A View of Society and Manners in Italy, Volume 1 (of 2): With Anecdotes Relating to some Eminent CharactersMoore, John
History
A View of Society and Manners in Italy, Volume 1 (of 2): With Anecdotes Relating to some Eminent Characters
Moore, John
Italy -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; Italy -- Social life and customs -- Early works to 1800
on a milk white mule, distributing blessings with an unsparing hand among
the multitude, who follow him with acclamations of Viva il Santo Padre,
and, prostrating themselves on the ground before his mule, Benedizione
Santo Padre. The Holy Father took particular care to wave his hand in the
form of the cross, that the blessings he pronounced at the same instant
might have the greater efficacy. As his Holiness is employed in this
manner during the whole procession, he cannot be supposed to give the
least attention to his mule, the bridle of which is held by two persons
who walk by his side, with some others, to catch the _infallible_ Father
of the Church, and prevent his being thrown to the ground, in case the
mule should stumble.
At the entrance of the Capitol he was met by the Senator of Rome,
who, falling on his knees, delivered the keys into the hands of his
Holiness, who pronounced a blessing over him, and restored him the keys.
Proceeding from the Capitol, the Pope was met by a deputation of Jews,
soon after he had passed through the Arch of Titus. They were headed
by the chief Rabbi, who presented him with a long scroll of parchment,
on which is written the whole law of Moses in Hebrew. His Holiness
received the parchment in a very gracious manner, telling the Rabbi at
the same time, that he accepted his present out of respect to the law
itself, but entirely rejected his interpretation; for the ancient law,
having been fulfilled by the coming of the Messiah, was no longer in
force. As this was not a convenient time or place for the Rabbi to enter
into a controversy upon the subject, he bowed his head in silence, and
retired with his countrymen, in the full conviction, that the falsehood
of the Pope’s assertion would be made manifest to the whole universe in
due time. His Holiness, mean while, proceeded in triumph, through the
principal streets, to the Vatican.
This procession, I am told, is one of the most showy and magnificent
which takes place, on any occasion, in this city; where there are
certainly more solemn exhibitions of the same kind than in any other
country; yet, on the whole, I own it did not afford me much satisfaction;
nor could all their pomp and finery prevent an uneasy recollection, not
unmixed with sentiments of indignation, from obtruding on my mind. To
feel unmixed admiration in beholding the Pope and his Cardinals marching
in triumph to the Capitol, one must forget those who walked in triumph
formerly to the same place; forget entirely that such men as Camillus,
Scipio, Paulus Æmilius, and Pompey, ever existed; they must forget Cato,
whose campaign in Africa was so much admired by Lucan, that he declares,
he would rather have had the glory of that single campaign than Pompey’s
three triumphs, and all the honour he obtained by finishing the Jugurthan
war.
Hunc ego per Syrtes, Libyæque extrema triumphum
Ducere maluerim, quam ter Capitolia curru
Scandere Pompeii, quam frangere colla Jugurthæ.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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