But mark well! this
empire is a spiritual one, and all these earthly princes lie at the
feet of Christ's representative. This is the crown of all epochs of
the world's history. 'One Shepherd, One Sheepfold!' Bibamus!"
On the little platform, where formerly a reader used to read out of
holy books while the meal was going on, some musicians now sat with
flutes and lutes. They struck up an air, and the cups were emptied.
"Now," continued the Prior to the monk, "you have come from far;
what news have you brought?"
"Anything new under the sun? Yes," answered a slightly inebriated
prelate, "Christopher Columbus is dead, and buried in Valladolid. He
died poor, as was to be expected."
"Pride comes before a fall. He was not content with his honours, but
wished to be Viceroy and to levy taxes."
"Yes, but at any rate he got to India, to East India, after he had
sailed westward. It is enough to make one crazy when one tries to
understand it. Sailing west in order to go east!"
"Yes, it is all mad, but the worst is that he has brought the cursed
sickness, lues"--(here he whispered). "It has already attacked
Cardinal John de Medici. You know he is said to be the Pope's
successor."
"As regards the Holy Father, our great Julius II, he is a valiant
champion of the Lord, and now the world has seen what this
basilisk-egg, France, has hatched.
Pages:
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242