pictures. In the second rank we still see towards the right side an image of the holy virgin, with her divine son upon her knees, and on her side a picture of St. Louis which represents him clothed in royal apparel of red and white with a mantle of purple. The fetters, which are falling from his right hand seem to indicate the captivity under which he has groaned, while in his left he holds a switch in the form of a sceptre, a mark of his royal dignity. It is not proba ble that such a painting can be new, or that it be the work of the last ages, since the Dalmatiens, among whom the holy house first rested after its translation, assure us that they beheld it at the first moment as we see it at this day. Having regard to the monuments of history which we come to point out, it seems that one must suppress every doubt of the existence of the holy house of the Virgin Mary, in Nazareth of Galilee, unto the end of the 13th century. It was then, that is to say, in 1291, that the Caliph, or King of Egypt, inflated by preceding victories, took possession of all Galilee, after having put 25,000 Christians to death by the sword, and consigned to slavery 200,000 more. It was thus that the mild reign of Christianity suddenly ceased in Syria, and infidels prevented the religion of its ministers from entering a country so interesting to every Catholic. Behold, how the holy places of Palestine were exposed to the most outrageous profanation!

Nazareth then saw destroyed, the august Basilie, built by Saint Helene. The mighty Lord who has always been wonderful and incomprehensible in his works, to save the house of his divine Mother, where commenced our redemption, by the most surprising and unheard of miracles, drew it from its foundations (for proof of this wonderful event still exists visibly

at Nazareth) and transported the edifice of Nazareth into Dalmatie where for some time it was deposited.

Chapter 2.--The wonderful translation of the holy house of Nazareth in Galilee to the shores of Sclavonia and Dalmatie, occurred as we have said, on the 10th of May 1291, under the Pontificate of Nicolas XIV. It stopped upon a little height situated at the entrance of the village of Tersate and of Fiume. The edifice was now discovered by the inhabitants for the first time, and the extraordinary spectacle of a house translated as it were in one night, filled all the neighbouring people with astonishment. A multitude of Dalmatiens ran at the noise of so unheard of a wonder, and after having observed this holy house placed without foundation and without support upon unequal ground; after having remarked that its structure appeared most ancient, that the stones of which it was constructed showed evidently that it was not of their country, but announced the taste of a far distant land, they entered there, and their surprise increased when they saw that this house was covered and ceiled; that the boards were painted blue, and divided into small squares ornamented with golden stars. We remark still at the present day, two pieces of the said ceiling in the holy chimney, one above the sheet in which the sacred relics are preserved, and the other above the clock. A small altar was perceived attached to the wall opposite the gate; upon this altar there was found an ancient Greek cross of wood with the image of a crucifix painted upon a curtain which covers the cross; and also a statue of the holy virgin holding in her arms the infant Je

sus.

On the left of the entrance was seen a small chest let into the wall, and at a little distance from that, the place of an ancient hearth

made after the fashion of the Nazarenes, without an aperture for the smoke, because in the oriental houses, they used coal merely.

But that the people of the city of Tersate might be instructed in the value and origin of the holy house, the Mother of God wished to join to this extraordinary event a new miracle. Alexander de George, descendant of Modruse and curate of Tersate, being then dangerously ill, the holy virgin appeared to him in a dream and revealed to him the fact, that the holy chapel which had recently arrived in that country in a manner which no one was able to explain, was the true house of Nazareth in Galilee, and in testimony of the apparition, she restored him to perfect health. The good curate on awaking from sleep found himself perfectly cured, abandoned his bed, and full of joy flew to the holy chapel, where he thanked his divine Benefactress. We are left to imagine the joy of the people on seeing their pastor restored, and hearing him narrate the heavenly favors which the powerful Mother of God had deigned to grant for their mutual consolation.

The inhabitants of Tersate, though convinced firmly of their good fortune, addressed themselves unanimously to the Chevalier Nicholas Frangipani, who was then Governor and Lord of that province, and asked permission to send to Nazareth four of their fellow citizens, to assure themselves beyond a doubt of an event so unheard of. The pious Governor not only listened to the request of his subjects, but he wished himself to provide the four persons designated for this journey, with all that was necessary for undertaking it with security and success. Among these travellers they chose Sigismond Orsich, and Jean Gregoruzchi, both equally distinguished by their birth, honesty, and fidelity.

Before their departure, they
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measured with the greatest exactness the enclosure of the holy house that they might afterwards examine, being upon the spot, whether this house actually came from Nazareth; ifthe foundations really rested there, and if they answered to the walls of that respectable habitation. On their return from Palestine, after the execution of their important commission, the four deputies assured all unanimously that in Nazareth the dwelling of the holy virgin existed no more, but that on the spot where it had stood they had carefully observed the foundation still known by its length, width, and thickness, after the manner of the building of the country; by the quality of the stones &c., and that all accorded perfectly with what they saw of the holy house, with which the Lord by a miracle so extraordinary had wished to honor their country. They fully believed that in a little time the worship of the holy house would render it famous by the infinite number of pilgrims who from all parts would resort to Tersate.

The Governor Frangipani enriched the holy chapel with precious gifts, and he had already formed vast projects for promoting the devotions of the faithful, and for enhancing, if it were possible, the celebrity of the sacred place, when suddenly, after three years and seven months, they saw the holy chapel raised anew in the air and passing the Adriatic sea it placed itself in the midst of a thick forest a little distance from the happy hill where we actually see it at the present time, and where all the Christian world repair to venerate it.

Chapter 3.-The tenth of December 1294 under the Pontificate of Celestin V. was the memorable epoch of an event so prodigious. About ten o'clock the preceding night, the sacred dwelling appeared in the neighborhood of the city of Recanati, and placed itself in a

wood of laurels about two leagues distant from the city. I dare to hope the pious reader will not be sorry to find here the details of this happy event. He will contemplate with admiration the designs of God, who often employs the most feeble instruments to accomplish his greatest miracles. Men were buried in sleep at the moment when this wonderful translation took place. The simple shepherds, who according to their custom had arisen to take care of their flock, were the first who had the pleasure of seeing this holy sanctuary. An extraordinary light which shone from its side struck their eyes and inflamed them with the most lively desire to draw near, that they might discover the cause of the novelty. They saw with astonishment that the light issued from an old house, which they found for the first time in a place where there had previously existed no traces of an habitation; but as they ran from all sides drawn by the novelty of the miracle, and reasoned together, (one among them had seen it at a distance when borne in the air,) it advanced towards the nearest shore of the Adriatic sea.

Afterwards, encouraging one another, they run the risk of entering, imagining well that this new sanctuary must be something surprising and divine. In short, being convinced of the reality of the miracle, they were ravished with sentiments of profound veneration, and passed the remainder of the night in this holy place. Scarcely had the morning began to dawn, when they took the road to the City, impatient to carry to their masters news so singular. Their simplicity at first caused their recital to be suspected, but the air of surprise, of intrepidity, and the constant and uniform testimony of these good men, incapable of imposition, dissipated every suspicion; and had such an ascendancy over the minds of many, that they followed these

rustic shepherds, and went with them into the woods to convince themselves of a fact which seemed to them so surprising and incredible. Arrived at the place designated, they saw, they examined all. The exact account of this surprising and marvellous edifice, the novelty of its appearance, its ancient structure, the foreign ornaments which decorated it, the stones of an unknown quality which they saw, its stability upon uneven ground without the support of any foundation, the little altar upon which there was a Greek Cross, the statue of the holy virgin which seemed to excite in them extraordinary veneration and respect; all surprised them, and looking upon one another transported with a joy mingled with fear, by sighs and tears they cried with a loud voice," the hand of God appears evidently in this place; this little chamber," say they, "must be something great, singular, divine.” In the mean time, they were unable to ascertain how it was possible for it to be transported to this place. But the holy virgin did not long delay to enlighten them, as she had herself condescended to instruct the Curate of Tersate, Alexander de George; she had also appeared at the same time to two of his devoted servants who inhabited the environs of Loretto, and informed them both that this was the house of Nazareth transported to this place by the ministry of Angels, in order to give to Christianity, by so august a present, a powerful support and a secure refuge in necessity the most pressing. The first who saw this wonderful apparition was Saint Nicholas of Tolentin, one of the greatest saints of the order of St. Augustin. This Saint remained then at Recanati. The other was one styled Brother Paul, who had fixed his solitary dwelling upon the top of a hill not far distant from the place, which they call at this day Montorso.

The noise of the miracle spread

itself on every side, and nothing was spoken of but the Forest of Loretto and the holy house of Nazareth. Day and night the roads were full of strangers of every condition, of every age, of both sexes, who ran to contemplate this holy chapel and to carry thither the tribute of homage, of veneration, and of love, to him to whom it was due. Persons the most delicate, disregarding the difficulties of the roads, and the inconveniences of the season, made it a pleasure to visit this holy place, preferring the the shade of trees to their gilded ceiling; and esteeming the hardness of the soil of the Forest of Loretto more delicious than the softness of their beds. Meantime the enemy of the human species, trembling to see so great a good operating against his pleasure, made every effort to destroy the devotion of the faithful, and prevent the multitude from assembling there. The sanctuary was placed in the midst of a Forest about half a league from the sea. There was nothing to conduct to it but narrow roads filled with bushes and thorns. These paths were winding and difficult. Some men without religion and without manners, drawn by their love of money and seduced by the devil, collected in the vicinity of the sacred place, and, divided into bands, laid snares on all sides for the pious pilgrims who resorted there; so that the fear of assassinations which were daily committed greatly diminished their number, and this sacred asylum was almost totally abandoned. These grievous incidents seemed however to be appointed by heaven in order that the people, apprised of the wonderful coming of the holy house of Mary, might the more readily believe the news of its second translation. In fact, about eight months after its first arrival, the sacred house found itself located upon the summit of a fine hill which

rose towards Recanati at the distance of about a mile from the place which it had occupied in the Forest. Two brothers, citizens of Recanati, who possessed this hill, greatly satisfied with the precious gift which heaven had bestowed upon them in placing on their estate this holy chapel, were desirous to render to it every possible honour. But in a few days seeing the Altar and sacred walls covered with rich presents, which the generosity of good Christians had deposited there without ceasing, these riches produced in their hearts the base desire of enriching themselves at the expense of the sacred place. Each of them having attempted to appropriate to himself exclusively these riches, they came very near staining with fraternal blood the soil which the holy Virgin had chosen for her abode.

The Most High, who abhored fraternal dissentions as much as the assassinations which had been committed in the forest, transported the house of his divine Mother from the estate of these two bad brothers, and placed it on a finer hill within a gun shot distance of the first, in the midst of the public road which conducted to the Port de Recanati, the same place where it now exists.

In every place of which we speak where the house of the holy virgin has been carried, are to be seen evident marks where it was placed. The first of these places is situated between the hill of Montorso and the river Musone, and is now called Bandeirola. We see there a fine well for the accommodation of the people who resort thither in great numbers, and we also discover vestiges of banks thrown up 200 years ago, by order of the Rev. Father Riera, one of the first Penitenciers of Loretto for preserving the memory of the place where the holy house was placed on coming from

Dalmatia. On the east they have built a little wall about six feet in height, upon which is an image engraven upon stone, representing the coming of the holy house.

The little hill belonging to the two brothers of which we have spoken, is now enclosed within the limits of the city, in the rear of the quarters of the soldiers. There is also a small house where is to be seen another image also engraved on stone, above which was formerly the following inscription; "Visitatio custodivit."

The happy people of Recanati, where the hill and forest of Loretto were situated, were eager to make solid walls to surround the sacred house with the view of preserving it from the inclemencies of weather and incursions of robbers. Afterwards they made porticoes for the accommodation of those who daily resorted thither, and besides these, they made different lodging places for pilgrims, for the citizens of Recanati, and for the priests who performed divine service in the sacred chapel. In the porticoes or piazzas, the most celebrated painters of the day painted the principal mysteries of our holy faith, which had some respect to the sacred house of Mary. They failed not distinctly to represent the miraculous translations from Nazareth to Tersate, and from Tersate to Loretto, and all which had taken place in the latter.

It is impossible to describe here the fervour of these devoted citizens, and the zeal which they manifested in their efforts to enhance the splendour of Loretto, and to increase the worship of the sanctua

ters of the sovereign Pontiff Joha XXII, after a long siege their city was taken, sacked, and in part destroyed. But at length, Recanati returned to the obedience of its legitimate sovereign, and the inhabitants proved themselves no less desirous of embellishing the sacred house of Loretto, than of recovering their own property. They determined in consequence, to enclose the sacred chapel within the limits of a temple of such a size, that they might have the satisfaction of seeing it completed within a few years. This temple endured about 140 years, until the Pontificate of Paul II, who caused another to be constructed, much larger and more magnificent, and that is the one which now remains. The great Sixtus V. took care to perfect it, ordering that the following inscription cut upon black stone in large golden letters should be placed upon its front; "Deiparae domus in qua Verbum caro factum est."

Chapter 4.-From the moment that the sacred temple of Mary was fixed by fortune among us, the human species found there an abundant source of the most splendid miracles and the most singular favors. It is at Loretto, that an infinite number of Heretics, Jews, and Infidels, have been illumined by celestial light, which, in showing them their errors, has dissipated their blindness. Persons possessed by the devil have been delivered, the lame have been restored, the blind enlightened, the sick cured, and the most obstinate sinners truly converted. What misfortunes, what disgrace, has Italy experienced in every age! Frightful earthquakes, wars the most obstinate and bloody, and in fact an accumulation of evils so afflictive that the mere recollection of them fills us with horror. But the instant that Christians offered their vows and prayers at the temple of Loretto, they saw themselves at once delivered from the