J821.] 



Mr. Lyman on the Political Slate of Italy. 



carried a ladder upon the top of his 

 carriage and weut to every iniage in 

 the city ; eacli cue only served to make 

 him helieve more in the miracle. I was 

 well acquainted with Mouscionor B — , 

 wiio had examined .se\'cral in the same 

 manner. He was a man of sixty, in- 

 tellijrent, of a sound judgment, well 

 instrncted, not inclined to superstition, 

 and as read5r to scotf at incredulous 

 stories as other people. He said to me 

 repeatedly, tliat lie as much saw the 

 <^yes move, as he saw the picture against 

 the wall. Some brought glasses to 

 magnify the object, others walked away 

 a few hours, and then returned to see 

 if the same effect would be produced, 

 and others held their hands over their 

 eyes for a few moments for a similar 

 purpose. 



' Persons were seized with cold sweats 

 and fainted, others were seized with 

 convulsions, and some weut rushing 

 Ihrougli the streets and shouting, like 

 the possessed " miracolo." The crowds 

 near the images were exclaiming at 

 every moment, " see, the blessed saint 

 raises her eyelids — she turns the pupils, 

 now she raises them, and now she depres- 

 ses them." Crowds of persons watched 

 night and day before the images, chant- 

 ing different hymns of the catholic ser- 

 vice. It was a scene of crossing and of 

 reciting Pater-Nostersand Ave-Marias. 

 When the miracle was particularly vi- 

 sible, then the whole multitiule fell 

 upon their knees in the most devout 

 manner, some repeating short prayers 

 with great fervoui-, and others shouting 

 in a frantic, half-dislracted voice, 

 " blessed be the most Holy Virgin." 

 The litanies were chanted, and at the 

 verse " Santa Maria, ora pro nobis" it 

 was observed, in particular, tliat the 

 virgin opened her eyes. The streets 

 were thronged for several weeks both 

 night and day with people going in long 

 processions, headed by priests, from 

 one image to anotlier, and reciting 

 offices in praise of the virgin. " All 

 hail Maiy and thy son Jesus, and Him 

 who created them." These pi-ocessions 

 were usually dosed by persons armed^ 

 with instruments of penance, beating 

 Kheir naked bodies. Before the images 



44^ 



ancient enmities were forgo! ten, men de- 

 posited their swords and daggers in sign 

 of jKiace — robbers restored stolen goods 

 — creditors released their debtors — a 

 j)rofane song or a blasj)hemous word 

 was no wliere heard, and neither licen- 

 tiousness, quarrels, or diunkenness 

 were seen. This short and simple 

 canticle, a thousand times repeated, 

 was heard at every corner : " Salve 

 Regina, illos tuos misericordes oculos 

 ad nos converte." 



' The printed accounts arc signed by 

 the autograph of Cardinal Somaglia. 

 Then follows a list of one hundred and 

 seventy-four persons, all above the age 

 of twenty, of all ranks and descriptions, 

 cardinals, marquisses, priests, officers, 

 monks, cobblers, married and unmar- 

 ried, native and foreign, all of whom 

 solemnly deposed upon oath, before a 

 special tribunal, appointed for the pur- 

 pose, that they respectively witnessed 

 the prodigies above recorded ; many of 

 the witnesses saw the same prodigies 

 at all the images, and many at various 

 repetitions and intervals. These per- 

 sons were examined as if they had been 

 giving testimony, in a court of justice, 

 to a natural fact. There is also a list 

 of seven hundred and eighty-seven per- 

 sons, who made a simple declaration : 

 many, howeve)-, upon oath, of having 

 witnessed the above named prodigies. 

 A large proportion of both lists consists 

 of persons the most eminent in'society for 

 rank, dignity, learning and integiity.' 



The chapter on the universities con- 

 tains what a little traveller is able to 

 collect, or a foreigner curious to know, 

 of these establishments. Fallen estab- 

 lislimeuts we had nearly called them ; 

 but the names of Forcellini, ofCarlini, 

 of De Rossi, and others as renowned 

 belonging to this age or the last, must 

 forbid that epithet. It is not the uni- 

 versities in Haly that are fallen, but 

 society, which has fallen around them, 

 and has no more the means of sending 

 a host of pupils to their walls ; while 

 the extensive dift'usion of learning be- 

 yond the Alps enables a person to get as 

 good an education in Scotland, in Up- 

 sal, and in IMoscow, as he could get in 

 Padua or Pavia. 



PROCEEDINGS OF PUBLIC SOCIETIES. 



The ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY of 

 LONDON. 



gold ; to be bestowed, as an honorary 

 distinc(i(m, on such persons as may, 

 rr^HE council have ordered a die to from time to tinu;, distinguish Ihem- 

 J_ be formed, for the pui-pose^ of selves by any material discovery, or 

 striking medals in bronze, siire'i aiut improvement in the science. And, in 

 ' Monthly Mag. No. a.-il. ' 3K order 



