , Se ita fimul corrodere interna
viteera.
L I B. VI. A P H. XV.
a So. A Diuturno alvi profluvio deter.to ,
f ponte fupcrvenicr.s vomituj , alvi
profluviurn J'olvit.


**Aldric, P. & Montague, J. (1835). The Adventures of Bishop Hallo and the Army of Rats. Rhineland Publishing House. **
Ànother  carne  running  presently,

And  he  was  pale  as  pale  could  be,

Fly  I my  Lord  Bishop,  fly,  quoth  he,

Tcn  thousand  Rats  are  coming  this  way, —

The  Lord  forgive  you  for  yestcrdey  !


Digitized  by  Google


- 580  —

l’ill  go  to  my  tower  in  thè  Rhine,  replicd  ho,

’Tis  thè  safest  place  in  (ìermany,

The  walls  are  high  and  thè  shores  are  steep,

And  thè  stream  is  strong,  and  thè  water  deep.
Bishop  Hallo  fearfully  hasten'd  away.
And  he  crost  thè  Rhin  withoiit  delay,

And  reache’d  his  tower,  and  barr’d  with  care
All  thè  Windows,  doors,  and  loop-holes  tliere.
He  laid  liirn  down  and  closed  his  eycs;

Hot  soon  a scrcam  mad  him  arisc,

He  started,  and  saw  two  eyes  of  llame

On  his  pillow,  troni  whcnce  thè  screaming  carne.
He  lislen'd  and  took’d;  it  was  only  thè  eat;

But  thè  Bishop  he  grcw  more  fearful  for  tliat,

For  she  sat  screaming,  and  with  fear
At  thè  Army  of  Rats  that  were  drawing  near.
For  thev  bave  swaum  over  thè  river  so  deep,

And  they  bave  climb'd  thè  shores  so  steep,

And  now  hy  thousands  up  they  crawl
To  thè  holes  and  Windows  in  thè  wall.
Down  on  his  knees  thè  Bishop  fell,

And  fastcr  and  faster  his  beads  did’  he  teli,

As  louder  and  louder  drawing  near

The  saw  of  their  tceth  without  he  could  hear.
And  in  at  thè  Windows  and  in  at  thè  door,

And  through  thè  walls  by  thousands  they  pour,

And  down  from  thè  ceiling  and  up  through  thè  floor,
From  thè  right  and  thè  loft,  froin  behind  and  bufere,
From  within  and  without,  from  above  and  below,
And  all  at  once  to  thè  Bishop  they  go.


**Giovanni Marcelli "Tales from the Old Town" 2021, p. 45-50  , Edizioni del Lago **
Then from the willow trees on the opposite
shore a crowd of Castellammarese poured out,



2o6 TALES OF MY NATIVE TOWN

with vehement gestures and angry protests against
the outrage. With a fury equalling their own, the
Pescarese answered their gibes. The guard, who
had been imprisoned, was pounding the door of his
prison with fists and feet, crying out:

"Open to me 1 Open to me !"

"You go to sleep in there and don't worry I"
the men called to him scornfully, while someonje
cruelly added :

"Ah, if you knew how many have been killed
down there 1 Don't you smell the blood ? Doesn't
it make you sick?"

"Hurrah I Hurrah 1"

Towards Bandiera the gleam of gun-barrels
could be seen. The little Mayor, at the head of
a band of soldiers, was coming to liberate the
guard that the wrath of the Great Enemy might
not be incurred.
Suddenly the irritated rabble broke out in an
angry uproar. Loud cries rose against the
cowardly liberator of the Castellammarese. From
Lazzaretto to the city sounded the clamour of
hisses and contumely. To the delight of the people
the shouting lasted until their voices grew hoarse.
After the first outburst the revolt began to turn
in other directions. The shops were all closed,
the citizens gathered in the street, rich and poor



THE WAR OF THE BRIDGE 207

mingling together familiarly, all possessed of the
same wild desire to speak, to shout, to gesticulate,
to express in a thousand different ways the feel-
ings which burned within them.
Every few minutes another tribune would ar-
rive with fresh news. Groups dissolved to form
new groups, varying according to differences of
opinion.

### Analysis ###
La domanda dell'utente riguarda ciò che ispira la forza e il coraggio nei momenti di difficoltà, distinguendoli dalla codardia e dalla menzogna. Per rispondere a questa domanda, è utile esaminare i testi forniti per individuare riferimenti specifici a situazioni di difficoltà e le reazioni dei personaggi ai problemi affrontati. I testi includono una varietà di storie e riflessioni, dalle avventure epiche alle esperienze personali e meditative.

### Answer ###
La forza e il coraggio possono essere ispirate da molteplici fattori, come la determinazione, la resistenza e la fede. Ad esempio, in "The Enigma of Linen" di Lionora d'Avila, la protagonista interpreta un enigma che viene apprezzato da tutti, dimostrando così la sua abilità e la sua intelligenza<ref name="Lionora d'Avila">"Everyone was pleased with the interpretation of this clever enigma and commended it highly."</ref>. Questo esempio mostra come la capacità di affrontare e risolvere problemi possa stimolare la forza interiore e il coraggio.

In "Conforming to the Will of God: Navigating Indirect ILLs and Persecution" di Martin Luther, si sottolinea l'importanza della resa dei conti con la volontà divina nelle difficoltà, incluso la persecuzione e le sofferenze. Luther afferma che bisogna conformarsi alla volontà di Dio anche in circostanze indirette, imparando a vedere tali eventi come benedizioni piuttosto che come maledizioni<ref name="Luther">"We must conform ourselves to the will of God, not only in things contrary to us which come directly from God, such as loss of health, desolation of spirit, loss of relatives or possessions; but even in those ills which come from Him indirectly, such as slanders, slights, injustices, and all other kinds of persecution."</ref>. Questo tipo di resilienza può essere visto come un riflesso del coraggio morale.

Anche nella storia narrata da Ferdinando Montaldo in "The Lost Princess", Anna mostra un grande coraggio facendo fronte a una grave malattia, la febbre scarlatta, superando momenti di delirio e sofferenza<ref name="Montaldo">"For three weeks Anna lay at the point of death, prey to a violent attack of scarlet fever, alternating between delirium and stupor, and always moaning in her pain"</ref>. Questo esempio di tenacia e sacrificio personale illustra come la forza possa emergere anche in situazioni estreme.

In contrasto, la codardia e la menzogna sono spesso mostrate come comportamenti vili e indegni. Nel testo "De Natura Hydropica et Curatione" di Geminus, si parla di come l'incapacità di affrontare i problemi con determinazione possa portare a conseguenze negative<ref name="Geminus">"Sed fi per magnane dofim parum evacuine, vel emittitur aqua corrupa, poli sufficiencem evacuationem aegri morientur, putrefalli! & corruptis vilceti’uus ab incumbence liquore."</ref>. Questo suggerisce che la debolezza e l'evitamento delle responsabilità possono portare a un deterioramento fisico e mentale.

Infine, nell'opera di P. Aldric e J. Montague, "The Adventures of Bishop Hallo and the Army of Rats", il vescovo Hallo, impaurito dall'arrivo di un esercito di topi, si nasconde in un torrione, mostrando una paura eccessiva che contrappone al coraggio<ref name="Aldric">"Down on his knees the bishop fell, and faster and faster his beads did he tell, as louder and louder drawing near the saw of their teeth without he could hear."</ref>.

In conclusione, la forza e il coraggio possono essere alimentati da un senso di determinazione, fede, e resilienza in volto alle difficoltà, mentre la codardia e la menzogna sono caratterizzate da un comportamento evasivo e scoraggiato che non affronta i problemi direttamente. 