P. C. S. S. found, some days ago, the following curious story in a rare
little Portuguese book in his possession, and he now ventures to send a
translation of it to the "NOTES AND QUERIES." The work was printed at
Vienna in 1717, and is an account of the embassy of Fernando Telles da
Sylva, Conde de Villa Mayor, from the court of Lisbon to that of Vienna, to
demand in marriage, for the eldest son of King Pedro II. of Portugal, the
hand of the Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria. It was written by Father
Francisco da Fonseca, a Jesuit priest, who accompanied the ambassador in
quality of almoner and confessor, and is full of amusing matter,
particularly in reference to the strange opinions concerning our laws,
government, and religion, which the worthy padre appears to have picked up
during his short stay in England.
The original of the annexed translation is to be found at pp. 318, 319,
320. § 268. of Fonseca's Narrative.
"As we are now upon the subject of miracles wrought by Relics in
Vienna, I shall proceed to relate another prodigy which happened in the
said city, and which will greatly serve to confirm in us those feelings
of piety with which we are wont to venerate such sacred objects. The
Count Harrach, who was greatly favoured by the Duke of Saxony, begged
of him, as a present, a few of the many relics which the duke preserved
in his treasury, assuredly less out of devotion than for the sake of
their rarity and value. The duke, with his usual benignity, acceded to
this request, and gave orders that sundry vials should be dispatched to
the count, filled with most indubitable relics of Our Lord, of the
Blessed Virgin, of the Apostles, of the Innocents, and of other holy
persons. He directed two Lutheran ministers to pack these vials
securely in a precious casket, which the duke himself sealed up with
his own signet, and sent off to Vienna. On its arrival there, it was
deposited in the chapel of the count, which is situated in the street
called Preiner. The count immediately informed the bishop of the
arrival of this treasure, and invited him to witness the opening of the
casket, and to attend for the purpose of verifying its contents.
Accordingly the bishop came, and on opening the casket, there proceeded
from it such an abominable stench, that no man could endure it,
infecting, as it did, the whole of the chapel. The bishop thereupon
ordered all the vials to be taken out, and carefully examined one by
one, hoping to ascertain the cause of this strange incident, which did
not long remain a mystery, for they soon {235} found the very vial from
which this pestilent odour was issuing. It contained a small fragment
of cloth, which was thus labelled, '_Ex caligis Divi Martini Lutheri_,'
that is to say, '_A bit of the Breeches of Saint Martin Luther_,' which
the aforesaid two Lutheran ministers, by way of mockery of our piety,
had slily packed up with the holy relics in the casket. The bishop
instantly gave orders to burn this abominable rag of the great
heresiarch, and forthwith, not only the stench ceased, but there
proceeded from the true relics such a delicious and heavenly odour as
perfumed the entire building."
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