tifully enough, at the door of the
Duomo, and every one who passed asked him what was the matter, to
which he replied, 'All my teeth ache terribly.' And everybody
offered him an infallible remedy, which he noted down, and with it
the name of him who gave it. And then going about town, he made out
during the day a list of three hundred prescribers, with as many
prescriptions.

"And last of all he went to the palace at the hour of supper, and the
Grand Duke seeing him so wrapped up, asked the cause, and hearing
that it was toothache, also prescribed a sovereign remedy, and
Gonella put it with the name of the Duke at the head of the list.
And going home, he had the whole fairly engrossed, and the next day,
returning to the palace, was reminded of his bets. Whereupon he
produced the paper, and great was the laughter which it caused, since
it appeared by it that all the first citizens and nobles of Florence
were physicians, and that the Grand Duke himself was their first
Medico. So it was generally admitted that Gonella had won, and they
paid him the money, with which he made merry for many days."

This tale has been retold by many a writer, but by none better than by an
American feuilletoniste, who improved it by giving a number of the
prescriptions commended. Truly it has been well said that at forty years
of age every man is either a fool or a physician.

I have another legend of the Medici, in which it is declared that their
armorial symbol is a key, and in which they are spoken of as wicked and
cruel. It is as follows:

I MEDICI.

"The Palazzo Medici is situated in the Borgo degli Albizzi, and this
palace is called by the people _I Visacchi_ (_i.e._, figures or
faces), because there are to be seen in it many figures of people who
were when alive all witches and wizards, but who now live a life in
death in stone.

"The arms of the Medici bear a great key, and it is said that this
was a sorcerer's or magic key, which belonged to the master of all
the wizards or to the queen of the witches.

"And being ever evil at heart and cruelly wicked, the old Medici
sought restlessly every opportunity to do wrong, which was greatly
aided by the queen of the witches herself, who entered the family,
and allied herself to one of it; others say she was its first
ancestress.