網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

his ships, his store-houses, or his barns, he tried to serve at once, both God and Mammon. But soon, alas, the scales were turned in favor of the world, for a hungry cur, seeing the chickens thus unguarded, made a deadly plunge at them; but no sooner had he done so, than the owner, full of wrath, darted fiercely at the dog, and gave him such a beating that he was glad to make a quick retreat, leaving his spoil behind. Then, in a trice, he was again upon his knees, intent upon the altar and the priest, and closely watching, too, his property without. It was indeed a small affair, but then, it showed so well the way in which men often try to serve at once their Maker and the world, thus vainly thinking to deceive Him, with mere heartless forms of worship, that it has remained impressed upon my mind until the present time.

In returning to the city, I visited another spacious building, just without the walls, which was once a convent, but is now a hospital and barracks. On one of the doors, I noticed what was called "The watch of the passion" (or sufferings) "of Jesus Christ." It was a coarse engraving of the face, or dial of a watch, and opposite to each of the twelve hours, there was printed the particular event connected with the arrest, trial, or crucifixion of our Saviour, which it was claimed then took place. For example, at one hour, Judas betrayed, at another, Peter denied him, and at another still, he sunk beneath the cross. For devoutly fixing the mind upon each one of these twelve events in succession, the Archbishop of Toledo granted forty days' indulgence, that is, freedom for that length of time from the penalty due for one's sins. I saw in Toledo also, and indeed in all parts of Spain, those little engravings of the cross which are claimed to have checked or averted the plague, or other forms of contagious disease in various places, since its first invention, by the council of Trent. They were sold at a good price by the priests, and placed upon the outside of the doors and windows of each house, in order to keep out the cholera. For this devout and meritorious act, from 40 to 120 days, indulgence, or freedom from the pains of purgatory, is granted by the different archbishops and bishops in various parts of Spain.

I visited some of the older convents, interesting either from their connexion with important historical events, or their antique and romantic Moorish or Gothic architecture. The extensive buildings of the far-famed Inquisition of To

ledo, also claimed a hasty inspection. They are now used for courts of justice, and for the various public offices of government, and of the city police. With singular propriety, the whole external walls are painted of the color of blood; and surely, this engine of hell has murdered innocent victims enough to have furnished blood sufficient to have painted, if not have filled to overflowing, the walls of this spacious edifice.

The cathedral of Toledo is a truly noble and venerable structure, and the most imposing specimen of the Gothic style, that I have ever seen; while at the same time, an air of graceful elegance is given to its rude and massive grandeur, by a mixture of the slender turrets, and other numerous ornaments of the Moorish school of architecture. There was a church where the cathedral now is, as early as the sixth century, which was used as a mosque while the Moors were in power, and during the thirteenth century, the present structure, which is much larger than the original one, was built. The central nave is 160 feet high, and, with four others which are parallel to it, occupies the whole area of the cathedral, which is 400 feet long and 200 broad. The roof is supported by eighty-four large Gothic columns, which are ranged in four parallel rows. Like many of the largest cathedrals of Europe, however, it has a high and spacious enclosure for the choir in the centre, which greatly lessens the effect which would be produced by a single and unbroken view of its vast and lofty proportions, and its noble and imposing grandeur.

The treasures of this cathedral are extremely rich. The custodia, on which the Lord's Supper is exhibited, weighs 583 pounds of silver and gold, and, aside from the precious stones with which it is covered, it has in the centre, a shrine of gold, weighing fifty pounds. The whole is in the form of a Gothic tower, and is covered with highly wrought and elegant fretwork. There is also a splendid robe, or wrapper, worn by the image of the Virgin Mary, when, on particular holydays, with an infant of solid gold in her arms, which is adorned with 800 jewels, she is borne through the streets of Toledo, mounted on a silver throne, weighing more than half a ton. Her robe is of satin, but completely covered with pearls and every variety of precious stones. Adjoining the cathedral is a spacious square court, surrounded by a cloister and a row of pillars, and having in the centre a fine

garden with a variety of flowering shrubs and plants, as also orange and other kinds of fruit trees. The same fact is often witnessed in Spain, and is said to owe its origin to the Moors, who are accustomed to have, in connexion with their mosques, beautiful gardens adorned with fountains, where they may refresh themselves and perform the numerous ablutions required by their system of religious faith.

While in Rome last year, I purchased the only copy I could find of an old folio Latin work, entitled "The Mozarabic Liturgy." As the subject of which it treats is often referred to in history, and is one of interest, alike to the scholar and the general reader, it may be well here to give a brief analysis of the contents of the book. In plain English, the title and contents of the book are as follows: "Mozarabic Liturgy; a historical and chronological Treatise on the ancient Spanish, Gothic, Isodorian, Mozarabic, Toledan Liturgy, all combined; which John Pine, a Theologian of the Society of Jesus, collected, digested, and illustrated, from the Documents of the Spanish Councils, the Decrees of the Roman Pontiffs, the Charters of the Spanish Kings, and other sources, down to the present time. Being supplementary to the Volume of the 'Acts of the Saints,' in which are recorded the Acts (legendary) of St. James the Greater, Founder of the Church of Spain." Rome, 1740, folio, pp. 130.

John Pine, the author of this work, was a Belgian, (or at least resided in Belgium,) and went to Spain in the year 1721, to gather there materials for that immense repertory of fable, the acts of the saints, as others had done in Italy, France, and Germany. When in Toledo, he obtained much information respecting the Mozarabic or Arabized Liturgy, which was used in the Spanish churches, when the country was held by the Saracens and the Moors. Such was the origin of the present work. The first chapter discusses the question, whether St. Peter was the author (others helping him) of the ancient Spanish Liturgy. The author of this treatise inclines to the negative, as well he may.

Chapter second describes the state of the ancient Spanish Liturgy in the fifth and sixth centuries. Here, as throughout the whole work, it is taken for granted, that a breviary and missal (the prayer and mass books of the Catholic church) have always been as essential to the good order and edification of the church, as the Holy Scriptures themselves. In the sixth century, the Spanish councils passed various regulations

for the better ordering of public worship, with certain liturgical directions, to prevent confusion. In the same century, several learned men went to Constantinople, and brought back many additions and improvements, to what the author styles the "Roman Liturgy," hitherto used in Spain. Among these men, St. Leander, Bishop of Seville, was preeminent.

Chapter third treats of the liturgical affairs of the seventh century. Of these, the most important is the entire revision of the Liturgy, or rather the perfectly new edition of it, compiled by St. Isadore, Bishop of Seville, which produced greater uniformity in worship, and furnished a book for public devotions of unprecedented merit. So great was the alleged improvement, that many gave the entire credit of authorship to Isodore, and the Liturgy was called not only Gothic, but Isodorian. By the acts of the eleventh Council of Toledo, held in the year 675, it appears that the bishop of Rome was not then regarded as having authority in these matters in the church of Spain. The following is an extract from their records. "It is the will of this Holy Council, that the priests and rectors of the churches of each province, as owing obedience to the authority of the metropolitan see, (that is, Toledo,) should observe the same method in chanting (the public prayers,) as they know to be established in the metropolitan see; nor shall they suffer to exist any diversity from this method, or form of service, of the metropolitan see." The author then proceeds thus: "The Liturgy was called Gothic, because it was composed and arranged by St. Isodore, by command of the Synod of Toledo, in the year 633, while the Goths yet ruled in Spain. It follows, that in speaking of the state of the Liturgy in the eighth century, we should notice the fact, that a new name was given it, so that instead of the ancient Spanish, Gothic, or Isodorian Liturgy, it was called the Mozarabic. This change of name was owing to the invasion of the Arabs, by whom, in the beginning of the eighth century, almost the whole of Spain was suddenly overrun."

Chapter fourth contains a disquisition as to the year of the invasion of the Arabs. On this point there is a diversity of opinions, different years, from 1711 to 1720 inclusive, being advocated by different writers. To show the favor and religious toleration granted by the Arabs in Spain to their Christian subjects, the following quotation is made from Roderic's history of Spanish affairs, which was written in the thirteenth century. "After the royal city (Toledo) was occupied by

the Arabs, not by capture, but by treaty, which treaty the Saracens afterwards violated, the clergy and the Christians there, who were vanquished, with others in Spain, who were subjected to barbarian servitude, preferred to remain where they were, paying tribute, and being permitted by law to retain their religious rites and customs, and to have prelates and priests, by whom were used the forms of worship prepared by Isodore and Leander, as they still are (that is, in the thirteenth century,) in six parishes in Toledo. The inhabitants of Toledo, therefore, who remained with the Arabs, were permitted by the barbarians to have divine service in six churches in the city; namely, those of St. Mark, St. Luke, St. Sebastian, St. Torquatus, St. Eulalia, and St. Just; in which the Liturgy of Isodore, which had been chanted in all the churches while the state was yet safe and flourishing, the people now preserved for near four hundred years, while in captivity, and mingled with the Arabs. Hence this Liturgy is now called the Toledan."

Chapter fifth contains extracts from the "Hispania Illustrata" of Ambrasio Morales, which throw much light on the state of affairs when the Saracens were in power. He says, that "Spain being occupied by the Saracens, many causes induced the victorious barbarians to spare the Christians. Of these, the chief was the fact, that the conquerors could not people the large and wide-spread provinces of Spain. That they might therefore have those who should cultivate the soil, carry on trade, and pay tribute to the prince, the Christians were, as far as possible, preserved. Religious worship in their churches was also left to them, and many of these churches remained untouched. A greater number of Christians, however, was left at Cordova than at Toledo, and a greater degree of religious worship was retained there. And since Cordova was made not only the seat of government of the Arabs, but also the fountain-head of all the laws of Spain, as well sacred as profane, whatever power and dignity the Christian religion then possessed, were likewise transferred to the same province. Not, indeed, that the church of Toledo ceased to be what it was formerly, and still is, the first in rank in Spain. Nor that the church of Cordova failed to recognise that of Toledo as being the metropolitan church of Spain; but because the rulers of the land, with whom was all the power, and who wished all things to centre in themselves, compelled the prelates of the church to hold their councils at Cordova, and there

« 上一頁繼續 »