SCOPPIO DEL CARRO.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE liPECTAT011."] Sin —I was much interested in reading " Vacuus Viator's " .account of the " Scoppio del Carro" in the Spectator of April 11th; but without wishing to question his statements, I should like to draw attention to the account given in a little Italian pamphlet published. in Florence in 1889. Pazzo is here said to have dealt a " blow to a corner of the Holy Sepul- chre which split off a piece," with which he immediately fled to his beloved Florence; but in order to elude the vigilance of the 'Turks, who had noticed the mischief done to the Sepulchre, and were on the watch to find out and seize the offender, he had his horse shod the reverse way (fete ferrare ii suo cavallo Ella rovescia ), and thus returned to Florence safe and sound with the holy relic.
This account certainly differs from " Vacuus Viator's" as to the main fact, and it is certainly not so poetically romantic as the picture of ' the Crusader rewarded for his bravery by being allowed to take a light from the Holy Sepulchre, and riding with it to Florence, carefully shielding it from tem- pestuous winds with his own body, choosing rather to he deemed " mad " by his fellow-citizens than to run the risk of sextinguishi-ms the sacred flame. It would be interesting to know which is the correct version.—I am, Sir, &c.,
A LOVER OF FLORENCE.
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