LETTER XVIII.

Rome, January 16, 1820.

January 16. This being St. Antonio's day, all the animals are taken to be blessed, at the church dedicated to his service.-Horses, mules, and asses, in succession, have been passing and repassing down the Corso the whole morning; their heads gaily decorated with flowers, ribbons, and tinsel. The blessing is, to secure them from accidents during the ensuing year. We were told, that by paying for it, we too might have even our cats and dogs blessed. Thus do these priests exact contributions from their poor deluded followers. Twó lambs are, at this time of the year, blessed at the church of St. Agnes, and afterwards committed to the charge of nuns, who tend and feed them with the greatest care until Easter, when one of them serves to commemorate the Paschal Lamb, and is served up whole at the pope's table. Two lambs are kept for this purpose, in case an accident should befal either of them.

January 17. Being the anniversary of the finding of St. Peter's chair, or as is more generally said, that on which our Lord delivered to him the keys of heaven, a grand festival is held at the church, only to be surpassed in show and cere

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mony by those of St. Peter's day and Easter Sunday.

The bronze statue of Jupiter Capitolinus, now called St. Peter, having undergone no other change than that of the keys, instead of the thunderbolt, in the right hand, was dressed in the richest papal robes. The tiara is studded with precious stones, or rather, I should say, with paste, in imitation of them, for the French had dexterously substituted the one for the other. The quantity of finery with which this black figure is loaded, makes its ugliness more conspicuous. It is seated on a chair, the right foot extended forwards, which is worn bright with kissing, for that homage is paid by every Roman Catholic, man, woman, and child, who approaches it; children, when not tall enough to reach it, being held up for the purpose by some one present.

The chair, suspended over the high altar, is cased in brass, and was this day illuminated with greater splendour than usual, as well as the shrine in the inside of the Baldechino. It was left open to discover the golden sarcophagus of superb workmanship, which is said to enclose the remains of St. Peter. Large golden lilies hold the lights which are kept always burning round it. The Baldechino stands under the dome. It is one hundred and twenty-two feet high, supported by four spiral bronze columns.

The pope was carried on his chair in grand pro-

cession; two great fans of white peacocks' feathers were held waving above his head. He was thus conveyed to the foot of the statue, (or idol, may I not call it ?) until he too should offer adoration. I was shocked at seeing on the back of the pope's chair, a dove painted, surrounded by rays, to represent the Holy Spirit.

Saturday Evening, January 27. We have had another moon-light ramble through the solitary arches and galleries of the Coliseum. The silvery moon-beams shed a soft light peculiarly adapted to the solemn grandeur of this beautiful ruin, the broken arches of which are festooned by wild plants. I stood in silent awe, contemplating that arena, once the scene of savage barbarity, where the cries, the dying groans of the martyrs, reechoed in vain. But soon for them all suffering passed away, and the courts of heaven resounded with their endless song of praise. Round that arena, in which flowed streams of their blood, little altars, called stations, are erected, representing the sufferings of their Redeemer. Every Sunday and Friday evening during the summer, this interesting spot is visited by a procession of priests, bearing the cross, who kneel to pray at every altar, and sing, in pathetic strains, the Passion of the Redeemer, in which they are joined by a full chorus of men, women, and children, who follow in the procession. If they confined themselves to the revealed Word of God in the performance of this

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service, many serious Christians would delight to join them but so many additions, not contained in the Gospels, are inserted, that even here also it is impossible not to discover the mixture of falsehood and error which governs the religion of this country.

It is said that 30,000 Jewish slaves were employed in erecting the Coliseum, all of whom were slaughtered on its arena, when their work was completed.

My Letters being a journal of daily occurrences, you must find them a strange medley, and frequent repetitions, but as you are desirous of hearing my own reflections, on all which I see and hear, I am induced to continue them.

LETTER XIX.

Rome, February 6, 1820.

SINCE I wrote last, I have been at a very fine show, which I thought very ridiculous, and worse than ridiculous indeed, for part of it was impious. It was the blessing of the candles in the Pope's chapel at the Quirinal; and a representation of our Lord's triumphant entrance into Jerusalem.

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CEREMONY OF BLESSING CANDLES.

The Pope, in his pontifical robes, was seated on a throne beside the high altar, cardinals, bishops, and the senator, being all present, in vestments splendidly embroidered. A long procession, formed of the orders of monks from all the different convents and monasteries, entered the chapel singing, each holding in his hand a large wax candle, which was laid aside until after the celebration of mass, when each monk resumed his candle, and presented it kneeling at the foot of the throne, while the Pope blessed it. The number of candles being very great, and each separately blessed, much time was wasted, which, I could not help thinking, might as well have been spared, by blessing the whole at once. The poor feeble old Pope was nearly exhausted with the frequent repetition of the same words, when he was placed in his fine chair, and carried out of the chapel, followed by the cardinals, bishops, and senator, attended by his pages, and a long train of priests, monks, and friars, walking in grand procession round the Sala Regia, and returning, through the chapel, again to the throne, singing as they went. The Pope, on this occasion, as on all others when he appears in public, is surrounded by the Guardia Nobile, which always immediately attends his person, and is composed entirely of persons chosen from amongst the most ancient nobility of Rome. When he drives out, they ride close to his carriage, on horses richly caparisoned at their own expense; and when