, summoned one of the canons, who
was half asleep in a stall, who brought out the blood, which is
contained in a glass vase mounted with silver. It liquefies in
the morning, remains in that state all day, and congeals again at
night. A great many people were waiting to kiss the vessel, which
was handed to us first. We kissed it, and then it went round,
each person kissing it and touching it with his head, as they do
St. Peter's foot at Rome. San Gennaro and his silver companions
were brought in procession from one of the other churches, all
the nobility and an immense crowd attending. I had fancied that
the French had exposed and put an end to this juggle, but not at
all. They found the people so attached to the superstition that
they patronised it; they adorned the Chapel of St. Januarius with
a magnificent altarpiece and other presents. The first time
(after they came to Naples) that the miracle was to be performed
the blood would not liquefy, which produced a great ferment among
the people. It was a trick of the priests to throw odium on the
French, and the French General Championnet thought it so serious
that he sent word that if the blood did not liquefy forthwith the
priests should go to the galleys. It liquefied immediately, and
the people were satisfied. Acton told me that nobody believed it
but the common people, but that they did not dare to leave it
off. It is what is called a false position to be in, when they
are obliged to go on pretending to perform a miracle in which no
men of sense and education believe, and in which it is well known
they don't any of them believe themselves. Miracles, if sometimes
useful and profitable, are sometimes awkward incumbrances. Drove
round the obscure parts of the town, and through dense masses of
population, by the old palace of Queen Joan and the market place,
which was the scene of Masaniello's sedition. He was killed in
the great church (in 1646).

May 4th, 1830 {p.354}

To the Museum, and saw the mummies which have been unrolled; they
are like thin, black, shrivelled corpses; hair and shape of face
perfect, even the eyelids. The canvas fold in which they are
wrapped quite fresh-looking; the best preserved is 3,055 years
old. Amongst the bronzes there is a bust of Livia with a wig.
Dined with Toledo, the Spanish Minister. The women put their
knives into their mouths, and he is always kissing his wife's
hand--an ugly little old woman. Toledo was Romana's aide-de-cam