conclude that the devil is dearer to man, and a greater benefactor,
than all the saints and several deities thrown in, because he serves
as a scudaway scapegoat, and excellent excuse for the sins of all the
orthodox of all time. How horrible it would be were we all made unto
ourselves distinctly responsible for our sins--our unfinished
palaces, our good resolutions broken; and how very pleasant it is
that it is all the devil's fault, and not our own! Oh my friends,
did I believe as ye do--which I don't--I would long ago have raised
altars and churches to the devil, wherein I would praise him daily as
the one who in spirit and in truth takes upon himself the sins of all
the world, bearing the burden of our iniquities. For saying which
thing, but in other words, the best Christian of his age, Bishop
Agobard, was hunted down well-nigh to death. Thus endeth a great
lesson!"

THE DEVIL OF THE MERCATO VECCHIO

"Have I not the magic wand, by means of which, having first invoked
the spirit Odeken, one can enter the elfin castle? Is not this a
fine trot on the devil's crupper? Here it is--one of the palaces
erected by rivals of the Romans. Let us enter, for I hold a hand of
glory to which all doors open. Let us enter, _hic et nunc_, the
palace fair. . . . Here it was once on a Sabato of the Carnival that
there entered four graceful youths of noble air."--_Arlecchino alle
Nozze di Cana_.

I very naturally made inquiry as to whether there was not a legend of the
celebrated bronze devil made by Giovanni di Bologna, which remained until
lately in the Mercato Vecchio, and I obtained the following, which is,
from intrinsic evidence, extremely curious and ancient.

IL DIAVOLO ALLA CAVOLAIA.

"On the corner of the Palace Cavolaia there were anciently four devils of
iron. {98} These were once four gentlemen who, being wonderfully
intimate, had made a strange compact, swearing fidelity and love among
themselves to death, agreeing also that if they married, their wives and
children and property should be all in common.

"When such vows and oaths are uttered, the saints may pass them by, but
the devils hear them; they hear them in hell, and they laugh and cry,
'These are men who will some day be like us, and here for ever!' Such
sin as that is like a root which, once planted, may be let alone--the
longer i