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