decayed Christianity in the world. There was a little chapel lately rebuilt when Mr. Addison visited Milan, on one of the walls of which an inscription stated, that it was in that place that Austin was baptized, and that on this occasion St. Ambrose first sung his Te Deum, his great convert answering him verse by verse.* I lost the sight of this curiosity also; whether from the ignorance of my guide or not, I cannot say.

St. Ambrose died in the year 397, in the 57th year of his age, and the 23d of his episcopate. He has been charged with leaning too much towards the incipient superstitions of his day, and thus unconsciously of helping forward the growth of monastic bondage and prelatical pride. Something of this charge may be true; but he lived and died firm and unbending in all the fundamentals of divine truth. He loved the Saviour. He depended

* Mr. Addison's Remarks on Italy, ut supra.

on his merits only for justification. He relied on the illumination and grace of the Holy Spirit. He delighted in communion with God. A rich unction of godliness rests on his writings; and he was one of the most fervent, humble, laborious, and charitable of all Christian Bishops.

I know not whether I am too ardent in my feelings; but I must confess, that Zurich, Basle, Geneva, Milan, and Lyon, are the spots most dear to my recollection amongst all the places crowded with beauties of another kind, which have attracted my notice during my

tour.

I need scarcely add, that in forming my judgment of St. Ambrose, my guide has been Milner, whose incomparable Ecclesiastical History, widely as it is circulated, is not nearly so well known as it deserves. For evangelical purity, accurate discrimination of character, laborious research, sound judgment, de

cision, fidelity, I know no book like it in the compass of English theology. As an Ecclesiastical History it stands not merely unrivalled, but Alone.

88

LETTER XIV.

Milan, Sept. 13.-Chamberry, Sept. 19, 1823.

Sunday at Milan-Sunday Schools-Punch-Virgin Mary -Noisy Festival-Popery like Paganism Church of St. Ambrose-Library — Amphitheatre of Bonaparte— Unfinished Triumphal Arch-Remains of Roman Baths -Mint-Po-Tesin-Turin-Churches-Palace -Ambioggio-Lans-le-bourg-Ancient Arch at Susa-Mount Cenis Road-Reflections-St. Michel- Aigue-belleChamberry-Life of Borromeo-Extracts from Writings.

Milan, Sunday Evening, Sept. 14, 1823.

MY DEAREST SISTER,

I HAVE witnessed to-day, with grief and indignation, all the superstitions of Popery in their full triumph. In other towns, the neighbourhood of Protestantism has been some check on the display of idolatry; but here in

Italy, where a Protestant is scarcely tolerated, except in the chapels of ambassadors, you see what things tend to; Popery has its unimpeded course; every thing follows the guidance and authority of the prevailing taste in religion.

At half-past ten this morning we went to the Cathedral, where seats were obtained for us in the gallery near the altar. We saw the whole of the proceedings at High Masspriests almost without end-incense-singing -music--processions-perpetual changes of dress-four persons with mitres, whom the people called the little Bishops-a crowd of people coming in and going out, and staring around them; but not one prayer, nor one verse of the Holy Scriptures intelligible to the people, not even if they knew Latin; nor one word of a sermon; in short, it was nothing more nor less than a PAGAN SHOW.

We returned to our inn, and after our English service, we went to see the catechising.