316 LEAVES THEY HATE TOVCHEn. 



to emricli Iiis own private collection.) Tliey saw portions of tlie stele- 

 tons of St. Andrew, St. ISTicliolaS', St. Catharine, St. Loviis of Franc©^ 

 St. Li of Genoa, of the Innocents slain by the edict of Hei^od, and of 

 three of the eleven hundred Virgins who were martyred in fornier 

 days in the vicinity of Cologne. At one place, Don Clavijo and his 

 companions were shown a stone of many colours, beaiing upon it 

 tears, dropped from the eyes of St. John and the three Maries, still 

 as fresh as if newly fallen. In the possession of such treasures, Con- 

 stantinople, as we know, was not peculiar. Throughout the length 

 and breadth of E-ui-ope, in innumerable localities, deposits of human 

 remains, and other objects similar to those displayed before the eyes 

 of the Spanish envoys, were preserved. The practice was probably 

 derived from Asia, and doubtless began early among the primitive 

 races of man. It was an easy way of keeping up the memory of 

 departed heroes and heroines. It afforded ocular proof of their former 

 existence, and so supplemented tradition conveniently. Among 

 simple populations going on generation after generation, without 

 acquaintance with written records, without the power, taken in the 

 m^ass, of deciphering written records, when there were any, such a 

 practice would be gre£\,tly applauded. (As to the abiises which would- 

 be likely to attend the practice, we need not stop to remark upon 

 them: they are obvious enough.) ISTow, what I say is this: that^ 

 there is in historic autograph relics a degree of that virtue which wa» 

 felt originally to reside in the corpoiml relics of emin-ent men and 

 women. They satisfy, in some degi'ee, a certain human craving. We^ 

 have not indeed the same needs in regard to the past that our fore^- 

 fathers had. The moral proofs of the allegations of history are among' 

 us so accessible and so strong, that the supplementary evidence of 

 tangible, visible relics is not essential. Nevertheless, such relics are 

 always acceptable. When it is beyond the bounds of possibility to- 

 behold the doer himself of great actions, it is ever pleasant, nay, it is- 

 oftentiraes strengthening and refreshing, to see a pai-ticle of his handi- 

 work on paper or otherwise. It is well, therefore, to have among usy 

 here and there, depositories of such things, however limited. Remains 

 o-f this kind, fragmentary and mutilated as we shall often find them^- 

 m,ay be compared to those imperfect limbs — -arms without hands, hand^ 

 without the full tale of fingers — ^of which we were told just now. 

 The study of a part will help to an idea of the whole. The chance- 

 words preserved in the wi-itten relics will set the dead before us in a- 



