'Can you tell me the story of San Giovanni Bocca d'oro?'
'Of course I know about San Giovanni Bocca d'oro, that is, I know he
was a great penitent, but I couldn't remember anything, not to tell
you about him. But I know about another great penitent. Do you know
about the Penitence of San Giuliano? That is a story you'll like if
you don't know it already; but it's not a favola, mind.'
'I know there are seven or eight saints at least of the name of Julian,
but I don't know the acts of them all; so pray tell me your story.'
'Here it is then.
'San Giuliano was the only son of his parents, who lived at Albano. In
his youth he was rather wild, [170] and gave his parents some anxiety;
but what gave them more anxiety still on his account was that an
astrologer had predicted that when he grew up he should kill both
his parents.
'"It is not only for our lives," said the parents, "that we should
be concerned--that is no such great matter; but we must put him out
of the way of committing so great a crime."
'Therefore they gave him a horse, and his portion of money, and told
him to ride forth and make himself a home in another place. So San
Giuliano went forth; and thirty years passed, and his parents heard
no more of him. Thirty years is a long time; many things pass out of
mind in thirty years. Thus the astrologer's prediction passed out of
their minds; but what never passes out of the mind of a mother is the
love of her child, and the mother of San Giuliano yearned to see him
after thirty years as though he had gone away but yesterday.
'One day when they were walking in the woods about Albano they saw
a little boy come and climb into a tree and take a bird's nest;
and presently, after the little boy was gone away with the nest, the
parent birds came back and fluttered all about, and uttered piercing
cries for the loss of their young.
'"See!" said San Giuliano's mother, taking occasion by this example,
"how these unreasoning creatures care for the loss of their young,
and we live away from our only son and are content."
'"By no means are we content," replied the father; "let us therefore
rise now and go seek him."
'So they put on pilgrims' weeds, and wandered forth to seek their
son. On and on they went till they came to a place, a city called
Galizia; [171] and there, as they walk along weary, they meet a gentle
lady, who looks upon them mildly and compassionately, and says,
"Whence do you come, poor pilgrims? what a long way you must have
travelled!" [172]
'And they, cheered by her mode of address and sympathy, make answer,
"We have wandered over mountains and plains. We come from the mountain
town of Albano. We go about seeking our son Giuliano." [173]
'"Giuliano!" exclaimed the lady, "is the name of my husband. Just now
he is out hunting, but come in with me and receive my hospitality
for love of his name." She took them home and washed their feet,
and refreshed them, and set food before them, and ultimately gave
them her own bed to sleep in.
'But the Devil came to Giuliano out hunting, and tempted him with
jealous thoughts about his wife, and tormented him with all manner of
calumnious insinuations, so that his mind was filled with fury. Coming
home hunting-knife in hand, he rushed into the bedroom, and seeing
two forms in bed, without waiting to know who they were, he plunged
his knife into them, and killed them.
'Thus, without knowing it, he had killed both his father and his
mother.
'Coming out of the room he met his wife, who came to seek him to
welcome him.
'"What, you here!" he cried. "Who then are those in the bed, whom I
have killed?"
'"Killed!" replied the wife, "they were a pilgrim couple to whom I
gave hospitality for love of you, because they wandered seeking a son
named Giuliano." Then Giuliano knew what he had done, and was seized
with penitence for his hasty yielding to suspicion and anger. So
stricken with sorrow was he, he was as one dead, nor could anyone
move him to speak. Then his wife came to him and said, "We will do
penance together; we will lay aside ease and riches, and will devote
ourselves to the poor and needy."
'And he embraced her and said, "It is well spoken."
'Near where they lived was a rapid river, and no bridge, and many
were drowned in attempting to cross it, and many had a weary way to
walk to find a bridge. Said Giuliano, "We will build a bridge over
the river." And many pilgrims came to Galizia who had not where to
rest. Said Giuliano, "We will build a hospice for poor pilgrims,
where they may be received and be tended according to their needs,
till God forgives me."
'So they set forth, Giuliano and his wife, to go to Rome to find
workmen. [174] But as they went, a troop met them, and came round them,
and said to them, "Where are you going?"
'"We go to Rome," answered Giuliano, "to find workmen to build
a bridge."
'"We are your men, we are your men; for we have built many bridges
ere now." [175]
'Then Giuliano took them back with him, and all in two days they
built the bridge.
'"How can this be?" said Giuliano's wife; "here is something that is
not right," for she was so holy that she discerned the Evil One was
in it.
'"Be sure, Giuliano," she said, "there is some snare here. Take,
therefore, a cheese, hard and round, and roll it along the bridge,
[176] and send our dog after it; if they get across, well and good."
'Giuliano, always prone to accept his wife's prudent counsel, did as
she bid him, and rolled the cheese along the bridge, and sent the dog
after it; and, see! no sooner were they in the middle of the bridge
than the bridge sank in; and they knew that the Devil had built it,
and that it was no bridge for Christians to go over.
'Then said Giuliano, "God has not forgiven me yet. Now, let us build
the hospice."
'They set out, therefore, to go to Rome to find workmen to build
the hospice; and when the troop of demons came round them, saying,
"We are your workmen, we are your workmen!" they paid them no heed,
but went on to Rome, and fetched workmen thence, and the hospice was
built; and all the pilgrims who came they received, and gave them
hospitality, and the whole house was full of pilgrims.
'Then, when the house was full, quite full of pilgrims, there came
an old man, and begged admission. "Good man," said Giuliano's wife,
"it grieves my heart to say so, but there is not a bed, nor so much
as an empty corner left;" and the old man said:
'"If ye cannot receive me, it is because ye have done so much
charity to me already; therefore take this staff:" so he gave them
his pilgrim's staff, and went his way.
'But it was Jesus Christ who came in the semblance of that old man;
and when Giuliano took the staff, behold three flowers blossomed on
it, and he said:
'"See! God has forgiven me!"'
[Now I see this story in type I am inclined to think it is not strictly
traditional, like the rest; but that the narrator had acquired it
from one of the rimed legends mentioned at p. vii.]