!" The souls then descended; and to some she gave
the worth of a _grano_ of bread, to some the worth of a _baiocco_, and
to others the worth of five _grani_, and the bread was gone in a moment.
When the bread had disappeared, the lady said to Vincenzo: "Did you see
nothing on your way?" "Yes, lady. The first day that my master sent me
to see where the horse went, I saw a river of milk." The lady said:
"That is the milk I gave my son." "The second day I saw a river of
wine." "That," said the lady, "is the wine with which my son was
consecrated." "The third day I saw a river of oil." "That is the oil
that they ask of me and of my son. What else did you see the third day?"
"I saw," answered Vincenzo, "a farm with cattle. There was plenty of
grass, but the cattle were lean. Afterwards I saw another farm, where
you could scarcely see the grass, and the cattle were fine and fat."
"These, my son, are the rich, who are in the midst of wealth; and no
matter how much they eat, it does no good; and the fat ones, that have
no grass to eat, are the poor, for my son supports and fattens them.
What else did you see?" "I saw a sow with her tail full of knots."
"That, my son, is those who repeat their rosaries and do not offer their
prayers to me or to my son; and my son makes knots in them." "I also saw
a watering-trough, with a toad that was reaching after a crumb of bread,
and could not get it." She said: "A poor person asked a woman for a bit
of bread, and she gave his hand such a blow that she made him drop it.
And what else did you see, my son?" "Nothing, lady." "Then come with me,
and I will show you something else." She took him by the hand and led
him into hell. When the poor youth heard the clanking of chains and saw
the darkness, he came near dying, and wanted to get out. "You see," said
the lady, "those who are lamenting and in chains and darkness are those
who are in mortal sin. Now come, and I will take you to purgatory."
There they heard nothing, and the darkness was so great that they could
see nothing. Vincenzo wished to depart, for he felt oppressed by
anguish. "Now," said the lady, "I will take you to the church of the
Holy Fathers. Do you see it, my son? This is the church of the Holy
Fathers, which first was full and now is empty. Come; now I will take
you to limbo. Do you see these little ones? These are those who died
unbaptized." The lady wished to show him paradise; but he was too
confused, so the lady made him lo