THE PEDLAR OF CRUCIFIXES
Issacher, as well as being a cheerful, loquacious fellow and of ready
wits, was so exceedingly kind as to support my weight upon his sparer
frame. My arm was heavy, I am sure, upon his neck, as his was certainly
tight about my middle; but he uttered no complaints, indeed there was no
room for them in the voluble series of his comments, confessions,
promises and inquiries. He said, as we made our painful way down the
single street of Rovigo, "My dear friend, you and I have both failed in
our enterprise, and for much the same reason; but really you must be a
novice at the trade if you expect to get a free lodging with a pocketful
of gold about you. Confess that my invention of your wager was as happy
as it was apt. Done in a flash--on the wings of the moment as they
spread for a flight--but that is my way--I am like that. The lodging of
my key, however, was a folly of a sort I am never likely to commit
again. Another time I will swallow it. It was indolence on my part--my
besetting weakness--a child of a whim! Having bestowed my goods, what
but that hindered me from likewise bestowing the key? I am vexed with
myself, but I expected more company. Who was to know there would be time
for so much examination? But now, sir, let me see how I can serve you.
An inn? A meal? A decent bed? Medicaments? All these you can have for a
turn of your pretty golden key."
I thanked him for his services, but he would not hear a word of them.
Helping me through the town, he took me to a small inn outside the gate,
saw me put to bed, brought me a good broth, some wine and bread, and
left me to my meditations while he went for a doctor. The thorn was
extracted, poultices applied; I was given a soothing medicine, fell
asleep and slept heavily.
In the morning I found him by my side. After asking how I did, and
satisfying himself, by examination, that my feet were recovering, he
said that he wished to serve me without being indiscreet. "What your
private purposes may be," he said, "I neither know nor seek to inquire.
It is plain that you are a gentleman of some simplicity, or of a
subtlety far too fine for my eyes of every day. Whichever you may be, I
admire. If you are candid in calling yourself a pilgrim I appreciate
your candour. If you are not, I appreciate even more your discretion.
But you will still let me observe that for a young gentleman of personal
attractions to walk half naked through an inquisitive nation, and to
give oracular replies to questions put him by officials (to say the
least of it) is to excite remark. I have some recommendations to make,
which I hope you'll pardon--as first, stockings; second, a pair of stout
walking-shoes; third, a hat; fourthly, some apparent calling beside that
of penitent. Penitence is a trade open to many objections; but for
those, I am sure I should have tried it myself. Of what, for instance,
do you repent? Is it murder? Is it coin-clipping? Is it--but I spare
your blushes. Besides, it can always be objected that, as there is
nothing to hinder your penitent fishmonger from trading in fish and
being truly contrite at the same time, so also your honour has the same
privilege before you. To be short, I recommend you to choose some
calling more plainly commercial."
I replied that he was very right, and that I would gladly embrace any
calling which would not hinder my design. To this he answered that I had
not done him the honour of explaining my design, but that he conceived
it to be that of walking about the country with as much discomfort as
possible. To this superficial judgment I, very naturally, demurred.
"You are dry, my dear sir," I said, "nor do I wonder. Allow me to tell
you my story, and I shall make you sweat with indignation." Omitting
names of persons and places, I thereupon detailed the whole of my case,
and concluded thus solemnly: "I hope that you now understand how I am
placed. I am a gentleman who has behaved himself like a ruffian, a
Christian who has stultified his religion. I love a certain lady and
have insulted her; I was placed in a sacred relationship and betrayed
it. Still a lover, still a postulant for service, I have three objects
in life: (a) to bite and burn the vice out of myself; (b) to find my
mistress; (c) to make her amends. Whatever occupation you propose for my
consideration must subserve these three great ends."
Issachar listened with attention, and remained for some time after I had
finished speaking lost in thought. Then he said, "I see that yours is no
common case. Honour, Religion, and Love make a strong partnership and
hard taskmasters to a young journeyman. Perhaps I am too little of a
casuist to maintain that the lady will not be gratified by your efforts
to gain her esteem. My experiences have been few, and I am no lady's
man, but I own I should have thought that she would have preferred a
more dashing return to her feet--something on horseback, say, with a
hand on your thigh and a kiss of the finger-tips. Ha! you might say, ha!
fair enchantress, do we meet again? A nonchalant mien! I believe few
ladies can resist it. But it is not for me to say. I am, however,
convinced of one thing, which is that if you stray about the country at
random, proclaiming in a resolute voice that you are a criminal, in a
very short time you will be taken at your word and clapped into gaol--
there or in a madhouse. Either will be uncomfortable--but in neither
will you meet your lady. Of that I am positive." He grew warm, he grew
declamatory. "Why, this is extraordinary!" he cried. "Why, sir, how will
you get out of this State and into another without a passport? How will
you live when you have spent your money? How can you approach your lady,
or anybody's lady, without a coat on your back or a quattrino in your
pocket? I am ashamed to put you questions so elementary, but if you can
answer one of them I shall have done with them."
As I had no answer ready, Issachar proceeded--briskly, confidentially,
and with alacrity. "It is indeed lucky for you," he said, "that you have
fallen into my hands; Fra Palamone--that old tusker with the useful
foot--would have flayed you alive and sold the skin. Now, I have
everything here that a man of honour can want--a neat jacket"--he
produced it--"shoes, stockings, garters?"--he put them on the bed. "A
hat?" He held up a broad-brimmed felt, with a draggled feather which
conferred no benefit upon it. "And now," he continued, "for your trade.
Short of chivalry, which involves horse exercise and is to be condemned
on the score of expense, peddling is the very thing for you. I
understand your requirements perfectly: put shortly they are: (a) piety,
(b) travel, (c) gallantry; beyond those you need health, reasonable
protection from law or lawlessness, honest profit. Well, take peddling.
It is safe, it is easy; you have company, you may make money; you see
all the sights and hear all the news, and you may repent as diligently
as you please through all. But my assistance will be better than you can
dream of. I am myself a pedlar, with a small stock left, which (as I am
going home to Venice) I shall make over to you at cost price. In
addition to that, I will hand my passport over to you, just as I have
given you my coat and hat. Read it, and you will see how exactly your
wheels fall into my ruts." He produced his passport and put it in my
hands. I found myself about to be described as "Issacaro, Ebreo, vendor
of pious objects," licensed by the Sacred College and vouched for by the
Grand Inquisitor. My features were said to be fleshy, my nose pendulous,
my hair black and curly, my shoulders narrow, my manner assured. I
objected that the description would never pass me over the frontier; but
Issachar replied, "Have no concern on that score. Observe my shoulders,
they are as level as your own. Can it be said of my manner that it fails
of delicacy? That passport was no more mine than it is now. The fact is
that a passport is needed to distinguish one man from another; and if
the traveller have no particular features, these must be found for him.
These crucifixes will save you."
"That," I said, "as a Christian, I am not allowed to deny."
"I have a round score of them left," says he. "Let us figure up the
whole. The passport I could not let go for less than two ducats; upon my
soul and honour it cost me near three. The hat, the coat, shoes and
stockings--well, can we say less than a ducat and a half? Surely not.
The workmanship alone is worth the money. For the crucifixes, which are
very fine, and in the rococo manner now so much esteemed, I cannot say a
quattrino less than four ducats, nor can a Christian, I suppose, set any
bounds to the value he places upon that symbol. My price, therefore, is
nominal--an act of charity on my part, which my sympathy with your sad
story moves me to do. I believe you had in your breeches pocket some ten
ducats and a few broad pieces. Supposing I take seven ducats and
conclude the bargain--what do you say? Will you shake hands upon it?" He
looked pleasantly at me, holding out his hand.
The crucifixes were large--the image of plaster, the cross of white
wood. The price was exorbitant; but I felt the force of his argument,
that no Christian could set bounds to the value of such a symbol.
Moreover, the trade attracted me. To walk the world as a pedlar of
crucifixes--could one conceive a nobler employment? I, at least, could
not. The merchandise so noble that it could not be degraded by the
merchant, the merchant so ignoble that he must needs be dignified by the
merchandise--the cross, emblem of sacrifice, emblem of divine
compassion, divine providence and humility! I must be excused if I saw
here something more than happy coincidence, if I fell into a mood of
dangerous exaltation. I embraced my new career with fervour, I embraced
my stock-in-trade. "Oh, thou unique and venerable wood," I cried, "often
as thou hast been carried into men's affairs, in the forefront of red
battle, to preside over the consecrations of pontiffs and emperors, to
abase kings, to lend criminals a final hope, never yet hast thou
submitted thyself to a sinner in sorer need, but never also found
sincerer champion than Francis Strelley! Under this sign did Constantius
Caesar subdue Chosroes; under it shall riotous Francis tread down
himself!" I bade Issachar take his purchase-money; I thanked him warmly
for his friendly thoughts of me; and having put on the coat, hat, and
other garments he had sold me, set out once more, after a day's and
night's repose, which were complete enough to make further inactivity
impossible.
I found my passport an easy key into the States of the Church, which all
that rich alluvial country of Ferrara had now become. I sold no
crucifixes, but meditated profoundly upon them as I penetrated further
into the great Lombard plain, and drew nearer to the cloudy mountains
which seemed to me the guardians of my Land of Promise. I hung one of
them round my neck by a cord, and got much comfort and spiritual
assistance from it. My faith grew livelier as my needs increased; the
sacred figure received my confidences and seemed to impart ghostly
counsels. I had a superstitious care to keep it always towards Tuscany,
twisting the cord round so that the cross was on my back whenever I had
occasion to face north instead of south. Before going to sleep I was
careful to stand it up so that the image pointed its bowed head in the
right direction. I felt sure that all would go well with me whilst I
bore upon me this infallible mark of honest profession. I was like
Dante, it seemed to me, approaching the Mount of Purgation--for which,
in my own case, I put the Apennines. Like Dante, it was necessary that
all my stains should be done off, and that I should be marked by the
Guardian of the Gate. Well, here I bore my Sign--the only sign tolerable
for a Christian--and before I had reached the last ridge of the
mountains, before I could hope to look up to the shining eyes of my
Beatrice, my brands of sin must one by one be wiped out. Ah, that was
very true; and was proved to be so before I had done my journeyings; but
I knew not then in what manner.
A misfortune for me was that, playing a character, I could not refuse to
sell my wares. At Malalbergo, a small town between Ferrara and Bologna,
I came into a region where famine and pestilence between them had been
rife, stalking (dreadful reapers!) side by side, mowing as they went.
The people stormed the churches, and hung with wild cries for mercy
about the shrines on the wayside. They fell ravenously upon me--and as I
could not set a price upon my crucifixes, and it was soon known that I
had them to give away, it follows that within half an hour after
entering Malalbergo I was able to leave it with nothing to show for my
declared profession but the cross about my neck. So fearful was I of
losing that one, I concealed my passport, and travelled henceforward
under my own name and profession. I had very little money left--some
three or four ducats, I think. I determined to be careful of these, and
to endeavour after some employment in Bologna, at once congenial and
lucrative, which should not, however, deflect my designs from the speedy
accomplishment of my pilgrimage.