telling him that I had a Set of Beads,
which I must entreat him to consecrate for me, he readily, nay eagerly
comply'd; and having hung them on her Arm for the Space of about half,
or somewhat short of a whole Minute, he return'd me the holy Baubles
with a great deal of Address and most evident Satisfaction. The Reader
will be apt to admire at this curious Piece of Superstition of mine,
till I have told him, that even rigid Protestants have, in this Country,
thought it but prudent to do the like; and likewise having so done, to
carry them about their Persons, or in their Pockets: For Experience has
convinc'd us of the Necessity of this most Catholick Precaution; since
those who have here, travelling or otherwise, come to their Ends,
whether by Accident, Sickness, or the Course of Nature, not having these
sanctifying Seals found upon them, have ever been refus'd Christian
Burial, under a superstitious Imagination, that the Corps of a Heretick
will infect every thing near it.

Two instances of this kind fell within my Knowledge; one before I came
to _Montserat_, the other after. The first was of one _Slunt_, who had
been _Bombardier_ at _Monjouick_; but being kill'd while we lay at
_Campilio_, a Priest, whom I advis'd with upon the Matter, told me, that
if he should be buried where any Corn grew, his Body would not only be
taken up again, but ill treated, in revenge of the Destruction of so
much Corn, which the People would on no account be persuaded to touch;
for which Reason we took care to have him lay'd in a very deep Grave, on
a very barren Spot of Ground. The other was of one Captain _Bush_, who
was a Prisoner with me on the Surrender of _Denia_; who being sent, as I
was afterwards, to Saint _Clemente la Mancha_, there dy'd; and, as I was
inform'd, tho' he was privately, and by Night, bury'd in a Corn-Field,
he was taken out of his Grave by those superstitious People, as soon as
ever they could discover the Place where his Body was deposited. But I
return to the Convent at _Montserat_.

Out of the Chapel, behind the High-Altar, we descended into a spacious
Room, the Repository of the great Offerings made to the Lady. Here,
though I thought in the Chapel it self I had seen the Riches of the
Universe, I found a prodigious Quantity of more costly Presents, the
superstitious Tribute of most of the Roman-Catholick Princes in
_Europe_. Among a Multitude of others, they show'd me a Sword set with
Diamonds, the Offering of