Chapter 24 Chapter Twenty-Three

The next morning, most of the servants asked to go to the sermon, and few remained to guard the house. "She can't go in," he said roughly to my husband. "Women are not allowed in." His voice was full of hostility. At that time, I even doubted whether he knew some ulterior things between us, and my whole body was cold. "Why?" my husband said coldly. "The sermons of the monks are for the establishment of a holy state, and women should not hear them." "But if this country is holy, isn't he insulting us by saying that?" I said aloud.

"Women are forbidden." He ignored me and repeated to my husband. "Government matters should be settled by men. Women are not only useless but also irrational. They should be obediently chaste and silent." "Well, sir," I said, "if women really..." "My wife is of good character," said Cristoforo, squeezing my wrist tightly. "Even our most diligent Abbot Savonarola would never find fault with her behavior." "Then she'd better go home and take care of the house and let the men do their work," he said. "Her veil should not have lace nor cover her face properly. Simplicity is virtue in this country at present. , cannot be sullied by the preferences of the rich."

Half a year ago, he would have been whipped for daring to be so negligent; but now his arrogance leaves us helpless. My husband of course saw it as clearly as I did and wisely chose not to offend them.He turned around and smiled at me. "Dear wife," he said to me foolishly, with feigned intimacy, "now, go home with God and pray for us. I'll be with you later, if anything Yes, I'll tell you." And so, like actors in a bad Boccaccio play, we bow our goodbyes; he disappears into the great cathedral. Down the stairs, Elila and I found ourselves among a sea of ​​women devoutly resenting their ostracism.I saw several women who were as graceful and modest as my mother.After a while, a group of boys with short haircuts and dressed more like penitents came out and herded us to the edge of the square.It seems to me that they are using sanctity as an excuse to humiliate and demean us in a way they would never have dared to do in the past.

"This way." Ilila grabbed me and pulled me aside, "If we stay here, we'll never get in." "So what do we do? There are guards everywhere." "True, but not every door is for the rich. With luck, there will be fewer guards where there are fewer people." I followed her out of the crowd to one side of the church; there the flow of people was less spectacular, but it was also so tightly packed that it was impossible for the guards at the church door to check every audience member who was crowded in the crowd.As we squeezed in, there was a tidal sound inside, as if Savonarola was walking up to the altar.The doors of the church began to close, and the crowd increased even more.

Once inside, Irilah and I hurried to the back and hid between the church's second screen door and the wall.If you come earlier, you will definitely be discovered; if you come later, you may not be here.I took a sneak peek at the crowd and knew I wasn't the only woman violating the ban.For shortly after pushing through the crowd, there was a commotion on the left; an elderly woman was roughly dragged out, and the men hissed as she left.We bowed our heads and hid in the shadows of the church. When it was time for the sermon to begin, the little monk went to the pulpit, and the church fell silent.This is the first time he has preached to the public since the new government was formed.

"Welcome, gentlemen of Florence. Today we come together for a great cause. Our Lady fled to Bethlehem to give birth to our Savior; our city takes the first step to its redemption. Cheers Come, subjects of Florence, for the dawn has come." There was a burst of joy and admiration from the crowd. "The voyage has begun, and the ship of redemption has docked! These days, I have followed the Lord, seeking his instructions, and begging his mercy. Day and night I bowed down before him, waiting for his command, and he did not abandon me. 'O Lord,' I cried aloud, 'leave this great task to another! Let Florence guide herself through the storm, and let me return to the lonely port.' 'Impossible,' answered the Lord, 'You are the helmsman, the wind is sailing, and now it is irreversible.'”

This time, the uproar around him was louder, and people begged him to continue.I couldn't help but think of Julius Caesar, and every time he stirred up a crowd's emotions, the reaction was always stronger. "'Lord, Lord,' I said to him, 'if I must preach, I will. But why should I meddle in the affairs of the Florentine government? I am only a friar.' Then the Lord, with his dreadful The voice said: 'Remember, Girolamo, if you want to make Florence a holy city, you must build up its sanctity from the deepest level. It is your task to establish a truly virtuous government. Although You will be afraid and I will follow you. When you speak, you are giving MY commands. And so the darkness will be pierced until there is no room for sinners.

"'But do not underestimate the hardships of this journey. Every structure of this city is rotten, eaten away by the moths of lust and greed. Even those who claim to be holy must have justice to judge: those men and women of the Church, Those who drink MY blood from cups of gold and silver, they care more about the cup than I; they have to be taught what humility is. As for those who follow the heathen and worship false gods, their mouths must be shut up. Those Those who are extravagant and greedy should be burned to death by the fire of desire... Also, those who are greedy for beauty and love to dress up, their mirrors will be smashed to pieces, let their eyes look inward to see their dirty dirty soul...

"'In this great task men are to be the forerunners. As the corruption of men begins with the corruption of women, there should be power over their vanity and frailty. In a truly holy city women should shut their doors Come out, be respectful and virtuous, so that you can be saved. "'It is the pride of the Christian Church to take part in holy war and take back my holy place. So, the young people of Florence will take to the streets and declare war on crime. They will be the holy army. Every land will follow their steps Cheers. Those without Those capable, those gamblers, those whores, those sodomites, those who violate my criminal laws, will feel my wrath. 'The LORD said this to me, and I obeyed.Let us praise his name in heaven and on earth, and our great task of building a new Jerusalem. "

He does seem to be possessed by a spirit, and if it's not God inside him, then I don't know who it is.I felt trembling all over, and at that moment I wanted to tear up my painting and ask God for forgiveness and light; though it was more out of fear than joy of being rescued.Just when I thought so, there was a burst of cheers praising him in the venue.It made me think of the sound of the Piazza Santa Croce that day. It was the city's annual rugby game day. Whenever there was a wonderful scene, people expressed their joy and admiration like this. I turned to Ilila to see how she felt.I lifted my head slightly as I turned around, and the man in front of me turned around just in time to get a better view.This way he saw me sideways, and I knew immediately that we had been spotted.He whistled at us, too late and then quickly, and Ilila grabbed me, pulled me out of the crowd, rushed to the crack of the door and slipped out.We were safe, but shivering, in the cold sunshine of a December morning in New Jerusalem.