the fee. There was no knowing what fancy might have entered into the heads of a fuperftitious populace; they might have imagined, or his enemies might have infinuated, that the failure of the miracle proceeded from St. Januarius's difapprobation of the perfon in whofe hands it was to have taken place. I never faw more evident marks of vexation and alarm than appeared in the countenance of the right reverend perfonage. This alone would have convinced me that they cannot command the liquefaction when they pleafe. While things were in this ftate I obferved a gentleman come haftily through the crowd, and fpeak to the old monk, who, in a pretty loud voice, and with an accent and a grimace very expreffive of chagrin, replied, "Cofpetto di "bacco è dura come una pietra*. the fame time an acquaintance whispered me, That it would be prudent to retire, bccause the mob, on fimilar occafions, have

?Sblood! it is ftill as hard as a ftone..

At

been ftruck with a notion that the opera tion of the miracle was difturbed by the prefence of heretics; on which they are apt to infult them. I directly took his hint, and joined the company I had left. An univerfal gloom had overspread all their countenances, they talked to each other in whispers, and feemed oppreffed with grief

and contrition. One very beautiful young lady cried and fobbed as if her heart had been ready to break. The paffions of fome of the rabble without doors took a different turn; inftead of forrow, they were filled with rage and indignation at the Saint's obftinacy. They put him in mind of the zeal with which he was adored by the people of all ranks in Naples; of the honours which had been conferred on him; that he was refpected here more than in any other country on earth; and fome went fo far, as to call him an old ungrateful yellow-faced rafcal for his obduracy. It was now almost dark-and

when

when least expected, the fignal was given that the miracle was performed. The populace filled the air with repeated shouts of joy; a band of mufic began to play; Te Deum was fung; couriers were difpatched to the royal family, then at Portici, with the glad tidings; the young lady dried up her tears; the countenances of our company brightened in an instant, and they fat down to cards without farther dread of eruptions, earthquakes, or pestilence.

I had remarked, during their fufpenfe with refpect to the success of the miracle, that fome imputed the delay partly to the weather, which happened to be rainy, and colder than is ufual at this feafon; and partly to the awkwardness of the Archbishop, who, never having performed before, was accufed of not handling the phial in the fame dexterous and efficacious manner that a person of experience would have done. While they imputed the failure to VOL. II. thofe

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those causes, they feemed equally uneafy with the rest of the company about the confequences. It ftruck me, that the first fentiment was perfectly inconfistent with the second. I mentioned this to a French gentleman, who is here as travelling companion to the young Comte de Grammont. "If,” said I, "the weather, or "the unfkilfulness of the Archbishop, "has prevented the fubftance in the phial "from becoming liquid, this, furely can86 not be an indication that Heaven or the "Saint is displeased; if, on the contrary, "the blood continuing folid in the pre"fence of the Saint, proceeds from Heaven, or the Saint being offended, then

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no kind of weather, and no kind of "expertnefs on the part of the Arch

bishop, could have rendered it liquid.” -"Monfieur," faid he, " voilà ce qu'on "appelle raisonner ce que ces meffieurs ne "font jaimais.”

The

The fame evening, an acquaintance of mine, who is also a Roman Catholic, and who remained clofe by the Archbishop till all was over, affured me, that the miracle had failed entirely; for the old monk feeing no fymptom of the blood liquefying, had called out, that the miracle had fucceeded; on which the fignal had been given, the people had shouted, the Archbishop had held up the bottle, moving it with a rapid motion before the eyes of the fpectators, and nobody choofing to contradict what every body wished, he had been allowed to cover up the phial, and carry it back to the chapel, with the contents, in the fame form they had come abroad. How far this account is exactly true, I will not take on me to affert; I was not near enough to see the transaction myself, and I have only the authority of this person, having heard no other body fay they had obferved the fame.

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