"He who passes after midnight on the Ponte Vecchio can always see a form
which acts as guard, sometimes looking like a beggar, sometimes like a
_guardia di sicurezza_, or one of the regular watchmen, and indeed
appearing in many varied forms, but generally as that of a watchman, and
always leaning on the bridge.
"And if the passer-by asks him any such questions as these: 'Chi
siei?'--'Cosa fai?'--'Dove abiti?'--'Ma vien' con me?' That is: 'Who are
you?'--'What dost thou do?'--'Where is your home?'--'Wilt with me
come?'--he seems unable to utter anything; but if you ask him, 'Who am
I?' it seems to delight him, and he bursts into a peal of laughter which
is marvellously loud and ringing, so that the people in the shops waking
up cry, 'There is the goblin of the Ponte Vecchio at his jests again!'
For he is a merry sprite, and then they go to sleep, feeling peaceably
assured that he will watch over them as of yore.
"And this he really does for those who are faithful unto him. And those
who believe in spirits should say sincerely:
"'Spirito del Ponte Vecchio,
Guardami la mia bottega!
Guardami dagli ladroni!
Guardami anche dalla strega!'
"'Spirit of the ancient bridge!
Guard my shop and all my riches,
From the thieves who prowl by night,
And especially from witches!'
"Then the goblin ever keeps guard for them. And should it ever come to
pass that thieves break into a shop which he protects, he lets them work
away till they are about to leave, when he begins to scream '_Al ladro_!_
al ladro_!' and follows them till they are taken.
"But when the police have taken the thief, and he is brought up to be
interrogated, and there is a call for the individual who was witness
(_quando le guardie vanno per interrogare l'individuo che si e trovato
presente_), lo and behold he has always disappeared.
"And at times, when the weather is bad, he prowls about the bridge in the
form of a cat or of a he-goat, and should any very profane, abusive
rascal (_bestemmiatore_) come along, the spirit as a goat will go before,
running nimbly, when all at once the latter sinks into the earth, from
which flames play forth, to the great terror of the sinner, while the
goblin vanishes laughing."
* * * * *
I have very little doubt that this guardian spirit of the bridge is the
same as Teramo, _i.e._, Hermes Mercury, who is believed in the Toscana
Romana to betray thieves when they commit murder. But Mercury was also a
classic guardian of bridges.
This merry goblin of the Ponte Vecchio has a colleague not far away in
the _Spirito del Ponte alla Carraia_, the legend of which is as follows.
And here I would note, once for all, that in almost every case these
tales were written out for me in order to secure the greater accuracy,
which did not however always ensure it, since even Miss Roma Lister, who
is to the manor or manner born, often had with me great trouble in
deciphering the script. For verily it seems to be a decree of destiny
that everything traditional shall be involved, when not in Egyptian or
Himaritic, or Carthaginian or Norse-Runic, at least in some diabolical
dialect, so anxious is the Spirit of the past to hide from man the things
long passed away.