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 O R I E N TA L I A
L OVA N I E N S I A
A N A L E C TA
John Plousiadenos
(1423?-1500)
A Time-Space Geography of his Life
and Career

by
ELEFTHERIOS DESPOTAKIS

P E E T ERS
JOHN PLOUSIADENOS
(1423?-1500)
Questi sono gli huomini et religiosi di Candia, ritratti dal suo naturale
(Houghton Library, MS Riant 6, 15th c.)
 ORIENTALIA LOVANIENSIA
ANALECTA
————— 284 —————

BIBLIOTHÈQUE DE BYZANTION
21

JOHN PLOUSIADENOS
(1423?-1500)

A Time-Space Geography of his Life and Career

by

ELEFTHERIOS DESPOTAKIS

PEETERS
LEUVEN – PARIS – BRISTOL, CT
2020
 A catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.

© 2020, Peeters Publishers, Bondgenotenlaan 153, B-3000 Leuven/Louvain (Belgium)

All rights reserved, including the rights to translate or to

reproduce this book or parts thereof in any form.

ISBN 978-90-429-3787-1
eISBN 978-90-429-3788-8
D/2020/0602/13
To Polyvios & Zoi
 CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IX

PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XI

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XIII

1. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
I. The ecclesiastical state in Crete after the Fourth Crusade . . . 1
II. Crete and the Union of the Churches: Uniate trends and anti-Uniate
resistance in the first half of the 15th century . . . . . . . 6

2. THE FIRST STEPS OF CAREER PLANNING . . . . . . . . . . 13

I. The Cretan background of his education . . . . . . . . 13
II. The establishment of Bessarion’s Bequest . . . . . . . 24
III. The codex Ambrosianus H 41 sup. (Martini-Bassi 429) . . . 29

3. PERCEPTIONS AND REALITIES IN THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF CHANDAX. . . 41

I. The encyclical monitory letter to the Orthodox priests of Chandax 41
II. The letter of Bessarion in 1465 and the Uniates’ everyday life . 44
III. Fifteen years of contest for the office of vice-protopapas . . . 50

4. INTELLECTUAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL LANDSCAPE . . . . . . . . 61

I. Crete, Rome and the “codices Marciani” . . . . . . . 61
II. The project of the Castle Montauto and the Greek community of
Venice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
III. The hegoumenìa at St Demetrios’ de Perati monastery and the
ascension to the bishopric throne of Methone . . . . . . . 87

APPENDIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
I. The Prayer to the Holy Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
II. The Pattern for the Catholic confession . . . . . . . . 115
III. Manuscripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
IV. Archival documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
V. Tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
INDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
I. Index of manuscripts cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
II. Index of names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am indebted to numerous teachers, colleagues and friends who have gener-

ously given off themselves to advice, support and encourage me during this
project. First and foremost, I owe my deepest debt of gratitude to Antonio Rigo
who has patiently and kindly directed the development of this work during my
postdoctoral fellowship at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. I am also
profoundly grateful to Thierry Ganchou, who has so generously given of his
time and shared his erudition at every stage of my research and at this book in
particular. This work is also a product of my research fellowship at the Hellenic
Institute of Byzantine and Post-byzantine Studies in Venice where I benefited
of the supervision of Chryssa Maltezou who first inspired my interest in the
archival research and supported me with consistent care and quality. For all of
her contributions, I express my warmest gratitude. My sincere gratitude also
goes to my academic supervisor at Athens, Anastasia Papadia-Lala, for guiding
me through my Ph.D. dissertation on the Uniates of Crete (15th c.) and offering
me several very helpful suggestions. Last but not least, I would like to thank
Peter Van Deun for his careful reading of the manuscript and for his valuable
comments and corrections. Finally, I want to thank all those who have facili-
tated my work and supported the conclusion of this book: Panagiotis Athana-
sopoulos, Olivier Delouis, Marina Detoraki, Paolo Eleuteri, Christian Förstel,
Ciro Giacomelli, Ottavia Mazzon, Brigitte Mondrain, Symeon Paschalidis and
Arnold Van Gemert.
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 PREFACE

Sixty years ago, in 1959, Manoussos Manoussakas published an article that

began with the following words: “La personnalité et les écrits de Jean Plousi-
adénos ou, en religion Joseph, évêque de Méthone († 1500), copiste et écrivain
crétois et l’un des théologiens et controversistes Grecs les plus remarquables
parmi les partisans de l’Union de Florence, ont souvent suscité l’intérêt des
savants [...] Sa vie offre pourtant encore plusieurs points obscurs. Cet article,
loin de constituer une biographie complète de Plousiadénos, se propose mod-
estement de jeter un peu de lumière sur certains de ces points”.
Despite the quoted words above, the study of Manoussakas, which was mainly
based on Venetian archival sources, has remained until today an essential point of
reference for the research devoted to John Plousiadenos, to other personalities who
were related to him and, more generally, to the intellectual and religious history
of the Greek Unionist circles of the second half of the fifteenth century.
At the same time, a new period was inaugurated with studies dedicated to
Bessarion, his school, his writings and his library. Increased research interest
also focused on Cardinal’s collaborators, their activities, intellectual works and
book production.
The book by Eleftherios Despotakis, a researcher already known for his impor-
tant contributions on Byzantium and Italy between the fourteenth and the fifteenth
centuries, has thus a twofold background. On the one hand, the traditional research
in the State Archives and the Historical Archive of the Patriarchate of Venice, and
on the other hand the investigation of writings and codices of Bessarion and his
collaborators, including John Plousiadenos, as well as of palaeographic and philo-
logical studies on the ‘Quattrocento’ between Byzantium and the West.
Despotakis’ research, therefore, moves on three distinct levels, skilfully
maintained together by the scholar: the archival documents, the manuscript
production and lastly the literature of the period. This synthesis allows Despo-
takis to reconstruct a complete biography of John Plousiadenos, between Italy
and Crete, until his death in Methone, and to present his career in an exhaustive
way, including his ecclesiastical mission in favour of the union of the Churches
in the footsteps of Bessarion, his activity as a copyist and also his literary work,
which was the result of the meeting of Byzantine and Latin cultures.
In this way, sixty years after the study of Manoussakas that has so far influ-
enced our knowledge and research on Plousiadenos and his environment, we
have a new and more complete guide, which we will certainly use for a long time.

Venice, May 2019 Antonio Rigo

 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

AASS Acta Sanctorum

AB Analecta Bollandiana
ACO Acta Conciliorum Oecumenicorum
AHR The American Historical Review
ArchAth Archives de l’Athos
ASE Annali di storia dell’esegesi
BA Byzantinisches Archiv
BBA Berliner Byzantinistische Arbeiten
BBGG Bollettino della Badia greca di Grottaferrata
BECK, Kirche H.-G. BECK, Kirche und theologische Literatur im byzantini-
und theologische schen Reich (Handbuch der Altertumswissenschaft, XII.2.1),
Literatur München, 1959 (= 1977)
BETL Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium
BF Byzantinische Forschungen
BHG Bibliotheca Hagiographica Graeca
BHL Bibliotheca Hagiographica Latina
BHO Bibliotheca Hagiographica Orientalis
BMGS Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies
BNJ Byzantinisch-Neugriechische Jahrbücher
BSGRT Bibliotheca Scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana
Bsl Byzantinoslavica
Byz Byzantion
BZ Byzantinische Zeitschrift
CA Cahiers Archéologiques
CAB Corpus des astronomes byzantins
CCCA M. GEERARD, J.C. HAELEWYCK, Corpus Christianorum, Claves
Apocryphorum Veteris et Novi Testamenti, Turnhout, 1992,
1998
CCSG Corpus Christianorum, Series Graeca
CCSL Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina
CFHB Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae
CIG Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum
CIL Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum
CJ Codex Justinianus
XIV LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CPG M. GEERARD, Clavis Patrum Graecorum, 5 vol., Turnhout,

1983, 1974, 1979, 1980 and 1987; M. GEERARD – J. NORET,
Clavis Patrum Graecorum. Supplementum, Turnhout, 1998;
J. NORET, Clavis Patrum Graecorum, III A, editio secunda,
anastatica, addendis locupletata, Turnhout, 2003
CSCO Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium
CSEL Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum
CSHB Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae
CTh Codex Theodosianus
DACL Dictionnaire d’Archéologie Chrétienne et de Liturgie
DB Dictionnaire de la Bible
DHGE Dictionnaire d’Histoire et de Géographie Ecclésiastiques
DOP Dumbarton Oaks Papers
DOS Dumbarton Oaks Studies
DSp Dictionnaire de spiritualité
DXAE Deltíon Xristianik±v ˆArxaiologik±v ¨Etaireíav
EEBS ˆEpetjrìv ¨Etaireíav Buhantin¬n Spoud¬n
EHRHARD, A. EHRHARD, Überlieferung und Bestand der hagiographischen
Überlieferung und homiletischen Literatur der griechischen Kirche von den
Anfängen bis zum Ende des 16. Jahrhunderts (TU 50-52), 3
vols, Leipzig, 1937-1952
EO Échos d’Orient
FHG C. MÜLLER, Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum, 5 vols.,
Paris, 1841-1883
GCS Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten Jahr-
hunderte
GNO Gregorii Nysseni Opera
GOThR The Greek Orthodox Theological Review
GRBS Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies
HUNGER, Hoch- H. HUNGER, Die hochsprachliche profane Literatur der
sprachliche profane Byzantiner (Handbuch der Altertumswissenschaft, XII.5),
Literatur 2 vols., München, 1978-1979
JANIN, Géographie R. JANIN, La géographie ecclésiastique de l’Empire byzantin, pt.
ecclésiastique 1, Le Siège de Constantinople et le Patriarcat œcuménique, t.
III, Les églises et les monastères, Paris, 19692
JG I. ZEPOS – P. ZEPOS, Jus Graecoromanum, 8 vols., Athens, 1931
JHS Journal of Hellenic Studies
JÖB Jahrbuch der Österreichischen Byzantinistik
JÖs Jahrbuch der Österreichischen byzantinischen Gesellschaft
JRA Journal of Roman Archaeology
JRS Journal of Roman Studies
 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS XV

JThS The Journal of Theological Studies

KAZHDAN, History of A. KAZHDAN, A History of Byzantine Literature (650-850), in
Byzantine Literature collaboration with L. F. SHERRY and Ch. ANGELIDI (Institute for
(650-850) Byzantine research. Research series, 2), Athens, 1999
KAZHDAN, History of A. KAZHDAN, A History of Byzantine Literature (850-1000),
Byzantine Literature edited by Ch. ANGELIDI (Institute for Byzantine research.
(850-1000) Research series, 4), Athens, 2006
KRUMBACHER, K. KRUMBACHER, Geschichte der byzantinischen Litteratur von
Geschichte der Justinian bis zum Ende des oströmischen Reiches (527-1453).
byzantinischen Zweite Auflage bearbeitet under Mitwirkung von
Litteratur A. EHRHARD – H. GELZER (Handbuch der klassischen Altertum-
swissenschaft, IX.1), München, 1897
LAMPE, Lexicon G. W. H. LAMPE, A Patristic Greek Lexicon, Oxford, 1961
LBG Lexikon zur byzantinischen Gräzität
LchI Lexikon der christlichen Ikonographie
LM Lexikon des Mittelalters
LSJ H. G. LIDDELL – R. SCOTT, A Greek-English Lexicon, a new
edition revised and augmented throughout by H. S. JONES,
Oxford, 19409, with a Supplement ed. by E. A. BARBER, Oxford,
1968 (several reprints)
MANSI J. D. MANSI, Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima col-
lectio, Florence – Venice, 1759-1798
MGH Monumenta Germaniae Historica
MM F. MIKLOSICH – J. MÜLLER, Acta et diplomata graeca medii
aevi, 6 vols, Wien, 1860-1890
Mus Le Muséon
NE Néov ¨Elljnomnßmwn
OCA Orientalia Christiana Analecta
OCP Orientalia Christiana Periodica
ODB P. KAZHDAN et alii (eds), The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium,
3 vols., Oxford, 1991
OLA Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta
Oxford Handbook of E. JEFFREYS – J. HALDON – R. CORMACK (eds), The Oxford
Byzantine Studies Handbook of Byzantine Studies, Oxford, 2008
PG Patrologia Graeca
Pinakes Pínakev / Pinakes: Textes et manuscrits grecs (I.R.H.T., Sec-
tion grecque, Paris): http://pinakes.irht.cnrs.fr/
PL Patrologia Latina
PLP Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit, Wien, 1976-
1996
PLRE The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, 3 vols, Cam-
bridge, 1971, 1980 and 1992
XVI LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

PmbZ Prosopographie der mittelbyzantinischen Zeit, hrsg. von der

Berlin-Brandenburgischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, nach
Vorarbeiten F. WINKELMANNS erstellt von R.-J. LILIE, C. LUD-
WIG, T. PRATSCH, I. ROCHOW, B. ZIELKE u. a., Abt. 1 (641-867),
6 + 2 vols, Berlin – New York, 1998-2002; Abt. 2 (867-1025),
8 + 1 vols, Berlin – Boston, 2009-2013
PO Patrologia Orientalis
PTS Patristische Texte und Studien
RAC Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum
RACP Les Regestes des Actes du Patriarcat de Constantinople, pt. 1,
Les Actes des Patriarches, 7 vols, ed. V. GRUMEL (vols 1-3), V.
LAURENT (vol. 4) et J. DARROUZÈS (vols 5-7), Paris, 1932-1991
RBK Reallexikon zur byzantinischen Kunst
RE Real-Encyclopädie (Pauly-Wissowa)
REA Revue des études anciennes
REB Revue des études byzantines
REG Revue des études grecques
RGK E. GAMILLSCHEG – D. HARLFINGER – H. HUNGER, Repertorium
der griechischen Kopisten 800-1600. 1. Handschriften aus Bib-
liotheken Grossbritanniens. 2. Handschriften aus Bibliotheken
Frankreichs. 3. Handschriften aus Bibliotheken Roms mit dem
Vatikan (Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften. Philos-
ophisch-historische Klasse. Veröffentlichungen der Kommission
für Byzantinistik, 3), Wien, 1981, 1989 and 1997
RH Revue Historique
RHE Revue d’Histoire Ecclésiastique
RHT Revue d’histoire des textes
RM Rheinisches Museum für Philologie
ROC Revue de l’Orient Chrétien
RSBN Rivista di Studi Bizantini e Neoellenici
SC Sources Chrétiennes
SE Sacris Erudiri
SH Subsidia hagiographica
ST Studi e Testi
Syntagma G. RHALLES – M. POTLES, Súntagma t¬n qeíwn kaì ïer¬n
kanónwn, 6 vols, Athens, 1852-1859
TB C. G. CONTICELLO – V. CONTICELLO (eds), La théologie byz-
antine et sa tradition, t. II, t. I/1, Turnhout, 2002, 2015
TIB Tabula Imperii Byzantini
TLG Thesaurus Linguae Graecae, TLG®, registered trademark of
the University of California: http://www.tlg.uci.edu/
TM Travaux et Mémoires
 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS XVII

TU Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altchristlichen

Literatur
VigChr Vigiliae Christianae
VV Vizantijskij Vremennik
WBS Wiener Byzantinistische Studien
WS Wiener Studien
ZRVI Zbornik Radova Vizantološkog Instituta
 1. INTRODUCTION

I. THE ECCLESIASTICAL STATE IN CRETE AFTER THE FOURTH CRUSADE

In the period extending from the 13th to the 16th century Venice had to face the
opposition of the local population of Crete to the new political status.1 However,
the variety of sociocultural fermentation between rulers and the indigenous people
gradually led to the formation of a conservative dependent colony, but with its own
exclusive social, economic and cultural characteristics.2 The gradual evolution of
the capital city of Chandax in a key-centre of the wider Mediterranean’s commer-
cial network chronologically coincided with a preparatory period for the flourishing
of Arts and Letters which found its consolidated form in the late 16th century.3 In
the general context of this natural process, the basic “yardstick” of the Venetian
administration was undoubtedly the political stability inside the colony.
Before the Venetian conquest, Chandax was one of the many ports of the
Byzantine province. After 1211 and especially from the late 14th century onwards,
the urban planning saw a great development and became the political, economic,
military and cultural centre of Crete as well as of the whole Venetian Stato da
Mar. Chandax was surrounded by walls built in the Byzantine period, which
separated the urban centre (civitas) from the suburban area (burgus). During the
2nd half of the 15th century, the residential development of the suburban settle-
ments and the primary need to protect the capital gave a start to the reinforcement
of the old Byzantine defences together with the construction of a new fortified
perimeter of walls for the protection of the burgus. For the entrance to the “older”
city there were two main gates, viz. the Great Gate (Porta magna, Porta civitatis,
Porta grande, Porta Platee or Porta), at the southern side of the Byzantine walls,
and the See Gate (Porta ripae maris, Porta de Molo), which connected the city
centre to the port in the north. The two gates were intersected by a main road,
the Ruga Magistra. Along this principal road and near the Great Gate was the
Square, the life core of the administrative, commercial and religious activity of

1
For the Cretan rebellions, see mainly S. BORSARI, Il dominio veneziano a Creta nel XIII
secolo (Università di Napoli. Seminario di storia medioevale e moderna, 1), Napoli, 1963,
pp. 27-66; S. MCKEE, The Revolt of St Tito in Fourteenth-Century Venetian Crete: A Reassess-
ment, in Mediterranean Historical Review, 9/2 (1994), pp. 173-204; A. PAPADIA-LALA, Αγροτικές
ταραχές και εξεγέρσεις στη βενετοκρατούμενη Κρήτη (1509-1528): Η Επανάσταση του Γεωργίου
Γαδανολέου-Λυσσογιώργη, Athina, 1983.
2
A. E. LAIOU, Quelques observations sur l’économie et la société de la Crete vénitienne
(ca.1270-ca. 1305), in Bisanzio e l’Italia. Raccolta di studi in memoria di Agostino Pertusi,
Milano, 1982, pp. 177-198.
3
See generally D. HOLTON (ed.), Literature and society in Renaissance Crete, Cambridge, 1991.
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Exploring the Variety of Random
Documents with Different Content
 Chapter XVII

Maida stared in astonishment, but the ugly old woman was Queen
Aurora Borealis beyond a doubt. On her head she wore a great
golden crown, and as Maida stared at her the same blinding white
light flashed from it straight up to the sky, and everybody was
pleased because the Queen was pleased.

Aurora stopped and smiled. I wish I could describe that smile, but
it would take three painters and a photographer to do it justice.

“Good-morning, my children!” she cried, “Who is the Queen of

Beauty?” And altogether everybody said, “You are.”

Aurora smiled still more.

“Who is the Pride of Illusia?” she asked. Again a chorus arose,

“You, divine Queen!”

“Yes, of course!” smirked Aurora; and then looking directly at

Maida, she added, “a little louder over there.”

The eyes of the multitude turned toward the stranger and Maida
realized she must speak. “You, divine Queen!” she quavered.

“Don’t be so piano in your praise,” remarked Aurora, “a little

enthusiasm goes a long way.” Then turning to her subjects, she
added: “Do you know my children, I envy you.”

As if spoken by one man, a mighty “Why?” rose from the

multitude.

“Why?” repeated Aurora astonished, “because you can gaze on

me. You can feast your eyes on my lovely face.” Then turning to
Maida, she added fiercely, “it is lovely—isn’t it?” Maida managed to
pipe out, “Oh, very!” but she felt guilty of telling an awful whopper.

“You can gladden your eyes with my sylph-like form,” and again
turning to Maida, continued, “If I’m not mistaken, it is sylph-like?”

“If you please,” murmured Maida, “I don’t know what a sylph is, I
never saw one, but I am sure they couldn’t look any worse.”

Luckily for Maida, the Queen did not hear the last part of her
speech. A minion approached Aurora, and distracted her attention by
presenting her with a paper which bore a huge red seal.

“What’s this?” she inquired petulantly, “didn’t you hear me? I was
talking about myself. Every time I get absorbed in an interesting
topic you come along and spoil it. What’s the matter?”

“Your noble Majesty,” humbly replied the minion, “Santa Claus, the
toy-maker, has deserted his post. We caught him here, together with
two of his creatures.”

Aurora frowned, then the entire assembly fell on their knees and
hid their faces. From the golden crown a huge shaft of fierce red
light shot up to the sky, turning the Plaza to crimson.

Then other minions brought on poor Santa Claus with his arms
tied behind him, and Jack-in-the-Box and the Candy Kid handcuffed
together. Maida realized at once why her friends had all disappeared
from the airship. No doubt they had all been captured—and she
alone had been spared. She began to plan their escape. Jack-in-the-
Box and the Candy Kid were made to stand in a line with Santa
Claus, and were so close to Maida she could have touched them.
The trial was very short. Santa Claus was banished. The Candy Kid
was to be broken up and fed to the kiddies in Illusia, and the key of
Jack-in-the-Box was to be thrown away, and he was never to be
wound up again. Forgetting her danger, Maida had drawn closer and
closer to the Candy Kid, so that when Aurora had sentenced him, the
next thing she saw was a strange little girl who did not in the least
look like one of the children of Illusia.

Maida thought her time had come, but a lucky accident saved her,
as Aurora mistook her for some sort of a doll Santa Claus had made.

“Oh, here’s another toy,” she said, squinting at Maida, for she was
very near-sighted. “I didn’t notice this one at first. Ugly little thing,
isn’t it?”

Maida was about to protest, but a whisper from Santa Claus

frightened her to silence.

“Still for your life!” he said. “If she learns you are a mortal, you
will be put to death.”

So Maida stood stock still, and never even winked an eye. A pretty
little boy, Aurora’s page, who carried her sceptre, stared at Maida
critically. “I think it’s rather pretty,” he said.

“Pretty?” said Aurora, “pooh, pooh! Why, it’s very badly made. The
arms are much too long—the body is too slender,” and she gave
Maida a poke in the ribs which made the poor child gasp for breath.
“The color is bad and the face is—waxy. I could do better work than
that. I’ll have them break it in pieces.” Maida began to tremble. The
little page, however, was persistent.

“If you’re going to have it broken up,” he said, “why not give it to
me?”

“Certainly,” said Aurora; and before Maida realized what had

happened, she was seized, folded double, packed away in a box, and
was being carted off somewhere, not daring to cry out for fear they
would discover she was a mortal, and put her to death.
Maida was Carted away in a Box
 Chapter XVIII

Of course Maida didn’t know what happened in the Plaza after she
was packed in the box, and carted away, but she was told about it
afterward by Jack-in-the-Box. Business being disposed of, Aurora
turned off the red light and the crowd rose with a sigh of relief.

“Now that we’ve settled and done with all this nonsense, let’s talk
of something really worth while,” said Aurora. “Let’s talk about me.
Unbind those two rogues, and let them approach,” and she pointed
to Jack and the Candy Kid who were thereupon unbound and
persuaded to draw near. Neither of them had paid particular
attention to Aurora, so when she stood in front of Jack and smirked
at him, all his machinery began to rattle and creak and whirr like
mad.

“Let me run down,” he cried, “let me run down, I don’t want to

see any more.”

As for the Candy Kid, he took one good look then covered his eyes
with his hands. Luckily Aurora misunderstood their meaning. “My
fatal beauty,” she sighed. “The sun is too bright for our eyes. I must
be like that to them. Such appreciation is a compliment. I pardon
you both. Now tell me,” as they started to bow themselves away,
“Did you ever see anything just like me before?” “We never did,”
replied the two, and Aurora smirked. “For your sake,” she said, “I will
forgive the toy-maker. I had no idea he could make such clever
marionettes. I’ll have him make me a couple of hundred.” Just at this
moment there was a diversion. Fido came galloping through the
Plaza. Not being accustomed to Polar Bears, although they have a
lovely Zoo, the Illusians scattered.
 Fido Flew

With his nose to the ground Fido was following the scent of his
two chums and before anyone had a chance to prevent him he
reared up and stood face to face with Aurora. She smiled on him.
Did you ever see a fox terrier run after a cat? Then just when your
heart was in your mouth the cat got tired of running, sat down, and
stared in the dog’s face. Do you remember how the dog acted? Well,
when the Bear came face to face with that awful smile he acted just
like a very small pup who has chased a very large cat and discovered
his mistake. Then he fled.

“Ah, if I could only see my own face,” murmured Aurora.

“If you only could!” said Jack.

“Why don’t you look in a mirror?” asked the Candy Kid.

“Mirror—what is that?” inquired Aurora. “I never heard of such a

thing. What is a mirror?”
 “A mirror,” said the Candy Kid, “is a device that always attracts the
attention of the ladies. You can see your face in it.”

“If I had one could I see my face?” asked Aurora eagerly. “You
could,” answered the Candy Kid.

“I want a mirror!” shouted Aurora. “I want a mirror. If I don’t get a

mirror, I’ll turn on the red light and I’ll never turn it off. I’ll chop off
everybody’s head if I don’t get a mirror.”

The Candy Kid leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Santa Claus
always carries one in his coat pocket so he can see to rub the smut
off his face when he climbs out of the chimneys.”

Aurora dashed over to Santa Claus.

“Aren’t you ashamed,” she shouted. “Here I’ve been asking for a
mirror and you wouldn’t lend me yours. I’ve a notion to—there,
never mind—let me have it. You don’t need to see your face, you
know, for you’re ugly and old, while I—” and she snatched the
mirror from him. “Now everybody stand back, please,” she gurgled,
“and give me room. I’m going to see my face for the first time.”

The crowd watched with bated breath, while Jack and the Kid
sniggered. Aurora took the mirror proudly, held it up before her, and
gazed into it.
 The Queen Sees her Face

“There’s some mistake about this mirror,” she cried. “Some ugly
old woman has looked in it and her face has stuck in there. She
won’t get out.” Then to her reflection in the mirror, she shouted,
“Get out of there, you ugly thing—get out!”

But of course as long as she stared at the mirror her reflection

stared back at her.

“Who do you suppose that is?” she asked the Candy Kid.

“Why, that’s you,” he replied.

“Do I look like that?” she screamed.

“Worse,” answered Jack-in-the-Box, briefly. A flash of red light

burst from the golden crown, and the crowd fled in terror. Then the
light changed to blue, to green, and all the colors of the rainbow,
every color trying to get out of the top of the crown at once. “Oh,
see the pretty fireworks,” said Jack-in-the-Box, pointing to the lights.

Finally, overcome by grief and rage, Aurora swooned, and tumbled

over on the marble paving.

“My goodness!” said the Candy Kid, “she’s going to melt.”

“Not a bit of it,” said Jack-in-the-Box, “she’s run down. There’s

something wrong with her works.”
 Chapter XIX

You can readily understand Maida was not at all comfortable in

that box. It was very dark inside and very stuffy and hot. The box
jolted and swayed till it nearly made her seasick; and to add to her
woe she hadn’t the faintest idea what would become of her, for she
knew that sooner or later they would discover she was a little girl
and not a toy.

After what seemed ages and ages, though no doubt it was only an
hour or so, the box ceased tipping and tilting, and came to a stop.
Dimly through the wooden sides of her prison she heard voices, and
realized she was the subject of a conversation. “What have you in
the box?” said one voice. “The most wonderful toy you ever saw,”
was the reply, and she recognized the tones of her captor.

“Toy?—Huh!” sneered the first speaker. “What kind of a toy?”

“A marvellous doll,” answered the other. Then there were shouts

of laughter and derision, and it seemed that all the acquaintances
and companions of the little Page were teasing him, calling him “Girl
Baby,” and asking him why he didn’t wear dresses; in short,
behaving just as boys would behave at home if they saw a
schoolmate with a doll. But their mirth died away and the teasing
ceased when the Page opened the box, threw the lid back—and
pulled Maida to her feet.

My, how cramped and stiff she was! Both arms and legs were
asleep, and she wavered, so she could hardly stand upright, which
of course made her look more than ever like a marionette.

“That isn’t a doll,” finally said one of the boys.

 “Oh yes,” replied the Page, “it is a marionette made by the toy
maker who lives across the Forbidden Land.”

Maida forgot her danger in her embarrassment and snapped out,

“I’m not.”

“Why, she can speak,” said the boy in great surprise.

“Oh yes,” replied the Page, coolly, “and she can run too.”

“I wish I had a chance,” thought Maida, slyly peering about for a

possible avenue of escape; but there was none, for all the boys were
crowded about admiring her.

“Can she laugh?” asked one, and without waiting for an answer,
he tickled Maida in the ribs. Well you know how it is yourself when
somebody holds you with one hand so you can’t get away, and
points the forefinger of the other hand at you and it comes closer
and closer, till finally—why of course you just can’t help laughing. At
any rate, Maida couldn’t; serious as was her plight, she burst into a
scream of laughter (for she was an awfully ticklish little girl), which
filled all the boys with delight. The one who had tickled her was so
elated with his success he tried a new trick.

“She can weep, too, mayhap,” he said, and pinched her. Oh, a real
hard pinch—right on the arm! There was no doubt about it, Maida
could weep—and did.

“You cruel thing,” she screamed, and burst into tears, at which the
boys only laughed the more.

“She’s not a toy, she’s alive,” said the cruel boy staring at her.

“Oh, no,” said the Page, “if it were alive it would be put to death,
for it’s a stranger. It’s a toy.”
 “What’ll you take for it?” cried one—and in a moment all the boys
were chaffering with the Page, offering him their most precious
possessions, and trying to bargain for Maida. But the Page refused
to sell.

“I’m going to take it home,” he said, “and take it to pieces. You

see, when I saw the arms and legs off——” Maida could bear no
more. She leaped out of the box, overturned two of the boys,
pushed the Page aside, and was off, running like the wind. She
didn’t know where, she didn’t care much, and she was out of sight
around the corner before the Page and his friends picked themselves
up and recovered from their astonishment. Then, of course, they
followed her. How she ran! It seemed as though fright lent her
speed. But the boys were all older and larger, so very soon she
heard their footsteps close behind and realized they were gaining on
her. She had reached another one of those large squares or parks,
surrounded with palaces, but she could see no way out of it except
the way she had just come. In the middle of the park defended by a
railing was a tall thin tower, or rather a huge mast, built of
something that looked like mother-of-pearl all shiny and shimmery. It
occurred to her that if she hid behind this her pursuers might pass
her by, so she rushed toward it. Alas, there was no hope—the Page
running faster than his friends was almost near enough to touch her.
Tired and dizzy as she reached the great mast she stumbled and
clutched it for support.

“I wish you boys would go away and let me alone,” she screamed.

Then a most marvelous thing happened. Instantly the Page and all
his friends stopped, turned their backs, and walked away without a
word. Maida was simply dumbfounded. What had saved her? She
looked about, looked at the vacant square, looked behind her at the
palaces, looked at the mother of pearl mast which towered
overhead. Then she knew. At last, at last she had found the Wishing
Post, and her very first wish had been granted!
 Chapter XX

Wasn’t it splendid! Her very first wish came true. Well, thank
goodness, it wouldn’t be long until she was a young lady—still there
was no hurry. She wasn’t sure just what kind of a young lady she
wanted to be. Besides she must make a list of things she meant to
wish for, so as not to forget any of them. There was no safer place
for her anywhere in Illusia, for if anybody tried to capture her, she
need only put out her hand, touch the Wishing Post and wish them
away. All her fear left her and she cuddled down in a heap and
began writing her list with a stubby pencil on a little scrap of paper
she found in her pocket. Suddenly her attention was attracted by a
pitiful sight at the other end of the square.

A young boy was leading a poor old man who hobbled painfully
along, leaning on a cane. Both were dressed in rags and tatters, and
the old man, whose beard and hair were white, wore a green
bandage over his eyes which hid half his face, so Maida guessed he
was blind. She felt very sorry, and watched them to see what they
meant to do, but felt afraid to go to them, on account of the boy;—
her last experience with boys had been so unpleasant. At some little
distance the old man staggered and then sat down on a bench at
the border of the roadway.

“Oh I am so tired, so tired,” he moaned. “Where are we, my lad?”

“I don’t know,” she heard the boy answer, “this is the first time I
was ever in Illusia.” And there was something about the boy’s voice
that sounded very familiar to Maida. It reminded her of—who did it
remind her of? The old man bent his head sadly. “If I only had my
eyes,” he said. The boy patted him on the shoulder and answered
cheerfully—“Oh you’ll have them soon, and then all will be well.”
 Maida tried to remember where she had heard his voice. Then a
dreadful thing occurred. Two big Illusian policemen—and they are
much bigger and fiercer than the kind we have down here—ran into
the square, seized the boy, and despite his cries and entreaties
dragged him away, leaving the poor old blind man helpless and
alone. As soon as they were out of sight Maida ran to the old man
who was calling out piteously, and soothed him.

“What can I do to help you?” she asked him.

“Nothing, nothing at all,” he answered sorrowfully. “You see I am

blind, little girl, I am blind. Because my mirror showed the Queen
Aurora how ugly she was, I was forced to look upon the purple light
that shone from her golden crown. So now I cannot see. I shall
never see again. And they have taken away my boy. I am all alone,
all alone!”

“No, not alone,” replied Maida, “I will guide you. It seems to me I

have heard your voice, as well as your boy’s. Lift the bandage and
let me see your face.”

The old man pushed back the bandage and you can imagine
Maida’s surprise when she saw it was Santa Claus! She threw her
arms about him and told him who she was. You may just believe he
was glad to find her.

“And now,” she said joyously, “I’ve a great surprise for you. You
shall have your eyes back. No, don’t ask me to tell you how, but you
shall see again—and very soon.” So she guided his faltering steps
across the square to the Wishing Post. She touched it and wished
Santa Claus to have his eyes again. Then she turned and asked him,
“Can you see?”

“Not yet,” he answered, so she tried it again. The second wish

failed just as the first. Maida was dismayed.
 “Something is the matter,” she cried. “I’ve wished and wished but
it doesn’t come true. What shall we do?”

Santa Claus tottered toward her. “Aren’t you ashamed to play

tricks on a poor old blind man—one who loved you so?” he asked. Of
course that made poor Maida feel worse than ever.

“I wasn’t playing tricks,” she sobbed, “indeed—indeed I wasn’t.

But it doesn’t seem to work, though I tried my best. Can’t—can’t you
‘think’ yourself a new pair of eyes?”

“I can only think toys,” replied Santa Claus in a hopeless tone,

turning away. He stumbled a wee bit and reached out his hand to
save himself from falling. As he did so he touched the Wishing Post.
“I wish they couldn’t arrest Billy,” he said. Now, he didn’t realize he
was touching the Wishing Post, but, of course, the Post didn’t know
that, and it went to work to give him his wish. The gates of the
prison flew open, there was a noise like breaking chains and rending
bars, then Billy came out of the jail as if he were propelled by some
invisible force. A half dozen policemen followed him, but every time
they touched him they turned somersaults or flew up in the air and
fell about, till finally they grew frightened, ran inside the jail, and
locked the doors, leaving Billy standing staring about amazed. But
he soon saw Santa Claus and Maida and started over to them.
 The Gates of the Prison Flew Open

“Oh Billy—Billy boy,” cried Maida, as he drew near, “come quick,

quick.” So Billy ran. Maida rattled on almost breathless, with mingled
hope and fear—“I tried to wish his eyes back and I can’t. You try.”
So Billy tried, and in a moment Santa Claus had his eyes back and
could see as well as ever. How he did hug Maida and then Billy, and
what a happy trio they were.

“And now,” said Maida, “that the Wishing Post is at work again,
I’m going to be a young lady.” So she made her wish. “Has it
happened?” she inquired.

“No,” said Billy.

“That’s funny,” she observed, “my first wish came true in a jiffy.”

“Have you had one?” asked Billy. She told him “yes.”

“Too bad,” he replied, “you can’t have another for a long time. The
law is, only one within a year.”
 Chapter XXI

Think of it, Maida couldn’t have another wish for a year! “Do you
mean to say,” she asked Billy, “that I will have to stay here in Illusia
and be a little girl until next New Year’s Day?”

“I’m afraid you will,” replied Billy. And, of course, Maida was
deeply disappointed. All her fears revived because she realized she
no longer had a protector in the Wishing Post. There was nothing to
save her from her enemies in case they attacked her.

“I don’t think it’s safe here,” she said to Billy, “we have all lost our
wishes, and the best thing we can do is to try to get back to the
flying ship and have the Man with the Growly Voice take us away.”
So they all started to make their way through the city of Illusia to
the flying ship.

By this time the people had left the Plaza and were going home to
dinner, or to supper, or to work, or wherever people go when a big
crowd breaks up; and the streets were full of them. The three were
jostled and pushed, as people always are in a narrow street when it
is crowded. And before she realized what had happened, Maida was
separated from Santa Claus and Billy, and swept away in an eddy of
the crowd.

She called and called, but no one answered. She was afraid to ask
any of the Illusians where she was or how to get anywhere else
because they would know she was a stranger; then she would be
captured and turned over to the Queen; so she simply wandered
about. But oh! she was so tired, and so drowsy; so when she came
to a pretty park where there were some nice long benches and the
trees cast a deep shadow, she decided to take a nap. She stretched
out on the bench and closed her eyes.
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