The fact that it was a priest on whom the snakes had
fastened seemed to afford especial delight to the sceptical and
priest-hating rabble.
The Augustinian monk thought of his Virgil, when he heard the word
Troy, and, as the statue came nearer, he could read the name
Laocoon, the celebrated priest of Apollo. "Are the church-bells
ringing for _that_?" he asked his neighbour again.
The latter nodded.
"Are the people mad?" he asked, and this time he received an answer:
"No, they are wise; but you are somewhat stupid; probably you come
from Germany."
At the dawn of this day, the monk had seen the Holy City at sunrise,
and had fallen on his knees in the high road to thank God for the
great favour vouchsafed to him of at last treading the soil which
had been hallowed by the footprints of Apostles and martyrs. But now
he felt depressed, for he understood nothing of this heathenish
business, and, wandering through the streets of the city, he tried
to find the Scala Santa in the southern quarter, where all pilgrims
first paid their devotions when they came to Rome.
Here, in the square by the Lateran, Constantine's wife, Helena, had
caused the staircase of Pilate's Palace to be erected, and it was
customary to ascend it kneeling, and not in an erect attitude.
Pages:
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238