Part 29 (1/2)
[Illustration: ST MARTIN'S CHURCH, COLOGNE]
”Leaving the tomb,--a pile of jewels,--ent out, and near the outskirts of the city found the failded ossuary, associated with a end It was full of cabinets of bones, said to be those of eleven thousand virgins slain for their faith by the Huns
”Here ere shown--
”_A part of the rod hich the Saviour was scourged_
”_A thorn from the crown of thorns,--the Spicula_
”_The pitcher in which Jesus turned water into wine_
”'The Mediaeval Church,' said our English-speaking guide, who had little faith in the genuineness of the relics, 'has exhibited so and arduous pilgrie if they hat they purported to be; as, for instance, a feather of the angel Gabriel, the snout of a seraph, a ray from the star of Bethlehem, _two_ skulls of the same saint,--one taken when the departed saint was soer, as flippantly explained to an astonished tourist, who found in two cities the same consecrated cranium
”'But of all the relics of which we ever read, some Germans who visited Italy in search of these precious entle applied to an ecclesiastic for some memento of Scripture history which he could take back to Ger a carefully prepared package, which he was assured contained a veritable leg of the ass on which was made the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the people strewed palm branches in the way and shouted hosannas
”'He was enjoined to keep the treasure a secret until he reached ho in Germany, he disclosed to his four companions the wonderful relic They were much surprised, for each had been secretly intrusted with the same remarkable treasure So it appeared that the ass had _five_ legs, which, of itself, would have been so of a miracle
”'Whether these wiseacres ever visited the Latin kingdone is full of relics The people regard them with reverence; they serve the purpose of scriptural object-teaching to them But they only shock the tourist who has been educated to believe that religion is a spiritual life, and that Christ's kingdodom, and not of this world”
Several of the stories related by the boys this evening were historical
THE STORY AND LEGEND OF CHARLEMAGNE
Charles the Great, or Charle of the Franks and Roman Emperor, was born, probably at Aix-la-Chapelle, in 742 His eer part of what is now France and Germany, but it extended under his wars until at last it nearly filled Europe, and he wore the crown of Rooverned nearly the whole territory that was once ruled by the reatest and wisest , and opened a school in his palace; he hout the world
The Saxons were heathens They honored a great idol called the Irne, and constantly threatened his frontiers
Charlee, and after les reduced the people to submission In accordance with the rude customs of the time, he compelled them to accept Christianity and receive baptism He is said to have baptized the prisoners of ith his own hand He divided Saxony into eight bishoprics, and supported the bishops with guards of soldiers We should look upon such h enlightened nations of this age have so with other countries that is as open to criticism and censure
The Pope of Rome became involved in troubles with the Lo of the Franks, the recognized chane crossed the Alps, conquered Lombardy, and crowned his
[Illustration: CHARLEMAGNE IN THE SCHOOL OF THE PALACE]
He then repaired to Rome and entered the city in triumph As he came to St Peter's he stooped to kiss the steps in memory of the illustrious men that had trodden it before hireat ceremony, and the choir chanted, ”Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord”
He now becareat victories over the Moors in Spain, and it was in one of theRoland, of heroic song, perished His lands stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean
In the year 800 he went to Rome It was Christmas Day He entered the basilica of St Peter's to attend Mass He approached the altar, and bowed to pray The Pope secretly uplifted the crown of the world and placed it upon his head
The people shouted, ”_Long live Charles Augustus, crowned of God, Ene was the Kaiser, or Caesar, of the Holy Roman Empire on the Tiber and the Rhine