se the former is a human phenomenon. I forsee that the day will come, and thatperhaps not so very far distant, when the world of scholars will be amazed to consider to what a late period an immense body of antique tradition survived in Northern Italy, and how indifferent the learned were regardingit; there having been in very truth only one man, and he a foreigner, whoearnestly occupied himself with collecting and preserving it. It is very probably that there were as many touching episodes amongthe heathen martyrs who were forced to give up their beloved deities, suchas Diana, Venus, the Graces, and others, who were worshipped for beauty, as there were even among the Christians who were thrown to the lions. For the heathen loved their gods with a human personal sympathy, withoutmysticism or fear, as if they had been blood relations; and there were manyamong them who really believed that such was the case when some damsel whohad made a faux pas got out of it by attributing itall to some god, faun, or satyr; which is very touching. There is a greatdeal to be said for, as well as against, the idolaters or worshippers ofdolls, as I heard a small girl define them.CHAPTER XII TANA OR DIANA THE MOON GODDESS The following story, which appeared originally in the Legends of Florence, collected from the people by me, does not properly belong to the Witch's Gospel, as it is not strictly in accordance with it;and yet it could not well be omitted, since it is on the same subject. In it Diana appears simply as the lunar goddess of chastity, therefor notas a witch. It was given to me as Fana, but my informant said that it might be Tana; she was not sure. As Tana occurs in another tale, and as the subject is certainly Diana, there can hardly be a question of this. Tana was a very beautiful girl, but extremely poor, and as modest and pure as she was beautiful and humble. She went from one contadino to another, or from farm to farm to w...
