The Washington herald., 1908-01-12

The relic-Eunting craze OF modern times
dates its origin from the centuries imme-
| diateiy preceding the Crusades. The first
Pilgrims to the Holy Land brought back
TO Europe thousands of apacryphal relics
! in the purchase Of which they had ex-
pended all their store. The greatest favor
ite was the wood Of the true cross"
which, Ike the oil OF the widow. never
diminished
It is generally asserted that the En-
press Helen, the mother Of Constantine
the Great, first discovered the veritable
true cross" in her pilgrimage 10 Jeru-
salem. The Empress Theodisius made a
present of the greater part Of it 10 ST.
Ambrose, Bishop OF Milan, by whom it
was studded with precious stones and
deposited in the principal church Of that
city. 1t was carried away by the Huns,
| by whom it was burned. after they had
| extracted the valuable jewels it con
/ tained.
| Fragments, purpOrting 10 have been cut
| from 1t, were in the eleventh and twelfth
| centuries to be found IN almost every
church in Europe, and would, If collected
/ together in one place. have been almost
sufficient TO have built a cathedral. Hap
/ py was the sinner who could get a sight
of one Of them; happier he who possessed
/ one. To obtain them the greatest dan
/ gers were cheerfully bTaved. They were
/ thought to preserve from all evils and
/ 10 cure the most inverterate diseases.
Annual pilgrimages were made 10 the
! shrines that contained them, and con-
/ siderable revenues collected from the de-
yotees.
! NcSt IN renoWn were the tears OF the
Saviour BY wnom and in what manner
| they were preserved the pilgrims did not
/ inquire Their genuineness was vOuched
/ by the Christians OF the Holy Land, and
that was sufficient. Tears OF the Virgin
Mary and tears OF St. Peter were also 10
be had, carefully inclosed IN little caskets,
which the pious might wear In their
| bosoms.
Blood Much Sought.
After the tears the next precious relic
were the drops Of blood Of Jesus and the
martyrs. Hair and toenaiIs were also in
great repute, and were sold at extravagant
| prices. Thousands CT pilgrims annually
visited Palestine In the eleventh and
/ twelfth centuries TO purchase pretended
relics for the home market The majority
of them had no other means Of existence
than the profits thus obtained.
Many a nail cut from the foot OF some
! unscrupulous ecclesiastic was sold at a
/ diamond S price within six months after
its severance from its parent toe, upon
the suppOsition that il had once belonged
10 saint or an apostle. Peters toes
were uncOmmOnly prolific. for there were
nails enough in Europe at the time OF
= an
a sack, all of which were devoUtely be
lieved 10 have grown on the sacred feet
OF that great apostle. Some Of them are
still shown In the Cathedral of AK ia
Chapelle- The pious came from a dis
tanee Of one hundred miles 70 feast their
eyes upon them.
At Port Royal in Paris. is kept with
great care a thorn. which the people as
sert TO be one of the identical thorns that
bound the head Of the Son Of God. How
ii come there and by whom it was pre-
served has never been explained. This
is the famous thorn, celebrated in the long
dissenti0ns of the Jansenists and the Mo
lenists, and which worked the miraculous
cure upon Mile. PeTTier. BY merely kiss
ing it she was cured Of a disease OF the
eyes OF long standing
Stairs Are Sacred.
What traveller is Unacquainted with the
Canta Scala, OF Holy Stairs. at Rome7
They were brought from Jerusalem along
with the true cross" by the Empress
Helen, and were taken from the house
which, according to popular tradition,
was inhabited by Pontius PLATE. They
are said 10 be the steps which Jesus
ascended and descended when brought in
to the presence Of the Roman governor.
They are held in the greatest veneration
In Rome; il is sacrilegiOus to walk upon
them. The knees alone must touch them
in ascending or descending. and that only
after the pilgrims haYe TeYeTently kissed
them.
Europe still swarms with religious
relics. There is hardly a church in
Spain. Portugal Italy, France. Of Bel
gium without one or more of them. Even
the poorly endowed churches of the vii
lagos boast the possession of miraculous
thigh bones of saints AK Ia Chapelle IS
proud of the veritable chasse, or thigh
bone of Charlemange. which cures lame
ness. Hale has the thighbone Of the Vir-
Sin Mary. Spain has seven or eight. all
said 10 be undoubtedly relics Brussels
at one time preserved and perhaps does
now. the teeth Of St GuduIe. Those who
suffered from the toothache had only 10
pray, look at them and be cured. Some
of these holy bones have been buried in
different parts of the Continent After q
certain lapse of time water is said TO
ooze from them, which soon forms a
spring and cures all the diseases Of the
faithful.
II is curious TO remark the avidity
manifested in all the ages and in all the
countries to obtain possession of some
relic of persons who have been much
spoken of, even for their crimes
In More Modern Days.
In more modern days similar avidlty
was shown to obtain a relic of the luck
less Masaniello, the fisherman Of Naples.
After he had been raised by mob favor
to height of power more despotic than
monarch ever welded, he was shot by
the same populace.
Snuff boxes Of ShakespeTe's mulberry
tree are comparatively rare, though there
are doubtless more Of them IN the market
than were ever made OF the wood plant
ed by the great bard Many a piece OF
alien wood passes under this name.
The same may be said of Napoleon's
table at Waterloo. The original has long
since been destroyed. and a round dozen
of counterfeits along with It. Many pre-
serve the simple stick Of wood others
have them cut into brooches and every
variety of ornament, but b. far the greater
number prefer them as SNUFF boxes. IN
France they are made into bonbonnieTes.
and are much esteemed by the many
thousands whose cheeks still glow and
whose eyes still sparkle at the name Of
Napoleon.
Bullets from the field of Waterloo and
buttons from the coats of soldiers who
fell in the fight are still favOrite relies in
Europe. But the same ingenuity which
found new tables after the old one was
DESTROYED has cast new bullets for the