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of at once hoaxing the doctor, and gratifying the humour of the Magnifico, laid him down on Master Manente's bed, and went to sleep. It was nine o'clock before he woke, and then, having dressed himself again in Manente's clothes, and assuming the master's voice, he called out of the window of the court-yard to a female neighbour who dwelt opposite, saying that he felt himself very unwell, with a pain in his throat, which he had accordingly wrapped in a woollen handkerchief.

Now there was at this time great fear of the plague at Florence, where some symptoms had already discovered themselves; so that the good woman, dreading what might follow, asked him, in great trepidation, what he might please to want of her? To whom he answered, that he begged for a couple of new-laid eggs, and a little fire; and then, pretending that he was too ill to support himself, withdrew from the window. The good woman made haste to provide what he wanted, and called to him as loudly as she was able, to tell him that she had placed the articles at the door of his house, and that he must come and fetch them -the which he did accordingly-at the same time exhibiting to the bystanders the appearance of a person scarcely able to totter along through exhaustion, with his mouth and throat muffled up, and altogether so pitiable an object, that all who beheld him were forced to believe that he was in the worst stage of the dreaded disorder.

The rumour soon spread through the city; and a brother of Master Manente's wife, (a goldsmith by trade -by name Niccolajo,) came running forthwith to know how the matter really stood. He knocked, and knocked again, without receiving an answer, but was assured by all the neighbours, that the poor doctor's was, without doubt, a lost case. Just at this moment Lorenzo rode by the spot on horseback, (as if by accident,) attended by a numerous troop of gentlemen, and, observing the crowd collected round the door, asked what it meant. The goldsmith replied, that he was fearful his brother-in-law, Master Manente, was attacked by the plague, and related all he had heard on the subject. Upon this, the Magnifico gave immediate directions that some fit attendant

should be sought for to have charge of the sick man, and told Niccolajo where he might find such a person, in the hospital of St Maria Nuova. To the hospital Niccolajo accordingly went, and found the person in question, who had already been instructed as to the part he had to perform; and who, having undertaken the office, entered the house forthwith, (by the aid of a locksmith,) and shortly afterwards opened one of the windows, and called out to inform the by-standers, that Master Manente had, in good sooth, a plagueboil on his throat as big as a peach, and was already lying at death's door. Upon hearing this, Lorenzo gave orders that the attendant should be supplied, through the window, with food and all other necessaries, and then departed, with great shew of grief and affliction; while the attendant, having received the supply of provisions, closed the window again, and, in company with the pretended dying man, made good cheer on the victuals which were sent him, to which they added a flask or two of the choicest wine which the doctor had in his cellar.

While these things were going on, the poor abused doctor, having slept away a whole day and night, at length awoke, and finding himself in bed, and in the dark, could not imagine what place he had come to, but, calling to mind what had passed before he lost his powers of recollection, persuaded himself that, having been drinking with his friends at the Bertucce, and become intoxicated, they had carried him back to his own house, as had not unfrequently before happened to him. He therefore got out of bed under this impression, and groped his way to where he expected to have found the window, where finding none, he was in utter anazement; and, after some vain efforts to enlighten himself, not having been able to ascertain the place of either door or window in the apartment, he finished by returning to bed again, where he lay in stupid wonder, and, although half famished, afraid to call out, not knowing what mischief might follow.

Lorenzo, in the meantime, proceeding with the management of the drama, ordered the two grooms, who had before been employed by him in this service, to disguise themselves as white friars, with long hoods on their heads, and grinning Carnival masks on their

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faces; and, thus accoutred, he caused one of them to arm himself with a naked sword in the one hand, and a lighted torch in the other, while the second carried two flasks of excellent wine, two loaves of bread in a napkin, two cold capons, with a piece of roast ed veal, and the proper fruits of the season, with which they proceeded in silence to the doctor's apartment. The door being locked on the outside, they opened it with a loud noise, and forth with entered the man with the sword and torch keeping guard before the door, to prevent the escape of the prisoner, while the other, advancing to the middle of the room, slowly spread his napkin upon a little table which stood there, and placed the provisions in order.

As soon as Master Manente heard the door open, he started up in his bed, intending to run out immediately-but no sooner did he behold the strange figures of those who entered, than fear overcame him, and not a word was he able to utter. Seeing the sword and torch, he expected little short of instant death; but a glimpse of the victuals somewhat revived him, and he sat patiently for a minute while the table was spread; but, when that was accomplished, and the dumb friar, by signs, invited him to partake, hunger at once became more strong than any other feeling, and, leaping out of bed, he rushed voraciously to the spot, without anything on him but his shirt, till the attendant pointing to a dressing-gown and slippers which were placed on a chair beside him, he accepted the invitation to clothe himself in them; then, taking his seat at the table, fell to work with as keen an appetite, as if he had totally forgotten the surprising nature of the circumstances in which he was placed. The attendants, seeing him thus occupied, quitted the apartment with the like speed and silence as they had entered it, and, leaving him without light as before, locked the door after them, and went to relate the success of their mission to the Magnifico. The doctor, meanwhile, found that hunger (like love) can see in the dark; and the mere touch and smell of those good victuals, and those delicious wineflasks, gave him such spirits, that he said to himself, "It is well, Master Manente things are not near so desperate as they might have been; and,

come what will, if I am doomed to die, I shall at least have the satisfaction of dying with my belly full." So saying, he fell to with marvellous appetite, and, having consumed the best part of the provision which was laid before him, and carefully wrapped up in the napkin, and stowed away, the remainder, to serve for a future emergency, finding nothing better to be done, and flattering himself, (in the beatitude of a well-filled stomach) with the belief, that it was a mere trick of some of his companions, who would soon return to release him, he went into bed again, where he lay for some time, thinking upon the grinning masks which had saluted him, till the very thought of them made him laugh inwardly, and at last fell asleep as soundly as before.

Early the next morning, the attendant from the hospital threw open the doctor's window, and, in a loud voice, proclaimed to the neighbours, that his patient had passed a good night; that the boil had come to a head with the help of poultices; and that he entertained good hopes of his recovery. So passed the day without further inquiry, and, towards evening, the Magnifico made known to his coadjutors, that an excellent opportunity had presented itself for carrying on the jest, by the accidental death of a certain young gal lant, named Franciosino, who had fallen from his horse and broken his neck, in the square of St Maria Novella, and had been laid out for interment, and buried that same evening, by the friars of the monastery, in one of the vaults without-side the principal entrance to their church. As soon as this occurrence was made known to them, together with what was Lorenzo's pleasure as to the prosecution of the adventure, they be gan to give effect to it by the hospital servant, in the first place, going again to the window, and declaring, in dolorous accents, that the disease had taken a new turn, and the plague-boil so much increased, that poor Manente was almost choked by it, and very unable either to eat or speak. Upon this, the goldsmith, Niccolajo, became very anxious that he should have somebody sent to him, to make his last will and testament; but he was answered that the thing was impossible for that night, but he might return the next morning, when measures might be taken for accomplishing it ; and also for confessing the patient,

and administering to him the sacrament. With this the goldsmith was obliged for the present to rest satisfied, and when the crowd had dispersed, the Magnifico's two grooms, who had been sent to disinter the body of the unfortunate Franciosino, brought it secretly to the doctor's house, where Monaco and his attendant as secretly received it; and, having so done, wrapped it carefully in a new linen shroud, bound its throat with bandages, which they had previously dipped in plagueointment, belaboured the face with thumps and blows, so as to make it look swollen and livid, and laid it out on a table in the basement story, with a bonnet on its head, which was well known to be one usually worn by the doctor on solemn occasions, and strewn with orange-flowers, and then went to bed, after again drinking and laughing together heartily.

It was no sooner morning, than the attendant once more opened the casement, and, with abundance of tears, proclaimed to the neighbours and passengers, how Master Manente had, just at the turn of day-break, departed from this present life; so that, in an hour's time, the news had spread throughout Florence, and the brother-in-law hear ing it, ran to the spot, and was acquainted by the attendant with the pretended particulars. Seeing that there was now no remedy, the next step was to take instant measures for his interment; and, for this purpose, the goldsmith first gave the requisite information to the board of health, by whom the funeral was directed to take place with every proper precaution. Those to whom the charge of removing the corpse was committed, could not help remarking the great alteration of feature. This, however, was attributed entirely to the disorder of which he died, and not a doubt occurred to any of them, or to any of a numerous crowd of bystanders, who looked on at a respectful distance, smelling at sweet herbs and vinegar, while the body was tumbled into the first vault which they found open, head foremost. Nor is it to be doubted, that Master Manente's fur bonnet, which was well known to everybody present, greatly helped the illusion. The funeral being over, the goldsmith, Niccolajo, took upon himself the farther duty of acquainting his sister with the mournful event, which he

did in the most soothing terms imaginable, recommending to her to remain with her young son in the country, and leave it to himself to settle the affairs of the deceased in Florence; which was arranged accordingly.

Five or six days had now passed away, during which they never failed to provide the physician with a plentiful meal every morning and evening, served up by the same men in hoods and masks, as on the first day of his imprisonment. At last, one morning, four hours before day-break, these same obsequious valets, dressed as before, opened the door of his apartment, by command of the Magnifico, and made the poor doctor get up, and slip on an under-garment of red suguartone, with a pair of long mariners' boots of the same materials, and a hat à la Grecque on his head. They then muffled him in a cloak, so that he was not able to see, led him out of his chamber, and conducted him into the court-yard, trembling all over from fright, as if he had had the quartan ague. There they lifted him from the ground, placed him in a covered litter drawn by two mules, and set forward on their journey by the gate of La Croce, the same two grooms leading the way on horseback, in their ordinary habits. Master Manente, as soon as he felt the motion of the carriage, was seized with new wonder and consternation. The voices of the country people, and noise of animals which they heard, as day advanced upon them, convinced him that it was not a dream. He bethought himself, however, of all things that appeared most favourable in the singular circumstances of his present condition, and allowed himself to be comforted. Meanwhile, not a word was uttered by either of his conductors, loud enough for him to hear. They stopped in the course of the day to take refreshments, and at last, about midnight, arrived at the Hermitage of Camaldoli, where they were gladly received and welcomed by the Father Guardian, and conducted by him, through his own cell, to an antichamber adjoining, and thence to a sort of study, which again opened into a little parlour, the window of which had been walled up, and which was furnished with a small truckle-bed, a desk, and a table. This last mentioned chamber was situate on the brink of a most deep and solitary

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precipice, inaccessible from without to both man and beast, far remote withal from any inhabited part of the convent, and where not a sound was ever heard, except of wind and thunder, and now and then of a distant bell tolling for Ave-Mary, and mass, or calling the brethren together to their meals. This place was judged by the two conductors exactly suited to their purpose. So they went back to the Court-yard where they had left their unfortunate victim still locked up in the litter, from which they drew him forth, half dead with hunger and thirst, no less than with terror, and conveyed him, with scarce a sign of knowledge or understanding, to the habitation assigned him. They then once more accoutred themselves in their former habiliments, with the drawn sword and torch and grinning masks, which were now so familiar to their captive, that he felt as much joy at the sight of them as of some longlost friend and acquaintance, more especially as they brought with them the welcome addition of a good supper to stay the cravings of his stomach, upon which he fell to like a cormo

rant.

We shall here take the liberty of shortening some of the details of this memorable history. The two grooms, having delivered themselves of their charge, left him, (with directions to two lay brothers of the monastery to serve him in the same manner as they themselves had been accustomed to do,) and returned to gratify Lorenzo with a report of their proceedings. It so happened that, shortly afterwards, the Magnifico had occasion to leave Florence on affairs of state, which occupied all his thoughts and attention during an absence of several months, and caused him utterly to forget the poor doctor; and the Guardian and the monks of Camaldoli having, in all this time, received no counter-instructions, went on, from day to day, treating their prisoner precisely according to what was first enjoined them; while he, having learned to consider his captivity as quite hopeless, had gradually become in a manner reconciled to his fate, placing all his happiness in eating and drinking, (the materials for which were abundantly supplied to him,) and consuming in sleep almost all the hours which were not devoted to those noble purposes of

existence. Meanwhile, certain domestic events occurred, which (we will charitably suppose) had not been at all in the contemplation of the Magnifico when he projected this memorable mystification. The supposed widow, after mourning for six months with the most exemplary patience, was, at the end of that period, persuaded to bestow her hand, together with the possessions she had derived from her late husband, upon a friend of her brother, by name Michel Angelo, who was also a goldsmith, with whom she now resided at Florence, in Master Manente's house, in all joy and festivity, and was reported to be already in a fair way of increasing the family establishment.

Things were in this state, when Lorenzo, on his return to Florence, meeting accidentally a monk of Cainaldoli, who had journeyed thither after certain purposes relating to his convent, was suddenly reminded by the sight of him of Master Manente, whom he had so long forgotten, and commissioned him accordingly to carry back with him a letter which he wrote to the Guardian, containing instructions how he was to proceed to act with his prisoner. Meanwhile, that unfortunate gentleman had generally prevailed upon his keepers to relax the extreme severity of the rules first adopted with respect to him. He was allowed the light of a lamp, which added to the gratification afforded him by the meals which were provided for him, the pleasure of seeing the good cheer which he tasted; and, though neither Guardian nor monks would venture so far to transgress their orders as to hold any converse with him, they permitted him to testify his gratitude for the indulgence granted him, by singing several of the airs which he used to be celebrated for his skill in chanting among his old boon companious; besides which, he would sometimes exercise his talent of an improvisatore, and, at others, having a fine clear voice and good pronunciation, would recite some of the stanzas of Lorenzo's lately published poems, entitled Selve d'Amore, all which his hearers listened to with marvellous delight and satisfaction.

By this time he had nearly abandoned the hope of ever again beholding the light of the sun; when the monk whom Lorenzo had met in

in the streets of Florence returned, and delivered to the Father Guardian the letter that was intrusted to him; on perusal of which, that Holy Father took upon him forthwith to carry into execution the instructions contained in it. Accordingly, before daybreak the next morning after, the two lay brothers, habited as before, entered the doctor's chamber, and having made him get out of bed, caused him, by signs, to clothe himself in a sailor's dress, which they brought with them for the purpose, after which they hand-cuffed and muffled him, and in that guise led him outside the gates of the monastery. Master Manente now surely thought that the end of his life was at hand, and that he should never more taste bread; but, though lamenting himself beyond measure, nevertheless, from the dread of something worse that might befal him, suffered himself to be led without resistance, wherever they pleased to carry him. For two hours or more, they accordingly dragged him along through woods and bye-places, till they arrived near the Vernia, where, at the foot of a very large pine-tree, in the centre of a deep valley, they stopped, and after binding him fast to the trunk with vine-twigs, removing the large bat from over his eyes, and the cloak from his back, and taking off his manacles, they left him to himself, and ran away with the speed of lightning; tracing back the way they had come, and never resting till they reached Camaldoli, where nobody, in the meanwhile, had noticed their ab

sence.

Master Manente, thus tied to the tree and abandoned, was filled with exceeding great fear; but, having listened for a long while, and hearing no sound of any living creature near him, began to draw his hands together, and easily slipped his ligatures. He now looked up through the branches of the tree and saw the stars shining, by which he found that he was in the open air, and at liberty. His joy at this unexpected discovery, was somewhat moderated by the new species of alarm which he experienced from the nature of his situation-alone, in an unknown, and seemingly impervious forest; nor was he by any means without apprehension of his masked conductors returning and carrying him away with them again, the Lord knew

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whither. By degrees, however, daylight broke upon his solitude, and so far encouraged him, that he set forward on his route by a little straggling path which he discovered among the trees, though wholly ignorant where it might chance to lead him. He had not proceeded more than a quarter of a mile before he reached a wider and more trodden road, on the summit of an eminence, where he soon after met a muleteer, of whom he inquired where he was, and was answered, at La Vernia, to which his informant added, "But, what the devil! are you blind? Don't you see San Francesco before you?" Upon which, looking upwards, he beheld indeed the church of San Francesco, at the top of the hill, at no greater distance than two bow-shots from the place where he was standing.

It is impossible to describe the delight of Master Manente on finding himself once more at a spot already familiar to him, as the scene of many a party of pleasure. He heartily thanked the muleteer, and set off full speed for the convent, which he reached in good season, and found there a Milanese gentleman, who, in travelling, had met with the misfortune of dislocating his ankle, and was about sending for a doctor from Bibbiena to come and set it. Manente, being informed of the circumstance, assured him there was no need, as he was himself a physician, and would undertake his cure in twenty-four hours; and as, notwithstanding his seaman's attire, there was that in his air and manner which inspired credit, the traveller was easily prevailed upon to accept his offer. To make this matter short, the cure was speedily completed, and the doctor having received two ducats for his. fee, and having also liberally regaled himself at the expense of his patient, proceeded, in high spirits, on the road to Mugello, where (as we have said) was his country-house, which he reached about sun-set.

Here, finding the gate shut, the first thing he did on his arrival, was to call loudly, by name, on the bailiff, who had the charge of the place when the family were absent, and was answered, in a strange voice, that the person he called had long since left that service, and was living at another farm a great way off. This answer appeared not a little strange to him, as

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