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was most zealous in serving the cause of his friend Manente, called upon one of the members of the Council, with whom he was familiarly acquainted, and apprized him of his suspicions that the Magnifico was at the bottom of all that had happened, adding, that it was quite impossible such events could have taken place in the midst of Florence without his connivance. The magistrate in question fully adopted this view of the matter, and having communicated it the following morning to the assembled Council, it was determined to send a letter on the subject to Lorenzo himself, (who was then at the baths of Poggio,) request ing his advice and assistance at their deliberations. The letter was sent accordingly; and the parties (against none of whom any specific charge was exhibited,) dismissed for the present, with a strict prohibition to all of them from approaching within a hundred yards of the street de' Fossi, and from holding any communication with Monna Brigida, under pain of the gallows, until the question should be determined.

The Magnifico, on receipt of the letter addressed to him by the Council of Eight, was thrown into fits of laughter, and swore that so exquisite a jest, so well contrived, and so successful in all its parts, had never been known since the foundations of the world were laid. In short, he was absolutely in ecstacies of delight and self-approba tion. About a week afterwards he returned to Florence, and was waited upon the same day both by Master Manen te and by his adversaries, but who neither of them obtained audience. The next day Manente renewed his visit, and found the Magnifico just sitting down to dinner, who, on seeing him, assumed an appearance of the utmost astonishment, saying, "In good sooth, Master Doctor, I did not expect that I should ever behold your face again, having been informed, as of a certain ty, that you were dead and buried. And even now, I am not well satisfied whether you are indeed what you appear to be, or somebody else resembling him—or, in fine, some supernatural illusion." The doctor, after again and again repeating that he was not dead, but in sober reality the true living Manente, and none but himself, would have knelt and kissed the hand of the Magnifico; but he motioned him off,

saying," Keep your distance-All I shall say at present is, that if you are the true and living Manente, as you give yourself out to be, you are very welcome; but if not, the contrary. The doctor would then have begun to tell his whole story; but the Magnifico cut him short, saying that the present was not the proper time for it, adding, however, that, at a certain hour of the evening he should return, and he would then give him audience in his private apartment, at which time he had summoned the opposite party to attend him also.

Master Manente having thanked him, returned to his friend Burchiello, who laughed in his sleeve at what he related to him. All the parties, that evening, were punctual in their attendance according to Lorenzo's appointment, and were forthwith summoned to appear in his private chamber, where they found him surrounded by some of the chief citizens of Florence, by all of whom the physician Manente was well known, and very much regarded. Before these, both parties were now again heard, and the proofs produced on the part of the goldsmiths examined, all which excited the greatest possible astonishment and perplexity; but the narrative of Master Manente, in particular, could not be heard without its causing incredible diversion and laughter; insomuch that Lorenzo was not satisfied till he had made the physician repeat it three times successively, every repetition only serving to increase their delight and merriment, which was not at all diminished by the indignation which he displayed at the story told by the two goldsmiths, whom he made no scruple of lauding with every term of reproach and obloquy.

By this time the Vicar made his appearance upon Lorenzo's summons, and, being received with all due reverence, took his seat by the invitation of the Magnifico, upon the bench beside him; to whom, when seated, the Magnifico thus addressed himself,

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enable me to pronounce judgment but to ascertain that Master Manente never died, and that this party whom we now have before us, is not a mere fantastic illusion, or walking dæmon; the which it is your part to make clear and manifest." "How, and in what manner is this to be accomplished?" cried the astonished ecclesiastic." That is what I will immediately make known to your reverence," answered Lorenzo, and therewith told him that he must have the assistance of some exorcising friars, and the use of certain relics, famous for their virtue in dispelling the works of enchantment.-"You have said well," answered the Vicar. "Give me only six or eight days to prepare, and if he then stands the test, you may securely set him down for a living man, and Master Manente in propriâ persona."-Manente would upon this have made some observations; but the Magnifico, rising from his tribunal, prevented him, and without further remark, led the way out of the apartment, followed by the gentlemen who were present with him, and who all joined with him in heartily laughing at the strange scene they had witnessed.

The next day, the Vicar, who was a good and decent Christian, and in the odour of sanctity, (dolcissimo religioso,) caused it to be proclaimed through the whole bishopric, that all priests and friars who possessed relics of virtue for casting out devils, should bring them to Florence within six days, to the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, upon pain of his high displeasure. All the country round, nothing was now talked of besides this strange occurrence, and it seemed to the two goldsmiths, no less than to Master Manente, an age while these matters were in preparation. Lorenzo, in the meanwhile, had summoned to Florence old Nepo da Galatrona, a reputed wizard of the highest celebrity; and having made him understand for what purpose he wanted him, kept him in his palace to be ready at the appointed hour. The number of relics already collected, from all the country round, at Santa Maria Maggiore, was quite surprising; and the day of trial being at length arrived, and Manente's appearance recorded, they waited only the coming of the Vicar, who, accompanied by thirty of the principal ecclesiastics, with many of the first no

bility of Florence, took his seat on a kind of throne, prepared for the occasion, before which Master Manente knelt with all due reverence. While in this position, all the forms of exorcism were gone through, and all prayers and canticles proper for casting out devils, read over and chanted to him, and also plenty of holy water sprinkled, and incense burned around him; and finally, every holy relic in succession passed through his hand by the attendant servitors, without producing the slightest change of countenance or other effect perceptible; after which, making again a low reverence to the Vicar, he demanded his discharge, together with a solemn act of recognition of his identity.

Just at this point of time, however, our old friend Monaco, who, by command of Lorenzo, had been to fetch Nepo the sorcerer, and was present in the church with him, observed that it was now time to commence his operations. Whereupon Nepo, rushing forward into the midst of the assembly, exclaimed in a harsh and discordant voice, "Draw back, draw back, worthy gentlefolks, and make way for me, that I may present myself before his reverence the Vicar, and discover the truth of this mystery." Upon hearing which exclamation, and beholding the strange appearance of him who uttered it-(who was a man large of stature and strong-built, of complexion olive-brown, with a bald head, a lean and meagre countenance, a black beard reaching to his girdle, and habited in rude and fantastic clothing)-all present were filled with amazement and terror, and made way for him without hesitation; who straightway advanced to the Vicar, and proclaimed aloud in the words following: "To the end that the truth may be made manifest, know ye that Master Manente, who is here present, never departed hence; and that all which has happened to him has fallen out by force of magical art, by virtue of demoniacal agency, and by the immediate contrivance of me, Nepo of Galatrona, who am able to command the devils that they do what and when it pleases me. It was I, therefore, who caused him, while lying asleep in the place of San Martino, to be transported by demons into an enchanted palace, where, in the manner that he has already explained to you, I held him

in close confinement, until, one morning at day-break, I ordered him to be thence again conveyed to the forest of La Vernia, and there left him. It was I, who caused one of my familiar spirits to assume his corporeal likeness, and make it appear that he had died of the plague; and who finally suffered himself to be buried instead of him; from whence all these extraordinary events have since proceeded. All these things have I done in scorn of Master Manente, and in revenge for an injury once inflicted on me by his father, in the Pieve San Stefano, which he inhabited; which injury I was never able to return upon him who had committed it, by reason of a breviary which he always carried about him next his heart, in which breviary was inscribed the prayer of Saint Cyprian. And now that ye may all know the truth of these words I speak to you, go ye, and open the vault where the pretended physician was buried; and if ye do not there behold the most undoubted tokens of that which I have now delivered to you, hold me for a liar and a juggler, and sever my head from my body."

vault in which they were given to understand that the reputed corpse had been buried.

That same morning Monaco, by the command of the Magnifico, had brought from the tower of Careggi a cock-pigeon, of colour as black as pitch, the strongest and best flying bird ever witnessed, and which knew so well how to find its own pigeon-house, that it had more than once returned to it from Arezzo, and even from Pisa. This bird he had, unseen of anybody, concealed within the vault, which he afterwards closed up again so carefully, that it seemed as if it had never been opened for the last ten years; insomuch that the before-mentioned Sacristan found himself obliged to have recourse to his spade and mattock to enable him to remove the earth, and lift the stone from its place; which he had no sooner accomplished, than, to the astonishment and dismay of all present, this black pigeon, which had till then remained torpid, seeing the light of the flambeaux, was awakened, and flew out of the vault, taking its course through the air in the direction of Careggi, where, in less than the eight part of an hour, it recovered its home in safety.

...The Vicar, and all present, had listened to this discourse very attentively, while Master Manente, full of indignation and terror, looked at his supposed tormentor as if he could have torn him to pieces, and at the same time, like one in a dream, the by-standers, in like manner, not being able to take their eyes off from him. Whereupon the Vicar, desirous of putting an end to this strange adventure, laid his commands upon two friars of Santa Croce, and two of Saint Mark's, that they should go forthwith and examine the vault in question; who, having accordingly set themselves in motion, were followed by many other friars and priests, regular as well as secular, in great abundance. Nepo remained during this time in the church, in company with the Vicar and with Master Manente, who, more and more alarmed the longer he staid with them, were now afraid to look him in the face, their minds misgiving them that he was either another Simon Magus, or at least a new Malagigi. In the meantime the deputed friars, with those who accompanied them, had reached the cemetery of Santa Maria Novella, where they sent for the Sacristan, and caused him to open the

The Sacristan, at sight of this unexpected occurrence, was so overcome by terror, that he fell backwards, pulling the stone of the sepulchre after him, so that he broke his leg in the fall, and was laid up for many days and weeks in consequence of the accident. The holy friars, and the greater part of the attendant multitude, ran back in the direction of Santa Maria Maggiore, crying out, "A miracle! a miracle!" Some declared that there had issued forth from the tomb a spirit, in likeness of a squirrel, but with wings. Others affirmed, that it was a fiery flying dragon; while others, again, would have it, that it was a devil converted into a bat. The greater part, however, agreed, that it was a little sucking dæmon; and there were not wanting those who were certain that they had seen its horns and its cloven feet. The Vicar, and those who remained with him in the church, were fully occupied with the various reports of those who came crowding back to them from without; and Nepo, availing himself of this confusion, and secretly favoured by Monaco and Lorenzo's servants, slipped away out of doors, and mounting

an excellent hack, which he had left standing for him at no great distance, came back in safety to his own house, in Galationa, almost before his absence had been discovered.

No sooner, however, had the Vicar leisure enough to look round him, and perceive the flight of the sorcerer, than he began to cry with a loud voice, "Seize him, seize him, and let him be burned for a witch and conjuror!" But when they were able nowhere to find him, they were all fully persuaded that he had disappeared by magic. The Vicar then commanded that the relics should be taken back to the places from whence they had been brought; and, having dismissed the priests and monks in attendance, returned (accompanied by Master Manente) to the palace of the Medici.

Meanwhile, the Magnifico, who had been duly apprized of all that passed, and made capital sport of it with a few of his familiar acquaintance, when the Vicar came up to him, calling aloud for the officers of justice to be sent after Nepo de Galationa, to have him apprehended and burned for sorcery, said to him only," Most Reverend Vicar, let us, in God's name, proceed coolly in this business of Nepo; but what say you as to Master Manente?"-"I say, verily," answered the Vicar," that there is no longer any manner of doubt but that this is the very same, and that he never changed this life for another." -"That being the case," rejoined the Magnifico, "I am now prepared to pass sentence, to the end that these unfortunate litigants may at length be extricated from this web of entanglements." So saying, he sent for the brother goldsmiths, (who came, although very reluctantly, seeing how matters were likely to go against them,) and insisted on their forthwith embracing the long-lost Manente; after which he gave judgment to the effect following, (viz.) That for the remainder of that day Michel Angelo should remain in possession, for the purpose of packing up all the goods and chattels which he had brought with him into the house of the physician that Monna Brigida, with only four shifts, besides her gown and petticoat, should withdraw to the house of her brother Niccolajo, and there remain till she was brought to bed: that after that event had taken place, it should be in the option of Michel An

gelo to take charge of the infant, and, in case of his refusal, the physician might adopt him; or, if neither, then that it should be sent to the Innocents: that the expenses of her confinement should be entirely defrayed by Michel Angelo: that Master Manente should, in the meanwhile, re-enter into possession of his own house, and have his son restored to him; and that, at the end of the term of her confinement, Monna Brigida should return to live with him, and he be compelled to receive her back again, for better or worse, as if nothing had happened to disturb their conjugal felicity.

This was applauded by all present as a most righteous judgment; whereupon the two goldsmiths and the physician returned their thanks with all due humility, and forthwith departed, in order to give effect to its provisions. And so complete was the reconciliation, when all parties perceived that it was in vain to think of placing matters on a different footing, that they all supped together with Monna Brigida that same evening, in the house of Master Manente, Burchiello bearing them company. His reverence the Vicar was the only person among them who did not appear to be satisfied, as he had set his heart on making a bonfire of the conjuror; but Lorenzo would not listen to him, and answered to all his solicitations, that it was much better to pursue the affair no farther, and that, as for Nepo, it was quite in vain to think of taking him, since he could, at any time he pleased, render himself invisible, or change his figure into that of a serpent, or any other animal, to the certain discomfiture of those who attempted it-a power which was permitted him (doubtless) for some wise purposes, although such as human reason was unable to fathom; added to which, the danger of provoking so great an adversary was by no means to be overlooked or despised; all which having duly considered, his reverence, (who was in the main a good-natured, easy man, by no means difficult to be persuaded), entered at last into all his views, and declared himself fully convinced that it was the best and safest course to think no more about it. Indeed, the last of the reasons assigned by Lorenzo more powerfully affected the good Vicar than any of the preceding; nor could he help being apprehensive that he had already incurred

the chastisement of some grievous malady by his mere proposal for the arrest of the sorcerer; insomuch that, until his dying day, nobody ever heard him, from that time forward, so much as pronounce the name of Nepo, or give the least hint of such a person's existence.

It is unnecessary to say more with regard to the remaining actors of this eventful drama, than that Lorenzo's judgment was punctually carried into execution, and that, Monna Brigida having, in due time, given birth to a male offspring, the worthy goldsmith acknowledged it, and brought it up as his own until his death, which happening about ten years after, the boy was then placed in the monastery of Santa Maria Novella, and in process of time was admitted into that holy brotherhood, where he became distinguished for learning, and a celebrated preacher, for his acute reasoning and sugared eloquence known among the people by the appellation of Fra Succhiello. As for Master Manente, he never believed otherwise than in the whole truth of the story fabricated by Nepo

for the occasion; and very frequently observed, in allusion to it, that the pear which the father eats is apt to set on edge the teeth of the sona saying which passed into a proverb, and has remained amongst us to the present day. Nor was he at any time, so long as he lived, undeceived on this subject, although not only Burchiello, but Lorenzo himself, as well as Monaco, and the grooms, very often delighted themselves and their friends, by recounting the whole history of this most admirable of hoaxes. He was, moreover, so thoroughly persuaded of the efficacy of the prayer of Saint Cyprian, in counteracting the effects of witchcraft, that he not only always carried it about his own person, as a preservative, but made his Brigida wear it also. And (to conclude) the worthy doctor lived many years afterwards with his loving mate, in all joy and contentedness, increasing in wealth and in children, and, every year, so long as his life lasted, celebrated the festival of Saint Cyprian, whom he adopted for his own tutelary saint, and ever held him in the highest veneration.

THE UNKNOWN GRAVE.

Man comes into the world like morning mushrooms, soon thrusting up their heads into the air, and conversing with their kindred of the same production, and as soon they turn into dust and forgetfulness.-JEREMY TAYLOR.

WHO sleeps below? who sleeps below?—

It is a question idle all !—

Ask of the breezes as they blow,

Say, do they heed, or hear thy call?
They murmur in the trees around,
And mock thy voice, an empty sound!

A hundred summer suns have shower'd

Their fostering warmth, and radiance bright;

A hundred winter storms have lower'd

With piercing floods, and hues of night,
Since first this remnant of his race

Did tenant his lone dwelling-place.

Say, did he come from East,—from West?
From Southern climes, or where the Pole,
With frosty sceptre, doth arrest

The howling billows as they roll?
Within what realm of peace or strife,
Did he first draw the breath of life?

VOL. XIV.

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