s down on their knees before a large female doll,
dressed up, as usual, in rags and tinsel; the two priests were standing
near, one on either side, with their hands uplifted, whilst the fellow
who brought the trumpery stood a little way down the private stair, the
door of which stood open; without a moment's hesitation, my young master
rushed forward, gave the image a cut or two with his horsewhip--then
flying at the priests, he gave them a sound flogging, kicked them down
the private stair, and spurned the man, box and image after them--then
locking the door, he gave his sisters a fine sermon, in which he
represented to them their folly in worshipping a silly wooden graven
image, which, though it had eyes, could see not; though it had ears,
could hear not; though it had hands, could not help itself; and though it
had feet, could not move about unless it were carried. Oh, it was a fine
sermon that my young master preached, and sorry I am that the Father of
the Fetish, old Mumbo, did not hear it. The elder sister looked ashamed,
but the youngest, who was very weak, did nothing but wring her hands,
weep and bewail the injury which had been done to the dear image. The
young man, however, without paying much regard to either of them, went to
his father, with whom he had a long conversation, which terminated in the
old governor giving orders for preparations to be made for the family's
leaving Rome and returning to England. I believe that the old governor
was glad of his son's arrival, and rejoiced at the idea of getting away
from Italy, where he had been so plundered and imposed upon. The
priests, however, made another attempt upon the poor young ladies. By
the connivance of the female servant who was in their interest they found
their way once more into their apartment, bringing with them the fetish
image; whose body they partly stripped, exhibiting upon it certain
sanguine marks which they had daubed upon it with red paint, but which
they said were the result of the lashes which it had received from the
horsewhip. The youngest girl believed all they said, and kissed and
embraced the dear image; but the eldest, whose eyes had been opened by
her brother, to whom she was much attached, behaved with proper dignity;
for, going to the door, she called the female servant who had a respect
for me, and in her presence reproached the two deceivers for their
various impudent cheats, and especially for this their last attempt at