rbed by
any quarrel or stained by any interested motive. We often felt, all three
of us, as if we must raise our souls towards the eternal Providence of
God, to thank Him for having, by His particular protection, kept from us
all the accidents which might have disturbed the sweet peace we were
enjoying.

I left in the hands of Madame Manzoni all my papers, and all the
forbidden books I possessed. The good woman, who was twenty years older
than I, and who, believing in an immutable destiny, took pleasure in
turning the leaves of the great book of fate, told me that she was
certain of restoring to me all I left with her, before the end of the
following year, at the latest. Her prediction caused me both surprise and
pleasure, and feeling deep reverence for her, I thought myself bound to
assist the realization of her foresight. After all, if she predicted the
future, it was not through superstition, or in consequence of some vain
foreboding which reason must condemn, but through her knowledge of the
world, and of the nature of the person she was addressing. She used to
laugh because she never made a mistake.

I embarked from St: Mark's landing. M. Grimani had given me ten sequins,
which he thought would keep me during my stay in the lazzaretto of Ancona
for the necessary quarantine, after which it was not to be supposed that
I could want any money. I shared Grimani's certainty on the subject, and
with my natural thoughtlessness I cared nothing about it. Yet I must say
that, unknown to everybody, I had in my purse forty bright sequins, which
powerfully contributed to increase my cheerfulness, and I left Venice
full of joy and without one regret.

EPISODE 2 -- CLERIC IN NAPLES

CHAPTER VIII

My Misfortunes in Chiozza--Father Stephano--The Lazzaretto
at Ancona--The Greek Slave--My Pilgrimage to Our Lady of
Loretto--I Go to Rome on Foot, and From Rome to Naples to
Meet the Bishop--I Cannot Join Him--Good Luck Offers Me the
Means of Reaching Martorano, Which Place I Very Quickly
Leave to Return to Naples

[Illustration: 1c08.jpg]

The retinue of the ambassador, which was styled "grand," appeared to me
very small. It was composed of a Milanese steward, named Carcinelli, of a
priest who fulfilled the duties of secretary because he could not write,
of an old woman acting as housekeeper, of a man cook with his ugly wife,
and eight or ten servants.

We reached Chiozza about noon.