"Nay, not even
that; for Donato hath courage in himself, and in his own rulings faith,
and more a man needs not."
"Then wherefore hath the Signoria created this office of _Teologo
Consultore_, and appointed thereto this friar of the Servi, of whom they
tell such marvels--as if the Collegio, with all our learned chancellors,
were not enough!"
"Leave thou these matters to the Signoria, who, verily, know how to
rule--ay, and how to choose; for the man is like none other."
"What uses hath the Senate for this cloistered scholar, skilled in many
sciences and master of tongues," the Lady Laura persisted, "that it
should create an office--which since the _serrata_ it hath not been
known to do--and appoint a friar over the heads of our nobles who have
loyally served the Republic since our ancestors first sat in the
Consiglio? There are the halls of Padua for our scholars, where already
his friend, the master Galileo, holdeth high honors, by favor of the
Senate; and if Fra Paolo were named Rector Magnifico, and put at its
head----"
"Nay, nay, the Senate is wise," her husband interrupted, not ill pleased
at her vehemence and the patrician pride which prompted it.
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