disaient-ils, en parlant de Masaccio, est évidemment un fou ou un fripon; il faut le mettre en prison, le temps éclaircira l'affaire. Seigneur Vitalis, vous pouvez vous retirer. Puis, faisant un signe à un sbire: Mettez cet homme aux plombs.

Masaccio se jeta à genoux au milieu de la salle.— Messeigneurs! messeigneurs! il est possible que le diamant soit un diamant volé, je ne le sais pas; c'est le serpent qui me l'a donné; le serpent a pu vouloir me tromper, messeigneurs, il a trompé Eve notre mère. Il est possible que le singe, le lion, le serpent, tout cela soit une illusion du démon; mais j'ai sauvé ce seigneur, je l'atteste ! Il n'est plus pâle, il n'est plus faible et à demi-évanoui aujourd'hui comme lorsqu'il est sorti de la fosse, et lorsque je lui ai donné de mon pain; mais je le reconnais; c'est la même voix qui me criait de lui sauver la vie, avec laquelle il dit aujourd'hui qu'il ne me connaît pas. Seigneur Vitalis, je ne vous demande ni la dot de ma fiancée, ni votre palais de marbre; mais dites un mot pour moi, ne me laissez pas mettre aux plombs; ne m'abandonnez-pas; je ne vous ai pas abandonné dans la fosse!

Seigneurs, dit Vitalis, en s'inclinant devant le tribunal, je ne puis que répéter ce que je vous ai dit; je ne connais pas cet homme. Il invente contre moi une histoire extravagante; a-t-il un seul témoin, un seul indice ?—A ce moment il se fit comme un mouvêment d'effroi et de surprise parmi les sbires, et le lion, le singe et le serpent entrèrent dans la salle. Le singe était monté sur le lion et tenait le serpent entortillé autour de son bras. En entrant le lion hurla, le singe grogna, et le serpent siffla.-Ah! ce sont les bêtes de la fosse, cria Vitalis éperdu.-Seigneur Vitalis, reprit le chef des inquisiteurs, quand le trouble qu'avait causé cette apparition fut un peu dissipé vous demandiez où étaient les témoins de

Masaccio, vous voyez que Dieu les a envoyés à point nommé à la barre de notre tribunal. Quand Dieu donc a témoigné contre vous, nous serions coupables devant lui, si nous ne punissions pas votre ingratitude. Votre palais, vos biens sont confisqués; vous passerez le reste des vos jours dans une étroite prison! allez ! Et toi, continua-t-il en s'adressant à Masaccio qui pendant ce temps caressait son lion, son singe et son serpent, puisqu'un Vénitien t'avait promis un palais de marbre et une dot pour ta fiancée, la république de Venise accomplira la promesse; le palais et les biens de Vitalis sont à toi. Vous, dit-il au secrétaire du tribunal, rédigez un récit de toute cette histoire et faites-la connaître au peuple de Venise, afin qu'il sache que la justice du tribunal des inquisiteurs d'état n'est pas moins équitable qu'elle est rigoureuse.

Masaccio et sa femme vécurent de longues années dans le palais de Vitalis avec le singe, le lion et le serpent; et Masaccio les fit représenter sur une muraille de son palais, entrant dans la salle du tribunal, le lion portant le singe, et le singe portant le serpent. Ce tableau ce voit encore aujourd'hui dans le palais San Carlo à Venise.

12.

THE HIDDEN TREASURE.

A short time before his death a father said to his three sons: Dear children, I can leave you nothing but this cottage and the vineyard by the side of it. But in this vineyard a treasure is buried. Dig diligently and you will find it.

After the death of the father the sons dug up the whole vineyard with the greatest diligence, but they found neither gold nor silver. As they had, however, never before worked the soil with so much diligence, it produced such a quantity of grapes that they were astonished at it.

Now the sons guessed what their father had meant by the treasure, and wrote in large letters on the gate of the vineyard: Industry is the greatest treasure of (the) man.

13.

THE GRATEFUL LION.

A poor slave who had escaped from the house of his master was condemned to death. He was led to a large place, which was surrounded by walls, and a terrible lion was let loose upon him. Thousands of persons were witnesses of this spectacle.

The lion rushed furiously upon the poor man, but suddenly he stopped, wagged his tail, sprang with joy round him, and gently licked his hands. Everybody was astonished, and asked the slave how this came to pass. The slave told his story: When I had escaped from my master I hid myself in a cave, in the midst of the desert. Suddenly this lion came into it, whining, and showed me his paw, in which there was a large thorn. I (him) drew out the thorn, and since that time the lion provided me with game, and we lived peaceably together in the cave.

During the last hunt we were taken and separated from each other, and now the good animal is pleased to have found me again.

The people were delighted with the gratitude of the wild animal, and loudly demanded pardon for the slave and the lion. The slave was liberated, and loaded abundantly with presents. The lion followed him like a dog, and always remained with him, without hurting any one.

14.

THE PASTORAL FLUTE.

A king had a treasurer who had risen from the shepherd's staff to this important office. But the treasurer was accused to the king of robbing (that he robbed) the royal treasure and hiding the stolen jewels in a vault which was provided with an iron door. The king visited the treasurer, examined his palace, and when he came to the iron door he commanded it to be opened.

When the king entered he was quite astonished. He saw nothing but the four walls, a rustic table, and a chair of straw. On the table lay a pastoral flute, a shepherd's staff, and a shepherd's bag.

But the treasurer said: "In my youth I tended the sheep. Thou, oh king, broughtest me to thy court. Here in this vault I spent since that time an hour every day, remembered with pleasure my former position, and repeated the songs which I sang formerly in praise of the Creator, when I peaceably tended my flock. Ah, let me return again to my native fields, where I was happier than at thy court."

The king was very angry against those who had calumniated the honest man; he embraced him and entreated him to remain with him.

15.

THE THREE ROBBERS.

Three robbers murdered and plundered a merchant who was travelling through a wood with a quantity of money and valuable things. They brought the stolen treasures into their cave, and sent the youngest among them into the town to buy provisions. When he was gone, the two others said: " Why should we share these great riches with this lad? When he returns we will kill him."

The young robber thought on his way to himself: How happy I should be if all this money belonged to me! I will poison my two companions, then I keep it for myself. When he had arrived in the town he bought provisions, put poison into the wine, and returned into the forest.

Scarcely had he entered the cave, when the two others rushed upon him and pierced him with their daggers. After this they sat down, ate, and drank the poisoned wine. They died under violent pains, and their bodies were found among the heaped up treasures.

16.

THE PILGRIM.

In a splendid castle, of which every trace has long disappeared, once lived a very rich knight. He spent

much money in beautifying it, but did little for the poor. There once came a poor pilgrim, who begged for a night's lodging. The knight refused him haughtily and said: This castle is no inn. Permit me only three questions, said the pilgrim, then I will go on. "Very well," replied the knight. "Who inhabited this castle before you?" asked the pilgrim.-"My father."- "Who was the inhabitant of this castle before him?". “My_grandfather.” -" And who will live in it after you?"—"My son, please God."

"Well," said the pilgrim, "if each only lives a certain time in this castle, and if one always makes room in it for the other, you are only guests here, and the castle is really an inn. Therefore do not spend so much in beautifying this house, which you possess only for so short a time. Rather do good to the poor, then you will obtain in heaven an eternal dwelling place."

The knight took these words to heart, granted the pilgrim's request, and became in future more charitable to the poor.

17.

THE OAK AND THE WILLOW.

After a very stormy night a father went with his son into the field to see what damage the storm had done. "Look there!" exclaimed the boy, "the oak, which seemed so strong, lies stretched upon the ground, while the feeble willow, near the brook, is still standing upright. I should have thought that the storm would more easily have thrown down the willow than the oak." My son, said the father, the proud oak, which cannot bend, must break; but the willow gave way to the storm, and has therefore been spared.

18.

THE MONKEY.

A monkey came through an open window into the room of a rich miser who never gave a farthing to a poor person. He was not at home just then. By chance the monkey found the money-box, which was filled with gold coins,