Adjoining the east end of the cathedral, and in direct communication with that church on one side and with the King's Palace on the other, is the celebrated sanctuary of La Sainte Suaire,* in the high altar of which they pretend to preserve the winding sheet that enshrouded the body of Our Blessed Saviour. This chapel, a noble proof of the talents of Guarini, is built entirely of black marble, inlaid with bronze, which gives it an unusual effect of sombre magnificence. The workmanship of the cupola and lantern is a master-piece of its kind.-From thence we walked to " Corpus Domini," which glitters with gold and precious stones. The superior merits of the marble sculptures, the wood carvings, and the pictures

* This marvellous S. Suaire is to be found in several different places! Mr. Misson in his Voyage d'Italie, vol. 3, p. 51. 52, says on this subject "Le Suaire de Turin qui doit être l' unique au monde, s'est reproduit ou multiplié en sept ou huit endroits pour le moins. Je ne parle que de ceux que je connois. Il y en a je crois trois à Rome, viz. à S. Pierre, à S. Jean de Latran, et à l'Eglise du S. Suaire de l'Archiconfrerie des Piemontois, un à Cadoin en Perigort, un à Besancon, un à Compiegne, un à Milan, et un à Aix la Chapelle. Ils produisent tous leur titre par Bulles des Papes. Le Suaire de Cadoin est le mieux établi; il a été autorisé par 14 Bulles. Celui de Turin n'en a que quatre. Il y a aussi un autre fameux S. Suaire à Lisbonne dans l'eglise de la Mere de Dieu."-" The relic of the Holy Shroud at Turin, which ought to be unique in the world, has reproduced or multiplied itself in seven or eight places at least. I only speak of those I know. There are three of them, I believe, at Rome, viz. in St. Peter's, St. John's de Lateran, and at the church of the Saint Suaire of the Archconfraternity of the Piedmontese, one at Cadoin in Perigord, one at Besançon, one at Compiegne, one at Milan, and another at Aix la Chapelle. All of them are authenticated by Popes' Bulls. The Suaire of Cadoin is the best established: it has been authorised by 14 Bulls. That of Turin has only four of these vouchers. There is also another famous S. Suaire at Lisbon in the church of the Mother of God."

with which it is so profusely adorned, render it highly interesting as a museum; but for a church it is very much too gaudy. Passing through the Piazza delle Erbe, or vegetable market, a spacious and well-built square, we stopped to taste some of the delicious fruit which is there so abundantly exhibited, and sold at so reasonable a rate. Peaches, apricots, plums, oranges, lemons, cherries, pears, and figs, all excellent. We particularly relished the figs, which look the very emblem of vegetive ripeness, and have much of the flavour of our hothouse nectarines.

The church of St. Christina was the place we next entered. It contains a remarkably fine statue of St. Theresa (by Le Gros) at the altar of her chapel.-The church of Santo Spirito is also well worth seeing.—But of the religious edifices in Turin, the only one which in my eyes appeared happily to unite symmetry of design with chasteness of ornament, and propriety of interior regulation was St. Philip de Nerri. The nave is spacious and lofty, and the Corinthian columns of marble with gilt capitals have a beautiful appearance. The arrangements to accommodate the people in this place of worship seem to be exactly what they ought to be. The expedient of chairs, which, heaped in dirty piles, disfigure most churches in France; and the plan of closed pews as in England, are alike rejected: open seats, with kneeling places in front, are placed in a double row along the nave as far as the steps of the sanctuary, which is elegantly embellished.—In our way to, and at the very entrance of, the church Della Consolata, we stopped awhile, listening to an ambulatory orchestra of vocalists and instrumentalists, who for the amusement of a crowd of folks and to catch a few sous,

skill in the performance. The only circumstance which struck us as "discordant," was that the performers should (obviously as a matter of custom) have fixed themselves on a spot, where "the sound of their shallow foppery" could not but be plainly audible to the priest at the altar, then in the act of elevating the Host. But thus it is. When "the ONE Great Self-Oblation ONCE offered" is pretended to be constantly repeated, as in the ceremony of the mass; the sacred subject, so far from producing a more awful impression even on the votaries of credulity, becomes too familiar to them, and shares the usual fate of an every-day occurrence.

But let us enter the doors of Nostra Signora della Consolazione. At her temple, it being about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, we find a large congregation of both sexes assembled. The object before whom they are bowing down is an image of the Virgin, to whose miraculous aid "the faithful" of this city resort in almost every accident and emergency of life; being taught to believe, that by putting up a brief prayer to "the Mother of God” in this "privileged" chapel, not only cures, but also protections, and preventions are sure to be obtained.* A fall from a horse, a carriage, or a scaffold; á stab, a con

At Padua, St. Anthony is the favourite wonder-worker. "He lies buried (says Addison) in the church that is dedicated to him at present, though it was formerly dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. There are abundance of inscriptions and pictures hung up by his votaries in several parts of his church: for it is the way of those that are in any signal danger to implore his aid, and if they come off safe, they call their deliverance a miracle, and perhaps hang up a picture or description in the church. This custom spoils the beauty of several Roman Catholic churches, and often covers the walls with wretched daubings, impertinent inscriptions, hands, legs, and arms of wax, with a thousand idle offerings of the same nature." --Remarks on Italy.

M

tusion, a gun-shot wound, or a sabre-cut-these and a "thousand ills that flesh is heir to," are registered at the shrine of Consolation; and a silly picture, descriptive of each casualty, is hung up to record the infallible relief of the petitioning sufferer. One of the persons present, whom we questioned on the subject of these miracles, seriously vouched for the truth of them, and as gravely cited an instance of their efficacy on his own person! Yet whilst strenuously contending for the healing power of "the Queen of Heaven," and the saving influence of that creed by which she is so highly honoured and exalted, this informant afterwards scrupled not to fill our heretical ears with invectives against the conduct of the ecclesiastics themselves. Inconsistency of ignorance! A man calling himself a Christian, advocates practices totally at variance with scriptural Christianity, because they are sanctioned by a Church, which he believes to be the only true and holy one: and he believes this on the sole authority of a priesthood, towards whom as a body of individuals be avowedly entertains sentiments the very reverse of confidence or respect! I have repeatedly met with indications of a similar disposition, among professed Catholics on the Continent, to indemnify themselves, as it were, for the passive obedience exacted of them from their Church, by the severity of their animadversions on its ministers.

In a city not of the largest size, yet containing more than a hundred places of worship, devoted exclusively to the Roman Catholic Faith, it would be almost superfluous to say, that the members of the sacerdotal order greatly abound. But of the multitude of clergy whom we saw in the streets and churches of Turin, the far greater part were persons of mean and even vulgar appearance;