, 1873-06-15
THE MIRACl or ST. lANUARluS.

For As Cincinnati Gaze&te, By FIN. 3. Dapt4, h. D.
st. Januarius is the Patron Saint Of Naples,
and when upon earth is said to have been .
great and good mau- marble figure OF the
saint, situated upon an enlnence, mile or two
east Of Naples, and in the direction Of Mount
Yesuvius, records the wonderful fact that once
upon time, when old Vesuvius was on q
bender, and about to preserve Naples
~ he had Herculaneun,: in lava, Janu-
arms assembled this eninance, and with
uplifted hands said to the fiery stream as
it approached, Thus far, but no further" And
the submissive lava, in obedience to the saints
command, OF the law Of grnvitation, descended
the valley toward the sea, and Naples. with ali
its beggars and fleas, was eaved.
Tradition says Januarius performed numerous
other worthy deeds which wero not recorded in
marble. Nevertheless, in the year 305, Diocletian
ia said to have cast him to the lions in the am-
phitheatre Of Pozznoi. The lions, however.
crouched submissiYely at his feet, and after that
theholy man was beheaded- Under Constantine,
the Bishop Of st. Severn had his body conveyed
to Naples. Shortly nfter this WOMAN brought
the Bahop two 7iais. containing . quantity Of
the saints blood solidifed, which immediate1y
became liquid when he recaived it. During
the next thousand years the remains OF Januari-
finally, in 1897, during the prevalence OF plague
returned to Naples and eolemn1y deposited un-
der the high altar Of the cathedral.
During SEASONS Of war or distress, and partic-
ularly during eruptions Of Vesuvius, the protec-
ton OF this saint is invoked.
The two walls OF blood OF the saint are sacredly
preserved in the cathedral, and thrice year, on
the first Sundays in May, September, and Decem-
ber, it Gquefes, but during the remainder OF the
ye-x it reuaAins solid There is but one record
ed departure from this timetable, and that Was
when Napoleon LIS troops we're in Naples. The
officer IN command having Esore curiosity than
reverence, commanded that the miracle be per-
formed for bis special benefit. The priests in
vain pleaded that it could not be done except
upon certain days Of the year. The General
was implacable, and said he would blow
up the church unless it was done immediately,
and 80 the miracle Was performed.
Upon the appointed days for the performance,
there are q number Of old women who claim to
be the Ineal descendants OF tho saint, who &C.
cupy the place OF honor in the cathedral. They
and indearing epithets, andcall upon him to per-
form his miracle. II be does not soon respond,
they break forth into tho widest lamentations,
and Il he still delays, they heap reproaches,
threats, and even curses upon him, to which the
saint invariably yields:
Happening to be in Naples On the first Sunday
in May, o'clock found us directing our steps
toward the cathedral
The streets for several blocks around were
filled with an eager th1ong who we're pressing
houses we're festooned with flowers and decked
with banners, flags, and gay y-colo1ed lamps. At
$3.50 o'clock an immense procession Of all the
monks and priests, headed BY = Cardinal aud
several Bishops, paraded the streets with long
wax candles, and bouquets Of artificial flowers
attached to them- With gre.t pomp and core
mony they entered the cathedral End took their
positions near the high altar in the choir 4
long open passagoway was formed II the centre
OF the church by barrcade Of benches Soon
peared bearing glass case which contained the
two walls Of solidlded blood He paaaed up and