MESSIN A. 
100 
fortune, and to their own unworthinefs all finifter events 
that have befallen them. The authenticity of this epiftle 
has been ferioufly impunged, and of courfe vigoroufiy 
defended by many Sicilian divines and dilputators. The 
ftory is as follows: After St. Paul had made fome flay at 
Medina (a circumftance of his travels unnoticed by St. 
Luke), the Meflinefe prevailed upon him to return to 
Jerufalem with an embaffy of four perfons fent by the city 
to the Virgin Mary. Their excellencies were gracioully 
received by her, and brought back a letter written with 
her own hand in the Hebrew tongue, which St. Paul 
tranflated into Greek. By the irruption of the Saracens 
this invaluable treafure was loft, and utterly forgotten 
till the year 1467, when Conftanline Lafcaris, a refugee 
Greek, found a copy of it, and turning it.-into Latin, 
made it known to the citizens, and then to all the ca¬ 
tholic world. Its authenticity is now fo well eftablidied 
at Medina, that Regna the hiftorian candidly acknow¬ 
ledges, that whoever was to confefs even a doubt on the 
fubjeft in that city would be treated as an infidel. 
This curious epiftle is conceived in thele terms: “ The 
Virgin Mary, daughter of Joachim, mod: humble mother 
of God, Jefus Chrift crucified, of the tribe of Juda and 
the family of David, health and the bleffing of God the 
Father of Almighty to all the people of Medina. Out of 
the abundance of your faith, you have, in confequence of 
a public deliberation, fent a deputation to me; and fince 
you acknowledge that my Son is both God and man, and 
that he afcended into heaven after his refurredtion, as 
you have learned from the preaching of St. Paul the apof- 
tie, I give my bleding to you and all your city, and agree 
to become your protedtrels. In the 4id year of my Son, 
the ill of the Indidtion, the 3d day of June, and the 37th 
of the moon, at Jerufalem.” Not to dwell upon the aftro- 
Komical blunders in thefe dates, let it fuffice to oblerve, 
that Lalcaris was not aware that Dennis the Little, a Sy¬ 
rian monk in the 6th century, was the firft who made ufe 
of the era that commences at our Saviour’s birth. 
There is another chureh in this city that dei’erves parti¬ 
cular notice, not fo much on account of its architedture 
or ornaments, as for its being the laft refuge of the Greek 
liturgy, which was once the predominant fervice of the 
ifland, but gradually abolilhed by different conquerors. 
It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary de Grapheo, or “ of the 
Letter,” which denomination may perhaps have furnifhed 
•Lafcaris with the idea of his letter. It is known at pre- 
fent by the name of la Cattolica. According to the Greek 
canons, the entrance of monaftic churches was recipro¬ 
cally forbidden to each lex ; and the cathedrals were the 
only places of worfhip where a daily facrifice was offered 
up by the bifhop and clergy, and where both men and 
women were prefent at the fame time, but in different 
parts of the church. From this general admittance, the 
building acquired the title of Catholic, or univerfal. 
On the front of the cathedral there is a fquare, which, 
though not regular, is far from being mean. This was 
not the largeft fquare in Mefiina before its overthrow 5 
but it was the molt elegant, the molt fplendidly adorned, 
and the belt frequented. There ftands in this fquare an 
equeftrian ftatue of Charles II. of Spain, in bronze, which 
has been fpared by the earthquake. It ftands on a mar¬ 
ble pedeftal, in the middle of the fquare. Oppofite to 
this ftatue is an elegant marble fountain, ornamented 
with a variety of figures, reprefenting men and other ani¬ 
mals, all of them fpouting out water in great abundance 5 
which ufed, in fummer, to fpread an agreeable and re- 
frefhing coolnefs over the fquare, that induced company 
to aflemble here. Seven ftreets terminated here. The 
cathedral forms a part of the fquare. It is dedicated to 
the bleffed Virgin; the occafion of which has been already 
mentioned. 
There is an anniverfary feaft celebrated in Mefiina, 
which is called the Fcajl of the Letter. A lock of the 
Virgin’s hair, which, fhe fent to the Meflenians at the 
lame time with the letter, is carried through the city in 
procefilon in a cryftal vefTel. She made alfo a prefent of 
her pidture to the Mefienian deputies. It is placed over 
the tabernacle. None but the canons of the cathedral are 
permitted to touch, or take up on their fhoulders, the fil- 
ver fhrine in which the cryftal vefl'el with the Virgin’s hair 
is depofited. Eight of thofe canons, with mitres on their 
heads, bear this fhrine in the procefilon. The canopy 
fufpended over it, is fupported by fix fenators in their 
robes. The picture and the hair are fhown to ftrangers,. 
This procefilon, and the other religious ceremonies of this 
feftival, are followed by horfe-races. The fpirits of the 
people being already elevated by their religious exercifes, 
they engage with amazing eagernefs in thefe and the other 
diverfions with which they are accompanied : a tumultuous 
joy reigns over the city ; and the evening concludes with 
illuminations and fireworks. The fhips in the harbour pay 
the citizens the compliment of entertaining them with a 
difeharge of their guns on the occafion. 
Through a fquare called the Square of the Great Hof- 
pital, runs a large and impetuous torrent, the Porto delle 
Legni. It is precipitated from thofe lofty mountains 
which overlook this city on the fouth fide. The channel 
which it has cut out for itfelf is at times entirely full. It 
would, on fuch occafions, overflow the fquare and other 
parts of the city, were it not confined by walls which have 
been built on both lides to prevent fuch accidents. An¬ 
other ftream of a fimilar origin, called the Torrent of La 
Bocetta, runs through another part of the city 3 it is alfo 
confined within walls to prevent it from overflowing. 
The Square of St. John of Malta is one of the largeft 
in Mefiina. In the middle of this fquare is a fine marble 
fountain, ornamented with a variety of fculptured figures 
and jets d’eau. Befide the fountain, there was formerly 
a large refervoir for horfes to drink out of. In the time 
of the annual feftivals, there ufed to be exhibited on the 
water of the refervoir a galley, or rather a fidlitious repre- 
fentation of a galley, with galley-ilaves, foldiers, officers, 
and a commander, on-board, all in arms, and the galley 
properly equipped as a Ihip of war. This galley was de¬ 
corated with great art; and by night the malts, and every 
other fuitable part, were hung with lamps, which illu¬ 
mined it in a very fplendid manner. Every thing around 
was fo artificially difpofed, that, when the fireworks were 
played oft', the fpedtator was led to think, though he per¬ 
ceived only one galley, that the noife which he heard was 
produced by a naval combat; and that the other fhips 
were concealed from his view by the l'moke occafioned by 
the guns and fireworks. This, when properly conducted, 
was a noble fpedtacle. The fenate repaired thither from 
the cathedral, attended with a guard and a numerous 
company. In one carriage fat fix fenators, the governor 
of the city, and fometimes the archbifhop. It was exceed¬ 
ingly large, and drawn by fix white horfes very richly 
harnefled. Other carriages followed, with the train who 
attended the governor and the fenators. 
Almoft all feftivals owe their origin to fome extraordi¬ 
nary event, or fome lingular ftory either true or falfe. It 
is laid, that, when the fplendour with which the feaft of 
the Ajjumption de la Bara was celebrated at Mefiina firft 
began to attradt foreigners to the city, on that occafion 
fuch crowds repaired thither as to alarm the inhabitants 
with the fears of a famine. But one year, w'hen the num¬ 
ber of ftrangers w'as greater than ufual at the time of this 
feftival, the magiftrates were very much at a lols how to 
fupply them with provifions ; and at length, every other 
relburce failing, no hopes of relief remained but from the 
kindnefs of the Blefied Virgin. Fervent prayers were ad- 
drefled to their patronefs ; and next morning by day¬ 
break three brigantines appeared entering the harbour 
with full iails. They proved to be loaded with corn. It 
w : as eagerly purchaled ; and the people of the city halted 
to appeafe their hunger. But, when they came, after 
refrelhing themfelves, to pay the corn-merchants their 
money, neither Ihips nor merchants could be found. After 
their firft emotions of furprife had fubfided, they natu- 
