"The moccoli, or moccoletti, are candles which vary in size from the pascal taper to the rushlight, and which cause the actors on the great scene which terminates the Carnival two different sources of thought: 1st. How to preserve their moccoletti alight; 2nd. How to extenguish the moccoletti of others. The moccoletti is like life: man has but one means of transmitting it, and that one comes from God. But he has discovered a thousand means of taking it away, although the devis has somewhat aided him."

-The Count of Monte Cristo