JOTTINGS A TRAVELLER’S JOURNAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1000, 20 July 1883, Page 4

JOTTINGS A TRAVELLER’S JOURNAL.

[written specially fob the “ashbdrton ■ '■ .GUARDIAN.”] No. XlX.—Continued. The Cathedral and its Services—An Artistic Preacher—A Member of the “J^isebicrodia” —Thb Baptistery —Viewing a Baptismal Service. The cathedral was erected soon after the triumph of the Pisans near Palermo, und i&a noble pile of white marble; black and colored stone being occasionally introduced for ornamental effect. Pope Gelaaios 11. did not think it beneath bis dignity to consecrate the building in person. The interior is adorned by no less than sixty-eight columns, the spoils of - war ; and the ceiling of the nave is coffered and elaborately ornamented. There .0; are many large pictures, but none of them of very superior merit. I was present during the celebration of high mass, by the Archhshop. He was assisted by a numerous bevy of priests acolytes, thurifera and other ecclesiastical functionaries, whoso titles and precise duties were a mystery to me. There was a.grand procession, with banners and, orpzier and . crucifix, the Archbishop'talking under a canopy borne on ornamental pojea. , One important part of the PeremPny seemed to consist of robing and unrobing the Archbishop with variom garments, gorgeous with gold and ■ After : ms ny prayers had been intoned, and bowings, genuflections, and ritualstic proceedings, the meaning of which I could comprehend, a priest in black robes, with-a three cornered cap on his head, mounted a pulpit in the centre of tljD cburetr ari<l began, tP address the a&mbleSb- crowd. Being ignor : ant of thfedanguage I could not deter?, mine the aubf§cT'of his discourse; but I could appreciate his manner. He combined tbe fire and force of a tragedian with the calculating coolness of a man of business... His sermon, for such I presunla,diiß harangue was intended to be, was artistically constructed.. .. t was not a continubiis humdrum essay, calculated to encourage sleepy inclinations; but a succession of well defined paragraphs, eaoh finaitsentence exploding with a kind of eloquent bang—the effect of which was 1 heightened by corresponding energy of attitude and action. After each startling period, a pause : during which the audience found relief by coughing, and in some instances, if .the truth must.-be told, by 'spitting oh the* marble floor ! The preacher himself, with admirable coolness and self-possession, took advantage of the brief 1 interlude to blow bis nose and take a''pinch of Anuff, preparatory for another bout. I could not help thinking of the Scotch Elder, who when advised by his •minister t 6 take a pinch of snuff to prevent drowsiness during the sermon, naively asked his spiritual adviser if it “ would na’ be better if he himsel’ pit the sneezing in his sermon. ” It was evident that this, - black-robed priest understood his business. There was no danger of his hearers going to sleep ; whether the merit was to be ascribed to his reasons or his rappee, I leave an open question. When ha began again. I thought I had heard enough, and was not likely to be greatly; edified by hearing more, and therefore quietly withdrew. At the door of the Cathedrail I was confronted by a figure that might have frightened a nervous person. I could tell it was alive, because it moved and shook a money-box at me. But for this Tl might have mistaken the apparition for a movable black pillar with a conical shaped capital. It was in reality, however, a man enveloped in a flowing black yobu -tbut completely concealed his person, with a. pointed cap of the same -hue, hiding every portion of hia face except his two eyes, which glared at me through two small holes made for the purpose. At first Lthought he might be an ordinary beggar—there be many such in Pisa—in masquerade. But on subsequent enquiry I found he was a member of the “Miserecordia,” a secret fraternity who are said to devote themselves to visiting the sick ‘ and burying the dead whose surviving relatives are top poor to pay for the usual obsequies. This society is composed of persons of all ranks—l was told some of high station belonged to it. Their individuality : is studiously concealed in the manner I have described ; .and the alms thkylßbhfcif go to defray the expenses of theit* works Of mercy. A “Miserecordia” is stationed at. every door of the Cathedhe allows none to escape his From the cathedral I walked over to

the Baptistery. .It -is a circular building of tnarble,'surfounded by half columns

below and above, and surmounted by a dome. It has four entrance doors, at

tßd sides of Which are a variety of sculptures. Columns and pillars also adorn the mterior. The baptismal font in the centre is of marble, vast in size and octagonal in shape. It stands on an elevated dais or "platform; round which you can walk and examine the exquisite sculptures and mosaics .that enrich the font. A priest was baptising with business-like aptitude. Several women with babies, accompanied by their friends, came in succession to claim for; the little ones the sacramental rite. I saw the whole ceremony of baptismal regeneration, though I did not understand it. First, the priest read a few sentences out of his book, with rapid utterance, and in a monotonous tone of voice ; then he touched the eyes, nose, lips, forehead and breast of the infant with his finger, repeating sometiling'all the while, and at intervals requiring the parents or sponsors to say Credo” and “ Volo.” Then betook some watpr out of a brazen dish, sunk in the, stone with a ladle, and mixed with it some hot water from a kettle kept boiling for the purpose, and while the parent held the child over another brazen receptacle, also sunk in the stone, he poured the contents of his ladle on the little one’s head, and afterwards carefully Wiped it with a towel that had become very dirty from frequent use. While doing this, he alternately talked and prayed, distinguishing the prayer from the patter by patting the palms of his bands together. The parents and friends seemed to think it good fun ; for at times 'they laughed and joked with one another during the ceremony. And as far as 1 could judge, the priest himself did not seem, to think it a very serious matter, for be interpolated his liturgical sentences and prayers with expostulatory remarks which by the effects they produced I understood to be something like this: “Be quiet,” “Hold him up,” “Put ydui; hapAto him,” “ Say credo.” After the' effiisibn and. the wiping, the priest put a strip of white cloth on the child’s hdad, : holding it there while he repeated some formula, and with one or two other, to me unintelligible antics, the ceremony temimitddand he took the parties into a prlv&te'room to register the transaction, (To be continued.)