ENGLISH CHURCH SERVICE. 125 Sir inform him that the Roman government had taken * During the Easter-week, there was a Sermon preached in the presence of the Pope, in Latin, (the language always used on these occasions,) complaining of the relaxed discipline of the Church, against which the preacher inveighed with much asperity, asserting, that at the very foot of the capitol, a temple was permitted for the worship of false gods. As this justly gave offence to several English present, it is said that he received a severe reprimand for the temerity of his assertion. j 126 SPLENDID SERVICE IN THE SISTINE CHAPEL. the concourse of English is so great, that numbers must be excluded from attending it at all. The rooms at the Colonna Trajana were spacious apartments, hired for the purpose, and paid for by general subscription. LETTER XVI. Rome, November 29, 1819. We had service yesterday in the clergyman's lodgings, where we could not hear distinctly, being obliged to assemble in three separate apartments, the doors of which open into each other. Being the first Sunday in Advent, there was a grand illumination of the Pauline Chapel, at St. Peter's. The Pope himself performed mass in the Sistine Chapel, where is the celebrated picture of the Last Judgment, by Michael Angelo, now half obliterated. After mass, the Pope was placed in a chair highly gilt and ornamented, and a white satin canopy, deeply fringed with gold, was held over him, while he was borne from one chapel to the other, attended by a number of cardinals and bishops in gorgeous robes. The illumination was very splendid altogether, this pomp and show appeared very inconsistent with the religion of the meek and lowly Saviour. VISIT TO THE QUIRINAL, 127 During the Advent the shepherds come in from the country playing sacred strains on their pipes, in commemoration of the glad tidings first announced to the shepherds "abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock by night." Not to the rich or powerful, the renowned or the learned, was this message of peace, but to lowly shepherds to gladden the lonely hours of the night watch. December 8. Day and night the shepherds' pipes are heard in every street*. The harmonious strain lulls me to sleep at night, and interrupts my morning slumbers, reminding me of the message of peace and good will to man; to offending man, pardon, peace and love. December 10. We have been at the Pope's palace, the Quirinal, or as it is generally called Monte Cavallo, from the celebrated horses; one of the sculptures is said to represent Alexander and Bucephalus. It stands on the hill in front of the palace, which is not so splendidly ornamented as many in Rome, but a more comfortable residence than any of them. The apartments best worth seeing, are those fitted up for Buonaparte, of whom in the ceiling of one there is a fine portrait, which rather than destroy a good painting they call Augustus Cæsar. After seeing the palace, we were conducted to the Pope's private chapel, where is a * I have been since told that the shepherds stop before the shrines of the Virgin which are to be seen in every street, and that their hymns are all in her praise. 128 SUPERSTITION OF THE ROMAN CATHOLICS. much admired Madonna. I think it the most beautiful representation of the Virgin which I have yet seen. There is something which might almost be called heavenly in the expression of the countenance. December 16. Mr. M. went with us to the Vatican; and as we approached St. Peter's made us remark a little altar at one side of the street. "In that spot," he said, " a boy daubed a figure of the Madonna on the wall, and one day an unfortunate man, in casting away part of an unsound orange, chanced to hit it, and leave a mark, which some persons present endeavoured unsuccessfully to rub off. Immediately a cry was raised; a miracle! a miracle! and crowds collected to behold it. Even the Pope and Cardinals were induced to visit the spot, where they added to its sanctity the ceremony of consecration. And to appease the wrath of the offended Madonna, the poor delinquent, who unintentionally sullied her image, was condemned to the galleys for the remainder of his life, for the crime of profanation." He related many other similar anecdotes exposing the superstitions of this false religion; for, though he pretends to be a Roman Catholic, he is a thinking one and sees into these vain absurdities. I say he pretends, for having dismissed that religion, he has, I fear, adopted no other. When, indeed, the enlightened among them begin to doubt, without instructor or guide, what else is to be expected, the Holy Scrip tures being excluded in the vulgar tongue? I do not recollect whether I mentioned this man before to you in any of my letters. He was one of the first persons introduced to me at Rome, and is certainly a desirable acquaintance for those who wish to be instructed in all that relates to the fine arts, which in fact have been the subject of his laborious research for nearly threescore years and ten. We could not therefore have had a better guide to the Vatican, where he did not allow us to pass any thing worthy of observation. In directing our attention, for instance, to Raphael's transfiguration, he pointed out its peculiar beauties, and glaring defects, in representing two events totally unconnected, both, however, recorded in the ninth chapter of the Gospel of St. Mark. At the top our Lord is seen resplendent in glory, talking with Moses and Elias, while the awe-struck disciples lie prostrate on the ground. At the bottom, the subject of the possessed boy presents a very different No sooner do you catch a glimpse at the horrible expression of demoniac despair so strongly depicted, than you turn away with indescribable horror, and feel almost afraid to look again; but that feeling must be conquered, and each countenance in this interesting group be attentively studied, by means of which may be clearly traced the thoughts and conversation of each by-stander. One looks with awe and pity upon the wretched maniac, while another relates his sad history. A scene. |