Pagina 7 di 1118

He then opened anew his breviary, and recited another portion at

an angle of the lane, after which angle the road continued

straight for perhaps seventy paces, and then branched like the

letter Y into two narrow paths; the right-hand one ascended

towards the mountain, and led to the parsonage (Cura); that on

the left descended the valley towards a torrent, and on this side

the wall rose out to the height of about two feet. The inner

walls of the two narrow paths, instead of meeting at the angle,

ended in a little chapel, upon which were depicted certain long,

sinuous, pointed shapes, which, in the intention of the artist,

and to the eyes of the neighbouring inhabitants, represented

flames, and amidst these flames certain other forms, not to be

described, that were meant for souls in purgatory; souls and

flames of a brick colour, upon a ground of blackish grey, with

here and there a bare spot of plaster.