Chap. m. GreateH Part 
adorn’d with the moif exquifite Bajfo relievo^ in which 
the whole Hiftory of the Virgin is reprefented. Between 
the double Pillars are two Niches, one above the other ; 
the ten Niches below contain the Statues of the ten Pro- 
phets, and thofe above, the ten Sybils. In the Middle 
of this, the Santa Cafa, or holy Houfe, is enclos’d, which 
is only a fingle Chamber forty four Palms long within, 
eighteen broad, and thirteen high, each Palm and a 
half being equivalent to thirteen Inches of o\xv Englijh 
Meafure. To make the Story of the Removal of this 
Hall or Chamber the more probable, they pretend it to 
be built of fome unknown Stones ; but, upon the llrift- 
eft Examination I could make, I found the fame to be 
true Brick, of a different Bignefs and unequal Shape, 
mix’d with fome flat, greyifh, or reddifli Stones, which 
are very common here ; the whole is cemented with 
Lime and Sand, but the Pieces are ill join’d, as if it 
had been done in great Hafte : The Mafon’s Work is 
almoft open to View on the Infide, except in fome Pla- 
ces, where you fee certain Fragments of Plaifter-work 
cover’d with Painting, reprefenting the Virgin, with 
the little Jefus between her Arms ; this appears plainly 
in five or fix different Places. The holy Houfe Hands 
from Eafl to Weft, a Thing not much ufed in Italy ; 
on the Eaft Side is a little Chimney, over v/hich, in a 
Niche, Hands the Image of the great Lady of Loretto, 
made, as they fay, of Cedar Wood, and by the Handa 
of St. Luke^ being about four Foot high. Her Orna- 
ments are of an ineftimable Value, and if we may be- 
lieve thofe that live thereabouts, fhe has a great many 
Robes for Change, and feven different Mourning Ha- 
bits for the Holy Week : Her triple Crown, which is 
all over cover’d with precious Stones, was the Prefent 
of Lewis XIII. King of France ; they told us this Di- 
ftich was engraven upon it j 
A 
Tu Caput ante meum cinxiiii •, Virgo, Coron<e ' 
Nunc Caput ecce tenet nojira Corona tuum* 
He gave alfo a Crown to the Infant. 
On both Sides of the Niche are Cupboards filPd with 
ancient Ornaments of this Statue ; and in a little Win- 
dow in the Wall, on the South-fide, they fhew you 
fome earthen Difhes which were ufed by the holy Fa- 
mily ; fome of thefe Veffels have fince been edg’d with 
Gold, but that which they fhew’d us was a Porringer 
with a filver Foot at the Bottom, done on Purpofe to 
perfuade the World that it was made of a ftrange Earth, 
whereas it is no more than Potters Ware, the Glazing 
whereof is not fo nicely taken off, but that fome Parts 
of it remain to be difeover’d by a curious Eye. At 
the Weft-end, juft oppofite to our Lady, they fhew you 
a Window of about three Foot fquare, through which 
the Angel enter’d : The prefent Arch of this Houfe 
being of a modern Fabrick, I ask’d them what was be- 
come of the old Roof, but they could tell me no Ti- 
dings of it. , Here are alfo two remarkable Things, 
which, they fay, were tranfported at the fame Time 
with the Houfe, viz. the Altar made by the Apoftle’s 
own Hands, and the Stone on which St. Peter celebrated 
Mafs the firft Time ; it is cover’d with Silver, and 
kept as a precious Relick under the Altar where they 
ufually officiate. The Floor of the Santa Cafa is of 
Squares of red and white Marble 5 but this is not the 
old Floor, becaufe that was left, together with the 
Foundations, at Nazareth. This facred Place has three 
Doors, two of which are at the End facing the Eaft, 
and give Paflage to crofs from North to South ; here 
the Pilgrims are let in : The other is on the South-fide, 
and leads to the Sanduary, i. e. the Space between the 
Altar and the End of our Lady’s Chamber. 
To enumerate all the Riches of this Place, would be 
an endiefs Piece of Work, the infinite Number of pre- 
cious Stones v/herewith the Mantle of this Image is 
adorn’d, are alone fufficient to dazle the Sight of the 
Spectators, befides that, all about you fee nothing but 
Lamps, Statues, Bulls, and other Figures of Gold and 
Silver, not including the twenty eight Candlefticks of 
Silver and Vermilion, and the twelve of maffy Gold of 
twenty feven Pounds Weight each. They have a Cuftom 
VoL. II. Numb. CVII. 
of I T A L Y. 14^^ 
of expofing the laft Offering bf Value for d ceftaiA 
Time, before the Eyes of our Lady, in a Place made 
for that Purpofe. That which we faw there was art 
Angel of Gold, with a Heart of the Bignefs of an Egg 
in his Hands, let all over with Diamonds of a great Va- 
lue. Our Condudor being an Jefuit, did not; 
forget to tell us^ that it was a Prefent of the Queen of 
England., and that the faid Princefs had conceiv’d at the 
fame Minute the faid Prefent was offer’d to our Lady^ 
and was then big with Child. He had taken the Pams td 
make a whole Copy of Verfes upon this Snbjedj by 
way of Dialogue between our Lady and the Angela 
and took a great deal of Care to recite them to us 
more than once with a audible Tone, and would at 
laft force a Copy of them upon me. This Queen was 
Mary of Efte^ Confort to James II. 
Round the Walls of the Chapel that enclofe the ho'^' 
ly Houfe, you fee a vaft Number of branch’d Candle- 
fticks, to illuminate the whole Fabrick : But the great- 
eft Curiofity is the Proceffions of thofe Devotees, ,whd 
crawl round the holy Houfe upon their Knees, fome fivq 
Times, others feven, and others twelve Times, accor- 
ding to the different Degrees of their Devotions *, fome 
of thefe creep along from one Side, whilft others meet^ 
them coming from the other, but all furnifti’d with 
Beads, and muttering Pater nofters ; but as they all 
covet fo come neareft to the holy Place, this fbmetimes 
occafiohs no fmall Confufion, which is the Reafon that 
this is never done but when there is only a ftender Num- 
ber of Pilgrims. The chief Refort z.l Eafier, ana 
the Virgin’s Nativity, which they celebrate in September s 
I had it from credible Hands, that in fomb Years they 
have had here above two hundred thoufand Pilgrims 
during thefe two Feafts. It is no unpleafant Sight to 
Obferve' the Caravans of thefe Pilgrims . of both Sexes^ 
who commonly come in Societies i As for Inftance j a 
certain Body of Men join 2X Bologna, each of whonf 
has a Frock of coarfe Linnen, and a Cawl of the fame 
made like a Strainer for Hippocras^ which covers their 
Head, leaving only three Holes for the Eyes and 
Mouth. They appear in different Colours, each So- 
ciety chufing their own, but are all provided with Beads^ 
Girdles, Pilgrims Staves, and the Arms of the Society, 
which are either painted or wrought on the Back and 
Breaft of every Member of the Fraternity. They 
commonly ride on Affes. The Women appear in as 
rich Apparel as poffibly they can, and fix to the Bodies 
of their Gowns a little Pilgrim’s Staff of the Length of 
a Handj fome of which are of Gold and Silver, adorn’d 
with Gems and Pearls, others of Ebony, Ivory, 
artificially wrought. The Ladies commonly ride iri 
Calafties, attended by whole Squadrons of Afs-troopers. 
After all the extraordinary Things that have been faid 
of the holy Houfe, the Treafury infinitely furpaffes it ini 
Riches; this is a fpacious Chamber or Hall, wainfcot-<! 
ted, with ten large Preffes with folding Doors, the arch- 
ed Roof being a moft curious Sort of Plaifter, divided 
by gilt Compartments, beautified with excellent Pictures. 
Formerly they were glad to keep Abundance o f Silver 
Work here, but the fame having fince given Place to 
Gold, is laid up elfewhere in great Heaps in private 
Places, and perhaps for private Ufes. Thefe Preffes 
therefore are now quite fill’d up with nothing put pure 
Gold, precious Jewels, among which they fhew a Pearl 
of an ineftimable Value, fhap’d after the Falhion of a 
Gondola, or fuch Veffels and Ornaments as exceed the 
Value of Gold and Gems, by their Rarity, It would 
be a Piece of Folly to attempt a particular Account of 
what exceeds even Imagination itfelf ; the bell Idea I 
am able to give you of this Treafure is, that you muft 
confider, that all the People, Princes and States, who 
acknowledge the papal Authority, have, for thefe four 
hundred Years paft, endeavour’d to outvie each other 
in bellowing the richeft Prefents that could be had upon 
this holy Houfe. They have, befides this, a fettled Re- 
venue, and vaft Trads of Land belonging to it ; and 
the Boxes in which they gather the Alms of the Pilgrims, 
furnifli them every Year with more Money to make 
frelh Purchafes. To excite the Charity of the Pilgrims, 
they do nor forget to give it out^ that' the annual Charges 
7 A , of 
