the Holy Sepulchre back to his native town by a carrier pigeon, and thus
the Florentines received the glad tidings long before it reached any other
city in Europe. In token of their gladness at the news, they instituted the
ceremony of the white pigeon and the _carro_ on Easter Eve.

[Illustration: A Florentine torch holder.]

Another story is to the effect that this Florentine entered the city of
Jerusalem before the first crusade, broke off a large fragment of the Holy
Sepulchre, and carried it to Florence. He was pursued by the Saracens, but
escaped by shoeing his horse with reversed irons. Another version is that
he resolved to bring back to Florence the sacred flame that burnt in the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Accordingly he lighted thereat a torch, and
rode back to Italy with the torch flaming. But to protect it from the wind,
he rode with his face to the tail of his steed, screening the torch with
his body. As he thus rode, folk who saw him shouted "Pazzi! Pazzi!"--Fool!
Fool! and this name was assumed by his family ever after. The Pazzis
of Florence every year paid all the expenses of the _carro_ till quite
recently, when the Municipality assumed the charge and now defray it from
the city chest. Clearly the origin of the custom is forgotten; nevertheless
it is not difficult to explain the meaning of the ceremony.

In the Eastern Church, and still, in many churches in the West, the lights
are extinguished on Good Friday, and formerly this was the case with all
fires, those of the domestic hearth as well as the lamps in church. On
Easter Day, fresh fire was struck with flint and steel by the bishop, and
all candles, lamps and hearths were rekindled from this new light. At the
present day one of the most solemn scenes in the Eastern Church is this
kindling of the Easter fire, and its communication from one to another in a
vast congregation assembled to receive it and carry it off to their homes.