nds the story."

* * * * *

This story greatly resembles one given by Peter Goldschmidt in "The
Witches' and Sorcerers' Advocate Overthrown," published at Hamburg in
1705, and to the same as sung in Latin song by a certain Steuccius. The
Italian tale is, however, far better told in every respect, the only
point in common being that a certain witch laid eggs by means of a
potion, which produced the same effect on a man. It is the well-managed
play of curiosity, gratitude, and character which make Furicchia so
entertaining, and there is nothing in the heavy German tale like the
"Song of the Hen," or _Coccode_, which is a masterpiece of a juvenile
lyric. The clucking and pecking at crusts of the old woman, as she
gradually passes into a hen, is well imagined, and also the finale of the
chickens turned to mice, who all run away. One could make of it a play
for the nursery or the stage.

The Mercato Vecchio, in which the egg-wife dwelt, was a place of common
resort in the olden time, "when there was giving and taking of talk on
topics temporal:"

"Where the good news fleetly flew,
And the bad news ever true,
Softly whispered, loudly told,
Scalding hot or freezing cold." {14}

This place is recalled by a story which is indeed to be found in the
facetiae of the Florentine Poggio, yet which holds its own to this day in
popular tale-telling. It is as follows:

"It happened once when Florence was at war with the Duke of Milan,
that a law was passed making it death for any one to speak in any way
of peace. Now there was a certain Bernardo Manetti, a man _di
ingegno vivacissimo_, or an extremely ready wit, who being one day in
the Mercato Vecchio to buy something or other (it being the custom of
the Florentines of those times to go in person to purchase their
daily food), was much annoyed by one of those begging friars who go
about the roads, _alla questua_, collecting alms, and who stand at
street-corners imploring charity. And this brazen beggar, accosting
Bernardo, said to him:

"'_Pax vobiscum_! Peace be unto you!'

"'_A chi parlasti di pace_?--How darest thou speak to me of _peace_,
thou traitor and enemy to Florence?' cried Bernardo in well-assumed
anger. 'Dost thou not know that by public decree thou may'st lose
thy shaven head for mentioning the word? And thou darest ask me for
alms here in th