Part 23 (1/2)

”_Haec fabula docet_,” wrote Flaxius, ”a strange lesson. For as it was anciently forbidden to make images, because it was an imitation of G.o.d's work; and secondly, because men believed that spirits would enter into them-even so doth it become all novel-writers, romancers, and poets, to take good heed how they portray satyrs, free-love nymphs, and all such deviltry, because they may be sure that into these models or types there will enter many a youthful soul, who will be led away thereby to madness and ruin. Which is, I take it, the most practical explanation for commandment, which hath been as yet set _coram populo_.”

THE RED GOBLIN OF THE BARGELLO

”Lord Foulis in his castle sat, And beside him old Red-cap sly; 'Now tell me, thou sprite, who art mickle of might, The death which I shall die?'”

-SCOTT'S _Border Minstrelsy_.

The Bargello has been truly described as one of the most interesting historical monuments of Florence, and it is a very picturesque type of a towered mediaeval palace. It was partly burned down in 1322, and rebuilt in its present form by Neri di Fioravanti, after which it served as a prison. Restored, or modernised, it is now a museum. As I conjectured, there was some strange legend connected with it, and this was given to me as follows:

IL FOLLETTO ROSSO.

”The Red Goblin is a spirit who haunts the Bargello, or was there of old in the prisons, _nelle carceri_, and he always foretold to every prisoner what his sentence would be before it was p.r.o.nounced.

”He always appeared in the cell of the condemned, and first lighting a candle, showed himself all clad in red, and said to the prisoner:

”'Piangi, piangi, ma piangi forte, E prepararti che e giunta L'ora della tua morte.'

”'Weep, oh weep full many a tear; Make ready; thy hour for death is near.'

”Then if the prisoner replied boldly:

”'Anima chi siei!

Ti preg di volermi aiutare A liberarmi dalla morte!'

”'Spirit, whoe'er thou be, I beg thee now for aid; From death pray set me free!'

Then the goblin would burst into a laugh and say:

”'Non piangere, ridi, ridi!

Ma ride sempre, e spera Che io ti aiutera!'

”But if the prisoner had replied badly, or cursed, or said '_Vai al diavolo_!' or '_Che il diavolo ti porti_!'-then there were heard dreadful sounds, such as frightened all the prisoners and a.s.sistants, and the goblin vanished crying:

”'Woe, woe, and woe to thee!

For thou soon shalt punished be; Away be led, to lose your head, There is no hope for thee!'

”And after that the man might well despair. Yet the Red Goblin was a jolly sprite when not crossed, and made great sport for the prisoners, who all knew him. He went into every cell, and would tell wild tales, and relate to every one all that he, the prisoner, had done since he was a boy, and how he came to be locked up, and what would be the end of it, and told all this with such peals of laughter that the most unhappy were fain to laugh with him.

”Then the a.s.sistants and the director hearing such sounds, thought it was the prisoners rioting, but could not detect them. {161a} And the spirit relieved many innocent men from punishment, and especially visited those condemned to wear the iron collar or _gogna_, which was fastened to a post, but at the Bargello it was on the Campanile outside, in sight of all the people. {161b}

”Now there was a young man in the prison who was good at heart, and deeply repented that he had done wrong, and now feared that he indeed was in the power of Satan, and destined to be in prison for all this life and in _inferno_ all the next.

”And when he was thus sunk in misery one night, he heard him, and was in great alarm, but it said, 'Fear not, for I am the protecting spirit of the prisoners in the Bargello, and have come to free thee; put thy trust in me and I will save thee!'

”Then he told the youth how he was to act, and bade him say certain things when examined, and follow closely all the goblin would whisper to him; but whether it was his fault or his failure, he missed every point and went wrong in his replies, the end being that he was condemned to prison for life. Truly it went to his heart to think that while he lived he should always see the sun looking like a chess-board, {162} and bitterly reflected on the proverb:

”'Ne a torto ne a ragione, Non ti lasciar metter prigione.'