English and Foreign.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 597, 24 July 1858, Page 3

English and Foreign.

TXIEJ I*APAL STATES

A. letter £ar€>x3C£- Home, in the TJnivers, contains tlie foliowiring- esisc-fcx-aordinarytale:— "j^l the ca.~fsi2.^i<ELx-3.1 of Yelletri, near Rome, was an image of -fciie ~V"ir-gin, nearly covered with gold, and decked. O"s3jfc -with necklaces, rings, and jewelry, axxci 5-fe "-^v-^ts held in great veneration by the people- Ulszt. -fciie Holy week it was, according to custom, screened from view by a curtain, and on Holy Thrt2rsda,y some person contrived to steal it. On <3roo<i -fcfrlclay the archpriest of the cathedral reeei-sre^. sl xiote thus conceived:—-'I, the undersigned., the thief, and the spot in which is <3.ef>oss-fce<l "the image of the Madonna,and I" will make on three conditions— Impunity fc»xr the release of my brother ■who is to l>e <?O23.<iemried to death, and a pension of 1O cro'wsiss -month.—^Vendetta.' The ai-ch-priest, havTLxi^^- s^oex-tained that the image really had been s.l>:s-fc2rss,<s-fc;ed, communicated the strange epistle to -fe13..& <3.elegate, Monsignor Giordani. Instead of* se=wls:ii3g at once for the writer of the letter, this «iS_^s^zs3.taj.-y applied to Rome for orders and the Pope, :£fearlng the total loss of the image, and the &££&czrk; ±ihta.t would be produced among the people, <3.5.-Br-^^csf;ed that the first condition of the bandit srioxxld. be accepted, but that the other two shoixlti isr^J «<sted. Vendetta having learned this resolntlon. spi-ead among the people of Velletri tlxe news of the l'obbers of the image, which the oXersr^^v of the cathedral had kept secret, and he wx-ot-^ "fc-o the clergy that he would be content vsdL'fcjfcs. ixxipunity for himself and with 500 crowns 3>aid down. On Saturday the people "we-EX"fe -^?^2. masse to the church, and waited witia. ss^rxzslety for the arrival of thnt

part of the service in which the crucifixes and images are uncovered; but the veil which had covered the image of the Madonna was not removed. On Sunday the people again went to the church, but as the image was not displayed they became excited and murmured, and at jengfch some of them tore down the curtain. The rumour was then spread by friends of Vendetta that it was the Jesuits who had stolen the Madonna; and the excited people, believing the falsehood, broke into the convent occupied by the Jesuits, which is adjacent to the cathedral, and with cries of ' La Madonna nostra!' completely sacked it, and illtreated the reverend fathers. Shortly after the suffragan bishop ascended the pulpit and exhorted the people who remained in the church to be calm, but they would not listen to him. There is no garrison except 10 or 12 veterans in the town, so chat no opposition could be made.to the mob. When the bishop descended the pulpit a scarcely credible scene occurred;, the brigand Vendetta, armed with a poignard, ascended it, and thus addressed the people:—' Be patient J The good fathers are innocent. It is I who stole the Madonna. Bat I will only restore it when the Government, to whom I grant a delay till Monday evening, shall have consented to the compact I have proposed to it. Be calm, therefore, and shout.no more. I warn you, in conclusion, that my companions are armed as well as I.' What followed that harangue we have not yet learned • but a deputation of the municipality and Velletri have arrived here, and have had an interview with the Pope Orders have been issued to despatch a troop of gendarmes on horseback and a company of Swiss infantry to establish order."