New-York tribune., 1898-11-27
AN ORVlETO FESTIVAL DAY.
CORPUS CHRISTI AND THE GREA
GOTHIC CATHEDRAL

The fable that had inspired this glorious work
Of art should tomorrow be rehcarsed In the
eyes OF all the people. The Monk OF Bolsena,
doubling whether or not the bread and wine be-
came by act of conservation the very body ana
blood Of the Lord was convinced by mlraclet
for To- the napkin which he used at the time OF
celebration was suddenly stained with the veri-
table blood Of the Lord which dropped from the
hve wounds in the sacred wafer he was break
ing, That napkin stained with blood was as
precious to a whole Church that wished to
,linch the doctrine of transubstantiation as 1T
convincing to the poor monk; 80 II was
most carefully preserved; and a glorious rcli-
quarry of silver-gt and enamel was worked for
II by Ugono de Maestro Nieri and Viva OF
Siena- Tomorrow II Will be. with much cir
rumstance, brought forth from the great marble
shrine in the Capoella del Corporate, in the
northern transept, it will be placed, in the hush
Of early morning, 10y the light of thousand
candles and TO the sound of H;anles, ON the
high altar; and after great service IT viii
80 through the town, on the shoulders OF the
priests with the Bishop and al the deNout Of the
ancient city. Banners and music and incense
viii so along with H. TO testify that the miracle
hat satisfied the Monk of Bolscna ran satisfy
The doubling still; tomorrow the Church that
js its guardian will allow the most sceptica]
sight of the napkin that bears The b'oodstains
ui the body Of the Lord.
We entered the Cathedral door or. rather
could not enter till We had unrayelled the ex-
auisite intrcacy Of the most delicate series Of
odd Testament pictures in low relief ii had ever
been our fortune TO see
ii is true that the rude forccfulnose of ''iot-
,os panels on his Florontne tower was not
If heart, reality OF expression, which, whether
IN the faces Of the angels that walked with
God. as from the creation of the world lie
walked with men, or in tho spray Of vine or
rose leaf made one marvel at the d"h'acy OF
hand and the tender sympathy Of soul. The
nndercutting Of the vine stem, the grouping Of
lhe figures the fullest care in least detail
seemed all TO join in singing he praise OF GOd
who gave such skill and put such thoughts in
mortal heart. as here in marble ivory golden
now by lapse Of years. have Won them i'm
mortality.
through the transparent slabs Of alabaSter mat
shono like harvest NOON and beautiful from
The color sent down through the gorgeous west
end rOse-WindOW.
Tho holy water font alone Nigh, havc detained
Us for half hour but we pressed on 10
sight Of the great frescors by SiSnOroH. and tho
lender beginning e a work ! S hHlsheC-
ty Fra Angelica
J, was bold stroke la' trec ono for any
Church that believed IN a HOLY Ghost TO en-
thIine Ovid and Virgil ard Polybi-s along with
Dante and the f;5zor at Tho Stars in this ehapel,
wherein the great doctors ana saints Of The
Church were painted, ana over which The doom
Of the false Witnesses and the teaching Of Anti
christ, the life Of love and the life Of hate, In
the future world were all bodied forth.
As one gazed at IT, the sprd! @ face Of Signoren
there in the lower group Of the great Antichrist
fresco, one felt they knew what they were
about, and believed in wider world Of fuller
sympathy than the Church Of their fathers
would, years after. come TO believe in Thence
that beautiful work, faded as 1t Is and little
spoken Of that still fills the choir with color and
thought; and then the church began to fill as
for a great service
The minstrels took their seats In 6 gallery
above the entrance to the Cappea Nu0va. The
Bishop and his golden coaked ecclosiastcs flcd
IN. and the solemn festival Of the eve Of Corpus
Christi Day began TO sound OF orchestra and
song
The service was loud and long the worship
pers restless. the heat great, and one went back
10 ones inn. determined to be in ones place al
8 o'clock Of the following day. TO sec the begin
ming of the festival proper-the opening OF the
shrine, and the removal Of the glorious reliquary
to the high altar.
At 2:3O In the morning I was on my way tc
the Cathedral; the stars were bright above me.
but they were bright beside me also. There, OF
either side Of the street, by the light OF their
electric Tampa were the shOemakers hammer
ing away. The master. surrounded with his ap-
prentices. or with so many as were not asleep
for few moments inside the curled hides that
lay on the ground. was stitching away for dear
life Italian WOTbmcn cannot afford to keep
fiesta unless they put the days work in before
the dawn. and this they seemed prepared to dc
by turning night into day. But 1t argued for
their belief in the EOlsena miracle that thus
thew would labor on while others slept, and say
with smile 10 my question, 1--WE shall sleep
sounder tomorrow night if God VIM
The people were coming from all the alleys
h,to the piazza as | gained the Cathedral, now |
Ut up with branches of candles from every
pillar and with its altar resper dent as festal
high altar can De. There were about four hun |
dred present rs judged. all kneeing with their !
faces TO the iron gate Of the Cappela del Cor |
porale Then with much unWinding or ma |
ySdnery aud ciankng Of locks. and much help |
Yron sundIy choir boys, The heavy h,or OF the |
marble shrine was thrown open, and the silver |
reIquary, pulled forward on rollers. was low |
cred To the staNes On which II was to be borne. |
There was pause, during winch the prlcstS |
carefully examined IT ana busted II; thcn inc !
little silver doors were opened and the duSky |
white napkin was seoE. At that moment the |
bells Of the whole city that were to ring for