The record-union., 1898-05-13
THE FLIGHT OF THE DOVE.
A Curious Ceremony Observed foI
Centuries in Florence.

LII Tic Sl NICHOLAS IneIe 10 al I'll IL
Gle entitled I'm Old Florence" written
by Mrs. Rebecca Harding Davis. One
of the quaint customs Mrs. Davis de-
scribes is the following:
"A crusader from Florence saw the
light in the Holy Sepulchre and vowed
that he would carry the sacred flame
home to his own city. Three times he
set off with the torch. The wild beasts
fought him, and the storms beat on him,
and the winds blew against him. Three
times it was put out, and he had TO turn
back. At last he hid it in his bosom,
and rode backward on his horse and
So protected it. The people thought he
was mad seeing the ridiculous figure
facing the horses tail, and called out,
'PaZzo, pazzo" (Fool, foolD But he did
not care. He carried the holX light
home to the high altar of the Duomo,
and there it still burns to-day. His lam
lily have been known ever since as the
PaZzi''
That's good story" said Tom after
pause. "A sort of allegory, I sup
pose. But there's no dove in it,
'Oh, the dove? Well, every year on
Holy Saturday a dove, typical of the
Holy Spirit, flies with a spark Of sacred
fire from the high altar of the Duomo
to the Baptistery. The flame is then
given to the Pazzi family, who carry it
to their own little church. There is an
old superstition. which many of the
contadini or peasants still believe, that
if the light goes out in it's passage the
crops will fail: so they crowd into city
from all Tuscany, to pray for the dove
while it is on it's way
Tom heard that evening on all sides
50 much talk of Lo Sco2pio del CAIRO
Che fliSht of the dove) that he felt it
was high time to begin his lessons. He
would give these people some good,
common sense to morrow!
But 10 o'clock the next morning found
him with Hugo struggling madly
through the masses of people in the
plaza uD the steps of the great cathe-
dral.
When the great cathedral was full the
vast crowd ebbed and flowed outside
against the walls, beneath the Campa-
nile, the great bell-tower which shot
up into the blue heaven like an 2iry
shaft of carved ivory and gems, around
the gigantic figures of the builders of
the Duomo. who for centuries have sat
pondering, gazing at the work they left
on the earth.
Il never saw SO great a crowd so
silent and grave" said Tom.
This is not a show" Hugo replied.
1T is a RELIGIOUS ceremony. 1t has a
solemn and sacred meaning to these
people"
Those rude tourists should be put cut
of the church." muttered Tom frowning
at a group of people who were talking
and laughing.
No matter!" whispered Hugo.
Watch now"
The music and chanting suddenly
stopped. The people rose from their
knees and stood gazing breathlessly up
into the dome of the cathedral, in which
the red sunset lights were fading into
darkness. On the altar, high n the
shadow, appeared flickering spark. II
wavered, frightened. almost died out.
Then white dove, scattering showers
of sparks, darted from the altar,
crossed the Duomo high over the up
turned faces. and passed through the
open doors across the square 10 the
church of San Giovanni.
rs it there safely!' gasped Hugo. "If
II Only comes Ddck WlInOuC gong out
the crops are sure for this year.'
The Duomo with it's multitudeS waited
in silence. The peasants stood with
strained eyes fixed on the door, Tom
held his breath.
There was flash of light at the door,
again shower of sparks overhead, AMI
the dove f1uttered back to the altar.
With great sigh of relief the entire
crowd of people rushed to the doors.
When the boys reached the squire
Hugo dragged Tom up on to the base of
BrunelleSchi's statue.
You can look over the heads of the
people here" he said. do you See that
great car hung with flowers, with a
tower in the middle? That is a caroccio,
an ancient Etruscan war-charior. It,
and the six white oxen you see without
SPOT or stain. belong to the Pazzi.
Neither car nor oxen are used through
out the year except to-day, to carry the
sacred light from the altar to the pIi
vate cha0el Of the family. Ah they
have started. They are coming.'
The snowwhite, stately animals
arched slowly past, each led by man
in the Pazzi liveries.