A Cleric in Naples | Page 8

I will give you, and I warrant you we shall have enough sent
here to live like fighting cocks all through our quarantine."
The next day he made me write eight letters, because, in the oral
tradition of his order, it is said that, when a monk has knocked at seven
doors and has met with a refusal at every one of them, he must apply to

the eighth with perfect confidence, because there he is certain of
receiving alms. As he had already performed the pilgrimage to Rome,
he knew every person in Ancona devoted to the cult of Saint-Francis,
and was acquainted with the superiors of all the rich convents. I had to
write to every person he named, and to set down all the lies he dictated
to me. He likewise made me sign the letters for him, saying, that, if he
signed himself, his correspondents would see that the letters had not
been written by him, which would injure him, for, he added, in this age
of corruption, people will esteem only learned men. He compelled me
to fill the letters with Latin passages and quotations, even those
addressed to ladies, and I remonstrated in vain, for, when I raised any
objection, he threatened to leave me without anything to eat. I made up
my mind to do exactly as he wished. He desired me to write to the
superior of the Jesuits that he would not apply to the Capuchins,
because they were no better than atheists, and that that was the reason
of the great dislike of Saint-Francis for them. It was in vain that I
reminded him of the fact that, in the time of Saint-Francis, there were
neither Capuchins nor Recollets. His answer was that I had proved
myself an ignoramus. I firmly believed that he would be thought a
madman, and that we should not receive anything, but I was mistaken,
for such a quantity of provisions came pouring in that I was amazed.
Wine was sent from three or four different quarters, more than enough
for us during all our stay, and yet I drank nothing but water, so great
was my wish to recover my health. As for eatables, enough was sent in
every day for six persons; we gave all our surplus to our keeper, who
had a large family. But the monk felt no gratitude for the kind souls
who bestowed their charity upon him; all his thanks were reserved for
Saint-Francis.
He undertook to have my men washed by the keeper; I would not have
dared to give it myself, and he said that he had nothing to fear, as
everybody was well aware that the monks of his order never wear any
kind of linen.
I kept myself in bed nearly all day, and thus avoided shewing myself to
visitors. The persons who did not come wrote letters full of
incongruities cleverly worded, which I took good care not to point out

to him. It was with great difficulty that I tried to persuade him that
those letters did not require any answer.
A fortnight of repose and severe diet brought me round towards
complete recovery, and I began to walk in the yard of the lazzaretto
from morning till night; but the arrival of a Turk from Thessalonia with
his family compelled me to suspend my walks, the ground-floor having
been given to him. The only pleasure left me was to spend my time on
the balcony overlooking the yard. I soon saw a Greek slave, a girl of
dazzling beauty, for whom I felt the deepest interest. She was in the
habit of spending the whole day sitting near the door with a book or
some embroidery in her hand. If she happened to raise her eyes and to
meet mine, she modestly bent her head down, and sometimes she rose
and went in slowly, as if she meant to say, "I did not know that
somebody was looking at me." Her figure was tall and slender, her
features proclaimed her to be very young; she had a very fair
complexion, with beautiful black hair and eyes. She wore the Greek
costume, which gave her person a certain air of very exciting
voluptuousness.
I was perfectly idle, and with the temperament which nature and habit
had given me, was it likely that I could feast my eyes constantly upon
such a charming object without falling desperately in love? I had heard
her conversing in Lingua Franca with her master, a fine old man, who,
like her, felt very weary of the quarantine, and used to come out but
seldom, smoking his pipe, and remaining in the yard only a short time.
I felt a great temptation to address a few words to the beautiful girl,