CHAP.
IV.

Supersti

Country.

Empress Helena.

conducted him from one convent to another (each striving to outdo the former in the list of intions of the dulgences and of relics it has at its disposal), bearing testimony to the wretched ignorance and sometimes to the disorderly lives of a swarm of monks, by whom all this trumpery is manufactured. Among the early contributors to the system of abuses thus established, no one appears more pre-emimently distinguished than the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine the First; to whose charitable donations these repositories of superstition were principally indebted. No one laboured more effectually to obliterate every trace of that which might have been regarded with reasonable reverence, than did this old lady, with the best possible intentions, whenever it was in her power. Had the Sea of Tiberias been capable of annihilation by her means, it would have been desiccated, paved, covered with churches and altars, or converted into monasteries and markets of indulgences, until every feature of the original had disappeared; and this by way of rendering it more particularly holy. To such a disposition may be attributed the sort of work exhibited in the Church and Convent of Nazareth, originally constructed under her auspices. Pococke has proved that the tradition concerning the dwelling

place of the parents of JESUS CHRIST existed at a very early period; because the church, built over it, is mentioned by writers of the seventh century'; and in being conducted to a cave rudely fashioned in the natural rock, there is nothing repugnant to the notions usually entertained either of the antient customs of the country, or the history of the persons to whom allusion is made; but when the surreptitious aid of architectural pillars, with all the garniture of a Roman-catholic church, above, below, and on every side of it, has disguised its original simplicity; and when we finally call to mind the insane reverie concerning the transmigration of the said habitation, in a less substantial form of brick and mortar, across the Mediterranean to Loretto in Italy, maintained upon authority very similar to that which identifies the authenticity of this relic;

CHAP.

IV.

(1) "The great church, built over the house of Joseph, is mentioned by the writers of the seventh and twelfth century." Pococke's Description of the East, vol. II. part 1. p. 63. Lond. 1745.

(2) "Pietro de la Valle, in the 13th Letter of his Travels, is of opinion, that the subterraneous chapel of Nazareth was part of the vault of the Church of the Holy Virgin; and afterwards turned, by the Christians, into a chapel, in order to preserve a remembrance of the place." Egmont and Heyman's Travels, vol. II. p. 20.

CHAP.
IV.

Other ob

jects of re

Nazareth.

a disbelief of the whole mummery seems best suited to the feelings of Protestants; who, after all, are better occupied in meditating the purpose for which JESUS died, than in assisting, by their presence, to countenance a sale of indulgences in the place where Joseph is said to have resided.

The Church and Convent of Nazareth, in verence in their present state, exhibit superstructure of very recent date; having been repaired, or entirely rebuilt, in no very distant period; when the monks were probably indebted to some ingenious mason for the miraculous position of the pillar in the subterraneous chapel, whose two fragments, consisting of different substances, now so naturally give the lie to each other. The more antient edifice was erected by the mother of Constantine; and its remains may be observed in the form of subverted columns, which, with the fragments of their capitals and bases, lie near the modern building. The present church is handsome, and full of pictures; most of which are of modern date, and all of them are below mediocrity. Egmont and Heyman mention an antient portrait of our SAVIOUR, brought hither from Spain by one of the Fathers, having a Latin inscription, purporting that it is "the

true Image of JESUS CHRIST, sent to king Abgarus1."

The other objects of superstition in Nazareth, at every one of which indulgences are sold to travellers, are: 1. The Workshop of Joseph, which

CHAP.

IV.

(1) "VERA IMAGO SALVATORIS NOSTRI DOMINI JESU CHRISTI, AD REGEM ABGARUM MISSA." (Egmont and Heyman's Travels, vol. II. p. 19.) I do not recollect seeing this picture, although I have seen copies of it. There is an expression of countenance, and a set of features, common to almost all the representations of our SAVIOUR, with which every one is acquainted, although we know not whence they were derived nor would the subject have been mentioned, but to state, further, that the famous picture by Carlo Dolci bears no resemblance to these features; nor to the ordinary appearance presented by the natives of SYRIA. Carlo Dolci seems to have borrowed his notions for that picture from the spurious Letter of Publius Lentulus to the Roman Senate; which is so interesting, that, while we believe it to be false, we perhaps wish that it were true:

"There appeared in these our days, a man of great virtue, named JESUS CHRIST, who is yet living among us; and of the Gentiles is accepted for a Prophet of Truth; but his own disciples call him the Son of God. He raiseth the dead, and cureth all manner of diseases. A man of stature, somewhat tall and comely, with a very reverend countenance, such as the beholders may both love and fear; his hair, the colour of a filbert, full ripe, to his ears, whence downwards it is more orient of colour, somewhat curling or waving about his shoulders; in the midst of his head is a seam, or partition of his hair, after the manner of the Nazarites; his forehead plain and delicate; his face without spot or wrinkle, beautified with a comely red; his nose and mouth exactly formed; his beard thick, the colour of his hair, not of any great length, but forked; his look innocent; his eyes grey, clear and quick; in reproving, awful; in admonishing, courteous; in speaking, very modest and wise; in proportion of body, well shaped. None have ever seen him laugh, but many have seen him weep. A MAN, for his beauty, surpassing the children of men."

CHAP.
IV.

is near the Convent, and was formerly included within its walls; this is now a small chapel, perfectly modern, and lately whitewashed. II. The Synagogue, where CHRIST is said to have read the Scriptures to the Jews1; at present a church. III. A Precipice without the town, where they say the MESSIAH leaped down, to escape the rage of the Jews, after the offence his speech. in the synagogue had occasioned. Here they shew the impression of his hand, made as he sprang from the rock. From the description given by St. Luke, the monks affirm, that, antiently, Nazareth stood eastward of its present situation, upon a more elevated spot. The words of the Evangelist are, however, remarkably explicit, and prove the situation of the antient city to have been precisely that which is now occupied by the modern town. Induced, by the words of the Gospel, to examine the place more attentively than we should have otherwise done, we went, as it is written, "out of the city, unto the brow of the hill whereon

(1) Luke iv. 16.

(2) "And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he, passing through the midst of them, went his way." Luke, iv. 28, 29, 30.