FIFTEENTH CENTURY.
115
Hi^onr lecords the Venetians to hare had a great nara] and commercial power in the sixth centoTT; and prior to the ninth had formed an extensiTe connexion at Constantinople. In 1189, so great was their credit, that the Emperor granted them a district of that city. After the tenth they had possessions in Tyre, at Jerusalem, Alexandria, Cairo, Arabia, Persia, Tartaiy,China, Japan, and the extreme parts of Asia, Sec. the traiSc of these nations produced them imlnense wealth. Their territory having become so great, the goTcmment, (in 1200,) ordered Maisilio Gi- orgio, to compose an account of the places under their dominion, it was one of the first specimens of Venetian literature.
No satisfactory reason has yet been assigned to induce ns to beliere that the art was invented in Enrope; whereas in a number of instances may be cited to prove that it (probably) was re- ceived from die East* Of all the nations in Europe, not one appears so likely to have gained information of the Chinese as the Italians; and when we consider the production of the two Cunio at Ravenna, in confirmation of which we have the decree of Venice, these circumstances deariy prove that engraving on wood was known in that territory much earlier than in any other part of Europe. Their first employment was engiaving the outlines of the figures of saints, jcc. which were afterwards coloured in imitation of paintings; next silcceeded the outiine of playing cards. By this process they were en- abled to sell their commodities at that price which was within the reach of all classes of Mriety. These artists were incorporated with the painters, similarly to the ancient barbers and soigeons in this country,
1444,3farcA II. The university of Paris issues a circular addressed to all the French clergy, expressing the opinion of the church, that Uie Fattaf PooU, was a well imagined institution, connected with Christianity, and that those who had attempted to suppress it should be mrtf and txcvmmunicate. Beletus, who lived in 1182, meations the feast of fools, as celebrated in some
S laces on New-year's-day, in others on twelfth ay, and in others the week following. In France, at different cathedral churches, there was a bishop or an archbishop of fools elected; and in the ehmcbes immediately dependant upon the papal te, a pope of fools. These mock pontiffs had nsaally a proper suite of ecclesiastics, and one of tkir ridiculous ceremonies was to shave the pre- eentor of fools upon a stage erected before the church in the presence of the populace, who were unused during the operation by his lewd and nilgar discourses accompanied by actions equally rmefaensible. They were mostly attired in the rioicnlous dresses of pantomime players and bnffooss, and so habited entered the church, and pciformed the service accompanied by crowds of
- TIie Venetiana (tt an esrl7 period) exdaaiTely pnctUed
•noal aiti exactly timilar to the Chinne, ttom whom it l> mbable that they gained a knowledge; one of whidi n>, a pecnliar mode oJT making looking-glasses and glau btuls.
laity in masks, representing monsters, or with their faces smutted to excite fear or laughter, as occasion might require. Some of them personat- ed females and practised wanton devices. During divine service they sung indecent songs in the choir, ate rich puddings on the comer of the altar, played at dice upon it by the side of the priest while he celebrated mass, mcensed it with smoke from old burnt shoes, and ran leaping all over the church. The bishop or pope of fools per- formed the service habited in pontifical gtuments, and gave his benediction; when it was concluded, he was seated in an open carriage, and drawn about to the different parts of the town followed by a large train of clergy and laymen, and a cart filled with filth, which they threw upon the populace assembled to see the procession. These licentious festivities were called the December liberties.* They were always held at Christmas time, or near to it, but not confined to one par- ticular day, and seem to have lasted through the chief pan of Januanr. When the ceremony took place upon St. Stephen's day, they said as
- The Romans, and many otlier nations made tapentl-
tlous processions, and it is from them, no doaht, that tlM cnstom came to ns. For in the pomp of oar ptoceeslons it is costomary to rank In the flnt place •ometUog to make an appearance, as some files oi soldiers, infantry and cavalry, or some bnrlcsqne ridicnlons contrivance of a fiinue, with a great gaping month, and snapping tiis teeth to frighten folks. Some other pieces of merriment often precede, as a representation of the prophets; one acte David, another Solomon, and others are dlstingolshedlike qaeens, and they cause cUldicn with wings to sing.— Polidore Virgii.
The heathen were delighted with the festivals of tbdr gods, and unwilling to part with those delights; and tiierefon; Gregory (Thanmatnrgus, who died in 805, and was Bishop of Neocaeaarea) to facilitate their conreiaion, instituted annual festivals to the saints and martyrs. Hence it came to pass, that for exploding the festivals of heathens, the principal festivals of the Christians succeeded in their room : as the keeping of Christmas with Joy and feasting, and Flaying and sports, in the room of the BacckmaUa and jiafuniaUa; the (clebiatlnc of May-day with flowers, in the room of the Ftoralia; and the keepinc of festivals to the Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, and divers of the Apostles in the room of the solemnities at the entrance of the snn into the signs of the xodiac, in the old Julian Calendar- — Sir Isaac Newton on Daniel.
The feast of St, Peter ad vincula was instituted to super- sede a splendid Pagan festival, celebrated every year on that day, to commemorate the victory of Augustus over Antony of Actium. We may infer the inevitable corruption of practical Christianity in the middle ages, from the ol>stinate attachment of the converted barbarians to their ancient Pagan customs, and the allowed continuance of many by the catholic clergy. Bonifkce complained of Oerman Priests, who would continue, although Christians, to sacriBce bulls and goats to the heathen idols.— Tamer's HMory of England.
A letter from Pope Gregory the Great, In the sixth century, to the Abbot Meliitus, then going to Britain, desires him to tell Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, that after mature deliberation on the aflUrsof the English, he was of opinion that tlte temples of the Idols in that nation ought not to be destroyed, but that the idols should. He further orders the temples to besprinkled with holy water, and relics to be placed in them ) and, because oor ancestors sacrificed oxen in their pagan wor- ship, he directs the object of the sacrifice to be exchanged, and permits them to build huts of the boughs of trees about the temples so transformed into churches, on the day of the dedication, or natives of the martyrs whose relics they contain, and there to kill the cattle, and celebrate the solemnity with religious feasting. — Bede*s Kccte*iattieat Ualmry o/ Sngland.
Not long ago, in the metropolis itself. It was usual to bring up a fat buck to the altar of St. Paul's, with hnnters horns blowing, &c. in the middle of divine service. For on this very spot, or near It, there formerly stood a temple of Diana.— Wur/on.
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