woman still survives in story and saying all over Europe. In Servia, for example, we find:—"Where the devil cannot cause a mischief, there he sends an old woman, and she does it," and "Woman has long hair but short brains."[1]
In Piedmont many proverbs in current use share this mediæval characteristic, although the songs of the winter courtship meetings in the stables[2] are couched in extravagant eulogy of the beauty and good qualities of woman, or rather of a woman. From a number of these unprinted songs of young people in love written out for me by a peasant, I select the following:—
"Sei bella, sei splendida, o vaga fanciulla,
Dei dolci peccati sei forse pentita?
Mi sembri una santa discesa dal ciel.
Sei bella e pietosa di bruno vestita,
Coperto la fronte di pudico vel.
Riposa tranquilla nei sogni ridenti,
Eppur già è scritto nel mio destino
Laggiù sull' arena ai rialzi del mar
In mezzo ai profumi di magiche feste
Un giorno mia sposa dovrai diventar.
Ed allora il mio cor sinfiamma d'amor,
O bel angiolo mio, o mio bel tesor,"
which may be very freely translated as
"O dainty girl, so lovely, all glorious within,
Hast thou perchance deserted our pleasant ways as sin?
To me thou now appearest a saint from Heaven come down,
All beautiful and holy, in simple robe of brown.
The modest veil of girlhood still hides thy forehead clear,
And be thy dreams all smiling, thy rest without a fear.
But know already written my changeless fate's decree
That there upon the shore of the ever-shifting sea
Love's magic feasts and perfumes await both thee and me,
And thou, one day of glory, my bride and joy shall be.
Then in my heart is burning a love all words above,
O angel mine, O treasure, my beautiful, my dove!"
