heaven; angels bake
bread and cracknels at the desire of every one; vegetables of every
kind abundantly grow in the garden of heaven; pease and carrots grow
without being planted; asparagus is as thick as a man's leg, and
artichokes as big as a head. When it is a lent day, the fishes
arrive in shoals, and St Peter comes with his net to catch them, in
order to regale you. St Martha is the cook and St Urban the
butler."--See Maury, p. 88.

82 Zimmerman's "Solitude Considered with respect to its Dangerous
Influence upon the Mind and Heart." English translation. Ed. 1798,
p. 102, _et seq._

_ 83 Vide supra_, p. 17.

84 "Mandat sancta synodus omnibus episcopis et caeteris, ut juxta
catholicae et apostolicae ecclesiae usum, a primaevis Christianae
religionis temporibus receptum, de legitimo imaginum usu fideles
diligenter instruunt, docentes eos, imaginis Christi et Deiparae
Virginis, et aliorum sanctorum, in templis praesertim habendas et
retinendas, eisque debitum honorem et venerationem impertiendam; non
quod credatur inesse aliqua in divinitas, vel virtus, propter quam
sint colendae; vel quod ab iis aliquod sit petendum; vel quod
fiducia in imaginibus sit figenda, veluti olim fiebat a gentibus,
quae in idolis (Psalm cxxxv.) spem suam collocabant: sed quoniam
honos, qui eis exhibetur, refertur ad prototypae, quae illae
representant, ita ut per imagines, quae osculamur, et coram quibus
caput aperimus et procumbimus, Christum adoremus; et sanctos quorum
illae similitudinem gerunt veneremur."--Sessio xxv. _de Invocatione
Sanc. et Sacr. Imag._

85 The following description of this little idol is given by a
well-known French writer of last century:--"This morning, when I was
quietly walking along a street towards the capitol, I met with a
carriage, in which sat two Franciscan monks, holding on their knee
something which I was unable to distinguish. Every body was stopping
and bowing in a most respectful manner. I inquired to whom were
these salutations directed? 'To the _Bambino_,' I was answered,
'whom these good fathers are carrying to a prelate, who is very ill,
and whom the physicians have given up.' It was then explained to me
what this _Bambino_ is. It is a little statue, meant for Jesus, made
of wood, and richly