ButwhilethesegreatservicesatSt。Peter’sinthosehalcyondayswereperfectintheirkind，thesamecouldnotbesaidofmanyothers。TheworstthatIeversaw——onewhichespeciallydwellsinmymemory——wasatPisa。Ihadpreviouslyvisitedtheplaceandknewitwell，sothatwhen，oneSundaymorning，aCanadianclergymanatthehotelwishedtogotothecathedral，I
offeredtoguidehim。Hewasevidentlyamanofdeepsincerity，and，aswassoonrevealedbyhisconversation，ofhigh—churchandevenritualistictendencies;but，tomygreatsurprise，heremarkedthathehadneverattendedserviceinaRomanCatholicchurch。Arrivingatthecathedraltoolateforthehighcelebration，wewalkeddownthenaveuntilwecametoasidealtarwhereapriestwasgoingthroughalowmass，withasmallcongregationofdelayedworshipers，andwetookourplacebackofthese。Thepriestracedthroughtheserviceatthehighestpossiblespeed。Hismotionswerelikethoseofanautomaton:hekeptturningquicklytoandfroasifonapivot;claspinghishandsbeforehisbreastasifbymachinery;bowinghisheadasifitmovedbyaspringinhisneck;mumblingandrattlinglikewindinachimney;thechoir—boywhoservedthemasswithhimjinglinghisbellasirreverentlyasifhewereconductingagreen—grocer’scart。MyAnglicancompanionimmediatelybegantobeunhappy，andwassoondeeplydistressed。Hegroanedagainandagain。Hewhispered，"Goodheavens，isitlikethis？Isthisthewaytheydoit？Thisisfearful！"Aswecamefromthechurchhewasverysorrowful，andIadministeredtohimsuchcomfortasI
could，butnothingcouldremedythismostpainfuldisenchantment。
AndhereImaysaythatIhaveneverbeenabletounderstandhowanyAnglicanchurchmancanfeelanyinsufficiencyintheLord’sSupperasadministeredinhisownbranchofthechurch。Ihavenevertakenpartinit，butmorethanonceIhavelingeredtoseeit，andeveninitssimplestformithasalwaysgreatlyimpressedme。Itisaservicewhichallcanunderstand;itswordshavecomedownthroughtheages;itsceremonialiscalm，comprehensible，touching;andthewholeideaofcommunioninmemoryofthelastsceneintheSaviour’slife，whichbringstheworshiperintolovingrelationnotonlywithhim，butwithallthechurch，militantandtriumphant，is，tomymind，infinitelynoblerandmorereligiousthanallparaphernalia，genuflexions，andman—millinery。HowanyProtestant，however"high"inhistendencies，canfeelotherwiseisincomprehensibletome。
AtthatfirstofmymanyvisitstoRome，therehadcomeoneexperiencewhichhadgreatlysoftenedanyofmyinheritedProtestantprejudices。OurpartyhadbeenlumberingalongalldayontheroadfromCivitaVecchia，whensuddenlytheredashedbyusafinetraveling—coachdrawnbyfourhorsesriddenbypostilions。
Hardlyhaditpassedwhentherecameascream，andourcarriagestopped。Weatfirsttookitforgrantedthatitwasanattackbybandits，but，ongettingoutandapproachingtheothercoach，foundthatoneofthepostilions，abeautifulItalianboyofsixteen，injauntycostume，hadbeenthrownfromhishorse，hadbeenrunoverbythewheelsofthecoach，andnowlayattheroadsidegaspinghislast。Westoodabouthim，tryingtoeasehispain，whenayoungpriestcamerunningfromaneighboringchurch。
Heshowednodeferencetothegorgeouslydressedpersonageswhohaddescendedfromthecoach;hewasregardlessofallconventionalities，obliviousofallsurroundings，hisonethoughtbeingevidentlyofhisdutytothepoorsuffererstretchedoutbeforehim。Heknelt，tenderlykissedtheboy，administeredextremeunction，andrepeatedsoftlyandearnestlytheprayersforthedying，towhichferventresponsescamefromthepeasantskneelingabouthim。Thewholescenedidmuchtotonedownthefeelingswhichhadbeenarousedthepreviousdaybythefilthandbeggaryatthepapalportwherewehadlanded，andtopreparemeforamorecharitablejudgmentofwhatIwastoseeinthepapalcity。
ButanearlyexperienceinRomeshowedalessbeautifulmanifestationofChristianzeal。Wewereabandofstudents，sixinnumber，whohadjustclosedayearofstudyattheUniversityofBerlin;andtheyoungest，whomIwillcallJackSmith，wasabrightyoungfellow，sonofawealthyNewEnglandmanufacturer。
TheeveningafterarrivinginRome，Jack，callingonanAmericanaunt，wasintroducedtoapriestwhohappenedtobemakingheravisit。Itwasinstantlyevidentthatthepriest，FatherCataldi，knewwhatJack’sworldlyprospectswere;forfromthefirsthewasexcessivelypolitetotheyouth，andwhenthelatterremarkedthatduringhisstayinRomehewouldliketotakeItalianlessons，thepriestvolunteeredtosendhimateacher。Nextday，attheappointedhour，theteacherappeared，andinthepersonofthepriesthimself。ThenceforwardhestucktotheyoungAmericanlikeabrother，kepthimawayfromtherestofusasmuchaspossible，andservednotonlyashisteacher，butashiscicerone。
AmongvariousdignitariestowhomhepresentedtheyoungAmericanwashisEminenceCardinalTosti;andwhenthecardinalextendedhishandtobekissed，Jackgraspedandcordiallyshookit。Thetwoclericalgentlemenwereevidentlydisconcerted;butthepriestsaidtothecardinal，inanundertone，"eunprincipeAmericano，"whereuponthecardinalseemedrelievedandshookhandsheartily。
Oneday，whenthepriestwasnotwithourcompanion，weallvisitedoneofthebasilicas，wheresomegreatfunctionwasgoingon，and，thoughwefoundacrowdatthedoors，obtainedasightofthehighaltar，——andthere，inmagnificentattire，inthemidstofthegreatprelates，wasapersonwhoboreamoststrikingresemblancetoJack’sclericalguide。Wewereallstruckbythiscuriouscoincidence，butconcludedthatinthedistanceandthroughthecloudsofincensewehadsimplyseenachanceresemblance，andinthemultitudeofmatterswesoonforgotit。A
monthafterward，aswewereleavingRome，Jackaskedhisnewfriendforhisbill，whereuponthepriestdrewhimselfupwithasuperbgestureand，presentinghiscard，said:"YouevidentlydonotknowwhoIam。"Thecardboretheinscription，"MonsignorCataldi，MasterofthePapalCeremonies。"TheyoungAmericanwasquiteconfounded，butlistenedsubmissivelywhilethisdignitaryexpressedthehopethattheymightyetmeetwithinthepaleofthatchurchwhichalonecouldgiveaclaimtosalvation。
TheconditionofRomeatthatperiodwasnotsuchastoinducemuchrespectforpriestlygovernment。Anythingmoredirty，slipshod，andwretchedcouldhardlybeimagined。Norailwayshadyetbeenallowed;theVaticanmonsignorifeelingbyinstinctthetruthstatedbyBuckle，thatrailwayspromotethecominginofnewideas。Nordidthemoralconditionofthepeopleseemtobeanybetter。
AnyonewhovisitsRometo—day，withthearmyofmonkssweptoutoftheplace，withstreetswellcleaned，withtheexcavationsscientificallyconducted，withagovernmentwhich，whateveritsfaults，isatanyratepatriotic，findsitdifficulttoimaginethevilenessofthecityundertheoldregime。
But，badaswasRome，Napleswasworse。ThewretchedBourbonthenonthethrone，"KingBomba，"wastheworstofhiskind。Ourministerofthatperiod，Mr。RobertDaleOwen，gavemesomeaccountsoftheconditionofthings。Hetoldme，asamatteroffact，thatanyyoungmanshowingearnestpurposeofanysortwasimmediatelysuspectedanddiscouraged，whileworthlessyoungdebaucheeswereregardedasharmless，andthereforefavored。
ThemostcherishedcounseloroftheKingwasApuzzo，ArchbishopofSorrento。InadditiontowhatIhavealreadysaidofLeopardi’spoliticalcatechism，whichthearchbishopforceduponthepeople，Imaynotethatthisworktookgreatpainstoshowthatnoeducationwasneededsavejustenoughtoenableeachmantoaccomplishhisdutieswithinthelittlesphereinwhichhewasborn，andthatforthegreatbodyofthepeopleeducationwasacurseratherthanablessing。Theresultofthispolicywasevident:thenumberofpersonsunabletoreadorwrite，whichwasfromfortytofiftypercent。inPiedmont，wasfromsixtytosixty—fivepercent。inRome，fromeightytoeighty—fivepercent。inthePapalStates，andaboveeighty—fivepercent。inNaplesandSicily。[38]
[38]SeemapsinVol。II，of"L’ItalisEconomicanel1873"（Roma，TipografiaBarbera，1873）。Thisworkwastheresultofofficialsurveysandmostcarefulstudiesmadebyleadingeconomistsandstatisticians。ForacopyofitIamindebtedtoMr。H。N。Gay，FellowofHarvardUniversity。
IalsohadtheadvantageofbeingpresentatthegreatreligiousfunctionofNaples——theliquefactionofthebloodofSt。
Januarius，patronofthecity。ItwasinthegorgeouschapelofthesaintwhichformspartoftheCathedralofNaples，andtheplacewasfilledwithdevoutworshipersofeveryclass，fromtheofficialsincourtdress，representingtheBourbonking，downtothelowestlazzaroni。Thereliquaryofsilvergilt，shapedlikealargehumanhead，andsupposedtocontaintheskullofthesaint，wasfirstplaceduponthealtar;next，twovials，containingadarksubstancesaidtobehisblood，werealsoplaceduponthealtar，nearthehead。Asthepriestssaidprayers，theyturnedthevialsfromtimetotime;and，theliquefactionbeingsomewhatdelayed，thegreatcrowdofpeopleburstoutintomoreandmoreimpassionedexpostulationsandpetitionstothesaint。Justinfrontofthealtarwerethelazzaroniwhoclaimedtobedescendantsofthesaint’sfamily，andthesewereespeciallyimportunate:atsuchtimestheybeg，theyscold，theyeventhreaten;theyhavebeenknowntoabusethesaintroundly，andtotellhimthat，ifhedoesnotcaretoshowhisfavortothecitybyliquefyinghisblood，St。CosmoandSt。Damianarejustasgoodsaintsashe，andwill，nodoubt，beverygladtohavethecitydevoteitselftothem。Atlast，aswewerebeginningtobeimpatient，thepriest，turningthevialssuddenly，announcedthatthesainthadperformedthemiracle，andinstantlypriests，people，choir，andorganburstforthintoagreat"TeDeum";
bellsrangandcannonroared;aprocessionwasformed，andtheshrinecontainingthesaint’srelicswascarriedthroughthestreets，thepeopleprostratingthemselvesonbothsidesofthewayandshoweringrose—leavesupontheshrineanduponthepathbeforeit。Thecontentsofthesepreciousvialsareaninterestingrelicindeed，fortheyrepresenttousvividlythatperiodwhenmenwhowerewillingtogotothestakefortheirreligiousopinionsthoughtitnotwrongto"savesouls"bypiousmendacityandconsecratedfraud。Tothescientificeyethismiracleisverysimple:thevialscontain，nodoubt，oneofthosewaxymixturesfusingatlowtemperature，which，whilekeptinitsplacewithinthecoldstonewallsofthechurch，remainssolid，butwhich，uponbein...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：