The roof is hung with innumerable luftres filled with wax candles, and, I am perfuaded, when the whole is lighted up, it must be equal to any palace either in the Fairy Tales or the Arabian Nights Entertainment. Indeed it seems pretty much in the fame stile too, for all is gold, filver, and precious ftones. The faints are dreffed out in all their glory, and the fairy queen herself was never finer than is St. Rofolia. The people are lying yonder in crowds before her, praying with all their might. I dare fay, for one petition offered to God Almighty, she has at least an hundred.

We were just now remarking, with how little respect they pass the chapels dedicated to God; they hardly deign to give a little inclination of the head; but when they come near those of their favourite faints, they bow down to the very ground: Ignorance and fuperftition have ever been infeparable: I believe in their hearts they think he has already reigned long enough; and would be glad to have a change in the government and every one of them (like the poor Welchman who thought he should be fucceeded by Sir Watkin Williams) is fully perfuaded, that his own favourite faint is the true heir apparent. Indeed they already give them the precedency on most occafions; not in proceffions and affairs of etiquette; there they think it would not be decent; but, in their more private affairs, they

generally pay the compliment to the faint: Yet in their infcriptions on churches and chapels, (which one would think are public enough) when they are dedicated to God and any particular faint, they have often ventured to put the name of the faint first. Sancto Januario, et Deo Opt. Max. taking every opportunity of raising their dignity, though at the expence of that of God himself.

LETTER XXVIII.

Palermo, July 7th.

I HAVE

HAVE been enquiring who this fame St. Rofolia may be, who has become so very capital a perfonage in this part of the world; but, notwithstanding their adoring her with fuch fervency, I have found none that can give any tolerable account of her saintship. They refer you to the most fabulous legends, that even differ widely in their accounts of her. And, after all the offerings they have made, the churches they have built, and monuments they have raised to her memory, I think it is far from being improbable, that there really never did exist fuch a perfon. I went through all the bookfellers fhops, but could find nothing relative to her, except an epic poem, of which fhe is the heroine. It is in the Sicilian language; and is indeed one of the greatest curiofities I have met with. The poet fet her at once above all other faints except the Virgin, and it seems to be with the greatest reluctance, that he can prevail upon himself to yield the pas even to her. I find, from this curious compofition, and the notes upon it, that St. Rofolia was niece to King William the Good. That The began very early to display symptoms of her

fanctity. That at fifteen fhe deserted the world and difclaimed all human fociety. She retired to the mountains on the weft of this city; and was never more heard of for about five hundred years. She disappeared in the year 1159. The people thought the had been taken up to heaven; till in the year 1624, during the time of a dreadful plague, a holy man had a vifion, that the faint's bones were lying in a cave near the top of the Monte Pelegrino. That if they were taken up with due reverence, and carried in proceffion thrice round the walls of the city, they should immediately be delivered from the plague. At first little attention was paid to the holy man, and he was looked upon as little better than a dreamer; however, he persisted in his story, grew noisy, and got adherents. The magiftrates, to pacify them, sent to the Monte Pelegrino; when lo the mighty difcovery was made! the facred bones were found, the city was freed from the plague, and St. Rofolia became the greatest faint in the calendar. Churches were reared, altars were dedicated, and minifters appointed to this new divinity, whofe dignity and confequence have ever fince been fupported at an incredible expence. Now I think it is more than probable that these bones, that are now fo much reverenced, and about which this great city is at present in such a buftle, belong to fome poor wretch that perhaps was murdered, or died for want in the mountains. The holy man probably could have given a very good account of them.

It is really aftonishing to think, what animals superstition makes of mankind. I dare fay, the bones of St. Rofolia are just as little intitled to the honours they receive, as those of poor St. Viar, which were found fomewhere in Spain under a broken tomb-ftone, where thefe were the only legible letters. The story I think, is told by Dr. Middleton. The priests found that the bones had an excellent knack at working miracles, and were of opinion that this, together with the S. Viar on the ftone, was proof fufficient of his fanctity. He continued long in high estimation, and they drew no inconfiderable revenue from his abilities; till unfortunately they petitioned the pope to grant him fome immunities. The pope (Leo the tenth, I think,) not entirely fatisfied with regard to his faintship, defired to be informed of his pretenfions. A lift of his miracles was fent over, accompanied by the stone with S. Viar upon it. The first part of the proof was fuftained; but the antiquaries discovered the fragment to be part of the tomb-stone of a (Roman) præfectus viarum, or overfeer of the high road; to whose bones they had been fo much indebted: and poor St. Viar, though probably an honester man than most of them, was ordered to be struck out of the calendar.

The people of fashion here hold the superstition of the vulgar in great contempt; and perhaps that very superstition is one principal cause of their