I profess; and, when I tell you, that, except those of scripture, no miracles, however well proved, are received as of faith by the Catholic Church, you, a Protestant, will answer, that you are better acquainted with the religious belief of the Catholics, than any member of that religion can himself be. This is the usual way in which those of your "persuasion" argue these matters. But now that I have related in what matter the liquefaction of the blood of St. Januarius takes place, I leave it to yourself to determine, if any thing can account for it more easily than supernatural interference; unless, indeed, frost and thaw can be brought to bear on the question. But it is now so long since I have seen either of these, to me, strange phenomena, that I have almost forgotten their effect on water; I am, therefore, still less able to say what it would be on blood.

At Pozzuoli is a stone on which fell some drops of the blood of St. Januarius: these are said to dissolve, whenever that of Naples melts.

I shall conclude this subject with a quotation from Butler's "Lives of the Saints;" a work which-known and esteemed all over the Continent-you are, of course, unacquainted with,

although it does as much honour to English literature, as any in which learning and assiduous inquiry are chiefly demanded. "The "standing miracle, as it is called by Baronius, "of the blood of St. Januarius liquefying and

boiling up at the approach of the martyr's "head, is likewise very famous.-The fact is "attested by Baronius, Ribadeneira, and innu“merable other eye-witnesses, of all nations and "religions, many of whom most attentively exa"mined all the circumstances. Certain Jesuits, "sent by F. Ballandus to Naples, were allowed "by the Archbishop, Cardinal Philamarini, to "see this prodigy; the minute description of “the manner in which it is performed is related "by them in the Life of F. Bollandus. It hap"pens equally in all seasons of the year, and in "variety of circumstances. The same is done "on extraordinary occasions, at the discretion "of the Archbishop. This miraculous solution "and ebullition of the blood of Saint Januarius "is mentioned by Pope Pius II. when he "speaks of the reign of Alphonsus I. of Arragon,

King of Naples, in 1450: Angelus Cato, an "eminent physician of Salerno, and others, ❝ mention it in the same century. Almost two

"hundred years before that epoch, historians "take notice that King Charles I. of Anjou

66

coming to Naples, the Archbishop brought ❝out the head and blood of this martyr. The "continuation of the Chronicle of Maraldus 66 says the same was done upon the arrival of "King Roger; who venerated these relics in "1140. Falco of Benevento relates the same "thing. From several circumstances this miracle "is traced much higher; and it is said to have "regularly happened on the annual feast of "Saint Januarius, and on that of the transla❝tion of his relics, from the time of that trans❝lation, about the year 400."

Some English tourist has published, that, in one of the churches of Naples, was kept a feather, "moulted" or plucked, it seems that it was not decided which, from the wing of the Angel Raphael. Anxious to ascertain the truth of this assertion, I made inquiries, and was assured that no such relic existed. I then demanded the meaning of figures, representing the Blessed Virgin, being dressed in clothes said to have been worn by her herself. I was answered, that these clothes had been taken from particular statues of the blessed Virgin, kept in any parti

cular place. Of how much amusement would the English public be deprived, if English tourists would make these inquiries, before inserting their sneers at what they themselves do not understand, but the which sneers will, they are well aware, interest their equally ignorant readers! Adieu.

LETTER XXXII

Naples, 19th April, 1825.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I AM never very anxious to visit

modern structures, particularly palaces: to this may be attributed my having till yesterday delayed making a tour to Caserta. At eight o'clock in the morning I entered on a rich plain, traversed by an excellent road, from which thick volumes of dust arose, until a dark cloud, bursting above my head, cleared the higher and lower atmosphere, and rendered the rest of the journey more agreeable. Two hours and a half brought 'me to a fine alley of trees, at the end of which the palace of Caserta appeared.

My simply mentioning to you that this edifice.