Interesting that mountebank would be one of the chosen words for this week's theme. Although the roots are different, charlatan and mountebank have precisely the same etymological meaning, i.e. someone who jumps onto a bench to pitch his wares. One of the last mountebanks, Ralph A. Marcom, who performed at renaissance festivals as MarcoM the Mountebank DO, MIMC, passed away on October 13, 2010. He was the author of Lord of Legerdemain, a handbook for renaissance festival performers. He spoke a half-dozen languages fluently. His favorite plaything was the English language.

Yes, indeed, thanks for bringing it to our attention.
R.I.P.

Welcome, Bill. charlatan ... i.e. someone who jumps onto a bench Someone who jumps up on a chair?

You might need a chair for this procedure...

When searching Mountebank I came across this Italian masterpiece, for sale at Christies. The oil painting's estimated value is £15,000 - £20,000 ($23,000 - $30,000)Size 33¾ x 24½ in. (85.5 x 62 cm.)

A Mountebank Dentist

It has an inscription 'Il mondo è tondo... Chi non fa navigar va al fondo' in the upper left. (I have yet to find translation for it).

It has an inscription 'Il mondo è tondo... Chi non fa navigar va al fondo' in the upper left. (I have yet to find translation for it).

It's a proverb, and like most of those, it's literal translation might not be the best: "The world is round, and s/he who cannot navigate it go off the edge."

or overcooks meat on a grill

Heh--I think your interpretation is about as likely as mine, Luke!

Interesting......thanks for posting that Zmmy

thanks for posting that

You're welcome, Candy. BTW, while perusing the entry on navigare in an Italian dictionary, I discovered that it is the verb used for 'to surf (the Internet, Web)' these days.

At least when I cook, which I don't.

it is the verb used for 'to surf (the Internet, Web)' these days. I've heard navigate the web in English, as well.

Liked the Mountebank Dentist very much. On closer inspection I found, however, that the inscription's second line is Chi non sa navigar and not ... fa ... . You will notice that the wavy vertical line has no cross bar as does the word fondo in the line below. In writing the word sa the long-s is used as at the beginning of a word, in contrast to the round-s which comes at the end of words. If you look up an English text written in Gothic script (as used in Italy since the 15th c.) you will find the long-s letter used everywhere, see for instance this page from a bible
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Piers_plowman_drolleries.gif .

The verb 'sapere' instead of 'fare' also makes more sense in the translation:

S/he who knows not how to swim goes to the bottom

Welcome UdoP

Thanks UdoP
it was an interesting painting and worth more study.

I'll second that. Does anyone know a site where such may be had?