Volume III Part 53 (1/2)

The church door was open, and I went in and was amazed at the richthe last mass, I went to the sacristy and found myself in a crowd of Benedictines

The abbot, whonized by his cross, came towards me and asked if I wished to see the church and hted, and he, with two other brethren, offered to shew me all I saw their rich ornaold and pearls, the sacred vessels adorned with diamonds and other precious stones, a rich balustrade, etc

As I understood German very imperfectly and the Swiss dialect (which is hard to acquire and bears the same relation to Geran to speak Latin, and asked the abbot if the church had been built for long Thereupon the very reverend father entered into a long history, which would have madethat the church was consecrated by Jesus Christ Hi its foundation rather far back, and no doubt my face expressed some surprise, for to convince me of the truth of the story the abbot bade me follow him into the church, and there on a piece of marble pavement he shewed me the imprint of the foot of Jesus, which He had left there at the moment of the consecration, to convince the infidels and to save the bishop the trouble of consecrating the church

The abbot had had this divinely revealed to hi into the church to verify the vision he saw the print of the Divine Foot, and gave thanks to the Lord

EPISODE 14 -- SWITZERLAND

CHAPTER XIII

I Resolve to Becoht--Giustiniani, the Apostle Capuchin--I Alter my Mind; My Reasons--My Pranks at the Inn--I Dine With the Abbot

The cool way in which the abbot told these cock-and-bull stories gave hter, which the holiness of the place and the laws of politeness hadAll the same I listened with such an attentive air that his reverence was delighted with

”Nowhere,” said I; ”I came from Zurich on foot, and my first visit was to your church”

I do not knohether I pronounced these words with an air of compunction, but the abbot joined his hands and lifted theme there to lay down the burden of hts, as I have always had the look of a great sinner

The abbot said it was near noon and that he hoped I would do hi with hi to eat and I knew that there is usually good cheer in such places I did not knohere I was and I did not care to ask, being willing to leave hirim come to expiate my sins

On our way fro, but that we should eat meat in virtue of a dispensation he had received from Benedict XIV, which allowed hiuests I replied that I would join hiiven me a similar dispensation This seeot to his room, which did not look the cell of a penitent, he hastened to shewup opposite the table so that the curious and scrupulous ht have it in full view

As the table was only laid for two, a servant in full livery caht another cover; and the humble abbot then told me that he usually had his chancellor with him at dinner, ”for,” said he, ”I have a chancery, since as abbot of Our Lady of Einsiedel I am a prince of the Holy Roman Empire”

This was a relief to er ran the risk of shewing norance in the course of conversation

This monastery (of which I had heard before) was the Loretto of the Mountains, and was farims who resorted to it

In the course of dinner the prince--abbot asked me where I came from, if I werethat he should be glad to give me letters of introduction I replied that I was a Venetian, a bachelor, and that I should be glad to accept the letters of introduction he had kindly offered me, after I had had a private conference with him, in which I desired to take his advice on my conscience

Thus, without preed to confess to the abbot

This was my way Whenever I obeyed a spontaneous iht I was following the laws ofto a supreme will When I had thus plainly intied to speak with religious fervour, and his discourses see repast, for we had snipe and woodcock; which ame like that at this time of year?”

”It's a secret,” said he, with a pleased slad to communicate to you”

The abbot was a h he affected sobriety he had the choicest wines and the most delicious dishes on the table A splendid salht, which ood fare with a jest, he said in Latin that we ht to fast a little

While he was talking the abbot kept a keen eye on me, and asto ask of him he spoke at ease