Memorials of Human Superstition: being a paraphrase and commentary on the Historia Flagellantium of the Abbé Boileau, Doctor of the SorbonneLolme, Jean Louis de
History
Memorials of Human Superstition: being a paraphrase and commentary on the Historia Flagellantium of the Abbé Boileau, Doctor of the Sorbonne
Lolme, Jean Louis de
Boileau, Jacques, 1635-1716. Historia flagellantium; Flagellants
‘At length, as Anthony had made too much haste to give himself a
plentiful bleeding, one of the Majordomos who superintended the
procession, bade him go home and take care of himself, before the
procession was over. Catanla took herself after him, and being a
neighbour, followed him into the house, where there stood ready the
wine, rosemary, salt and tow, which is all the apparatus for these
cures. They well washed his shoulders, and applied the pledgets;
after which he put on his usual clothes, and wrapped himself up in
his grey cloak. They afterwards went to see the procession, except
Catanla, who said she would stay with him, and keep him company, &c.’
The disciplining ceremonies above described, are, as hath been
observed, also admitted in Italy; and they are performed there with
no less regularity and applause, than in Spain. Most Travellers
into that Country give some account of them: Doctor Middleton, for
instance, describes at some length in his Letter from Rome, two
processions of that kind, to and in the Church of St. Peter, of which
he had been a witness.
But, as the ceremonies we speak of, have been made in Spain,
expeditions of gallantry, in which nicety of honour and amorous
prowess are displayed by turns, so in Italy, they have been turned
into perfect farces, and scenes of mimickry.
Father Labat, who has published a relation of a Journey to Spain and
Italy, in which he gives accounts of disciplining processions in both
Countries, recites that in one of these processions he saw at Civita
Vecchia, there were in the first place to be seen at the head of that
procession several figures or persons who represented Jesus Christ
in the different stages or acts of his condemnation: these different
figures are commonly expressed by technical or cant Latin words; and
among those which Father Labat mentions as having made part of the
above procession, was an _Ecce Homo_, which is a figure intended to
represent Jesus Christ when he made his appearance before Pilate,
clad in purple robe, with a reed in his hand, and a crown on his head.
Another personage afterwards made his appearance, who represented our
Lord going to the place of his death: eight Executioners surrounded
him, who teased him, and pulled the chains with which he was loaded;
and a Simeon of Cyrene walked behind him, who assisted him in
carrying his cross. Several Men followed, who were likewise loaded
with heavy crosses, and were meant, I suppose, to represent the
Robbers who suffered on that day. Among these different figures were
abundance of Roman Soldiers, armed with casques and bucklers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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