If we open the _Tablet_ (Roman Catholic newspaper) for the 26th of November, 1853, we read:--"Those of our readers who have visited Rome will, doubtless, have remarked, at the foot of the stairs which descend from the square of the Capitol to the square of the Campo Vaccino, under the flight of steps in front of the Church of St. Joseph, and over the door of the Mamertine prison, a very ancient wooden crucifix, before which lamps and wax tapers are constantly burning, and surrounded on all sides with exvotos and testimonies of public thanksgiving. No image of the crucified Saviour is invested with greater veneration.... The worship yielded to the holy crucifix of Campo Vaccino is universal at Rome, and is transmitted from generation to generation. The fathers teach it to the children, and in all the misfortunes and all the trials of life the first idea is almost always to have recourse to the holy crucifix, the object of such general veneration, and the source of so many favours. It is, above all, in sickness that the succour of the holy image is invoked with more confidence and more eagerness.... There are few families in Rome who have not to thank the holy crucifix for some favour and some benefit.... In the interval of the sermons and other public exercises of devotion the holy crucifix, exposed on the high altar in the midst of floods of light, saw incessantly prostrated before it a crowd of adorers and suppliants.... As soon as the holy image of the Saviour had appeared on the Forum, the Holy Father advanced on the exterior flight of steps of the church to receive it, and when the shrine had arrived at the base of the stairs of the Church of San Luca, at some paces from the flight of steps on which the Holy Father stood, in rochet, stole, and pallium of red velvet, he bowed before the holy crucifix and venerated it devoutly." In harmony with this, the Missal supplies us with prayers and hymns in the service for Good Friday, addressed directly to the cross. "We adore Thy cross, O Lord, and we praise and glorify Thy holy resurrection; for by the wood of the cross the whole world is filled with joy." "O faithful cross, O noblest tree, In all our woods there is none like thee. No earthly groves, no shady bowers Produce such leaves, such fruit, such flowers. Sweet are the nails and sweet the wood, Which bore a weight so sweet and good." "O lovely tree, whose branches bore The royal purple of His gore, How glorious does thy body shine, Supporting members so divine. Hail, cross! our hope, on thee we call Who keep this paschal festival; Grant to the just increase of grace, And every sinner's guilt efface."