which I would butt in the joy
of my strength and beauty. Lies were unknown In those times, nor had the
sheep's fleece yet learned to assume factitious hues; and my soul has
remained unchanged from that day to this. See, I go naked as in the
golden age of Saturn; and my spirit is veiled as little as my body. I am
no liar. And why indeed should you deem It a thing so extraordinary, my
son, that I have become a Saint in the train of the Galilean, albeit no
offspring of the first mother some name Eve and others Pyrrha, and whom
it is very meet to reverence under either title? Nay! for that matter,
neither is St. Michael woman-born. I know him, and at times we have
talks together, he and I. He tells me of the days when he was an ox-herd
on Mount Garganus...."

But here Fra Mino interrupted the Satyr:

"I cannot suffer you to say St. Michael was an ox-herd, because he
guarded the cattle of a man whose name was Garganus, the same as the
Mountain. But there, I would fain learn, old man, how you were made a
Saint."

"Listen," replied the goat-foot, "and your curiosity shall be satisfied.

"When men coming from the East proclaimed in the fair vale of Arno how
that the Galilean had dethroned Jupiter, they hewed down the oaks
whereon the country folk were used to hang up little goddesses of clay
and votive tablets; they planted crosses over against the holy
fountains, and forbade the shepherds any more to carry to the grottos of
the Nymphs offerings of wine and milk and cakes. Naturally enough this
angered all the tribe of Fauns and Pans and Sylvan Genii, and in their
wrath these attacked the apostles of the new God. When the holy men
were asleep of nights, on their bed of dry leaves, the Nymphs would
steal up and pull their beards, while the young Fauns, slipping into
their stable, would pluck out hairs from their she-ass's tail. In vain I
sought to disarm their simple malice and exhort them to submission. 'My
children,' I would warn them, 'the days of easy gaiety and light
laughter are gone by.' But they were reckless, and would not hearken;
and a sore price they paid for their heedlessness.

"But for myself, had I not seen the reign of Saturn come to an end? and
I deemed it natural and just that Jupiter should perish in his turn. I
was prepared to acquiesce in the downfall of the great old gods, and
offered no resistance to the emissaries of the Galilean. Nay! I did them
sundry little services. Better acquainted than they w