State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-04-12

esting letter from Rev DR. Fisk, President
of the Wesleyan University at Middletown,
Conn. who is now travelling in Europe for
the benefit of his health, to the editor OF
lions Herald, dated
GENOA, Jan. 3, 1886.
"The pasrage of the Alps was magnili-
cent such as | cannot describe, ana as l
have sketched it elsewhere, | will not at
tcmpt il again here. Ever since we entered
Savoy, about twenty or thirty leagues from
Lyons, we have been in the dominons of
lis Sandman Majesty. This Sovereign is
indebted to the Allied Soveregns for his
throne. They carved out for him in 1884,
u little kingdom among the mountains en-
bracng the duchies of Savoy, Nice, Pied
mont, Genoa, part of Milan, and the Is
land of Sardinia. The government is rig
orous and the religion is Catholic. The
population to n great degree, is made up
Of Priests and other ecclesastcs, and SOL
diers and beggars. To support these and
the royal splendor of the court, the proper
ton of the industrious population have, you
may be sure, grievous burden. The
wrotchedness and hardships of the people
are great and painful to the spectator -
mountain, and wall up little patches for
cultivation, upon sleeps, and among rocks,
where, to appearance, no human foot at
first, without artificial support, could find a
safe resting place. They however find or
make zig-zag paths or steps, to which they
not only make shift to fix their own feet
but in most instances their donkeys also
are conducted to their dwellings. o what
wretched land is this! Here poverty
holds her court, and here she has erected
her throne, vieing with the Sandman king,
in her empire. Some of the valleys and
the plains OF Piedmont look better; but
even here poverty and want prevail. In
their little towns you will sec men and wo-
men at market, with loads ofwood on their
donkey's backs, consisting of faggots or of
roots of trees cut up out of the earth, which
they peddle out by the pound and even
this little portion Of fuel, many of them are
unable to buy. Beggars beset you on eve
ry side some of them will sit in Il cold
winters day from morning TO night, upon
the cold stones of the street, exposing a
naked foot or limb distorted or liberated by
disease.
This people in general, arc very religious.
The number of churches and chapels, even
in the poorest part of the country, is i'm
mense. We passed through the country
during the Christmas holidays, and they
were praying and performing mass every
where. Some Of their churches and chap
els we entered, and in most cases were
struck with the apparent inattention with
which the worshippers would say over
their praycrs-gazing at us, and whatever
else might strike their attention, while they
muttered over with great haste their allotted
task. Wherever the Virgin had an altar or
shrine, there | noticed was the greatest
throng. In some instances where there
was an image, ! observed the worshipper
would approach very near and get his
mouth close to the ear, that he might be
sure of being heard. Will it be said that
there is no praying 10 an idol? We pas
sed one house among the Apennlnes, over
the door which, as is very common here,
was a Madonna with her babe, and under
meath the following inscription: Me cuSta-
dem poSue1uent-" They have placed me
here as keeper" Is not this trusting to
craven images? In the same region we
passed church, on the front of which was
miserable daub Of an angel, and under
meath the following inscription:-.4dsH no
IS Su1sctuS .Mchael .4rchangeluS- Holy
Archangel Michael, favor us we pray thee,
with thy presence" Is not this consecrat-
ing a temple to the worship of angels !?
Is il not making a God ola creature? | say
not these things cautiously, but | ask in
candor, and appeal to the good sense of
the world how the conclusions can be a
roided. Il then the Roman Catholic
Church is one, as its supporters boast i'll
every age and place-if its decisions and
consequent usages are inlallible, and there
fore mmutable, be it remembered, and let
the sentiment be inscribed upon the canopy
of heaven, in letters of light and in the
face of the world -WhoSOeUer Colntenan-
ceM RomaniSm trunsgreSSeH the second
commandment.
1t is favorite practice Of the Catholics,
10 unite military parade with their worship.
They perform mass by the aid of martial
music, and elevate the heart under the
deafenng roll of the drum. | know not
how it may strike others, but confess the
associating the symbols OF the Prince OF
Peace, with the clarion of war and the
implements of death, strikes me as very
incongruous. am always led to ask, is
this the way the apostles and primitive
Christians worshlpped?
Our party had the curiosity TO go into the
grand saloon of the palace Of Turin, to see
his Majesty come out on Sabbath morning
to go to church. After waiting n long hour
with the rabble- frequently crowded for
ward by the mob behind, and crowded
backward again by the military guard be-
fore, during which time three or four hun
drcd officers, in full dress, entered, we had
the pleasure of witnessing the pageant
Here were the hundreds of mlitary officers
with their shining gold and silver trim
mngs and epauletts; here were the pages
Of the court dressed in small clothes, with
silk stockings and red coats; here were
also the grooms, in court dress, most fam