The Well of Saint Clare by Anatole France
page 158 of 210 (75%)
page 158 of 210 (75%)
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with my heart and bowels, but with the tables of bronze whereon the Law
is inscribed." And straightway he began to gesticulate furiously and utter a raging torrent of words. And he declaimed the argument of a play, in imitation of Seneca the Tragedian: and this drama was filled full of crimes committed by the holy man Giovanni. And the Accuser represented in succession all the characters of the tragedy. He mimicked the groans of the victims and the voice of Giovanni, the better to strike awe into his audience, who seemed to hear and see Giovanni himself, intoxicated with hate and evildoing. And the Accuser tore his hair and rent his gown and fell back exhausted on his august seat of office. And the Judge who had questioned the accused before took up the word again and said: "It is meet a citizen defend this man. For none, so says the law of Viterbo, may be condemned without having been first defended." Thereupon an Advocate of Viterbo got up on a stool and spoke in these terms: "If this monk has said and done what is laid to his charge, he is very wicked. But we have no proof that he has spoken and acted in the manner supposed. Moreover, good sirs, had we this proof, it would behove us to consider further the extreme simplicity of the man and the feebleness of his understanding. He was the laughing-stock of the children in the Public Square. He is ignorant; he has done a thousand extravagances. For my own part I believe he is beside himself. What he says is worthless nonsense, and there is nothing sensible he can do. I think he has been |
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