The Sun. — 1852-03-17 (London, England)

STREET PREACHER IN ROME. A couple of casks, covered with a few planks, served for a pulpit. A ragged audience, consisting of about a hundred men and women, were listening with open mouths to a sort of ecclesiastic, filthy and sunburnt his appearance, who was gesticulating away efonrtthhuponP of this primitive erection. He was holding f our first the Passion. "It was," said he, " the sloe forth Saviour. Yes,ori my original n father that brought on the death of our be sCionrweeplaernetlayll g brethren, we are all of us the murderers, the executioners of our God, and we shall be punished as such, as party we are t o all lhis tainted a assassination. waittihovn the. g penance." So. saying, he opened the top of his sletsus we nie d tunic, anod seizing hold of a stone, prepared for the purpose, he fell on his knees, and lacerated his breast most cruelly, muttering prayers all the while in a sort of frenzy. Fired by his example, his audience likewise fell on their knees. Some struck themselves violently, at the same time uttering frightful others sobbed aloud, and threw yells; themselves on their faces. Men, women, and girls seemed alike most violent despair, or the deepest a prey to the what is almost beyond belief, mothers, repentance. But, to make their children participate • in their anxiety this exhortitioc in the good ("fleets of , were whipping them The preacher, coveredwith without mercy. and the people as suddenly blood, at length gave over, scene now changed. ceased their wailiugs. The Pale as death, gasping and foaming at the mouth, the fanatic preacher cast a threatening look around ' him. He perceived Fernando and myself observing him from afar; and quick to take advantage of this incident, he extended his arms in our direction, exclaiming, " This is the way the apostles of the Lord get treated! Heretic foreigners say to each other, `Let us go and see what that priest is alter, and make game of his sermons, since the season for laughing at the buffooneries of Punch and Harlequin is now over!" I was unable to learn the conclusion ho drew from this epos. trophe, as my friend, fearing, that this holy maniac might incite the populace against us, took me by the arm and drew me away. I could not recover from my surprise. Less struck, however, by the preacher's address than by the tears of his audience, I observed that, no doubt, the fruits of this sermon would rejoice the hearts of all honest folks. " You labour under an error," interrupted Fernando, " the religion of the Romans is of the nature of saltpetre, that evaporates as it explodes; and these fanatics will have no sooner turned their backs than they will go and drown all these fine compunctious feelings in liquor, or fritter them away : some violent quarrel." ill —Barnbles through Rome, by the Chevalier de Chatelain.  ----A charter of incorporation, with limited liability, bas been granted by the Government to an association to be called the Colonial Gold Company. The proposed capital is 500,0001., in 51. shares, and the objects chiefly contemplated are the purchase. of ores and the transmission of the richer sorts for economical reduction of works to be established in London.