QUEER ORIGINS

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1928, 30 October 1926, Page 2

QUEER ORIGINS

THIB BROTHERS OF MERCY. “Bornei Cuflsory Remarks on Swearing ” is no doubt an excellent sermon, buft the 'best on Ithab topic is preached daily in Florence, in dlsieds rather (than words (say s Mr (Alfred Tessider Slieppairt in the Wesibmlinster Gaizetjte). The Italian vocabulary is often 'extensive and liocultaii, and) 'll, doubt wbcjUher the university don who reduced a Billingsgate fish-wife to tears by calling 'lief an isoscelels Itrianglle would have much success with a really excited Tuscan. In Ithe tramcar s one wil see apptealq against the use of language'degrading to those who speak it. But more effective than these, I fancy, is the noble example set by Pietro ißorsi, .a. humble porter in ithirFlorence. Idle was employed in Ithe Old Market, which stood on thjel site of tjhe ancient Roman forum; a famous .place once for 'faction fights, and for gatherings of flic great artislts whose, pictures ci(e,light us even now. The market poilteirs wai|ted fdr hire, and lounged a.way the hours of fierce sunshine in a shelter on the 'Piazza of iSan Giovanni. Borsi, concerned! at the blasphemy and obscenity to which he (had to listlen from his companions, made the whimsical suggestion ithat a fine she(u!ld be inflicted whenever an dmjproper word wra.s used, arid a litter bought with tilve money for the isick and. injured of the ci|ey. •And so, in 1244, a litter was bought, and the portelrs volunteered their sorvice f s in trim 'to carry i!t. This was Ithe 'beginning of the Brollherrs of MJeircy—the famous “ Misericordia,” at the head of which is Ithe King of (Italy. When -I lived in Florence I made the acquriihtaincte of.’Signor Martelli, the director, or manager, and (his family, and heiard a great, deal, about the wonderful resultis of Pietro Bolrsi’s

suggestion made nearly seven centuries age to those humble loungers iti (He old moirkieit Any daiy in Florence one will see the traffic, in a crowded street open to let through the motor am'bulances of the Misjericordia, and caps and ha'ts doffied as #hey race pajst on their errand of mercy. Their headquarters face Giotto’s Campanile. There tis a dark, ancienfc 'chaplsll 'with an altarpiece by Andrea diet 1 a Robbia, and a statue of St. 'Seibastian, their patron. At title back is a garage for the ambulances, and there- also are kept .mediaeval litters, sfaidan chairs, and other vehicles li’jsed in, thiel past. Occasionally these are exhibited to the general public, with some of the fine new ambulances lislsi'dle thieim (in contrast, in the Piazza of Itlhle 'Oa.thedral. I spent one Sunday afternoon at the headquarters!, and was given a striking object lesson in efficient voluntary service. A bfsill would 'ring suddenly; men 'in tong black cloaks with .pteaked hoods showing only the eyes were in waiting—at once there were a few sharp ordelrs, anti almost as quickly as one can writjei an ambulance is wai'tling to .dash off, perhaps to the scene of some accident, perhaps to a house where there was sickness or death. No brother of th§ order, which includes men of evleuiy class, may receive any fete except; a glass of water. Strange scenes of tragedy and plague some of tlhose batttelred litters and (tattered ambulances of old days might tell if they could speak. You maty see what the plague was like in Italy in ttlhalt great historicai novel by Alessandro Manzoni, “I Promessi Sposi ” —“ Title' Betrothed ’’—which was written a hundred Years ago.