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    DOMESTIC CHAPLAINS IN ITALY.*

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    TRAVEL AND ENTERPRISE.*

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    fulmiriatipn of celestial and triumphant truth as ever , Why , indeed , should that individuality which clothes the universe with such beautiful diversity not be allowed to have its application m the Bible ? Why should it be demanded that there should be everywhere in the Bible one cut and one colour ? . ^ The cornmonpla . defenders of the Bible , who do the Bible so much harm , epntmuaily parade two alternatives , neither of which is there : any necessity for embracing . Proceeding on the modest supposition , that they alone are fitted to judge of the Bible , t& pronounce on its contents and intentions , thev aver that the Bible must be a homogeneous book , every word , every sentence snpernaturally inspired , or the authors of the books must have been deceivers . But we may . reject the hAmno-AnfinhsriPss . vfit e < iuallv reiect the calumny that the authors

    were either deceivers or deceived . Stalwart prophetic souls , bursting into speech , or into song , in the primaeval ages , were not bound by our modern pedantries . God had his own way of dealing with them . None can appreciate the prophet who is not himself ot prophetic nature ; none can decide on inspiration who is not himseli inspired ; and none can prove a miracle , unless he holds in •_ his hand the long chain of the miraculous . In order that our readers may bring the proper temper to M . Munk ' s volume have we thus spoken . It is a work written with no polemical purpose , and with no polemical purpose have we ourselves written . It is a deijght heyond words for us when we encounter a book remarkable no less for charity than for thought and learning ; and such is this by M " . Munk . He who peruses it with a childlike mind will know more about Palestine than lie ever knew before , and will love the Bible better . Indeed , he will wonder how there were such rich treasures in the Bible which he had never previously discovered .

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    AS the reader is informed in the dedication to Mr .-Xhornton Hunt , " Home arid the Priest" is ushered into the literary world under sanction of the name of a no ! less-distinguished member of the 'literary profession , and declared , friend to the cause of Italy , than the accomplished and lamented Leigh Hunt . Both he and his son gave their valuable aid in ¦ . revising' Sig-nor "Volpe ' s stoiy , and the correction of the first two volumes was almost the closing-labour of the life of the ' highly esteemed and respected , octogenarian champion of liberty and free thought . The English version in which the work meets the public eye is said in the dedication to have been macle by an able English pen . It is therefore to be presumed that the task of . the Messrs . Hunt was confined to the revision of scenes and passages supposed to be top highly wrought , and of too impassioned a character to comport with English tastes and notions of propriety . ¦ , ¦

    . . _ _ ... The writer has the advantage of poiirtraying characters and depicting scenes with which he is perfectly fapiilmr . His early life was passed in that district of Italy in which he has placed / the chief actors of his tale . Associated with the Roman Catholic Church , no-t only personally but by family , connections , he has had every opportunity of knowing and studying the character of the members of the priesthood , judging c * f the motives which influence their conduct , testing their sincerity , weighing the temptations and the safeguards attached to their position an an exceptional race of men , and estimating their true influence upon society and the world in general . As military chaplain to the Venetian forces during- the brave struggle of" M > 8 , he was eyewitness to the stirring events of that period . The interesting episodes of the campaign given in his t in the and

    volumes will at once be recognised by paricipants war , by the readers of contemporary history and journalism , as eminently life-like and truthful . Nor could it bo otherwise , since , in some cases , they are simple descriptions of occurrences which actually took place . The special object of SignorVolpe ' s pages would seem to be to point out the evils arising from the obligatory vow of coljbjiey imposed upon the Roman Catholic priesthood , and the ^ bad consequences necessarily attendant upon the employment of this class of men as domestic chaplains . When the tale opens , the heroine , Lady Amaliu Fossombroni , is about to be removed from the convent in which she has been" educated , and where her tendencies to excessive piety and devotion mnko her wish to remain as a professed nun . Her grandmother , an aged lady of rank , whose health is rapidly declining , is desirous of enjoying the society of the young- relative , wlio is the solo link remaining between herself and her departed

    Jmsband and children . To lier great grief , but in obedience to the claims of duty , Amnlia quits the convent , and a fortuitous meeting with the friend and playmate of hor childhood reawakens her feelings of tendqrness for him , and banishes for a time hor inclination for conventual retirement . Her direction , both spiritual and temporal , is" confided by her grandmother to the domestic chaplain- Don Giuseppe , the priest , n handsome and intelligent' young man , possessing refined manners and great conversational powers , embraced Iiifl profession in obedience to parental authority without fooling 1 any special vocation for the Church . Ho is now thrown into daily flOJJtnot with a beautiful and amiable girl just developing 1 into womanhood . The natural consequonce follows , He beoomos the subject of emotions and sentimenta utterly at variance with his vow of celibacy . Quitp in opposition to his true convictions and . to servo Ida own interested , ends , ho affects to believe , and endeavours to convince his spiritual protegeo and pupil , that tho now Pope , Pius IX ., will carry out his mtentioh of permitting tho clergy to

    marry . Scenes and pictures are given descriptive of thfe sufferings inflicted by him upon the object of his sacrilegious 1 love , who as a devout catholic long shuts her eyes to the possibility that he can be actuated by other than the purest and holiest motives in thwarting her union with the man she adores- ^ -in arousing and then opposing her latent tendency to a conventual life—and in effecting her marriage with an imbecile devotee-for whom she feels nothirig ^ but contempt . The author depicts the unscrupulous and tenacious perseverance with , which the Roman Catholic priest compasses the misery of his fellow creatures when their interests clash with his own ; and the maddened rage and impatience of Don . Giuseppe at the unnatural fetters which bind him , until he can no longer support his anomalous position , but after over-stepping all the bounds of prudence and decency , and defying alike the terrors * of the Church and the future world of punishment , he gives himself up to his frenzy , and flies his country , a ruined , wretched outcast . It will be seen that the novel under review is one of a class likely to be useful in drawing attention to the working of the Romish system . The occurrences which have recently taken place in Italy , and the revelations latterly made in the Central provinces and in Austria in connection with the polity of the Catholic Church and the pre-eminently Catholic "powers , will have impressed men s minds with the conviction that the infallibility , the unchangeableness , the purity and charity claimed by the Church of Rome , will not stand the test of examination . To those , however , educated m the dogmas of the Catholic Church , and with whom habifc has so far become second nature that to think for themselves would be equally a ! t variance with the teachings of their spiritual directors and their own capacity , it may be a startling declaration that the Church has not invariably prohibited the marriage of the clergy , even since clerical celibacy has been one of her recognised rules of discipline . Within little more than two ceinturies , political powers displaying her- banner have allowed priests to marry ; nay , more than that , have compelled those not belonging to a religious order to do so . We are told by the modern writer , Michiels , that the Franeonian Diet , with the approval of the Archbishops of Bambei'g arid Wurtzburg ' , formed on the 15 th Feb . 1650 , at Nuremberg , a legislative decision which not only allowed priests to many , but also authorised polygamy . Art . I . of this remarkable document declares that during an interval , pf ten years , no man will be admitted into a monastery who has not reached his sixtieth year ; Art . II . that all priests and curates not belonging to a ¦ religions house or chapter are bouiid to marry without delay ; and Art . III . that any man is allowed to marry two wires . " But the holy Catholic Church / the mother of tlie faithful , hiad of course some good end in vievr in sanctioning this deviation -from her prescribed rulesj" will be the exclamation of her dutiful sons and daughters . Certainly she had . The measure was rendered expedient by the excessive zeal manifested in her service , by the Emperor Ferdinand II ., and his son and successor Ferdinand TIT . These pious princes of the House of Hapsburg-, now so worthily represented , by Francis Joseph , had carried on a religious war which had reduced the population of Germany two thirds ; that is , from thirty millions to ten millions . About twelve millions had perished by the direct orders of Ferdinand II ., whose pious catholic fervour would not suffer a heretic in his dominions ,. Catholic historians tell tp his praise that such was the general poverty and wretchedness of his subjects , that the Imperial troops would frequently disperse groups of persons collected round a caldron in which human flesh was simmering . We cannot , however , dwell upon these amenities of the Catholic religion , but will just refer to the system of confession . The abuse of this practice , which the Church of Rome exalts to a sacrament , is well exemplified in " Home and the Priest , " In Don Giuseppe ' s ) hands it is an instrument of moral and mental torture , by means of which ho compels Lady Amalia to submit to his indomitable will . Another variety of its noxious influence is illustrated by the case of a young clerk residing in tho house of the-pariah priest of Rival tit , whose frankness and straightforwardness make him the object of detestation to his brethren of the cloth . Tine poor lad is induced by the sophistry of his confessor much against his will , to give information which leads to tho temporary disgrace and suspension of his benefactor . His self-upbrnidings excite pity ; nor can he alleviate them by referring * to them in the ccnf < jssional , becnuso it is his confessor who has betrayed him into this error under pretence of serving the interests of the Church . That the vaunted secrecy ot the confessional is often vielated , and for the worst purposes , there can be no doubt . Of this a striking proof has been brought to light in the papers left by tho ' Poiilifiobl Government of Bologna , now published by the temporary rulers . From this source . we learn that the Bishop of Ajaceio availed himself of his office as confessor to obtain important political knowledge , which he transmitted to Monaignor Murini , Governor of Rome . That the present alarm experienced by Rome at the prospect of losing- a portion ot her temporal dominions may induce her to enter upon tho course or reform , is a consummation as devoutly to bo wished as it is little to bo hoped for .

    * " Homo and ( hePriest . " An Italian Tftlo , inthroo volumes , by GU-olamo Volpo . London ; T , 0 . Nowby .

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    MR . J . Ot . KOHL , tl » O German truvellor , has not , perhaps , us anything- positively new as to tho Ojibbeways , but lie imparts the matter to ' us in a now manner , and from i * Orermau

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    Feb . 11 , I 860 , ] The Leader and' Saturday Analyst * 139

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    * KUohi-Gcmii Wanderings round Zake Snporior . By J . O . Koah . 01 ? rSrSr , SS ? F , ond MUonf Captain Sir John * r ** U » . Bj Oaptttin SnwnAn- Osnoww , O . K . JUriulbury < wd Evann .

    Domestic Chaplains In Italy.*

    DOMESTIC CHAPLAINS Etf ITALY . *

    Travel And Enterprise.*

    TTJAVTCT . ANT ) TCNTERPltlSE *

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 11, 1860, page 139, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2333/page/15/