The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-05-26

Serving God with sef-denial;
For his richest blessings ysOrn,
Time glides swiftly DER the dial
Oh, live and learn
Troy ~ Y, January 1853.
For the National Era.
lcopYRaHr SECURED ACCORDING TO LAw
GREENWOOD LEAVES FROM OVER THE SEA.
No. 81.
ROME, March 81, 1853.
My DEAR Mn. NJ: We commenced the
sights of Holy Friday by visiting the Scala
Santa, at st. John Lateran. This is declared
to be fight of steps from the house of PLATE,
and the very stairs down which our Saviour
passed, in going from the 'judgment-seat. On
almost any day, you can see many miserable
creatures, doing penance by ascending these
on their knees /; but to-day, the throng was un-
usually great. should suppose, from the
number we saw while there that two or three
thousand may have gone up between mathis
and vespcrs A priest afterwards told US
twenty thousand but, with the allowance one
must makal0r priestly estimates in such mat
tiers, it am00nts to about the same thing. The
real stairs, which are of marble, are, after oil,
not touched by the profane knees of the peni-
tents but are covered with boards, which it
has been necessary several times to renew.
believe that some very plausible proofs are
given of the commences Of this great relic !;
but, to know it all that good Catholics believe
il, would not in the slightest degree affect my
feeling as to the wrong and degradation con-
nected with the use to which it is put by tho
Church If Christ walked down these steps "a
martyr and malefactor, it was not that his
followers, to remote generations, should crouch
| before them, and crawl up them, painfully,
| with tears and prayers, and groans--it was
not that they should be made holy show Of
by means of which the miserable pittance OF
the peasant and the toiling widows mite should
be wrung forth.
A fat priest sat in a SORT of box, near tho door
Of the chapel, to take the money; and not until
we had answered the hungry rattle of his cnnis-
tor BY o contribution, were we allowed to ascend
the side staircase, to watch the pentents as they
came up. | should say there were about tfty
who did the ascent during the fifteen minutes
| in which We stood there. Among these there
was wonderful variety-richly-dr ladies
and gentlemen, beside the poorest peasants and
the most squalid beggars-the old and misera-
bic, the young and beautiful--the soldier and
the student, the belle and the relgieuse-all
crawling slowly up, in the same wretched alb
jectness of superstition aud false humility.
There was one old dame who told several beads
on every stair, and regularly Frustrated herself
to kiss tan operation which considerably in
terfered with the speedy and comfortable pro-
gress of the other penitents.
At the top of the stairs lay large crucifx
of porcelan-a rude, ghastly figure, with the
wounds in the feet hands and side, gaping and
highly colored, and the dead face dripping
with bloody sweat. Behind this stood q second
trap for tribute-a huge metal platter, which
rung out alarmingly loud when coin was
dropped into it. As the pentents came up,
they Frustrated themselves and kissed the cru,
cifx, on the wounds Of the feet tho side, and
the hands--then rose invariably deposited a
pious offering in the platter, and proceeded TO
adore at a grated window which looks into the
Sanctd Sanetorun, private chapel Of the early
Popes, which is held so sacred that women are
not allowed TO enter it, on any account what
ever and for that reason you may ALWAYS see
them lingering longingIy before that grated
window, like peris at the gate of Paradise.
Among many wonderful relics preserved here,
is portrait Of Christ taken at the age OF
twelve, by very old master-no other than
St. Luke-and said to be perfect likeness.
Among the penitents was a fne-looking
young Of twenty-iashionably dressed,
carrying in his hand an elegant beaver, and
wearing white kid gloves. He went through
his penance with wonderful expedition-avoid
ing, with good deal Of ingenuity the vulgar
herd of his fellow inners--and was brushing
the dust from his knees with his perfumed
handkerchief before the prostrating and pdter-
nosering old lady, who had started before him,
was half way up. In passing the cruci6x, this
deyout exquisite seemed 10 look only for clean
place, and selected retired spot on the right
ride. The reluctance and involuntary disgust
expressed in the face of this young man,
throughout his penance, convinced me that he
must thus DO cxpiatng no uncomfortable pee
cadillo. Behind him toiled up poor, tattered,
fever stricken pensant--one Of the most wretch
ed and woful objects have ever beheld. His
long black hair hung wildly about his emacia-
ted face, his thin blue lips muttered prayers,
and from his hollow eyes dropped tears of grief
and penitence He Frustrated himself at the
cruci6x, and, with touching humility, kissed
alone the feet or all the kisses imprinted there
that day, this seemed to me the only one which
Jesus must have felt Before, had looked on
with simple curiosity, or with wonder ap-
preaching to contempt; but at this sight
felt such sorrow and pity that could not re-
strain my tears. My only consolation was, in
thinking Of that blessed moment, evidently not
far distant whom this poor man, here wickedly
defrauded of his birthright Of manhood and
happiheS-despised, oppressed, Pariah of
poverty and disease-shall come into the pres
ence Of his loving master, friend, and brother
and $500 Hiul1ks He IT,"
Altogether, this holy staircase, crowded with |
penitents, u ono OF the most melancholy sights
have ever beheld.
From st. John Lateran We went to witness
what is called the Three Hours Agony. These
arc services Of music, prayer, and preaching |
performed in churches darkened, with the OK
ception Of the altar, behind or before which is
an.,o aN,et, N ~o.,~a.acx top oc tke cru ria rim