Loretto.
The road from Ancona to this place runs through a fine country, composed
of a number of beautiful hills and intervening vallies. Loretto itself is
a small town, situated on an eminence, about three miles from the sea. I
expected to have found it a more magnificent, at least a more commodious,
town for the entertainment of strangers. The inn-keepers do not disturb
the devotion of the pilgrims by the luxuries of either bed or board. I
have not seen worse accommodations since I entered Italy, than at the inn
here. This seems surprising, considering the great resort of strangers.
If any town in England were as much frequented, every third or fourth
house would be a neat inn.
The Holy Chapel of Loretto, all the world knows, was originally a small
house in Nazareth, inhabited by the Virgin Mary, in which she was saluted
by the Angel, and where she bred our Saviour. After their deaths, it
was held in great veneration by all believers in Jesus, and at length
consecrated into a chapel, and dedicated to the Virgin; upon which
occasion St. Luke made that identical image, which is still preserved
here, and dignified with the name of our Lady of Loretto. This sanctified
edifice was allowed to sojourn in Galilee as long as that district
was inhabited by Christians; but when infidels got possession of the
country, a band of angels, to save it from pollution, took it in their
arms, and conveyed it from Nazareth to a castle in Dalmatia. This fact
might have been called in question by incredulous people, had it been
performed in a secret manner; but, that it might be manifest to the most
short-sighted spectator, and evident to all who were not perfectly deaf
as well as blind, a blaze of celestial light, and a concert of divine
music, accompanied it during the whole journey; besides, when the angels,
to rest themselves, set it down in a little wood near the road, all the
trees of the forest bowed their heads to the ground, and continued in
that respectful posture as long as the Sacred Chapel remained among them.
But, not having been entertained with suitable respect at the castle
above mentioned, the same indefatigable angels carried it over the sea,
and placed it in a field belonging to a noble lady, called Lauretta, from
whom the Chapel takes its name. This field happened unfortunately to
be frequented at that time by highwaymen and murderers: a circumstance
with which the angels undoubtedly were not acquainted when they placed
it there. After they were better informed, they removed it to the top
of a hill belonging to two brothers, where they imagined it would be
perfectly secure from the dangers of robbery or assassination; but the
two brothers, the proprietors of the ground, being equally enamoured
of their new visitor, became jealous of each other, quarrelled, fought,
and fell by mutual wounds. After this fatal catastrophe, the angels
in waiting finally moved the Holy Chapel to the eminence where it now
stands, and has stood these four hundred years, having lost all relish
for travelling.
To silence the captious objections of cavillers, and give full
satisfaction to the candid inquirer, a deputation of respectable
persons was sent from Loretto to the city of Nazareth, who, previous
to their setting out, took the dimensions of the Holy House with the
most scrupulous exactness. On their arrival at Nazareth, they found the
citizens scarcely recovered from their astonishment; for it may be easily
supposed, that the sudden disappearance of a house from the middle of a
town, would naturally occasion a considerable degree of surprise, even
in the most philosophic minds. The landlords had been alarmed in a
particular manner, and had made enquiries, and offered rewards, all over
Galilee, without having been able to get any satisfactory account of
the fugitive. They felt their interest much affected by this incident;
for, as houses had never before been considered as _moveables_, their
value fell immediately. This indeed might be partly owing to certain
evil-minded persons, who, taking advantage of the public alarm, for
selfish purposes, circulated a report, that several other houses were on
the wing, and would most probably disappear in a few days. This affair
being so much the object of attention at Nazareth, and the builders of
that city declaring, they would as soon build upon quick-sand as on the
vacant space which the Chapel had left at its departure, the deputies
from Loretto had no difficulty in discovering the foundation of that
edifice, which they carefully compared with the dimensions they had
brought from Loretto, and found that they tallied exactly. Of this they
made oath at their return; and in the mind of every rational person, it
remains no longer a question, whether this is the real house which the
Virgin Mary inhabited, or not. Many of those particulars are narrated
with other circumstances in books which are sold here; but I have been
informed of one circumstance, which has not hitherto been published in
any book, and which, I dare swear, you will think ought to be made known
for the befit of future travellers. This morning, immediately before we
left the inn, to visit the Holy Chapel, an Italian servant, whom the D——
of H—— engaged at Venice, took me aside, and told me, in a very serious
manner, that strangers were apt secretly to break off little pieces of
the stone belonging to the Santa Casa, in the hopes that such precious
relics might bring them good fortune; but he earnestly entreated me not
to do any such thing: for he knew a man at Venice, who had broken off a
small corner of one of the stones, and slipt it into his breeches pocket
unperceived; but, so far from bringing him good fortune, it had burnt
its way out, like aqua fortis, before he left the Chapel, and scorched
his thighs in such a miserable manner, that he was not able to sit on
horseback for a month. I thanked Giovanni for his obliging hint, and
assured him I should not attempt any theft of that nature.