hear nothing but Sighs Groans and some broken words at another guess rate than the Qaukers in England and certainly in this respect they have nothing to cast them in the Teeth with The Director is seated in his Confessional Chair in the midst of all these People whom he calls his Sons and Daughters and there as from a Tribunal or Throne he determines without Appeal of their Sighs and of their Postures whether they proceed from God the Devil or Self-Love Young Women or Married are seldom found at these sorts of Assemblies because commonly they are kept in on Working-days on which days the Italians keep them shut up under Lock and Key but they are commonly Widows and old Maids who have no persons to command them They call them in Italy Beati or Blessed Ones Good Sisters Devout Women and sometimes by way of derision Bigots The Father Directors are very Zealous of their Advancement in the Mystical Life and never leave them till they have so wholly divested them of all Love for the good things and Riches of this World that to be delivered from the Burthen of them they settle them on their Convent Then it is they are arrived at perfection They call them Sisters and tell them that having made a Gift of their Goods to their Monasteries 't is the same thing as if they had professed amongst them They bestow upon them pieces of their Habits they call them Little Scapularies which they wear under their Bodies By Vertue of which Bits of Cloth they are made partakers of all the good Works they do and of all the Graces Priviledges Blessings and Indulgences granted to their Order When they are Dead they Bury them in their Churches and they endeavour if they can to make them pass for Saints for an Encouragement to others And indeed it is very easy for them to do it to this purpose they have but this course to take the first Sick Person they go to visit they amply discourse about the high State of Perfection to which Madam such an one was arrived who was lately Buired in their Church That they do not doubt in the least but she is a great Saint and that if the Sick Person can resolve to Pray to and call upon her with full assurance they question not but she will work a Miracle in favour of him Yea they oftentimes offer to Bless some Wine Syrup or some other Liquor in the name of this Saint or to Dip it in something or other that in her Life time she used to wear as her Discipline or Pater Noster And having done this they offer this Liquor to the Sick party to Drink who if they chance to recover the Saint hath wrought a Miracle they cause a Picture to be drawn of what has hapned which they carry to the Saints Tomb. But if it happen that the Patient Die or that the Sickness continue very long there is not a word made of it but all hush'd in hopes of a better opportunity for the future Those who are any thing acquainted with the State of Affairs in Italy know that in all this I advance nothing but what is very true Hence it is easy to conceive by what means so many new Saints are enâ—red into the Church of Rome to whom at present Altars are Erected It is to no purpose to alledge here the great Precautions they take at Rome in examining matters of Fact in the Verbal Processes they make of their Canonization so that it is impossible for any thing to escape the Cognizance of those who have the charge of it Alas it is but too well known how great a power Silver and Gold have at Rome and it is certain they never Canonize any Saint but it brings them in Immense Sums of Mony In case any difficulties be started 't is only to get the Mony doubled My Design at first was only to give you some account of the Italick Pilgrimages but the occasion of mentioning these three Saints whose Bodies are preserved in Incorruptions have put me upon this Digression Wherefore to make an end in few words of what I have yet to say of my first Subject you may take notice that all other Pilgrimages of Italy besides those of Loretto Rome and S. Anthony of Padua are very inconsiderable Some Pilgrims go to S. Michael which is at Mount Gargan in the Poville others to S. Nicholas of Bar but the most that go to these places are Beggars because the way thither is very troublesom from the City of Naples lying all over high Mountains and the Inhabitants of that Country are almost all Robbers The Italian Lords are very backward to lead their Ladies a walk thither with their Pilgrim-Staves all set with Diamonds The Delicious March of Ancona is much more proper and secure for this sort of Pilgrims The Pilgrimage of S. Anthony of Padua in the Pleasant Venetian Country is for the same reason much more suitable to them There be very few Italians who do not take this Journy every three years and some of them go Regularly every year This Saint has gain'd so great Credit in Italy that he is of equal esteem with the Virgin yea with God himself some with a great deal of reason have called him the God of Italy Italiae Deus When an Italian has Sworn by S. Antonio 't is the greatest Oath he can Swear And whereas in other Countries they are wont to say I intend to go to such or such a place at such a time if God preserve my Life or ' I le do this or that if it please God 't is their custom to say ' I le go thither or do this if it please the Virgin and S. Anthony Their most common Interjection when ever they are in any danger surprize or admiration is to Cry Madonna Santissima or S. Antonio And by a strange kind of Blasphemy tho' they make it a great Point of Devotion they have the Impiety to say I hope in S. Anthony that I shall never Perish They call him the Saint by way of Emphasis Iâ— Santo which is a great Honour but of right due to God only to whom the Angels Cry continually Holy Holy Holy There is never a Church in Italy where there is not an Altar Dedicated to S. Anthony of Padua They make their Addresses in particular to this Saint for all things that are lost to which purpose they tell you this following Story A Rich Venetian Merchant being at Sea by Mischance let a Diamond of a very great price fall into the Sea who immediately upon his return to Venice went to Padua and betook himself al Santo he desired the Fryars of that Convent to say Nine Masses for him and to joyn their Prayers with his for the recovery of his Diamond The Ninth day after his Nine Masses were ended the Merchant designing to Treat all the Monks of the Convent with a Dinner he bought amongst other things a very large Fish
and sent it to them the Fryar Cook having opened and gutted this Fish found the Diamond in the Intrails of it which the Merchant had dropt into the Sea which was immediately restor'd to him and Thanks return'd to the Saint who had heard their Prayers This Story is related at large in the Legend of his Life But does it not seem to you Sir to be contrived or invented of these good Monks to persuade Men to send them in good Dinners and to get them to say Masses for them They tell another pleasant Story which however they were very Cautious of inserting in their Legend The Fryars del Santo go without contradiction for the most Debauched that are in all Padua and who in this quality out-vie the Scholars themselves of the University One of these Monks having for some Months Sollicited a young Woman to comply with his Lust she at last fell under the Temptation but soon after was so extreamly grieved for the Sin she had committed that she was ready to Despair The Fryar perceiving it notwithstanding what was past made a shift to perswade her that in case she would give him some considerable Sum of Mony for Masses to be said to S. Anthony that Saint should restore her the Virginity she had lost Thus besides the satisfying of his Lust he got Mony of her wherewith to glut his Luxury elsewhere I will not oblige you to believe this Story having no sufficient Warrant to believe it my self However sure I am that these Jolly Monks under the Cloak of their S. Anthony play many Tricks not a whit inferior to this I may possibly have occasion to entertain you with some of them in one of my LETTERS and in the mean time conclude this assuring you that I shall be all my Life Sir Your c. The Fifth LETTER Of Festivals and Confraternities c. SIR I Met with nothing considerable in my Journy from Loretto to Rome save the Accident that hapned to me in passing of a Bridge whereof I gave you an Account in my Last LETTER I arrived there about Christmass and continued in that City all the Holy-days and the Lent following until Easter My principal Employment during my stay here was to frequent their Festivals to hear their Sermons and to be present at their Confraternities which accordingly I do intend shall be the Subject of this present LETTER This Word Feast or Festival in the Church of Rome properly signifies those Days of the Year which are more Religiously observed than the rest in honour either of the Virgin or of some Mystery of the Gospel or of some Saint which we in England call Holy-days Some of these Feasts are Universal others only Particular The Universal Feasts are those that are generally observ'd in all Countries that profess the Romish Religion and on these Days they are bound under pain of Mortal Sin to go to Mass The Particular Feasts are such as are only kept in certain Provinces Cities Parishes or Chappels Thus forasmuch as at Rome there is a prodigious Number of Churches and Chappels it is every day Holy-day in divers parts of that City But they have another sort of Feasts in Italy which for distinction sake I may call Feasts of Gallantry These are When some Noble or Wealthy Persons do at their own Costs and Charges undertake to have the First and Second Vespers together with the Mass Sung in Musick in Honour of some He or She Saint I give them the Name of Gallant Feasts not so much for the Musicks sake that is to say for the admirable Sympathy of Voices and Concerts of Instruments which are so great a part of them but with respect to the Ladies who are Invited to them or who do commonly frequent them After that I had for some Days rested my self at Rome I went abroad to take a View of the Curiosities and Antiquities of that Great City As I was Walking one Evening on the Piazza Navonna I passed by a very fine Church called De la Pace The Porch which of it self was a most exquisite piece of Architecture of the fairest White-Marble was over and above magnificently Embelish'd and Adorn'd with most curious Pictures and a multitude of Figures made of small Sheets of Silk of different Colours of the Bononia fashion This gave me the Curiosity of entring into the Church where I saw a very fine Company of Gentlemen who had caused a kind of a Throne to be made for them in a part of the Church from whence they could very Commodiously view those who either came in or went out It was one of these Gentlemen as I understood afterwards at whose Appointment and Charges this Feast was Celebrated in Honour of S. Agnes thô it was not the day of the year which is Consecrated to her viz. the 21 st of January But there was another Mystery in the case which we shall presently discover These young Lords had each of them in their Turns appointed the Celebration of their Mistresses Festivals they were Eight of them in all whereof the Four first had already kept theirs in other Churches and this was the Feast appointed by the Fifth of them He was of the Family of Carpegna and his Mistresses Name was Agnes Victorini The Church de la Pace that is of Peace is extreamly well Adorn'd it is Guilt and Painted all within in like manner as almost all the Churches of Rome be however the more to exalt its Beauty and to add something peculiar with Relation to the Feast now to be Solemniz'd there there were several Triumphal Arches erected in the Middle of the Church which afforded a Lively Representation of the History of S. Agnes who by her Constancy Triumphed over all the Torments which Tyrants could inflict upon her This whole History was represented to the Life with little Scrowls of Silk These are of different Sizes and of all sorts of Colours They know the set Price they are to pay for an Hundred Ells thereof ready wrought and every one chuseth what pleaseth them best There are a sort of Men at Rome and throughout all Italy who are called Addobbatori or Adorners of Churches these Furnish the Silk themselves and are extreamly Ingenious and Artificial to Fold and Form them in all manner of Shapes and Figures They had been three Weeks a preparing these Ornaments I am speaking of There were two Theaters erected on each side of the Quire which were Embellish'd all over with Histories Represented in the foresaid Silken Figures the one being designed for the Vocal Musick the other for the Instrumental each consisting of Fifty Musicians Besides these there were in a little Box near the Altar Four Musicians called Sing-alones which were said to be Four of the best Musicians that were in Rome who were to sing by themselves the one after the other They never go any where to Sing but they are paid 40 Crowns for each Motet The Italians more than any other Nation of
that they did neither Swear nor Blaspheme but that it was only a particular quarrel about a piece of Mony of the value of a Shilling or thereabouts which at Luca they call a Jesus Christ The Magistrates of this City caused this Mony to be Coyned in Honour of a Miraculous Crucifix which is kept in their Cathedral which they say did either Weep or Speak or Bleed these being the ordinary Miracles of these Crucifixes The Figure of Jesus Christ hanging on the Cross is Stamp'd upon this Coyn which therefore they call a Christ By which means when they are at play or upon Quarrels arising about payments the adorable Name of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is not only very frequently taken in Vain but also outrag'd and blasphemed as those Wretches whom I have just now mentioned did for one of these pieces which the one of them restor'd to the other with these Horrid words take there your R of a Christ I have seen another sort of Mony at Bononia called a Madonnin that is to say an Our Lady or a Virgin Mary which is of the Value of Sixpence at Bononia upon occasion of which the same inconveniences do proportionably happen in the like Disputes Thus we see that an imprudent Devotion ordinarily terminates in a great Impiety The Queen of Sweden having seen one of these pieces of Mony said Smilingly to the Cardinal of Luca That the Italians would have done much better to have stampt a Coin and bestowed the Name of God upon it intimating That Gold and Silver were the God of Italy there being no People in the World that worship it with more Idolatry and yet that are more lazy and careless in the gaining of it From Luca I came to Pisa an ancient City of Tuscany situate upon the River Arno. Amongst other remarkable things here is to be seen a fair Church-yard call'd in Italian Campo Santo it is exceeding large and of a square Figure The Walls and Tombs of it are all of Marble Jasper and Porphyry very artificially wrought They of Pisa had fill'd this place with the Earth which in a great number of Vessels they brought from Jerusalem and in which the Dead-Bodies are consumed in 24 Hours In a word they tell us that this Holy-Earth is nothing but a continual Miracle But for my part I find no more of Miracle in the case than there is in the Church-yard of S. Innocents at Paris where Bodies are consumed within the same compass of Time without any Miracle at all In all their Churches they shew us a prodigious number of Relicks of Saints and Saintesses as in all the rest of Italy the most of which are extreamly Ridiculous I will not stop at present to give you a Catalogue of them but will pass on to Florence where I shall have occasion to entertain you with the Great Devotion that is so much in Vogue and Credit at a Church called the Annonciade or Annunciation The Original of the Devotion take as follows A Painter having been employ'd to make a Picture of the Blessed Virgin in the posture wherein the Romish Tradition tells us she was when the Angel Gabriel was sent to her to acquaint her with the Incarnation of the Word that is in her Chamber on her Knees reading the Prophecy of Isaiah The Painter had finished all other parts of the Picture except one to wit the Virgins Face which he had reserved for his last Task but being at a loss what Idea to follow in representing to the Life so Excellent a Creature and despairing ever to find any thing in his Art of sufficient perfection to reach this height he in this trouble and discomposure of Thoughts fell asleep iâ— the Church where he was at Work and awaking three or four Hours after O strange Prodigy and well deserving the Wonder of all men he found the Thing that had so much perplexed him happily finished and much better than ever he could hope to have done it himself whereupon he began to cry out amain A Miracle a Miracle highly averring that an Angel sent from Heaven had done the work whilst he was asleep The Fryers of the Convent where he Wrought finding their Interest in the thing rang'd themselves of his Side so that in a moment the Devotion took fire and the Concourse of People to their Church was so great and has ever since continu'd with such extraordinary Success as hath made it at this day one of the Richest of all Italy and the Convent of Fryers one of the best Endow'd The Reflections I have made on this Picture is That on many accounts all this might be no more than a meer Cheat or Mistake For first of all Some unknown person or rather Fryer of skill in that Art entring by Chance into the Chappel where the Painter was at Work and finding him asleep might make use of that opportunity and having finish'd the Work retire himself before the Painter awoke Secondly We may suppose that the Painter to make himself talk'd of and to gain himself the credit and reputation of a Good Man might have invented this Lie himself Or Lastly We may conceive that the Fryers of the Convent upon consideration of a good piece of Mony might have induc'd him to have publish'd this Lie to make their Advantage of it What I alledge here that might have been is not done with this intent as if I had a mind by all manner of ways to disgrace and discredit this pretended Miracle by supposing it a piece of Forgery I know it is the Character of a disingenuous and malicious Spirit to put a bad Construction upon a Matter that admits a favourable one and verily I would not for all the World expose my self to that Reproach But the Reason of what I have said concerning this Matter is That I am otherwise satisfied on good grounds that the Point in question is a manifest and palpable Falshood For first of all If it were an Angel as is pretended that had painted this Face of the Virgin as the Work of an Angel is far more perfect than that of a Man it will follow That this Picture at least as to the mixture and laying on of the Colours must have far excell'd all the Pieces of Caratche Guido Rhin or any other of the most famous Painters of Italy and in the mean time we see the contrary and that it does not at all exceed the rest of the Picture finished by the Painter himself which made a Traveller who Ey'd it very well to say That the Angel-Limner must have been but a Blockhead and Bungler at his Art to draw such rude and incurious Strokes But besides this We have another Argument to convince the Romanists that this is a false Supposition which is That this Portraiture of the Blessed Virgin bears no resemblance at all with those other Pictures of the Virgin which they pretend to have been drawn by the Hand of S. Luke
other place for us to bestow our selves The Fathers seeing no remedy granted our request but with so much Aversness and ill will that we could not but wonder to see that persons who for the most part live upon the Alms that are abundantly contributed to them by Seculars should refuse to assist them upon occasion They shewed us a Chamber where we might lye but as for affording us any thing to Eat they desired our excuse telling us that they had none for themselves being thus resolved to leave us without either Meat or Fire tho' the nights be exceeding cold there upon the pretence of the trouble they had in getting their Wood as being oblig'd to fetch it from the Foot of the Mountain We desired them at least to be so kind to give us leave to enter their Kitchin for to warm our selves a little at their common Fire but they being very loath that we should see the good Provisions they had there prepar'd for themselves told us that they could not grant our request because they had some of their Fathers that were Sick about the Fire saying of their Office One of the Florentine Gentlemen that was in our Company knowing that the Convent was never destitute of Provisions broke out into a Passion against the Guardian and reproaching him with his base Incivility told him That he constantly three times a Week sent a good quantity of Bread and Wine to their great Convent at Florence but that he was resolv'd to stop his Hand for time to come and give them the bag and that moreover he himself would acquaint them with the Reason moving him so to do This advertisement made the Guardian presently change his note and having excused himself for what was past in consideration of the Benefactor of his Order he himself conducted us into the Kitchin where in stead of these Sick Fathers and mumblers of their Offices we found there four or five fat and bonny Fryars playing at Dice a great Pot Boyling over the Fire besides several Joynts of Meat a Roasting One of these Fryars seeing us come in very nimbly snatch'd up the Dice and Boxes into his Gown but a while after forgetting himself rose up and let all tumble down on the Ground The Father Guardian perceiving the mischance had hapned excused them the best he could telling us that having been that day a great way off a Preaching to refresh themselves they had made bold with a little Recreation In fine they made us Sup with them and we were very well Treated After Supper they conducted us to our Chamber where we found a very good Fire The next day one of these Fathers accompanied us to shew us the Holy Places of Mount Alvern We were extreamly surprized to see the surface of this Mountain which we had not had the time the night before to take notice of because it was very late when we arrived The whole Mountain is nothing else but a company of Rocks heaped one upon another and all cleft asunder forming as many hideous Precipices which cannot be viewed without Horror Some believe that these Rocks were Rent asunder at the Death of our Lord S. Francis was of this mind when he pitched upon this place for his Retirement to Meditate upon the sacred Misteries of the Passion They shewed us the place where the History of his Life tells us that Jesus Christ appear'd to him in the form of a Seraphim on the Cross and imprinted in his Hands his Feet and his Side the Five wounds were given him on the Cross to the end it might be said that S. Francis had suffered as much as he But indeed according to this account he would have suffered much more for the same Legend adds that he suffred even till his Death the Pains of Jesus Christ as sensibly as Jesus Christ felt them when he received them on the Cross and that from that time forward the Life he lived was continued by a perpetual Miracle which preserved his Life in the midst of a continual Death For my part I find this pretended Apparition of Jesus Christ like a Seraphim with Wings extreamly improper not to say Ridiculous why not rather in his human form He that would not take upon him the nature of Angels shall we believe that he would ever take their Figure And would not this highly favour the Opinion of those Ancient Hereticks who maintain'd that the Son of God had only taken upon him an Aery and Phantastical Body And to speak my mind I believe that this Impression of the Wounds was only perform'd in the strong Imagination of S. Francis much like some others have imagin'd that they had Feet of Wax and a Head of Glass The place where it is said that this Miraculous Operation was Celebrated is under a great Stone whereof the one end only is wedg'd into the Rocks yet so as according to my Understanding is sufficient for its Support Nevertheless these Fathers every where proclaim this for a great Miracle and that it cannot be conceived but that naturally the Stone must needs fall Near to this they shew us a little Pathway very narrow upon the Brink of a vast Precipice which was the way by which S. Francis went to pray under that Rock The Devil envying his great Devotion Attempted upon a time to cast him down Headlong but he seeing the Enemy of Mankind coming towards him leand himself against the Rock which made way for his Body softning like Wax to receive him They still shew this Impression of his Body left in the Rock but which may as well have been done with a Chizzel as the way they tell us As for the Devil sure it is that the Roman Catholicks make many pretty Stories of him that are not always very Authentick I remember to have seen in France in the Church of S. Colombe neer Sens a very pleasant History represented En relief upon an Holy-Water Basin Marble near the Door of the Church concerning an Holy Hermit called Beat. The Devil being come on a certain time to distract his Thoughts whilst he was saying of his Office the Saint laying hold of him lift him up by the Ears and put him into the Basin and having laid his Breviary upon it kept him a Prisoner there for ten days together Nothing can be imagined more Comical than to see the Representation of this Devil who as far as he is able lifts up his great Asses-Ears above the Holy Water with the marks of an extream Rage in his Countenance for say they he fears the Holy Water many degrees beyond the Fire of Hell The Monks of this Abby thought good to be at the charge of this work ad perpetuam rei Memoriam But I return to Mount Alvern The Fathers afterwards shewed us many other places in the Rocks where S. Francis performed his Religious Exercises and amongst others that where he wrote the Constitutions of his Order whereof I have seen the
danger This is that which makes those of the Romish Communion to whom their Priests promise no less at every moment upon condition they will signalize their Devotion at the Chappel of such a Miraculous Saint which they pretend to have in their Church or joyn themselves to some of their Confraternities suffer themselves easily to be perswaded to give them what Mony they ask of them In the mean time they find it necessary from time to time to awaken and excite the Peoples Attentions by the starting of some New Miracle which they know how to do with a great deal of Address and Cunning. The most common way they make use of is this When they go to Visit the Sick they carry along with them either Wine or Water or some Rag of Linnen which they have blest in the Name of such an He or She-Saint If the Sick person who has made use of any of these chance to Recover which very Naturally may happen so because we have Instances every day of persons that Recover after that they have been given over by Physicians then the Priests are sure to attribute the Recovery of their Health to the Saint of their Church They demand an Attestation of it from him who was Sick they make a great Noise with it through the City and the next Sunday they publickly proclaim the Miracle from the Pulpit In like manner If any person be ready to undertake a Journy or Voyage they go to him and perswade him to make a Vow to some Saint of their Church and if afterwards it happens that this person meet with some bad Accident as a dangerous Storm at Sea a Fall from his Horse or the Overturning of his Coach and that he escapes with his Life and Health as it often happens to the worst of Men in this case he never fails ascribing it to the He or She-Saint of such a Church Immediately upon his Return he acquaints the Priests or Monks therewith who begin anew to Toss it abouts Crying A Miracle a Miracle And that nothing can be of greater force against Storms and Tempests at Sea or Mischances by Land than to apply ones self to the Saint of their Church and to procure Prayers and Masses to be said for them there as the person who is lately Return'd from his Voyage and to whom this Miracle has hapned did upon his Setting-out Others who are endowed with a larger Conscience and who believe it is lawful for them to Lie to enhance the Honour of their Saints take the boldness to suppose and invent Miracles and to produce themselves for Examples declaring That they have had Revelations or that the Saints themselves have appeared to them or have Healed them of their Infirmities The People who suffer themselves to be gull'd by the outward Appearances of Godliness of those sorts of Men do not trouble themselves to search any further into the Matter but rely upon their Word There are some Men who from Natural Intimations know two or three days before what kind of Weather it will be Thus there are some who by the Pains they feel in their Corns will tell you whether we shall have Fair or Foul Weather A certain Father of the Order of the Servits at Viconza a Man of a wicked and debauch'd Life who Entertain'd Three Lewd Women at Venice by whom he had had several Children being seized with a Disease not fitting to be named never fail'd of feeling Excessive pains two or three Days before Rain Now there hapned an extraordinary Drought for Three Months together which caused extream Damage to all the Fruits of the Earth but at last the Season being about to Change the Father was not wanting to have the sad Anvertisements of it He was the Sacristan or as we corruptly speak it Sexton of a Church called Madonna del Monte or My Lady of the Hill which is about Half a League distant from the City of Viconza situate upon a pleasant Hill where is kept a Miraculous Image of the Virgin And forasmuch as he perceived That the Devotion of People was already much abated which he was very sensible of by the slackness of his Purse he thought of kindling it again To this purpose making use of the present Conjuncture he sent to the Podesta or Governour of the City of Viconza acquainting him That being at Prayer in the Night time before the Image of the Virgin whose Sacristan he had the Honour to be she had told him with an intelligible Voice and a pleasant Smile That she had a great deal of Compassion on the Afflictions of her People by reason of the great Drought which spoil'd all the Country and that in case the Inhabitants of Viconza would within Three Days make a General Procession to his Church She would open the Flood-gates of Heaven so that there should be Rain in abundancâ— The Governour hereupon immediately caused an Order to be published for a Procession against the Time the good Fryer had signified at which Time the Weather did not fail to change and favour his Wishes For scarcely was the Procession advanced Half-way but there fell so furious a Shower that all those who assisted at it were almost overthrown and had much ado to get to the Church where they Sung Hymns of Thanks to the Virgin for that high Favour This Miracle being rumour'd abroad throughout the Country for Two Months together drew a great Number of People to this Miraculous Image The Devout Sacristan finding his Purse well Lin'd repair'd the next Carnaval to Venice to divertize himself there and to make his Mistresses partakers of his good Fortune and frankly acquainted them with the Success he had had and how cleverly he had gull'd the Unthinking People But some time after one of them Falling-out with him like another Delilah betray'd him and discover'd his Imposture Had it been in any other Country he would hardly have escaped without bearing the Marks of it but in Italy these things are easily excusable with saying That nothing was intended in all this save only the Advancement of the Blessed Virgins Honour Another Fetch of the Priests is something of my own Discovery and which I do not know that ever any one before me has taken Notice of and it is this They are us'd to entertain Children with an infinite number of false Tales and Stories invented at random concerning Apparitions and Miracles that never were To explain this further to you you may take notice That in Italy the Children are Catechized every Sunday and Holy-day throughout the Year in all their Churches at One of the Clock in the Afternoon To make them the more ready and willing to come to be Catechized the Priests after that they have explain'd some one Point of Doctrin they tell them for a Conclusion some pleasant Story before they send them home The Little Italians listen to it with the greatest Attention imaginable and as soon as they are come home tell it
to their Mothers I have observ'd That these Priests do commonly take for the Subject of their Story some Miracle or other which they pretend to have been wrought in their Church I entred once into a Chappel where one of these young Catechizers was Informing his young Scholars the Chappel was Dedicated to S. Martin They ordinarily Paint this Saint on Horseback and with his Sword cutting off the Half of his Cloak to give it for an Alms to a poor Beggar 'T was in this posture his Statue which was of a very pure White-Marble represented him on the Altar of that Chappel When the Catechizing was over the Priest began to tell these Children a very pleasant Story concerning this Statue He told them That a Good Curate of that Parish had often seen him very fairly come down from the Altar and Running a full Gallop out of the Church that one day having taken the liberty to ask him Whither he was a going S. Martin told him That he was hasting to the Assistance of a very honest Man who had procur'd many Masses to be said at his Altar and being at present fallen into the hands of Robbers in the midst of a Wood was in great danger of his Life but that he hop'd to come timely enough for his Relief and that at his Return he would give him an Account of the Success of his Enterprize The Catechizer flourish'd his Discourse with Circumstances so extravagant and ridiculous that it was impossible to forbear Laughing For he gave a very particular description of S. Martins whole Journy upon his Horse of Marble how he Rid a full Gallop over Trees Rivers Cities and all The poor Children all this while Listned to him with profound Silence and Attention But the conclusion of all and the Cream of the Jest was That every one that bore a great Devotion to that Chappel and procur'd Masses to be said there in honour of S. Martin might assure themselves never to perish on the High ways by the hands of Robbers The next day I had occasion to speak to my young Clergy-man and put him in mind of his Marble S. Martin whom he had made to Ride Post for a Diversion to his Scholars He answer'd me Smiling What would you have one do Sir 'T is the Custom of this Country to entertain the Children that come to be Catechized with such Stories as these because without this we should have none of their Company It is impossible to tell them always True ones and therefore we are sometimes fain to be beholding to our Inventions for them Things are only so far Evil as they produce ill Effects but these sorts of Stories cannot but in time bring forth very good Fruits as that of inspiring them with great Confidence in the Saints and obliging them to Pray and cause Masses to be said in Honour of them What think you Is not this an excellent piece of sound Morality And are not these Children think you well Taught They are call'd to the School of Truth and yet they teach them nothing but Lies In the mean time there is nothing capable of making a greater impression on our Spirits or of fixing a thing more lastingly in our Memory than what we learn in our first and tender Youth All these Foolish Discourses do not fail of producing very great effects and of passing at last for currant Truth in the Minds of the Papists who besides this are accustomed very glibly to swallow a great number of Absurdities and Contradictions in the Point of Transubstantiation which they so stiffly maintain and this is it probably that has so over-run Italy with Fables and impertinent and ridiculous Stories Yet these People are so infatuated therewith that in case any Honest Man and Lover of Truth should seem too curiously to enquire after these Matters or in the least to disapprove them he would pass for no better than an Heretick Thus a certain person was cast into the Inquisition for saying That He did not believe what was told of the Ass of S. Anthony of Padua that kneeled down to worship the Host to confound the Protestants From this first Cause of Miracles which is the Covetousness of the Clergy I proceed to the Second which is the Slight and Cunning of certain Beggars Poverty is a Well-spring of Great Blessings to those who do bear it patiently taking it as from the Hand of God and making good use of it but withal it is no less a Gulph of all Misery and Unhappiness to those who receive it with a contrary Spirit and I don't believe there is any Wickedness comparable to that of a Wicked Beggar A Wicked Beggar hath no Conscience he is dispos'd to undertake any thing in order to rid himself from the wretched Circumstances of his destitute condition There be many of this sort in Italy who Live by their Wits and Invention There are some that have the Patience to counterfeit themselves Cripples Blind or struck with the Palsie for Five or Six Years together to make the World at least believe that a Miracle has been wrought upon them attributing their Recovery to some Image of the Virgin or to some Saint The Profit which accrues to them by this is That the People being informed of the Miracle that hath been wrought for them presently believe them to be very Good Men and Great Friends of God as having receiv'd such Signal Favours from him This makes them to bestow Liberal Alms upon them to have a share in their Prayers Yea it oft happens That some Rich and Devout persons take care of and make such Provision for them that they never want all the Remainder of their Lives The Priests and the Monks also afford them an Allowance when at any times by this means they bring any of their Chappels in Vogue and Request so as they receive considerable Profit thereby I have been shewn many of these Beggars in Convents and Monasteries who Live there amongst the Domesticks in great Ease and without doing any thing The Third Spring from whence Miracles issue in Italy is a Popular Error which is crept in amongst them and at present has taken such deep root that it is in a manner impossible to pluck it up 'T is this Upon the least Accident that happens to the Italians and the least Sickness or Indisposition that seizeth them they make a Vow to some Statue or Image of the Virgin or of some Saint to be deliver'd from it Now it is evident that all Mishaps do not prove Fatal to Life neither do all Diseases terminate in Death so that many times they escape and are restor'd to Health again which by a strange Superstition instead of attributing the Glory thereof to God alone who is the Sole LORD of Life and Death they attribute the Recovery of their Health or their Deliverance from Danger to the Statues or Images to whom they have made their Vows To make their Acknowledgment of the Favour
her part Impressions from God There are but few that arrive to this Uppermost Story but when any are once got thither whatever Word they utter or Action they do 't is no more they themselves who Act or Speak but God that Speaks and Acts in them for as for them they never depart from this their intimate Union with God Whatsoever they Say or Speak in this State is very carefully heeded as being all Divine If they speak of Things past they are Revelations if of Things to come they are all Prophecies 'T is by this Door so many New Notions are entred into the Church of Rome which they believe as firmly as the Gospel tho' they have no other Foundation but the over-heated Brains of these Saints Many of these have themselves Pen'd their own Revelations as S. Brigit S. Melchilda S. Catharine of Sienna S. Gertrude and many others By means of these Saintesses the Church of Rome hath attain'd the knowledge of all the Particularities of our Saviours Passion how many Stroaks he received at his Whipping how often he fell to the Ground under the heavy burthen of his Cross how many Thorns pierc'd his Sacred Head and how many times they Spat in his Holy Face By the same way they have discover'd whatsoever hapned in the Manger at Bethlehem how the Blessed Virgin took the Veil from her Head and made Clouts of it for her Little Jesus what she said and did before she was Deliver'd of him and a vast Number of other Particulars which are not to be met with in the Gospel By this means they were informed of the Great Mystery of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin when she ascended up to Heaven in Soul and Body the Discourse she had with the Apostles how she by degrees mounted up into the Air bestowing her Blessings all the way she went In a word almost all the new Doctrin of Popery is derived from this over-flowing Spring which is not yet dryed up nor ever will as long as there are any of these Prophetesses left in their Church To give more weight to these new Imaginations these Saints assured that Jesus Christ appeared to them very often and was become very Familiar with them that he talk'd with them as a Bridegroom does with his Bride and that they took occasion in these Familiarities to ask him whatsoever they desired to know Jesus Christ himself taught S. Catharine of Sienna to read he came and did blow the Fire for her he swept her Chamber as may be seen in the History of her Life by which means she had an occasion of Discoursing him often Others of them received Visits from Jesus Christ who came and Visited them accompanied with his Mother and his Apostles where they had great Conferences together and these Saintesses that heard them discovered many secrets and Mysteries in their Discourse which they afterwards Communicated to the Popes and the Church and this is that which at this day in a great Measure makes the difference that is between the Doctrin of the Papists and that of the Protestants Apud quos cessavit Propheta who have no Prophets to boast of There is never a Convent of Nuns in Italy that has not some Prophetess which is always some old Mother that hath been twice or thrice Superior of the Convent and who not being in a condition of doing any thing else applies her self to the Unitive Life During the long stay I made at Vicenza I often went to Visit the Abbess of the Nuns of S. Thomas I upon a time enquired of her concerning the State of her Nuns who told me that she had Forty four that were in the Active Life three in the Contemplative and one only in the Mystical or Unitive A young Countess who was in the same Convent and who was Visited by four or five Galants who came to see her at the Grate was got no further yet than the Active Life I will engage my self no further at present in entertaining you about the Nuns of Italy because probably I may have an occasion to do it more at leisure I return now to my she Saints whose Bodies remain Uncorrupt They were all three of them arrived at the Unitive State and have all of them left Prophecies behind them S. Rose of Viterbo did for a long time importune the Dominican Nuns of that City to receive her amongst them and to give her the Habit of their Order but the Nuns knowing she was extreamly poor and that she could not as the rest did bring Mony to the Convent refused her company and would not so much as receive her into the Number of their Convert Sisters The Saint understanding this their rejecting of her told them That tho' they would have none of her now she was alive yet they should be very glad to have her when she was Dead This Prophecy prov'd true for Rose being deceased with the Odour of Sanctity and many Miracles after the Italian manner being wrought at her Tomb these same Nuns desired her Body which was granted them The great Number of Masses which are procur'd to be said to her and the abundance of Alms that Travellers and Pilgrims do leave there makes them consider this Body at present as their greatest Treasure This Prophecy of S. Rose was very easy to be made she knew she was already far enough advanced in the good Opinion of the People for to make them esteem her a Saint after her Death She knew moreover that the Bodies of such are always very gainful that the Nuns of that Convent as well as others in Italy were very Covetous and that by Vertue of a Vow she had made to S. Dominicus they would not 〈◊〉 to demand her Relicks as of right belonging to them and so was in a Condition to Prophecy on a sure ground The Saint whose Body is to be seen at Monte Faucon is accompanied with something that is very remarkable they shew you all the Instruments of the Passion of our Saviour which they say were found in her Heart after her Decease they are all of dryed Flesh like as her Heart is They are very confused neither are all of them sufficiently distinguishable or Discernable They shew you likewise three little round Pellets of Flesh which they say were likewise taken out of her Heart One of these Pellets being laid in a pair of Scales weigh as much as all the three together and all the three weigh no more than one alone This makes them say That God was willing to Imprint in the Heart of this Saint a Resemblance of the most Holy Trinity for in like manner as these three Pellets tho' different in number yet make but one weight and that the weight of one alone is no less than that of all the three together so likewise tho' there be three Persons in the Holy Trinity yet there is but one Essence and one of these Persons is no less in Divine Perfections than
the World Love Consorts of Musick and those amongst them that have good Ears follow these excellent Musicians to all places so that there was a vast concourse to this Church When I entred the Musick was not yet begun and I took my place near to the Throne where these Gentlemen were seated They seemed to be somewhat restless to have Vespers or Evening Song begin for it was already near six a Clock and all the Wax Candles had already been Lighted above a quarter of an hour and the Musicians were all at their Posts Some Boys that had counted the Wax Tapers said there were Four Hundred and Forty of them of an extraordinary white Wax However the Gentlemen all Impatient as they were durst not order the beginning of the Ceremony because the Fair Agnes for whose dear sake all these Preparations were made was not yet come And forasmuch as they were willing not to be understood they made use of the little French they had Learnt to talk to one another The Principal who was at the Cost of this Festival somewhat to quiet the mind of his Companions told them he was assured his Agnes would quickly be there that he had sent one of his Lackeys to come and give him notice as soon as he should see her set forth from home that she precisely knew the hour and having promised to be there she would certainly be as good as her Word Some of them answer'd him That they feard lest her Mother who was very Difficult and Humorsom might keep her at home and advised him to send another Lackey to acquaint her Mother That if she would not suffer her Daughter to come she should repent it But just as they were in Consultation about this Point in comes the first Lackey and tells his Master that the long look'd for Agnes was coming and already very near the Church Whereupon immediately a Signal was given to the Musicians to be in a readiness and at the very Moment she set her Foot in the Church upon another Signal given them they Thundred away the first Anthem of the Common Even Song for the Feast of Virgins beginning thus Haec est Virgo Sapiens una de numero Prudentium This is a wise Virgin and one of the number of the Prudent ones Whereupon our Gentlemen in a trice changed their restlesness into an excess of Joy and Satisfaction which might easily be read in their Faces I heard them say That Ladies often took Pleasure to make their Lovers wait for them to make their Presence after a long Attendance the more acceptable and welcom I should never have known this fair Idol amongst those throngs of Ladies that entred every Moment if the young Gentleman who had prepared all this Incense for her had not gone to meet her and lead her to her place She seem'd to me very Modestly Drest having her Head cover'd with a large Black Scarf which almost reach'd down to her Feet Her Face was wholly cover'd according to the Custom of the Romish Ladies whenever they go abroad Her Mother follow'd her the Custom of the Country being for the Daughters to go before and the Mothers after Near to the Throne where these Gentlemen were seated there was prepared for her a Reading-Desk cover'd with a very fair Carpet of Blew Velvet set round with a deep Golden Fringe and great Cushions of the same Richly Embroider'd whereon she and her Mother Kneel'd down I was very near her and observ'd that as long as the Musick lasted she did her utmost endeavour under pretext of Sticking some Pins about her Head to discover some part of her Face in favor of those Gentlemen who had their Eyes almost continually fix'd upon her she made a shift to send them some Smiles and to make Signs to them with her Eyes Her Breasts were Scandalously exposed to View for there being nothing to cover them save only that part of her Veil which hung down over them she knew so dexterously to play with it that every one who was not depriv'd of his Eye-sight might at times have a full View of them In the mean time the Musick was Incomparable and Ravishing and all the Anthems that were Sung thô for the most part they were taken out of the Canticles were more applicable to this young â—ady than to S. Agnes whose Feast they pretended to Celebrate Whilst I was here I chanc'd to cast an Eye upon a Picture of this Saint which was placed upon the Altar at which the Masses were to be said the next Morning and I easily perceived it to be the very Face of Agnes Victorini except only that it was surrounded with Rayes as the Saints are used to be and that they had Painted a little Lamb by her as is Customary in all the Representations of S. Agnes I saw by this that the young Gentleman had forgot nothing that might manifest his Devotion to his Lady having taken care to place her upon the very Altars there to be Ador'd by every one About the middle of the Even-Song two of these Gentlemen took a great Charger full of Flowers with an intent to present all the Ladies there present with Nosegaies made of Carnatians Knops of Roses and Orange Flowers mix'd together for at Rome you may have any sort of Flowers at any Season of the year they were tied together with a Golden-Twist to which was fastned a fair Knot of about three or four Yards of Riband so that each Nosegay could not be worth less than two Crowns or thereabouts The first of these was presented to the Fair Agnes and I took notice that there was a little Note convey'd between the Flowers which she immediately took thence and put into her Hours or Book of Devotion to peruse it It was not possible for me to discern the Contents and tho' I was very nigh to her I could not discover any more than these two words Mia Diva My Goddess No sooner were these Nosegays distributed but there came flying from the upper Galleries of the Church a vast quantity of Printed Papers which the People strove to catch These Prints contain'd Sonnets in the praise of St. Agnes but which really and indeed reach'd the Lady much more than the Saint for the Poem was almost a continual allusion to Victories being a sufficient hint they were calculated for her whose Name was Victorini This Concert of Musick lasted almost four Hours and it was very late before all was over however so exceeding charming and delightful was the Musick that it seem'd to me I had not been above half an Hour in the Church The next day I return'd thither again and was present at the whole Service which was celebrated with all the Pomp and Solemnity imaginable All the Morning they celebrated a great number of Masses and many Abbots to honour the young Carpegna and his Mistress came and said Mass at the Altar but now mention'd before the fair Image At the beginning
first Even-Song began on Wednesday in the Evening The Church of this Abby is a meer Jewel of a thing for the extraordinary curiosity of the Marble Jasper and Porphyrie Stones that do in part compose and embellish it the Guilding and Painting that adorn it are of an inestimable price the Roof and all the Walls of the Church are Guilt the High-Altar as well as the other lesser ones of the Chappels are all of Precious Stones All the Seats of the Quire are of In-laid Work wherein the whole Life of S. Bennet and many Histories of the Bible are represented the Ballisters of Iron that shut the Quire and Chappels are all Gilt and very delicately Wrought the Pavement is of black and white Marble insomuch that there is not the least part in the whole Church that stands in need of any superadded Ornament Yet notwithstanding all this the Abbot sent for the most dexterous Adorners of Churches to set it forth with the Silken Machins of Bononia with which all the Windows and Walls of the Church were fill'd affording various Historical Representations tho' to speak the Truth this was a very needless Cost because what was hid by these Silken-Figures was more curious and costly than the Figures themselves He order'd Arms of Silver to be fixed round the Church and Candlesticks of the same to be placed on all the Cornishes and Pillars of the Church to support a prodigious number of white Wax-Candles which were to burn all the time of the Service The High-Altar was set as thick as it could hold with Plate brought out of the Treasury of that Abby to make a show of it to all Men. About Three of the Clock in the Afternoon the Abbot accompanied with all his Monks and many Gentlemen of his Relations and Friends following him marched forwards towards the Church He was Apparel'd in the Habit of his Order being distinguish'd from the rest of the Monks by his Ring his Hood and his four Corner'd Cap. The Monks of this Abby are wont to enter into the Church by the Gate of the Cloister which is near the Choir but for the more State and to make a greater show of their Abbot in all his Pomp and Majesty they chose this time to come out of the Monastery and to take a Round in order to their Entring the Church by the Great Gate at the West-end of it As soon as they entred the Bells Organs and other Musical Instruments sounded a March and as for the Monks they gave forth such an Air in their going as discover'd rather the Vanity of their Hearts than that Majesty which becomes the Ministers at the Altar When they were come into the Church the Abbot made a Halt before the Chappel of S. Bernard which is at the Lower-end of the Church and kneeled down upon Cushions of Violet-colour'd Velvet very richly Embroidered which were laid upon a Desk cover'd with a Carpet of the same garnish'd with a rich Golden-Fringe And at the same time the Musicians sung an Anthem in praise of that Saint After this the Abbot was conducted to his Throne which they had erected at the Right side of the Altar It was cover'd on high with a magnificent Canopy of State and surrounded with several Seats very richly Adorn'd for all the Officers that were to officiate at the Pontifical Being arrived here he seated himself having two Abbots of his Friends on each side of him and immediately Fourteen of his Monks in their Surplices went and took the Ornaments that were laid on Tables placed near the High Altar wherewith he was to be invested and having each of them taken what belong'd to their place they rang'd themselves one behind another making a long Row The first of them carried in a large Silver-gilt-Charger the Abbatical Buskins the second in another like Charger the Abbatical Shâ—es of Violet colour'd Velvet richly Embroider'd a third carried the Coif a fourth the Roâ—het which as also the Coif was of most fine Linnen Lac'd round about and at the Hands with a very curious Point de Venice of a Foot deep the fiâ—â—h follow'd with a very costly Girdle of white Silk woven and wrought to admiration the sixth carried the Stole the seventh and eighth each of them a Tunicle of white Taffety the ninth had the Cap which like the Stole was of Cloth of Gold the Edges of it being rais'd by Embroidery into several curious Figures compos'd of Seed-Pearl and furnish'd with Golden Clasps the tenth carried the Little Cross of Diamonds valued at Two Thousand Crowns the eleventh in a great Charger gilt and enamel'd carried the Abbatical Gloves and the twelfth the Abbatical Ring being an Amethist of an extraordinary size the thirteenth follow'd with the Mitre thick set with Pearls and precious Stones and the fourteenth and last carried the Crosier or Pastoral Staff Every one of these in order as they drew near to the Abbot seated on his Throne bowed the Knee before him and after they had deliver'd their several Charges into the hand of the Assistant Abbots who were to Attire their Prelate having first worship'd him with another Genuflexion retir'd again in good order At every Ornament that was put upon him there were particular Prayers which the Assisting Abbots repeated and the Officiating Prelat read himself in the Pontifical Book which was supported by two Monks and two others in their Surplices and Tunicles held Wax Candles to light him whilst the Master of Ceremonies turn'd the Leaves for him The Abbot being Accoutred with all these Ornaments and having the Mitre on his Head seated himself on his Throne in the midst of the two Abbots Assistants and immediately all the Officers who were to officiate at the Ceremony ranged themselves near to him These Officers were four Chaunters in their Rochets and Hoods four Sub-Chaunters in their Surplices two Deacons in their Stoles and Tunicles two Sub-Deacons in their Tunicles two Taper-Bearers to hold the Candlesticks and two Incense-Bearers drest in Surplices and their Silver Censers in their Hands besides another Officer to hold the Crosier-Staff and the Master of Ceremonies with his Rod or Wand All these were only to Officiate till about the middle of Even-song at which time as if they had been extreamly tired with the Attendance they had given they were relieved by others yet more gorgeously Apparel'd who were to Officiate till the Service was ended Their Musick was very numerous and choice The Abbot sung the first Verse of Even-song which was continued by the Musick and Singing-men with abundance of Ceremonies which I shall not insist upon at present that which I have already deliver'd being sufficient to give you an Idea of that extraordinary Mâ—jesty and External Pomp wherewith Feasts are â—olemnized in the Churches of Italy For in case it be a Bishop or Archbishop that Officiates the Magnificence is much greater and if it be a Cardinal or Pope that celebrates the Feast these Ceremonies are carried to
with a great deal of Modesty and Reverence and what is the chiefest of all they always keep close to the Truth and Purity of the Gospel in the which I desire to Live and Die I wish you the same Grace and am Sir with all my Heart Your most Humble Servant c. The Seventh LETTER Of the Processions of Italy c. SIR HAving passed the Lent Time at Rome I departed thence some Weeks after Easter with an intent of Returning to France I took my Journy through that part of the Great Duke of Tuscany's Country which Borders upon the Patrimony of S. Peter or the Popes Dominions The Entrance into the Dukes Territories is by Il Rè de Caphani which is a very high Mountain surrounded with many great Woods and is a very proper place for Hunting where I saw several Cardinals who diverted themselves at that Sport From hence 't is Two small days Journy to Sienna in my Way thither I met with nothing but Processions all along the Road. 'T is an Ancient Custom establish'd in the Roman Church to celebrate frequent Processions after Easter which they call Rogations in order to implore the Blessing of God upon the Fruits of the Earth The Year wherein I took this Journy there was a more pressing need of it than ordinary because of the great Drought which threatned a Scarcity A Procession according to the definition of the Papists is A Walking or Marching of People from one Church to another under the Conduct of the Priests assisting with the Cross and Banner there to Invoke by the Intercession of some He or She Saint the extraordinary Assistance of God These Processions are sometimes Two or Three Days a Marching before they come to the place design'd and when they have once dispatch'd the Singing of their Letanies they play the Fools as much as the Pilgrims in their Pilgrimaging do according to the Account I have already given you in a former LETTER So that I wanted no Divertisement all the Way from the Rè de Cophani till I came to Sienna whither all these Processions were going Only I found great Inconvenience when I came to my Inn because that wherever these Processions pass they cause great Scarcity by reason of the great Numbers that compose them Being come to Sienna I enquir'd what Church it was to which all these Devotions were design'd and was told That they all went to a Church of our Lady where they had lately uncover'd a Miraculous Image of the Virgin which was only done at the end of every Forty years My Curiosity invited me to take a View of it but the Throng of the People was so great that I had much ado to Crowd into the Church They told me That this Thronging Concourse had already continued for Eight Days for so long the Image had been Unveiled and that after Eight Days more it was to be Veiled again with a great deal of Solemnity I took an exact View of this Image which was about a Foot broad and a Foot and an Half high the Countenance of it representing that of a very young Girl neither could I find any thing extraordinary in it for which it might seem to deserve the Adorations they gave it I enquir'd of the Priests that served this Church What might be the Reason that this Image was only Unveiled once every Forty Years But they could give me no better than this That it had been a Custom observed Time out of Mind and that they believed the first Rise of it was An Order given by the Virgin her self for so doing I have in Italy seen a vast Number of these sorts of Veiled-Images not only of the Virgin but also of the Crucifix and all other Saints and I can say with Truth That there is scarcely a Church to be met with which hath not Two or Three of them Sometimes we meet with great Pictures in their Churches where several Saints are represented and amongst them one only having his or her Face Veiled that being the Mysterious Saint The Secret of which Intriegue as far I could pierce into by the use the Priests and Monks make of it is plainly this They find this way admirably well suited to advance their Temporal Profit The things we see every Day become too common with us and make little or no Impression by reason of the Customariness of them on our Imagination There be some Parts of the World where they have six Months of Night and six Months of Day so that their whole Year consists but of a Day and a Night Now we are told That the Inhabitants of these Countries assemble themselves in Crowds to see the Sun Rise whereas in these Lands where the Sun riseth every Day we don't find People concern themselves to be present at his Rising and by a parity of Reason we may conclude That the Images and Statues of the Church of Rome would make no great impression on the Minds of the People or be powerful enough to induce the opening of their Purse-Strings if the Priests had not found out this ingenious Invention of making them more rare and therefore the more desired Yea it seems also that the long time of their Veiling begets something of a greater Veneration for them and that the Roman Catholicks imagin That when after so long a time they are uncovered they meet with in those Pictures Images and Statues something more August and Divine than ordinary In a word They do all believe and take it for granted that when these are Unveiled here on Earth the Saints whom they represent become more Liberal in Heaven and more favourably inclin'd to grant their Vows and Prayers Thus you see whither Superstition or rather Folly will run when those who ought to be the most Zealous to overthrow it I mean the Clergy are the chief Contrivers of Ways and Methods to foster and encourage it The Profit which from hence accrues to the Priests is very great as you will be able to conceive from what I shall tell you of this Our Lady of Sienna I spent Nine or Ten Days in this City and so had the leisure frequently to Visit this Church of the Virgin I confess I cannot give you an exact account of the Presents I saw there offer'd and therefore shall content my self to tell you That I do not believe any Single person entred the Church without giving something very considerable And to encourage the People the more in their Liberality to exceed and outstrip one another the Priests had had the Cunning to prepare a place Rail'd-in with Balisters near to the Altar of the Virgin where they expos'd to View part of the Presents the People had offer'd Here were to be seen a vast quantity of whole Pieces of Cloth and Fine Linnen Handkerchiefs Shifts many rich Jewels and in particular a prodigious number of Great Tapers of White Virgin-Wax whereof some of them could weigh no less than Fifty pounds apiece