Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1893 — The Story of Bresca. [ARTICLE]

The Story of Bresca.

The little town of Bordighera in Italy has furnished the Eastern palms at Rome ever since the year 1586. How the grant was obtained by Bresca, the brave old sea captain, is a curious story. Standing with the crowd in the open plaza, before the Cathedral of St. Peter’s, he was gazing with breathless interest at the workmen engaged in erecting the Egyptian obelisk. So momentous and difficult a task was this regarded that Pope Sixtus Y. forbade any one to utter a loud word during the operation, on pain of death. All went well until the massive stone column reached a certain angle, when to the horror of the multitude and the despair of the engineer, it ceased to move. Various expedients were resorted to without avail, and all seemed lost, when suddenly a voice broke the silence, crying: “Aiga, dai de l’alga ae cordel" (“Water, give water to the ropes!") This suggestion, which came from the old sailor, was quickly acted upon; the obelisk slowly righted itself and was successfully raised to the -posjtion .it now occupies. When the trembling Bresca was brought a prisoner before the Pope for punishment, the latter, not only pardoned the offense, but offered to grant him any reasonable request. The unselfish soul of the man showed itself when, instead of petitioning for some personal preferment, he begged that the right of furnishing the palms for Easter should be bestowed upon his family and the villagers of Bordighera, his birthplace. The request was granted, and Is respected to this day.