A fine building, richly adorned, and hung with an extraordinary
number of votive offerings: silver arms, legs, hearts, wax images, and
paintings. Some of these latter are clearly the work of village artists,
and depict the miraculous escape of the peasantry from various
calamities, and the preservation of their crops from floods, drought,
lightning and so forth. These poor wretches had done more to better
their crops by spending their savings in good ploughshares and harrows
than by hanging gew-gaws on a wooden idol.
The Rector received us civilly and showed us the treasury, full of
jewels and costly plate, and the buildings where the pilgrims are
lodged. Learned that the Giubileo or centenary festival of the Madonna
is shortly to be celebrated with great pomp. The poorer classes delight
in these ceremonies, and I am told this is to surpass all previous ones,
the clergy intending to work on the superstitions of the people and thus
turn them against the new charter. It is said the Duke hopes to
counteract these designs by offering a jewelled diadem to the Virgin;
but this will no doubt do him a bad turn with the esprits libres. These
little states are as full of intrigues as a foul fruit of maggots.
The 5th.
To dinner at Count Trescorre's where, as usual, I was the
plainest-dressed man in the company. Have long since ceased to be
concerned by this: why should a mere English farmer compete in elegance
with these Monsignori and Illustrissimi? Surprised to find among the
company my travelling-companion of the other day.
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