CHARLES WATERTON, ESQ. lxxiii 



St. Anthony's church. The sun shone brightly, 

 and the- scene was truly exhilarating. Every 

 horse, and mule, and ass, was decked out in 

 splendid colours,, and in trappings corresponding 

 with the means of their owners, whose faces 

 bespoke the joy of their hearts, and whose 

 orderly conduct, at once proclaimed the re- 

 ligious feeling which had brought them to the 

 place. When the animals had received the 

 benediction, they passed onwards with their 

 masters, to make room for those behind them ; 

 and this was the order of the day, until the last 

 blessing upon the last animal brought the ex- 

 hibition to a close* 



As this scene of primeval piety was going on, 

 an English gentleman, with whom I had a 

 slight acquaintance, and who was standing by 

 my side, remarked that he was tired with look- 

 ing at such a scene of superstitious folly. " If 

 it be folly," said I, in answer to his remark, " to 

 give a blessing to an animal in one shape, it is 

 certainly folly to pronounce a benediction upon 

 an animal under another. And still we all do 

 this in England, and in every other Christian 

 country. Where is the well-regulated family 

 which, oh sitting down to a leg of boiled mutton 



