The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-09-14
Sc. ,-=...s.. ...s.,.-. .e--..r-~------.-~.--.--
Extracts from Sketches Of Por-
tugHeSe Life and Manners


every one regard her as saint,
| (for instead of one conlcssor from
the adjoining monastery. she had
three or fnur) died TO all appear
anCe, or rather it was given out she
had died. She was laid out, as is
the custom. in the middle ofthe
church aud the people were more
than every con, inced of her sancti-
ty, as her body showed no symp-
toms oil seeing corruption. No
marks Of decomposition manifested
themselves and thousands, of
Course, crow ded from all parts of
the com ~ TO witness the miracle.
Hundreds of cripplcs and inv Aids
come In touch her garments. aud
ianCied themselves cured while
others. paid by the priests. prcten-
ded IN be stone bind and To recov-
er their sight an merely touching
her habit. In short, the concoursc
OF pilgrims was 50 great, that the
infantry garrison at E,ora were
obliged 10 furnish guard at tho
church door To preserve order. But
for this preCautlon, 1t Is probable
that the new saint would soon have
been stripped Of her clothes, owing
to the anxiety Of every Que 10 get a
scrap OF something belonging to
her, by way ofa rene 10 guard a.
salnst wltchCrai,-, agnes, tevcrs,
&C. On the night Of the third day,
the sentry on hearing some whls-
pcrlng III the church, the door ot
winch WAS locked and bolted, hau
the curiosity to look through the
key hole, aud saw the saint sitting
up. supported 10y frlar, while two OF
three others wee bringing aud ad-
inlnlsterlnS To her both eatables aud
drink. On recovering from the
surpt ise oecasIoued by the unusual
spectacle OF Il dead SAINT cramming
with ali the alIdlty OF living one,
the soldier whispered the discovery
To his ensign, vino also convinced
himself by ocular demonstration of
that which he otherwise Mould have
disbplieyed. These two men more
over, heard her eXclaial, in doletul
whisper, Do for PHYS sake, ter
inmate lhis farce, or shall die of
fatigue, Tor feel can no longer
stand it, The fact Ut the matter
was, that tie unhappy nun had been
contessInS too much to Tie purpose
with these holy miscreants, who.
IN order To avoid tine Inconvenience
and danger winch were attendant on
their re'ldeZv Us with ner wncn in
different establishments, had agreed
to make Il dead SAINT oi ner I'd bu-
ry her, To all appearance, IN their
aul !; whereas, iii reality, She
would have lived IN some remote
Corner or ndden part III the mnnas-
terry 10 saliale their lust. BY this
arrangement two great objects
Would be gained the gratIicatlon
(wl,hout estralnD of their appo-
tites, and the great honor which
w0uid accrue to Doth the monastery
aud convent by tie production OF d
saint. The scheme was well lald
and ihanhs 10 the superstition OF the
raUble, had So lar Oeen attended with
SUCCESS. Blu d yOun5 officer was
an unsafe person to gel into the
secret anu the natural propensity
OF soldiers To dIsbeiIeve miracles
leG Those VINO were on guard to taih
loudly oil Mat they had seen. lh(
publication 0t the story Was near
being fatal to the young olhcer, ant
a less determined Character wouit
have been tempted to repent OF III.
terfering IN the fabrication OF a
saint for he WAS Immediately pla-
Ced IN confinement for daring to
calumniate such godly persons. lh'
sentry Was SO terrified With mcnaces
of Autos da lie, sanbenltos covered
with devils and flames, SLOW
fires of birthstone, preceded by
rocks, tortures, boiling pitch and
lead, and all the material III the IN
quIsitorial arsenal, that he absolute
Ily recanted, and moreover swor'
that the devil having that umbraS'
at the plety of those holy men, had
tempted him to tell such blasphe
nous falsehood. Their attempt t.
carry the same point with the young
ensign MAS not 50 successful. lie
agreed to appear in pubic. AMI
seemed ready to subscribe to all
their wlshes--but how great was
their establishment and dIsmay
When, instead of an apology, he III
sisted with vehemence ofexpressloi
a 1. L..