The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1809-03-29


handkerchief, with which our Saviour is failed to
have wiped bis face, as he was bearing The cross 10
me place of execution. A writer upon this subject
remarks, that hchas found seven different churches
all OF which claim the honour Of possessing this yal-
uablc rclick but he gives the preference 10 the
claims Of the church nj Turin because it has fourteen
bulls i'll It's favour. The yeneratiOn in which this
lick is held is astonishing. citizen of Turn thinks
IL Of the most solid foundations of its superiority
its sister cities, and the soyereigns Of Sardinia
and Piedmont annually assisted at the ceremony of
exhibiting this wonderful handkerchief to the people
The cathdral at Milan, whose noble architecture
really merits the admiration Of the world also shuts
up OF these precious deposits real nail of the
cross. 1t is enclosed with vast splendour in vase
IN this church, and they make annual procession,
at which it is exhibited TO the people, and upon
which occasion the archbishop and clergy attend,
and high mass is performed. ST. Charles Borromeo,
distinguished saint, who deposited this s.sacred nail
and who instituted this solemn festival and process
sion, has contrived to multiply this reck by hume
rous copies in wood and painting, and the devod,
Catholicks bring their chaplets and other sacrel
things, that they may acquire new value by beipg
shaken in the same box with the holy nail
Our Lady Of Lorotto, and the Casa Santa, are MT
wholly unknown TO you These sacred rehcEs ava
the church which inclosed them once the objectsOf
the devotion of princes, and to which they frequeIt
ly made pilgrmages, were endowed wi h a magnid-
cence worthy of these wealthy bigots. They we're
puridered by the French during the revolution, Eat
Buonaparte, since his conversion from MaIoIneVn-
ism to Catholicism, having restored the image ofthe
Virgin, these relicks are again the objects ofsuper
stitious veneration The history of Casa Santa, AS
related by these credulous votares, is indeed rdcu
lous, and if had not been an eyewitness OF the
splcndour with which it is surrounded, and of the
ave and holy veneration in which is still held,
should have withheld my belief of the existence of
such blind credulity The Casa Santa or holy house,
is the building in which it is pretended, that the Vr-
gin Mary was born, and in which she received the
Annuncation. After the death of our Saviour and
OF the NTgIn 1T was taken up by angels, and trans
ported to Dalmata, but not satisfied with the recep-
ton they met with there, they removed it 10 Italy
where afer two or three other changes OF stuaton,
was hnally fixed on the top of hd almost nscces-
sibie, in the village of Loretto. When, or at what
period OF the Christian era, it first became the object
OF religious sespect, be unscttled but il is
certain that in process of time, popes and literary
men, all affected to credit the legend, and
have accordingly been expended by the holy see, in
cite the awe of the superstitious vulgar.
The holy no has been surrounded modernly by
rich case, q I, of the marble of Carrara, the
finest in Italy style Of architecture of this case
is Corinthian, course elegant the statues and
bas reiiefs, VIII 2eurround it, are superb. The
monks. who shew you, pretend, that originally the
marble case was close to the sacred house but
tha', as II consciou Its own baseness, II has start
ed ofand 1T certai tand5 now at very respectful
distance -
The house itself more than thirty feet long,
twenty feet wide, al many in height the whole
IS placed in most ni6cent church, in which all
the pomp ofpapAc been displayed. The inside
of the holy housc Cllectly naked and exposed to
the eye, so that you can discover its crgiIl con-
structon 1T is built Of small stones, laid n l form,
and about the eizc of large BRICKS My guide grave
ly assured me, that the building had no foundation
and, to convince of il, he took out Of the wall
one Of the loose stones which proved, he thought
that the edifce was supported wholly by supernau-
raj power The image of the Virgin, which the
which was p}undered with it, said 10 hayebee the
workmanship of st. Luke, whom these honest zeal
OTIS declare was both painter and sculptor. con-
tainments in sculpture It is made, they tell yu, the
cedar of Lebanon but whether from its exeme age,
or from the natural colour Of the wood cannot say,
but II has now acquired the hue Of ebony We were
carried into the sancta Sanctorum Of this building,
and were shewn the very fire place at which the Vr
gin used to sit. assure you these things told
with zeal and unaffected simplicity, which leave no
doubts Of the sincerity Of the REALTORS 1t vas with
difficulty could pass along the streets ofLoretto,
so teased and interrupted were by the sellers of
chaplets and rosarcs, which, having been carried in
to the holy house, are thought to have acquired Pc
cuiar value In Loretto, in all the jealous Roman
Cathofick towns, you are waylsid by hosts OF beg
gsrs, who subsst wholly by Mendcity; and have
uniformly remarked, that superstition and misery
arc twin sisters, who arc never separated.
CLetter Cd, continued in o,r nerf.