it

kneel to, and kiss the toe of, this brazen image.* They rub it against their foreheads, and press against their lips, with the most reverential piety. I have sat by the hour to see the crowds of people, who flock in to perform this ceremony— waiting for their turn to kiss;-and yet the Catholic would laugh at the pious Mussulman, who performs a pilgrimage to Mecca, to wash the holy pavement, and kiss the black stone of the Caaba; -which, like his own St. Peter, is also a relic of heathenism.-Alas, poor human nature!-The Catholic laughs at the Mussulman-we do not scruple to laugh at the Catholic-the Deist laughs at us-and the Atheist laughs at all. What is truth? We must wait for an answer. But though all must-wait the great teacher death-to decide

* Though the parallel has perhaps been carried quite far enough already, yet I cannot help noticing that for this too there is a heathenish precedent: See Cic. in Verrem. "Herculis templum est apud Agrigentos, non longe a foro, sane sanctum apud illos et religiosum. Ibi est ex ære simulacrum ipsius Herculis, quo non facile quidquam dixerim me vidisse pulchrius, usque eo, judices, ut rictum ejus ac mentum paullo sit attritius, quod in precibus et gratulationibus non solum id venerari, verum etiam osculari solent.” The homage paid to the mouth and chin of the Pagan Deity had an excuse which is wanting to the modern osculation of the Apostle's toe; for there is certainly nothing in the "christened Jove" of St. Peter's, as a piece of sculpture, to palliate the superstition of its votaries.

between them; let us repose our hopes and fears, with humble confidence, in the promises of Christianity—not as it appears disfigured and disguised at Rome--but as it is written and recorded in that sacred volume-which, in the words of Locke, has "God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter."

25th. Christmas-day. A grand ceremony in the church of S. Maria Maggiore ;-where mass was performed before the pope and the cardinals. The night preceding this day of Christian rejoicing, is passed in the exercises of religion. Every thing is in motion;-processions of priests, and pilgrims, and women fill the streets;-the world of fashion follows in the same track;-while the peasantry from the country, arrayed in their holiday clothing, which, among the women particularly, is very showy and splendid, with much of scarlet and gold, flock into Rome; and the churches, brilliantly lighted up, are crowded to excess during the whole of the night.

It may perhaps be doubted, whether these midnight meetings are not often perverted to less holy purposes;—but, the great majority of those who attend seem to be animated by a sincere and enthusiastic spirit of devotion. It is difficult for a Protestant so far to overcome the prejudices of

his education, as not to feel a sentiment of disgust at the theatrical representations which are got up to commemorate the Nativity. Some show of the kind is prepared at all the churches, and the people flock from one to the other, to gaze, admire, and leave their Christmas offerings. The most popular and attractive spectacle is at the Aracæli church;— for the Bambino there is the production of a miracle, and is said to have been dropped from heaven. Part of the church is fitted up like a theatre, with canvass scenes, canvass clouds, and canvass figures of the Virgin-the shepherds-the wise men-the ox-and the ass;-all carefully painted with due attention to stage effect. The miraculous Bambino, splendidly accoutred, is placed in the centre of the stage, which is brilliantly illuminated, and offerings of fruit and nosegays appear in great profusion.

This disposition to represent every thing heavenly by sensible images, is the leading feature of the Romish religion; and the Roman Catholics would have us believe, that the distinction between the sign and the thing signified is never lost sight of. This, I fear, is only true of the enlightened few ;-between whom, to whatever sect or religion they may belong, there is but little real difference of opinion. For, even amongst the old heathens,

the initiated were taught the existence of one Almighty Spirit, though this doctrine was considered too sublime for the vulgar; whose grosser feelings were thought to require the interposition of some visible object of adoration. The Roman Catholic priests seem to take the same view of human nature at present.

26th. The Buths of Dioclesian. This vast pile of building, situated on the Quirinal Hill, has not been buried by the same accumulation of rubbish that has overwhelmed most of the ancient remains. The whole of this establishment must have occupied a space of at least 400 yards square. All the rest of the baths have been entirely dismantled of their magnificent columns and splendid marbles; but the great hall of these, the Pinacotheca, as it was called-has been converted into a church by Michael Angelo; and the superb granite columns, each hewn out of a single block, 43 feet in height, still remain as they stood in the days of Dioclesian; supporting the ancient entablature, which is very rich, and in the highest preservation.

This magnificent hall is now the church of S. Maria degli Angeli;—the work of Michael Angelo. The form of the church is the Greek cross; so much more favourable than the Latin, for displaying at one coup d'œil all the grandeur

of the building. This church shows what St. Peter's would have been, if Michael Angelo's plan had been followed; and it is by far the finest church in Rome-except St. Peter's, which must always be incomparable.

In this church is buried Salvator Rosa.

In my way home I met a funeral ceremony. A crucifix hung with black, followed by a train of priests, with lighted tapers in their hands, headed the procession. Then came a troop of figures dressed in white robes, with their faces covered with masks of the same materials. The bier followed;-on which lay the corpse of a young woman, arrayed in all the ornaments of dress, with her face exposed, where the bloom of life seemed yet to linger.* The members of different fraternities followed the bier-dressed in the robes of their orders-and all masked. They carried lighted tapers in their hands, and chanted out prayers in a sort of mumbling recitative. I followed the train to the church, for I had doubts whether the beautiful figure I had seen on the bier was not a figure of wax ;--but I was soon

* It is a general custom in Italy to paint the faces of the dead; and the ladies seem to agree with Pope's Narcissa:

"One would not sure look frightful when one's deadAnd-Betty-give this cheek a little red !”