— 
_—— = 
> aa 

1923.] St. Thomas and San Thomé, Mylapore. 169 
after it, the abundant waters surrounding the said mountain 
decrease to such an extent that one hardly remarks there had 
been water there.! Hence, there flock thither, from all sides, 
Christians and infidels coming from afar, and sick people of all 
sorts, who, through the merits of the blessed Apostle Thomas, 
expect undoubtingly the remedy and cure of their illness. 
in the holy of holies of the said Church, there is a 
acaificently Ww rought ciborium,? covered with silver, and 
adorned with the various precious est produced by the 
river of Paradise called Phison. Within [the ciborium] there 
, suspended by silver chains, a most precious silver 
concha,? and, however precious it be, as the story of the 
Apostle himself also* says, it is much more precious for the 
treasure within it. In truth. the most holy body of the Apostle 
is yet preserved in it, intact and entire, as on the day of his 
death, and he is seen standing in it erect, as if alive.’ Before his 
presence hangs, from silver ropes, a golden lamp filled with 
balsam. Once it has been lit, the balsam does not decrease from 
year to year, nor does it get extinguished ; but, God willing it so, 
and through the Apostle’s intercession, all things are found the 
next haat ee as they were, as is proved by the peewee 

‘Is the 
been celebrated at 4 Mylapore ? Father Tacha rd says in his letter of an 
ga the Adyar was formed by the ee ie the dyke of a ae 
a he 
century, owing to heavy rains, we hav ason co suspect he is nat ac- 
curate. I have not met any sans aligsion to such a bursting, and we 
shag —— that th o Boye | is as aa as iobionks. The reminiscence 
e been about a much older 
2 The idea of a ci sbeeeat or one ane ove the high altar, seems to be 
borrowed from the Greek and Roman Churches which John III. would 
have visited on his journe y. Would Edessa still have had a le in 
ae ie — Malabar satiate do not appear ever to have had 
cibor here are none far as I know, in the non-Uniate 
Churches or Malaba 
eit 
Troops) made an " offering of asilver cas 
St. dlycc tt, ae = os pone It was 
suspended by a silver chain, says another text, wid. p. 102.' Unfortu- 
: ssa. 
n what story of the Apostle “— this occ 
5 We should think that the greater part oF the hag was at Myla- 
Pore rather than at Edessa. I ‘ont eas tir sae “ceo 
lace, if some of many relics of St. The 
Churches of Europe are genuine. Be that as it pasa tk ppehevi sina are 
We prepared to believe that the body was preserved in a concha, or shell- 
like vessel. and was standing in it erect, as if alive. Did not the slab 
of chalcedony which covered the postle’s relics at Chios (from 1143 or 
1144), and which has t Ortona since 1258, co JE 
Mar John III speaks of relics of the Saint at Mylapore, we should think 
that the greate part was in the tomb: for, if what the aa rs fou 
at Mylapere in 1522 j in a tomb ae a depth of some 16 palms t part 
of homas’ body, then ee con Pai in cen a St. 
Thomas’ connection with mse tai seems to be ee 
