Etruscan Roman Remains in Popular Tradition

[Amanda Messenger]

or stuck on the article indicated. Now this young man had the first volume of the Museum Etruscum of Antonio F. Gori, 1737, marked "ten francs," but seeing that I wanted it he offered it for eight.

"Throw in that fourteenth-century Virgin on a panel, with a gold background," I said, "and it's a bargain."

[Amanda Messenger]

So the Madonna was thrown in in a hurry--she was really well worth about tenpence--and we were all satisfied.

This was indeed--as the French advertisement in a shop for the sale of Roman Catholic "idolatries" announced--"une Vièrge d'occasion." I may here mention that these are the only kind of pictures which I ever buy; in which I very much resemble a young gentleman of my acquaintance who only admires ladies with large fortunes. All of his madonnas, like mine, have gold backgrounds.

[Amanda Messenger]

The picture was fearfully dilapidated, but with gesso and gouache colours, and white of eggs, and gum, and gold, I restored it so that it seems better than new for it looks every whit of its four hundred and fifty years, or even older. But then the surroundings are favourable to such work--for Florence is a famous place for rehabilitating damaged Virgins--and I have heard some marvellous stories about such rifatture--which I omit for want of space.

[Amanda Messenger]

[Amanda Messenger]

BRONZE ETRUSCAN AMULET AGAINST THE EVIL EYE
(In Possession of the Author )

[Amanda Messenger]

Footnotes

365:1 It has been several times published; the last edition is by Scheibele of Stuttgart (in his Kloster).

367:1 In Voodoo if a woman gets another's shoes which have just been taken off, and takes off her own and laces them inside the other pair, and so leaves them till morning, the man is sure to fall in love with her.--Note by MARY A. OWEN

372:1 This remarkable man who was known as "King Alexander" died while this work was being printed.