68. The First Trial

During this trial, two inscriptions were engraved on the lid of each casket. Portia explained that on each lid, no more than one statement was false.

On the gold

On the silver

On the lead

1) The portrait is not in this casket
2) The portrait was painted by an artist from Venice
3) The portrait is not in the gold casket
4) The portrait was actually painted by an artist from Florence
5) The portrait is not in this casket
6) The portrait is actually in the silver casket

In which casket is the portrait?

## 68a. The Second Trial

If a suitor passed the first trial, he was led to another room, in the middle of which were placed three other caskets. Two inscriptions were engraved on the lid of each. Portia explained that on the lid of one casket, both statements were true; on the lid of another, both statements were false; and on the lid of the third, one statement was true and one was false.

On the gold

1) The portrait is not in this casket
2) The portrait is in the silver casket

On the silver

1) The portrait is not in the gold casket
2) The portrait is in the lead casket

On the lead

1) The portrait is not in this casket
2) The portrait is in the gold casket

In which casket is the portrait?

## V. THE APPEARANCE OF BELLINI AND CELLINI

The suitor from the previous story successfully passed both trials and proclaimed Portia II his fiancée. Soon they got married and lived happily. They had a charming daughter, whom they named Portia III (henceforth we will call her simply Portia). When Portia grew up, she became a wise and beautiful young woman, just like her mother and grandmother were in their youth. Following the family tradition, she decided to use the "casket method" in choosing a husband. The suitor had to pass three trials! The program of trials was crafted with great skill. Portia decided to revive her grandmother's idea and ordered that only one inscription be engraved on the lid of each casket. But she not only revived the old idea; she also enriched it with a new innovation. The suitor was informed that each casket was made by one of two famous Florentine masters, Cellini or Bellini. If the casket was made by Cellini, the inscription on its lid was always true; if the casket was made by Bellini, the inscription on its lid was false.
68. The lead casket can be immediately excluded from consideration, as if the portrait were in it, then both statements engraved on the lid of the lead casket would be false. Therefore, the portrait is in the gold or silver casket. The first statements engraved on the lids of the gold and silver caskets are consistent, so they are either both true or both false. If they are both false, then the second statements are both true, which is impossible, as the second statements are contradictory to each other. Therefore, if the first statements are both true, the portrait cannot be in the gold casket. This proves that the portrait is in the silver casket.

68a. If the portrait is in the gold casket, then the lids of the gold and silver caskets are engraved with two false statements each. If the portrait is in the silver casket, then the lids of the silver and lead caskets are engraved with one true and one false statement each. Therefore, the portrait is in the lead casket (the lid of the silver casket is adorned with two true statements, the lid of the lead casket with two false statements, and the lid of the gold casket with one true and one false statement).