FRGM ACRE TO NAZARETH* "20^. 
covered with churches and altars, or converted into monaste¬ 
ries and markets of indulgences, until no feature of the origi¬ 
nal remained; and this by way of rendering it more particu¬ 
larly holy. To such a disposition may be attributed the sort 
of work exhibited in the ^church and convent of Nazareth* 
originally constructed under her auspices. Pococke has prov¬ 
ed, that the tradition concerning the dwelling place of the pa¬ 
rents of Jesus Christ existed at a very early period; because 
the church, built over it, is mentioned by writers of the se¬ 
venth century ;* and in being conducted to a cave rudely 
fashioned iu the natural rock, there is nothing repugnant to 
the notions one is induced to entertain concerning the ancient 
customs of the country, and the history of the persons to whom 
allusion is made.f But when the surreptitious aid of architect 
tural pillars, with all the garniture of a Roman catholic church, 
above, below., and on every side of it, have disguised its origi¬ 
nal simplicity; and we finally call to mind the insane reverie 
concerning the transmigration of the said habitation, in a less 
substantial form of brick and mortar, across the Mediterranean, 
to Loretto in Italy, maintained upon authority very similar 
to that which identities the authenticity of this relique; a 
disbelief of the whole mummery seems best suited to the feel¬ 
ings of Protestants ; who are, after all, better occupied in me¬ 
ditating the purpose for which Jesus died, than in assisting, 
by their presence, to countenance a sale of indulgences in the 
place where Joseph is said to have resided. 
The church and convent of Nazareth, in their present state^ 
exhibit superstructure of very recent date: having been re¬ 
paired, or entirely rebuilt io no very distant period; when 
the monks were probably indebted to some ingenious mason, 
for the miraculous position of the pillar in the subterraneous 
chapel, whose two fragments, consisting of different substances 
now so naturally give the lie to each other. The more an¬ 
cient structure was erected by the mother of Constantine j and 
its remains may be observed in the form of subverted co¬ 
lumns, w hich, with the fragments of their capitals and bases, 
lie near the modern building. The present church is hand¬ 
some and full of pictures, most of which are of modern date, 
“ The great church, built over the house of Joseph, is mentioned by the writer^ 
of the seventh and twelfth centuries.” Poeoefte’s Description of the East, vo'i. if, 
part 1. p. 63. Loud. 1745. 
| “ Pietro de la Valle, in the 13t.b letter of his travels, is of opinion, that the sub¬ 
terraneous chapel of Nazareth was part of the vault of the church of the Holy Virgin j 
and afterward turned, by the Christian^ -nto a chapel, in order to - preserve a .re¬ 
membrance of the place.” Egiriont uarrHeyitmiPb Travels, vol.il. p. 20. 
2 C 
