Wanderings in the Roman campagna . sts, is a tissue of themost absurd and impossible circimistances that thefancy of a religious story-teller could produce. But as,wandering through these lovely mountains, the studentof the past meets at every step memorials of the hero;as the story is corroborated to a certain extent by ma-terial details which can be seen at the present day; andas Placidus Eustachius is the recognized head of theConti dynasty, which has ruled over this district eversince the time of Innocent III (1198-1216), I hope thereader will not object to listening to the version of thes
Wanderings in the Roman campagna . sts, is a tissue of themost absurd and impossible circimistances that thefancy of a religious story-teller could produce. But as,wandering through these lovely mountains, the studentof the past meets at every step memorials of the hero;as the story is corroborated to a certain extent by ma-terial details which can be seen at the present day; andas Placidus Eustachius is the recognized head of theConti dynasty, which has ruled over this district eversince the time of Innocent III (1198-1216), I hope thereader will not object to listening to the version of thestory given by Kircher in Part I of his Historia Eusta-chio-Mariana, published in Rome by Varesi in I660. 200 wandp:rin(:s in the ro]vl campagna THE LEGEND OF EUSTACHIUS At the time of the Emperor Trajan and of PopeAnacletiis, there Hved a galhmt general, Placidus byname, wlio, ha vino- distinguished himself in the Dacianand Jewish wars, and shared in the Emperors triumph,A\as granted a leave of absence and retired to rest in his. The cliurcli of S. .Maria di Wilturella. (From a sketch hy Giovanni Fontaiia) properties on the Vnlturella range, together with hiswife Traiana and his two sons. One morning, u])on learning from his gamekeeperthat a herd of stags had been seen on the edge of theneighboring forest, he outdistanced his followers in theexcitement of the chase, until he found his progressl)arred by a ledge of rock; and while planning how toovercome this ol)stacle, he heard a voice from abovesaying: O Placidus, why do you persecute me? and THE LAND OF GREGORY TTIE GREAT 201 beheld at the same time the Lords face, surrounded bya halo of glory, between the antlers of the stag he hadbeen pursuing. O Lord, was Placidus answer, tell me who youare, and what you expect of me ? Go back to Rome, was the heavenly command;inquire for a Christian priest named Johan; be bap-tized with your wife and your sons; then return to thesemountains to learn what I wish you to do and suffer forme.
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