The invocation concludes with an expression of joyful confidence in God
and the future.


(Giacomo) "PACCHIAROTTO" was a painter of Siena.[91] His story is told
in the "Commentary on the Life of Sodoma" by the editors of Vasari;
Florence, 1855; and this contains all, or nearly all, the incidents of
Mr. Browning's "Pacchiarotto," as well as others of a similar kind but
of later occurrence, which are not mentioned in it.

This painter was a restless, aggressive personage, with a craze for
reform; and a conspicuous member of the "Bardotti:" a society of
uncommissioned reformers, whose occupation was to cry down abuses, and
prescribe wholesale theoretical measures for removing them. (Hence their
title; which signifies "spare" horses or "freed" ones: they walk by the
side of the waggon while others drudge at, and drag it along). But he
discovered that men would not be reformed; and bethought himself, after
a time, of a new manner of testifying to the truth. He selected a room
in his own house, whitewashed it (we conclude); and, working in
"distemper" or fresco, painted it with men and women of every condition
and kind. He then harangued these on their various shortcomings. They
answered him, as he imagined, in a humble and apologetic manner; and he
then proceeded to denounce their excuses, and strip the mask from their
sophistries and hypocrisies--doing so with every appearance of success.

But he presumed too much on his victory. A famine had broken out in
Siena. The magistrates were, of course, held responsible for it. The
Bardotti assembled, and prescribed the fitting remedies. Everything
would come right if only the existing social order was turned
topsy-turvy, and men were released from every tie. Pacchiarotto was