t
kneeling, broke forth in these words: "_Io ti disgrazio_--I dislike,
disown, and despise thee, and will return here no more. Five-and-twenty
years have I worshipped thee and never asked for anything before, and now
thou dost refuse me my request. If I had only gone to the great crucifix
there, I daresay I should have got all I wanted; but this is what comes
of trusting to a mere child, for, as the proverb says, _Chi s'impaccia
con fanciulli_, _con fanciulli si ritrova_--he who troubles himself with
children will himself be treated as a child.'"

* * * * *

It is worth remarking, as regards the tone and character of this tale,
that such freedom was commonest when people were most devout. The most
sceptical critics generally agree that these stories of Piovano Arlotto
are authentic, having been dictated by him, and that he had a very
exceptional character in his age for morality, honesty, and truth. He
himself declared, without being contradicted, that he was the only priest
of whom he knew who did not keep a mistress; and yet this story is simply
an average specimen of the two hundred connected with his name, and that
they in turn are identical in character with all the popular wit and
humour of the time.

Regarding the image of the Holy Blacksmith, Saint Eligius or Eloi, the
authors of "Walks in Florence" say that it is attributed to Nanni di
Banco, and is meagre and stiff, but has dignity, which accords admirably
with the character of most saints, or their ideals. It is evident that
the _bon roi_ Dagobert was considered as the type of all that was free
and easy--

"Le bon roi Dagobert
Mettait son culotte a l'envers."

Therefore he is contrasted with the very dignified Saint Eloy, who was
(like the breeches) quite the reverse, declining to lend the monarch two
sous, which Dagobert had ascertained were in the holy man's possession.
"The bas-relief below," continue the critics cited, "is more certainly by
the hand of Nanni. It records a miracle of Saint Eloy, who one day, when
shoeing a restive horse which was possessed by a demon, and was kicking
and plunging, cut off the animal's leg to fasten the shoe, and having
completed his task, made the sign of the cross and restored the severed
limb." I regret to say that this was written without careful reference
to the original. It was not the _leg_ of the horse which was severed,
nor a limb, but only the hoof at the paste