That is to say, "For a single point Martin lost his Asello." But
_Asello_, the name of the abbey, being Latin for _ass_, it happened, in
the most natural way in the world, that the line was translated thus:
"For a point Martin lost his ass," and this erroneous version passed
into a proverb. Other accounts of its origin have been given; but that
which we have here set down is confirmed by the fact that in Italy they
have also another reading of the proverb, namely, _Per un punto Martino
perse la cappa_ ("For a point Martin lost the cope"); that is, the
dignity of abbot typified in that vestment.