Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

the Church of St Martin; all for a pun. Witness the verse.

Martyrii gestans virgo Martina coronam, Ejecto hinc Martis numine, Templa tenet. What shall we think of such saints as Baccho, Quirinus, &c., or poor Soracte, wrested into St Oraste, and taken from Apollo, to be placed under the protec tion of a saint without any more real existence than the anagram of its own old name? Middleton's acecunt of the Saintships of Amphibolus and Veronica, is highly amusing; the one a cloak that suffered martyrdom; the other a veil: both, however, promoted by the infallibility of the Popish Church, to all the rights and properties of defunct flesh and blood. It puzzled them, seemingly, to procure a saint who might succeed Romulus in his little temple under the Palatine; at last they found one in St Theodore, who was exposed, &c. like the founder of Rome. "Thus," says Middleton, "the worship paid to Romulus being now transferred to Theodorus, the old superstition still subsists; and the custom of presenting children at this shrine, continues to this day without intermission; of which I myself have been a witness, having seen, as oft as I looked into this church, ten or a dozen women, decently dressed, each with a child in her lap, sitting with silent reverence before the altar of the saint, in expectation of his miraculous influence on the health of the infant."-Letter from Rome.

Mr Blunt's next chapter is on the festival of St Agatha at Catania; the ceremonies of which, he compares with, and finds similar to, those in honour of Ceres; which goddess, by the by, was as peculiarly revered at Catania, in the olden time, as St Agatha is at present. But the festival of St Agatha little differs from that of any other patron saint at his or her own town. There are pony-races, processions of monks and candles, &c. &c. at Rome, and everywhere else, as well as at Catania. They may have been all borrowed from the Eleusinian ceremonies, but the Agatha is certainly not the sole heiress of Ceres's divinity. Mr Blunt is too special, too local, and not general enough in his observations; nevertheless, he makes out numerous and curious points of coincidence between the rites of goddess and of saint. The festival commences, as do the last days of carnival at Rome, with a pony race. "The ponies destined for the contest have no riders; but, by means of wax, ribVOL. XIV.

bons are firmly attached to their backs; and to these again are appended bladders, and weighted pieces of wood, armed with sharp spikes; the noise of the one, and the pain inflicted by the other, being amply sufficient to urge to exertion animals much better qualified to resist the effect of either than the horse. At the firing of a signal gun they are turned loose from one extremity of the street; and amidst the shouts of they make what haste they can to the other. the populace which lines it on both sides, Here I discovered, to my great surprise, sitting in the open air, under a canopy of crimson, arrayed in robes of office a good deal resembling those of our barristers, the members of the senate, with their intendente or president. The business of these first magistrates of the city, decked out in all their paraphernalia, and attended by drummers, fifers, and musketeers, was to declare the winner among half a dozen jades, the best of which was not worth ten pounds. It was difficult to suppress a smile on seeing one of the parties rise, discuss the matter with the rest of the bench, and, not without much action, and emphasis, and deliberation, deliver the senatûs consultum to the expectant crowd. The mottos on the canopy might have been selected for the purposes of burlesque Invictas supero,' Catana Regum,'

6

"Tutrix Castigo Rebellis.'"

Now Ovid, says the author, declares a horse race to have made part of the rites of Ceres.

"Primaque ventosis palma petetur equis. Hi Cereris ludi.”

But horse races were not confined to the rites of Ceres, nor to those of Neptune; and, in fact, made part of every festival that could furnish an excuse for them. Torches are next adduced as a coincidence in the rites of saint and goddess; the act of kneeling in worship might as well have been brought forward for examples of coincidence, as those common appendices to all ceremonies, Jewish, Catholic, and Pagan. The priests of both religions happening to be dressed in white, is just as little wonderful. Indeed, it would be difficult, as well as astonishing, if the habits of the ministers of different and successive religions did not resemble one another; or if the modes of adoration did not agree in many points. Worship will be like worship, and procession can differ little from procession; nor need we wonder that the figure of the Virgin in those countries is brought forth peruked and gorgeously ornamented, in a chariot drawn by oxen.

2 K

"Qualis Berecynthia mater Invehitur curru, Phrygias turrita per urbes."

The chapter on the Arrangement and Furniture of Catholic Churches, their every-day Ceremonies, &c., has been anticipated by Middleton, who has traced the incense, the holy water, &c., to their proper sources. There is here an account of one classical saint which we cannot pass over; and the origin is doubtless correctly given, considering the popularity of Ovid, whilst the better authors of his time were yet in oblivion.

"At a short distance from the old La

vinium, or Pratica, (as it is now called,) is a chapel, dedicated to St Anna Petronilla. Here we have, no doubt, a corruption of

Anna Perenna, the sister of Dido, who was cast ashore upon the coast of Italy, near the Numicius; a point corresponding with the situation of this little church. On that occasion, having accidentally met with Æneas and Achates, and rejected all terms of reconciliation with them, she was warned by the shade of Dido in a dream, to escape from the treachery of Lavinia. In the sudden consternation excited by this vision, she is said to have precipitated herself into the Numicius, of which she became the protecting nymph,-whilst games, described at length by Ovid, were instituted to her

honour.

[blocks in formation]

The mendicant orders our author derives from the priests of Isis and Serapis. That such resemblance between these two descriptions of persons should exist, will seem less remarkable when we recollect that the country to which the worship of Isis and Serapis peculiarly belonged, was that in which the monastic life originated, and that this happened before divine honours had ceased to be paid to those Egyptian deities. The worship of Isis too, says Mr Blunt, was tolerated by Christians with more patience than that of any other deities. This may have been the case in Egypt, but we believe the worship of Isis at Rome was not all such as to conciliate the favour of the early Christians-Nay, so early as Tiberius, we believe the priests and vo

taries of Isis were banished for licentiousness. The points of coincidence between the orders of St Francis and Isis, are their begging, one with the sistum, the other with his alms-boxno wonderful similarity for poor and religious societies. The possession and use of relics, peculiar to the votaries of Isis, who gathered up the fourteen pieces of her husband's body, agree very well with the stores of the same kind carried about by the mendicant monks. Miraculous cures, too, were common to both; their dress, as we know from some ancient bas reliefs, were much alike; and, above all, the most striking point of resemblance is the tonsure, avowedly and clearly borrowed from the priests of Isis by the early Christian priests. "It is clear," says St Jerome," that we ought not to be seen with our heads shaved, like the priests and worshippers of Isis and Serapis; nor, on the other hand, to suffer the hair to grow luxuriously long, after the manner of soldiers and barbarians."

Many of these coincidences are too strong, too manifestly borrowed one from the other, to admit of that argument of Warburton's, which so annoyed Middleton, that such customs, however alike, were not traditional, but newly invented by similar people in similar circumstances. Much of the Roman Catholic rites must have been borrowed from paganism; nor do we think that a casual resemblance, in cases not especially forbidden, is of any mighty importance to the salvation of souls. Mr Blunt, in his anxiety to establish his theory by many examples, frequently overdoes the proof, and brings forward customs as handed down among the Italians, which are mere innovations of their conquerors. For instance, the throwing of the poor into a common grave, and that outside the walls-not permitting tomb-stones, &c.-then an introduction of the French into Italy. 'Twas they who built the Campo Santo at Naples, at Milan; and they would have done the same at Rome, had not bigotry been too strong for them. It was the decree, establishing such at Milan, that called forth the poem of the Sepolchri from Ugo Foscolo; what the poet lamented has been verified-the remains of Parini lie undistinguished, and blended with his brother poor, in the burying-ground near Milan.

The chapter, with which the volume concludes, on Coincidences in Character between the Ancient and Modern Italians, and which ought to have been among the most interesting, is exceedingly lame. A propensity to gambling is no coincidence, that will not extend to all people-particular games, however, may be. The Morra, or finger counting, a play very common in Italy, and rendered more difficult in France by the guesser having a split stick on his nose, is affirmed by Mr Blunt to be antique. "There cannot be a doubt that the ' micare digitis' of the Romans, was the self-same amusement; and the force of their expressions for an honest man, that he was one with whom fingers might be counted in the dark-quorum micare potes in tenebris, becomes sufficiently intelligible."

Panem et Circenses, is a desire traditionally handed down, if ever any was, from Roman to Roman. The games of the Circus, greatly shorn of their splendour, still exist in part, however. In the Mausoleum of Augustus are daily held fights between men and cows, dogs, bulls, &c.-called the Giostra. The men advance to the ox with a red flag before them, which the animal runs at, and the man, leaving his flag to the fury of the animal, escapes. But the whole business is wretchedly got up. The dogs are sneaking cowardly curs, and the bulls generally lean cows (forgive the bull.) We have ourselves witnessed a very

ludicrous combat in the said Mausoleum, between a dozen broken-backed little men and a young hornless calfNeither Liston nor Grimaldi ever called forth such bursts of laughter and applause; and the little calf, upsetting the huddled bossus like a pack of cards. Another ludicrous fight is between the bull and the man in the wicker bottle,

the bottle has an opening at both ends; by one opening it hangs on his neck-out of the other appears his feet; and thus he fidgets about the arena. When attacked by the bull, he sinks like a snail into his shell or bottle, which lies much in the shape of a buoy, and the animal beats and tosses the wicker bottle with abundance of vain and ludicrous rage. Mr Blunt, we believe,could find no parallel for all this. Alas! the Circus is fallen, and its celebrated factions of blue and red no longer convulse the world and its capital.

Before quitting Mr Blunt, we must mention one curious and palpable instance of coincidence: and it is wonderful how it could have escaped him. We mean the picture of the ass exhausted from over-fatigue, found in Pompeii, and now in the Museum at Portici the indentical clitella, or packsaddle, still used, is on its back-the oblong, mis-shapen bell, round its neck, precisely as now worn. In short, the whole picture might as well pass for a representation of the nineteenth, as of the first century.

BARTHOLOMEW FAIR.

"In holiday time, when the ladies of London
Walk out with their husbands, or think themselves undone."

"BARTLEMY FAIR" carries the prestige over all shows and exhibitions for September. Liston's attraction at the Haymarket flags; the Devil (though at half-price) brings no money to the Lyceum; and even the Reverend Mr Irving (if he preached on a week-day) would chance to be shorn of one-half his congregation.

But the Smithfield festivities commenced, this year, on a Wednesdayan auspicious beginning for his worship the Lord Mayor; for, when proclamation has to be made on a Monday or Friday, really, what between the mud and the mad bulls, his lord

ship is in a manner put to his trumps. By the way, it is time, we think, that some arrangement was come to upon this point. The beasts, or the buffoonery, one or other, on such an occasion, should give way. It is only two years ago that an unbred Essex calf interrupted Sir Newman Knowlys (the common-serjeant) in the middle of his exhortation; the Lord Mayor's own coach was menaced by a cow with a crumpled horn; the Remembrancer forgot everything but the care of his own safety; and the Sword-bearer seemed the only man paratus of the party. We mention this now, because

Bartholomew Fair.

proclamation will fall again on market
day (should the world last so long)
two years hence; and we think, in
our known affection and respect for
the city of London, that such dilem-
mas are derogatory to its magisterial
dignity.

But the last fair-day (that is, the
6th of September) is always the high
day at Cow-Cross-when the swings,
and the sausages, and the bluebottles,
and the young women, are all in full
buzz and activity. What a convoca-
tion of jugglers and gingerbread ba-
kers there are! and what a collection
of knaves and ninnies to admire them!
They are fine things, past question,
these shows. We doubt if Queen
Mary, even when she roasted the Pro-
testants, ever attracted larger assem-
blages into Smithfield than now at-
tend the roasting of pigs. And, in the
way of legitimate spectacle, we main-
tain that the scene is a curiosity. Few
situations would more bewilder a stran-
ger to London, than the being set
down, about noon, at Smithfield bars
on a fair-day. Every sense is so as-
sailed, and on every side, at the same
moment! The eye becomes unsteady
amid a variety of objects; and has not
time to pause for a second upon one,
before it is caught up, willy-nilly, by
another. In front, we see a company
of comedians; behind, a troop of horse-
riders. Here, a grotesque fellow dances
upon a rope; there, a motley ruffian
curvets upon a wire. Then, the roar
-the shout-the deafening, incessant,
unrelaxing din, of twice ten thousand
voices, in more than twice ten thou-
sand keys! Of ravings, male and fe-
male-howlings, human and animal
-whoopings, joyous and angry-be-
sides noises non descript, of wilful or
accidental production, swelling and
aiding the great general uproar!
There are fruit-sellers, showmen, bal-
lad-mongers, and pie-projectors; deal-
ers in toys, strong waters, porter, and
pastry; fiddlers scrape, ginger-beer
corks pop, children weep, and nurse-
maids giggle! Then comes the yelling
of wild beasts-the swearing of their
keepers-the creaking of wheels-the
crashing of round-abouts-the ringing
of bells-the blowing of horns the
whirling of rattles-and the cries of
"Take care of your pockets!"

"The smells are infinite in habit here too.' Peppermint drops, and "Sir Robert Burnett's best," prevail

[Sept.

in the morning; but the frying-pans have it, we think, towards the heat of the day. If the cooks burn the meat, however, (as is reported of them,) that would be foul play.

[ocr errors]

There is a case upon the books— man was refused the prize for grinning Squintum versus Blinkum-where a through a horse collar, on its being proved that he made use of verjuice, clandestinely, during the exhibition. We have our law, you see, reader, as references to matters past. What brain well as our neighbours. But away with in Bartholomew Fair can stand against the present appeals to its attention? Here, fortune lifts her bandage, and bag,' actually ogles you out of a "This is the true lottery," says lucky the priestess, "for people to adventure prizes!"-All prizes, and no blanks, in. Here they are; all blanks, and no she means to say; but she speaks truth, for once, without knowing it. "Will again. You have got an extinguisher." you try?-You win a save-all. Dip So provoking! Things that one doesn't lady's basket too. That there is, and want! There is a tea-caddy in the old has been every fair for the last twenty years.-Will you try no more? Then ting fire close to your ear. turn round; for there is a fellow spit→ rogue! He is clad in "flame-coloured See the taffeta"-powdered with soot, and perfumed with brimstone. Look! now again he vomits ribbons by the yard! What versatility of talent! Time was

-"the good old times !"-when such fashions are changed in all things. The a man would have been burned; but most he can hope for now, is to be hanged!

Mercy on us, who is that female so loud upon our right? Of a surety, she the devil to teach her to out-scold all must be the original woman who hired her neighbours. Hark how clear and shrill her tone! She has an Irish Colossus, and two dwarfs, by way of foil, (it is now noon) she has cried at this to delight the eyes of the curious; and same rate since seven o'clock in the morning. The Colossus is a terrible fellow indeed! A man to take the wall of the Lord Mayor's giants, if he met them. But they, as luck will have it, do not come to the fair. Hark! the hibitor opposite has a speaking trumtrader in tall men cries still. The expet; but she drowns him completely. Now we catch what he says.

The

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

Then come the exhortations (to buy) of the chapmen and chapwomen-the occasional private communications between dealers, and comments from their customers. "Trade is slack this fair," sighs a haberdasher, shewing pincushions to a party-" people get cunninger and cunninger every year." -So interesting an address must give rise to observation. The house-maid "does think, that the spiders build their webs stronger than they used to do;" and the cook "recollects that she has not caught a mouse these three weeks."-Conclude, with a contest upon the comparative merits of Punch and the new Fantoccini, and a doubt whether Mr Richardson's or Mr Gyngell's booth shall be visited next;-decision final, against all four parties; for the lions, the lions! are present, and in great force.

Polito's elephants "keep their state" at Exeter-Change this year. The Bonassus is gone to make some stay in Ireland; where we hear, by the way, that he escaped from his keepers on the second day of his arrival ; but, running into one of the bogs, with which that country is said to abound, stuck, and so was caught. So, being unable to come himself, the Bonassus sent his whilom waiting-maid in the Strandthe female Salamander-a very strange lady, according to the description announced of her. "Her spirit is so hot, that her very face breaks out in pimples! She fell into a pond once, and the water boiled when she was taken out!" A " particular ballad" was made upon this last event, which still hangs against the caravan she goes about in; with her portrait at the top, playing with two red-hot pokers!

Then, besides the Conjuror, and the Colossus, and the Lady deputed

by the Bonassus, there were Mr Beatbear's beasts arrived from Birmingham, and Mr Whistlewolf's beasts from Manchester; and indeed almost all the wandering ferocity of the country was present, over and above the Esquimaux Indians, who eat their meat raw, and little Mr Van Lump, the Dutch pigmy, describing a new plan of defence for the ports in Holland, by throwing a great quantity of Dutch cheeses into the sea, the maggots from which are to infallibly destroy enemies' ships as fast as they can arrive. Then, if any were disposed for such displays of pugnacity, there was badger-baiting, and bears, provided near LongLane; and, for those of gentler mood, dancing-rooms were fitted up round the corner by Barbican.

There was to be a masked ball in the evening, too, at one place, which was expected to be very brilliantly attended, indeed :-tickets to be had at most of the respectable chandlers' shops in the neighbourhood.

Upon the quality of the esculents exposed to sale, we confess we were puzzled for some time how to determine. We had a misgiving at one moment that we ought to taste the sausages in person-non sibi sed mundo is our motto, and the world knows it. Had the effort been necessary, we were ready, and should have sacrificed ourselves; but, upon mature consideration, we decided that we might swear in a taster for the peculiar service; and, accordingly, we now speak from the testimony of a cockney lad, (we believe, from Clerkenwell,) who ate a whole pound of gingerbread-nuts, a quantity of sausages, three paste pigs, a basket of Banbury cakes, and several rolls and treacle, without appearing to sustain any material inconvenience. Not that we are quite sure, however, now all is done, whether this evidence is quite conclusive as to the eatables. Particular constitutions(of themselves) throw off particular poisons. A 'pren tice may resist black-pudding, as a Turk defies opium. The famous Cagliostro published a plan for destroying lions and tigers, by first fattening pigs with arsenic, and then throwing them loose into the woods to be devoured. Our cockney was certainly alive, and offensive, when we left town; but we knew an instance once in which a pig drank up, (feloniously,) without in

« ForrigeFortsæt »