Star.
London, England, 1827-01-23 00:00:00

VA** *deft.,

MON TIIt vile 111111A1.11.

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Mr. Wik:e was well and at Rome upon the 14th of
December last. We have seen a letter of his of that
date, addressed-to a reverend friend in our neighbour-
hood, from which we are kindly permitted to indulge
our readers with the folowing interesting eatttets
"1 have passed and repassed the Afps and the Appe•
nines ni Naples on the one hand, and Sunny on the
other rind in a third direction hate found myself eel-.
ing toss girds the cot►tfitnes of Terikey, and of Christendom
it,elf. In every sense I have been seeing a great ',eel
itf the world, but it is still dragging a lengthened
„chain,' for by contrast or coincidence I am repeatedly
reminded of the friends. the customs, and the institu-
' lions of our ow•p country." • •
a The last winter was celebrated by the Catholics as
the holy year, or jubilee, a period which occurs once in
half a century ; and alter the vicissitudes the Church
hid gone through in the intermediate time, this was
seiz-A as an occasion for a shew of strength, and as
'such highly imposing. Pilgrims from ell quarters, like
voters at elections, were brought up in such withers
as to make our election crowds appear trifling, Their
assembly in the holy city, like that of the times of old,
was particularly grand; neither age, sex, poverty, nor
infirmity, seemed any check; and in the mixture of de-
pravity and wretchedness one was occasionally reminded
by the staff and the heavy bundle, of the figurative
Pilgrim of Bunyan. In Rome, all this was received as
an acceptable service, aad three days' entertainment
allowed at the Conveat of Santa Trinita to refresh their
wearied virtues: Here a ceremonial awaited them
of a truly impressive kind. Princes. Cardinals, and
wealthy citizens attended upon them to Jo them menial
'service; and the unevaded homage of washing the pil-
grims' feet, and of waiting on them at supper was
offered, and received with the solemnity of a sacrament,
as if cornmeal, rating the hospitality of Father Abraham
entertaining angels unawares.
"'Towards the close of this alum canto, the ferment
appeared to approach its crisis. Those votaries, poeti-
cally wild, •nd

Narahrout as autumnal leaves,
That strew the brooks of Valambrosa;
are said to have amounted, on Christmas eve, to sixty
thousand souls, a third of the entire people of modern'
ltome—a crowd that, if assembled for any but a friendly
purfose, must have been dangerous to the state, but at
the ca/1 of a Priesthood, and for devotion, indicates both
spiritual and political strength. With such an evidence
of zeal as this, at least a fair set off against oar Presby-
terian Wark of the Wast, the Catholics are abundantly
1 'erved with other meals of perpetuating, if not extend-
ing, their power. All ranks and conditions—all tn-des'
of life—all forms of Government--all systems of belief,
excepting only a heretical denial of its authority, are'
allowed and protected; even Russian and Armenian
Greeks are acknowledged; and as a chanarfion, our own,
Cobbett has been pressed into the service, and his letters
to the Catholics of Ireland translated by the title of
' 11 Storia delgia Reformationi Protestante,' were pla-
carded in large letters last winter in the streets, to be
sold for the edification of the Catholics of Rime." •

'II have heard it asserted, that of the two of the pre-
sent day, Protestants are the most intolerant; and Ca.
tholics regard our island with the same interest they
would a distant frontier, as the scene where the war has
been waged, and where the integrity of their empire is
still disputed. This I felt on witnessing the theatrical
representation, while at Vienna, of Schitler's tragedy of
Mara Steuart. The spectators were of high quality,
and the interest they took in it was intense; the fidelity
of acting and costume was like history itself—but what
furnished to me mere feelings of homely nationality,
gave to them recollections of-their persecuted faith.—.
Of the two rival Queens, Mary and Elisabeth, the Kerne
ginne von ScAotland was the favouri:e, seemed regarded
as a martyr in their cause; and while the story of her
sufferings drew tears from every eye, I could observe,
as an indicati n of party spirit, that certain applicable
'passages were applauded, and that every Mistrials
dame in the house was adorned, out of compliment,
with the well•known lace cap and bonnet of Mary
Queen of Scots." • •

" Whether these expectations shall ever be realised
or not, one thing is clear, that no reconciliation can ever
put an end to the distinctions and discussions between
Papist, Lutheran, and Calvinist. Perhaps it is well it
should be so—the hostility of one is for the well-being of
the others. Rot while we have so much reason to boast
of the advantages cur age and nation have derived from
Protestantism, all who visit Italy must be struck ss ith
the wonders that Catholicism has called forth. The talent
that has Been devoted to their Church is immense.
Whether right or wrong applied—here is a moral effect
—here is that, the employment of intellect, which dis-
tinguishes Christianity from all (other religions. If the
Chinch of Rome has conitmned the tut of Talma, it
has created that of Raphael—it has lat en the nurse of
the sits; but painting seems its favourite child.. The
Pagans have been better sculptors than the Christians
—theirs was a corporeal system; bnt it was left for
painting, with all its undefinable powers, over colour
and form, over light and darkness, to represent the
Mysteries of a spit itual Revelation. The art of painting
seems made for the scrv:ce of Christianity—would that
Use Catholics were not the only sect who have seen its
advantages!" • •
This letter concludes with a most feeling and in-
ieresti”g telerence to the home, " to the blue hills a
his you li," and to all these early associations, which
appear still to be present to the mind of our amiable
countryman, even upon the banks of the Arno and the
Tiber, but from which, as they involve local and per.
son II references, we are unfortunately not permitted
to Lao act. We hare only, in conclusion, to express a
wish, which we know and feel to be national, that
Wilkie may, in due time and in vigorous health, he
resumed to his relatives, to his friends, and to his
conittry, and that lie may long live to enjoy and to
perpetuate that reputation to which his beau not less
than his extraordinary talents, so decidedly entitle him.,

By accounts frym Mexico to the 3d of December,
we learn that the measure for loading the horn of
cotton goods with high duties h so far confirmed, that
a measure to this effect has been submitted to Congress.
A few days since, a boy, nine years of age, son of the
f reman of Mr. liernsdale, tradesman a: S rEford, was
plating with a lad about 15, who was on a visit to Mr.
Ifemsdale; Khrn a dispute arose, and tie latter threat.
er,r,T to shoot the former, ran to a drawer, in which
.Mr. 11. jun. keeps his pistols, one of which he seized,
and (it is presumed), not knowing it to be loaded, tired
it at the child, when the ball pierced his cheek. Sur-
gical aid was immediately procured ; but he is still
considered to be in a dangerous state.