will you favour us by interpreting the Latin?"

"Assuredly," said Tito. "It does but express the conclusions or
doctrines which the Frate specially teaches, and which the trial by fire
is to prove true or false. They are doubtless familiar to you. First,
that Florence--"

"Let us have the Latin bit by bit, and then tell us what it means," said
the shoemaker, who had been a frequent hearer of Fra Girolamo.

"Willingly," said Tito, smiling. "You will then judge if I give you the
right meaning."

"Yes, yes; that's fair," said Goro.

"_Ecclesia Dei indiget renovatione_; that is, the Church of God needs
purifying or regenerating."

"It is true," said several voices at once.

"That means, the priests ought to lead better lives; there needs no
miracle to prove that. That's what the Frate has always been saying,"
said the shoemaker.

"_Flagellabitur_," Tito went on. "That is, it will be scourged.
_Renovabitur_: it will be purified. _Florentia quoque post flagellam
renovabitur et prosperabitur_: Florence also, after the scourging, shall
be purified and shall prosper."

"That means we are to get Pisa again," said the shopkeeper.

"And get the wool from England as we used to do, I should hope," said an
elderly man, in an old-fashioned berretta, who had been silent till now.
"There's been scourging enough with the sinking of the trade."

At this moment, a tall personage, surmounted by a red feather, issued
from the door of the convent, and exchanged an indifferent glance with
Tito; who, tossing his becchetto carelessly over his left shoulder,
turned to his reading again, while the bystanders, with more timidity
than respect, shrank to make a passage for Messer Dolfo Spini.

"_Infideles convertentur ad Christum_," Tito went on. "That is, the
infidels shall be converted to Christ."

"Those are the Turks and the Moors. Well, I've nothing to say against
that," said the shopkeeper, dispassionately.

"_Haec autem omnia erunt temporibus nostris_: and all these things shall
happen in our times."

"Why, what use would they be else?" said Goro.

"_Excommunicato nuper lata contra Reverendum Patrem nostrum Fratrem
Hieronymum nulla est_: the excommunication lately pronounced against our
reverend father, Fra Girolamo, is null. _Non observantes eam non
peccant_: those who disregard it are not committing a sin."

"I shall know better what to say to that when we have had the Trial by
Fire," said the shopkeeper.

"Wh