St Angelo

stood in awe. For nearly twenty years had the prelate, whom the Church has canonised, sought to bring him to a sense of his temporal weakness as Gregory had of his spiritual shortcomings. Now the stern voice of reproof was hushed, no more would Hanno stand in his path, and the hands that endeavoured to restrain him from dishonour were folded meekly in death. The King, predisposed to vice and surrounded by flatterers and debauched companions, was now free to pursue unhindered his career to utter ruin. The disturbances in Italy and in Rome itself, fostered by his partizans, were the source of much concern to the Holy Father and to his friends in Tuscany. Although they caused much distress and annoyance at the time, these insurrections were the germs of the contests and convulsions which were to follow and by which Italy finally shook herself free from German control.

Among the most striking objects of Rome during the Pontificate of Gregory was the Castle of St Angelo, whose massive towers rendered it almost impregnable. The fortress at that time consisted of a quadrangular basement surmounted by a building of three stories, reaching to a height of two hundred and thirty feet and commanding a magnificent view of the Capitol. It had been built by the Emperor Hadrian for his tomb, and received its present familiar name from the following incident. In the sixth century Rome was devastated by a plague caused by the decay of vegetable matter borne into the city by the inundation of the Tiber. Towards the end of the year 589 it increased in violence and carried off many of the population including Pelagius the reigning Pontiff. The peculiar character of the pestilence being prolonged fits of sneezing and yawning, Gregory I. who had succeeded to the Papal Chair decreed that "God bless you," should be said to those who sneezed and that the sign of the Cross should be made over the mouths of those who yawned. He further decided that a tour should be made

It is curious to note that in many country places the practice still survives and old nurses repeat the words "God bless you," to their young charges when they sneeze.

round the plague-stricken city imploring God's mercy on its unhappy people. The congregations started from six different churches at various points, that from St Peter's bearing in the midst the picture of Our Lady said to have been painted by St Luke. On arriving at the Mausoleum the people were astonished to behold the figure of an angel above the building who, at their approach, sheathed his drawn sword. From that moment the plague, we are told, decreased in virulence and, "whereas on the outward journey twenty-four succumbed to its effects, when they returned no one died and soon all traces of the pestilence disappeared." To commemorate the event a figure of St Michael the Archangel in marble, and which was afterwards replaced by one of bronze, was placed over the Mausoleum which was henceforth known by the name of the Castle of St Angelo.

During the reign of Gregory VII. the fortress was inhabited by a powerful noble named Cenci. He was the son of a former prefect of Rome, and his dissolute life and open acts of simony had drawn upon him the displeasure of the Church. Maddened by the excommunication which followed the murder and robbery of his uncle, he placed himself at the head of a band of malcontents, who robbed the pilgrims as they came to lay their gifts at the feet of the Pontiff.

He offered his services to Germany, and received in return immunity to pillage and levy tolls upon travellers who crossed the Bridge of St Angelo which spans the Tiber. Years ago he had taken the part of Cadalous, and since the defeat of that anti-pope he had revenged himself by constant incursions into the territories of Beatrice and Matilda, who had been on the side of Alexander, but the princesses were so faithfully served by their subjects that Cenci was beaten back at every point. Foiled in this attempt to corrupt the loyal Tuscans, the plotter conceived the project of capturing Gregory and sending him as a prisoner to Henry. He carefully laid his plans, and only awaited an opportunity, when

Legend of St Maria Maggiori

the unsuspecting Pope should be unattended, to carry them into effect.

In the early medieval times it was usual for the faithful to spend the night preceding Christmas in certain churches which remained open and in which lights were kept burning. Even now, when other vigils are no longer thus observed Mass is still said at midnight on the eve of the festive natal day of our Lord.

Successive Pontiffs had made it a rule to celebrate the Mass on this holy vigil in S. Maria Maggiori, so called because it was, as its name implies, the largest church in Rome dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. It was built upon the ruins of a temple of Diana, and is sometimes known as St Mary of the Snow. This title was given to the basilica from a legend which relates that ere the church was built and while the site was yet uncertain, heavy snow fell one August on the ground on which the basilica was afterwards erected. Liberius, the reigning Pontiff, hearing of the remarkable occurrence, proceeded to the spot, and kneeling in the snow traced with his finger a plan of the future building. The incident was afterwards commemorated by a representation in bronze bas-relief on the front of the altar. The church had, in course of years, gradually fallen into decay, and the neighbouring streets, inhabited by the lowest of the peasantry, were considered unsafe for well-dressed pedestrians. But Gregory whose frequent visits to the homes of the poor had made his person familiar to them, and who often preached in their church, had nothing to fear from his children. Even the most ferocious of the brigands who haunted the Campagna treated him with respect and welcomed him as a true friend of the unfortunate.

The usual congregation, therefore, of St Mary Major, to give its English equivalent, was generally composed of the peasants and wandering shepherds, whose calling has been for ever ennobled from their having been the first worshippers of our Lord. On the vigil of Christmas the numbers were