,transcribers note3       ,this text is 
best viewed in palatino linotype font4  
,,the ,,works ,,of ,,anatole ,,france   
,,in ,,an ,,english ,,translation       
,,edited ,,by ,,frederic ,,chapman      
,,the ,,well ,,of ,,saint ,,clare       
,illustration     ,,the ,,well ,,of     
,,saint ,,clare  ,,by ,,anatole ,,france
  ,a ,,translation ,,by ,,alfred        
,,allinson  ,illustration  ,,london3    
,,john ,,lane1 ,,the ,,bodley ,,head    
,,new ,,york3 ,,john ,,lane ,,company3  
,,mcmix  ,,wm4 ,,brendon ,,and ,,son1   
,,ltd41 ,,printers1 ,,plymouth          
,,contents     ,prologue--,the ,reverend
 ,father ,adone ,doni                 #c
   ,san ,satiro                         
#ag   ,messer ,guido ,cavalcanti        
#ea   ,lucifer                          
#gc   ,the ,loaves of ,black ,bread     
#he   ,the ,merry-,hearted ,buffalmacco 
#ie      i4 ,the ,cockroaches           
#if     ii4 ,the ,ascending up of       
,andria ,tafi                  #ajf     
iii4 ,the ,master                       

#aah     iv4 ,the ,painter              
#abd   ,the ,lady of ,verona            
#acc   ,the ,human ,tragedy             
#ada       i4 ,fra ,giovanni4           
#ada      ii4 ,the ,lamp                
#aej     iii4 ,the ,seraphic ,doctor4   
#aec      iv4 ,the ,loaf on the ,flat   
,stone                      #aef        
v4 ,the ,table under the ,fig-tree      
#aei      vi4 ,the ,temptation          
#afc     vii4 ,the ,subtle ,doctor      
#afi    viii4 ,the ,burning ,coal       
#agg      ix4 ,the ,house of ,innocence 
#agi       x4 ,the ,friends of ,order   
#ahg      xi4 ,the ,revolt of           
,gentleness                        #aid 
xii4 ,words of ,love                    
#bjj    xiii4 ,the ,truth               
#bje     xiv4 ,giovanni's ,dream        
#bae      xv4 ,the ,judgment4           
#bbc     xvi4 ,the ,prince of this      
,world                        #bca      
,the ,mystic ,blood                     
#bdc   ,a ,sound ,security              
#beg   ,history of ,doa ,maria d',avalos

 and the ,duke d',andria   #bga         
,bonaparte at ,san ,miniato             
#bhi     ,,the ,,well ,,of ,,saint      
,,clare     ,,prologue  ,,the ,,reverend
 ,,father ,,adone ,,doni     ,,prologue 
,,the ,,reverend ,,father ,,adone ,,doni
      1       1      1   1              
4--,diogenes   ,lartius1 ,,ix1 #cg4a    
,footnote #a3 ,for of physical and      
ethical science1 no less than of        
mathematics and the common round of     
learning1 as well as concerning arts1 he
 possessed full knowledge and           
experience4   ,i was spending the       
,spring at ,sienna4 ,occupied all day   
long with meticulous researches among   
the city archives1 ,i used after supper 
to take an evening walk along the wild  
road leading to ,monte ,oliveto1 where  
,i would encounter in the twilight huge 
white oxen under ponderous yokes        
dragging a rustic wain with wheels of   
solid timber--all unchanged since the   
times of old ,evander4 ,the church bells
 knelled the peaceful ending of the day1

 while the purple shades of night       
descended sadly and majestically on the 
low chain of neighbouring hills4 ,the   
black squadrons of the rooks had already
 sought their nests about the city      
walls1 but relieved against the         
opalescent sky a single sparrow-hawk    
still hung floating with motionless     
wings above a solitary ilex tree4  ,i   
moved forward to confront the silence   
and solitude and the mild terrors that  
lowered before me in the growing dusk4  
,the tide of darkness rose by           
imperceptible degrees and drowned the   
landscape4 ,the infinite of starry eyes 
winked in the sky1 while in the gloom   
below the fireflies spangled the bushes 
with their trembling love-lights4       
,these living sparks cover all the      
,roman ,campagna and the plains of      
,umbria and ,tuscany1 on ,may nights4 ,i
 had watched them in former days on the 
,appian ,way1 round the tomb of ,ccilia 
,metella--their playground for two      
thousand years2 now ,i found them       

dancing the selfsame dance in the land  
of ,st4 ,catherine and of ,pia de'      
,tolomei1 at the gates of ,sienna1 that 
most melancholy and most fascinating of 
cities4 ,all along my path they quivered
 in the bents and brushwood1 chasing one
 another1 and ever and anon1 at the call
 of desire1 tracing above the roadway   
the fiery arch of their darting flight4 
,on the white ribbon of the road1 in    
these clear ,spring nights1 the only    
person ,i used to encounter was the     
,reverend ,father ,adone ,doni1 who at  
the time was1 like myself1 working in   
the old ,academy degli ,intronati4 ,i   
had taken an instant liking for the     
,cordelier in question1 a man who1 grown
 grey in study1 still preserved the     
cheerful1 facile humour of a simple1    
unlettered countryman4 ,he was very     
willing to converse2 and ,i greatly     
relished his bland speech1 his          
cultivated yet artless way of thought1  
his look of old ,silenus purged at the  
baptismal font1 the play of his passions

 at once keen and refined1 the strange1 
alluring personality that informed the  
whole man4 ,assiduous at the library1 he
 was also a frequent visitor to the     
marketplace1 halting for choice in front
 of the peasant girls who sell oranges1 
and listening to their unconventional   
remarks4 ,he was learning1 he would say1
 from their lips the true ,lingua       
,toscana4  ,all ,i knew of his past     
life1 about which he never spoke1 was   
that he was born at ,viterbo1 of a noble
 but miserably impoverished family1 that
 he had studied the humanities and      
theology at ,rome1 as a young man had   
joined the ,franciscans of ,assisi1     
where he worked at the ,archives1 and   
had had difficulties on questions of    
faith with his ecclesiastical superiors4
 ,indeed ,i thought ,i noticed myself a 
tendency in the ,father towards peculiar
 views4 ,he was a man of religion and a 
man of science1 but not without certain 
eccentricities under either aspect4 ,he 
believed in ,god on the evidence of     

,holy ,scripture and in accordance with 
the teachings of the ,church1 and       
laughed at those simple philosophers who
 believed in ,him on their own account1 
without being under any obligation to do
 so4 ,so far he was well within the     
bounds of orthodoxy2 it was in          
connection with the ,devil that he      
professed peculiar opinions4 ,he held   
the ,devil to be wicked1 but not        
absolutely wicked1 and considered that  
the fiend's innate imperfection must    
always bar him from attaining to the    
perfection of evil4 ,he believed he     
discerned some symptoms of goodness in  
the obscure manifestations of ,satan's  
activity1 and without venturing to put  
it in so many words1 augured from these 
the final redemption of the pensive     
,archangel after the consummation of the
 ages4  ,these little eccentricities of 
thought and temperament1 which had      
separated him from the rest of the world
 and thrown him back upon a solitary    
existence1 afforded me amusement4 ,he   

had wits enough2 all he lacked was      
common sense and appreciation of        
ordinary everyday things4 ,his life was 
divided between phantoms of the past and
 dreams of the future2 the actual       
present was utterly foreign to his      
notions4 ,for his political ideas1 these
 came simultaneously from antique ,santa
 ,maria degli ,angeli and the           
revolutionary secret societies of       
,london1 and were a combination of      
,christian and socialist4 ,but he was no
 fanatic2 his contempt for human reason 
was too complete for him to attach great
 importance to his own share in it4 ,the
 government of states appeared to him in
 the light of a huge practical joke1 at 
which he would laugh quietly and        
composedly1 as a man of taste should4   
,judges1 civil and criminal1 caused him 
surprise1 while he looked on the        
military classes in a spirit of         
philosophical toleration4  ,i was not   
long in discovering some flagrant       
contradictions in his mental attitude4  

,he longed with all the charity of his  
gentle heart for the reign of universal 
peace4 ,yet at the same time he had a   
penchant for civil war1 and held in high
 esteem that ,farinata degli ,uberti1   
who loved his native ,florence so boldly
 and so well that he constrained her by 
force and fraud1 making the ,arbia run  
red with ,florentine blood the while1 to
 will and think precisely what he willed
 and thought himself4 ,for all that1 the
 ,reverend ,father ,adone ,doni was a   
tender-hearted dreamer of dreams4 ,it   
was on the spiritual authority of ,st4  
,peter's chair he counted to establish  
in this world the kingdom of ,god4 ,he  
believed the ,paraclete was leading the 
,popes along a road unknown to          
themselves4 ,therefore he had nothing   
but deferential words for the ,roaring  
,lamb of ,sinigaglia and the            
,opportunist ,eagle of ,carpineto1 as it
 was his custom to designate ,pius ,,ix 
and ,leo ,,xiii respectively4           
,agreeable as was the ,reverend         

,father's conversation to me1 ,i used1  
out of respect for his freedom of action
 and my own1 to avoid showing myself too
 assiduous in seeking his society inside
 the city walls1 while on his side he   
observed an exquisite discretion towards
 myself4 ,but in our walks abroad we    
frequently managed to meet as if by     
accident4 ,half a league outside the    
,porta ,romana the high road traverses a
 hollow way between melancholy uplands  
on either hand1 relieved only by a few  
gloomy larches4 ,under the clayey slope 
of the northern escarpment and close by 
the roadside1 a dry well rears its light
 canopy of open ironwork4  ,at this spot
 ,i would encounter the ,reverend       
,father ,adone ,doni almost every       
evening1 seated on the coping of the    
well1 his hands buried in the sleeves of
 his gown1 gazing out with mild surprise
 into the night4 ,the gathering dusk    
still left it possible to make out on   
his bright-eyed1 flat-nosed face the    
habitual expression of timid daring and 

graceful irony which was impressed upon 
it so profoundly4 ,at first we merely   
exchanged formal good wishes for each   
other's health1 peace and happiness4    
,then ,i would take my place by his side
 on the old stone well-head1 that bore  
some traces of carving4 ,it was still   
possible1 in full daylight1 to          
distinguish a figure with a head bigger 
than its body and representing an       
,angel1 as seemed indicated by the      
wings4  ,the ,reverend ,father never    
failed to say courteously3  ,welcome1   
,signore6 ,welcome to the ,well of ,st4 
,clare4  ,one evening ,i asked him the  
reason why the well bore the name of    
this favourite disciple of ,st4         
,francis4 ,he informed me it was because
 of a very edifying little miracle1     
which for all its charm had             
unfortunately never found a place in the
 collection of the ,fioretti4 ,i begged 
him to oblige me by telling it1 which he
 proceeded to do in the following terms3
  ,in the days when the poor man of     

,jesus ,christ1 ,francis1 son of        
,bernardone1 used to journey from town  
to town teaching holy simplicity and    
love1 he visited ,sienna1 in company    
with ,brother ,leo1 the man of his own  
heart4 ,but the ,siennese1 a covetous   
and cruel generation1 true sons of the  
,she-,wolf on whose milk they boasted   
themselves to have been suckled1 gave a 
sorry welcome to the holy man1 who bade 
them take into their house two ladies of
 a perfect beauty1 to wit ,poverty and  
,obedience4 ,they overwhelmed him with  
obloquy and mocking laughter1 and drove 
him forth from the city4 ,he left the   
place in the night by the ,porta        
,romana4 ,brother ,leo1 who tramped     
alongside1 spoke up and said to him3--  
',the ,siennese have written on the     
gates of their city1--,sienna opens her 
heart to you wider than her doors4 ,and 
nevertheless1 brother ,francis1 these   
same men have shut their hearts against 
us4'  ,and ,francis1 son of ,bernardone1
 replied3  ',the fault is with me1 be   

sure of that1 brother ,leo1 little lamb 
of ,god4 ,i have not known how to knock 
at the doors of their hearts forcefully 
and skilfully enough4 ,i am far below   
the fellows who set a bear dancing in   
the ,great ,piazza4 ,for they draw      
together a great crowd by exhibiting the
 rude coarse beast1 whilst ,i that had  
ladies of celestial fairness to show    
them1 ,i have attracted no one4 ,brother
 ,leo1 ,i charge you1 on your holy      
obedience1 to say thus to me3 ,brother  
,francis1 you are a poor man1 without   
any merit whatsoever1 a stumbling-block 
and a very rock of offence6 ,and all the
 while ,brother ,leo was hesitating to  
obey1 the holy man suffered grievously  
within himself4 ,as he went on his murky
 way1 his thoughts turned to pleasant   
,assisi1 where he had left behind him   
his sons in the spirit1 and ,clare1     
daughter of his soul4 ,he knew how      
,clare was exposed to great tribulations
 for the love of holy ,poverty4 ,and he 
doubted whether his well-beloved        

daughter were not sick of body and soul1
 and weary of well-doing1 in the house  
of ,st4 ,damian4  ,so sore did these    
doubts weigh on him1 that arrived at    
this spot where the road enters the     
hollow way between the hills1 he seemed 
to feel his feet sink into the ground at
 each step he took4 ,he dragged himself 
as far as the ,well here1 which was then
 in its pristine beauty and full of     
limpid water1 and fell exhausted on the 
well-head where we are seated at this   
moment4 ,a long while the man of ,god   
remained bent over the mouth of the     
well4 ,after which1 lifting up his head1
 he said joyfully to ,brother ,leo3     
',what think you1 brother ,leo1 lamb of 
,god1 ,i have seen in the ,well8'  ,and 
,brother ,leo answered3  ',brother      
,francis1 you saw the moon reflected in 
the well4'  ',my brother1' replied the  
,saint of ,god1 'it is not our sister   
the ,moon ,i saw in the well1 but by the
 ,lord1 the true countenance of sister  
,clare1 and so pure and shining so      

bright with a holy joy that all my      
doubts were instantly dispelled1 and it 
was made plain to me that our sister    
enjoys at this present hour the full    
content ,god accords his chosen vessels1
 loading them with the treasures of     
,poverty4'  ,so saying1 the good ,st4   
,francis drank a few drops of water in  
the hollow of his hand1 and arose       
refreshed4  ,and that is why the name of
 ,st4 ,clare was given to this ,well4   
,such was the tale told by the ,reverend
 ,father ,adone ,doni4  ,night after    
night ,i returned to find the amiable   
,cordelier sitting on the edge of the   
mystic well4 ,i would seat myself by his
 side1 and he would tell over for my    
benefit some fragment of history known  
only to himself4 ,he had many delightful
 stories of the sort to relate1 being   
better read than any one else in the    
antiquities of his country4 ,these lived
 again and grew bright and young in his 
head1 as if it contained an intellectual
 ,fountain of ,eternal ,youth4 ,ever    

fresh pictures flowed from his          
white-fringed lips4 ,as he spoke1 the   
moonlight bathed his beard in a silver  
flood4 ,the crickets accompanied the    
narrator's voice with the shrilling of  
their wing-cases1 and ever and anon his 
words1 uttered in the softest of all    
dialects of human speech1 would be      
answered by the fluted plaintive        
croaking of the frogs1 which hearkened  
from across the road--a friendly1 if    
apprehensive audience4  ,i left ,sienna 
towards the middle of ,june2 and ,i have
 never seen the ,reverend ,father ,adone
 ,doni since4 ,he clings to my memory   
like a figure in a dream2 and ,i have   
now put into writing the tales he told  
me on the road of ,monte ,oliveto4 ,they
 will be found in the present volume2 ,i
 only hope they may have retained1 in   
their new dress1 some vestiges of the   
grace they had in the telling at the    
,well of ,st4 ,clare4     ,,san ,,satiro
  ,,to ,,alphonse ,,daudet     ,,san    
,,satiro    ,consors paterni luminis1   

,lux ipse lucis et dies1   ,noctem      
canendo rumpimus2   ,assiste            
postulantibus4    ,aufer tenebras       
mentium2   ,fuga catervas dmonum2       
,expelle somnolentiam1   ,ne pigritantes
 obruat4#a    7,breviarium ,romanum     
,third day of the week3 at matins47     
,footnote #a3 ,partner of the ,father's 
light1 light of light and day of day1 we
 break the dusk of night with psalms2   
help us now1 ,thy suppliants4 ,remove   
the darkness of our minds2 scatter the  
demon hosts away2 expel the sin of      
drowsiness1 lest we be slack in serving 
,thee4   ,fra ,mino had raised himself  
by his humility above his brethren1 and 
still a young man1 he governed the      
,monastery of ,santa ,fiora wisely and  
well4 ,he was devout1 and loved long    
meditations and long prayers2 sometimes 
he had ecstasies4 ,after the example of 
his spiritual father1 ,st4 ,francis1 he 
composed songs in the vernacular tongue 
in celebration of perfect love1 which is
 the love of ,god4 ,and these exercises 

were without fault whether of metre or  
of meaning1 for had he not studied the  
seven liberal ,arts at the ,university  
of ,bologna8  ,now one evening1 as he   
was walking under the cloister arches1  
he felt his heart filled with trouble   
and sadness at the remembrance of a lady
 of ,florence he had loved in the first 
flower of his youth1 ere the habit of   
,st4 ,francis was a safeguard to his    
flesh4 ,he prayed ,god to drive away the
 image2 nevertheless his heart continued
 sad within him4  ,the bells1 he        
pondered1 say like the ,angels1 ,,ave   
,,maria2 but their voice is lost in the 
mists of heaven4 ,on the cloister wall  
yonder1 the ,master ,perugia delights to
 honour has painted marvellous well the 
three ,marys contemplating with a love  
ineffable the body of the ,saviour4 ,but
 the night has veiled the tears in their
 eyes and the dumb sobs of their mouths1
 and ,i cannot weep with them4 ,yonder  
,well in the middle of the cloister     
garth was covered but now with doves    

that had come to drink1 but these are   
flown away1 for they found no water in  
the hollows of the carven well-head4    
,and behold4 ,lord6 my soul falls silent
 like the bells1 is darkened like the   
holy ,marys1 and runs dry like the well4
 ,why1 ,jesus my ,god6 why is my heart  
arid1 and dark1 and dumb1 when ,thou art
 its dayspring1 and the song of birds1  
and the water-brook flowing from the    
hills8  ,fra ,mino dreaded to return to 
his cell1 and thinking prayer would     
dispel his melancholy and calm his      
disquiet1 he passed into the ,monastery 
,church by the low door leading from the
 cloister4 ,silence and gloom filled the
 building1 raised more than a hundred   
and fifty years before on the           
foundations of a ruined ,roman ,temple  
by the great ,margaritone4 ,he traversed
 the ,nave1 and went and knelt in the   
,chapel behind the ,high ,altar         
dedicated to ,san ,michele1 whose legend
 was painted in fresco on the wall4 ,but
 the dim light of the lamp hanging from 

the vault was insufficient to show the  
,archangel fighting with ,satan and     
weighing souls in the balance4 ,only the
 moon1 shining through the great window1
 threw a pale ray over the ,tomb of ,san
 ,satiro1 where it lay under an arcade  
to the right of the ,altar4 ,this tomb1 
in shape resembling the great vats used 
at vintage time1 was more ancient than  
the ,church and in all respects similar 
to a ,pagan sarcophagus1 except that the
 sign of the ,cross was to be seen      
traced in three different places on its 
marble sides4  ,fra ,mino remained for  
hours prostrate before the ,altar2 but  
he found it impossible to pray1 and at  
midnight felt himself weighed down under
 the same heaviness that overcame ,jesus
 ,christ's disciples in the ,garden of  
,gethsemane4 ,and lo6 as he lay there   
without courage or counsel1 he saw as it
 were a white cloud rise above the tomb 
of ,san ,satiro1 and presently observed 
that this cloud was made up of a        
multitude of cloudlets1 of which each   

one was a woman4 ,they floated in the   
dim air2 and through their light raiment
 shone the whiteness of their light     
limbs4 ,then ,fra ,mino saw how among   
them were goat-footed young men who were
 chasing them4 ,these were naked1 and   
nothing hid the terrifying ardour of    
their desires4 ,and the nymphs fled away
 from them1 while beneath their racing  
steps there sprang up flowery meadows   
and brooks of water4 ,each time a       
goat-foot put out his hand to seize one 
of them1 a sallow would shoot up        
suddenly to hide the nymph in its hollow
 trunk as in a cave1 and the grey leaves
 shivered with light murmurings and     
spurts of mocking laughter4  ,when all  
the women were hidden in the sallows1   
their goat-footed lovers1 sitting on the
 grass of the new-come meadows1 breathed
 in their flutes of reeds and drew from 
them sounds to destroy the peace of any 
creature of the earth4 ,the nymphs were 
fascinated1 and soon began to peep out  
between the branches1 and one by one    

deserting the shady covert1 drew near   
under the irresistible attraction of the
 music4 ,then the goat-men rushed upon  
them with a demoniac fury4 ,folded in   
the arms of their ruthless assailants1  
the nymphs strove to keep up a while    
longer their raillery and loud laughter1
 but the mirth died on their lips4 ,with
 heads thrown back and eyes swooning    
with joy and terror1 they could only    
call upon their mother1 or scream a     
shrill ,you are killing me1 or keep a   
sullen silence4  ,fra ,mino longed to   
turn his head1 but he could not1 and his
 eyes remained wide open in spite of    
himself4  ,meanwhile the nymphs1 winding
 their arms about the goat-men's loins1 
fell to biting and caressing and        
provoking their hairy lovers1 and body  
intertwined with body1 they enfolded and
 bathed them in their tender flesh that 
was sweeter and softer and more living  
than the water of the brook which ran by
 them under the sallows4  ,at the sight1
 ,fra ,mino fell1 in mind and intention1

 into deadly sin4 ,he desired to be one 
of these demons1 half men and half      
beasts1 and hold to his bosom1 after    
their carnal fashion1 the fair lady of  
,florence he had loved in the flower of 
his years1 and who was now dead4  ,but  
already the goat-men were scattering    
through the country-side4 ,some were    
busied gathering honey in the hollow    
trunks of oaks1 others carving reeds    
into the shape of flutes1 or butting one
 against the other1 crashing their      
horned brows together4 ,meantime the    
bodies of the nymphs1 sweet wrecks of   
love1 lay motionless1 strewing the      
meadows4 ,fra ,mino lay groaning on the 
,chapel flags2 for so fierce had been   
the desire of sin within him that now he
 was filled full of bitter shame at his 
own weakness4  ,suddenly one of the     
nymphs1 chancing as she lay to turn her 
eyes upon him1 cried out3  ,a man6 a    
man6  ,and pointing him out to her      
companions3  ,look1 sisters2 yonder is  
no goat-herd1 he has no flute of reed   

beside him4 ,nor yet do ,i recognize him
 for the master of one of those rustic  
farmsteads whose garden-close1 sloping  
to the hill-side beneath the vines1 is  
guarded by a ,priapus hewn out of a     
stump of beech4 ,what would he among us1
 if he is neither goat-herd1 nor        
neat-herd1 nor gardener8 ,his looks are 
harsh and gloomy1 and ,i cannot read in 
his eyes the love of the gods and       
goddesses that people the wide sky1 the 
woods and mountains4 ,he wears a        
barbarous habit2 perhaps he is a        
,scythian4 ,let us approach the         
stranger1 my sisters1 and make sure he  
is not come as a foe to sully our       
fountains1 hew down our trees1 tear open
 our hill-sides and betray to cruel men 
the mystery of our happy lurking places4
 ,come with me1 ,mnas2 come1 gle1 ,nera 
and ,meliba4  ,on6 on6 returned ,mnas1  
on1 with our arms in hand6  ,on6 on6 all
 cried in chorus4  ,then ,fra ,mino saw 
them spring up1 and gather great        
handfuls of roses1 and advance upon him 

in a long line1 each armed with roses   
and thorns4 ,but the distance that      
separated them from him1 which at first 
had seemed very short1 for indeed he    
thought almost to touch them and felt   
their breath on his face1 appeared      
suddenly to increase1 and he watched    
them coming as though from out a far-off
 forest4 ,impatient to be at him1 they  
began to run1 threatening him with their
 cruel flowers1 while menaces flew from 
their flower-like lips4 ,and lo6 as they
 came nearer1 a change was wrought in   
them2 at each step they lost something  
of their grace and beauty1 and the bloom
 of their youth faded as fast as the    
roses in their hands4 ,first their eyes 
grew hollow and the mouth fell in4 ,the 
neck1 but now so pure and white1 hung in
 great hideous folds1 and grey elf-locks
 draggled over their wrinkled brows4 ,on
 they came2 and their eyes were circled 
with red1 their lips drawn in upon the  
toothless gums4 ,on they came1 carrying 
dead roses in their arms1 which were    

black and writhen as the old vine stocks
 the peasants of ,chianti burn for      
firewood in the winter nights4 ,on they 
came1 with shaking heads and palsied    
thighs1 tottering and trembling4        
,arrived at the spot where ,fra ,mino   
stood rooted to the ground with         
affright1 they were no better than a    
crowd of horrid witches1 bald and       
bearded1 nose and chin touching1 and    
bosoms hanging loose and flabby4 ,they  
came crowding round him3  ,ah1 ha6 the  
pretty darling6 cried one4 ,he is as    
white as a sheet1 and his heart beats   
like a hare the dogs are snapping at4   
gle1 sister mine1 say1 what must be done
 with him8  ,nera mine6 gle replied1    
why6 we must open his breast1 tear out  
his heart and put a sponge in its place 
instead4  ,not so6 said ,meliba4 ,that  
were making him pay too dear for his    
curiosity and the pleasure he has had in
 surprising our frolic4 ,enough for this
 time to inflict a light chastisement4  
,say1 shall we give him a good whipping8

  ,straightway surrounding the ,monk1   
the sisters dragged his gown above his  
head and belaboured him with the        
handfuls of thorns they still held4     
,the blood was beginning to come1 when  
,nera signed to them to stop3  ,enough6 
she cried6 he is my gallant1 ,i tell    
you6 ,i saw him just now casting tender 
eyes at me2 ,i would content his wishes1
 and grant him my favours without more  
delay4  ,she smiled alluringly2 and a   
long1 black tooth projecting from her   
mouth tickled his nostril4 ,she murmured
 softly3  ,come1 come1 my ,adonis6      
,then suddenly1 wild with rage3  ,fie1  
fie6 his senses are benumbed4 ,his      
coldness offends my charms4 ,he scorns  
me2 avenge me1 comrades6 ,mnas1 gle1    
,meliba1 avenge your sister6  ,at this  
appeal1 one and all1 lifting their      
thorny whips1 fell to scourging him so  
savagely that ,fra ,mino's body was soon
 one wound from head to toe4 ,now and   
again they would stop to cough and spit1
 only to begin afresh1 plying their     

whips more vigorously than ever4 ,only  
sheer weariness induced them to leave   
off4  ,i hope1 ,nera then said1 next    
time he will not do me the undeserved   
insult ,i still blush to remember4 ,we  
will spare his life2 but if he betrays  
the secret of our sports and pleasures1 
we will surely kill him4 ,good-bye to   
you1 my pretty boy6  ,so saying1 the old
 woman suddenly squatted down over the  
,monk and drowned him in a torrent of   
very filthy liquid4 ,each sister        
followed suit and did the like2 then one
 after the other they re-entered the    
tomb of ,san ,satiro1 slipping in       
through a tiny crack in the lid1 leaving
 their victim lying full length in a    
stream of a most intolerable stench4    
,when the last had disappeared1--the    
cock crew4 ,then ,fra ,mino at last     
found himself able to rise from the     
earth4 ,broken with fatigue and pain1   
benumbed with cold1 shuddering with     
fever1 half stifled with the foul       
exhalations of the poisonous liquor1 he 

set his clothing straight and dragged   
himself to his cell1 just as day broke4 
,from that night on1 ,fra ,mino never   
had a moment's peace4 ,the recollection 
of what he had seen in the ,chapel of   
,san ,michele1 above ,san ,satiro's     
tomb1 disturbed him in the ,church      
services and in all his pious exercises4
 ,he trembled when he visited the       
,church along with his fellows2 and as  
his turn came1 according to the rule1 to
 kiss the pavement of the ,choir1 his   
lips shuddered to encounter the traces  
of the nymphs' presence1 and he would   
murmur3 ,o6 my ,saviour1 dost not ,thou 
hear me say what ,thou didst ,thyself   
say to ,thy ,father1 ,lead us not1 we   
beseech ,thee1 into temptation8 ,at     
first he had thought of sending to the  
,lord ,bishop an account of what he had 
witnessed4 ,but on riper reflexion1 he  
became convinced it were better to      
meditate at leisure on these            
extraordinary events and only divulge   
them after a more exhaustive study of   

all the circumstances4 ,besides it so   
happened that the ,lord ,bishop1 allied 
with the ,guelphs of ,pisa against the  
,ghibellines of ,florence1 was at that  
moment waging war with such right good  
will that for a whole month he had not  
so much as unbuckled his cuirass4 ,and  
that is why1 without saying a word to   
anyone1 ,fra ,mino made profound        
researches on the tomb of ,san ,satiro  
and the ,chapel containing it4 ,deeply  
versed in the knowledge of books1 he    
investigated many texts1 both ancient   
and modern2 yet found no glimmer of     
enlightenment in any of them4 ,indeed   
the only effect of the works on ,magic  
which he studied was to double his      
uncertainty4  ,one morning1 after       
labouring all the night as was his wont1
 he was fain to refresh his heart with a
 walk in the fields4 ,he took the hilly 
path which1 winding between the vines   
and the elms they are wedded to1 leads  
to a wood of myrtles and olives1 sacred 
in old days to the ,roman gods4 ,his    

feet bathed in the wet grass1 his brow  
refreshed by the dew that distilled from
 the pointed leaves of the ,guelder     
roses1 ,fra ,mino wandered long in the  
forest1 till he came upon a spring over 
which the wild tamarisks gently swayed  
their light foliage and the downy       
clusters of their pink berries4 ,lower  
down amid the willows1 where the water  
formed a wider pool1 herons stood       
motionless1 while the smaller birds sang
 sweetly in the branching myrtles4 ,the 
scent of mint rose moist and fragrant   
from the ground1 and the grass was      
spangled with the flowers of which our  
,lord said that ,solomon in all his     
glory was not arrayed like one of these4
 ,fra ,mino sat down on a mossy stone   
and praising ,god1 ,who made the heavens
 and the dew1 he fell to pondering the  
hidden mysteries of ,nature4  ,now the  
remembrance of all he had seen in the   
,chapel of ,san ,michele never left his 
thoughts2 so he sat meditating1 his head
 between his hands1 wondering for the   

thousandth time what the dream might    
signify3 ,for indeed1 he said to        
himself1 such a vision must needs have a
 meaning2 it should even have several1  
which it behoves to discover1 whether by
 sudden illumination1 or by dint of an  
exact applying of the scholastic rules4 
,and ,i deem that1 in this especial     
case1 the poets ,i studied at ,bologna1 
such as ,horace the ,satirist and       
,statius1 should likewise be of great   
help to me1 seeing many verities are    
intermingled with their fables4  ,after 
long pondering these thoughts within his
 breast1 and others more subtle still1  
he lifted his eyes and perceived he was 
not alone4 ,leaning against the         
cavernous trunk of an ancient holm-oak1 
an old man stood gazing at the sky      
through the leaves1 and smiling to      
himself4 ,above his hoary brow peeped   
out two shorty blunt horns4 ,his nose   
was flat with wide nostrils1 and from   
his chin depended a white beard1 through
 which were visible the rugged muscles  

of the neck4 ,a shaggy growth of hair   
covered his breast1 while from the      
thighs downwards his limbs showed a     
thick fleece that trailed down to his   
cloven feet4 ,he held to his lips a     
flute of reed1 from which he drew a     
feeble sound of music4 ,then he began to
 sing in a voice that left the words    
barely distinguishable3     ,laughing   
she fled1   ,her teeth in the golden    
grape2   ,after ,i sped1   ,and clasping
 her flying shape1   ,i quenched my     
drouth   ,on the fruit at her mouth4    
,astounded at these strange sights and  
sounds1 ,fra ,mino crossed himself4     
,still the old man showed no mark of    
confusion1 but cast a long and artless  
look at the ,monk4 ,amid the deep       
wrinkles that scored his face1 the clear
 blue eyes sparkled like the waters of a
 spring through the rugged bark of a    
grove of oaks4  ,man or beast1 shrilled 
,mino1 ,i command you in the name of the
 ,saviour to say who you are4  ,my son1 
replied the old man1 ,i am ,san ,satiro6

 ,speak not so loud1 for fear of        
frightening the birds4  ,then ,fra ,mino
 resumed1 in a quieter tone3            
,forasmuch1 old man1 as you shrank not  
before the dread sign of the ,cross1 ,i 
cannot hold you to be a demon or some   
foul spirit escaped out of ,hell4 ,but  
if verily and indeed you are a man1 as  
you say you are1 or rather the soul of a
 man sanctified by the deeds of a good  
life and by the merits of our ,lord     
,jesus ,christ1 expound1 ,i pray you1   
the mystery of your goat's horns and    
your shaggy limbs ending in those black1
 cloven hoofs4  ,at the question1 the   
old man lifted up his arms towards      
heaven1 and said3  ,my son1 the nature  
of men and animals1 of plants and       
stones1 is the secret of the immortal   
gods1 and ,i know as little as yourself 
what is the reason of these horns       
wherewith my brow is decked1 and which  
the ,nymphs used in olden days to wind  
about with garlands of flowers4 ,i      
cannot tell you the meaning of the two  

wrinkled folds that droop from my neck1 
nor why ,i have the feet of a wanton    
goat4 ,but ,i would have you know1 my   
son1 there was once in these woods a    
race of women having horned brows like  
mine and shaggy thighs4 ,yet were their 
bosoms round and white1 and their belly 
and polished loins shone in the light4  
,the sun was young then1 and loved to   
fleck them with his golden arrows1 as   
they lay beneath the shady foliage4     
,they were very fair1 my son2 but alas6 
they have vanished from the woods1 every
 one4 ,my mates have perished likewise1 
and ,i am left lonely1 the last of my   
tribe4  ,i would fain know your age1 old
 man1 and your lineage and country4  ,my
 son1 ,i was born of the ,earth long ere
 ,jupiter had dethroned ,saturn1 and my 
eyes have looked upon the flowery       
freshness of the new-created ,world4    
,not yet had the human race emerged from
 the clay4 ,alone with me1 the dancing  
,satyr girls set the ground ringing with
 the rhythmic beat of their double      

hoofs4 ,they were taller and stronger   
and fairer than either ,nymphs or       
,women2 and their ampler loins received 
abundantly the seed of the first-born of
 ,earth4  ,under the reign of ,jupiter  
the ,nymphs began to inhabit fountains  
and forests and mountains2 while the    
,fauns1 accoupling with the ,nymphs1    
formed light-footed bands that roamed   
the woods together4 ,meantime ,i spent a
 happy life1 tasting at will the        
clusters of the wild grapes and the lips
 of the laughing ,faun-girls4 ,i enjoyed
 deep and restful slumbers amid the lush
 grass2 and ,i would celebrate on my    
rustic flute ,jupiter1 ,saturn's        
successor1 for it is of my nature to    
praise the gods1 masters of the world4  
,alas6 and ,i am grown old1 for ,i am   
but a god1 and the centuries have       
blanched the hairs of my head and of my 
bosom1 and have extinguished the fire of
 my reins4 ,i was already heavily       
weighted with years when the ,great ,pan
 died1 and ,jupiter1 meeting the same   

lot he had laid upon ,saturn1 was       
dethroned by the ,galilean4 ,since then 
,i have dragged out an ever-flagging    
life1 so feeble and languid that at last
 it fell out ,i died1 and was entombed4 
,and verily ,i am now but the shadow of 
myself4 ,if ,i still exist a little1 it 
is because nothing ever really perishes1
 and none is suffered altogether to die 
out4 ,death must never be more perfect  
and complete than life4 ,beings lost in 
the ,ocean of ,things are like the waves
 you may watch1 my child1 rising and    
falling in the ,adriatic ,sea4 ,they    
have neither beginning nor end1 they are
 born and die insensibly4 ,insensibly as
 the waves1 my soul passes4 ,a faint    
far-off memory of the satyr girls of the
 ,golden ,age yet brightens my eyes1 and
 on my lips float soundlessly the       
ancient hymns of praise4  ,this said1 he
 fell silent4 ,fra ,mino gazed at the   
old man1 and knew him1 that he was a    
phantom and nothing more4  ,yes6 you may
 indeed be a goat-foot1 he told him     

gravely1 without being a demon2 'tis not
 a thing wholly incredible4 ,such       
creatures as ,god framed to have no part
 in ,adam's heritage1 these can no more 
be damned than they can be saved4 ,i can
 never believe that the ,centaur        
,cheiron1 who was wiser than men are1 is
 suffering eternal torments in the belly
 of ,leviathan4 ,a traveller who        
penetrated once into ,limbo1 relates how
 he saw him seated in a grassy spot and 
conversing with ,rhipheus1 the most     
righteous man of all the ,trojans4      
,others indeed affirm that ,holy        
,paradise itself has been opened to     
admit ,rhipheus of ,troy4 ,any way the  
case ,is one where doubt ,is not        
unlawful4 ,but you lied1 old man1 when  
you told me you were a ,saint1 who are  
not so much even as a man4  ,the        
goat-foot made answer3  ,my son1 when ,i
 was young1 ,i was no more used to lie  
than the sheep whose milk ,i sucked or  
the he-goats with which ,i would butt in
 the joy of my strength and beauty4     

,lies were unknown ,in those times1 nor 
had the sheep's fleece yet learned to   
assume factitious hues2 and my soul has 
remained unchanged from that day to     
this4 ,see1 ,i go naked as in the golden
 age of ,saturn2 and my spirit is veiled
 as little as my body4 ,i am no liar4   
,and why indeed should you deem ,it a   
thing so extraordinary1 my son1 that ,i 
have become a ,saint in the train of the
 ,galilean1 albeit no offspring of the  
first mother some name ,eve and others  
,pyrrha1 and whom it is very meet to    
reverence under either title8 ,nay6 for 
that matter1 neither is ,st4 ,michael   
woman-born4 ,i know him1 and at times we
 have talks together1 he and ,i4 ,he    
tells me of the days when he was an     
ox-herd on ,mount ,garganus4444  ,but   
here ,fra ,mino interrupted the ,satyr3 
,i cannot suffer you to say ,st4        
,michael was an ox-herd1 because he     
guarded the cattle of a man whose name  
was ,garganus1 the same as the          
,mountain4 ,but there1 ,i would fain    

learn1 old man1 how you were made a     
,saint4  ,listen1 replied the goat-foot1
 and your curiosity shall be satisfied4 
,when men coming from the ,east         
proclaimed in the fair vale of ,arno how
 that the ,galilean had dethroned       
,jupiter1 they hewed down the oaks      
whereon the country folk were used to   
hang up little goddesses of clay and    
votive tablets2 they planted crosses    
over against the holy fountains1 and    
forbade the shepherds any more to carry 
to the grottos of the ,nymphs offerings 
of wine and milk and cakes4 ,naturally  
enough this angered all the tribe of    
,fauns and ,pans and ,sylvan ,genii1 and
 in their wrath these attacked the      
apostles of the new ,god4 ,when the holy
 men were asleep of nights1 on their bed
 of dry leaves1 the ,nymphs would steal 
up and pull their beards1 while the     
young ,fauns1 slipping into their       
stable1 would pluck out hairs from their
 she-ass's tail4 ,in vain ,i sought to  
disarm their simple malice and exhort   

them to submission4 ',my children1' ,i  
would warn them1 'the days of easy      
gaiety and light laughter are gone by4' 
,but they were reckless1 and would not  
hearken2 and a sore price they paid for 
their heedlessness4  ,but for myself1   
had ,i not seen the reign of ,saturn    
come to an end8 and ,i deemed it natural
 and just that ,jupiter should perish in
 his turn4 ,i was prepared to acquiesce 
in the downfall of the great old gods1  
and offered no resistance to the        
emissaries of the ,galilean4 ,nay6 ,i   
did them sundry little services4 ,better
 acquainted than they with the forest   
paths1 ,i would gather mulberries and   
sloes1 and lay them on leaves at the    
threshold of their grotto1 and make them
 little presents of plovers' eggs4      
,then1 if they were building a cabin1 ,i
 would carry the timber and stones for  
them on my back4 ,in gratitude1 they    
poured water on my brow1 invoking on my 
head the peace of ,jesus ,christ4  ,so  
,i lived with them and in their way2 and

 those who loved them1 loved me4 ,as    
they were honoured1 so was ,i1 and my   
sanctity seemed as great as theirs4  ,i 
have told you1 my son1 ,i was already   
very old in those days4 ,the sun had    
scarce heat enough to warm my benumbed  
limbs4 ,i was no better than an old     
rotten tree1 that has lost its crown of 
fresh leaves and singing birds4 ,each   
returning ,autumn brought my end nearer2
 and one ,winter's morning they found me
 stretched motionless by the roadside4  
,the ,bishop1 followed by his ,priests  
and all the people1 celebrated my       
obsequies4 ,then ,i was laid in a great 
tomb of white marble1 marked in three   
places with the sign of the ,cross1 and 
bearing carved on the slab in front the 
words ,sanctus ,satyrus1 within a       
garland of roses4  ,in those times1 my  
son1 tombs were erected along the       
roadsides4 ,mine was placed two miles   
out from the city1 on the ,florence     
road4 ,a young plane-tree grew up over  
it1 and threw its shadow across it1     

dappled with sunlight and full of bird  
songs and twitterings1 freshness and    
joy4 ,near by1 a fountain flowed over a 
bed of water-weed1 where the boys and   
girls came laughing merrily to bathe    
together4 ,it was a charming spot--and  
soon a holy one as well4 ,thither young 
mothers would bring their babies and let
 them touch the marble of the tomb1 that
 they might grow up sturdy and straight 
in all their limbs4 ,the country folk   
one and all believed that new-born      
infants presented at my grave must one  
day surpass their fellows in strength   
and courage4 ,this is why they brought  
me all the flower of the gallant ,tuscan
 race4 ,moreover the peasants often led 
their asses thither in hopes of making  
them prolific4 ,my memory was revered2  
each year at the return of ,spring1 the 
,bishop used to come with his ,clergy to
 pray over my bones1 and ,i could watch 
far away through the meadow grass the   
slow approach of ,cross and ,candle in  
procession1 the scarlet canopy1 and the 

chanting acolytes4 ,thus it was1 my son1
 in the days of good ,king ,berengar4   
,meantime1 the ,satyrs and the ,satyr   
girls1 the ,fauns and ,nymphs1 dragged  
out a wretched1 wandering life4 ,no more
 altars of meadow turf for them1 no more
 wreaths of flowers1 no more offerings  
of milk and wheat and honey4 ,only now  
and then at long intervals some         
goat-herd would furtively lay a tiny    
cheese on the threshold of the sacred   
grot1 whose entrance was almost blocked 
now with thorns and brambles4 ,but it   
was merely the rabbits and squirrels    
came to eat these poor dainties4 ,the   
,nymphs were dwellers in distant forests
 and gloomy caves1 driven forth of their
 old homes by the apostles from the     
,east4 ,and to hinder their ever        
returning more1 the priests of the      
,galilean ,god poured over trees and    
stones a charmed water1 and pronounced  
magic words1 and set up crosses where   
roads met in the forest2 for the        
,galilean1 my son1 is learned in the art

 of incantations4 ,better than ,saturn1 
better than ,jupiter1 he knows the      
virtue of formularies and mystic signs4 
,thus the poor rustic ,divinities could 
no more find refuge in their sacred     
woods4 ,the company of long-haired1     
goat-footed ,satyrs1 that beat of yore  
their mother earth with sounding hoof1  
was but a cloud of pale1 dumb shadows   
trailing along the mountain-side like   
the morning mist the ,sun melts and     
dispels4  ,buffeted1 as by a fierce     
wind1 by the wrath of ,heaven1 their    
spectral forms would be whirled eddying 
all day long in the dust of the roads4  
,the night on the contrary was somewhat 
less hostile to them4 ,night is not     
wholly the ,galilean ,god's2 ,he shares 
its dominion with the devils4 ,as the   
shades of night descended from the      
hills1 ,fauns and ,faun-women1 ,nymphs  
and ,pans1 came huddling beneath the    
shelter of the tombs along the roadside1
 and there under the kindly empire of   
the infernal powers would enjoy a brief 

repose4 ,of all the tombs they liked    
mine the best1 as that of a reverend    
ancestor of their own4 ,soon all        
assembled under that part of the cornice
 which1 giving ,south1 was quite free of
 moss and always dry4 ,thither the airy 
folk came flying every evening as surely
 as doves to the dovecote4 ,they easily 
found room1 grown tiny now and light as 
the chaff that scuds before the         
winnowing-fan4 ,for my own part1        
sallying out from my quiet              
death-chamber1 ,i would sit down        
sometimes in the midst of them under    
shelter of the marble edge-tiles1 and in
 a feeble1 whistling voice sing them    
songs of the days of ,saturn and        
,jupiter2 then they would remember the  
happy times gone by for ever4 ,under the
 eyes of ,diana1 they would join to make
 a show of their ancient pastimes1 and  
the belated traveller would seem to see 
the night mists of the meadows in the   
moonlight mimic the intertwining limbs  
of lovers4 ,and in very deed they were  

little more than a fleeting fog         
themselves4 ,the cold tried them sorely4
 ,one night1 when the snow shrouded the 
fields1 the ,nymphs gle1 ,nera1 ,mnas   
and ,meliba glided through the cracks in
 the marble into the narrow1 gloomy     
chamber where ,i dwell4 ,their comrades 
crowded after in their train1 and the   
,fauns1 dashing in pursuit of them1     
quickly joined them too4 ,my house      
became their house4 ,we scarcely ever   
left it1 except to visit the woods1 when
 the night was fine and clear4 ,even    
then they would make haste to return at 
the first cock-crow4 ,for you must know1
 my son1 that alone of the horned race  
,i have leave to appear on this earth by
 the light of day4 ,it is a privilege   
attached to my ,saintship4  ,my tomb now
 inspired more veneration than ever     
among the country people1 and every day 
young mothers came to present their     
nurslings to me1 lifting the naked babes
 in their arms4 ,when the sons of ,st4  
,francis settled in the land and built a

 monastery on the hill-side1 they craved
 the ,bishop's leave to transfer my     
monument to their ,church and there keep
 it as a sacred thing4 ,the favour was  
granted1 and ,i was borne in great pomp 
to the ,chapel of ,san ,michele1 where  
,i repose to this day4 ,my rustic family
 was carried thither along with me4 ,it 
was a signal honour2 but ,i confess ,i  
regretted the broad highway1 where ,i   
could watch at dawn the peasant women   
carrying on their heads their basketfuls
 of grapes and figs and red aubergines4 
,time has hardly softened my regret1 and
 ,i would ,i were still beneath the     
plane-tree on the ,sacred ,way4  ,such  
is my life1 ended the old ,satyr4 ,it   
flows on pleasantly1 gentle and         
unobtrusive1 down all the ages of the   
world4 ,if a touch of sadness mingles   
with the joy of it1 'tis because the    
gods have willed it so4 ,oh6 my son1 let
 us praise the gods1 masters of the     
universe6  ,fra ,mino stood thinking a  
while4 ,then he said3  ,i understand now

 the meaning of what ,i saw1 during that
 evil night1 in the ,chapel of ,san     
,michele4 ,still one point remains dark 
to my mind4 ,tell me why1 old man1 the  
,nymphs who1 dwell with you1 and couple 
with the fauns1 changed into old women  
of squalid ugliness when they came nigh 
me4  ,alas6 my son1 answered the ,saint1
 time spares neither men nor gods4      
,these last are immortal only in the    
imagination of the short-lived race of  
men4 ,in reality they suffer the        
penalties of age1 and verge1 as the     
centuries go by1 towards irreparable    
decay4 ,nymphs grow old as well as      
women4 ,no rose but turns into an arid  
hip at last2 no ,nymph but ends as an   
ugly ,witchwife4 ,watching as you did   
the frolic of my little household1 you  
saw how the memory of their bygone youth
 yet beautifies the ,nymphs and ,fauns  
in the moment of their loves1 and how   
their ardour1 reanimated an instant1 can
 reanimate their charms4 ,but the ruin  
of centuries shows again directly after4

 ,alas6 alas6 the race of the ,nymphs is
 old1 very old and decrepit4  ,fra ,mino
 asked yet another question3  ,old man6 
if what you say is true1 and you have   
won to blessedness by mysterious ways1  
if it is true--however absurd--that you 
are a ,saint1 how comes it you house in 
your tomb with these phantoms which know
 not to praise ,god1 and which pollute  
with their indecencies the temple of the
 ,lord8 ,answer me1 old man6  ,but the  
goat-footed ,saint1 without a word of   
answer1 vanished softly away into thin  
air4  ,seated on a mossy stone beside   
the spring1 ,fra ,mino pondered the     
discourse he had just listened to1 and  
found it contained1 along with some     
passages impenetrably obscure1 others   
that were full of clearness and         
enlightenment4  ,this ,satyr ,saint1 he 
reflected1 maybe likened to the ,sibyl1 
who in the pantheon of the false gods1  
proclaimed the coming ,redeemer to the  
,nations4 ,the mire of old-world        
falsehoods yet clings about the hoofs of

 his feet1 but his forehead is uplifted 
to the light1 and his lips confess the  
truth4  ,as the shadow of the beeches   
was lengthening along the grassy        
hill-side1 the ,monk rose up from his   
stone and began to descend the narrow   
path that led to the ,house of the ,sons
 of ,st4 ,francis4 ,but he dared not let
 his eyes rest on the flowers sleeping  
on the surface of the pools1 for he saw 
in them the likeness of the wanton      
nymphs4 ,he got back to his cell at the 
moment when the bells were sounding the 
,ave ,maria4 ,it was a small1 white     
chamber1 furnished simply with a bed1 a 
stool1 and one of the high desks writers
 use4 ,on the wall a mendicant friar had
 painted years ago1 in the manner of    
,giotto1 a representation of the holy   
,marys at the foot of the ,cross4 ,below
 this painting1 a shelf of wood1 as     
black and polished as the beams of an   
ancient oil-press1 was covered with     
books4 ,of these1 some were sacred1     
others profane1 for ,fra ,mino was a    

student of the classic poets1 to the end
 he might praise ,god in all the works  
of men1 and blessed the good ,virgil for
 having prophesied the birth of the     
,saviour1 when the bard of ,mantua      
declares to the ,nations3 ,jam redit et 
,virgo4#a  ,footnote #a3 ,now the       
,virgin too returns4  ,on the           
window-sill a tall lily stood in a vase 
of coarse earthenware1 for ,fra ,mino   
loved to trace the name of the ,blessed 
,virgin inscribed in the gold dust of   
the flower's calyx4 ,the window itself1 
which opened very high up in the wall1  
was small1 but the sky could be seen    
from it1 blue above the purple hills4   
,ensconced in this pleasant tomb of his 
life and longings1 ,mino sat down before
 the narrow desk1 with its two shelves  
at top1 where he was accustomed to      
devote himself to his studies4 ,then1   
dipping his reed in the inkhorn fastened
 to the side of the little coffer that  
held his sheets of parchment1 his       
brushes1 and his colours and gold dust1 

he besought the flies1 in the name of   
the ,lord1 not to annoy him1 and began  
to write the account of all he had seen 
and heard in the ,chapel of ,san        
,michele1 during his night of torment1  
as well as on the day just done1 in the 
woods by the stream side4 ,and first of 
all1 he traced these lines on the       
parchment3  ,a true record of those     
things which ,fra ,mino1 of the ,order  
of ,friars ,minors1 saw and heard1 and  
which he doth here relate for the       
instruction of the ,faithful4 ,to the   
praise of ,jesus ,christ and the glory  
of the blessed and humble poor man of   
,christ1 ,st4 ,francis4 ,amen4  ,then he
 set down in order in writing1 without  
omitting aught1 all he had noted of the 
nymphs that turned into witches and the 
old man with horns on his brow1 whose   
voice quavered in the woods like a last 
sigh of the ,classic flute and a first  
prelude of the ,christian harp4 ,while  
he wrote1 the birds sang2 and night     
closed in slowly1 blotting out the      

bright colours of the day4 ,the ,monk   
lighted his lamp1 and went on with his  
writing4 ,as he recounted each several  
marvel he had made acquaintance with1 he
 carefully expounded its literal1 and   
its spiritual1 signification1 all       
according to the rules of rhetoric and  
theology4 ,and just as men fence about  
cities with walls and towers to make    
them strong1 so he supported all his    
arguments with texts of ,scripture4 ,he 
concluded from the singular revelations 
he had received3 firstly1 that ,jesus   
,christ is ,lord of all creatures1 and  
is ,god of the ,satyrs and the ,pans1 as
 well as of men4 ,this is why ,st4      
,jerome saw in the ,desert ,centaurs    
that confessed ,jesus ,christ2 secondly1
 that ,god had communicated to the      
,pagans certain glimmerings of light1 to
 the end they might be saved4 ,likewise 
the ,sibyls1 for instance the ,cuman1   
the ,egyptian and the ,delphic1 did     
these not foreshadow1 amid the darkness 
of the ,gentiles1 the ,holy ,cradle1 the

 ,rods1 the ,reed1 the ,crown of ,thorns
 and the ,cross itself8 ,for which      
reason ,st4 ,augustine admitted the     
,erythran ,sibyl into the ,city of ,god4
 ,fra ,mino gave thanks to ,god for     
having taught him so much learning2 and 
a great joy flooded his heart to think  
,virgil was among the elect4 ,and he    
wrote gleefully at the bottom of the    
last leaf3  ,here endeth the ,apocalypse
 of ,brother ,mino1 the poor man of     
,jesus ,christ4 ,i have seen the aureole
 of the blessed ,saints crowning the    
horned forehead of the ,satyr1 in token 
that ,jesus ,christ hath redeemed from  
the shades of limbo the sages and poets 
of ,antiquity4  ,the night was already  
far spent when1 having finished his     
task1 ,fra ,mino stretched himself upon 
his bed to snatch a little repose4 ,just
 as he was dropping asleep1 an old woman
 came in at the window1 riding on a     
moonbeam4 ,he recognized her instantly  
for the ugliest of the witches he had   
seen in the ,chapel of ,san ,michele4   

,my sweet1 she said1 addressing him1    
what have you been doing this day8 ,yet 
we warned you1 ,i and my pretty sisters1
 you must not reveal our secrets4 ,for  
if you betrayed us1 we told you we      
should kill you4 ,and sorry ,i should   
be1 for indeed ,i love you tenderly4    
,she clipped him in her arms1 called him
 her heavenly ,adonis1 her darling1 her 
little white ass1 and lavished a        
thousand ardent caresses on him4  ,anon1
 when he repulsed her with a spasm of   
disgust1  ,child1 child6 she said to    
him1 you scorn me1 because my eyes are  
rimmed with red1 my nostrils rotted with
 the acrid1 fetid humour they distil1   
and my gums adorned with a single tooth1
 and that black and extravagantly long4 
,such is your ,nera to-day1 it is too   
true4 ,but if you love me1 ,i shall once
 more become1 by you and for you1 what  
,i was in the golden days of ,saturn1   
when my youth was in blossom amid the   
blossoms of the young1 flower-decked    
world4 ',tis love1 oh6 my young god1    

that makes the beauty of things4 ,to    
restore my beauty1 all that is needed is
 a little courage4 ,up1 ,mino1 be bold  
and show your mettle6  ,at these words1 
which were accompanied by appropriate   
gestures1 ,fra ,mino1 shuddering with   
fear and horror1 felt himself swoon     
away1 and slipped from his bed on to the
 pavement of his cell4 ,as he fell1 he  
seemed to catch a glimpse1 between his  
half-closed lids1 of a nymph of perfect 
shape and peerless beauty1 whose naked  
body rolled over his like waves of milk4
  ,he woke in broad daylight1 bruised   
and broken by his fall4 ,the leaves of  
the manuscript he had written the night 
before still littered the desk4 ,he read
 them through again1 folded and sealed  
them with his seal1 put the roll inside 
his gown1 and unheeding the menaces the 
witches had twice over given him1       
started to carry his revelations to the 
,lord ,bishop1 whose ,palace lifted its 
battlements above the roofs in the      
middle of the city4 ,he found him       

donning his spurs in the ,great ,hall1  
surrounded by his men-at-arms4 ,for the 
,bishop was just then at war with the   
,ghibellines of ,florence4 ,he asked the
 ,monk to what he owed his visit1 and on
 being informed of the matter1 invited  
him there and then to read out his      
report4 ,fra ,mino obeyed1 and the      
,bishop heard out his tale to the end4  
,he had no special lights on the subject
 of apparitions2 but he was animated    
with an ardent zeal for the interests of
 the ,faith4 ,without a day's delay1 and
 not suffering the cares of the ,war to 
distract him from his purpose1 he       
appointed twelve famous ,doctors in     
,theology and ,canon ,law to examine    
into the affair1 urging them to give a  
definite and speedy decision4 ,after    
mature inquiry and not without again and
 again cross-questioning ,fra ,mino1 the
 ,doctors determined the best thing to  
do was to open the tomb of ,san ,satiro 
in the ,chapel of ,san ,michele1 and go 
through a course of special exorcisms on

 the spot4 ,as to the points of doctrine
 raised by ,fra ,mino1 they declined to 
pronounce a formal opinion1 inclining   
however to regard as rash1 frivolous and
 new-fangled the arguments advanced by  
the ,franciscan4  ,agreeably to the     
advice of the learned ,doctors and by   
order of the ,bishop1 the tomb of ,san  
,satiro was opened4 ,it was found to    
contain nothing but a handful of ashes1 
which the priests sprinkled with holy   
water4 ,at this there rose a white      
vapour1 from which issued a sound of    
faint and feeble groans4  ,the night    
following this pious ceremony ,fra ,mino
 dreamed that the witches1 bending over 
his bed1 were tearing his heart out of  
his bosom4 ,he rose at dawn1 tortured   
with sharp pains and devoured by a      
raging thirst4 ,he dragged himself as   
far as the cloister well1 where the     
doves used to drink4 ,but no sooner had 
he drained down a few drops of water    
that filled a hollow in the well-head   
than he felt his heart swell within him 

like a sponge1 and with a stifled cry to
 ,god1 he choked and died4     ,,messer 
,,guido ,,cavalcanti  ,,to ,,jules      
,,lema,,tre     ,,messer ,,guido        
,,cavalcanti    ,guido1 di ,messer      
,cavalcante de' ,cavalcanti1 fu un de'  
migliori loici   che avesse il mondo1 et
 ottimo filosofo naturale4444 ,e perci  
che egli   alquanto tenea della opinione
 degli ,epicuri1 si diceva tra la gente 
volgare che queste sue speculazioni eran
 solo in cercare se trovar si   potesse 
che ,iddio non fosse4#a 7,the ,decameron
 of ,messer ,giovanni   ,boccaccio1     
,sixth ,day1 ,novella ,,ix47            
,,dim   ,,non4 ,,fvi4 ,,me4   ,,mini4   
,,non4 ,,svm4   ,,non4 ,,cvro4 ,,do4    
,,nnia4 ,,italia4 ,,an4   ,,norvm4 ,,xx4
 ,,hic4   ,,qviesco4#b    7,inscription 
from the ,cippus of ,donnia ,italia as  
read by ,m4   ,jean-,franois ,blad47    
,footnote #a3 ,guido1 son of ,messer    
,cavalcante de' ,cavalcanti1 was one of 
the best ,logicians the world held1 and 
a most finished ,natural                

,philosopher4444 ,and forasmuch as in   
some degree he held by the opinion of   
the ,epicureans1 it was therefore said  
among the vulgar folk how that these his
 speculations were only pursued for to  
discover if it might be there was no    
,god4  ,footnote #b3 ,to the ,gods of   
the ,lower ,world4--,i was not4 ,i      
remember4 ,i am not and ,i heed not4 ,i1
 ,donnia ,italia1 a maid of twenty1 rest
 here4   ,messer ,guido ,cavalcanti was1
 in the twentieth year of his age1 the  
most agreeable and the best-built man of
 all the ,florentine nobles4 ,beneath   
his long1 dark locks1 which escaping    
from under his cap1 fell in jetty curls 
over his white brow1 his eyes1 that had 
a golden gleam in them1 shone out with a
 dazzling brilliance4 ,he possessed the 
arms of ,hercules and the hands of a    
,nymph4 ,his shoulders were broad1 and  
his figure slim and supple4 ,he was well
 skilled in breaking difficult horses   
and wielding heavy weapons1 and a       
peerless rider at the ring4 ,whenever he

 passed along the city streets to hear  
,mass at ,san ,giovanni or ,san         
,michele1 or walked by ,arno side in the
 water-meadows1 that were pranked with  
flowers like a beautiful picture1 if any
 fair ladies1 going in a troop together1
 met him in the way1 they never failed  
to say the one to the other with a      
blush3 ,see1 yonder is ,messer ,guido1  
son of the ,lord ,cavalcante de'        
,cavalcanti4 ',tis a very ,st4 ,george  
for comeliness1 pardi6 ,and men report  
that ,madonna ,gemma1 wife of ,sandro   
,bujamonte1 one day sent her ,nurse to  
let him know how she loved him with all 
her soul1 and was like to die of        
longing4 ,nor less ardently was he      
invited to join the ,companies the young
 ,florentine lords were used in those   
days to form among themselves1 feasting1
 supping1 gaming and hunting together1  
and sometimes so dearly loving each     
other that one and all would wear       
garments of a like cut and colour4 ,but 
with equal disdain he shunned the       

society of ,florentine ladies and the   
assemblages of her young ,nobles2 for so
 proud and fierce was his humour1 he    
took no pleasure but in solitude4  ,he  
would often stay all the day shut up in 
his chamber1 then forth to wander       
solitary beneath the holm-oaks that     
bordered the ,ema road at the hour when 
the first stars are a-tremble in the    
pale evening sky4 ,if by chance he      
encountered riders of his own age1 he   
never laughed1 and said little--and that
 little was not always comprehensible4  
,his strange bearing and ambiguous words
 were a grief and a grievance to his    
comrades--and above all to ,messer      
,betto ,brunelleschi1 for he dearly     
loved ,messer ,guido1 and had no fonder 
wish than to make him one of the        
,brotherhood which embraced the richest 
and the handsomest young noblemen of    
,florence1 and of which he was himself  
the glory and the delight4 ,for indeed  
,messer ,betto ,brunelleschi was reputed
 the fine flower of chivalry and the    

most perfect knight of all              
,tuscany--after ,messer ,guido4  ,one   
day as the latter was just entering the 
,porch of ,santa ,maria ,novella1 where 
the ,monks of the ,order of ,saint      
,dominic kept at that time a number of  
books that had been brought to ,italy by
 the ,greeks1 ,messer ,betto1 who was   
crossing the ,piazza at the moment1     
loudly hailed his friend3  ,hola6 ,guido
 mine1 he shouted1 whither away now1    
this bright day1 that invites you1      
methinks1 to go fowling in the hills    
rather than hide in the gloom of the    
,cloister yonder8 ,do me a favour1 and  
come to my house at ,arezzo1 where ,i   
will play the flute to you1 for the     
pleasure of seeing you smile4           
,grammercy6 replied ,messer ,guido1     
without so much as deigning to turn his 
head4 ,i am away to see my ,lady4  ,and 
so saying1 he entered the ,church1 which
 he crossed with a rapid step1 recking  
as little of the ,blessed ,sacrament    
exposed on the ,altar as of ,messer     

,betto1 sitting stiff on his horse      
outside the door1 astounded at the words
 he had just heard4 ,guido pushed open a
 low portal leading to the ,cloisters1  
followed the ,cloister wall1 and arrived
 in the ,library1 where ,fra ,sisto was 
painting the figures of angels4 ,there1 
after saluting the good ,brother1 he    
drew out from a great painted chest one 
of the books newly come from            
,constantinople1 laid it on a desk and  
began to turn over the leaves4 ,it was a
 ,treatise on ,love1 writ in ,greek by  
the divine ,plato4 ,messer ,guido       
sighed2 his hands began to tremble and  
his eyes filled with tears4  ,alas6 he  
muttered2 hid beneath these signs is the
 ,light1 and ,i cannot see it4  ,he said
 thus to himself1 because the knowledge 
of the ,greek tongue was then altogether
 lost in the ,west4 ,after many a       
long-drawn groan1 he took the book1 and 
kissing it1 laid it in the iron chest   
like a beautiful dead woman in her      
coffin4 ,then he asked the good ,fra    

,sisto to give him the ,manuscript of   
the ,speeches of ,cicero1 which he read1
 till the shades of evening1 glooming   
down on the cypresses in the ,cloister  
garden1 spread their batlike wings over 
the pages of his book4 ,for you must    
know ,messer ,guido ,cavalcanti was a   
searcher after truth in the writings of 
the ,ancients1 and was for treading the 
arduous ways that lead mankind to       
immortality4 ,devoured by the noble     
longing of discovery1 he would set out  
in canzones the doctrines of the        
old-world ,sages concerning ,love which 
is the path to ,virtue4  ,a few days    
later1 ,messer ,betto ,brunelleschi came
 to visit him at his own house on the   
promenade of the ,adimari1 at the peep  
of day1 the hour when the lark sings in 
the corn4 ,he found him still abed1 and 
after kissing him1 said tenderly3  ,my  
,guido1 my ,guido lad6 put me out of my 
pain4 ,last week you told me you were on
 your way to visit your ,lady in the    
,church and ,cloister of ,santa ,maria  

,novella4 ,ever since ,i have been      
turning1 turning your words in my head1 
without fathoming their meaning4 ,i     
shall have no peace till you have given 
me an explanation of them4 ,i beseech   
you1 tell me what you meant--so far1    
that is1 as your discretion shall suffer
 you1 seeing the matter doth concern a  
lady4  ,messer ,guido burst out         
a-laughing4 ,raising himself on his     
elbow in bed1 he looked ,messer ,betto  
in the eyes4  ,friend6 said he1 the     
,lady ,i spoke to you of hath more than 
one habitation4 ,the day you saw me     
going to visit her1 ,i found her in the 
,library of ,santa ,maria ,novella4 ,but
 alack6 ,i heard but the one half of her
 discourse1 for she spoke to me in both 
of the two languages that flow like     
honey from her adorable lips4 ,first she
 delivered me a discourse in the tongue 
of the ,greeks1 which ,i could not      
comprehend1 then she addressed me in the
 dialect of the ,latins with a wondrous 
wisdom4 ,and so well pleased was ,i with

 her conversation that ,i am right fain 
to marry her4  ,tis at the least1 said  
,messer ,betto1 a niece of the ,emperor 
of ,constantinople1 or his natural      
daughter4444 ,how name you her8  ,if    
needs be1 answered ,messer ,guido1 we   
must give her a love name1 such as every
 poet gives to his mistress4 ,i will    
call her ,diotima1 in memory of ,diotima
 of ,megara1 who showed the way to the  
lovers of ,virtue4 ,but her public and  
avowed name is ,philosophy1 and 'tis the
 most excellent bride a man can find4 ,i
 want no other1 and ,i swear by the gods
 to be faithful unto death1 which doth  
put an end to life and thought4  ,when  
he heard these sentiments1 ,messer      
,betto struck his forehead with his hand
 and cried3  ,per ,bacco6 but ,i never  
guessed the riddle6 ,friend ,guido1 you 
have the subtlest wit under the red lily
 of ,florence4 ,i heartily commend your 
taking to wife so high a dame4 ,of a    
surety1 will spring of this union a     
numerous progeny of canzones1 sonnets   

and ballades4 ,i promise to baptize you 
these pretty babes to the sound of my   
flute1 with dainty mottoes galore and   
gallant devices4 ,i am the more rejoiced
 at this spiritual wedlock1 seeing it   
will never hinder you1 when the time    
comes1 to marry according to the flesh  
some fair and goodly lady of the city4  
,nay6 you are out1 returned ,messer     
,guido4 ,they that celebrate the        
espousals of the mind should leave      
carnal marriage to the profane vulgar1  
which includes the great ,lords1 the    
,merchants and the ,handicraftsmen4 ,if 
like me you had known my ,diotima1 you  
would have learned1 friend ,betto1 that 
she doth distinguish two sorts of men1  
on the one hand such as1 being fruitful 
only by the body1 strive but for that   
coarse and commonplace immortality that 
is won by the generation of children1 on
 the other they whose soul conceives and
 engenders what is meet for the soul to 
produce1 to wit the ,good and           
,beautiful4 ,my ,diotima hath willed ,i 

should be of the second sort1 and ,i    
will not go against her good pleasure1  
and copy the mere brutes that breed and 
procreate4  ,messer ,betto ,brunelleschi
 by no means approved of this           
resolution4 ,he pointed out to his      
friend that in life we must adapt       
ourselves to the different conditions   
and modes of existence suitable to the  
different ages1 that after the epoch of 
pleasures comes that of ambition1 and   
that it was good and prudent1 as youth  
waned1 to contract alliance with some   
rich and noble family1 affording access 
to the great offices of the ,republic1  
such as ,prior of the ,arts and         
,liberty1 ,captain of the ,people1 or   
,gonfalonier of ,justice4  ,seeing      
however that his friend only received   
his advice with a lip of disgust1 as if 
it were some bitter drug1 he said no    
more on the point1 for fear of angering 
him1 deeming it wise to trust to time1  
which will change men's hearts and      
reverse the strongest resolutions4      

,sweet ,guido1 he interposed gaily1 tell
 me this much at any rate4 ,doth your   
lady suffer you to have delight with    
pretty maids and to take part in our    
diversions8  ,for that matter1 replied  
,messer ,guido1 she hath no more care of
 such things than of the encounters that
 small dog you see asleep yonder at the 
foot of my bed may make in the street4  
,and in very deed they are of no        
account1 provided a man doth himself    
attach no value to them4  ,messer ,betto
 left the room a trifle piqued at his   
friend's scornful bearing4 ,he continued
 to feel the liveliest affection for his
 friend1 but thought it unbecoming to   
press him overmuch to attend the ftes   
and entertainments he gave all the      
,winter long with an admirable          
liberality4 ,at the same time the       
gentlemen of his ,company resented hotly
 the slight the son of the ,signor      
,cavalcante de' ,cavalcanti did them by 
refusing to share their society4 ,they  
began to rally him on1 his studies and  

poring over books1 declaring that by    
dint of so feeding on parchment1 like   
the ,monks and the rats1 he would end up
 by growing to resemble these1 and would
 anon have nothing to show but a pointed
 snout and three long hairs for beard1  
peeping out from under a black hood1 and
 that ,madonna ,gemma herself would cry 
out at sight of him3  ,venus1 my        
,patroness6 what a pass have his books  
brought my handsome ,st4 ,george to6 ,he
 is good for naught now but to throw    
away his lance and hold a writing-reed  
in hand instead4 ,so they miscalled him 
sore1 saying he toyed only with the     
bookworms and spiders1 and was tied to  
the apron-strings of ,mistress          
,philosophia4 ,nor did they stop short  
at such-like light raillery1 but let it 
be understood he was too learned by far 
to be a good ,christian1 that he was    
given over to ,magic ,arts1 and held    
converse with the ,devils of ,hell4     
,folk do not lurk in hiding like that1  
they said to each other1 for any reason 

but to foregather with the ,devils1 male
 and female1 and get gold of them as the
 price of revolting and shameful acts4  
,to crown all1 they charged him with    
sharing those false and pernicious      
doctrines of ,epicurus which had already
 seduced an ,emperor at ,naples and a   
,pope in ,rome1 and threatened to turn  
the peoples of ,europe into a herd of   
swine1 without a thought of ,god and    
their own immortal souls4 ,a mighty fine
 gain1 they ended up1 when his studies  
have brought him to forswear the ,holy  
,trinity6 ,this last charge they bruited
 abroad was the most formidable of all1 
and might easily work ruin on ,messer   
,guido4  ,now ,messer ,guido ,cavalcanti
 was well aware of the mockery they made
 of him in the ,companies by reason of  
the careful heed he had of eternal      
things2 and this was why he shunned the 
society of living men and sought rather 
to the dead4  ,in those days the ,church
 of ,san ,giovanni was surrounded with  
,roman tombs4 ,thither would ,messer    

,guido often come at ,ave ,maria and    
meditate far into the silent night4 ,he 
believed1 as the ,chronicles reported1  
that this fair ,church of ,san ,giovanni
 had been a ,pagan ,temple before it was
 a ,christian ,church1 and the thought  
pleased his soul1 which was enamoured of
 the old-world mysteries4 ,especially he
 loved to look on these tombs1 where the
 sign of the ,cross found no place1 but 
which bore ,latin inscriptions and were 
adorned with carven figures of men and  
gods4 ,they were long cubes of white    
marble1 on the sides of which could be  
made out representations of banquets and
 hunting parties1 the death of ,adonis1 
the fight of ,lapith and ,centaurs1 the 
refusal of the chaste ,hippolytus1 the  
,amazons4 ,messer ,guido would read the 
lettering with anxious care1 and try    
hard to penetrate the meaning of these  
fables4 ,one tomb in particular occupied
 him more than all the rest1 for it     
showed him two ,loves1 each holding a   
torch1 and he was curious to discover   

the nature of these two ,loves4 ,well6  
one night that he was pondering on these
 things more deeply than ever1 a shadow 
rose up above the lid of the tomb--a    
luminous shadow1 as when you see1 or    
fancy you see1 the moon shining faintly 
through a cloud4 ,gradually it took the 
shape of a beautiful virgin1 and said   
thus in a voice softer than the reeds   
waving in the wind3  ,i am she that     
sleeps within this tomb1 and ,i am      
called ,julia ,lta4 ,i lost the light on
 my marriage-day1 at the age of sixteen 
years1 three months and nine days4      
,since then1 whether ,i am1 or am not1  
,i cannot tell4 ,never question the     
dead1 stranger1 for they see naught1 and
 a thick night environs them4 ',tis said
 that such as in life knew the cruel    
joys of ,venus roam the glades of a     
dense forest of myrtles4 ,for me who    
died a virgin1 ,i sleep a dreamless     
sleep4 ,they have graven two ,loves on  
the stone of my sepulchre4 ,one gives   
mortals the light of day2 the other     

quenches it in their tender eyes for    
ever4 ,the countenance of both is the   
same1 a smiling countenance1 for birth  
and death are two twin brothers1 and all
 is joy to the ,immortal ,gods4 ,i have 
spoken4  ,the voice fell silent1 like   
the rustling of leaves when the wind    
drops4 ,the transparent shadow vanished 
away in the light of dawn1 which        
descended clear and white on the hills2 
and the tombs of ,san ,giovanni grew wan
 and silent once again in the morning   
air4 ,and ,messer ,guido pondered3  ,the
 truth ,i foresaw1 hath been made       
manifest to me4 ,is it not writ in the  
,book the ,priests use1 ',shall the dead
 praise ,thee1 ,o ,lord8' ,the dead are 
without thought or knowledge1 and the   
divine ,epicurus was well advised when  
he enfranchised the living from the vain
 terrors of the life to come4  ,a troop 
of horsemen pricking across the ,piazza 
abruptly broke up his meditations4 ,it  
was ,messer ,betto and his ,company away
 to hunt the cranes along the brookside 

of ,peretola4  ,so ho6 cried one of     
them1 whose name was ,bocca1 see yonder1
 ,messer ,guido the ,philosopher1 who   
scorns us for our good life and gentle  
ways and merry doings4 ,he seems half   
frozen4  ,and well he may be1 put in    
,messer ,doria1 who was reputed a wag4  
,his lady1 the ,moon1 whom he kisses    
tenderly all night1 hath hied her behind
 the hills to sleep with some shepherd  
swain4 ,he is eat up with jealousy2 look
 you1 how green he is6  ,they spurred   
their horses among the tombs1 and drew  
up in a ring about ,messer ,guido4      
,nay6 nay6 ,messer ,doria1 returned     
,bocca1 the lady ,moon is too round and 
bright for so black a gallant4 ,if you  
would know his mistresses1 they be here4
 ,here he comes to find them in their   
bed1 where he is less like to be stung  
of fleas than of scorpions4  ,fie6 ,out 
upon the vile necromancer6 exclaimed    
,messer ,giordano1 crossing himself2 see
 what learning leads to6 ,folk disown   
,god1 and go fornicating in ,pagan      

graveyards4  ,leaning against the       
,church wall1 ,messer ,guido let the    
riders have their say4 ,when he judged  
they had voided all the froth of their  
shallow brains over him3  ,gentle       
cavaliers1 he answered1 smiling1 you are
 at home4 ,i am your host1 and courtesy 
constrains me to receive your insults   
without reply4  ,so saying1 he bounded  
over the tombs and walked quietly away4 
,the horsemen looked at one another in  
amazement2 then bursting out laughing1  
they gave spur to their steeds4 ,as they
 were galloping along the ,peretola     
,road1 ,messer ,bocca said to ,messer   
,betto3  ,who can doubt now but this    
,guido is gone mad8 ,he told us we were 
at home in the graveyard4 ,and to say   
such a thing1 he must needs have lost   
his wits4  ,true it is1 replied ,messer 
,betto1 ,i cannot imagine what he meant 
to have us understand by talking in such
 a sort4 ,but he is used to expressing  
himself in dark sayings and subtle      
parables4 ,he hath tossed us a bone this

 time must be opened to find the marrow4
  ,pardi6 ejaculated ,messer ,giordano2 
my dog may have this bone to gnaw1 and  
the ,pagan that threw it to boot4  ,they
 soon reached the banks of the ,peretola
 brook1 whence the cranes may be seen   
rising in flocks at daybreak4 ,during   
the chase1 which was abundantly         
successful1 ,messer ,betto ,brunelleschi
 never ceased pondering the words ,guido
 had used4 ,and by dint of much         
thinking1 he discovered their           
signification4 ,hailing ,messer ,bocca  
with loud cries1 he said to him3  ,come 
hither1 ,messer ,bocca6 ,i have just    
guessed what it was ,messer ,guido meant
 us to understand4 ,he told us we were  
at home in a graveyard1 because the     
ignorant be for all the world like dead 
men1 who1 according to the ,epicurean   
doctrine1 have no faculty of thought or 
knowledge4  ,messer ,bocca replied1     
shrugging his shoulders1 he understood  
better than most how to fly a ,flanders 
hawk1 to make knife-play with his       

enemies1 and to upset a girl1 and this  
was knowledge sufficient for his state  
in life4  ,messer ,guido continued for  
several years more to study the science 
of ,love4 ,he embodied his reflexions in
 canzones1 which it is not given to all 
men to interpret1 composing a book of   
these verses that was borne in triumph  
through the streets1 garlanded with     
laurel4 ,then1 seeing the purest souls  
are not without alloy of terrestrial    
passions1 and life bears us one and all 
along in its sinuous and stormy course1 
it fell out that at the turning-point of
 youth and age1 ,messer ,guido was      
seduced by the ambitions of the flesh   
and the powers of this world4 ,he       
wedded1 to further his projects of      
aggrandizement1 the daughter of the     
,lord ,farinata degli ,uberti1 the same 
who one time reddened the ,arbia with   
the blood of the ,florentines4 ,he threw
 himself into the quarrels of the       
citizens with all the pride and         
impetuosity of his nature4 ,and he took 

for mistresses the ,lady ,mandetta and  
the ,lady ,giovanna1 who represented the
 one the ,albigensians1 the other the   
,ghibellines4 ,it was the time when     
,messer ,dante ,alighieri was ,prior of 
the ,arts and ,liberty4 ,the city was   
divided into two hostile camps1 those of
 the ,bianchi and the ,neri4 ,one day   
when the principal citizens were        
assembled in the ,piazza of the         
,frescobaldi1 the ,bianchi on one side  
the square and the ,neri on the other1  
to assist at the obsequies of a noble   
lady of ,florence1 the ,doctors and the 
,knights were seated as the custom was1 
on raised benches1 while in front of    
them the younger men sat on the ground  
on rush mats4 ,one of the latter        
standing up to settle his cloak1 those  
who were opposite thought he was for    
defying them4 ,they started to their    
feet in turn1 and bared their swords4   
,instantly every one unsheathed1 and the
 kinsmen of the dead lady had all the   
difficulty in the world to separate the 

combatants4  ,from that day1 ,florence  
ceased to be a town gladdened by the    
work of its handicraftsmen1 and became a
 forest full of wolves ravening for each
 other's blood4 ,messer ,guido shared   
these savage passions1 and grew gloomy1 
restless and sullen4 ,never a day passed
 but he exchanged sword-thrusts with the
 ,neri in the streets of ,florence1     
where in old days he had meditated on   
the nature and constitution of the soul4
 ,more than once he had felt the        
assassin's dagger on his flesh1 before  
he was banished with the rest of his    
faction and confined in the             
plague-stricken town of ,sarzana4 ,for  
six months he languished there1 sick    
with fever and hate4 ,and when          
eventually the ,bianchi were recalled1  
he came back to his native city a dying 
man4  ,in the year #acjj1 on the third  
day after the ,assumption of the        
,blessed ,virgin ,mary1 he found        
strength enough to drag himself as far  
as his own fair ,church of ,san         

,giovanni4 ,worn out with fatigue and   
grief1 he lay down on the tomb of ,julia
 ,lta1 who in the old days had revealed 
to him the mysteries the profane know   
nothing of4 ,it was the hour when the   
,church bells ring out through the      
quivering air of evening a long-drawn   
farewell to the setting sun4 ,messer    
,betto ,brunelleschi1 who was crossing  
the ,piazza on his way home from his    
country house1 saw amid the tombs two   
haggard falcon's eyes burning in a      
fleshless face1 and recognizing the     
friend of his youth1 was seized with    
wonder and pity4  ,he approached him1   
and kissing him as he used in former    
days1 said with a sigh3  ,ah6 ,guido    
mine6 what fire is it hath consumed you 
away thus8 ,you burned up your life in  
science first1 and then in public       
affairs4 ,i beseech you1 quench somewhat
 the ardour of your spirit2 comrade1 let
 us husband our strength1 and1 as       
,riccardo the blacksmith says1 make up a
 fire to last4  ,but ,guido ,cavalcanti 

put his hand on his lips4  ,hush6 he    
whispered1 hush6 not a word more1 friend
 ,betto4 ,i wait my lady1 her who shall 
console me for so many vain loves that  
in this world have betrayed me and that 
,i have betrayed4 ,it is equally cruel  
and useless to think and to act4 ,this  
,i know4 ,the curse is not so much to   
live1 for ,i see you are well and       
hearty1 friend ,betto1 and many another 
man is the same4 ,the curse is not to   
live1 but to know we live4 ,the curse is
 to be conscious and to will4 ,happily  
there is a remedy for these evils4 ,let 
us say no more2 ,i await the lady whom  
,i have never wronged1 for never have ,i
 doubted but she was gentle and         
true-hearted1 and ,i have learned by    
much pondering how peaceful and secure  
it is to slumber on her bosom4 ,many    
fables have been told of her bed and    
dwelling-places4 ,but ,i have not       
believed the lies of the ignorant crowd4
 ,so it is1 she cometh to me as a       
mistress to her lover1 her brow         

garlanded with flowers and her lips     
smiling4  ,he broke off with these      
words1 and fell dead over the ancient   
tomb4 ,his body was buried without any  
great pomp in the ,cloister of ,santa   
,maria ,novella4     ,,lucifer  ,,to    
,,louis ,,ganderax     ,,lucifer    ,e  
si compiacque tanto ,spinello di farlo  
orribile e contrafatto1 che   si dice   
7tanto pu alcuna fiata l'immaginazione7 
che la detta figura   da lui dipinta gli
 apparve in sogno1 domandandolo dove    
egli l' avesse   veduta si brutta4#a    
7,vite de' piu eccellenti pittori1 da   
,messer ,giorgio ,vasari4--,vita   di   
,spinello47  ,footnote #a3 ,and so      
successful was ,spinello with his       
horrible and portentous ,production that
 it was commonly reported--so great is  
alway the force of fancy--that the said 
figure 7of ,lucifer trodden underfoot by
 ,st4 ,michael in the ,altar-piece of   
the ,church of ,st4 ,agnolo at ,arezzo7 
painted by him had appeared to the      
artist in a dream1 and asked him in what

 place he had beheld him under so       
brutish a form4  ,lives of the most     
,excellent ,painters1 by ,giorgio       
,vasari4--,life of ,spinello4   ,andrea 
,tafi1 painter and worker-in-mosaic of  
,florence1 had a wholesome terror of the
 ,devils of ,hell1 particularly in the  
watches of the night1 when it is given  
to the powers of ,darkness to prevail4  
,and the worthy man's fears were not    
unreasonable1 for in those days the     
,demons had good cause to hate the      
,painters1 who robbed them of more souls
 with a single picture than a good      
little ,preaching ,friar could do in    
thirty sermons4 ,no doubt the ,monk1 to 
instil a soul-saving horror in the      
hearts of the faithful1 would describe  
to the utmost of his powers that day of 
wrath1 that day of mourning1 which is to
 reduce the universe to ashes1 teste    
,david et ,sibylla1 borrowing his       
deepest voice and bellowing through his 
hands to imitate the ,archangel's last  
trump4 ,but there6 it was all sound and 

fury1 signifying nothing1 whereas a     
painting displayed on a ,chapel wall or 
in the ,cloister1 showing ,jesus ,christ
 sitting on the ,great ,white ,throne to
 judge the living and the dead1 spoke   
unceasingly to the eyes of sinners1 and 
through the eyes chastened such as had  
sinned by the eyes or otherwise4  ,it   
was in the days when cunning masters    
were depicting at ,santa-,croce in      
,florence and the ,campo ,santo of ,pisa
 the mysteries of ,divine ,justice4     
,these works were drawn according to the
 account in verse which ,dante          
,alighieri1 a man very learned in       
,theology and in ,canon ,law1 wrote in  
days gone by of his journey to ,hell and
 ,purgatory and ,paradise1 whither by   
the singular great merits of his lady1  
he was able to make his way alive4 ,so  
everything in these paintings was       
instructive and true1 and we may say    
surely less profit is to be had of      
reading the most full and ample         
,chronicle than from contemplating such 

representative1 works of art4 ,moreover1
 the ,florentine masters took heed to   
paint1 under the shade of orange groves1
 on the flower-starred turf1 fair ladies
 and gallant knights1 with ,death lying 
in wait for them with his scythe1 while 
they were discoursing of love to the    
sound of lutes and viols4 ,nothing was  
better fitted to convert carnal-minded  
sinners who quaff forgetfulness of ,god 
on the lips of women4 ,to rebuke the    
covetous1 the painter would show to the 
life the ,devils pouring molten gold    
down the throat of ,bishop or ,abbess1  
who had commissioned some work from him 
and then scamped his pay4  ,this is why 
the ,demons in those days were bitter   
enemies of the painters1 and above all  
of the ,florentine painters1 who        
surpassed all the rest in subtlety of   
wit4 ,chiefly they reproached them with 
representing them under a hideous guise1
 with the heads of bird and fish1       
serpents' bodies and bats' wings4 ,this 
sore resentment which they felt will    

come out plainly in the history of      
,spinello of ,arezzo4  ,spinello        
,spinelli was sprung of a noble family  
of ,florentine exiles1 and his          
graciousness of mind matched his gentle 
birth2 for he was the most skilful      
painter of his time4 ,he wrought many   
and great works at ,florence2 and the   
,pisans begged him to complete ,giotto's
 wall-paintings in their ,campo ,santo1 
where the dead rest beneath roses in    
holy earth shipped from ,jerusalem4 ,at 
last1 after working long years in divers
 cities and getting much gold1 he longed
 to see once more the good city of      
,arezzo1 his mother4 ,the men of ,arezzo
 had not forgotten how ,spinello1 in his
 younger days1 being enrolled in the    
,confraternity of ,santa ,maria della   
,misericordia1 had visited the sick and 
buried the dead in the plague of #achc4 
,they were grateful to him beside for   
having by his works spread the fame of  
their city over all ,tuscany4 ,for all  
these reasons they welcomed him with    

high honours on his return4  ,still full
 of vigour in his old age1 he undertook 
important tasks in his native town4 ,his
 wife would tell him3  ,you are rich1   
,spinello4 ,do you rest1 and leave      
younger men to paint instead of you4 ,it
 is meet a man should end his days in a 
gentle1 religious quiet4 ,it is tempting
 ,god to be for ever raising new and    
worldly monuments1 mere heathen towers  
of ,babel4 ,quit your colours and your  
varnishes1 ,spinello1 or they will      
destroy your peace of mind4  ,so the    
good dame would preach1 but he refused  
to listen1 for his one thought was to   
increase his fortune and renown4 ,far   
from resting on his laurels1 he arranged
 a price with the ,wardens of ,sant'    
,agnolo for a history of ,st4 ,michael1 
that was to cover all the ,choir of the 
,church and contain an infinity of      
figures4 ,into this enterprise he threw 
himself with extraordinary ardour4      
,rereading the parts of ,scripture that 
were to be his inspiration1 he set      

himself to study deeply every line and  
every word of these passages4 ,not      
content with drawing all day long in his
 workshop1 he persisted in working both 
at bed and board2 while at dusk1 walking
 below the hill on whose brow ,arezzo   
proudly lifts her walls and towers1 he  
was still lost in thought4 ,and we may  
say the story of the ,archangel was     
already limned in his brain when he     
started to sketch out the incidents in  
red chalk on the plaster of the wall4   
,he was soon done tracing these         
outlines2 then he fell to painting above
 the high altar the scene that was to   
outshine all the others in brilliancy4  
,for it was his intent therein to       
glorify the leader of the hosts of      
,heaven for the victory he won before   
the beginning of time4 ,accordingly     
,spinello represented ,st4 ,michael     
fighting in the air against the serpent 
with seven heads and ten horns1 and he  
figured with delight1 in the bottom part
 of the picture1 the ,prince of the     

,devils1 ,lucifer1 under the semblance  
of an appalling monster4 ,the figures   
seemed to grow to life of themselves    
under his hand4 ,his success was beyond 
his fondest hopes2 so hideous was the   
countenance of ,lucifer1 none could     
escape the nightmare of its foulness4   
,the face haunted the painter in the    
streets and even went home with him to  
his lodging4  ,presently when night was 
come1 ,spinello lay-down in his bed     
beside his wife and fell asleep4 ,in his
 slumbers he saw an ,angel as comely as 
,st4 ,michael1 but black2 and the ,angel
 said to him3  ,spinello1 ,i am         
,lucifer4 ,tell me1 where had you seen  
me1 that you should paint me as you     
have1 under so ignominious a likeness8  
,the old painter answered trembling1    
that he had never seen him with his     
eyes1 never having gone down alive into 
,hell1 like ,messer ,dante ,alighieri2  
but that1 in depicting him as he had    
done1 he was for expressing in visible  
lines and colours the hideousness of    

sin4  ,lucifer shrugged his shoulders1  
and the hill of ,san ,gemignano seemed  
of a sudden to heave and stagger4       
,spinello1 he went on1 will you do me   
the pleasure to reason awhile with me8  
,i am no mean ,logician2 ,he you pray to
 knows that4  ,receiving no reply1      
,lucifer proceeded in these terms3      
,spinello1 you have read the books that 
tell of me4 ,you know of my enterprise1 
and how ,i forsook ,heaven to become the
 ,prince of this ,world4 ,a tremendous  
adventure1--and a unique one1 had not   
the ,giants in like fashion assailed the
 god ,jupiter1 as yourself have seen1   
,spinello1 recorded on an ancient tomb  
where this ,titanic war is carved in    
marble4  ,it is true1 said ,spinello1 ,i
 have seen the tomb1 shaped like a great
 tun1 in the ,church of ,santa ,reparata
 at ,florence4 ',tis a fine work of the 
,romans4  ,still1 returned ,lucifer1    
smiling1 the ,giants are not pictured on
 it in the shape of frogs or chameleons 
or the like hideous and horrid          

creatures4  ,true1 replied the painter1 
but then they had not attacked the true 
,god1 but only a false idol of the      
,pagans4 ',tis a mighty difference4 ,the
 fact is clear1 ,lucifer1 you raised the
 standard of revolt against the true and
 veritable ,king of ,earth and ,heaven4 
,i will not deny it1 said ,lucifer4 ,and
 how many sorts of sins do you charge me
 with for that8  ,seven1 it is like     
enough1 the painter answered1 and deadly
 sins one and all4  ,seven6 exclaimed   
the ,angel of ,darkness2 well6 the      
number is canonical4 ,everything goes by
 sevens in my history1 which is close   
bound up with ,god's4 ,spinello1 you    
deem me proud1 angry and envious4 ,i    
enter no protest1 provided you allow    
that glory was my only aim4 ,do you deem
 me covetous8 ,granted again2           
,covetousness is a virtue for ,princes4 
,for ,gluttony and ,lust1 if you hold me
 guilty1 ,i will not complain4 ,remains 
,indolence4  ,as he pronounced the word1
 ,lucifer crossed his arms across his   

breast1 and shaking his gloomy head1    
tossed his flaming locks3  ,tell me1    
,spinello1 do you really think ,i am    
indolent8 ,do you take me for a coward8 
,do you hold that in my revolt ,i showed
 a lack of courage8 ,nay6 you cannot4   
,then it was but just to paint me in the
 guise of a hero1 with a proud          
countenance4 ,you should wrong no one1  
not even the ,devil4 ,cannot you see    
that you insult ,him you make prayer to1
 when you give ,him for adversary a     
vile1 monstrous toad8 ,spinello1 you are
 very ignorant for a man of your age4 ,i
 have a great mind to pull your ears1 as
 they do to an ill-conditioned          
schoolboy4  ,at this threat1 and seeing 
the arm of ,lucifer already stretched   
out towards him1 ,spinello clapped his  
hand to his head and began to howl with 
terror4  ,his good wife1 waking up with 
a start1 asked him what ailed him4 ,he  
told her with chattering teeth1 how he  
had just seen ,lucifer and had been in  
terror for his ears4  ,i told you so1   

retorted the worthy dame2 ,i knew all   
those figures you will go on painting on
 the walls would end by driving you mad4
  ,i am not mad1 protested the painter4 
,i saw him with my own eyes2 and he is  
beautiful to look on1 albeit proud and  
sad4 ,first thing to-morrow ,i will blot
 out the horrid figure ,i have drawn and
 set in its place the shape ,i beheld in
 my dream4 ,for we must not wrong even  
the ,devil himself4  ,you had best go to
 sleep again1 scolded his wife4 ,you are
 talking stark nonsense1 and unchristian
 to boot4  ,spinello tried to rise1 but 
his strength failed him and he fell back
 unconscious on his pillow4 ,he lingered
 on a few days in a high fever1 and then
 died4     ,,the ,,loaves ,,of ,,black  
,,bread  ,,to ,,mademoiselle ,,mary     
,,finaly     ,,the ,,loaves ,,of ,,black
 ,,bread    ,tu tibi divitias           
stolidissime congeris amplas1           
,negasque micam pauperi2   ,advenit ecce
 dies qua saevis ignibus ardens         
,rogabis aquae guttulam4#a    7,navis   

stultifera1 ,sebastian ,brandt1 #aejg1  
fol1 xix47  ,footnote #a3 ,you heap up  
in your folly ample riches for yourself1
 and refuse a crumb of bread to the poor
 man2 lo6 the day is at hand when       
burning in cruel flames1 you shall beg  
for a drop of water4--,ship of ,fools4  
,in those days ,nicolas ,nerli was a    
banker in the noble city of ,florence4  
,tierce was no sooner sounded than he   
was at his desk1 and at nones he was    
seated there still1 poring all day long 
over the figures he wrote in his        
table-books4 ,he lent money to the      
,emperor and to the ,pope4 ,and if he   
did not lend to the ,devil1 it was only 
because he was afraid of bad debts with 
him they call the ,wily ,one1 and who is
 full of cunning and trickery4 ,nicolas 
,nerli was bold and unscrupulous2 he had
 won great riches and robbed many folks 
of their own4 ,wherefore he was highly  
honoured in the city of ,florence4 ,he  
dwelt in a ,palace where the light of   
,god's day entered only by narrow       

windows2 and this was a wise precaution1
 for the rich man's house must be a     
castle1 and they who possess much wealth
 do well to defend by force what they   
have gotten by cunning4  ,accordingly   
the windows were guarded with bars and  
the doors with chains4 ,outside1 the    
walls were painted in fresco by clever  
craftsmen1 who had depicted thereon the 
,virtues under the likeness of women1   
the ,patriarchs1 the ,prophets and the  
,kings of ,israel4 ,tapestries hung in  
the rooms within1 displaying the        
histories of ,alexander and ,tristram1  
as they are told us in legends4 ,nicolas
 ,nerli set all the city talking of his 
wealth by the pious foundations he      
established4 ,he had raised an ,hospital
 beyond the walls1 the frieze of which1 
carved and painted1 represented the most
 honourable actions of his own life2 in 
gratitude for the sums of money he had  
given towards the completion of ,santa  
,maria ,novella1 his portrait was       
suspended in the choir of that ,church4 

,in it he was shown kneeling1 with      
praying hands1 at the feet of the       
,blessed ,virgin1 easily recognizable by
 his cap of red worsted1 his furred     
hood1 his yellow face swimming in       
fatness and his little keen eyes4 ,his  
good wife1 ,monna ,bismantova1 a        
worthy-looking woman with a mournful    
air1 and seeming as though no man could 
ever have taken aught of pleasure with  
her1 was on the other side of the       
,virgin in the humble attitude of       
supplication4 ,nicolas ,nerli was one of
 the chiefest citizens of the ,republic2
 seeing he had never spoken against the 
laws1 and because he had never regarded 
the poor nor such folk as the great and 
powerful condemn to fine and exile1     
nothing had lowered in the estimation of
 the ,magistrates the high repute he had
 won in their eyes by reason of his     
great riches4  ,returning one winter    
evening later than usual to his ,palace1
 he was surrounded on the threshold by a
 band of half-naked mendicants who held 

out their hands and asked alms4  ,he    
repulsed them with hard words4 ,but     
hunger making them as fierce and bold as
 wolves1 they formed a circle round him1
 and begged him for bread in hoarse1    
lamentable voices4 ,he was just stooping
 to pick up stones to throw at them when
 he saw one of his serving-men coming1  
carrying on his head a basketful of     
loaves of black bread1 intended for the 
stablemen1 kitchen helpers and          
gardeners4  ,he signed to the pantler to
 approach1 and diving both hands into   
the basket1 tossed the loaves to the    
starving wretches4 ,then entering the   
house1 he went to bed and fell asleep4  
,in the night1 he was smitten with      
apoplexy and died so suddenly he        
believed himself still in his bed when  
he saw1 in a place as dark as ,erebus1  
,st4 ,michael the ,archangel shining in 
the brightness that issued from his own 
presence4  ,balance in hand1 the        
,archangel was engaged in filling the   
scales4 ,recognizing in the scale that  

hung lowest certain jewels belonging to 
widow women that he had in pledge1 a    
great heap of clippings from pieces he  
had filched dishonestly1 and sundry very
 fine gold coins which were unique and  
which he had acquired by usury or fraud1
 ,nicolas ,nerli comprehended it was his
 own life1 now come to an end1 that ,st4
 ,michael was at that instant weighing  
before his eyes4  ,good ,sir6 he said1  
good ,st4 ,michael6 if you put in the   
one scale all the lucre ,i have gotten  
in my life1 set in the other1 if it     
please you1 the noble foundations       
whereby ,i have so splendidly shown my  
piety4 ,forget not the ,duomo of ,santa 
,maria ,novella1 to which ,i contributed
 a good third2 nor my ,hospital beyond  
the walls1 that ,i built entirely out of
 my own pocket4  ,never fear1 ,nicolas  
,nerli1 answered the ,archangel2 ,i will
 forget nothing4  ,and with his own     
heavenly hands he set in the lighter    
scale the ,duomo of ,santa ,maria       
,novella and the ,hospital with its     

frieze all carved and painted4 ,but the 
scale did not drop an inch4  ,at this   
the ,banker was sorely disquieted4      
,good ,st4 ,michael6 think again4 ,you  
have not put this side of the balance my
 fine holy-water stoup ,i gave to ,san  
,giovanni1 nor the pulpit in ,sant'     
,andrea1 where the baptism of ,our ,lord
 ,jesus ,christ is depicted life-size4  
,the artist charged me a pretty penny   
for it4  ,the ,archangel put both pulpit
 and stoup atop of the ,hospital in the 
scale1 but still it never stirred4      
,nicolas ,nerli began to feel a cold    
sweat bathing his brow4  ,good ,sir6    
dear ,archangel6 he asked1 are you quite
 certain your balances are true8  ,st4  
,michael replied1 smiling1 that they    
were of a different pattern from the    
balances the brokers of ,paris use and  
the money-changers of ,venice1 and were 
precisely accurate4  ,what6 sighed      
,nicolas ,nerli1 his face as white as   
chalk4 ,duomo1 pulpit1 basin1 ,hospital 
with all its beds1 do they weigh no more

 than a bit of straw1 a pinch of down   
from a bird's breast8  ,see for         
yourself1 ,nicolas6 said the ,archangel2
 so far the weight of your iniquities   
much outweighs the light load of your   
good works4  ,then ,i must go to ,hell1 
cried the ,florentine2 and his teeth    
chattered with horror4  ,patience1      
,nicolas ,nerli1 returned the ,weigher  
of ,souls1 patience6 we are not done    
yet4 ,there is something left4  ,so     
saying1 the ,blessed ,st4 ,michael took 
the loaves of black bread the rich man  
had tossed the night before to the poor 
beggars4 ,he laid them in the scale     
containing the good works1 which        
instantly fell1 while the other rose1   
and the two scales remained level4 ,the 
beam dropped neither to right nor left1 
and the needle marked the exact equality
 of the two loads4  ,the ,banker could  
not believe his eyes2 but the glorious  
,archangel said solemnly3  ,see1        
,nicolas ,nerli2 you are good neither   
for ,heaven nor ,hell4 ,begone6 ,go back

 to ,florence6 multiply through the city
 the loaves you gave last night with    
your own hand1 in the dusk1 when no man 
saw you--and you shall be saved4 ,it is 
not enough that ,heaven open its doors  
to the thief that repented and the      
harlot that wept4 ,the mercy of ,god is 
infinite1 and able to save even a rich  
man4 ,do this2 multiply the loaves whose
 weight you see weighing down my        
balances4 ,begone6  ,then ,nicholas     
,nerli awoke in his bed4 ,he resolved to
 follow faithfully the counsel of the   
,archangel1 and multiply the bread of   
the poor1 and so enter into the kingdom 
of ,heaven4  ,for the three years he    
spent on earth after his first death1 he
 was very pitiful to the unfortunate and
 a great giver of alms4     ,,the       
,,merry-,,hearted ,,buffalmacco  ,,to   
,,eug,,ne ,m,,ntz     ,,the             
,,merry-,,hearted ,,buffalmacco         
,buonamico di ,cristofano detto         
,buffalmacco pittore ,fiorentino1 il    
qual   fu discepolo d' ,andrea ,tafi1 e 

come uomo burlevole celebrato da ,messer
   ,giovanni ,boccaccio nel suo         
,decamerone1 fu come si sa carissimo    
compagno di ,bruno e di ,calendrino     
pittori ancor essi faceti e   piacevole1
 e1 come si pu vedere nell' opere sue   
sparse per tutta   ,toscana1 di assai   
buon giudizio nell' arte sua del        
dipignere4    7,vite de' pi eccellenti  
pittori1 da ,messer ,giorgio            
,vasari4--,vita   di ,buonamico         
,buffalmacco47#a  ,footnote #a3         
,buonamico di ,cristofano1 known as     
,buffalmacco1 a ,florentine painter1 the
 same that was pupil of ,andrea ,tafi1  
and celebrated as a burlesque character 
by ,messer ,giovanni ,boccaccio in his  
,decameron was as we know bosom friend  
of ,bruno and ,calendrino1 also painters
 and of an even more witty and merry    
humour than himself1 and as may be seen 
in his works scattered throughout       
,tuscany1 of no mean judgement in his   
art of painting4 7,lives of the most    
,excellent ,painters by ,messer ,giorgio

 ,vasari4--,life of ,buonamico          
,buffalmacco47   ,i  ,,the ,,cockroaches
  ,in his callow youth1 ,buonamico      
,cristofani1 ,florentine1 surnamed      
,buffalmacco by reason of his merry     
humour1 served his apprenticeship in the
 workshop of ,andrea ,tafi1 painter and 
worker-in-mosaic4 ,now the said ,tafi   
was a very knowledgeable master4        
,sojourning at ,venice in the days when 
,apollonius was covering the walls of   
,san ,marco with mosaics1 he had        
discovered by means of a trick certain  
secrets the ,greek craftsmen were for   
keeping sedulously to themselves4       
,returning to his native city1 he won so
 high a repute in the art of composing  
pictures by arranging together a        
countless number of little differently  
coloured cubes of glass1 he could not   
supply all the demands addressed to him 
for works of the sort1 and all day and  
every day1 from matins to vespers1 he   
was busy1 mounted on a scaffold in some 
,church or other1 depicting the dead    

,christ1 or ,christ in ,his glory1 the  
,patriarchs and ,prophets1 or the       
history of ,job or of ,noah4 ,and as he 
was likewise keen to paint in fresco1   
with pounded colours1 in the manner of  
the ,greeks1 which was then the only one
 known1 he refused himself all rest1 and
 gave his apprentices none either4 ,he  
used to tell them3  ,they who like      
myself are in possession of noble       
secrets and excel in their art should   
keep both mind and hand ceaselessly     
active to carry out their enterprises1  
so as to win much wealth and leave a    
long memory behind them4 ,and if ,i1 old
 and broken down as ,i am1 spare myself 
no trouble1 you are bound to do your    
utmost to help me with all your         
strength1 which is fresh1 hearty and    
undiminished4  ,and in order that his   
colours1 his tesser of molten glass and 
his impastos might be all ready prepared
 by dawn of day1 he forced the lads to  
rise in the middle of the night4        
,nothing could well be more hateful to  

,buffalmacco1 who was in the habit of   
supping plentifully1 and loved to run   
the streets at an hour when1 as they    
say1 all cats are grey4 ,he went to bed 
late and slept sound1 his conscience    
being clear enough after all4           
,accordingly1 when ,tafi's shrill voice 
woke him up out of his beauty sleep1 he 
would only turn round on his pillow and 
pretend to be deaf4 ,but his master     
invariably persisted1 and at a pinch    
would go into the apprentice's room and 
very soon have the sheets dragged off   
the bed and a jug of cold water emptied 
over the sluggard's head4  ,poor        
,buffalmacco1 shivering and half        
dressed1 would away grumbling1 to grind 
the colours in the dark1 cold workroom1 
cudgelling his wits the while1 grinding 
and cursing all the time1 to think of   
some way of escaping such harsh and     
humiliating treatment in future4 ,long  
he sought in vain2 but his mind was an  
active one1 and one morning early a     
happy thought struck him4  ,to put this 

in execution1 ,buffalmacco waited till  
his master was out of the way4 ,directly
 day broke1 ,andrea ,tafi1 as his habit 
was1 pocketed the flask of ,chianti and 
the three eggs that formed his regular  
breakfast1 and bidding his pupils melt  
the glass tesser according to the       
directions1 and take every possible     
pains1 went off to work in the famous   
church of ,san ,giovanni1 a marvellously
 beautiful building1 constructed with   
admirable art in the ,classical manner4 
,at the time he was executing on its    
walls a series of mosaics representing  
the ,angels1 ,archangels1 ,cherubim and 
,seraphim1 ,powers1 ,thrones and        
,dominions2 the chief acts of the       
,almighty1 from the ,creation of ,light 
to the ,deluge2 the history of ,joseph  
and his brethren1 the history of ,jesus 
,christ from the moment ,he was         
conceived in ,his ,mother's womb till   
,his ,ascension into ,heaven1 and the   
life of ,st4 ,john ,baptist4 ,seeing the
 infinite pains he took to fix the      

pieces truly in the cement and arrange  
them artistically1 he expected both     
profit and fame as the result of this   
great work and the host of figures it   
contained4 ,then1 directly the master   
was gone1 ,buffalmacco hastened to make 
his preparations for the enterprise he  
was bent upon4 ,he went down into the   
cellar1 which1 communicating as it did  
with a baker's next door1 was full of   
cockroaches drawn thither by the smell  
of the sacks of flour4 ,everybody knows 
how cockroaches1 or kitchen-beetles1    
swarm in bakeries1 inns and corn-mills4 
,these are a sort of crawling1 stinking 
insects1 with long1 ungainly1 shaggy    
legs and an ugly shell of a dirty       
yellow4#a  ,during the ,civil ,wars that
 stained the ,arbia red and fertilized  
the olive-yards with the blood of       
nobles1 these loathsome insects had two 
names in ,tuscany3 the ,florentines     
called them ,siennese1 and the ,siennese
 ,florentines4#b  ,footnote #a3 ,it     
would be better to speak of the         

wing-cases4 ,shell is an utterly        
unsuitable word--not in the least       
fitting4 ,the ,oriental cockroach is in 
question1 an insect familiar in almost  
every part of ,europe4  ,footnote #b3   
,in ,russia they are termed ,prussians1 
and in ,prussia ,russians4 ,the ,french 
call them cafards 7canting creatures1   
hypocrites74  ,the good ,buffalmacco    
laughed to see the creatures all moving 
up and down and in and out1 looking for 
all the world like tiny shields of a    
host of pigmy knights jousting in a     
fairy tourney4  ,ah1 ah6 he cried to    
himself1 they are may-bugs bedevilled1  
that's what they are6 ,they would not   
enjoy the springtime1 and ,jupiter      
punished them for their sluggishness4   
,he has condemned them to crawl about in
 the dark1 weighed down by their useless
 wings--an object-lesson to men to make 
the most of life in the heyday of youth 
and love4  ,this was what ,buffalmacco  
said to himself2 for he was ready       
enough1 like other folk1 to see in      

nature a symbol of his own passions and 
inclinations1 which were to drink1 to   
divert himself with pretty women and    
sleep his fill in a warm bed in winter  
and a nice cool one in summer4          
,however1 he had not visited the cellar 
to ponder on symbols and emblems1 and he
 was not long in carrying out his plan4 
,he caught two dozen of the cockroaches1
 without regard to sex or age1 and      
popped them in a bag he had brought with
 him for the purpose4 ,this done1 he    
proceeded to hide the bag under his bed1
 and returned to the workroom1 where his
 comrades ,bruno and ,calendrino were   
painting1 from the master's sketches1   
the good ,st4 ,francis receiving the    
stigmata1 and meantime devising some way
 of hoodwinking ,memmi the cobbler1     
whose wife was comely and obliging4     
,buffalmacco1 who was not less expert1  
far from it1 than his two comrades1     
mounted the ladder and started painting 
the wings of the seraphic crucifix that 
came down from heaven to mark the       

,blessed ,saint with the five wounds of 
love1 taking the utmost pains to blend  
in the celestial pinions all the        
tenderest hues of the rainbow4 ,the task
 occupied him all day1 and when old     
,tafi came back from ,san ,giovanni1 he 
could not refrain from bestowing a few  
words of commendation on his pupil4     
,this cost him no small effort1 for age 
and riches had made him both cross and  
critical4  ,my lads1 he said1 addressing
 the apprentices1 those wings are       
painted with a good deal of spirit4     
,buffalmacco might go far in the art of 
painting1 if he would only apply himself
 more vigorously4 ,but there1 his mind  
is far too much set on self-indulgence2 
and great achievements can only be      
accomplished by steady labour4 ,now     
,calendrino here would beat you all1    
with his industry--if he were not a born
 fool4  ,in such fashion ,andrea ,tafi  
improved the occasion with a proper     
severity4 ,then1 having said his say1 he
 went to the kitchen to take his supper1

 which consisted of a bit of salt fish2 
after that he betook himself to his     
chamber1 lay down in his bed1 and was   
soon snoring4 ,meantime ,buffalmacco    
made his usual round through every      
quarter of the city where wine was to be
 had cheap and girls cheaper still4     
,this done1 he got home again half an   
hour or so before the time ,tafi        
generally woke4 ,he drew out the bag    
from under his bed1 took the cockroaches
 one by one1 and by means of a short1   
sharp needle fastened a little wax taper
 on the back of each4 ,lighting the     
tapers1 he let the insects loose1 one   
after the other1 in the room4 ,the      
creatures are too stupid to feel pain1  
or if they do1 to manifest any great    
panic4 ,they set off crawling over the  
floor1 at a pace which surprise and     
perhaps some vague terror made a trifle 
quicker than usual4 ,before long they   
started describing circles1 not because 
it is1 as ,plato says1 a perfect figure1
 but as a result of the instinct that   

always makes insects turn round and     
round1 in their efforts to escape any   
unknown danger4 ,buffalmacco looked on  
from the vantage-ground of his bed1 on  
which he had thrown himself1 and        
congratulated himself on the success of 
his device4 ,and indeed nothing could be
 more marvellous than these lights      
showing a miniature presentment of the  
harmony of the spheres1 such as it is   
set out by ,aristotle and his           
commentators4 ,the cockroaches          
themselves were invisible2 only the     
little flames they carried could be     
seen1 which seemed to be all alive4     
,just as these same lights were weaving 
in the darkness of the room more cycles 
and epicycles than ever ,ptolemy and the
 ,arabs observed as they watched the    
motions of the planets1 ,tafi's voice   
made itself heard1 shriller than ever1  
what with a cold in the head and what   
with annoyance4  ,buffalmacco6          
,buffalmacco1 ,i say6 screamed the old  
fellow1 coughing and spitting1 get up1  

,i say6 ,get up1 you scoundrel6 ,in less
 than an hour's time1 it will be broad  
daylight4 ,the bugs in your bed must be 
built like very ,venuses1 you are so    
loath to leave 'em4 ,up1 you sluggard6  
,if you don't rise this instant1 ,i'll  
drag you from between the sheets by the 
hair of your head and your long ears6   
,these were the sort of terms in which  
the master would call his pupil out of  
bed in the dusk of every morning1 such  
was his zeal for painting and           
mosaic-work4 ,on this occasion receiving
 no reply1 he drew on his hose1 but     
without taking time to pull them any    
higher than his knees1 and started for  
his apprentice's bedroom1 stumbling at  
every step4 ,this was exactly what      
,buffalmacco expected1 and directly he  
heard the clatter of his master's       
footsteps on the stairs1 he turned his  
nose to the wall and pretended to be    
fast asleep4 ,and there was old ,tafi   
shouting up the stairs3  ,hilloa6 but   
you're a grand sleeper4 ,i'll have you  

out of your slumbers1 ,i will1 though   
you should be dreaming this very moment 
that the eleven thousand virgins are    
slipping into your bed1 begging you to  
teach 'em what's what4  ,with these     
words on his lips1 ,andrea ,tafi shoved 
the door of the room violently open4    
,then1 catching sight of the points of  
fire running all over the floor1 he     
stopped dead on the landing and fell    
a-trembling in every limb4  ,they're    
devils1 he thought1 never a doubt of    
it1--devils and evil spirits4 ,why6 they
 move with a sort of mathematical       
precision1 which is their strong point1 
,i've always been told4 ,naturally the  
,demons hate us painters1 who depict    
them under hideous shapes1 in contrast  
with the ,angels we represent in glory1 
an aureole about their brows and waving 
wings of dazzling splendour4 ,the       
unhappy boy is beset with devils2 ,i can
 count at least a thousand around his   
pallet4 ,no doubt he has angered        
,lucifer himself1 by drawing some       

horrible picture of him4 ',tis only too 
likely these ten thousand imps here will
 leap upon him and carry him off alive  
to ,hell4 ,his doom is fixed4 ,and      
alack6 ,i have myself figured1 in mosaic
 and other ways1 very odious caricatures
 of ,devils1 and they have good reason  
to bear me a grudge too4  ,the thought  
redoubled his fears1 and hauling up his 
hose1 he took to his heels1 too much    
terrified to think of facing the hundred
 thousand hobgoblins he had seen        
wheeling round and round with bodies of 
fire1 and dashed down the stairs as fast
 as ever his old legs would carry him4  
,buffalmacco had a fine laugh under the 
sheets1 and for once in a way slept on  
till broad daylight4 ,nor did his master
 ever again dare to go and wake him4    
,,ii  ,,the ,,ascending ,,up ,,of       
,,andrea ,,tafi  ,andrea ,tafi1 of      
,florence1 being chosen to decorate the 
cupola of ,san ,giovanni with mosaics1  
carried out the said work in the most   
perfect fashion4 ,every figure was      

treated in the ,greek manner1 which     
,tafi had learned during his sojourn at 
,venice1 where he had seen workmen busy 
adorning the walls of ,san ,marco4 ,he  
had even brought back with him from that
 city a ,greek by name ,apollonius1 who 
knew excellent secrets for designing in 
mosaic4 ,this ,apollonius was a skilful 
workman and a very clever man4 ,he knew 
the proportions to be given to the      
different parts of the human body and   
the material for mixing the best cement4
  ,fearing the ,greek might carry his   
knowledge and address to some other     
painter of the city1 ,andrea ,tafi never
 left his side day or night ,every      
morning he took him with him to ,san    
,giovanni1 and brought him home every   
evening to his own house1 facing ,san   
,michele1 and made him sleep there with 
his two apprentices1 ,bruno and         
,buffalmacco1 in a room separated merely
 by a partition from his own            
bed-chamber4 ,and as this partition left
 half a foot between the top and the    

beams of the ceiling1 whatever was said 
in one room could easily be overheard in
 the other4  ,now ,tafi was a man of    
decent manners and pious4 ,he was not   
like some painters who1 on leaving the  
,churches where they have been depicting
 ,god creating the world and the infant 
,jesus in his holy mother's arms1 go    
straight to houses of ill fame to play  
dice and drink1 play the pipes and      
cuddle the girls4 ,he had never wished  
for better than his good wife1 albeit   
she was by no means made and moulded by 
the ,creator to afford any great delight
 to men2 for she was a very dry and a   
very chilling personage4 ,then1 after   
,god had removed her from this world to 
a better1 in his loving mercy1 ,andrea  
took no other woman to his bosom either 
by marriage or otherwise4 ,on the       
contrary he was strictly continent1 as  
became his years1 sparing himself both  
expense and vexation1 and pleasing ,god 
to boot1 who recompenses in the next    
world the privations men endure in this4

 ,andrea ,tafi was chaste1 sober and    
well-advised4  ,he said his prayers with
 unfailing regularity1 and being got to 
bed1 he never fell asleep without first 
invoking the ,blessed ,virgin in these  
words3  ,holy ,virgin1 ,mother of ,god1 
which for ,thy merits wast exalted alive
 to ,heaven1 stretch forth ,thy hand    
full of grace and mercy to me1 to lift  
me up to that blessed ,paradise where   
,thou sittest on a chair of gold4  ,and 
this petition old ,tafi did not mumble  
between the two or three teeth he had   
left1 but spoke it out in a loud1 strong
 voice1 persuaded it is the singing1 as 
they say1 makes the song1 and that if   
you want to be heard1 it is best to     
shout4 ,thus it came about that ,master 
,tafi's supplication was overheard every
 night by ,apollonius the ,greek and the
 two young ,florentines who lay in the  
next chamber4 ,now it so happened       
,apollonius was likewise of a merry     
humour1 every whit as ready for a jest  
as ,bruno or ,buffalmacco4 ,all three   

itched sore to play off some trick on   
the old painter1 who was a just man and 
a god-fearing1 but hard-fisted withal   
and a cruel taskmaster4 ,accordingly one
 night1 after listening to the old      
fellow's customary address to the       
,virgin1 the three comrades fell        
a-laughing under the bed-clothes and    
cutting a hundred jokes4 ,presently1    
when they heard him snoring1 they began 
asking each other in whispers what jape 
they could play off on him4 ,well       
knowing the holy terror the old man had 
of the ,devil1 ,apollonius proposed to  
go1 dressed in red1 with horns and a    
mask1 to drag him out of bed by the     
feet4 ,but the ingenious ,buffalmacco   
had a better suggestion to offer3       
,to-morrow we will provide ourselves    
with a good stout rope and a pulley1 and
 ,i undertake to give you the same      
evening a highly diverting exhibition4  
,apollonius and ,bruno were curious to  
know what the pulley and rope were to be
 used for1 but ,buffalmacco refused to  

say4 ,nevertheless they promised        
faithfully to get him what he wanted2   
for they knew him to possess the        
merriest wit in the world and the most  
fertile in amusing contrivances1 having 
earned his nickname of ,buffalmacco for 
these very qualities4 ,and truly he knew
 some excellent turns1 that have since  
become legendary4  ,the three friends1  
having nothing now to keep them awake1  
fell asleep under the moon1 which       
looking in at the garret window1 pointed
 the tip of one of her horns1 as if in  
mockery1 at old ,tafi4 ,they slept sound
 till daybreak1 when the master began   
hammering on the partition1 and called  
out1 coughing and spitting as usual4    
,get up1 master ,apollonius6 ,up with   
you1 apprentices6 ,day's come2 ,phbus   
has blown out the sky candles6 ,quick's 
the word6 ',life is short1 and art      
long4'  ,then he began threatening      
,bruno and ,buffalmacco he would come   
and start them out with a bucket of cold
 water1 jeering and asking them3  ,is   

your bed so delicious1 eh8 ,have you got
 ,helen of ,troy there1 you're so loath 
to quit the sheets8  ,meanwhile he was  
slipping on his hose and his old1 worn  
hood4 ,this done1 he sallied out1 to    
find the lads waiting on the landing1   
fully dressed and with their tools all  
ready4  ,that morning1 in the fair      
,church of ,san ,giovanni1 on the       
planking that mounted to the cornice1   
the work went on merrily for a while4   
,for the last week the master had been  
trying his hardest to give a good       
representation according to the         
recognized rules of art of the baptism  
of ,jesus ,christ4 ,he had just begun   
putting in the fishes swimming in the   
,jordan4 ,apollonius was mixing the     
cement with bitumen and chopped straw1  
pronouncing words of might known only to
 himself2 while ,bruno and ,buffalmacco 
were picking the little cubes of stone  
to be used1 and ,tafi arranging them    
according to the sketch he had made on a
 slab of slate he held in his hand4 ,but

 just when the master was busiest over  
the job1 the three friends sprang       
lightly down the ladder and slipped out 
of the ,church4 ,bruno went off to the  
house of ,calendrino1 outside the walls1
 in search of a pulley that was used for
 hoisting corn into the granary4 ,at the
 same time ,apollonius hurried away to  
,ripoli to see an old lady1 the wife of 
a ,judge1 whom he had promised to       
provide with a philtre to draw lovers to
 her side1 and persuading her that hemp 
was indispensable for compounding the   
potion1 got her to hand him over the    
well-rope1 a good stout piece of cord4  
,the two friends next met at ,tafi's    
house1 where they found ,buffalmacco    
awaiting them4 ,the latter at once set  
to work to attach the pulley firmly to  
the king-post of the roof1 above the    
partition separating the master's       
sleeping-room from his apprentices'4    
,then1 after passing the old lady's     
well-rope through the pulley1 he left   
one end hanging down in their own       

chamber1 while he went into his master's
 apartment and fastened the bed to the  
other extremity1 by each corner4 ,he    
took good care the rope should be       
concealed behind the curtains1 so that  
nothing out of the way might be visible4
 ,when all was done1 the three          
companions went back to ,san ,giovanni4 
,the old man1 who had been so busily    
engaged as scarcely to have noticed     
their absence1 addressed them with a    
beaming face3  ,look you1 he said1 how  
those fish sparkle with divers colours1 
and particularly with gold1 purple and  
blue1 as creatures should which inhabit 
the ocean and the rivers1 and which     
possess so marvellous a brilliancy of   
hues only because they were the first to
 submit to the empire of the goddess    
,venus1 as is all explained in the      
legend4  ,thus the master discoursed in 
a way full of grace and good sense4 ,for
 you must know he was a man of wit and  
learning1 albeit his humour was so      
saturnine and grasping1 above all when  

his thoughts turned toward filthy lucre4
 ,he went on3  ,now is not a painter's  
trade a good one and deserving of all   
praise8 it wins him riches in this world
 and happiness in the next4 ,for be sure
 ,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ will welcome 
gratefully in ,his holy ,paradise       
craftsmen like myself who have portrayed
 ,his veritable likeness4  ,and ,andrea 
,tafi was glad at heart to be at work   
upon this great picture in mosaic1      
whereof several portions are yet visible
 at ,san ,giovanni to this day4         
,presently when night came and effaced  
both form and colour in all the ,church1
 he tore himself regretfully from the   
river ,jordan and sought his house4 ,he 
supped in the kitchen off a couple of   
tomatoes and a scrap of cheese1 went    
upstairs to his room1 undressed in the  
dark and got into bed4  ,no sooner was  
he laid down than he made his customary 
prayer to the ,blessed ,virgin3  ,holy  
,virgin1 ,mother of ,god1 which for ,thy
 merits wast exalted alive to ,heaven1  

stretch forth ,thy hand full of grace   
and mercy to me1 to lift me up to       
,paradise6  ,the moment was come which  
the three companions had been eagerly   
awaiting in the neighbouring room4      
,they grasped the rope's end that hung  
down the partition from the pulley1 and 
scarcely had the good old fellow        
finished his supplication when at a sign
 from ,buffalmacco they hauled so       
vigorously on the cord1 that the bed    
fastened at the other end began to rise 
from the floor4 ,master ,andrea1 feeling
 himself being hoisted aloft1 yet       
without seeing how1 got it into his head
 it was the ,blessed ,virgin answering  
his prayer and drawing him up to        
,heaven4 ,he was panic-stricken and fell
 a-screaming in a quavering voice3      
,stop1 stop1 sweet ,lady6 ,i never asked
 it should be now6  ,and as the bed rose
 higher and higher1 the rope working    
smoothly and noiselessly over the       
pulley1 the old man poured out the most 
pitiful supplications to the ,virgin    

,mary3  ,good ,lady6 sweet ,lady6 don't 
pull so6 ,ho1 there6 ,let go1 ,i say6   
,but she seemed not to hear a word4 ,at 
this he grew furiously angry and        
bellowed3  ,you must be deaf1 you       
wooden-head6 ,let go1 bitch of a        
,madonna6  ,seeing he was leaving the   
floor for good and all1 his terror      
increased yet further2 and1 calling upon
 ,jesus1 he besought ,him to make ,his  
holy ,mother listen to reason4 ,it was  
high time1 he asseverated1 she should   
give up this mischancy ,assumption4     
,sinner that he was1 and son of a       
sinner1 he could not1 and he would not1 
go up to ,heaven before he'd finished   
the river ,jordan1 the waves and the    
fishes1 and the rest of ,our ,blessed   
,lord's history4 ,meanwhile the canopy  
of the bed was all but touching the     
beams of the roofing1 and ,tafi was     
crying in desperation3  ,jesus1 unless  
you stop your ,blessed ,mother this     
instant1 the roof of my house1 which    
cost a fine penny1 will most certainly  

be burst up4 ,for ,i see for sure ,i'm  
going slap through it4 ,stop6 stop6 ,i  
can hear the tiles cracking4            
,buffalmacco perceived that by now his  
master's voice was actually strangling  
in his throat1 and he ordered his       
companions to let go the rope4 ,this    
they did1 the result being that the bed1
 tumbling suddenly from roof to floor of
 the room1 crashed down on the boards1  
breaking the legs and splitting the     
panels2 simultaneously the bedposts     
toppled over and the canopy1 curtains1  
hangings and all fell atop of ,master   
,andrea1 who1 thinking he was going to  
be smothered1 started howling like a    
devil incarnate4 ,his very soul         
staggered under the shock1 and he could 
not tell whether he was fallen back     
again into his chamber or pitched       
headlong into ,hell4  ,at this point the
 three apprentices rushed in1 as if just
 awakened by the noise4 ,seeing the     
ruins of the bed lying smothered in     
clouds of dust1 they feigned intense    

surprise1 and instead of going to the   
old man's help1 asked him if it was the 
,devil had done the mischief4 ,but he   
only sighed heavily1 and said3  ,it's   
all up with me2 pull me out of this4    
,i'm a dying man6  ,at last they dragged
 him from among the dbris1 under which  
he was ready to suffocate1 and placed   
him sitting up with his back to the     
wall4 ,he breathed hard1 coughed and    
spat1 and3  ,my lads1 he said1 but for  
the timely succour of ,our ,lord ,jesus 
,christ1 who hurled me back to earth    
again with a violence you can plainly   
see the effects of1 ,i should at this   
present moment be in the circle of      
,heaven named the crystalline or primum 
mobile4 ,his holy ,mother would not     
listen to a word4 ,in my fall1 ,i have  
lost three teeth1 which1 without being  
exactly sound1 still did me good        
service4 ,moreover1 ,i have an agonizing
 pain in my right side and in the arm   
that holds the brush4  ,my master1 said 
,apollonius pityingly1 you must have    

received some internal hurts1 which is a
 very dangerous thing4 ,at              
,constantinople1 in the risings1 ,i     
discovered how much more deadly such    
injuries are than mere external wounds4 
,but never fear1 ,i am going to charm   
away the mischief with spells4  ,not for
 worlds6 put in the old man2 that were a
 deadly sin4 ,but come hither1 all      
three1 and do me the service1 an you    
will1 of rubbing me well in the worst   
places4  ,they did as he asked1 and     
never left him till they had pretty well
 scarified every bit of skin off the old
 fellow's back and loins4  ,the good    
lads made it their first business to sow
 the story broadcast through the city4  
,this they did to such good effect that 
there was not man1 woman nor child in   
,florence could look ,master ,andrea    
,tafi in the face without bursting out  
laughing4 ,now one morning ,buffalmacco 
was passing down the ,corso1 ,messer    
,guido1 the son of the ,signor          
,cavalcanti1 who was on his way to the  

marshes to shoot crane1 stopped his     
horse1 called the apprentice to him1 and
 tossed him his purse with the words3   
,ho6 gentle ,buffalmacco1 here's        
somewhat to drink to the health of      
,epicurus and his disciples4  ,you must 
know ,messer ,guido was of the sect of  
the ,epicureans and loved to marshal    
well-arranged arguments against the     
existence of ,god4 ,he was used to      
declare the death of men is precisely   
the same as that of beasts4             
,buffalmacco1 added the young nobleman1 
this purse ,i have given you is for     
payment of the very instructive1        
complete and profitable experiment you  
made1 when you sent old ,tafi to        
,heaven--who1 seeing his carcass taking 
the road to the ,empyrean1 began to     
squeal like a pig being killed4 ,this   
proves plainly he had no real assurance 
in the promised joys of ,paradise--which
 are1 it must be allowed1 far from      
certain4 ,in the same way as nurses tell
 children fairy-tales1 vague things are 

talked concerning the immortality of    
mortal men4 ,the vulgar herd thinks it  
believes these tales1 but it does not   
really and truly4 ,hard fact comes and  
shivers the poets' fables4 ,there is    
nothing assured but the sad life of this
 world4 ,horace1 the ,roman poet1 is of 
my opinion when he says3 ,serus in clum 
redeas4#a  ,footnote #a3 ,may it be long
 ere you return to heaven your          
home4--,ode #b of ,book ,i1 addressed to
 ,augustus4   ,,iii  ,,the ,,master     
,having learned the art of preparing and
 using the proper coats and colours1 as 
well as the secret of painting figures  
in the good manner of ,cimabu and       
,giotto1 the young ,buonamico           
,cristofani1 the ,florentine1 surnamed  
,buffalmacco1 abandoned the workshop of 
his master ,andrea ,tafi1 and proceeded 
to establish himself in the quarter of  
the fullers1 immediately opposite to the
 house known by the sign of the ,goose's
 ,head4 ,now in those days1 like fair   
ladies outvying one another in wearing  

gowns broidered with flowers1 the towns 
of ,italy made it their pride to cover  
the walls of their ,churches and        
,cloisters with paintings4 ,among all   
these1 ,florence was the most sumptuous 
and magnificent1 and was the place of   
all others for a ,painter to live in4   
,buffalmacco knew how to give his       
figures movement and expression2 and1   
while far behind the divine ,giotto for 
beauty of design1 he pleased the eye by 
the gay exuberance of his inventions4   
,so he was not long in getting          
commissions in considerable numbers4 ,it
 only depended on himself to win riches 
and fame with all speed4 ,but his chief 
idea was to amuse himself in company of 
,bruno di ,giovanni and ,nello1 and     
squander along with them1 in debauchery1
 all the money he made4  ,now the       
,abbess of the ,ladies of ,faenza1      
established at ,florence1 determined    
about this time to have the ,church of  
their ,nunnery decorated with frescoes4 
,hearing that there lived in the quarter

 of the fullers and wool-carders a very 
clever painter named ,buffalmacco1 she  
despatched her ,steward thither to come 
to an arrangement with him as to the    
execution of the proposed paintings4    
,the master agreed to the terms offered 
and undertook the commission readily    
enough4 ,he had a scaffolding erected in
 the ,nunnery ,church and on the still  
moist plaster began to paint1 with      
wondrous vigour of execution1 the       
history of ,jesus ,christ4 ,first of    
all1 to the right of the ,altar1 he     
illustrated the massacre of the ,holy   
,innocents1 and succeeded in expressing 
so vividly the grief and rage of the    
mothers trying vainly to save their     
little ones from the ,roman soldiers'   
hands1 that the very wall seemed to     
chant like the faithful in ,church1     
,cur1 ,crudelis ,herodes8444 ,drawn     
thither by curiosity1 the ,nuns used to 
come1 two or three of them together1 to 
watch the master at work4 ,at sight of  
all these despairing mothers and        

murdered babes1 they could not help     
sobbing and shedding tears4 ,in         
particular there was one little fellow  
,buffalmacco had drawn lying in his     
swaddling bands1 smiling and sucking his
 thumb1 between a soldier's legs4 ,the  
,nuns begged and prayed this one might  
not be killed3  ,oh6 spare him1 they    
said to the ,painter4 ,do take care the 
soldiers don't see him and kill him6    
,the good ,buffalmacco answered3  ,for  
love of you1 dear sisters1 ,i will      
protect him all ,i can4 ,but these      
murderers are filled with so savage a   
rage1 it will be a difficult matter to  
stop them4  ,when they declared ,the    
baby is such a little darling6444 he    
offered to make each of them a little   
darling prettier still4  ,thank you     
kindly6 they answered back1 laughing4   
,the ,abbess came in her turn to assure 
herself with her own eyes that the work 
was being done satisfactorily4 ,she was 
a lady of very high birth1 named        
,usimbalda1 a proud1 severe and careful 

personage4 ,seeing a man working without
 cloak or hood1 and like a common       
labourer wearing only shirt and hose1   
she mistook him for some apprentice lad 
and did not condescend so much as to    
speak to him4 ,she came again and again1
 five or six times1 to the ,chapel1     
without ever seeing any one more        
important than this working fellow she  
deemed only fit to grind the colours4   
,out of all patience at last1 she showed
 him she was far from satisfied4  ,my   
lad1 she bade him1 tell your master from
 me he must come and work himself at the
 pictures ,i commissioned him to paint4 
,i meant them to be the work of his own 
hand1 not a mere apprentice's4  ,far    
from declaring himself1 ,buffalmacco put
 on the look and voice of a poor        
working-man1 and humbly answered        
,usimbalda1 that he saw plain enough he 
was not of the sort to inspire          
confidence in so noble a lady1 and that 
his duty was to obey4  ,i will inform my
 master1 he went on2 and he will not    

fail to put himself at the orders of ,my
 ,lady ,abbess4  ,with this assurance1  
the ,lady ,usimbalda left the ,church4  
,no sooner was he alone than            
,buffalmacco arranged on the            
scaffolding1 just at the spot where he  
was at work1 two stools with a crock on 
the top4 ,then going to the corner where
 he had laid them1 he pulled out his    
cloak and hat1 which as it happened were
 in a very fair state of freshness1 and 
put them on the lay figure he had       
improvised2 next1 he stuck a brush in   
the spout of the crock1 which was turned
 towards the wall4 ,this done1 after    
assuring himself the thing had quite the
 look of a man busy painting1 he        
decamped with all speed1 determined to  
keep away till he had seen what         
happened4  ,next day the ,nuns paid     
their usual visit to the scene of       
action4 ,but finding instead of the     
merry fellow they were accustomed to1 a 
stately gentleman who held himself ,in  
the stiffest of attitudes and seemed    

entirely indisposed to laugh and talk1  
they were afraid and took to flight4    
,madame ,usimbalda on the contrary1 when
 she returned to the ,church1 was       
delighted to see the master at work in  
lieu of the apprentice4  ,she proceeded 
to give him much valuable advice1       
exhorting him for a good ten minutes to 
paint figures that should be modest1    
noble and expressive--before she        
discovered she was addressing her       
remarks to a crock4  ,she would hardly  
have found out her mistake even then1   
had she not grown impatient at receiving
 no reply1 and pulling the master by his
 cloak1 brought crock1 stool1 hat1 brush
 and all tumbling at her feet4 ,then1 as
 she was by no means wanting in sense1  
she saw it was intended as a lesson not 
to judge the artist by his dress4 ,she  
sent her steward to ,buffalmacco1 and   
begged him to finish what he had begun4 
,he completed the work greatly to his   
credit4 ,connoisseurs especially admired
 in these frescoes the figure of the    

,crucified ,redeemer1 the three ,marys  
weeping at the foot of the ,cross1      
,judas hanged on a tree1 and a man      
blowing his nose4 ,unfortunately the    
paintings were all destroyed along with 
the ,church of the ,nunnery of the      
,ladies of ,faenza4   ,,iv  ,,the       
,,painter  ,equally famous for his wit  
and humour and for his skill in devising
 figure subjects on the walls of ,church
 and ,cloister1 ,buonamico1 surnamed    
,buffalmacco1 had already left his youth
 behind when he was invited from        
,florence to ,arezzo by the ,lord       
,bishop of that city1 who wished the    
halls of his ,palace decorated with     
paintings4 ,buffalmacco undertook the   
commission1 and directly the walls were 
duly laid with stucco1 started on a     
picture of the ,adoration of the ,wise  
,men4  ,in the course of a few days he  
had painted in ,king ,melchior complete1
 mounted on a white horse1 looking for  
all the world as if he were alive4 ,his 
horse's saddle-cloth was scarlet1 dotted

 with precious stones4  ,now all the    
time he was at work1 the ,bishop's pet  
monkey sat staring intently at his      
proceedings1 never taking his eyes off  
him4 ,whether the painter was squeezing 
his tubes1 mixing his colours1 beating  
up his eggs or laying on the colour with
 his brush on the moist surface1 the    
creature never lost one of his          
movements4 ,it was a baboon brought from
 ,barbary for the ,doge of ,venice in   
one of the ,state ,galleys4 ,the ,doge  
made a present of it to the ,bishop of  
,arezzo1 who thanked his ,magnificence1 
reminding him prettily how ,king        
,solomon's ships had in like fashion    
imported from the land of ,ophir apes   
and peacocks1 as is related in the      
,first ,book of ,kings 7x4 #bb74 ,and   
there was nothing in all his ,palace    
,bishop ,guido held more precious than  
this baboon4  ,he left the animal to    
roam at liberty about the halls and     
gardens1 where it was for ever at some  
mischievous trick or another4 ,one      

,sunday1 during the painter's absence1  
the creature climbed up on the          
scaffolding1 laid hold of the tubes1    
mixed up the colours in a way of its    
own1 broke all the eggs it could find1  
and began plying the brush on the wall1 
as it had seen the other do4 ,it worked 
away at ,king ,melchior and his horse1  
never leaving off till the whole        
composition was repainted according to  
its own ideas4  ,next morning           
,buffalmacco1 finding his colours all   
topsy-turvy and his work spoiled1 was   
both grieved and angry4 ,he was         
persuaded some painter of ,arezzo1 who  
was jealous of his superior skill1 had  
played him this dirty trick1 and went   
straight to the ,bishop to complain4    
,the latter urged him to set to work    
again and repair with all speed what had
 been ruined in a manner so mysterious4 
,he undertook that for the future two   
soldiers should keep guard night and day
 before the frescoes1 with orders to    
drive their lances through any one who  

should dare to come near4 ,on this      
condition1 ,buffalmacco agreed to resume
 his task1 and two soldiers were put on 
sentry close at hand4 ,one evening1 just
 as he was leaving the hall1 his day's  
work finished1 the soldiers saw the     
,lord ,bishop's ape spring so nimbly    
into his place on the scaffold and seize
 the colour-tubes and brushes with such 
rapidity there was no possibility of    
stopping him4 ,they shouted lustily to  
the painter1 who came back just in time 
to see the baboon paint over for the    
second time ,king ,melchior1 the white  
horse and the scarlet saddle-cloth4 ,the
 sight was like to move poor            
,buffalmacco at one and the same time to
 laughter and tears4  ,he went off to   
the ,bishop and thus addressed him3  ,my
 ,lord ,bishop1 you are good enough to  
admire my style of painting2 but your   
baboon prefers a different4 ,what need  
to have had me summoned here1 when you  
had a master painter in your own        
household8 ,it may be he lacked         

experience4 ,but now he has nothing left
 to learn1 my presence here is quite    
unnecessary1 and ,i will back to        
,florence4  ,having so said1 the good   
,buffalmacco returned to his inn1 in    
great vexation4 ,he ate his supper      
without appetite and went to bed in a   
very dismal frame of mind4  ,then the   
,lord ,bishop's ape appeared to him in a
 dream1 not a mere mannikin as he was in
 reality1 but as tall as ,monte ,san    
,gemignano1 cocking up a prodigious tail
 and tickling the moon4 ,he was squatted
 in an olive wood among the farms and   
oil-presses1 while betwixt his legs a   
narrow road ran alongside a row of      
flourishing vineyards4 ,now the said    
road was thronged with a multitude of   
pilgrims1 who defiled one by one before 
the painter's eyes4 ,and lo6            
,buffalmacco recognized the countless   
victims of his practical jokes and merry
 humour generally4  ,he saw1 to begin   
with1 his old master ,andrea ,tafi1 who 
had taught him how men win renown by    

practice of the arts1 and whom in return
 he had befooled again and again1 making
 him mistake for devils of hell a dozen 
wax tapers pinned on the backs of a lot 
of great cockroaches1 and hoisting him  
in his bed to the joists of the ceiling1
 so that the poor old fellow thought he 
was being carried up to heaven and was  
in mortal terror4  ,he saw the          
wool-carder of the ,gooses ,head1 and   
his wife1 that notable woman1 at the    
spinning-wheel4 ,into this good dame's  
cooking-pot ,buffalmacco had been wont  
every evening to throw big handfuls of  
salt through a crack in the wall1 so    
that day after day the wool-carder would
 spit out his porridge and beat his     
wife4  ,he saw ,master ,simon de ,villa1
 the ,bolognese physician1 to be known  
by his ,doctor's cap1 the same he had   
pitched into the cesspool beside the    
,convent of the ,nuns of ,ripoli4 ,the  
,doctor ruined his best velvet gown1 but
 nobody pitied him1 for regardless of   
his good wife's claims1 a plain woman   

but a ,christian1 he had longed to bed  
with ,prester ,john's ,chinchimura1 who 
wears horns betwixt her sinful buttocks4
 ,good ,buffalmacco had persuaded the   
,doctor he could take him o' nights to  
the ,witches' ,sabbath1 where he went   
himself with a merry company to make    
love to the ,queen of ,france1 who gave 
him wine and spices for his doughty     
deeds4 ,simon accepted the invitation1  
hoping he should be treated right       
royally too4 ,then ,buffalmacco having  
donned a beast's skin and a horned mask 
such as they wear at merry-makings1 came
 to ,master ,simon1 declaring he was a  
devil ordered to conduct him to the     
,sabbath4 ,taking him on his shoulders1 
he carried him to the edge of a pit full
 of filth1 where he pitched him in head 
first4  ,next ,buffalmacco saw          
,calendrino1 whom he had got to believe 
that the stone ,heliotropia was to be   
found in the plain of the ,mugnone1     
which stone possesses the virtue of     
rendering invisible whosoever bears it  

about his person4 ,he took him to       
,mugnone along with ,bruno da ,giovanni1
 and when ,calendrino had picked up a   
very large number of stones1            
,buffalmacco suddenly pretended he could
 not see him1 crying out3 ,the scamp has
 given us the slip2 an ,i catch him1    
,i'll bang his behind with this         
paving-stone6 ,and he landed the stone  
exactly where he said he would1 without 
,calendrino having any right to         
complain1 because he was invisible4     
,this same ,calendrino was without any  
sense of humour1 and ,buffalmacco played
 on his simplicity so far as to make him
 actually believe he was with child1 and
 got a brace of fat capons out of him as
 fee for his safe delivery4  ,next      
,buffalmacco saw the countryman for whom
 he had painted the ,blessed ,virgin    
with the ,infant ,jesus in her arms1    
afterwards changing the babe into a     
bear's cub4  ,he saw moreover the       
,abbess of the ,nuns of ,faenza1 who had
 commissioned him to paint the walls of 

the ,convent ,church in fresco1 and he  
told her on his oath and honour you must
 mix good wine with the colours1 if the 
flesh tints are to be really brilliant4 
,so the ,abbess gave him for every      
,saint1 male or female1 depicted in his 
pictures a flask of the wine reserved   
for ,bishops' drinking1 which he poured 
down his throat1 trusting to vermilion  
to bring out the warm tints4 ,the same  
,lady ,abbess it was he deceived1 making
 her take a pitcher with a cloak thrown 
over it for a master painter1 as has    
been already recounted4  ,buffalmacco   
saw1 besides1 a long line of other folks
 he had befooled1 cajoled1 cozened and  
bemocked4 ,closing the rear1 marched    
with crozier1 mitre and cope1 the great 
,sant' ,ercolano1 whom in a merry mood  
he had represented in the ,great ,square
 of ,perugia1 girt about with a garland 
of gudgeons4  ,all as they passed paid  
their compliment to the ape which had   
avenged them2 and the monster1 opening a
 great mouth wider than the jaws of     

hell1 broke into a mocking laugh4  ,for 
the first time in his life ,buffalmacco 
had a downright bad night's rest4       
,,the ,,lady ,,of ,,verona  ,,to        
,,hugues ,,rebell     ,,the ,,lady ,,of 
,,verona    ,puella autem moriens dixit3
 ',satanas1 trado tibi corpus meum cum  
anima mea4' 7,quadragesimale opus       
declamatum ,parisiis in ecclesia ,sti4  
,johannis in ,gravia per venerabilem    
patrem ,sacrae scripturae   interpretem 
eximium ,ol4 ,maillardum1 #aeaa47a      
,footnote #a3 ,but the dying girl said1 
',satan1 ,i give over my body to you    
along with my soul4' 7,lenten ,sermon   
preached at ,paris in the ,church of    
,st4 ,jean-en-,grve by that venerable   
father and excellent expounder of ,holy 
,scripture1 ,olivier ,maillard1 #aeaa47 
,the following was found by the         
,reverend ,father ,adone ,doni1 in the  
,archives of the ,monastery of ,santa   
,croce1 at ,verona4  ,signora ,eletta of
 ,verona was so wondrous fair and of so 
perfect a grace of body1 that the       

learned of the city1 they who had       
knowledge of history and legend1 were   
used to call her lady mother by the     
names of ,latona1 ,leda and ,semele1    
making implication thereby of their     
belief that the fruit of her womb had   
been framed in her by a god1 ,jupiter1  
rather than by any mortal man1 such as  
were her husband and lovers4 ,but the   
wiser heads1 notably the ,fra ,battista1
 whose successor ,i am as ,superior of  
,santa ,croce1 held that such exceeding 
beauty of the flesh came of the         
operation of the ,devil1 who is an      
artist in the sense the dying ,nero     
understood the word when he said1       
,qualis artifex pereo6#a ,and we may be 
sure ,satan1 the enemy of ,god1 who is  
cunning to work the metals1 excels      
likewise in the moulding of human flesh4
  ,footnote #a3 ,what an artist dies in 
me6 ,oh6 the loss to ,art6 the loss to  
,art6  ,i myself1 who am writing these  
lines1 possessing no small acquaintance 
with the world1 have many a time seen   

church bells and figures of men wrought 
by the ,enemy of ,mankind--and the      
craftsmanship thereof admirable4        
,likewise have ,i had knowledge of      
children engendered in women by the     
,devil1 but on this matter my tongue is 
tied by the obligation of secrecy       
binding on every ,confessor4 ,i will    
limit myself1 therefore1 to saying that 
many strange tales were bruited         
concerning the birth of the ,signora    
,eletta4 ,i saw this lady for the first 
time on the ,piazza of ,verona on ,good 
,friday of the year #acbj1 when she had 
just completed her fourteenth year4 ,and
 ,i have beheld her since in the public 
walks and the ,churches ladies most     
favour4 ,she was like a picture painted 
by a very excellent limner4  ,she had   
hair of wavy gold1 a white brow1 eyes of
 a colour never seen but in the precious
 stone called aquamarine1 cheeks of     
rose1 a nose straight and finely cut4   
,her mouth was a ,cupid's bow1 that     
wounded with its smiles2 and the chin   

was as full of laughter as the mouth4   
,her whole body was framed to perfection
 for the delight of lovers4 ,the breasts
 were not of exaggerated size2 yet      
showed beneath the muslin two swelling  
globes of a full and most winsome       
roundness4 ,as well by reason of my     
sacred character1 as because ,i never   
saw her but clad in her walking dress   
and her limbs half hidden1 ,i will not  
describe the other parts of her fair    
body1 which one and all proclaimed their
 perfection through the stuffs that     
veiled them4 ,i will only assure you1   
that when she was in her accustomed     
place in the ,church of ,san ,zenone1   
there was never a movement she could    
make1 whether to rise to her feet or    
drop on her knees or prostrate herself  
with forehead touching the stones1 as is
 meet to do at the instant of the       
elevation of the blessed body of ,jesus 
,christ1 without straightway inspiring  
the men that saw her with an ardent     
longing to hold her pressed to their    

bosom4  ,now it came about that ,signora
 ,eletta married1 when about the age of 
fifteen1 ,messer ,antonio ,torlota1 an  
,advocate4 ,he was a very learned man1  
of good repute1 and wealthy1 but already
 far advanced in years1 and so heavy and
 misshapen1 that seeing him carrying his
 papers in a great leathern bag1 you    
could scarcely tell which bag it was    
dragging about the other4  ,it was      
pitiful to think how1 as the result of  
the holy sacrament of wedlock1 which is 
instituted among men for their glory and
 eternal salvation1 the fairest lady of 
,verona was bedded with so old a man1   
all ruinate in health and vigour4 ,and  
wise folk saw with more pain than wonder
 that1 profiting by the freedom allowed 
her by her husband1 busied all night    
long as he was solving the problems of  
justice and injustice1 ,messer          
,torlota's young wife welcomed to her   
bed the handsomest and most proper      
cavaliers of the city4 ,but the pleasure
 she took therein came from herself1 not

 from them at all4 ,it was her own self 
she loved1 and not her lovers4 ,all her 
enjoyment was of the loveliness of her  
own proper flesh1 and of nothing else4  
,herself was her own desire and delight1
 and her own fond concupiscence4        
,whereby1 methinks1 the sin of carnal   
indulgence was1 in her case1 enormously 
aggravated4  ,for1 albeit1 this sin must
 ever divide us from ,god--a sufficient 
sign of its gravity--yet is it true to  
say that carnal offenders are regarded  
by the ,sovereign ,judge1 both in this  
world and the next1 with less           
indignation than are covetous men1      
traitors1 murderers1 and wicked men who 
have made traffic of holy things4 ,and  
the reason of this is that the naughty  
desires sensualists entertain1 being    
directed towards others rather than to  
themselves1 do still show some degraded 
traces of true love and gentle charity4 
,but nothing of the kind was to be seen 
in the adulterous amours of the ,signora
 ,eletta1 who in every passion loved    

herself and herself only4 ,and herein   
was she much wider separated from ,god  
than so many other women who gave way to
 their wanton desires4 ,for in their    
case these desires were towards others1 
whereas the ,lady ,eletta's had none but
 herself for their object4 ,what ,i say 
hereanent1 ,i say to make more          
understandable the conclusion of the    
matter1 which ,i must now relate4  ,at  
the age of twenty she fell sick and felt
 herself to be dying4 ,then she bewailed
 her fair body with the most piteous    
tears4 ,she made her women dress her out
 in her richest attire1 looked long and 
steadfastly at herself in the mirror1   
fondled with both hands her bosom and   
hips1 to enjoy for the last time her own
 exceeding beauty4 ,and1 aghast at the  
thought of this body she so adored being
 eaten of the worms in the damp earth1  
she said1 as she breathed her last1 with
 a great sigh of faith and hope3        
,satan1 best beloved ,satan6 take thou  
my soul and my body2 ,satan1 gentle     

,satan6 hear my prayer3 take1 take my   
body along with my soul4  ,she was borne
 to ,san ,zenone1 as custom ordains1    
with her face uncovered2 and1 within the
 memory of man1 none had ever seen a    
dead woman look so lovely4 ,while the   
priests were chanting the offices for   
the dead around her bier1 she lay as if 
swooning with delight in the arms of an 
invisible lover4 ,when the ceremony was 
over1 the ,signora ,eletta's coffin1    
carefully closed and sealed1 was        
deposited in holy ground1 amid the tombs
 that surrounded ,san ,zenone1 and of   
which some are ,ancient ,roman          
monuments4 ,but next morning the earth  
they had thrown over the dead woman was 
found removed1 and there lay the coffin 
open and empty4     ,,the ,,human       
,,tragedy  ,,to ,j4,h4 ,,rosny     ,,the
 ,,human ,,tragedy     '   1      4     
1 '       4    7,euripides1 ,hippolytus1
 #aij sqq47#a  ,footnote #a3 ,all the   
life of man is full of pain1 and there  
is no surcease of sorrow4 ,if there be  

aught better elsewhere than this present
 life1 it is hid shrouded in the clouds 
of darkness4   ,i  ,,fra ,,giovanni  ,in
 those days the holy man1 who1 born     
though he was of human parents1 was     
veritably a son of ,god1 and who had    
chosen for his bride a maiden that folk 
open the door to as reluctantly as to   
,death itself1 and never with a         
smile1--the poor man of ,jesus ,christ1 
,st4 ,francis1 was gone up to the       
,skies4 ,earth1 which he had perfumed   
with his virtues1 kept only his body and
 the fruitful seed of his words4 ,his   
sons in the spirit grew meantime1 and   
multiplied among the ,peoples1 for the  
blessing of ,abraham was upon them4     
,kings and ,queens girded on the cord of
 ,st4 ,francis1 the poor man of ,jesus  
,christ4 ,men in multitudes sought in   
forgetfulness of self and of the world  
the secret of true happiness2 and flying
 the joy of life1 found a greater joy4  
,the ,order of ,st4 ,francis spread fast
 through all ,christendom1 and the      

,houses of the ,poor ,men of the ,lord  
covered the face of ,italy1 ,spain1 the 
two ,gauls and the ,teutonic lands4 ,in 
the good town of ,viterbo arose a ,house
 of peculiar sanctity4 ,in it ,fra      
,giovanni took the vows of ,poverty1 and
 lived humble and despised1 his soul a  
garden of flowers fenced about with     
walls4  ,he had knowledge by revelation 
of many truths that escape clever and   
world-wise men4 ,and ignorant and       
simple-minded as he was1 he knew things 
unknown to the most learned ,doctors of 
the age4  ,he knew that the cares of    
riches make men ill-conditioned and     
wretched1 and that coming into the world
 poor and naked1 they would be happy1 if
 only they would live as they were born4
 ,he was poor and merry-hearted4 ,his   
delight was in obedience2 and renouncing
 the making of plans of any sort for the
 future1 he relished the bread of the   
heart4 ,for the weight of human actions 
is a heavy load1 and we are trees       
bearing poisoned fruit4 ,he was afraid  

to act1 for is not all effort painful   
and useless8 ,he was afraid to think1   
for thought is evil4  ,he was very      
humble1 knowing how men have nothing of 
their own that they should boast of1 and
 that pride hardens the heart4 ,he knew1
 moreover1 that they who possess for all
 wealth only the riches of the spirit1  
if they make boast of their treasure1 so
 far lower themselves to the level of   
the great ones of the earth4  ,and ,fra 
,giovanni outdid in humility all the    
,monks of the ,house of ,viterbo4 ,the  
,superior of the ,monastery1 the holy   
,brother ,silvester1 was less righteous 
than he1 forasmuch as the master is less
 righteous than the servant1 the mother 
less innocent than the babe4  ,observing
 that ,fra ,giovanni had a way of       
stripping himself of his gown to clothe 
the suffering members of ,jesus ,christ1
 the ,superior forbade him1 in the name 
of holy obedience1 to give away his     
garments to the poor4 ,now the same day 
this command was laid on him1 ,giovanni 

went1 as his wont was1 to pray in the   
woods that cover the slopes of ,monte   
,cunino4 ,it was ,winter time2 snow was 
falling1 and the wolves coming down into
 the villages4  ,fra ,giovanni kneeling 
down at the foot of an oak1 spoke to    
,god1 as might one friend to another1   
and besought ,him to take pity on all   
orphans1 prisoners and captives1 to take
 pity on the master of the fields sorely
 harried by the ,lombard usurers1 to    
take pity on the stags and hinds of the 
forest chased by the hunters1 and on all
 trapped creatures1 whether of fur or   
feathers4 ,and lo6 he was rapt away in  
an ecstasy1 and saw a hand pointing in  
the sky4  ,when presently the sun had   
slipped behind the mountains1 the man of
 ,god arose from his knees and took the 
path to the ,monastery4 ,on the white1  
silent road thither1 he met a beggar1   
who asked him an alms for the love of   
,god4  ,alas6 he told him1 ,i have      
nothing but my gown1 and the ,superior  
has forbidden me to cut it in two so as 

to give away the half4 ,therefore ,i    
cannot divide it with you4 ,but if you  
love me1 my son1 you will take it off me
 whole and undivided4  ,on hearing these
 words1 the beggar promptly stripped the
 ,friar of his gown4  ,so ,fra ,giovanni
 went on his way naked under the falling
 snow1 and entered the city4 ,as he was 
crossing the ,piazza with nothing on but
 a linen cloth about his loins1 the     
children who were running at play in the
 ,great ,square made mock at him4 ,in   
derision1 they shook their fists in his 
face with the thumb stuck between the   
first and middle fingers1 and threw snow
 at him mixed with mud and small stones4
  ,now there lay in the ,great ,square  
some logs of timber for the woodwork of 
a house1 and one of the logs happened to
 be balanced across another4 ,two       
children ran and took their places1 one 
at each end of the beam1 and began      
playing see-saw--two of the same        
children who had made mock of the holy  
man and thrown stones at him4  ,he went 

up to them now smiling1 and said3  ,dear
 little children1 will you suffer me to 
share your game8  ,and sitting down on  
one end of the beam1 he see-sawed up and
 down against the two little ones4  ,and
 some of the citizens happening to pass 
that way1 said1 wondering3  ,truly and  
indeed the man is out of his wits4  ,but
 after the bells had rung the ,ave      
,maria1 ,fra ,giovanni was still at     
see-saw4 ,and it chanced that certain   
,priests from ,rome1 who had come to    
,viterbo to visit the ,mendicant        
,friars1 whose fame was great through   
the world1 just then crossed the ,great 
,square4 ,and hearing the children      
shouting1 ,look6 little ,brother        
,giovanni's here1 the ,priests drew near
 the ,monk1 and saluted him very        
respectfully4 ,but the holy man never   
returned their salute1 but making as    
though he did not see them1 went on     
see-sawing on the swaying beam4 ,so the 
,priests said to each other3  ,come     
away2 the fellow is a mere dunce and    

dullard6  ,then was ,fra ,giovanni glad1
 and his heart overflowed with joy4 ,for
 these things he did out of humility and
 for the love of ,god4 ,and he put his  
joy in the scorn of men1 as the miser   
shuts his gold in a cedarn chest1 locked
 with a triple lock4  ,at nightfall he  
knocked at the ,monastery door1 and     
being admitted1 appeared among the      
,brethren naked1 bleeding1 and covered  
with mire4 ,he smiled and said3  ,a kind
 thief took my gown1 and some children  
deemed me worthy to play with them4     
,but the ,brothers were angry1 because  
he had dared to pass through the city in
 so undignified a plight4  ,he feels no 
compunction1 they declared1 about       
exposing the ,holy ,order of ,st4       
,francis to derision and disgrace4 ,he  
deserves the most exemplary punishment4 
,the ,general of the ,order1 being      
warned a great scandal was ruining the  
sacred ,society1 called together all the
 ,brethren of the ,chapter1 and made    
,fra ,giovanni kneel humbly on his knees

 in the midst of them all4 ,then1 his   
face blazing with anger1 he chid him    
harshly in a loud1 rough voice4 ,this   
done1 he consulted the assembly as to   
the penance it was meet to impose on the
 guilty ,brother4  ,some were for having
 him put in prison or suspended in an   
iron cage from the ,church steeple1     
while others advised he should be       
chained up for a madman4  ,and ,fra     
,giovanni1 beaming with satisfaction1   
told them3  ,you are very right1 my     
,brethren2 ,i deserve these punishments1
 and worse ones still4 ,i am good for   
nothing but foolishly to waste and      
squander the goods of ,god and of my    
,order4  ,and ,brother ,marcian1 who was
 a man of great sternness both of life  
and doctrine1 cried3  ,hear him6 he     
talks like a hypocrite2 that honeyed    
voice of his issues from a whited       
sepulchre4  ,and ,fra ,giovanni said    
again3  ,brother ,marcian1 ,i am indeed 
capable of every infamy--but for ,god's 
good help4  ,meantime the ,general was  

pondering over the strange behaviour of 
,fra ,giovanni1 and he besought the     
,holy ,spirit to inspire the judgment he
 was to give4 ,and lo6 as he prayed1 his
 anger was changed into admiration4 ,he 
had known ,st4 ,francis in the days when
 that ,angel of ,heaven1 born of a      
woman1 was a sojourner in this world1   
and the ensample of the favourite       
follower of ,christ had taught him the  
love of spiritual perfection4  ,so his  
soul was enlightened1 and he recognized 
in the works of ,fra ,giovanni a divine 
innocency and beauty4  ,my brethren1 he 
said at length1 far from blaming our    
,brother1 let us admire the grace he    
receives so abundantly from ,god4 ,in   
very truth he is a better man than we4  
,what he has done1 he has done in       
imitation of ,jesus ,christ1 who        
'suffered the little children to come   
unto ,him1' and let the ,roman soldiers 
strip ,him of ,his garments4  ,then he  
thus addressed the kneeling ,fra        
,giovanni3  ,this1 ,brother1 is the     

penance ,i lay upon you4 ,in the name of
 that holy obedience you owe ,st4       
,francis1 ,i command you go forth into  
the country1 and the first beggar you   
meet1 beg him to strip you of your      
tunic4 ,then1 when he has left you      
naked1 you must come back into the city1
 and play in the ,public ,square ,with  
the little children4  ,having so said1  
the ,general of the ,order came down    
from his chair of state1 and1 raising   
,fra ,giovanni from the ground1 fell on 
his own knees before him and kissed his 
feet4 ,then1 turning to the assembled   
,monks1 he said to them3  ,in very      
truth1 my ,brethren1 this man is the    
good ,god's plaything4   ,,ii  ,,the    
,,lamp  ,in those days the truth was    
revealed to ,fra ,giovanni that the     
riches of this world come from ,god and 
should be the heritage of the poor1 who 
are the favourite children of ,jesus    
,christ4  ,christian folk were busy     
celebrating the ,saviour's birth2 and   
,fra ,giovanni had come to the town of  

,assisi1 which is set upon a            
mountain-top1 and from this mountain    
first rose the ,sun of ,charity4  ,now  
the day before ,christmas eve1 ,fra     
,giovanni was kneeling in prayer before 
the ,altar under which ,st4 ,francis    
sleeps in a stone coffin4 ,and he was   
meditating1 dreaming how ,st4 ,francis  
was born in a stable1 like ,jesus4 ,and 
while he was pondering1 the ,sacristan  
came up to him and asked him of his     
goodness to look after the ,church while
 he ate his supper4 ,church and ,altar  
were both loaded with precious          
ornaments2 gold and silver were there in
 abundance1 for the sons of ,st4        
,francis had long fallen from their     
early poverty1 and had received gifts   
from the ,queens of the ,earth4  ,fra   
,giovanni assured the ,sacristan3  ,go1 
,brother1 and enjoy your meal4 ,i will  
guard the ,church1 as ,our ,lord would  
have it guarded4  ,and so saying1 he    
went on with his meditations4 ,and as he
 knelt there alone in prayer1 a poor    

woman entered the ,church and asked an  
alms of him for the love of ,god4  ,i   
have nothing1 the holy man replied2 but 
the ,altar is loaded with ornaments1 and
 ,i will go see if ,i cannot find       
something to give you4 ,a golden lamp   
hung above the ,altar1 decked about with
 silver bells4 ,examining the lamp1 he  
said to himself3  ,those little bells   
are but idle vanities4 ,the true        
ornament of yonder ,altar is the body of
 ,st4 ,francis1 which reposes naked     
under the flags with a black stone for a
 pillow4  ,and drawing his knife from   
his pocket1 he detached the little      
silver bells1 one after the other1 and  
gave them to the poor woman4            
,presently1 when the ,sacristan1 his    
meal finished1 returned to the ,church1 
,fra ,giovanni1 the holy man of ,god1   
said to him3  ,never trouble1 my        
brother1 about the little bells that    
belonged to the lamp4 ,i have given them
 away to a poor woman who had need of   
them4  ,now ,fra ,giovanni did in this  

wise1 because he knew by revelation that
 all the things in this world1 belonging
 to ,god1 belong of rights to the poor4 
,and he was blamed on earth by men whose
 thoughts were given over to riches4    
,but he was found praiseworthy in the   
sight of the ,divine ,goodness4   ,,iii 
,,the ,,seraphic ,,doctor  ,fra         
,giovanni was not proficient in the     
knowledge of letters1 and he rejoiced in
 his ignorance as being an abundant     
source of humiliations4  ,but after     
watching one day in the ,cloister of    
,santa ,maria degli ,angeli a number of 
,doctors of ,theology in meditation on  
the perfections of the ,most ,holy      
,trinity and the ,mysteries of the      
,passion1 he began to doubt whether they
 did not possess the love of ,god more  
fully than he1 by reason of their wider 
knowledge4  ,he was afflicted in his    
soul1 and for the first time in his life
 fell into melancholy4 ,but sadness was 
unnatural to one in his estate2 for joy 
is the inheritance of the poor4  ,he    

resolved to carry his difficulty to the 
,general of the ,order1 to be rid of it 
as of a galling burden4 ,now ,giovanni  
di ,fidanza was ,general of the ,order  
in those days4  ,in the cradle he had   
received from ,st4 ,francis himself the 
name of ,bonaventure4 ,he had studied   
,theology at the ,university of ,paris2 
and he excelled in the science of ,love1
 which is the science of ,god4 ,he knew 
the four degrees which lift the creature
 to his ,creator1 and he pondered on the
 mystery of the six wings of the        
,cherubim4 ,this was the reason why he  
was called the ,seraphic ,doctor4  ,and 
he was well aware that ,science is vain 
without ,love4 ,fra ,giovanni found him 
walking in his garden1 on the terrace   
overlooking the city4  ,it was a        
,sunday2 and the handicraftsmen of the  
town and the peasants who work in the   
vineyards were climbing1 at the foot of 
the terrace1 the steep street that leads
 to the ,church4  ,and ,fra ,giovanni1  
seeing ,brother ,bonaventure in the     

garden1 in the midst of the lilies1 drew
 near and said3  ,brother ,bonaventure1 
free my mind of the doubt that is       
tormenting me1 and tell me3 ,can an     
ignorant man love ,god with as great    
love as a learned ,doctor of the        
,church8  ,and ,brother ,bonaventure    
answered3  ,i will tell you the truth1  
,fra ,giovanni2 a poor old woman may not
 only equal but surpass all the ,doctors
 of ,theology in the world4 ,and seeing 
the sole excellence of man lies in      
loving1 ,i tell you again--the most     
ignorant of women shall be exalted in   
,heaven above the ,doctors4  ,fra       
,giovanni1 on hearing these words1 was  
filled with great joy2 and1 leaning out 
over the low wall of the garden1 looked 
lovingly at the passers-by4 ,then he    
cried out at the top of his voice3  ,ho6
 you poor women1 ignorant and           
simple-minded1 you shall be set in      
,heaven above ,brother ,bonaventure4    
,and the ,seraphic ,doctor1 hearing the 
good ,brother's proclamation1 smiled    

sweetly where he stood among the lilies 
of his garden4   ,,iv  ,,the ,,loaf ,,on
 ,,the ,,flat ,,stone  ,forasmuch as the
 good ,st4 ,francis had bidden his sons 
to ,go1 beg your bread from door to     
door1 ,fra ,giovanni was one day sent to
 a certain city4 ,having passed the     
,gate1 he went up and down the streets  
to beg his bread from door to door1     
according to the rule of the ,order1 for
 the love of ,god4  ,but the folk of    
that city were more covetous than the   
men of ,lucca1 and harder than they of  
,perugia4 ,the bakers and tanners who   
were dicing before their shop-doors1    
repulsed the poor man of ,jesus ,christ 
with harsh words4 ,even the young women1
 holding their new-born babes in their  
arms1 turned their faces from him4 ,and 
when the good ,brother1 whose joy was in
 dishonour1 smiled at the refusals and  
insults he received1  ,he is laughing at
 us1 said the townsmen to each other4   
,he is a born fool--or say rather a     
vagabond impostor and a drunkard4 ,he   

has over-drunk himself with wine4 ,it   
were a sin and a shame to give him so   
much as a crumb of bread from our hutch4
  ,and the good ,brother answered3  ,you
 say true1 my friends2 ,i am not worthy 
to stir your pity1 nor fit to share the 
food of your dogs and your pigs4  ,the  
children1 who were just then coming out 
of school1 overheard what was said1 and 
ran after the holy man shouting3        
,madman6 ,madman6--and pelted him with  
mud and stones4  ,then ,fra ,giovanni   
went forth into the country4 ,the city  
was built on the slope of a hill1 and   
was surrounded by vineyards and         
oliveyards4 ,he descended the hill by a 
hollow way1 and seeing on either side   
the grapes of the vines that hung down  
from the branches of the elms1 he       
stretched out his arm and blessed the   
clusters4 ,likewise he blessed the olive
 and the mulberry trees and all the     
wheat of the lowlands4  ,meantime he was
 both hungry and thirsty2 and he took   
delight in thirst and hunger4  ,at the  

end of a cross-road1 he saw a wood of   
laurels2 and it was the habit of the    
,begging ,friars to go and pray in the  
woods1 amongst the poor animals cruel   
men hunt and harry4 ,accordingly ,fra   
,giovanni entered the wood1 and fared on
 by the side of a brook that ran clear  
and singing on its way4  ,presently he  
saw a flat stone beside the brook1 and  
at the same moment a young man of a     
wondrous beauty1 clad in a white robe1  
laid a loaf of bread on the stone1 and  
disappeared4  ,and ,fra ,giovanni knelt 
down and prayed1 saying3  ,o ,god1 how  
good art ,thou1 to send ,thy poor man   
bread by the hand of one of ,thy        
,angels2 ,o blessed poverty6 ,o very    
glorious and most sumptuous poverty6    
,and he ate the loaf the ,angel had     
brought1 and drank the water of the     
brook1 and was strengthened in body and 
in soul4 ,and an invisible hand wrote on
 the walls of the city3 ,woe1 woe to the
 rich6   ,v  ,,the ,,table ,,under ,,the
 ,,fig-,,tree4  ,following the example  

of ,st4 ,francis1 his well-beloved      
,father1 ,fra ,giovanni used to visit   
the ,hospital of ,viterbo to help the   
lepers1 giving them to drink and washing
 their sores4  ,and if they blasphemed1 
he used to tell them1 ,you are the      
chosen sons of ,jesus ,christ4 ,and     
there were some lepers of a very humble 
spirit whom he would gather together in 
a chamber1 and with whom he took delight
 as a mother does surrounded by her     
children4  ,but the ,hospital walls were
 very thick1 and daylight entered only  
by narrow windows high up above the     
floor4 ,the air was so fetid the lepers 
could scarce live in the place at all4  
,and ,fra ,giovanni noted how one of    
them1 by name ,lucido1 who showed an    
exemplary patience1 was slowly dying of 
the evil atmosphere4  ,fra ,giovanni    
loved ,lucido1 and would tell him3  ,my 
brother1 you are ,lucido1 and no        
precious stone is purer than your heart1
 in the eyes of ,god4  ,and observing   
how ,lucido suffered more sorely than   

the others from the poisonous air they  
breathed in the ,lepers' ,ward1 he said 
to him one day3  ,friend ,lucido1 dear  
,lamb of the ,lord1 while the very air  
they breathe in this place is           
pestilence1 in the gardens of ,santa    
,maria degli ,angeli we inhale the sweet
 scent of the laburnums4 ,come you with 
me to the ,house of the ,poor ,brethren1
 and you will find relief4  ,so         
speaking1 he took the ,leper by the arm1
 wrapped him in his own cloak and led   
him away to ,santa ,maria degli ,angeli4
  ,arrived at the gate of the           
,monastery1 he summoned the ,doorkeeper 
with happy shouts of exultation3  ,open6
 he cried1 open to the friend ,i am     
bringing you4 ,his name is ,lucido1 and 
a good name it is1 for he is a very     
pearl of patience4  ,the ,brother opened
 the ,gate2 but the instant he saw in   
,fra ,giovanni's arms a man whose face1 
livid and all but expressionless1 was   
covered over with scales1 he knew him   
for a leper1 and rushed off in terror to

 warn the ,brother ,superior4 ,the      
latter's name was ,andrea of ,padua1 and
 he was a man of very holy life4        
,nevertheless when he learned that ,fra 
,giovanni was bringing a leper into the 
,house of ,santa ,maria degli ,angeli1  
he was very wroth1 and coming to him    
with a face burning with anger1 bade    
him3  ,stay there outside1 with the man4
 ,you are a senseless fool to expose    
your brethren thus to contagion4  ,fra  
,giovanni only looked on the ground     
without venturing any reply4 ,all the   
joy was gone from his face2 and ,lucido1
 seeing him troubled3  ,brother6 said   
he1 ,i am grieved you are made sad      
because of me4  ,and ,fra ,giovanni     
kissed the leper on the cheek4  ,then he
 said1 turning to the ,superior3  ,will 
you suffer me1 my ,father1 to stay      
outside the ,gate with this man1 and    
share my meal with him8--to which the   
,father ,superior answered3  ,even do as
 you please1 seeing you set up yourself 
above the holy rule of obedience4  ,and 

with these harsh words he went back     
again into the ,monastery4  ,now in     
front of the ,gate was a stone bench    
under a fig-tree1 and on this bench ,fra
 ,giovanni set down his bowl4 ,but while
 he was supping with the ,leper1 the    
,father ,superior had the ,gate thrown  
open1 and came and sat under the        
fig-tree and said3  ,forgive me1 ,fra   
,giovanni1 for having given you offence4
 ,i am come hither now to share your    
meal4   ,,vi  ,,the ,,temptation  ,then 
,satan sat him down on the brow of a    
hill1 and gazed down at the ,house of   
the ,poor ,brethren4 ,he was black and  
beautiful1 like a young ,egyptian4 ,and 
he thought in his heart3  ,forasmuch as 
,i am the ,enemy of ,mankind and the    
,adversary of ,god1 therefore will ,i   
tempt these ,monks1 and ,i will tell    
them what is kept hid by ,him who is    
their ,friend4 ,lo6 ,i will afflict     
these men of ,religion by telling them  
the truth1 and ,i will darken their     
spirit1 uttering to them words of verity

 and reasonableness4 ,i will plunge     
reflexion like a sword in their reins2  
and so soon as they shall know the      
reality of things1 they will be unhappy4
 ,for joy there is none but in illusion1
 and peace is only to be found in       
ignorance4 ,and because ,i am the       
,master of such as study the nature of  
plants and animals1 the virtue of       
stones1 the secrets of fire1 the courses
 of the stars and the influence of the  
planets1 for this reason men have named 
me the ,prince of ,darkness4 ,likewise  
they call me the ,wily ,one1 because by 
me was constructed the plummet-line     
whereby ,ulpian straightened out the    
,law4 ,and my kingdom is of this world4 
,well then1 ,i will try these ,monks1   
and ,i will make them to know their     
works are evil1 and that the tree of    
their ,charity bears bitter fruit4 ,yea6
 ,i will tempt them without hate and    
without love4  ,thus said ,satan in his 
heart4 ,meantime1 as the shades of      
evening were lengthening along the base 

of the hills and the cottage chimneys   
were smoking for the evening meal1 the  
holy man ,giovanni issued from out the  
wood where he was wont to pray1 and     
turned into the road leading to ,santa  
,maria degli ,angeli1 saying3  ,my house
 is the house of joy and delight1       
because it is the house of poverty4     
,and seeing ,fra ,giovanni wending his  
way homewards1 ,satan thought3  ,lo6    
here is one of those men ,i am come to  
tempt2--and drawing his black cloak over
 his head1 he advanced along the high   
road1 which was bordered with           
terebinths1 to meet the holy man4  ,now 
,satan had made himself like a          
widow-woman with a veil1 and when he had
 joined ,fra ,giovanni1 he put on a     
honeyed voice and asked an alms of him1 
saying3  ,give me an alms for the love  
of ,him who is your friend1 and whom ,i 
am not worthy so much as to name4  ,and 
,fra ,giovanni answered3  ,it happens   
so1 ,i have with me a little silver cup 
a nobleman of the countryside gave me1  

to have it melted down and used for the 
,altar of ,santa ,maria degli ,angeli4  
,you may take that1 lady2 and ,i will go
 to-morrow and ask the nobleman to let  
me have another of the same weight for  
the ,blessed ,virgin4 ,thus will his    
wishes be accomplished1 and over and    
above1 you will have gotten an alms for 
the love of ,god4  ,satan took the cup  
and said3  ,good brother1 suffer a poor 
widow-woman to kiss your hand4 ,for     
verily the hand that gives gifts is soft
 and fragrant4  ,fra ,giovanni replied3 
,lady1 be heedful not to kiss my hand4  
,on the contrary1 begone with all speed4
 ,for1 methinks1 you are winsome of     
face1 albeit black as the ,magian ,king 
that bore the frankincense and myrrh2   
and it is not becoming ,i should look on
 you longer1 seeing how danger is       
forever dogging the lonely man's steps4 
,wherefore suffer me now to leave you1  
commending you to ,god's care4 ,and     
forgive me1 if ,i have failed aught in  
politeness towards you1 lady4 ,for the  

good ,st4 ,francis was used to say3     
',courtesy shall be the ornament of my  
sons1 as the flowers bedeck the         
hill-sides4'  ,but ,satan said again3   
,good ,father1 inform me at the least of
 a guest-house1 where ,i may pass the   
night honestly4  ,fra ,giovanni replied3
  ,go1 mistress1 to the ,house of ,st4  
,damian1 where dwell the poor ladies of 
,our ,lord4 ,she who will welcome you is
 ,clare1 and indeed she is a clear      
mirror of purity2 the same is the       
,duchess of ,poverty4  ,and ,satan said 
again3  ,my ,father1 ,i am an adulterous
 woman1 and ,i have lain with many men4 
,and ,fra ,giovanni said3  ,lady1 if ,i 
really deemed you laden with the sins   
you tell of1 ,i would crave of you as a 
high honour to kiss your feet1 for ,i am
 less worth than you1 and your crimes   
are little compared with mine4 ,yet have
 ,i received greater favours of ,heaven 
than have been accorded to you4 ,for in 
the days when ,st4 ,francis and his     
twelve disciples were still upon earth1 

,i lived with ,angels of ,heaven4  ,and 
,satan returned3  ,my ,father1 when ,i  
asked you an alms for the love of ,him  
who loves you1 ,i was cherishing in my  
heart a wicked intent1 and ,i am fain to
 tell you what this was4 ,i wander the  
roads a-begging1 in order to collect a  
sum of money ,i destine for a man of    
,perosa who is my paramour1 and who has 
promised me1 on handling this money1 to 
kill traitorously a certain knight ,i   
hate1 because when ,i offered my body to
 him1 he scorned me4 ,well6 the total   
was yet incomplete2 but now the weight  
of your silver cup has made it up4 ,so  
the alms you have given me will be the  
price of blood4 ,you have sold a just   
man to death4 ,for the ,knight ,i told  
you of is chaste1 temperate and pious1  
and ,i hate him for this cause4 ',tis   
you will have brought about his murder4 
,you have laid a weight of silver in the
 scale of crime1 to bear it down4       
,hearing these words1 the good ,fra     
,giovanni wept1 and drawing aside1 he   

fell on his knees in a thorn-brake1 and 
prayed the ,lord1 saying3  ,o ,lord1    
make this crime to fall neither on this 
woman's head nor on mine nor on that of 
any of ,thy creatures1 but let it be put
 beneath ,thy feet1 which were pierced  
with the nails1 and be washed in ,thy   
most precious blood4 ,distil on me and  
on this my sister of the highway a drop 
of hyssop1 and we shall be purified1 and
 shall overpass the snow in whiteness4  
,but the ,enemy fled away1 thinking3    
,this man ,i have not been able to tempt
 by reason of his utter simplicity4     
,,vii  ,,the ,,subtle ,,doctor  ,satan  
returned and sat on the ,mountain that  
looks towards ,viterbo1 laughing under  
its crown of olives4 ,and he said in his
 heart3 ,i will tempt that man yonder4  
,he conceived this purpose in his       
spirit1 because he had seen ,fra        
,giovanni1 girt about with a cord1 and a
 sack over his shoulder1 crossing the   
meadows below on his way to the city to 
beg his bread there according to the    

rules4  ,so ,satan took on the          
appearance of a holy ,bishop1 and came  
down into the plain4 ,a mitre was on his
 head sparkling with precious stones1   
that flashed like actual fire in the    
sunlight4 ,his cope was covered with    
figures embroidered and painted so      
beautifully no craftsman in all the     
world could have wrought their like4    
,amongst the rest he was depicted       
himself1 in silk and gold1 under the    
guise of a ,st4 ,george and a ,st4      
,sebastian1 as also under that of a     
,virgin ,st4 ,catherine and the ,empress
 ,helena4 ,the loveliness of the faces  
troubled the mind and saddened the      
heart4 ,the garment was truly of a      
wondrous workmanship1 and nothing so    
rich and rare is to be seen in the      
,treasuries of ,churches4  ,thus decked 
in cope and mitre1 and majestic as ,st4 
,ambrose1 the glory of ,milan1 ,satan   
pursued his way1 leaning on his crozier1
 over the flowery plain4  ,presently    
nearing the holy man1 he hailed him and 

said3  ,peace be with you6  ,but he said
 not of what sort this peace was2 and   
,fra ,giovanni supposed it was the peace
 of the ,lord4 ,he thought to himself3  
,this ,bishop1 who gives me the         
salutation of peace1 was doubtless in   
his lifetime a sainted ,pontiff and a   
blessed ,martyr unshakable in his       
constancy4 ,that is why ,jesus ,christ  
has changed the wooden cross to a golden
 in the hands of this gallant ,confessor
 of the ,faith4 ,to-day he is powerful  
in ,heaven2 and lo6 after his holy and  
happy death1 he walks in these meadows  
that are painted with flowers and       
broidered with pearls of dew4  ,such    
were the good ,giovanni's thoughts1 and 
he was in no wise abashed4 ,so saluting 
,satan with a deep reverence1 he said3  
,sir6 you are exceeding gracious to     
appear to a poor man such as ,i4 ,but   
indeed these meadows are so lovely1 'tis
 no wonder if the ,saints of ,paradise  
come to walk here2 they are painted with
 flowers and broidered with pearls of   

dew4 ,the ,lord did very kindly when he 
made them4  ,and ,satan said to him3    
,it is not the meadows1 it is your heart
 ,i am fain to look at2 ,i have come    
down from the ,mountain to speak with   
you4 ,i have1 in bygone ,centuries1 held
 many high disputations in the ,church4 
,amid the assembled ,doctors my voice   
would boom forth like thunder1 and my   
thoughts flash like lightning4 ,i am    
very learned1 and they name me the      
,subtle ,doctor4 ,i have disputed with  
,god's ,angels4 ,now ,i would hold      
dispute with you4  ,fra ,giovanni made  
answer3  ,nay6 but how should the poor  
little man that ,i am hold dispute with 
the ,subtle ,doctor8 ,i know nothing1   
and my simplicity is such ,i can keep   
nothing in my head but those songs in   
the vulgar tongue where they have stuck 
in rhymes to help the memory1 as in     
',jesus1 mirror of my soul1   ,cleanse  
my heart and make it whole4'  or in     
',holy ,mary1 ,maid of ,flowers1   ,lead
 me to the ,heavenly ,bowers4'  ,and    

,satan answered3  ,fra ,giovanni1 the   
,venetian ladies amuse their leisure and
 show their adroitness in fitting a     
multitude of little pieces of ivory into
 a box of cedar-wood1 which at the      
set-off seemed all too small to contain 
so many4 ,in the same fashion ,i will   
pack ideas into your head that no one   
would have dreamed it could ever hold2  
and ,i will fill you with a new wisdom4 
,i will show that1 thinking to walk in  
the right way1 you are straying abroad  
all the while like a drunken man1 and   
that you are driving the plough without 
any heed to draw the furrows straight4  
,fra ,giovanni humbled himself1 saying3 
,it is most true ,i am a fool1 and do   
nothing but what is wrong4  ,then ,satan
 asked him3  ,what think you of poverty8
 --and the holy man replied3  ,i think  
it is a pearl of price4  ,but ,satan    
retorted3  ,you pretend poverty is a    
great good2 yet all the while you are   
robbing the poor of a part of this great
 good1 by giving them alms4  ,fra       

,giovanni pondered over this1 and said3 
,the alms ,i give1 ,i give to ,our ,lord
 ,jesus ,christ1 whose poverty cannot be
 minished1 for it is infinite4 ,it      
gushes from ,him as from an             
inexhaustible fountain2 and its waters  
flow freely for ,his favourite sons4    
,and these shall be poor always1        
according to the promise of the ,son of 
,god4 ,in giving to the poor1 ,i am     
giving not to men1 but to ,god1 as the  
citizens pay tax to the ,podest1 and the
 rate is for the ,city1 which of the    
money it so receives supplies the town's
 needs4 ,now what ,i give is for paving 
the ,city of ,god4 ,it is a vain thing  
to be poor in deed1 if we be not poor in
 spirit4 ,the gown of frieze1 the cord1 
the sandals1 the wallet and the wooden  
bowl are only signs and symbols4 ,the   
,poverty ,i love is spiritual1 and ,i   
address her as ,lady1 because she is an 
idea1 and all beauty resides in this    
same idea4  ,satan smiled1 and replied3 
,your maxims1 ,fra ,giovanni1 are the   

maxims of a wise man of ,greece1        
,diogenes by name1 who taught at their  
,universities in the times when         
,alexander of ,macedon was waging his   
wars4  ,and ,satan said again3  ,is it  
true you despise the goods of this      
world8  ,and ,fra ,giovanni replied3  ,i
 do despise them4  ,and ,satan said to  
him3  ,look you6 in scorning these1 you 
are scorning at the same time the       
hard-working men who produce them1 and  
so doing1 fulfil the order given to your
 first father1 ,adam1 when he was       
commanded1 ',in the sweat of thy face1  
thou shalt eat bread4' ,seeing work is  
good1 the fruit of this work is good    
too4 ,yet you work not1 neither have any
 care for the work of others4 ,but you  
receive and give alms1 in contempt of   
the law laid on ,adam and on his seed   
through the ages4  ,alas6 sighed        
,brother ,giovanni1 ,i am laden with    
crimes1 and at once the most wicked and 
the most foolish man in all the world4  
,wherefore never heed me1 but read in   

the ,book4 ,our ,lord said1 ',consider  
the lilies of the field2 they toil not1 
neither do they spin4' ,again he said1  
',mary hath chosen the good part1 which 
shall not be taken away from her4'      
,then ,satan lifted up his hand1 with   
the gesture of one who disputes and     
prepares to count off his arguments on  
the fingers4 ,and he said3  ,giovanni1  
,giovanni6 what was written in one      
sense1 you read in another2 you are less
 like a ,doctor at his desk than an ass 
at the manger4 ,so must ,i correct you1 
as a master corrects his scholar4 ,it is
 written the lilies of the field have no
 need to spin--because they are         
beautiful1 and beauty is a virtue4      
,again it is written how ,mary is not to
 do the household tasks1 because she is 
doing lovingly to ,him who has come to  
see her4 ,but you1 who are not beautiful
 nor yet instructed1 like ,mary1 in the 
things of love1 you drag out a          
contemptible existence wandering the    
highways4  ,giovanni made reply3  ,sir6 

just as a ,painter will depict on a     
narrow panel of wood an entire city with
 its houses and towers and walls1 so you
 have painted in a few words my soul and
 my similitude with a wondrous          
exactness4 ,and ,i am altogether what   
you describe4 ,but if ,i followed       
perfectly the rule etablished by ,st4   
,francis1 that ,angel of ,god1 and if ,i
 practised spiritual poverty to the     
full1 ,i should be the lily of the      
fields and ,i should have the good part 
of ,mary4  ,but ,satan interrupted him1 
and cried3  ,you profess to love the    
poor1 yet you prefer the rich man and   
his riches1 and adore ,him who possesses
 treasures to give away4  ,and ,fra     
,giovanni answered3  ,he ,i love        
possesses not the good things of the    
body1 but those of the spirit4  ,and    
,satan retorted3  ,all good things are  
of the flesh1 and are tasted of through 
the flesh4 ,this ,epicurus taught1 and  
,horace the ,satirist said the same in  
his ,verses4  ,at these words the holy  

man only sighed and said3  ,sir6 ,i     
cannot tell what you mean4  ,satan      
shrugged his shoulders and said3  ,my   
words are exact and literal1 yet the man
 cannot tell what ,i mean4 ,i have      
disputed with ,augustine and ,jerome1   
with ,gregory and him of the ,golden    
,mouth1 ,st4 ,chrysostom4 ,and they     
comprehended me still less4 ,miserable  
men walk groping in the dark1 and ,error
 lifts over their head her monstrous    
canopy4 ,simple and sage alike are the  
plaything of eternal falsehood4  ,and   
,satan said again to the holy man       
,giovanni3  ,have you won happiness8 ,if
 you have happiness1 ,i shall not       
prevail against you4 ,a man's thoughts  
are only stirred by sorrow1 and their   
meditations by grief4 ,then1 tortured by
 fears and desires1 he turns anxiously  
in his bed and rends his pillow with    
lies4 ,what use to tempt this man8 ,he  
is happy4  ,but ,fra ,giovanni sighed3  
,sir6 ,i am less happy since listening  
to you4 ,your words trouble my mind4    

,on hearing this1 ,satan cast away his  
pastoral staff1 his mitre and his cope2 
and stood there naked and unashamed4 ,he
 was black and more beautiful than the  
loveliest of the ,angels4  ,he smiled   
gently1 and said to the holy man3       
,friend1 be comforted4 ,i am the ,evil  
,spirit4   ,,viii  ,,the ,,burning      
,,coal  ,now ,brother ,giovanni was     
simple of heart and spirit1 and his     
tongue was tied2 he knew not the secret 
of speaking to his fellow-men4  ,but one
 day when he was praying1 as his habit  
was1 at the foot of an ancient holm-oak1
 an ,angel of the ,lord appeared to him1
 and saluting him1 said3  ,i salute you1
 because it is ,i who visit the         
simple-minded1 and announce the         
mysteries to virgins4  ,and the ,angel  
held in his hand a burning coal4 ,this  
he laid on the holy man's lips1 and     
spoke again1 and said3  ,by virtue of   
this fire shall your lips remain pure1  
and they shall glow with eloquence4 ,i  
have burned them1 and they shall be     

burned4 ,your tongue shall be loosed1   
and you shall speak to your fellows4    
,for men must hear the word of life1 and
 learn how they shall not be saved but  
by innocency of heart4 ,for this cause  
the ,lord has unloosed the tongue of the
 simple and innocent4  ,then the ,angel 
went back again to ,heaven4 ,and the    
holy man was seized with terror1 and he 
prayed1 saying3  ,o ,god1 my heart is so
 sore troubled ,i cannot find on my lips
 the sweet savour of the fire ,thy      
,angel hath touched them with4  ,thou   
wouldst chasten me1 ,o ,lord1 seeing    
,thou dost send me to speak to the folk1
 who will not hearken to my words4 ,i   
shall be hateful to all men1 and ,thy   
priests themselves will declare1 ',he is
 a blasphemer6'  ,for ,thy reason is    
contrary to the reason of men4          
,nevertheless ,thy will be done4  ,then 
he rose up from his knees1 and set out  
on his way citywards4   ,,ix  ,,the     
,,house ,,of ,,innocence  ,on that day  
,fra ,giovanni had left the ,monastery  

at early dawn1 the hour when the birds  
awake and begin singing4 ,he was on his 
way to the city and he thought within   
himself3 ,i am going to the city to beg 
my bread and to give bread to other     
beggars2 ,i shall give away what ,i     
receive1 and take back what ,i have     
given4 ,for it is good to ask and to    
receive for the love of ,god4 ,and he   
who receives is the brother of him who  
gives4 ,and we should not consider too  
curiously which of the twain brothers we
 are1 because truly the gift is naught1 
but everything is in the gracious       
giving4  ,he that receives1 if he have  
gracious charity1 is the equal of him   
that gives4 ,but he who sells is the    
enemy of him who buys1 and the seller   
constrains the buyer to be his foe4     
,herein lies the root of the curse that 
poisons cities1 as the venom of the     
serpent is in his tail4 ,and it must    
needs be a ,lady set her foot on the    
serpent's tail1 and that ,lady is       
,poverty4 ,already hath she visited     

,king ,louis of ,france in his ,tower2  
but never yet entered among the         
,florentines1 because she is chaste and 
will not put foot in a place of ill     
repute4 ,now the money-changer's shop is
 an ill place1 for it is there ,bankers 
and ,changers commit the most heinous of
 sins4 ,harlots sin in the brothels2 but
 their sin is not so great as is that of
 the ,bankers1 and whosoever grows rich 
by banking and money-dealing4  ,verily  
,i say unto you1 ,bankers and           
,money-changers shall not enter into the
 ,kingdom of ,heaven1 nor yet bakers1   
nor dealers in drugs1 nor such as       
practise the trade of wool1 which is the
 boast of the ,city of the ,lily4       
,forasmuch as they give a price to gold1
 and make a profit out of exchange1 they
 are setting up idols in the face of    
men4 ,and when they declare ',gold has a
 value1' they tell a lie4 ,for ,gold is 
more vile than the dry leaves that      
flutter and rustle in the ,autumn wind  
under the terebinths4 ,there is nothing 

precious save the work of men's hands1  
when ,god gives it ,his countenance4    
,and lo6 as he was meditating in this   
wise1 ,fra ,giovanni saw that the       
,mountain side was torn open1 and that  
men were dragging great stones from its 
flank4 ,and one of the quarrymen was    
lying by the wayside1 with a rag of     
coarse cloth for all covering2 and his  
body was disfigured by bitter marks of  
the biting cold and scorching heat4 ,the
 bones of his shoulders and chest showed
 all but bare beneath the meagre flesh2 
and ,despair looked out grim and gaunt  
from the black cavern of his eyes4  ,fra
 ,giovanni approached him1 saying3      
,peace be with you6  ,but the quarryman 
made no answer1 and did not so much as  
turn his head4 ,so ,fra ,giovanni1      
thinking he had not heard1 repeated3    
,peace be with you6--and then the same  
words again for the third time4  ,at    
last the quarryman looked up at him     
sullenly1 and growled3  ,i shall have no
 peace till ,i am dead4 ,begone1 cursed 

black crow6 you wish me peace2 that     
shows you are a glozing cheat6 ,go to1  
and caw to simpler fools than ,i6 ,i    
know very well the quarryman's lot is an
 utterly miserable one1 and there is no 
comfort for his wretchedness4 ,i hale   
out stones from dawn to dark1 and for   
price of my toil1 all ,i get is a scrap 
of black bread4 ,then when my arms are  
no longer as strong as the stones of the
 mountain1 and my body is all worn out1 
,i shall perish of hunger4  ,brother6   
said the holy man ,giovanni2 it is not  
just or right you should hale out so    
much stone1 and win so little bread4    
,then the quarryman rose to his feet and
 pointing1  ,master ,monk1 said he1 what
 see you up yonder on the hill8         
,brother1 ,i see the walls of the ,city4
  ,and above them8  ,above them ,i see  
the roofs of the houses1 which crown the
 ramparts4  ,and higher still8  ,the    
tops of the pines1 the domes of the     
,churches and the ,belltowers4  ,and    
higher still8  ,i see a ,tower          

overtopping all the rest1 and crowned   
with battlements4 ,it is the ,tower of  
the ,podest4  ,monk1 what see you above 
the battlements of that ,tower8  ,i see 
nothing1 brother1 above the battlements 
save the sky4  ,but ,i1 cried the       
quarryman1 ,i see upon that ,tower a    
hideous giant brandishing a club1 and on
 the club is inscribed3 ,,oppression4   
,yea6 ,oppression is lifted up above the
 citizens' heads on the ,great ,tower of
 the ,magistrates and the ,city's ,laws4
  ,and ,fra ,giovanni answered3  ,what  
one man sees1 another cannot see1 and it
 may be the horrid shape you describe is
 set on the ,tower of the ,podest       
yonder1 in the city of ,viterbo4 ,but is
 there no remedy for the ills you       
endure1 my brother8 ,the good ,st4      
,francis left behind him on this earth  
so full a fountain of consolation that  
all men may draw refreshment therefrom4 
,then the quarryman spoke after this    
fashion3  ,men have said1 ',this        
mountain is ours4' ,and these men are my

 masters1 and it is for them ,i hew     
stone4 ,and they enjoy the fruit of my  
labour4  ,fra ,giovanni sighed3  ,surely
 men must be mad to believe they own a  
mountain4  ,but the quarryman replied3  
,nay6 they are not mad2 and the ,laws of
 the ,city guarantee them their         
ownership4 ,the citizens pay them for   
the stones ,i have hewn1 which are      
marbles of great price4  ,and ,fra      
,giovanni said3  ,we must change the    
laws of the ,city and the habits of the 
citizens4 ,st4 ,francis1 that ,angel of 
,god1 has given the example and shown   
the way4 ,when he resolved1 by ,god's   
command1 to rebuild the ruined ,church  
of ,st4 ,damian1 he did not set out to  
find the master of the quarry4 ,he did  
not say1 ',go buy me the finest marbles1
 and ,i will give you gold in exchange4'
 ,for the holy man1 who was called the  
son of ,bernardone and who was the true 
son of ,god1 knew this1 that the man who
 sells is the enemy of the man who buys1
 and that the art of ,trafficking is    

more mischievous1 if possible1 than the 
art of ,war4 ,wherefore he did not apply
 to the master-masons or any of them    
that give marble and timber and lead in 
exchange for money4 ,but he went forth  
into the ,mountain and gathered his load
 of wood and stones1 and bore it himself
 to the spot hallowed to the memory of  
the ,blessed ,damian4 ,with his own     
hands1 by help of the mason's line1 he  
laid the stones to form the walls2 and  
he made the cement to bind together the 
stones one to another4 ,finished1 it was
 a lowly circuit of roughly fashioned   
stones1 the work of a weakling4 ,but who
 considers it with the eyes of the soul 
recognizes therein an ,angel's thought4 
,for the mortar of this wall was not    
worked with the blood of the            
unfortunate2 this house of ,st4 ,damian 
was not raised with the thirty pieces of
 silver paid for the blood of that ,just
 ,man1 which1 rejected by ,iscariot1 go 
travelling the world ever since1 passing
 from hand to hand1 to buy up all the   

injustice and all the cruelty of the    
earth4  ,for1 alone of all others1 this 
house is founded on ,innocence1         
stablished on ,love1 based on ,charity1 
and alone of all others it is the ,house
 of ,god4  ,and ,i tell you verily1     
quarryman and brother1 the poor man of  
,jesus ,christ1 in doing these things1  
gave to the world an example of         
,justice1 and one day his foolishness   
shall shine forth as wisdom4 ,for all   
things in this earth are ,god's and we  
are ,his children2 and it is meet the   
children should share alike in ,his     
inheritance4 ,that is1 each should get  
what he has need of4 ,and seeing grown  
men do not ask for broth1 nor babes for 
wine1 the share of each shall not be the
 same1 but each shall have the heritage 
that is fitting for him4  ,and labour   
shall be a joyful thing1 when it is no  
longer paid4 ',tis gold only1 the cursed
 gold1 that makes the sharing uneven4   
,when each man shall go severally to the
 ,mountain for his stone1 and carry his 

load to the city on his own back1 the   
stone shall weigh light and it shall be 
the stone of cheerfulness4 ,and we will 
build the house of joy and gladness1 and
 the new city shall rise from its       
foundations4 ,and there shall be neither
 rich nor poor1 but all men will call   
themselves poor men1 because they will  
be glad to bear a name that brings them 
honour4  ,so spoke the gentle ,fra      
,giovanni1 and the unhappy quarryman    
thought to himself3  ,this man clad in a
 shroud and girt with a cord has        
proclaimed new tidings4 ,i shall not see
 the end of my miseries1 for ,i am going
 to die of hunger and exhaustion4 ,but  
,i shall die happy1 for my eyes1 before 
they close1 will have beheld the dawn of
 the day of ,justice4   ,x  ,,the       
,,friends ,,of ,,order  ,now in those   
days there was in the very illustrious  
city of ,viterbo a ,confraternity of    
sixty old men4 ,these counted among     
their number many of the chief men of   
the place2 and their objects were the   

accumulation of honours and riches1 and 
the pursuit of virtue4 ,the ,brotherhood
 included a ,gonfalonier of the         
,republic1 ,doctors of either faculty1  
,judges1 ,merchants1 ,money-changers of 
conspicuous piety1 and one or two old   
,soldiers of ,fortune grown too ancient 
and feeble for the ,wars4  ,seeing they 
were banded together for the purpose of 
stirring up their fellow-citizens to    
goodness and good order1 and to bear    
mutual witness to the practice of these 
virtues1 they gave themselves the title 
of ,the ,friends of ,order4 ,this name  
was inscribed on the banner of the      
,confraternity1 and they were all of one
 mind to persuade the poor to follow    
goodness and good order1 to the end no  
changes might be made in the            
,constitution4  ,their habit was to meet
 on the last day of each month1 in the  
,palace of the ,podest1 to make inquiry 
of each other what of good had been done
 in the city during the month4 ,and to  
such of the poorer citizens as had done 

well and orderly1 they used to present  
pieces of money4  ,now on a certain day 
the ,friends of ,order were holding     
meeting4 ,at one end of the ,hall was a 
raised platform covered with velvet1 and
 over the platform a magnificent canopy 
of state1 held up by four figures carved
 and painted4 ,these figures represented
 ,justice1 ,temperance1 ,strength and   
,chastity2 and beneath the canopy sat   
the ,officers of the ,brotherhood4 ,the 
,president1 who was entitled the ,dean1 
took his place in the middle on a golden
 chair1 which in richness was scarce    
inferior to the throne that once upon a 
time the disciple of ,st4 ,francis saw  
prepared in ,heaven for the poor man of 
the ,lord4 ,this seat of state had been 
presented to the ,dean of the           
,brotherhood to the end that in him     
should be honoured all the goodness done
 in the city4  ,and as soon as the      
,members of the ,confraternity were     
ranged in the fitting order1 the ,dean  
got up to speak4 ,he congratulated any  

serving-maids that served their masters 
without receiving wages1 and spoke      
highly of the old men who1 having no    
bread to eat1 did not ask for any4  ,and
 he said3  ,these have done well1 and we
 shall reward them4 ,for it behoves that
 goodness be rewarded1 and it is our    
bounden duty to pay the price of it1    
being as we are the first and foremost  
citizens of the city4  ,and when he     
finished speaking1 the crowd of the     
general folk that stood under the       
platform clapped their hands4  ,but no  
sooner had they done applauding than    
,fra ,giovanni lifted up his voice from 
the midst of the miserable1             
poverty-stricken band1 and asked loudly3
  ,what is goodness8  ,at this great    
clamour arose in the assembly1 and the  
,dean shouted3  ,who was it spoke8  ,and
 a red-haired man who was standing among
 the people1 answered3  ,it was a ,monk1
 by name ,giovanni1 who is the disgrace 
of his ,cloister4 ,he goes naked through
 the streets1 carrying his clothes on   

his head1 and gives himself up to all   
sorts of extravagances4  ,next a ,baker 
spoke up and said3  ,he is a madman or a
 miscreant6 ,he begs his bread at the   
,bakers' doors4  ,then a number of those
 present1 shouting noisily and dragging 
,fra ,giovanni by the gown1 tried to    
hustle him out of the hall1 while others
 more angry still1 began throwing stools
 and breaking them over the holy man's  
head4 ,but the ,dean rose from his seat 
under the canopy1 and said3  ,leave the 
man in peace1 so that he may hear me and
 be confounded4 ,he asks what goodness  
is1 because goodness is not in him and  
he is devoid of virtue4 ,i answer him1  
',the knowledge of goodness resides in  
virtuous men2 and good citizens carry   
within them a proper respect for the    
laws4 ,they approve what has been done  
in the city to insure to each man       
enjoyment of the riches he may have     
acquired4 ,they support the established 
order of things1 and are ready to fly to
 arms to defend the same4 ,for the duty 

of the poor is to defend the good things
 belonging to the rich2 and this is how 
the union betwixt citizens is           
maintained4 ,this is goodness and good  
order4 ,again1 the rich man has his     
serving-man bring out a basket full of  
bread1 which he distributes to the poor2
 and this is goodness again4' ,these are
 the lessons this rough1 ignorant fellow
 required to be taught4  ,having so     
said1 the ,dean sat down1 and the crowd 
of poor folks raised a murmur of        
approval4 ,but ,fra ,giovanni1 stepping 
on one of the stools that had been      
thrown at his head with contumely and   
insult1 addressed them all and said3    
,hear the words of comfort6 ,goodness   
resides not in men1 for men know not of 
themselves what is good4 ,they are      
ignorant of their own nature and        
destiny4 ,what seems good1 may be evil  
all the while2 and what is deemed       
useful1 harmful4 ,no man can choose the 
things meet for him1 because he knows   
not his own needs1 but is like the      

little child sitting in the meadows1    
that sucks for wholesome milk the juice 
of the deadly nightshade4 ,the babe does
 not know that the nightshade is a      
poison2 but its mother knows4 ,this is  
why goodness is to do the will of ,god4 
,it is false to say1 ',tis ,i teach     
goodness1 and goodness is to obey the   
city laws4' ,for the ,laws are not of   
,god2 they are of man1 and share in     
man's craft and cunning and             
imperfection4 ,they are like the rules  
children make in the ,square of         
,viterbo1 when they are playing ball4   
,goodness is not in customs nor in laws2
 it is in ,god and in the accomplishment
 of ,god's will upon earth1 and it is   
neither by law-makers nor magistrates   
that ,god's will is accomplished upon   
the earth4  ,for the great men of this  
world do their own will1 and their will 
is contrary to ,god's4 ,but they who    
have stripped off pride and know there  
is no goodness in them1 these men       
receive noble gifts1 and ,god ,himself  

distils ,his sweetness within them like 
honey in the hollow of the oaks4  ,and  
we must be the oak-tree full of honey   
and dew4 ,humble1 ignorant and simple   
folks1 these have knowledge of ,god2 and
 by them shall ,god's kingdom be        
stablished on earth4 ,salvation is not  
in the strength of laws nor in the      
multitude of soldiers2 it is in poverty 
and humbleness of spirit4  ,say not1    
',goodness is in me1 and ,i teach       
goodness4' ,rather say1 ',goodness is in
 ,god on high4' ,over long have men     
hardened their hearts in their own      
wisdom4 ,over long have they set up the 
,lion and the ,she-,wolf above the      
,gates of their ,cities4 ,their wisdom  
and their prudence have brought about   
slavery and wars and the shedding of    
much innocent blood4 ,wherefore you     
should put your guidance in ,god's hand1
 as the blind man trusts himself to his 
dog's guidance4 ,fear not to shut the   
eyes of your spirit and have done with  
,reason1 for has not ,reason made you   

unhappy and wicked8 ,by ,reason have you
 grown like the man who1 having guessed 
the secrets of the ,beast crouching in  
the cavern1 waxed proud of his          
knowingness1 and deeming himself wiser  
than his fellows1 slew his father and   
wedded his mother4  ,god was not with   
him2 but ,he is with the humble and     
simple-minded4 ,learn not to will and   
,he will put ,his will in you4 ,seek not
 to guess the riddles of the ,beast4 ,be
 ignorant1 and you shall not fear to go 
astray4 ',tis only wise men that are    
deceived4  ,fra ,giovanni having thus   
spoken1 the ,dean got up and said3  ,the
 miscreant has insulted me1 and ,i      
willingly forgive him the insult4 ,but  
he has spoken against the laws of       
,viterbo1 and it is meet he should be   
punished4  ,so ,fra ,giovanni was led   
before the ,judges1 who had him loaded  
with chains and cast him into the city  
gaol4   ,,xi  ,,the ,,revolt ,,of       
,,gentleness  ,the holy man ,giovanni   
was chained to a massive pillar in the  

middle of the dungeon over which the    
river flowed4  ,two other prisoners were
 plunged along with him in the thick and
 fetid darkness4 ,both these had        
realized and proclaimed the injustice of
 the ,laws4 ,one was for overthrowing   
the ,republic by force4 ,he had been    
guilty of startling assassinations1 and 
his hope was to purify the city with    
fire and sword4 ,the other trusted to be
 able to change men's hearts1 and had   
delivered very persuasive discourses4   
,inventor of wise laws1 he counted on   
the charms of his genius and the        
innocency of his life to induce his     
fellow-citizens to submit to them4 ,but 
both had met with the same doom4  ,when 
they learned how the holy man was       
chained alongside of them for having    
spoken against the laws of the city1    
they congratulated him4 ,and the one who
 had invented wise laws1 said to him3   
,if ever1 brother1 we are restored to   
liberty1 seeing you think as ,i do1 you 
shall help me to persuade the citizens  

that they ought to set up above them the
 empire of just laws4  ,but the holy man
 ,giovanni answered him3  ,what matter  
for ,justice being in the ,laws1 if it  
is not in men's hearts8 ,and if men's   
hearts are unjust1 what gain shall it be
 that ,equity reign in the ,courts of   
,law8  ,say not1 ',we will stablish just
 laws1 and we will render to every man  
what is his due4' ,for no one is just1  
and we know not what is meet for men4   
,we are no less ignorant what is good   
for them and what is evil4 ,and         
whensoever the ,princes of the ,people  
and the ,chiefs of the ,commonwealth    
have loved ,justice1 they have caused   
the slaying of many folk4  ,give not the
 compass and the level to the false     
measurer2 for with true instruments1 he 
will make untrue apportionments4 ,and he
 will say3 ',see1 ,i carry on me the    
level1 the rule and the square1 and ,i  
am a good measurer4' ,so long as men    
shall be covetous and cruel1 will they  
make the most merciful laws cruel1 and  

will rob their brethren with words of   
love on their lips4 ,this is why it is  
vain to reveal to them the words of love
 and the laws of gentleness4  ,set not  
up laws against laws1 nor raise tables  
of marble and tables of brass before    
men's eyes4 ,for whatever is written on 
the tables of the ,law1 is written in   
letters of blood4  ,so spoke the holy   
man4 ,and the other prisoner1--he who   
had committed startling murders1 and    
contrived the ruin that was to save the 
city1 approved his words and said3      
,comrade1 you have spoken well4 ,know   
you1 ,i will never set up law against   
law1 right rule against crooked rule2 my
 wish is to destroy the law by violence 
and compel the citizens to live         
thenceforth in happy freedom4 ,and know 
further that ,i have slain both judges  
and soldiers1 and have committed many   
crimes for the public good4  ,hearing   
these words1 the man of the ,lord rose1 
stretched out his manacled arms in the  
heavy darkness and cried3  ,ill betide  

the violent6 for violence ever begets   
violence4 ,whosoever acts like you is   
sowing the earth with hate and fury1 and
 his children shall tear their feet with
 the wayside briars1 and serpents shall 
bite their heel4  ,ill betide you6 for  
you have shed the blood of the unjust   
judge and the brutal soldier1 and lo6   
you are become like the soldier and the 
judge yourself4 ,like them you bear on  
your hands the indelible stain4  ,a fool
 the man who says1 ',we will do         
evildoing in our turn1 and our heart    
shall be comforted4 ,we will be unjust1 
and it shall be the beginning of        
justice4' ,evildoing is in evil         
desiring4 ,desire nothing1 and evildoing
 will be done away4 ,injustice hurts    
only the unjust2 ,i shall suffer no harm
 of it1 if ,i am just4 ,oppression is a 
sword whose hilt wounds the hand of him 
who holds it2 but its point cannot      
pierce the heart of the man who is      
simple-minded and good and kind4  ,for  
such an one nothing is dangerous1 if he 

fear nothing4 ,to endure all things1 is 
to endure nothing4 ,let us be good and  
kindly1 and the whole round world shall 
be the same4 ,for the world will be an  
instrument for your goodness1 and your  
persecutors will work to make you better
 and more beautiful4  ,you love life1   
and this is an affection which rules the
 heart of every man4 ,then love         
suffering2 for to live is to suffer4    
,never envy your cruel masters2 rather  
have compassion for the commanders of   
armies4 ,pity the ,publicans and        
,judges2 the proudest of them have known
 the stings of grief and the terrors of 
death4 ,happier you1 because your       
consciences are void of offence2 for    
you1 let grief lose its bitterness and  
death its terrors4  ,be ye ,god's       
children1 and tell yourselves1 ',all is 
well in ,him4' ,beware of pursuing even 
the public good with overmuch violence  
and avidity1 for fear something of      
cruelty mar your integrity4 ,rather     
should your desire of universal         

loving-kindness have the unction of a   
prayer and the soft fervour of a hope4  
,fair the table1 whereat every man shall
 get his just portion1 and the guests   
shall each one wash the other's feet4   
,but say not1 ',i will set up this table
 by force in the streets of the city and
 in the public squares4' ,for it is not 
knife in hand you must call together    
your brethren to the feast of ,justice  
and ,gentleness4 ,of its own accord must
 the board be spread in the ,campo di   
,marte1 by virtue of graciousness and   
good will4  ,this shall be a miracle2   
and be sure1 miracles are not wrought   
save by faith and love4 ,if you disobey 
your masters1 let it be by love4        
,neither fetter nor kill them1 but tell 
them rather1 ',i will never slay my     
brothers1 nor throw them into chains4'  
,endure1 suffer1 submit1 will what ,god 
wills1 and your will shall be done on   
earth as it is in heaven4 ,what seems   
evil is evil1 and what seems good is    
good4 ,striving and discontent is the   

true curse of mankind4 ,let us then be  
peaceful and content1 and never strike  
the wicked1 for fear we make ourselves  
like them4  ,if we have not the good    
fortune to be poor in very deed1 let us 
not make ourselves rich men in spirit1  
and heartbound to the things of this    
world that make folk unjust and unhappy4
 ,let us suffer persecution with        
gentleness1 and be those chosen vessels 
that turn into balm the gall poured into
 them4   ,,xii  ,,words ,,of ,,love     
,then the ,judges had the holy man1     
,giovanni1 brought before them chained  
to him who had thrown ,greek fire in the
 ,palace of the ,priors4 ,and they said 
to the holy man3  ,you are alongside of 
the guilty because you are not on our   
side4 ,for whosoever is not with good   
citizens is with evil4  ,and the holy   
man answered them3  ,there are neither  
good nor evil among men2 but all alike  
are unhappy4 ,and they who suffer       
neither hunger nor contumely1 they are  
afflicted by riches and power4 ,it is   

not given to any man born of woman to   
escape the miseries of life1 and the son
 of woman is like a fever patient1 who  
turns and turns in his bed1 and can find
 no rest1 because he will not lie down  
on the ,cross of ,jesus1 his head among 
the thorns1 and take his joy in         
suffering4 ,yet is it in suffering that 
joy is found2 and they who love know    
this4  ,i companion with ,love1 but that
 man with ,hate2 and for this cause we  
can never come together4 ,and ,i say to 
him1 ',brother1 you have done ill1 and  
your crime is great and grievous1' ,and 
,i speak so1 because ,charity and ,love 
urge me4 ,but you1 you condemn yonder   
guilty man in the name of ,justice4 ,but
 invoking ,justice1 you take a vain     
oath1 for there is no such thing as     
,justice among men4  ,we are all of us  
guilty4 ,and when you say1 ',the life of
 peoples is in our hand1' you are lying1
 and you are the coffin which declares1 
',i am the cradle4' ,the life of peoples
 is in the harvests of the fields1 which

 grow yellow beneath the ,lord's sight4 
,it is in the vines hanging from the    
elms1 and in the smiles and tears       
wherein heaven bathes the fruits of the 
trees in the orchard closes4 ,it is not 
in the laws1 which are made by the rich 
and powerful for the maintenance of     
their own power and riches4  ,ye forget 
how ye are all born poor and naked4 ,and
 ,he who came to lie in the manger at   
,bethlehem1 has come without profiting  
you4 ,and ,he must needs be born again  
and be crucified a second time for your 
salvation4  ,the man of violence has    
laid hold of the arms you forged2 and is
 well compared to the warriors you hold 
in honour because they have destroyed   
cities4 ,what is defended by force shall
 be attacked by force4 ,and if you have 
wit to read the book you have written1  
you will find what ,i say therein4 ,for 
you have put in your book that the right
 of nations is the right of war2 and you
 have glorified violence1 paying honours
 to conquering generals and raising     

statues in your public squares to them  
and their war-horses4  ,and you have    
laid it down1 ',there is violence that  
is right1 and violence that is wrong4   
,and this is the right of nations and   
this is the law4' ,but so soon as the   
men shall have put you outside the law1 
they will be the law1 even as you became
 the law1 when you had overthrown the   
tyrant that was the law before you4     
,now1 be assured1 it is very certain    
that there is no true right save in the 
renouncing of right4 ,there is no       
hallowed law save in love4 ,there is no 
,justice save in ,charity4 ',tis not by 
force we should resist force1 for strife
 only hardens the fighters' hearts and  
the issue of battles is aye dubious4    
,but if we oppose gentleness to         
violence1 this latter getting no hold   
upon its adversary1 falls dead of       
itself4  ,it is related by learned men  
in the ,bestiaries how the unicorn1     
which bears on its forehead a flaming   
sword1 transfixes the hunter in his     

coat-of-mail1 but falls to its knees    
before a pure virgin4 ,be ye            
gentle-hearted1 therefore1 and          
simple-souled2 keep your heart pure1 and
 ye shall fear nothing4  ,put not your  
trust in the sword of the ,condottieri1 
for did not the shepherd boy's smooth   
stone pierce ,goliath's brow8 ,but be ye
 strong in love1 and love them that hate
 you4 ,hate1 when unreturned1 is robbed 
of half its sting2 and what is left is  
weak1 widowed1 and like to die4 ,strip  
yourselves1 that other men strip you    
not4 ,love your enemies1 that they      
become your friends4 ,forgive1 that ye  
may be forgiven4 ,say not1 ',gentleness 
is a bane to the shepherds of the       
peoples4' ,for how can you know1 seeing 
these have never tried8 ,they profess by
 harshness to have lessened the evil of 
the world4 ,yet is evil still rampant   
among men1 and there is never a sign of 
its growing less4  ,i said to some1 ',be
 not oppressors1' and to others1 ',rise 
not in revolt against oppression1'--and 

neither hearkened to me4 ,they cast the 
stone of derision at me4 ,because ,i was
 on all men's side1 each reproached me  
and said1 ',you are not on my side4'  ,i
 said1 ',i am the friend of the         
wretched4' ,but you never thought ,i was
 your friend1 because in your pride1 you
 know not that you are wretched4        
,nevertheless the wretchedness of the   
master is more cruel than that of the   
slave4 ,my tender pity for your woes    
only made you think ,i was mocking you2 
and the oppressed deemed me to be of the
 party of the oppressors4 ',he has no   
bowels1' they said4 ,nay6 but ,i am on  
the side of love and not of hate4 ,this 
is why you scorn me2 and because ,i     
preach peace on earth1 you hold me for a
 fool4 ,you think my words wander all   
ways1 like the steps of a drunken man4  
,and it is very true ,i walk your fields
 like those harpers who on the eve of   
battles1 come to play before the tents4 
,and the soldiers say1 as they listen3  
'',tis some poor simpletons come playing

 the tunes we heard long ago in our     
mountains4' ,i am this harper that roams
 between the hosts in battle array of   
hostile armies4 ,when ,i think whither  
human wisdom leads1 ,i am glad to be a  
madman and a simpleton2 and ,i thank    
,god that ,he has given me the harp to  
handle and not the sword4   ,,xiii      
,,the ,,truth  ,the holy man ,giovanni  
was very straitly confined in gaol1     
where he was fastened by chains to rings
 built into the wall4 ,but his soul was 
unfettered1 and no tortures had been    
able to shake his firmness4 ,he promised
 himself he would never betray the faith
 that was in him1 and was ready to be   
witness and martyr of the ,truth1 to the
 end he might die in ,god4 ,and he said 
to himself1 ,truth shall go along with  
me to the scaffold4 ,she shall look at  
me and weep and say1 ',my tears flow1   
seeing it is for my sake this man is    
going to his death4'  ,and as the holy  
man was thus holding colloquy of his own
 thoughts in the solitude of his        

dungeon1 a knight entered into the      
prison1 without ever the doors having   
been opened4 ,he was clad in a red      
mantle1 and carried in his hand a       
lighted lantern4  ,fra ,giovanni        
accosted him and said3  ,what is your   
name1 subtle sir1 that slips through    
prison walls8  ,and the knight made     
answer3  ,brother1 what use to tell you 
the names folk give me8 ,for you ,i will
 bear the one you shall call me by4     
,know this1 ,i am come to you full of   
helpfulness and goodwill1 and being     
informed you dearly love the ,truth1 ,i 
bring you a word touching this same     
,truth that you have taken for lady and 
companion4  ,and ,fra ,giovanni began to
 tender thanks to his visitor4 ,but the 
knight stopped him in the midst1 saying3
  ,i warn you1 this word of mine will   
seem to you at the first empty and of no
 account1 for it is with it as with a   
tiny key1 that the heedless man throws  
away without using4  ,but the careful   
householder tries it in lock after lock1

 till he finds at last it opens a chest 
full of gold and precious stones4       
,wherefore ,i say to you1 ,fra          
,giovanni1 seeing you have chosen       
peradventure to take ,truth for your    
,lady and darling1 it behoves you       
greatly to know concerning her all that 
may be known4 ,well then1 know that she 
is white4 ,and from her appearance1     
which ,i will describe you1 you shall   
gather her nature1 which will be very   
useful to you in making up to her and   
kissing her fair body with all sorts of 
pretty caresses1 after the fashion of a 
lover fondling his mistress4 ,therefore 
take it as proven1 brother mine1 that   
she is white4  ,after hearkening to     
these words1 the holy man ,giovanni     
answered3  ,subtle ,sir1 the meaning of 
your discourse is not so hard to guess  
as you would seem to fear4 ,and my wit1 
albeit naturally thick and dull1 was    
instantly transfixed by the fine point  
of your allegory4 ,you say that ,truth  
is white to manifest the perfect purity 

that is in her1 and show clearly she is 
a lady of immaculate virtue4 ,and truly 
,i picture her to myself such as you    
describe1 overpassing in whiteness the  
lilies of the garden and the snow that  
in winter clothes the summits of ,monte 
,alverno4  ,but the visitor shook his   
head and said3  ,nay6 ,fra ,giovanni1   
that is not the meaning of my words1 and
 you have in no wise broken the bone to 
extract the marrow4 ,i instructed you   
that ,truth is white1 not that she is   
pure2 and it shows little discernment to
 think that she is pure4  ,grieved at   
what he now heard1 the holy man         
,giovanni replied3  ,even as the ,moon1 
when the ,earth hides the ,sun's light  
from her1 is darkened by the thick      
shadow of this ,world1 where was wrought
 the crime of our mother ,eve1 so1 most 
,subtle ,sir1 you have obscured a plain 
saying under baffling phrases4 ,thus we 
have you astray in the dark2 for indeed 
,truth is pure1 coming from ,god1 the   
fountain of all purity4  ,but the       

,opponent retorted3  ,fra ,giovanni1    
your logic is at fault1 or you would    
know that purity is an inconceivable    
quality4 ,this is what the shepherds of 
,arcady did1 so they say1 who named pure
 gods the gods they knew not the nature 
of4  ,then the good ,fra ,giovanni      
sighed and said3  ,sir6 your words are  
dark and wrapped in sadness4 ,at times  
in my sleep angels have visited me4     
,their words ,i could not comprehend2   
but the mystery of their thought was    
full of joy4  ,hereupon the subtle      
visitor resumed3  ,come1 ,fra ,giovanni1
 let us argue it out both of us         
according to the rules of syllogism4    
,but the holy man answered3  ,nay6 ,i   
cannot argue with you2 ,i have neither  
wish nor wit for the task4  ,well then6 
returned the ,subtle ,sophist1 ,i must  
needs find another ,opponent4  ,and in a
 moment1 lifting the index finger of his
 left hand1 he made with his right out  
of a corner of his gown a red cap for   
this finger4 ,then holding it up before 

his nose1  ,look6 he said1 look at this 
finger4 ,he's a learned ,doctor now1 and
 ,i am going to hold a learned argument 
with him4 ,he's a ,platonist1 maybe     
,plato himself4  ,messer ,plato1 what is
 purity8 ,i wait your answer1 ,messer   
,plato4 ,oh6 you say4 ,consciousness is 
pure4 ,consciousness only when it is    
devoid of everything which may be seen1 
heard1 handled1 in one word proved by   
the senses4 ,you grant me further1--yes6
 you nod your cap1 that ,truth will be  
pure ,truth under the same conditions1  
that is to say provided only you make   
her dumb1 blind1 deaf1 legless1         
paralytic1 crippled of all her limbs4   
,and ,i am quite ready to allow that in 
this state she will escape the delusions
 that make mock of mankind1 and will    
have no temptations to play the         
runagate4 ,you are a scoffer1 and you   
have made much mock at the world4 ,doff 
your cap4  ,and the ,opponent1 dropping 
the corner of his gown1 once more       
addressed the holy man ,giovanni3  ,my  

friend1 these old ,sophists knew not    
what ,truth was4 ,but ,i1 who am a      
student of physics and a great observer 
of natural curiosities1 you may believe 
me when ,i tell you she is white1 or1   
more strictly speaking1 whiteness       
itself4  ,from which we must not        
conclude1 ,i have told you before1 that 
she is pure4 ,consider the ,lady        
,eletta1 of ,verona1 whose thighs were  
like milk2 think you for this they were 
abstract from the world in general1     
withdrawn in the invisible and          
intangible1 which is the pure1 according
 to the ,platonic doctrine8 ,you would  
be much mistaken if you supposed so4  ,i
 do not know this ,lady ,eletta you     
speak of1 said the holy man ,giovanni4  
,she gave herself and her living body1  
said the ,opponent1 to two ,popes1 sixty
 ,cardinals1 fourteen ,princes1 eighteen
 merchants1 the ,queen of ,cyprus1 three
 ,turks1 four ,jews1 the ,lord ,bishop  
of ,arezzo's ape1 a hermaphrodite1 and  
the ,devil4 ,but we are wandering from  

our subject1 which is to discover the   
proper character of ,truth4  ,now1 if   
this character is not purity1 as ,i have
 just established it cannot be in       
argument with ,plato himself1 it is     
conceivable it may be impurity1 which   
impurity is the necessary condition of  
all existing things4 ,for have we not   
just seen how the pure has neither life 
nor consciousness8 ,and you must        
yourself1 ,i trow1 have learned amply   
from experience that life and all       
pertaining thereto is invariably        
compound1 blended1 diversified1 liable  
to increase and decrease1 unstable1     
soluble1 corruptible--never pure4       
,doctor1 replied ,giovanni1 your reasons
 are nothing worth1 forasmuch as ,god1  
who is all pure1 exists4  ,but the      
,subtle ,doctor retorted3  ,if you would
 read your books more carefully1 my son1
 you would see it is said of ,him you   
have just named1 not1 ',he exists1' but1
 ',he is4' ,now to exist and to be are  
not one and the same thing1 but two     

opposite things4 ,you are alive1 and do 
you not say yourself1 ',i am nothing2 ,i
 am as if ,i were not'8 ,and you do not 
say1 ',i am he who is4' ,because to     
live1 is each moment to cease to be4    
,again you say1 ',i am full of          
impurities1' forasmuch you are not a    
single thing1 but a blending of things  
that stir and strive4  ,now do you speak
 wisely1 answered the holy man1 and ,i  
see by your discourse that you are very 
deep read1 ,subtle ,sir1 in the         
sciences1 divine as well as human4 ,for 
true indeed it is ,god is ,he who is4   
,by the body of ,bacchus1 exclaimed the 
other1 ,he is1 and that perfectly and   
universally4 ,wherefore are we dispensed
 from seeking ,him in any single place1 
being assured ,he is to be discovered   
neither more nor less in any one spot   
than in any other1 and that you cannot  
find so much as a pair of old           
spatterdashes without their due share of
 ,him4  ,admirably put1 and most true1  
returned ,giovanni4 ,but it is right to 

add that ,he is more particularly in the
 sacred elements1 by the way of         
transubstantiation4  ,more than that6   
added the learned ,doctor2 ,he is       
actually edible in them4 ,note moreover1
 my son1 that ,he is round in an apple1 
long-shaped in an aubergine1 sharp in a 
knife and musical in a flute4 ,he has   
all the qualities of substances1 and    
likewise all the properties of figures4 
,he is acute and ,he is obtuse1 because 
,he is at one and the same time all     
possible triangles2 his radii are at    
once equal and unequal1 because ,he is  
both the circle and the ellipse--and ,he
 is the hyperbola besides1 which is an  
indescribable figure4  ,while the holy  
,giovanni was still pondering these     
sublime verities1 he heard the ,subtle  
,doctor suddenly burst out a-laughing4  
,then he asked him3  ,why do you laugh8 
,i am laughing1 replied the ,doctor1 to 
think how they have discovered in me    
certain oppositions and contradictions1 
and have reproached me bitterly for the 

same4 ,it is very true ,i have many     
such4 ,but they fail to see that1 if ,i 
had them all1 ,i should then be like the
 ,other4  ,the holy man asked him3      
,what other is it you speak of8  ,and   
the ,adversary answered3  ,if you knew  
of whom ,i speak1 you would know who ,i 
am4 ,and my wisest words you would be   
loath to listen to1 for much ill has    
been said of me4 ,but1 if you remain    
ignorant who ,i am1 ,i can be of much   
use to you4 ,i will teach you how       
intensely sensitive men are to the      
sounds that the lips utter1 and how they
 let themselves be killed for the sake  
of words that are devoid of meaning4    
,this we see with the ,martyrs1--and in 
your own case1 ,giovanni1 who look      
forward with joy to be strangled and    
then burned to the singing of the ,seven
 ,psalms1 in the ,great ,square of      
,viterbo1 for this word ,truth1 for     
which you could not by any possibility  
discover a reasonable interpretation4   
,verily you might ransack every hole and

 corner of your dim brain1 and pick over
 all the spiders' webs and old iron that
 cumber your head1 without ever lighting
 on a picklock to open this word and    
extract the meaning4 ,but for me1 my    
poor friend1 you would get yourself     
hanged and your body burned for a word  
of one syllable which neither you nor   
your judges know the sense of1 so that  
none could ever have discovered which to
 despise the most1 hangmen or hanged4   
,know then that ,truth1 your            
well-beloved mistress1 is made up of    
elements compacted of wet and dry1 hard 
and soft1 cold and hot1 and that it is  
with this lady as with women of common  
humanity1 in whom soft flesh and warm   
blood are not diffused equally in all   
the body4  ,fra ,giovanni doubted in his
 simplicity whether this discourse was  
altogether becoming4 ,the ,adversary    
read the holy man's thought1 and        
reassured him1 saying3  ,such is the    
learning we are taught at ,school4 ,i am
 a ,theologian1 ,i6  ,then he got up1   

and added3  ,i regret to leave you1     
friend2 but ,i cannot tarry longer with 
you4 ,for ,i have many contradictions to
 pose to many men4 ,i can taste no rest 
day nor night2 but ,i must be going     
ceaselessly from place to place1 setting
 down my lantern now on the scholar's   
desk1 now at the bed's head of the sick 
man who cannot sleep4  ,so saying1 he   
went away as he had come4 ,and the holy 
man ,giovanni asked himself3 ,why did   
this ,doctor say1 ,truth was white1 ,i  
wonder8 ,and lying in the straw he kept 
revolving this question in his head4    
,his body shared the restlessness of his
 mind1 and kept turning first one side  
then the other in search of the repose  
he could not find4   ,,xiv              
,,giovanni',s ,,dream  ,and this is why1
 left alone in his dungeon1 he prayed to
 the ,lord1 saying3  ,o ,lord6 ,thy     
loving-kindness is infinite toward me1  
and ,thy favour manifest1 seeing ,thou  
hast so willed ,i should lie on a       
dunghill1 like ,job and ,lazarus1 whom  

,thou didst love so well4 ,and ,thou    
hast given me to know how filthy straw  
is a soft and sweet pillow to the just  
man4 ,and ,thou1 dear ,son of ,god1 who 
didst descend into ,hell1 bless ,thou   
the sleep of ,thy servant where he lies 
in the gloomy prison-house4 ,forasmuch  
as men have robbed me of air and light1 
because ,i was steadfast to confess the 
truth1 deign to enlighten me with the   
glory of the everlasting dayspring and  
feed me on the flames of ,thy love1 ,o  
living ,truth1 ,o ,lord my ,god6  ,thus 
prayed the holy man ,giovanni with his  
lips4 ,but in his heart he remembered   
the sayings of the ,adversary4 ,he was  
troubled to the bottom of his spirit1   
and in much trouble and anguish of mind 
he fell asleep4  ,and seeing the thought
 of the ,adversary weighed heavy on his 
slumbers1 his sleep was not like the    
little child's lying on its mother's    
breast1 a gentle sleep of smiles and    
milk4 ,and in his dreams he beheld a    
vast wheel that shone with colours of   

living fire4  ,it was like those rose   
windows of flower-like brilliancy that  
glow over the doors of ,churches1 the   
masterpieces of ,gothic craftsmen1 and  
display in the translucent glass the    
history of the ,virgin ,mary and the    
glory of the ,prophets4 ,but the secret 
of these rose windows is unknown to the 
,tuscan artificer4  ,and this wheel was 
great and dazzling and brighter a       
thousandfold than the best wrought of   
all the rose windows that ever were     
divided by compass and painted with     
brush in the lands of the ,north4 ,the  
,emperor ,charlemagne saw not the like  
the day he was crowned4  ,the only man  
who ever beheld a wheel more splendid   
was the poet who1 a lady leading him1   
entered clothed in flesh into ,holy     
,paradise4 ,the rose was of living      
light1 and seemed alive itself1 every   
age and every condition1 in an eager    
crowd1 formed the nave and spokes and   
felloe4 ,they were clad each according  
to his estate1 and it was easy to       

recognize ,pope and ,emperor1 ,kings and
 ,queens1 ,bishops1 ,barons1 ,knights1  
ladies1 esquires1 clerks1 burghers1     
merchants1 attorneys1 apothecaries1     
labourers1 ruffians1 ,moors and ,jews4  
,moreover1 seeing all that live on this 
earth were shown on the wheel1 ,satyrs  
and ,cyclopes were there1 and ,pygmies  
and ,centaurs such as ,africa nurses in 
her burning deserts1 and the men ,marco 
,polo the traveller found1 who are born 
without heads and with a face below     
their navel4  ,and from betwixt the lips
 of each there issued a scroll1 bearing 
a device4 ,now each device was of a hue 
which did not appear in any other1 and  
in all the incalculable multitude of    
devices1 no two could have been         
discovered of the same appearance4 ,some
 were dyed purple1 others painted with  
the bright colours of the sky and sea1  
or the shining of the stars1 yet others 
green as grass4 ,many were exceeding    
pale1 many again exceeding dark and     
sombre1 the whole so ordered that the   

eye found in these devices every one of 
the colours that paint the universe4    
,the holy man ,giovanni began to        
decipher them1 by this means making     
himself acquainted with the divers      
thoughts of divers men4 ,and after      
reading on a good while1 he perceived   
that these devices were as much         
diversified in the sense of the words as
 in the hues of the letters1 and that   
the sentences differed one from the     
other in such sort that there was never 
a single one did not flatly contradict  
every other4  ,but at the same time he  
noted that this contradiction which     
existed in the head and body of the     
maxims did not continue in their tail1  
but that they all agreed together very  
accurately in their lower extremity1 all
 ending in the same fashion1 seeing each
 and all terminated in these words1     
,such is ,truth4  ,and he said in his   
heart3  ,these mottoes are like the     
flowers young men and maidens pluck in  
the water-meadows by the ,arno1 to make 

them into posies4 ,for these flowers are
 readily gathered together by the tails1
 while the heads keep separate and fight
 amongst themselves in hue and          
brilliancy4 ,and it is the same with the
 opinions of human beings4  ,and the    
holy man found in the devices a host of 
contradictions regarding the origin of  
sovereignty1 the fountains of knowledge1
 pleasure and pain1 things lawful and   
things unlawful4 ,and he discovered     
likewise mighty difficulties in         
connection with the shape of the ,earth 
and the ,divinity of ,our ,lord ,jesus  
,christ1 by reason of the ,heretics and 
,arabs and ,jews1 the monsters of the   
,african desert and the ,epicureans1 who
 all had their place1 a scroll in their 
lips1 on the wheel of fire4  ,and each  
sentence ended in this way1 ,such is    
,truth4 ,and the holy man ,giovanni     
marvelled to see so many truths all     
diversely coloured4 ,he saw red1 and    
blue1 and green1 and yellow1 but he saw 
no white--not even the one the ,pope    

made proclamation of1 to wit1 ,on this  
rock have ,i built my ,church and       
committed thereto the crowns of all the 
world4 ,indeed this device was all red  
and as if blood-stained4  ,and the holy 
man sighed3  ,then ,i am never to find  
on the wheel of the universe the pure1  
white ,truth1 the immaculate and candid 
,truth1 ,i would find4  ,and he called  
upon ,truth1 crying with tears in his   
eyes3  ,truth6 ,truth6 for whose sake ,i
 am to die1 show yourself before your   
martyr's eyes4  ,and lo6 as he was      
wailing out the words1 the living wheel 
began to revolve1 and the devices1      
running one into the other1 no longer   
kept distinct1 while on the great disk  
came circles of every hue1 circles wider
 and wider the further they were from   
the centre4  ,then as the motion grew   
faster1 these circles disappeared one by
 one2 the widest vanished first1 because
 the speed was swiftest near the felloe 
of the wheel4 ,but directly the wheel   
began to spin so fast the eye could not 

see it move and it seemed to stand      
motionless1 the smallest circles too    
disappeared1 like the morning-star when 
the sun pales the hills of ,assisi4     
,then at the last the wheel looked all  
white2 and it overpassed in brilliance  
the translucent orb where the           
,florentine poet saw ,beatrice in the   
dewdrop4 ,it seemed as though an ,angel1
 wiping the eternal pearl to cleanse it 
of all stains1 had set it on the ,earth1
 so like was the wheel to the ,moon1    
when she shines high in the heavens     
lightly veiled under the gauze of filmy 
clouds4 ,for at these times no shadow of
 a man carrying sticks1 no mark at all1 
shows on her opalescent surface4 ,even  
so never a stain was visible on the     
wheel of light4  ,and the holy man      
,giovanni heard a voice which said to   
him3  ,behold that same white ,truth you
 were fain to contemplate4 ,and know it 
is built up of the divers contradictory 
truths1 in the same fashion as all      
colours go to make up white4 ,the little

 children of ,viterbo know this1 for    
having spun their tops striped with many
 colours on the flags on the ,great     
,market4 ,but the doctors of ,bologna   
never guessed the reasons for this      
appearance4 ,now in every one of the    
devices was a portion of the ,truth1 and
 all together make up the true and      
veritable device4  ,alas6 and alas6     
replied the holy man1 how am ,i to read 
it8 ,for my eyes are dazzled4  ,and the 
voice answered3  ,very true1 there is   
naught to be seen there but flashing    
fire4 ,no ,latin letters1 nor ,arabic1  
nor ,greek1 no cabalistic signs1 can    
ever express this device2 and no hand is
 there may trace it in characters of    
flame on palace walls4  ,friend1 never  
set your heart on reading what is not   
written4 ,only know this1 that          
whatsoever a man has thought or believed
 in his brief lifetime is a parcel of   
this infinite ,truth2 and that1 even as 
much dirt and disorder enter into what  
we call the order of nature1 that is the

 clean and proper ordering of the       
universe1 so the maxims of knaves and   
fools1 who make the mass of mankind1    
participate in some sort in that general
 and universal ,truth-which is absolute1
 everlasting and divine4 ,which makes me
 sore afraid1 by the by1 it may very    
like not exist at all4  ,and with a     
great burst of mocking laughter1 the    
voice fell silent4  ,then the holy man  
saw a long leg stretched out1 in red    
hose1 and inside the shoe the foot      
seemed cloven and like a goat's1 only   
much larger4 ,and it gave the wheel of  
light so shrewd a kick on the rim of its
 felloe1 that sparks flew out as they do
 when the blacksmith smites the iron    
with his hammer1 and the great wheel    
leapt into the air to fall far away1    
broken into fragments4 ,meantime the air
 was filled with such piercing laughter 
that the holy man awoke4  ,and in the   
livid gloom of the dungeon1 he thought  
sadly3  ,i have no hope or wish left to 
know ,truth1 if1 as has just been       

manifested to me1 she only shows herself
 in contradictions and inconsistencies4 
,how shall ,i dare by my death to be    
witness and martyr of what men must     
believe1 now the vision of the wheel of 
the universe has made me see how every  
particular falsehood is a parcel of     
general ,truth1 absolute and unknowable8
 ,why1 ,o my ,god1 have you suffered me 
to behold these things1 and let it be   
revealed to me before my last sleep1    
that ,truth is everywhere and that she  
is nowhere8  ,and the holy man laid his 
head in his hands and wept4   ,,xv      
,,the ,,judgment  ,fra ,giovanni was led
 before the ,magistrates of the         
,republic to be judged according to the 
laws of ,viterbo4 ,and one of the       
,magistrates said to the guards3  ,take 
his chains off him4 ,for every person   
accused should appear freely before us4 
,and ,giovanni thought3  ,why does the  
,judge pronounce words that are not     
straight8  ,and the first of the        
,magistrates began to question the holy 

man1 and said to him3  ,giovanni1 bad   
man that you are1 being thrown in prison
 by the august clemency of the laws1 you
 have spoken against those laws4 ,you   
have contrived with wicked men1 chained 
in the same dungeon as yourself1 a plot 
to overthrow the order stablished in    
this city4  ,the holy man ,giovanni made
 answer3  ,nay6 ,i but spoke for        
,justice and ,truth4 ,if the laws of the
 city are agreeable to ,justice and     
,truth1 ,i have not spoken against them4
 ,i have only spoken words of           
loving-kindness4 ,i said3  ',strive not 
to destroy force by force4 ,be peaceable
 in the midst of wars1 to the end the   
spirit of ,god may rest on you like a   
little bird on the top of a poplar in   
the valley that is flooded by the       
torrent4' ,i said1 ',be gentle toward   
the men of violence4'  ,then the ,judge 
cried out in anger3  ,speak6 tell us who
 are the men of violence4  ,but the holy
 man said3  ,you are for milking the cow
 that has given all her milk1 and would 

learn of me more than ,i know4  ,however
 the ,judge imposed silence on the holy 
man1 and he said3  ,your tongue has     
discharged the arrow of your discourse1 
and its shot was aimed at the ,republic4
 ,only it has lighted lower1 and turned 
back upon yourself4  ,and the holy man  
said3  ,you judge me1 not by my acts and
 my words1 which are manifest1 but by my
 motives1 which are visible only to     
,god's eye4  ,and the ,judge replied3   
,nay6 if we could not see the invisible 
and were not gods upon earth1 how would 
it be possible for us to judge folk8 ,do
 you not know a law has just been passed
 in ,viterbo1 which punishes even men's 
secret thoughts8 ,for the police of     
cities is for ever being perfected1 and 
the wise ,ulpian1 who held the rule and 
the square in the days of ,csar1 would  
be astonished himself1 if he could see  
our rules and squares1 improved as they 
are4  ,and the ,judge said again3       
,giovanni1 you have been conspiring in  
your prison against the common weal4    

,but the holy man denied having ever    
conspired against the weal of ,viterbo4 
,then the ,judge said3  ,the gaoler has 
given testimony against you4  ,and the  
holy man asked the ,judge3  ,what weight
 will my testimony have in one scale1   
when that of the gaoler is in the other8
  ,the ,judge answered3  ,why6 yours    
will kick the beam4  ,wherefore the holy
 man held his peace henceforth4  ,then  
the ,judge declared3  ,anon you were    
talking1 and the words you said proved  
your perfidy4 ,now you say nothing1 and 
your silence is the avowal of your      
crime4 ,so you have confessed your guilt
 twice over4  ,and the ,magistrate they 
entitled the ,accuser rose and said3    
,the illustrious city of ,viterbo speaks
 by my voice1 and my voice shall be     
grave and calm1 because it is the public
 voice4 ,and you will think you are     
listening to a bronze statue speaking1  
for ,i make accusation not with my heart
 and bowels1 but with the tables of     
bronze whereon the ,law is inscribed4   

,and straightway he began to gesticulate
 furiously and utter a raging torrent of
 words4 ,and he declaimed the argument  
of a play1 in imitation of ,seneca the  
,tragedian3 and this drama was filled   
full of crimes committed by the holy man
 ,giovanni4 ,and the ,accuser           
represented in succession all the       
characters of the tragedy4 ,he mimicked 
the groans of the victims and the voice 
of ,giovanni1 the better to strike awe  
into his audience1 who seemed to hear   
and see ,giovanni himself1 intoxicated  
with hate and evildoing4 ,and the       
,accuser tore his hair and rent his gown
 and fell back exhausted on his august  
seat of office4  ,and the ,judge who had
 questioned the accused before took up  
the word again and said3  ,it is meet a 
citizen defend this man4 ,for none1 so  
says the law of ,viterbo1 may be        
condemned without having been first     
defended4  ,thereupon an ,advocate of   
,viterbo got up on a stool and spoke in 
these terms3  ,if this monk has said and

 done what is laid to his charge1 he is 
very wicked4 ,but we have no proof that 
he has spoken and acted in the manner   
supposed4 ,moreover1 good sirs1 had we  
this proof1 it would behove us to       
consider further the extreme simplicity 
of the man and the feebleness of his    
understanding4 ,he was the              
laughing-stock of the children in the   
,public ,square4 ,he is ignorant2 he has
 done a thousand extravagances4 ,for my 
own part ,i believe he is beside        
himself4 ,what he says is worthless     
nonsense1 and there is nothing sensible 
he can do4 ,i think he has been         
frequenting seditious societies2 and    
goes about repeating what he heard      
there1 without understanding a word of  
it4 ,he is too dull-witted to be        
punished4 ,look out for his instructors2
 it is they are to blame4 ,there are    
many difficulties in the matter1 and the
 wise man has told us1 ',in doubt1      
refrain from action4'  ,having so said1 
the ,advocate stepped down from his     

stool4 ,and ,brother ,giovanni received 
his death sentence4 ,and he was informed
 he was to be hanged in the ,square     
where the peasant women come to sell    
fruit and vegetables and the children to
 play knucklebones4  ,next a very       
illustrious ,doctor of ,law1 who was one
 of the ,judges1 got up and said3       
,giovanni1 it behoves you to subscribe  
consent to the sentence condemning you1 
for being pronounced in the name of the 
city1 it is pronounced by yourself1     
inasmuch as you are part and parcel of  
the city4 ,you have an honourable part  
in it1 as citizen1 and ,i will convince 
you that you ought to be well content to
 be strangled by the city's judgment4   
,know this1 the satisfaction of the     
whole comprehends and embraces the      
satisfaction of the parts1 and seeing   
you are a part--a vile and miserable    
part1 yet still a part--of the noble    
city of ,viterbo1 your condemnation     
which satisfies the community should be 
no less satisfactory to yourself4  ,and 

,i will further prove you that you      
should rightly consider death doom      
agreeable and fitting4 ,for there is no 
other thing so useful and becoming as is
 the law1 which is the just measure of  
things1 and you ought to be pleased to  
have received this same just and proper 
measure4 ,in accordance with the rules  
stablished by ,csar ,justinian1 you have
 got your due4 ,your condemnation is    
just1 and therefore a pleasant and a    
good thing4 ,but1 were it unjust and    
tainted and contaminated with ignorance 
and iniquity 7which ,god forbid71 still 
it would be incumbent on you to approve 
the same4  ,for an unjust sentence1 when
 it is pronounced in the prescribed     
forms of law1 participates in the virtue
 of the said forms and through them     
continues august1 efficacious and of    
high merit4 ,what it contains of wrong  
is temporary and of little consequence1 
and concerns only the particular        
instance1 whereas the good in it derives
 from the fixity and permanence of the  

organization of the laws1 and therefore 
is it agreeable to the general dictates 
of justice4 ,wherefore ,papinian        
declares it is better to give false     
judgment than none at all1 seeing how   
men without justice are no better than  
wild beasts in the woods1 whereas by    
justice is made manifest their nobleness
 and dignity1 as is seen by the example 
of the ,judges of the ,areopagus1 who   
were held in special honour among the   
,athenians4 ,so1 seeing it is necessary 
and profitable to give judgment1 and    
that it is not possible to do so without
 fault or mistake1 it follows that      
mistake and faultiness are comprised in 
the excellence of ,justice and          
participate in the said excellence4     
,accordingly1 supposing you deemed your 
sentence unfair1 you should find        
satisfaction in this unfairness1        
inasmuch as it is united and amalgamated
 with fairness1 just as tin and copper  
are fused together to make bronze1 which
 is a precious metal and employed for   

very noble purposes1 in the fashion     
,pliny describes in his ,histories4     
,the learned ,doctor then proceeded to  
enumerate the conveniencies and         
advantages which flow from expiation and
 wash away sin1 as the maids every      
,saturday wash the courtyards of their  
masters' houses4 ,and he demonstrated to
 the holy man what a boon it was for him
 to be condemned to death by the august 
good pleasure of the ,commonwealth of   
,viterbo1 which had granted him judges  
and a defender4 ,and so soon as the     
,doctor's eloquence was exhausted and he
 fell silent1 ,fra ,giovanni was        
fettered once more and led back to      
prison4   ,,xvi  ,,the ,,prince ,,of    
,,this ,,world  ,now on the morning     
appointed for his hanging1 the holy man 
,giovanni was lying sound asleep4 ,and  
the ,subtle ,doctor came and opened the 
door of his prison cell1 and pulling him
 by the sleeve1 cried3  ,ho6 there1 son 
of woman1 awake6 ,the day is just       
unclosing his grey eyes4 ,the lark is   

singing1 and the morning mists kissing  
the mountain sides4 ,clouds glide along 
the hills1 soft and sinuous1 snow-white 
with rosy reflexions1--which are the    
flanks and bosoms and loins of immortal 
nymphs1 divine daughters of the rivers  
and the sky1 maidens of the morn old    
,oceanus leads forth along the          
heights1--a flock multiform as his      
waves1 and who welcome to their cool1   
fresh arms1 on a couch of hyacinths and 
anemones1 the gods1 masters of the      
world1 and the shepherd swains loved of 
goddesses4 ,for there are shepherds     
their mothers bore beautiful and worthy 
the bed of the nymphs that dwell in the 
water-springs and woodlands4  ,and for  
myself1 who have deeply studied the     
secrets of nature1 seeing but now these 
clouds curling wantonly round the bosom 
of the hill1 ,i was filled with         
mysterious longings at the sight1       
longings ,i know nothing of but that    
they spring from the region of my loins1
 and that1 like the infant ,hercules1   

they showed their strength from the very
 cradle4 ,and these longings were not   
merely after rosy mists and floating    
clouds2 they pictured very precisely a  
wench named ,monna ,libetta ,i made     
acquaintance with once in travelling1 at
 ,castro1 at an inn where she was       
serving-maid and at the free disposal of
 the muleteers and soldiers frequenting 
it4  ,but the picture ,i framed in my   
mind of ,monna ,libetta1 this morning1  
as ,i fared along the slopes of the     
hills1 was wondrously embellished by the
 tenderness of recollection and the     
regrets of separation1 and she was      
tricked out with all the pretty fancies 
that1 springing from the loins as ,i    
said1 presently send their fragrant fire
 coursing through all the body's soul1  
transfusing it with languishing ardours 
and pains that are a delicious pleasure4
  ,for ,i would have you know1 my       
,giovanni1 that looking at her calmly   
and coldly1 the girl was not greatly    
different from all the rest of the      

country wenches that1 in the plains of  
,umbria and the ,roman ,marches1 go     
afield to milk the cattle4 ,she had dark
 eyes1 slow and sullen1 a sunburnt face1
 a big mouth1 the bosom heavy1 the belly
 tanned and the forepart of the legs1   
from the knee1 shaggy with hair4 ,her   
laugh was ready and rude1 in a general  
way2 but in act with a lover1 her face  
grew dark and transfigured as if with   
wonder at the presence of a god4 ',twas 
this had attached me to her1 and ,i have
 many a time pondered since on the      
nature of this attachment1 for ,i am    
learned and curious to search out the   
reasons of things4  ,and ,i discovered  
the force that drew me toward this girl 
,monna ,libetta1 maid-servant at the inn
 of ,castro1 was the same that governs  
the stars in heaven and that there is   
one force and one only in the world1    
which is ,love4 ,and it is likewise     
,hate1 as is shown by the case of this  
same ,monna ,libetta1 who was fiercely  
fondled1 and just as fiercely beaten4   

,and ,i mind me how a groom in the      
,pope's stables1 who was her chief      
lover1 struck her so savagely one night 
in the hay-loft where he was bedding    
with her1 that he left her lying there  
for dead4 ,and he rushed crying through 
the streets that the vampires had       
strangled the girl4 ,these be subjects a
 man must needs ponder if he would gain 
some notion of true physics and natural 
philosophy4  ,thus spoke the ,subtle    
,doctor4 ,and the holy man ,giovanni    
sitting up on his bedding of dung1      
answered3  ,nay6 ,doctor1 is this       
language meet to address to a man that  
is to be hanged in a very short while8  
,hearing you1 ,i am filled with doubt   
whether your words are the words of a   
good man and a great ,theologian1 or if 
they do not rather come from an evil    
dream sent by the ,angel of ,darkness4  
,but the ,subtle ,doctor made answer3   
,who talks of being hanged8 ,i tell you1
 ,giovanni1 ,i am come hither1 at the   
earliest peep of day1 to set you free   

and help you to fly4 ,see6 ,i have      
donned a gaoler's habit2 the prison door
 stands open4 ,quick6 up and away6  ,at 
this the holy man rose to his feet1 and 
answered3  ,doctor1 take heed what you  
are saying4 ,i have made the sacrifice  
of my life1 and ,i admit it has cost me 
dear to make it4 ,if trusting to your   
word that ,i am restored to life1 ,i am 
then led to the place of execution1 ,i  
must needs make a second sacrifice more 
grievous than the first1 and suffer two 
deaths instead of out4 ,and ,i confess  
to you my desire of martyrdom is        
vanished away1 and a longing come upon  
me to breathe the air of day under the  
branches of the mountain pines4  ,the   
,subtle ,doctor made reply3  ,it happens
 that was just my intent to lead you    
away under the pines rustling in the    
wind with the soft sighing of a flute4  
,we will break our fast sitting on the  
mossy slope overlooking the city4 ,come 
with me6 ,why do you tarry8  ,and the   
holy man said3  ,before going hence with

 you1 ,i would fain know clearly who you
 are4 ,i am fallen from my first        
constancy2 my courage is no better now  
than a straw blown about on the wasted  
threshing-floor of my virtue4 ,but ,i am
 left my faith in the ,son of ,god1 and 
to save my body1 ,i would ill like to   
lose my soul4  ,verily1 cried the       
,subtle ,doctor1 think you verily ,i    
have any desire of your soul6 ,is it    
then so fair a maid and sweet a lady you
 are afraid ,i may rob you of it8 ,nay6 
keep it1 friend2 ,i could make nothing  
of it4  ,the holy man was scarce assured
 by what he heard1 for the other's words
 breathed no pious odour4 ,but1 as he   
was exceeding eager to be free1 he asked
 no more questions1 but followed the    
,doctor and passed the wicket of the    
prison by his side4  ,only when he was  
without1 he inquired3  ,who are you1 you
 who send dreams to men and set         
prisoners free8 ,you have the beauty of 
a woman and the strength of a man1 and  
,i admire you1 though ,i cannot love    

you4  ,and the ,subtle ,doctor answered3
  ,you will love me so soon as ,i have  
made you suffer4 ,men cannot love but   
those who make them suffer2 and there is
 no love except in pain4  ,and so       
conversing1 they left the city and began
 climbing the mountain paths4 ,and after
 faring far1 they saw at the entering in
 of a wood a red-tiled house1 before    
which was a wide terrace overlooking the
 plain1 planted with fruit trees and    
bordered with vines4  ,so they sat down 
in the courtyard at the foot of a vine  
trunk2 its leaves were gilded by the    
,autumn and from the boughs hung        
clusters of grapes4 ,and a girl brought 
them milk and honey and cakes of maize4 
,presently the ,subtle ,doctor1         
stretching out his arm1 plucked a       
scarlet-cheeked apple1 bit into it and  
gave it to the holy man4 ,and ,giovanni 
ate and drank2 and his beard was all    
white with milk and his eyes laughed as 
he gazed up at the sky1 which filled    
them with blue light and joy4 ,and the  

girl smiled4  ,then the ,subtle ,doctor 
said3  ,look at yonder child2 she is far
 comelier than ,monna ,libetta4  ,and   
the holy man1 intoxicated with milk and 
honey1 and made merry with the light of 
day1 sang songs his mother was used to  
sing when she carried him as a babe in  
her arms4 ,they were songs of shepherds 
and shepherdesses1 and they spoke of    
love4 ,and as the girl stood listening  
on the threshold of the door1 the holy  
man left his seat and ran staggering    
towards her1 took her in his arms and   
showered on her cheeks kisses full of   
milk1 laughter and joy4  ,and the       
,subtle ,doctor having paid the         
reckoning1 the two travellers hied them 
toward the plain4  ,as they were walking
 between the silvery willows that border
 the water1 the holy man said3  ,let us 
sit2 for now ,i am weary4  ,so they sat 
down beneath a willow1 and watched the  
water-flags curling their sword-like    
leaves on the river banks and the       
bright-coloured flies flashing over the 

surface4 ,but ,giovanni's laughter was  
ceased1 and his face was sad4  ,and the 
,subtle ,doctor asked him3  ,why are you
 so pensive8  ,and ,giovanni answered   
him3  ,i have felt through you the sweet
 caress of living things1 and ,i am     
troubled at heart4 ,i have tasted the   
milk and the honey4 ,i have looked on   
the servant-maid standing at the        
threshold and seen that she was comely4 
,and disquietude is in my soul and in my
 flesh4  ,what a long road ,i have      
travelled since ,i have known you4 ,do  
you remember the grove of holm-oaks     
where ,i saw you the first time8 ,for be
 sure1 ,i recognize you4  ,you it was   
visited me in my hermit's cell and stood
 before me with woman's eyes sparkling  
through a transparent veil1 while your  
alluring mouth instructed me in the     
entanglements of ,right and ,wrong4     
,again it was you appeared in the       
meadows clad in a golden cope1 like an  
,ambrose or an ,augustine4 ,then ,i knew
 not the curse of thought2 but you set  

me thinking4 ,you put pride like a coal 
of fire on my lips2 and ,i learned to   
speculate4 ,but as yet1 in the untrained
 freshness of my wit and raw            
youthfulness of mind1 ,i felt no doubt4 
,but again you came to me1 and gave me  
uncertainty to feed on and doubt to     
drink like wine4 ,so comes it1 that this
 day ,i taste through you the entrancing
 illusion of things1 and that the soul  
of woods and streams1 of sky and earth1 
and living shapes1 penetrates my breast4
  ,and lo6 ,i am a miserable man1       
because ,i have followed after you1     
,prince of men6  ,and ,giovanni gazed at
 his companion1 who stood there         
beautiful as day and night4 ,and he said
 to him3  ,through you it is ,i suffer1 
and ,i love you4 ,i love you because you
 are my misery and my pride1 my joy and 
my sorrow1 the splendour and the cruelty
 of things created1 because you are     
desire and speculation1 and because you 
have made me like unto yourself4 ,for   
verily your promise in the ,garden1 in  

the dawn of this world's days1 was not  
vain1 and ,i have tasted the fruit of   
the knowledge of good and evil1 ,o      
,satan4  ,presently ,giovanni resumed   
again4  ,i know1 ,i see1 ,i feel1 ,i    
will1 ,i suffer4 ,and ,i love you for   
all the ill you have done me4 ,i love   
you1 because you have undone me4  ,and1 
leaning on the ,archangel's shoulder1   
the man wept bitterly4     ,,the        
,,mystic ,,blood  ,,to ,f,,lix ,,jeantet
     ,,the ,,mystic ,,blood    ,la      
,bocca sua non diceva se non ,jes e     
,caterina1 e cosi dicendo   ricevatti el
 capo nelle mani mie1 fermando l'occhio 
nella ,divina   ,bont1 e dicendo3 lo    
voglio4444    7,le lettere di ,s4       
,caterina da ,siena4--xcvii1 ,gigli e   
,burlamacchi47#a  ,footnote #a3 ,his    
mouth spake no word but only ,jesus and 
,caterina1 and with these words ,i      
received his head in my two hands1 as he
 closed his eyes in the ,divine         
,goodness1 and said3 ,i will4444        
7,letters of ,st4 ,catherine of         

,sienna--xcvii1 ed4 ,gigli e            
,burlamacchi47   ,the good town of      
,sienna was like a sick man that seeks  
vainly for a restful place in his bed1  
and thinks1 by turning about and about1 
to cheat his pain4 ,again and again had 
she changed the government of the       
,republic1 which passed from the        
,consuls to the ,assemblies of the      
,burghers1 and1 originally entrusted to 
the ,nobles1 was subsequently exercised 
by the money-changers1 drapers1         
apothecaries1 furriers1 silk-mercers and
 all such citizens as were concerned    
with the superior arts and crafts4 ,but 
these worthies having shown themselves  
weak and self-seeking1 the ,people      
expelled them in their turn and         
entrusted the sovereign power to the    
petty artisans4 ,in the year #acfh of   
the glorious ,incarnation of the ,son of
 ,god1 the ,signory was composed of     
fourteen ,magistrates chosen from among 
the hosiers1 butchers1 locksmiths1      
shoemakers1 and stonemasons1 who        

together formed a ,great ,council known 
as the ,mount of the ,reformers4 ,they  
were a plebeian band1 rough and hard as 
the bronze ,she-,wolf1 emblem of their  
city1 which they loved with an affection
 at once filial and formidable4 ,but the
 ,people1 which had set them up over the
 ,commonwealth1 had suffered another    
body to continue in existence1 though   
subordinate to them1 the ,twelve to wit1
 who came from the class of ,bankers and
 wealthy ,merchants4 ,these men were in 
conspiracy with the ,nobles1 at the     
,emperor's instigation1 to sell the     
,city to the ,pope of ,rome4  ,the      
,german ,kaiser was the life and soul of
 the plot1 promising the aid of his     
landsknechts to guarantee success4 ,he  
was in the utmost haste to have the     
affair ended1 hoping with the price of  
the bargain1 he might be able to redeem 
the ,crown of ,charlemagne1 pledged for 
sixteen hundred florins with the        
,florentine ,bankers4  ,meantime1 they  
of the ,reformers' ,mount1 who formed   

the ,signory1 held firm the rod of      
government and watched heedfully over   
the safety of the ,republic4 ,these     
artisans1 officers of a free ,people1   
had refused the ,emperor1 when he came  
within their walls1 bread1 water1 salt  
and fire2 they had driven him forth the 
city groaning and trembling1 and they   
now condemned the conspirators to death4
 ,guardians of the town founded by      
,remus long ago1 they copied the        
sternness of the first ,consuls of      
,rome4 ,but their city1 which went clad 
in silk and cloth-of-gold1 was ever     
ready to slip betwixt their fingers1    
like a lascivious1 false-hearted wanton2
 and fear and anxiety made them         
implacable4  ,in the year #acgj they    
discovered that a nobleman of ,perugia1 
,ser ,niccola ,tuldo1 had been sent by  
the ,pope to stir up the ,siennese1 in  
connivance with the ,kaiser1 to deliver 
up the city to the ,holy ,father4 ,the  
young ,lord in question was in the prime
 of manly beauty1 and had learned in the

 company of fair ladies those arts of   
flattery and seductive compliment he now
 proceeded to practise in the ,palace of
 the ,salimbeni and the shops of the    
money-changers4 ,and1 for all his light 
heart and empty head1 he gained over to 
the ,pope's side many burghers and some 
artisans4 ,informed of his intrigues1   
the ,magistrates of the ,mount of the   
,reformers had him brought before their 
august ,council1 and after questioning  
him underneath the gonfalon of the      
,republic1 which shows a ,lion rampant  
for device1 they declared him guilty of 
attempted outrage against the liberties 
of the ,city4  ,he had answered with    
mere smiling scorn to the questions of  
these cobbler fellows and butchers4 ,but
 when he heard his sentence of death    
pronounced1 he fell into ecstasy of deep
 astonishment1 and was led away to      
prison as if in a trance4 ,no sooner was
 he locked up in his cell than1 awaking 
from his stupor1 he began to regret the 
life he was to lose with all the ardour 

of his young blood and impetuous        
character2 visions of all its pleasures1
 arms1 women1 horses1 crowded before his
 eyes1 and at the thought he would never
 enjoy the delights more1 he was carried
 away by so furious a despair he beat   
with fists and forehead on the walls of 
his dungeon1 and gave vent to such wild 
howls as were audible over all the      
neighbourhood1 even in the burghers'    
houses and the drapers' booths4 ,the    
gaoler coming in to know the cause of   
the uproar1 found him covered with blood
 and foaming at the mouth4  ,ser        
,niccola ,tuldo never left off howling  
with rage for three days and three      
nights4  ,the thing was reported to the 
,mount of the ,reformers4 ,the members  
of the most august ,signory1 after      
despatching their more pressing         
business1 examined into the case of the 
unhappy man in the condemned cell4      
,leone ,rancati1 brickmaker by trade1   
said3  ,the man must pay with his head  
for his crime against the ,commonwealth 

of ,sienna2 and none can relieve him of 
this debt1 without encroaching on the   
sacred rights of the ,city our mother4  
,he must needs die2 but his soul is his 
,maker's1 and it is not meet that       
through our fault he die in this sinful 
state of madness and despair4 ,therefore
 should we use all the means within our 
competence to assure his eternal        
salvation4  ,matteino ,renzano1 the     
baker1 a man famed for his wisdom1 rose 
in his turn and said3  ,well spoken1    
,leone ,rancati6 ,the case demands we   
send to the condemned man ,catherine1   
the fuller's daughter4  ,the advice was 
approved by all the ,signory1 who       
resolved to invite ,catherine to visit  
,niccola ,tuldo in his prison4  ,in     
those days ,catherine1 daughter of      
,giacomo the fuller1 filled all the city
 of ,sienna with the perfume of her     
virtues4 ,she dwelt in a little cell in 
her father's house and wore the habit of
 the ,sisters of ,penitence4 ,she       
carried girt about her under her gown of

 white linen an iron chain1 and scourged
 herself an hour long every day4 ,then1 
showing her arms covered with wounds1   
she would cry1 ,behold my pretty red    
roses6 ,she cultivated in her chamber   
lilies and violets1 wherewith she wove  
garlands for the altars of the ,virgin  
and the ,saints4 ,and all the while she 
would be singing hymns in the vulgar    
tongue to the praise of ,jesus and ,mary
 ,his ,mother4 ,in those mournful times1
 when the city of ,sienna was a hostel  
of sorrow1 and a house of joy to boot1  
,catherine was ever visiting the unhappy
 prisoners1 and telling the prostitutes3
 ,my sisters1 how fain would ,i hide you
 in the loving wounds of the ,saviour6  
,a maiden so pure1 fired with so sweet  
charity1 could nowhere have budded and  
blossomed but at ,sienna1 which under   
all its defilements and amid all its    
crimes1 was still the ,city of the      
,blessed ,virgin4  ,apprised by the     
,magistrates1 ,catherine betook herself 
to the public gaol on the morning of the

 day ,ser ,niccola ,tuldo was to die4   
,she found him stretched on the stone   
floor of the dungeon1 bellowing         
blasphemies4 ,raising the white veil the
 blessed ,st4 ,dominic himself had come 
down from ,paradise to lay upon her     
brow1 she showed the prisoner a         
countenance of heavenly beauty4 ,as he  
gazed at her in wonder1 she leant over  
him to wipe away the spume that defiled 
his mouth4  ,ser ,niccola ,tuldo1       
turning on her eyes that still retained 
their savage ferocity1 cried out3       
,begone6 ,i hate you1 because you are of
 ,sienna1 the city that slays me4 ,oh6  
,sienna1 she-wolf indeed1 that with her 
vile claws tears out the throat of a    
noble gentleman of ,perugia6 ,horrid    
she-wolf6 unclean and inhuman           
hell-hound6  ,but ,catherine made       
answer3  ,nay6 brother1 what is a city1 
what are all the cities of the earth1   
beside the ,city of ,god and the holy   
,angels8 ,i am ,catherine1 and ,i am    
come to call you to the everlasting     

nuptials4  ,the sweet voice and beaming 
face shed a sudden peace and radiance   
over the savage soul of ,niccola ,tuldo4
 ,he remembered the days of his         
innocence1 and cried like a child4  ,the
 sun1 rising above the ,apennines1 was  
just whitening the prison walls with its
 earliest rays4 ,catherine said3  ,look1
 the dawn6 ,up1 up1 my brother1 for the 
eternal nuptials6 ,up1 ,i say6  ,and    
raising him from the ground1 she drew   
him into the ,chapel1 where ,fra        
,cattaneo confessed him4  ,ser ,niccola 
,tuldo then listened devoutly to the    
holy ,mass and received the body of ,our
 ,lord4 ,this done1 he turned to        
,catherine and said3  ,stay with me2 do 
not leave me1 and ,i shall be well1 and 
shall die content4  ,the bells began to 
toll the signal for the execution4      
,then ,catherine answered3  ,gentle     
brother1 ,i will wait you at the place  
of ,justice4  ,at this1 ,ser ,niccola   
smiled and said1 as if ravished with    
bliss3  ,joy6 joy6 the ,delight of my   

soul will wait me at the holy place of  
,justice6  ,catherine pondered and      
prayed1 finally saying3  ,gracious      
,lord1 ,thou hast indeed wrought in him 
a great enlightenment1 seeing he calls  
holy the place of ,justice4  ,ser       
,niccola went on3  ,yes6 ,i shall hie me
 thither1 strong in heart and rejoicing4
 ,i weary1 as though ,i had a thousand  
years to wait1 to be there1 where ,i    
shall find you once more4  ,farewell    
till the nuptials1 the everlasting      
nuptials6 ,catherine cried again1 as she
 left the prison4  ,the condemned man   
was served with a little bread and wine1
 and supplied with a black cloak2 then  
he was led forth along the precipitous  
streets1 to the sound of trumpets1      
between the city guards1 beneath the    
banner of the ,republic4 ,the ways      
swarmed with curious onlookers1 and     
women lifted their little ones in their 
arms1 showing them the man doomed to    
die4  ,meantime ,niccola ,tuldo was     
dreaming of ,catherine1 and his lips1   

that had so long been bitter1 opened    
softly as though to kiss the likeness of
 the blessed maid4  ,after climbing for 
some while the rude brick-paved road1   
the procession reached one of the       
heights dominating the city1 and the    
condemned man saw suddenly1 with his    
eyes that were soon to see no more1 the 
roofs1 domes1 cloisters1 and towers of  
,sienna1 and further away the walls that
 followed the slope of the hills4 ,the  
sight reminded him of his native town1  
the gay city of ,perugia1 surrounded    
with its gardens1 where springs of      
living water sing amid the fruits and   
flowers4 ,he saw once more in fancy the 
terrace that looks over the vale of     
,trasimene1 whence the eye drinks in the
 light of day with delight4  ,and the   
yearning for life tore his heart afresh1
 and he sighed3  ,oh6 city of my        
fathers6 ,oh6 house of my birth6  ,but  
presently the thought of ,catherine     
re-entered his soul1 filling it to the  
brim with gladness and sweet peace4     

,finally they arrive in the ,market     
,square1 where each ,saturday the       
peasant girls of ,camiano and ,granayola
 display their citrons1 grapes1 figs1   
and pomegranates1 and hail the          
housewives with merry appeals to buy1   
not unmixed with high-spiced jests4 ,it 
was there the scaffold was erected2 and 
there ,ser ,niccola beheld ,catherine   
kneeling in prayer1 her head resting on 
the block4  ,he climbed the steps with  
eager joy4 ,at his coming1 ,catherine   
rose and turned toward him with all the 
look of a bride once more united to her 
spouse2 she insisted on baring his neck 
with her own hands and placing her dear 
one on the block as on a marriage bed4  
,then she knelt down beside him4 ,thrice
 he repeated in fervent tones1 ,jesus1  
,catherine6--after which the executioner
 struck with his sword1 and the maiden  
caught the severed head within her      
hands4 ,hereupon all the victim's blood 
seemed to be suffused in her1 and to    
fill her veins with a flood as soft as  

warm milk2 a fragrant odour set her     
nostrils quivering1 while before her    
swooning eyes floated the shadows of    
angels4 ,filled with wonder and joy     
unspeakable1 she fell softly into the   
depths of celestial ecstasy4  ,two women
 of the third ,order of ,st4 ,dominic1  
who stood at the foot of the scaffold1  
seeing her stretched there motionless1  
hastened to raise her up and support her
 in their arms4 ,the holy maid1 coming  
to herself1 told them3 ,i have seen the 
heavens opened6  ,one of the women made 
as though to wash away with a sponge the
 blood that covered ,st4 ,catherine's   
robe1 but she stopped her1 crying out   
eagerly3  ,no1 no6 leave the blood1     
leave it2 never rob me of my purple and 
my perfumes6     ,a ,,sound ,,security  
,,to ,,henri ,,lavedan     ,a ,,sound   
,,security    4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,par cest 
ymage   ,te doing en pleige             
,jhesu-,crist   ,qui tout fist1 ainsi   
est escript3   ,il te pleige tout ton   
avoir2   ,ne peuz nulz si bon pleige    

avoir4             7,miracles de        
,notre-,dame par personnages1           
publ4 par4 ,g4 ,paris et ,u4 ,robert47#a
  ,footnote #a3 444 ,by this image ,i   
take ,jesus ,christ in pledge for you1  
,him who wrought all men's salvation1 as
 is writ in ,scripture3 ,he is pledge   
against all your fortune2 so good a     
pledge can no man have4 7,miracles of   
,our ,lady1 as they ,fell out to        
,sundry--,g4 ,paris and ,u4 ,robert47   
,of all the merchants of ,venice1 ,fabio
 ,mutinelli was the most exact in       
keeping his engagements4 ,in all cases  
he showed himself free-handed and       
sumptuous in his dealings1--above all   
where ladies and churchmen were         
concerned4 ,the elegance and honesty of 
his character were renowned throughout  
the ,state1 and all admired at ,san     
,zanipolo an altar of gold he had       
offered to ,st4 ,catherine for the love 
of the fair ,catherine ,manini1 wife of 
the ,senator ,alesso ,cornaro4 ,being   
very wealthy1 he had numerous friends1  

whom he entertained at feasts and helped
 at need from his purse4 ,however1 he   
incurred heavy losses in the war against
 the ,genoese and in the ,naples        
troubles4 ,it fell out1 moreover1 that  
thirty of his ships were taken by the   
,uscoque pirates or foundered at sea4   
,the ,pope1 to whom he had lent great   
sums of money1 refused to repay a doit4 
,the result of all was1 the magnificent 
,fabio ,mutinelli was stripped bare in  
brief space of all his riches4 ,after   
selling his ,palace and plate to pay    
what he owed1 he found himself left     
without anything4 ,but clever1 bold1    
well practised in affairs and in the    
vigour of his powers1 his only thought  
was to make head once more against      
fortune4 ,he made careful calculation   
and judged that five hundred ducats were
 needful for him to take the sea again  
and attempt fresh enterprises for which 
he augured happy and sure success4 ,he  
asked the ,signor ,alesso ,bontura1 who 
was the richest citizen of the          

,republic1 to oblige him by lending him 
the five hundred ducats4 ,but the good  
,bontura1 holding that if daring wins   
great gains1 'tis prudence only keeps   
the same1 refused to expose so great a  
sum to the risks of sea and shipwreck4  
,fabio next applied to the ,signor      
,andrea ,morosini1 whom he had benefited
 in former days in a thousand ways4  ,my
 dear ,fabio1 answered ,andrea1 to any  
one else but you ,i would willingly lend
 this sum4 ,i have no affection for     
gold1 and on this point act according to
 the maxims of ,horace the ,satirist4   
,but your friendship is dear to me1     
,fabio ,mutinelli1 and ,i should be     
running the risk of losing it1 if ,i    
lent you money4 ,for more often than    
not1 the commerce of the heart comes to 
a bad end betwixt debtor and creditor4  
,i have known but too many instances4   
,so saying1 the ,signor ,andrea kissed  
the ,merchant with all seeming          
tenderness1 and shut the door in his    
face4  ,next day1 ,fabio went to see the

 ,lombard and ,florentine bankers4 ,but 
not one of them would agree to lend him 
so much as twenty ducats without        
security4 ,all day long he hurried from 
one counting-house to another1 but was  
everywhere met by much the same answer3 
,signor ,fabio1 we all know you well for
 the most upright merchant of this city1
 and it is with regret we must refuse   
you what you ask4 ,but the morality of  
trade requires it4  ,that evening1 as he
 was making sadly for home1 the         
courtesan ,zanetta1 who was bathing in  
the canal1 hung on to his gondola and   
gazed amorously into his eyes4 ,in the  
days of his prosperity he had had her   
one night into his ,palace and had      
treated her very kindly1 for he was of a
 gay and gracious humour4  ,sweet       
,signor ,fabio1 she said to him1 ,i am  
aware of your misfortunes2 they are the 
talk of all the town4 ,hear me2 ,i am   
not rich1 but ,i have some jewels at the
 bottom of a little coffer4 ,an you will
 accept them of a poor girl that would  

serve you1 ,i shall know ,god and the   
,virgin love me4  ,and it was a true    
word1 that in the prime of her youth and
 fine flower of her beauty1 the fair    
,zanetta was poor4 ,fabio answered her3 
,kind ,zanetta1 there is more nobility  
in the hovel where you dwell than in all
 the ,palaces of ,venice4  ,for three   
days longer ,fabio visited the banks and
 fondacos without discovering any one   
willing to lend him money4 ,everywhere  
he received an unfavourable answer1 and 
listened to speeches that always came to
 this3  ,you did very wrong to sell your
 plate to pay your debts4 ,money is lent
 to a man in debt1 but not to one       
without furniture and plate4  ,the fifth
 day he made his way1 in despair1 as far
 as the ,corte delle ,galli1 which men  
also call the ,ghetto1 and which is the 
quarter the ,jews inhabit4  ,who knows1 
he kept saying to himself1 if ,i may not
 get from one of the ,circumcised what  
the ,christians have denied me8  ,he    
proceeded therefore between the ,calle  

,san ,geremia and the ,calle ,san       
,girolamo along a narrow evil-smelling  
canal1 the entrance of which was barred 
with chains every night1 by order of the
 ,senate4 ,while hesitating to know     
which ,usurer he should first apply to1 
he remembered to have heard speak of an 
,israelite named ,eliezer1 son of       
,eliezer ,maimonides1 who was said to be
 exceedingly rich and of a wondrous     
subtle spirit4 ,accordingly1 inquiring  
out the house of the ,jew ,eliezer1 he  
stopped his gondola before the door4    
,above the entrance was seen a          
representation of the seven-branched    
candlestick1 which the ,jew had had     
carved as a sign of hope1 in expectation
 of the promised days when the ,temple  
should rise again from its ashes4  ,the 
,merchant now entered a hall lighted by 
a copper lamp with twelve wicks that    
were burning smokily4 ,eliezer the ,jew 
was there1 seated before his scales4    
,the windows of the house were walled   
up1 because he was an ,unbeliever4      

,fabio ,mutinelli approached and thus   
accosted him3  ,eliezer1 over and over  
again have ,i called you dog and        
renegade heathen4 ,there have been      
times1 when ,i was younger and in the   
flush of early manhood1 ,i have cast    
stones and mud at folks going along the 
,canal who wore the round patch of      
yellow sewn on their shoulder1 so that  
,i may likely have struck one of your   
friends or perhaps yourself4 ,i tell you
 this1 not to affront you1 but out of   
fairness1 at the same instant ,i come to
 ask you to do me a very great service4 
,the ,jew lifted his arm1 which was as  
dry and gnarled as an ancient           
vine-stock3  ,fabio ,mutinelli1 the     
,father which is in ,heaven shall judge 
us1 one and the other4 ,what is the     
service you are come to ask of me8      
,lend me five hundred ducats for a year4
  ,men do not lend without security4    
,doubtless you have learned this from   
your own people4 ,what is the security  
you offer8  ,you must know1 ,eliezer1 ,i

 have not a denier left1 not one gold   
cup1 not one silver goblet4 ,neither    
have ,i a friend left4 ,one and all1    
they have refused to do me the service  
,i ask of you4 ,i have nothing in all   
the world but my honour as a merchant   
and my faith as a ,christian4 ,i offer  
you for security the holy ,virgin ,mary 
and her ,divine ,son4  ,at this reply1  
the ,jew1 bending down his head as a man
 does to ponder and consider1 stroked   
his long white beard for a while4       
,presently he looked up and said3       
,fabio ,mutinelli1 take me to see this  
security you offer4 ,for it is meet the 
lender be put in presence of the pledge 
proposed for his acceptance4  ,you are  
within your rights1 returned the        
,merchant1 rise therefore and come4  ,so
 saying1 he led ,eliezer to the ,chiesa 
dell' ,orto1 near the spot called the   
,field of the ,moors4 ,arrived there and
 pointing to the figure of the ,madonna1
 which stood above the ,high ,altar1 the
 brow wreathed with a circlet of        

precious stones and the shoulders       
covered with a gold-broidered mantle1   
holding in her arms the ,child ,jesus   
sumptuously adorned like his mother1 the
 ,merchant said to the ,jew3  ,yonder is
 my security4  ,eliezer looked with a   
keen eye and a calculating air first at 
the ,christian ,merchant1 then at the   
,madonna and ,child2 then presently     
bowed his head in assent and said he    
would accept the pledge offered4 ,he    
returned with ,fabio to his own house1  
and there handed him the five hundred   
ducats1 well and truly weighed3  ,the   
money is yours for a year4 ,if at the   
end of that time1 to the day1 you have  
not paid me back the sum with interest  
at the rate fixed by the law of ,venice 
and the custom of the ,lombards1 you can
 picture yourself1 ,fabio ,mutinelli1   
what ,i shall think of the ,christian   
,merchant and his security4  ,fabio1    
without a moment's loss of time1 bought 
ships and loaded up with salt and other 
sorts of merchandise1 which he disposed 

of in the cities of the ,adriatic shore 
to great advantage4 ,then1 with a fresh 
cargo aboard1 he set sail for           
,constantinople1 where he bought        
carpets1 perfumes1 peacock feathers1    
ivory and ebony4 ,these goods his agents
 exchanged along the coasts of ,dalmatia
 for building timber1 which the         
,venetians had contracted for from him  
in advance4 ,by these means1 in six     
months' time1 he had multiplied tenfold 
the amount the ,jew had lent him4  ,but 
one day that he was taking his diversion
 with some ,greek women1 aboard his     
vessel1 which lay in the ,bosphorus1    
having put out too far to sea1 he was   
captured by pirates and carried prisoner
 to ,egypt1 though1 by rare good        
fortune1 his gold and merchandise were  
in a safe place all the while4 ,the     
pirates sold him to a ,saracen lord1 who
 putting him in fetters1 sent him afield
 to till the wheat1 which grows very    
finely in that country4 ,fabio offered  
his master to pay a heavy ransom1 but   

the ,paynim's daughter1 who loved him   
and was fain to bring him to the end she
 desired1 over-persuaded her father not 
to let him go at any price4 ,reduced to 
the necessity of trusting to himself    
alone for release1 he filed his irons   
with the tools given him for tilling the
 ground1 made good his escape to the    
,nile and threw himself into a boat4    
,casting loose1 he got to the sea1 which
 was not far off1 and when on the point 
of death from thirst and hunger1 was    
rescued by a ,spanish vessel bound for  
,genoa4 ,but1 after keeping her course a
 week1 the ship was caught in a storm   
which drove her on the coast of         
,dalmatia4 ,in making the shore1 she was
 wrecked on a reef4 ,all the crew were  
drowned except ,fabio1 who reached the  
beach after much difficulty1 clinging to
 a hen-coop4 ,there he lay senseless1   
but was presently succoured by a        
handsome widow1 named ,loreta1 whose    
house was upon the seashore4 ,she had   
him carried to it1 put him to bed in her

 own chamber1 watched over him and      
lavished every care for his recovery4   
,on coming to himself1 he smelt the     
perfume of myrtles and roses1 and       
looking out of window saw a garden that 
descended in successive declivities to  
the sea4 ,signora ,loreta1 standing at  
his bed's head1 took up her viol and    
began playing a tender air4  ,fabio1    
ravished with gratitude and pleasure1   
fell to kissing the lady's hands a      
thousand times over4 ,he thanked her    
earnestly1 assuring her he was less     
touched by the saving of his life than  
by the fact of his owing his recovery to
 the pains of so fair a benefactress4   
,presently he rose and went to walk with
 her in the garden1 and sitting down to 
rest in a thicket of myrtles1 he drew   
the young widow on his knee and         
manifested his gratitude by a thousand  
caresses4  ,he found her not insensible 
to his efforts and spent some hours by  
her side drowned in amorous delight4    
,but soon he grew pensive1 and suddenly 

asked his hostess what month they were  
in1 and what day of the month precisely 
it then was4  ,and when she told him1 he
 fell to groaning and lamenting sore1   
finding it lacked but twenty-four short 
hours of a full year since he had       
received the five hundred ducats of     
,eliezer the ,jew4 ,the thought of      
breaking his promise and exposing his   
pledge to the reproaches of the         
,circumcised was intolerable to him4    
,signora ,loreta inquiring the reason of
 his despair1 he told her the whole     
story2 and being a very pious woman and 
an ardent votress of the ,holy ,mother  
of ,god1 she shared his chagrin to the  
full4 ,the difficulty was not to procure
 the five hundred ducats2 a ,banker in a
 neighbouring town had had such a sum in
 his hands for the last six months at   
,fabio's disposition4 ,but to travel    
from the coast of ,dalmatia to ,venice  
in four-and-twenty hours1 with a broken 
sea and contrary winds1 was a thing     
beyond all hope4  ,let us have the money

 ready to begin with1 said ,fabio4  ,and
 when one of his hostess's serving-men  
had brought the sum1 the noble ,merchant
 ordered a vessel to be brought close in
 to the shore4 ,in her he laid the bags 
containing the ducats1 then went to the 
,signora ,loreta's ,oratory in search of
 an image of the ,virgin with the       
,infant ,jesus--an image of cedar-wood  
and greatly revered4 ,this he set in the
 little bark1 near the rudder1 and      
addressed in these words3  ,madonna1 you
 are my pledge4 ,now the ,jew ,eliezer  
must needs be paid to-morrow2 'tis a    
question of mine honour and of yours1   
,madonna1 and of your ,son's good name4 
,what a mortal sinner1 such as ,i1      
cannot do1 you will assuredly           
accomplish1 unsullied ,star of the ,sea1
 you whose bosom suckled ,him who walked
 upon the waters4 ,bear this silver to  
,eliezer the ,jew1 in the ,ghetto at    
,venice1 to the end the ,circumcised may
 never say you are a bad surety4  ,and  
pushing the bark afloat1 he doffed his  

hat and cried softly3  ,farewell1       
,madonna6 farewell6  ,the vessel sailed 
out to sea1 and long the merchant and   
the widow followed it with their eyes4  
,when night began to close in1 a furrow 
of light was seen marking her wake over 
the waters1 which were fallen to a dead 
calm4  ,at ,venice next morning         
,eliezer1 on opening his door1 saw a    
bark in the narrow canal of the ,ghetto 
laden with full sacks and manned by a   
little figure of black wood1 flashing in
 the clear morning sunbeams4 ,the vessel
 stopped before the house where the     
seven-branched candlestick was carved2  
and the ,jew recognized the ,virgin     
,mary with the infant ,jesus1 pledge of 
the ,christian ,merchant4     ,,history 
,,of ,,do,a ,,maria ,d',,avalos ,,and   
,,don ,,fabricio1 ,,duke ,d',,andria    
,,to ,,henry ,,gauthier-,,villars       
,,history ,,of ,,do,a ,,maria           
,d',,avalos ,,and ,,don ,,fabricio1     
,,duke ,d',,andria    ,done ,marie      
d',avalos1 l'une des belles princesses  

du pas1 marie avec   le prince de       
,venouse1 laquelle s'estant enamourache 
du comte   d',andriane1 l'un des beaux  
princes du pas aussy1 et s'estans tous  
deux concertez  la jouissance et le mari
 l'ayant descouverte 444 les   fit tous 
deux massacrer par gens appostez2 si que
 le lendemain on   trouva ces deux      
belles moictiez et cratures exposes et  
tendues sur   le pav devant la porte de 
la maison1 toutes mortes et froides1  la
   veue de tous les passants1 qui les   
larmoyoient et plaignoient de leur      
misrable estat4#a    7,pierre de        
,bourdeilles1 abb et ,seigneur de       
,brantme4 ,recueil des   dames1 seconde 
partie47  ,footnote #a3 ,doa ,maria     
d',avalos1 one of the fair ,princesses  
of the land1 and married to the ,prince 
of ,venosa1 was enamoured of the ,count 
d',andriane1 likewise one of the noble  
,princes of the country4 ,so being both 
of them come together to enjoy their    
passion1 and the husband having         
discovered it 444 had the twain of them 

slain by men appointed thereto4 ,in such
 wise that next morning the fair and    
noble pair1 unhappy beings1 were seen   
lying stretched out and exposed to      
public view on the pavement in front of 
the house door1 all dead and cold1 in   
sight of all passers-by1 who could not  
but weep and lament over their piteous  
lot4   ,it was a day of high rejoicing  
at ,naples1 when the ,prince of ,venosa1
 a rich and puissant ,lord1 was wed to  
,doa ,maria1 of the illustrious house of
 ,avalos4  ,drawn by horses bedizened   
with scales1 feathers or furs1 in such  
wise as to figure forth dragons1        
griffins1 lions1 lynxes1 panthers and   
unicorns1 were twelve cars which did    
bear through all the city an host of    
naked men and women1 gilded all over1   
for to represent the ,gods of ,olympus1 
come down to ,earth to do honour to the 
,venosian nuptials4 ,on one of these    
cars was to be seen a young lad with    
wings treading underfoot three old hags 
of an hideous ugliness4 ,a tablet was   

fixed up above the car to display the   
meaning thereof1 to wit3 ,,love         
,,vanquisheth ,,the ,,fatal ,,sisters4  
,whereby 'twas to be understood that the
 new-wedded pair would enjoy many a long
 year of happiness by each other's side4
  ,but this presage of ,love1 more      
strong than the ,fates1 was false       
withal4 ,two years after her marriage1  
one day she was gone abroad a-fowling1  
,doa ,maria d',avalos saw the ,duke     
d',andria1 which was a gallant1 handsome
 and well-knit man1 and did straight    
love the same4 ,an honest girl and a    
well-born1 heedful of her noble name and
 still in that callow youth when women  
have not gotten boldness yet to match   
their naughty desires1 she sent no      
go-between to the nobleman for to make  
assignation in ,church or at her own    
abode4 ,she never told her love1 but did
 bide the time when her good star should
 bring beside her him which had grown in
 the twinkling of an eye more dear to   
her than the day4 ,she had not to tarry 

long4 ,for the ,duke d',andria had noted
 her beauty1 and went straightway to pay
 his court to the ,prince of ,venosa4   
,encountering ,doa ,maria in the ,palace
 with no other by1 he did beseech her in
 right gentle1 and withal gallant and   
masterful wise1 that very favour she was
 herself well disposed and well resolved
 to grant him4 ,she did lead him to her 
chamber instantly1 and did there refuse 
him naught of all he was fain to have of
 her4  ,but when he did proffer her his 
thanks for that she had graciously      
yielded to his desires1 she made answer3
  ,my ,lord1 the desire was mine own    
more than it was yours4 ,i1 it was1 was 
fain we should lie in the arms one of   
the other1 as we be now laid1 in this   
bed1 to the which ,i will aye make you  
dearly welcome1 as oft as it shall      
please you to come thither4  ,every time
 she was able so to do1 from that day   
forth ,doa ,maria d',avalos would       
receive in her chamber the ,duke        
d',andria and this was many a time and  

oft1 for the ,prince of ,venosa went    
much to the chase and would sometimes   
spend whole weeks together diverting him
 with his friends in one of his pleasure
 houses he had in the country parts4    
,the whole while that ,doa ,maria was   
abed with her lover1 her nurse ,lucia   
would stand a-watching at the chamber   
door1 telling of her beads and trembling
 sore lest the ,prince perchance should 
return home against all expectation4    
',twas indeed a nobleman mightily feared
 by reason of his jealous and grim      
humour4 ,his enemies did reproach him   
for his cunning and cruelty1 naming him 
mongrel cur of fox and she-wolf1        
stinking hound1 if ever stinking hound  
was4 ,but his friends would commend him1
 for that he kept ever in sure memory   
whatsoever of right or wrong folk did   
him1 and would in no wise suffer        
patiently any injury wrought him or his4
  ,during the space of three full months
 which were now gone by the lovers had  
great joy of each other and content of  

their desires without or let or         
hindrance1 when one morning the ,nurse  
came to seek ,doa ,maria in her chamber1
 and spake thus to her3  ,listen1 my    
pearl of pearls2 albeit my words this   
day will be neither of flowers nor      
sugar-plums1 but of a right serious and 
fearsome matter4 ,my ,lord the ,prince  
of ,venosa hath heard some ill report   
concerning you and the ,duke d',andria4 
,but now ,i saw him in the ,palace      
court1 as he was a-mounting his horse4  
,he was gnawing his moustache--a fell   
sign with him4 ,he was in talk with two 
fellows1 which had little of the air    
about them of leading honest lives2 all 
,i heard him tell them was1 ',see ye1   
without being seen6' ,of such sort the  
orders the noble ,prince was charging   
them withal4 ,and the worst is1 he did  
stop dead whenas he set eyes on me4 ,my 
own little pearl of price1 so true as   
,god is in the ,holy ,sacrament1 an if  
the ,prince find you with the ,lord     
,duke d',andria1 he will kill both the  

twain of you4 ,you will be a dead woman2
 and ah6 me1 what will become of me8    
,the ,nurse spake on in this wise and   
besought her mistress long and sore2 but
 ,doa ,maria d',avalos did send her away
 without deigning so much as one word of
 answer4  ,as it was ,springtide she    
went forth that same day a-walking in   
the country with some ladies of the     
city4 ,they were following a path       
bordered with thorn-trees all a-bloom1  
when one of the ladies said thus to her3
  ,dogs will sometimes come and stick at
 travellers' heels1 ,doa ,maria4 ,well6 
look1 to-day we be dogged by a great    
black and white hound6  ,and the        
,princess1 turning her head to see1 did 
recognize a certain ,dominican monk     
which was used to come each day to the  
courtyard of the ,palazzo ,venosa for to
 rest in the shade there1 and in        
winter-time to warm him in the great    
kitchen4  ,meanwhile the ,nurse1 seeing 
her lady mistress paid no heed to her   
words1 ran to warn the ,duke d',andria4 

,moreover the said ,duke had reasons of 
his own to fear the sweet secret of his 
loves had been unhappily discovered4    
,the very evening afore1 finding himself
 followed by a pair of ruffians armed   
with arquebuses1 he had killed one of   
the twain with a sword-thrust1 whiles   
the other had taken to his heels4 ,the  
,duke felt no doubt now but these two   
rascals had been set at him by the      
,prince of ,venosa4  ,lucia1 he said to 
the ,nurse1 ,i must needs shudder at    
this danger1 seeing it doth threaten my 
,lady ,maria d',avalos no less than     
myself4 ,tell her ,i will not return    
again to her chamber1 cost me what      
regrets it will1 before that the        
,prince's suspicions be lulled asleep4  
,these words the ,nurse did report the  
same evening to ,doa ,maria1 which did  
hearken to them with impatience1 biting 
her lip till the blood came4  ,learning 
that the ,prince was at the moment      
abroad1 she bade her ,nurse go straight 
to fetch the ,duke d',andria1 and bring 

him into her chamber2 and so soon as he 
was come spake thus to him3  ,my        
gracious ,lord1 a day spent apart from  
you is to me the cruellest of torments4 
,i shall not fear to die2 but ,i have   
not the fortitude to endure your        
absence4 ,you should not have loved me1 
if you had not the hardihood to brave   
all for love of me4 ,you should not have
 loved me if there were aught else in   
all the world you set above my love1    
even mine own honour and mine own life4 
,choose2 either you shall see me every  
day as aforetime1 or you shall never see
 me more4  ,he made answer3  ,well and  
good then1 ,lady1 and so be it2 for1    
indeed1 there is no room for ill or evil
 henceforth betwixt us twain6 ,verily ,i
 do love you as you would have me love  
you1 even more than your own life4  ,and
 that day1 which was a ,thursday1 they  
did tarry a long time1 close pressed one
 against the other4 ,naught of moment   
fell out ere the ,monday of the next    
week1 on the which day the ,prince did  

apprise his wife how that he was setting
 forth with a numerous train for ,rome1 
whither he was called by the ,pope1     
which was his kinsman4 ,and in very deed
 a score of horses were then standing   
ready saddled and bridled in the ,great 
,court4 ,then did the ,prince kiss his  
wife's hand1 as he was used to do on    
taking leave of her for any lengthy     
absence4 ,last of all1 when he was now  
a-horseback1 he did turn his face to her
 and say3  ,god have you in ,his        
keeping1 ,doa ,maria6 and so rode forth 
with his company behind him4  ,soon as  
ever she thought her husband's troop to 
be gotten forth of the walls1 the       
,princess bade her ,nurse summon the    
,duke d',andria to her4 ,the old woman  
besought her to defer a meeting that    
might easily be cause of such sore      
calamity4  ,my dove1 she cried1 falling 
on her knees1 her hands uplifted in     
supplication1 receive not the ,duke     
to-day6 ,all night long ,i heard the    
,prince's men grinding swords4 ,yet     

another thing1 my flower of flowers1 the
 good brother that cometh day by day to 
our kitchen to seek his dole of bread1  
hath but now overset a salt-cellar of   
salt with the sleeve of his gown4 ,give 
your lover a little repose1 little one4 
,your pleasure will be all the greater  
to have him again presently1 and he will
 love you all the better for the        
respite4  ,but ,doa ,maria d',avalos    
said3  ,nurse1 an if he be not here in  
one quarter of an hour1 ,i will send you
 back home to your brethren in the      
mountains4  ,and when the ,duke         
d',andria was by her side she did       
welcome him with an exceeding great joy4
  ,my ,lord1 cried she1 this will be a  
good day for us1 and the night better   
still4 ,i shall keep you till the dawn4 
,and straightway did they exchange      
betwixt them an host of kisses and fond 
caresses4 ,presently1 after doffing     
their clothes1 they gat them to bed1 and
 held each the other close embraced so  
long that evening found them yet pressed

 in each other's arms4 ,then1 for that  
they were sore hungered1 ,doa ,maria    
drew forth of her marriage chest a      
pasty1 dried conserves1 and a flask of  
wine1 the which she had been heedful to 
lay by therein4  ,after the twain had   
eaten and drunk their fill1 playing the 
while all sorts of pretty plays1 the    
moon rose and did look in so friendly at
 the window that they were fain to wish 
her welcome4 ,so they went forth upon   
the balcony1 and there1 breathing the   
freshness and softness of the night1 did
 watch the fireflies dancing in the dark
 bushes4 ,all were still save only the  
shrilling of the insects in the grass4  
,then there came a sound of footsteps   
along the street1 and ,doa ,maria did   
recognize the poor monk which was wont  
to haunt the kitchen and the ,palace    
courtyards1 the same she had encountered
 one day in the flowery path where she  
was a-walking with two ladies--her      
companions4 ,she shut to the window     
softly1 and to bed again with her lover4

 ',twas deep in the night1 and they were
 lying so1 kissing and murmuring the    
softest nothings ever were inspired by  
,love1 whether at ,naples or any other  
spot in all the wide world1 when of a   
sudden they caught a noise of steps     
mounting the stairway and the rattle of 
arms2 at the same time they beheld a red
 glow shining through the chinks of the 
door4 ,and they heard the ,nurse's voice
 shrieking1 ,jesu ,maria6 ,i am a dead  
woman4 ,the ,duke d',andria sprang up1  
leapt upon his sword1 and cried3  ,up1  
,doa ,maria6 ,we must leap forth by the 
window4  ,but1 rushing to the balcony   
and leaning out1 he saw how the street  
was guarded and all bristling with      
pikes4  ,thereupon he came back to ,doa 
,maria1 which said3  ',tis the end of   
all6 ,but know this1 ,i do not regret   
aught of what ,i have done1 my dear1    
dear ,lord6  ,and he made answer3  ,well
 and good then1 and so be it6 and did   
haste to don his trunks4  ,cracking and 
crunching under the mighty blows struck 

by them outside1 the door was meantime  
a-trembling1 and the panels began to    
gape4  ,he spake again and said3  ,fain 
would ,i know who hath betrayed and sold
 us thus4  ,at the instant he was       
seeking his shoon1 the one half of the  
door gave way1 and a troop of men1      
bearing arms and torches1 threw         
themselves into the chamber4 ,the       
,prince of ,venosa was in their midst1  
shouting3 ,have at the traitor6 ,kill6  
,kill6  ,lustily did three swordsmen    
attack the ,duke1 but he set him in     
front of the bed1 where was ,doa ,maria1
 and made valiant stand against the     
caitiffs4  ,six men were there in all1  
led on by the ,prince1 being of his     
bosom friends every one or his own      
varlets4 ,albeit blinded by the dazzle  
of the torches1 the ,duke d',andria did 
contrive to parry several thrusts1 and  
gave back some shrewd blows himself4    
,but catching his foot in the platters  
lying on the floor1 with the remains of 
the pasty and conserves1 he fell over   

backward4 ,finding himself on his back1 
a sword's point at his throat1 he did   
seize the blade in his left hand2 the   
man1 snatching it back1 cut off three of
 his fingers1 and the sword was bent4   
,then1 as the ,duke d',andria was       
heaving forward his shoulders to rise1  
one of the fellows struck him a blow    
over the head which did break in the    
bones of his skull4 ,at this all six did
 hurl them upon him1 and slew him1      
lunging with such savage haste they did 
wound each other4  ,whenas the thing was
 done1 the ,prince of ,venosa bade them 
stand quietly aside2 and marching upon  
,doa ,maria1 which till now had tarried 
still beside the bed1 he drave her      
before his sword's point into the corner
 of the chamber where was the marriage  
chest4 ,and there1 holding her at bay1  
he did hiss in her face one word3       
,puttana6 7,harlot67  ,shamed by reason 
of her nakedness1 she went to drag to   
her some of the bedclothes1 which were  
hanging over the bedside4 ,but he stayed

 her with a thrust of his sword1 which  
did graze her white side4  ,then1       
leaning against the wall1 hands and arms
 held up to veil her eyes1 she stood    
waiting4  ,the other never left off     
crying3  ,puttaccia6 ,puttaccia6        
7,whore6 ,whore67  ,then1 forasmuch as  
he did yet tarry1 and slew her not1 she 
was afraid4 ,he saw that she was afraid1
 and said gleefully3  ,you are afraid6  
,but pointing her finger at the dead    
body of the ,duke d',andria1 she made   
answer3  ,fool6 what think you ,i can   
have to fear now8  ,and1 to make a      
seeming of being no more terrified1 she 
sought to recall a song-tune she had    
sung many a time as a girl1 and began   
humming the same1 or rather hissing it1 
betwixt her teeth4  ,the ,prince1       
furious to see how she defied him1 did  
now prick her with his point in the     
belly1 crying out3  ,ah6                
,sporca-puttaccia6 7,fie6 ,filthy       
trull67 ,exultant1 she stayed her       
singing1 and said3  ,sir1 'tis two years

 sithence ,i have been to confession4   
,at this word the ,prince of ,venosa    
bethought him how that1 an if she died  
and were damned1 she might return by    
night and drag him down to ,hell along  
with her4 ,he asked her3  ,will you not 
have a ,confessor8  ,she did ponder an  
instant1 then shaking her head3  ',tis  
useless4 ,i cannot save my soul4 ,i     
repent me not4 ,i cannot1 and ,i will   
not1 repent4 ,i love him6 ,i love him6  
,let me die in his arms4  ,with a quick 
movement1 she did thrust the sword      
aside1 threw her on the bleeding corse  
of the ,duke d',andria1 and lay clipping
 her dead lover in her arms4  ,seeing   
her so1 the ,prince of ,venosa did lose 
what patience he had kept till then1 to 
the end he might not kill her ere he had
 made her suffer4 ,he drave his blade   
through her body4 ,she cried1 ,jesu6    
rolled over1 sprang to her feet1 and    
after a little shudder that shook her   
every limb1 fell to the floor dead4  ,he
 struck her several blows more in the   

belly and bosom2 then said to his       
varlets3  ,go throw these two pieces of 
carrion at the foot of the ,great       
,staircase1 and open wide the ,palace   
doors1 that men may note my vengeance at
 the same time as the insult done mine  
honour4  ,he bade strip the lover's     
corse bare like the other4  ,the men did
 as they were bidden4 ,and all the day  
the bodies of the ,duke d',andria and   
,doa ,maria lay naked at the bottom of  
the steps4 ,the passers-by drew near to 
see them4 ,and the news of the bloody   
deed being spread about the city1 a     
great press of curious onlookers came   
crowding before the ,palace4 ,some said1
 ,lo6 a good deed well done6 ,others1   
and these the more part1 at sight of so 
lamentable a spectacle1 were filled with
 ruth4 ,yet durst they not openly       
commiserate the ,prince's victims1 for  
fear of evil handling by his armed      
dependents1 which were set to guard the 
bodies4 ,young men gazed at the         
,princess's corse1 for to discover the  

traces of that beauty which had been her
 undoing1 while the little children     
would be expounding one to the other the
 meaning of that they saw4  ,doa ,maria 
lay stretched on her back4 ,the lips    
were drawn back1 displaying the teeth in
 a ghastly smile4 ,her eyes stood wide  
open1 the whites only showing4 ,six     
wounds were upon her1 three in the      
belly1 which was greatly swollen1 two in
 the bosom1 one in the neck4 ,the last  
had bled profusely1 and the dogs kept   
fawning up to lick it4  ,towards        
nightfall1 the ,prince bade set torches 
of resin1 like as on days of festival1  
in the bronze rings fixed in the ,palace
 walls1 and eke kindle great fires in   
the ,courtyard1 to the end all men might
 see the criminals plain4 ,at midnight1 
a pious widow brought coverings and     
spread the same over the dead bodies4   
,but1 by the ,prince's commandment1     
these were incontinent torn away again4 
,the ,ambassador of ,spain informed of  
the unseemly treatment meted to a lady  

of the ,spanish house of ,avalos1 came  
in person urgently to entreat the       
,prince of ,venosa to stay these        
outrages1 which did insult the noble    
memory of the ,duke de ,pescara1 uncle  
to ,doa ,maria1 and offend in their tomb
 so many great ,captains of whose blood 
the said lady was descended4 ,but he    
withdrew after profiting naught by his  
intercession2 and writ a letter         
thereanent to his ,catholic ,majesty4   
,the poor bodies were left shamefully   
exposed as before4 ,toward the latter   
end of the night1 the curious having    
ceased to come any more1 the guards were
 withdrawn4  ,then a ,dominican monk1   
which had all the day lurked about the  
great doors1 did slip within the        
vestibule by the smoky light of the     
dying torches1 crept to the steps where 
,doa ,maria lay1 and threw himself on   
her corse4     ,,bonaparte ,,at ,,san   
,,miniato  ,,to ,,armand ,,genest       
,,bonaparte ,,at ,,san ,,miniato        
,quand1 simple citoyen1 soldat d'un     

peuple libre1   ,aux bords de l'ridan1  
de l',adige et du ,tibre1   ,foudroyant 
tour  tour quelques tyrans pervers1     
,des nations en pleurs1 sa main brisait 
les fers4444    7,marie-,joseph ,chnier1
 ,la ,promenade47#a    ,napolon1 aprs   
son expdition de ,livourne1 se rendant  
,florence1 cocha  ,san ,miniato chez un 
vieil abb ,buonaparte4444    7,mmorial  
de ,saint-,hlne1 par le comte de ,las   
,cases1 rimpression   de #ahbc1 #ahbd1  
t4 ,i'er1 p4 #adi47b    ,je fus sur le  
soir  ,san ,miniato4 ,j'y avais un vieux
   chanoine de parent4444    7,mmoires  
du docteur ,f4 ,antommarchi1 sur les    
derniers moments de   ,napolon #ahbe1 t4
 ,i'er p4 #aee47c  ,footnote #a3 ,when1 
a plain citizen1 soldier of a free      
people1 by the banks of the ,eridanus1  
the ,adige and the ,tiber1 blasting with
 his lightnings one after another       
recalcitrant tyrants1 his hand brake the
 fetters of the nations that wept4444   
,footnote #b3 ,napoleon1 visiting       
,florence after his ,leghorn expedition1

 lay one night at ,san ,miniato at the  
house of an old ,abb ,buonaparte4444    
7,memorial of ,st4 ,helena1 by the      
,count de ,las ,cases--reprint of #ahbc1
 #ahbd1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #adi47  ,footnote  
#c3 ,i stayed for the night at ,san     
,miniato4 ,i had a relative living      
there1 an old ,canon4444 7,memoirs of   
,dr4 ,f4 ,antommarchi on the ,last      
,moments of ,napoleon1 #ahbe1 vol4 ,i1  
p4 #aee47   ,after occupying ,leghorn   
and closing that port against the       
,english men-of-war1 ,general ,bonaparte
 proceeded to ,florence to visit the    
,grand ,duke of ,tuscany1 ,ferdinand1   
who alone of all the princes of ,europe 
had honestly and honourably fulfilled   
his engagements with the ,french        
,republic4 ,in token of esteem and      
confidence1 he went there without       
escort1 accompanied only by the officers
 of his ,staff4 ,amongst other sights he
 was shown the arms of the ,buonapartes 
carved over the gateway of an old house4
 ,he was already aware that a branch of 

his family had been fruitful and        
multiplied at ,florence in days of yore1
 and that a last descendant of this the 
ancient race was still alive4 ,this was 
a certain ,canon of ,san ,miniato1 now  
eighty years of age4 ,in spite of all   
the pressing affairs he had to attend   
to1 he made a point of paying him a     
visit4 ,napoleon ,bonaparte was always  
strongly moved by feelings of natural   
affection4  ,on the eve of his departure
 from ,florence1 he made his way with   
some of his officers to the hill of ,san
 ,miniato1 which crowned with its walls 
and towers1 rises from the plain at half
 a league's distance from the city4     
,old ,canon ,buonaparte welcomed with   
agreeable and dignified politeness his  
young kinsman and the ,french officers  
who accompanied him--,berthier1 ,junot1 
,orderly ,officer in ,chief ,chauvet and
 ,lieutenant ,thzard4 ,he regaled them  
with a supper  l'italienne1 which lacked
 neither the cranes of ,peretola nor the
 little sucking-pig scented with        

aromatic herbs1 nor the best vintages of
 ,tuscany1 ,naples and ,sicily4         
,uncompromising ,republicans as ,brutus 
himself1 they drank to ,france and      
,freedom4 ,their host acknowledged the  
toast2 then turning to the ,general whom
 he had seated on his right hand2       
,nephew6 said he1 are you not curious to
 examine the genealogical tree painted  
on the wall yonder8 ,you will be        
gratified to see from it that we are    
descended from the ,lombard             
,cadolingians1 who from the tenth to the
 twelfth centuries covered themselves   
with glory by their fidelity to the     
,german ,emperors1 and from whom sprung1
 prior to the year #aajj1 the           
,buonapartes of ,treviso and the        
,buonapartes of ,florence1 the latter   
stock proving by far the more           
illustrious4  ,at this the officers     
began to whisper together and laugh4    
,orderly ,officer ,chauvet asked        
,berthier behind his hand if the        
,republican ,general felt flattered to  

possess amongst his ancestors a lot of  
slaves serving the ,two-headed ,eagle1  
while ,lieutenant ,thzard was ready to  
take his oath the ,general owed his     
birth to good sans-culottes and nobody  
else4 ,meanwhile the ,canon went on with
 a long string of boasts concerning the 
nobility of his house and lineage4      
,know this1 nephew1 he finished by      
saying1 our ,florentine ancestors well  
deserved their name4 ,they were ever of 
the bon parti1 and steadfast defenders  
of ,mother ,church4  ,at these words1   
which the old fellow had uttered in a   
high1 clear voice1 the ,general1 who so 
far had been scarcely listening1        
gathered his wandering wits together1   
and raising his pale1 thin face1 with   
its classically moulded features1 threw 
a piercing look at his interlocutor1    
which closed his lips instantly4  ,nay6 
uncle1 he cried1 let us have done with  
these follies6 the rats of your garret  
are very welcome to these moth-eaten    
parchments for me4  ,then he added in a 

voice of brass3  ,the only nobility ,i  
vaunt is in my deeds4 ,it dates from the
 #acth ,vendmiaire of ,year ,,iv1 the   
day ,i swept the ,royalist ,sections    
with cannon-shot from the steps of ,st4 
,roch4 ,come1 let us drink to the       
,republic6 ',tis the arrow of ,evander1 
which falls not to earth again1 and is  
transformed into a star6  ,the officers 
answered the appeal with a shout of     
enthusiasm4 ,it was a moment when       
,berthier himself felt a ,republican's  
and a ,patriot's fire4  ,junot          
exclaimed3 ,napoleon had no need for    
ancestors2 'twas enough for him his     
soldiers had acclaimed him ,corporal at 
the ,bridge of ,lodi4  ,the wines had   
the dry smack of gunflint and the       
bouquet of powder1 and the company      
imbibed freely4 ,lieutenant ,thzard was 
soon in a condition that rendered him   
incapable of concealing his sentiments4 
,proud of the wounds and the kisses of  
women he had enjoyed in lavish abundance
 in this campaign1 at once so heroic and

 so gallant and gay1 he informed the    
,canon without more ado1 that following 
in the steps of ,bonaparte1 the ,french 
were going to march round the world1    
upsetting ,thrones and ,altars in every 
land1 giving the girls bastards and     
ripping up the bellies of all fanatics4 
,the old ,priest only went on smiling1  
and replied he was willing enough to    
sacrifice to their noble rage1 not      
indeed the pretty girls1 whom he        
besought them rather to treat cannily1  
but the ,fanatics1 the chiefest foes1 he
 said1 of ,holy ,church4  ,junot        
promised him to deal leniently with the 
,nuns2 he could heartily commend some of
 them1 having found them to possess     
tender hearts and the whitest of skins4 
,orderly ,officer ,chauvet maintained we
 should take account of the influence   
exercised by the cloistered life on the 
complexion of young women2 you see1 he  
was a student of natural philosophy4    
,between ,genoa and ,milan1 he went on1 
we tasted largely of this sort of       

forbidden fruit4 ,one may profess to be 
without prejudices2 still1 a pretty     
bosom does look prettier half hid by the
 ,veil4 ,i set no value on religious    
vows1 yet ,i am free to confess ,i      
attach a very special value to a fine   
leg if it belongs to a ,nun4 ,strange   
contradictions of the human heart6      
,fie6 fie6 put in ,berthier2 what       
pleasure can you find in upsetting the  
wits and troubling the senses of these  
unhappy victims of fanaticism8 ,what6   
are there no women of condition in      
,italy1 to whom you could offer your    
vows at ftes1 under the ,venetian cloak 
that favours little intrigues so        
admirably8 ,is it nothing that ,pietra  
,grua ,mariani1 ,madame ,lambert1       
,signora ,monti1 ,signora ,gherardi of  
,brescia1 are fair and gallant dames8   
,as he ran over the names of these      
,italian toasts1 he was thinking of the 
,princess ,visconti4 ,this great lady1  
finding herself unable to enthral       
,bonaparte1 had given herself to his    

,chief of the ,staff1 whom she loved    
with a fire of wantonness and a refined 
sensuality which left their mark on the 
weak-kneed ,berthier for the rest of his
 days4  ,for my own part1 interrupted   
,lieutenant ,thzard1 ,i shall never     
forget a little water-melon seller on   
the steps of the ,duomo1 who4444  ,the  
,general rose from his chair with a     
gesture of impatience4 ,a bare three    
hours was left them for sleep1 as they  
were to start at dawn4  ,never trouble1 
kinsman1 about our sleeping             
accommodation1 he said1 addressing the  
,canon4 ,we are soldiers2 a bundle of   
hay is good enough for us4  ,but their  
excellent host had had beds prepared4   
,his house was bare and unornamented1   
but of vast proportions4 ,he conducted  
the ,french officers1 one after the     
other1 to the rooms assigned them1 and  
wished them a good night4  ,left alone  
in his chamber1 ,bonaparte threw off his
 coat and sword1 and proceeded to scrawl
 a pencil note to ,josephine--twenty    

illegible lines1 in which his violent1  
yet calculating1 spirit spoke loudly4   
,then1 folding the letter1 he abruptly  
drove the woman's image from his mind1  
as you push-to a drawer4 ,he unrolled a 
plan of ,mantua1 and selected the point 
on which he should concentrate his fire4
  ,he was still absorbed in his         
calculations when he heard a knock at   
the door4 ,he thought it was ,berthier2 
but it proved to be the ,canon1 who came
 to ask him for a few minutes'          
conversation4 ,under his arm he carried 
two or three parchment-covered          
portfolios4 ,the ,general looked at     
these documents with something of a     
quizzical air4 ,he felt certain they    
contained the genealogy of the          
,buonapartes1 and anticipated their     
leading to a never-ending talk4         
,however1 he suffered no trace of his   
impatience to appear4  ,he was never    
morose or angry but when he deliberately
 made up his mind to be so4 ,now he had 
no sort of wish to offend his worthy    

kinsman2 on the contrary1 he was anxious
 to make himself agreeable to him4      
,moreover1 he was not really sorry to   
learn the nobility of his race1 now his 
,jacobin officers were no longer there  
to laugh or take umbrage at the matter4 
,he begged the ,canon to take a seat1   
who did so1 and1 laying his registers on
 the table1 said3  ,i made a beginning  
during supper1 nephew1 of telling you   
about the ,buonapartes of ,florence2 but
 ,i gathered by the look you gave me1 it
 was not then the place or time to      
enlarge on such a subject4 ,i broke off 
therefore1 reserving the essential part 
of what ,i have to say for the present  
moment4 ,i beg of you1 kinsman1 to hear 
me with great attention4  ,the ,tuscan  
branch of our family produced some      
excellent representatives1 among whom   
should be named ,jacopo di ,buonaparte1 
who witnessed the sack of ,rome in #aebg
 and wrote an account of that event1    
also ,niccol1 author of a ,comedy       
entitled ,la ,vedova that was declared  

the work of another ,terence4 ,however1 
it is not of these two famous ancestors 
,i now wish to speak1 but rather of a   
third1 who eclipses them as much in     
glory as the sun outshines the stars4   
,know then that your family counts      
amongst its members a man of saintly    
life1 deemed worthy of ,beatification   
and the title of blessed1 ,fra          
,bonaventura1 disciple of the reformed  
,order of ,st4 ,francis1 who died in    
#aeic in the odour of ,sanctity4  ,the  
old man bent his head reverently as he  
pronounced the name4 ,then he resumed   
with a fire scarcely to have been       
expected from one of his years and easy 
character3  ,fra ,bonaventura6 ,ah1     
kinsman6 'tis to him1 to this good      
,father1 you owe the success of your    
arms4 ,he was beside you1 doubt it not1 
when you annihilated1 as you told us at 
supper1 the enemies of your party on the
 steps of ,st4 ,roch4 ,this ,capuchin   
,friar has been your helper 'mid the    
smoke of battles4 ,but for him1 be      

assured1 you would not have been        
victorious1 whether at ,montenotte or   
,millesimo or ,lodi4 ,the marks of his  
patronage are too striking and          
self-evident to be ignored1 and in your 
success ,i plainly discern a miracle of 
the good ,fra ,bonaventura4 ,but what is
 most important you should know1 is     
this2 the holy man had a purpose of his 
own in view when1 giving you the        
advantage even over ,beaulieu himself1  
he led you from victory to victory to   
this antique roof under which you rest  
to-night with an old man's blessing to  
keep you4 ,i am here for the very       
purpose of revealing his intentions to  
you4 ,fra ,bonaventura wished you should
 be informed of his merits1 that you    
should hear of his fasts and austerities
 and the whole year's silence he once   
condemned himself to endure4 ,he would  
have you touch his hair-shirt and       
scourge1 and his knees stiffened so at  
the altar-steps that he walked bent     
double like the letter ,z4 ,for this it 

was he has brought you into ,italy1     
where he was for contriving you an      
opportunity of returning him benefit for
 benefit4 ,for you must know1 good      
kinsman1 if the ,friar has helped you   
greatly1 in your turn1 you can be of the
 greatest use to him4  ,with these      
words1 the ,canon laid his hands on the 
heavy portfolios that loaded the table1 
and drew a deep breath4  ,bonaparte said
 nothing1 but waited quietly for the    
,canon to go on with his remarks1 which 
diverted him greatly4 ,never was any one
 easier to amuse than ,napoleon4  ,after
 recovering breath1 the old man resumed3
  ,why1 yes6 kinsman1 you can be of the 
greatest use to ,fra ,bonaventura1 who  
in his present situation needs your     
help4 ,he was beatified many years ago1 
but is still waiting his admission to   
the ,calendar of ,saints4 ,he is        
thinking long1 is the good ,father      
,bonaventura4 ,yet what can ,i1 a poor  
,canon of ,san ,miniato1 do for him to  
secure him the honour he has earned8    

,his enrolment demands an outlay that   
goes far beyond my fortune and even the 
resources of the ,bishopric6 ,poor      
,canon6 ,poor ,diocese6 ,poor ,duchy of 
,tuscany6 ,poor ,italy6 they are all    
poor together4 ,it is you1 kinsman1 must
 ask the ,pope to recognize ,fra        
,bonaventura's claim4 ,he will certainly
 grant you so much4 ,his ,holiness will 
never refuse1 for your sake1 to add     
another ,saint to the ,calendar4 ,great 
honour will accrue to yourself and your 
family1 and the good ,friar will always 
be ready to afford you his patronage4   
,do you not realize the advantages of   
having a ,saint in the family8  ,and the
 ,canon1 pointing to the portfolios1    
urged the ,general to put them in his   
valise and take them with him4 ,their   
contents consisted of the memorial      
relating to the ,canonization of the    
,blessed ,friar ,bonaventura1 together  
with documents in corroboration of his  
claim4  ,promise me1 he added1 that you 
will see to this matter1 the most       

important that can concern you4         
,bonaparte restrained his strong        
inclination to laugh4  ,i am            
unfortunately situated1 he objected1 for
 undertaking a case for ,canonization4  
,you are aware that the ,french         
,republic is taking measures to exact   
compensation from the ,court of ,rome   
for the murder of her ,ambassador       
,bassville1 foully assassinated4  ,the  
,canon protested eagerly3  ,corpo di    
,bacco6 the ,court of ,rome will find   
excuses enough2 all due compensation    
will be accorded1 and our kinsman will  
be placed on the ,calendar1 never fear4 
,the negotiations are far from being    
concluded at present1 replied the       
,republican ,general4 ,the ,roman ,curia
 has yet to recognize the civil         
constitution of the ,french clergy and  
to break up and abolish the             
,inquisition1 which is an offence to    
humanity and an unjustifiable           
encroachment on the rights of ,nations4 
,the old man only smiled and said3  ,mio

 caro figliuolo ,napoleone1 the ,pope   
knows perfectly well folk must both give
 and take4 ,he will be reasonable1 and  
yield a point where necessary4 ,he is   
for all time1 long-suffering and a man  
of peace4  ,bonaparte pondered deeply   
awhile1 as though a series of quite new 
ideas were taking muster in his powerful
 brain4 ,then suddenly breaking silence1
  ,you do not realize1 he said1 the     
spirit of the age4 ,we are highly       
irreligious in ,france2 impiety is      
deeply rooted in our soil4 ,you do not  
know the progress achieved by the ideas 
of ,montesquieu1 ,raynal and ,rousseau4 
,public worship is abolished2 veneration
 is a thing of the past4 ,you must have 
seen this from the scandalous talk my   
officers indulged in just now at your   
own table4  ,the good ,canon shook his  
head3  ,ah1 yes6 those fine young men1  
they are wild fellows enough1 dissipated
 and reckless6 ,it is only a passing    
phase4 ,ten years more1 and they will be
 thinking less of the girls and more of 

going to ,mass4 ,the ,carnival is a     
matter of a few days1 and even this mad 
one of your ,french ,revolution will not
 last for long4 ,the ,church is eternal4
  ,napoleon declared bluntly he cared   
too little about ,religion himself to   
meddle in a purely ecclesiastical matter
 like this4  ,thereupon the ,canon      
looked him in the eyes and told him3    
,my son1 ,i understand men4 ,i can      
divine your nature2 you are no sceptic4 
,take up this case1 the ,blessed ,father
 ,bonaventura's case4 ,he will repay you
 the services you may render him4 ,for  
myself1 ,i am over old to witness the   
success of this noble enterprise4 ,i    
must die soon2 but knowing it to be in  
your hands1 ,i shall die happy4 ,above  
all1 never forget1 my kinsman1 that all 
power comes of ,god by the              
instrumentality of his priests4  ,he    
rose to his feet1 raised his arms to    
bless his young kinsman and withdrew4   
,left alone1 ,bonaparte turned over the 
leaves of the ponderous ,memorial by the

 smoky light of his candle1 as he       
pondered over the power of the ,church1 
and told himself the ,papacy was a more 
enduring institution than ever the      
,constitution of the ,year ,,iii was    
likely to be4  ,a knock was heard at the
 door4 ,it was ,berthier1 come to inform
 the ,general that all was ready for    
their departure4   ,,the ,,end