The Holy Coat of Treves.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6146, 19 August 1891, Page 3

The Holy Coat of Treves.

- ~— — ♦— Chambers' " Book of Days " gives the following account of fche Holy Coat, to see which vast, numbers areab present pilgrimaging to Treves : — "The ancient arehiepiscopal city of Treves, on fche Moselle, is remarkable for possessing among its cathedral treasures, the coafc reputed to be that worn by the Saviour afc his execution, and for which the soldiers casb lots. Its history is curious,, and a certain antiquity is connected with it, as with many othor ' relics ' exhibited in the Roman Catholic Church, and which gives them an interest irrespective of their presumed sacred character. This coat was the gift of the famed Empress Helena, the mother of Constantino the Great, and th© ' discoverer ' of. so largo a number of memorials of the founders of Christianity. In her days Treves was the capital of BelgicGaul, and the residence of thelaterßomanEmperors; it is recorded fchafc she converted her palace into the cathedral, and endowed it with this treasure — the seamless coafc of the Saviour. Thab ifc was a treasure to the cathedral and city is apparent from the records of great pilgrimages performed ab intervals during fcho middle ages, when this coafc was exhibited; each pilgrim offered money to fche shrine, and fche town was euriched by their general expenditure. Uahke othor famed relics, this coafc was always exhibited spaiingly. The Church generally displays its relics at intervals of a- few years, but the holy coafc was only seen once in a century ; it was then put away by tho chief authorities of the cathedral in som© secret place known only fco a fow. In Murray's Handhook for Travellers, 1841, ifc is said, ' The oxistence of this relic, at present, is rather doubtful— afc least, ifc is nofc visible ; the attendants of fche church say ft is walled up.' All doubts were soon after removed, for in 1844 the . Archbishop Arnoldi announced a centenary jubilee, afc which the holy coafc. was to be exhibited. Ifc produced a great effect, and Treves exhibited such scenes as would appear rather to belong fco the fourteenth than fche ainoteenth century. Pilgrims came from all quarters, many in largo bands preceded by banners, and marshalled by their village priests. Ib was impossible to lodge the great mass of these foofc-sore travellers, and they slepb on inn stairs, in outhouses, or even in tho streets, with their wallets for their pillows. By the first dawn they took . up their posfc by tho cathedral doors ; and long bofore these were opened, a line of many hundreds was added ; sometimes the line was more than a mile in length, and few persons could reach the high altar where tho coafc was placed in less lime than three hours. The intense heat, dust, and fatigue were too much for many, who fainted by the way; yeb hour after hour a denße throng passed round the interior of fche cathedral, made their oblation, and retired. The coafc is a loose garment with wide sleeves, vory simple, in form, of coarse material, dark brown in colour, probably the result of its age, and entirely without; seam or decoration. The dimensions given state that tho coafc measures froni the extremity of each sleeve, 5 feefc 5 inches ; the length from collar to the lowermost edge being 5 feet 2 inches. In parts it is tender, or threadbare ; and somo few stains upon ifc are reputed to be those of tho Redeemer's blood. Ifc is reputed to have worked many miracles in the way of oures, and its efficacy has never been doubted in Treves. The eclat which might have attended the exhibition of 1844 was destined to an opposition from the priestly ranks of the Roman Catholic Church itself. Johann Ronge, who already had become conspicuous as a foremost man among the reforming clergy of Germany, addressed an eloquent epistle to the Archbishop of Treves, indignantly denouncing a resuscitation of tho superstitious observances of the middle oges. This letter produced much effect, and so far excited the wrath of Rome, thafc Ronge was excommunicated ; but he was far from weakened thereby. Before fche January of the following yoar he was at tho head of an organised body of Catholics prepared to deny fche supremacy of Rome ', bufc the German Governments, alarmed afc the spread of freedom of opinion, suppressed thebody thus called into vitality, and Ronge was ultimately obliged to leave his native land. In 1850 h© came fco England." The Posfc says : — The Public Works Statement has nob yet been made, and probably is nob yet finally decided upon. A good deal will turn on it, and Ministers did not desiro to risk anything by a premature disclosure as to how fchey propose to allocate the very small sum of money available for public works. When fche allocation is announced there is sure to be bitter disappointment amongst many members, and allegiance to a certain extent will be broken in several quarters. Ministers are wise nofc to risk fchis until their other measures are further advanced than at present. The bunch of carrots is nofc a large ono, but there are many eager for even a toothsome morsel, and expectation keeps them quiet. As for the Estimates thoy have mosfc certainly been brought down, bufc ifc was so long ago thafc somo of the members seem to have forgotten the fact. When Supply is sefe up for the consideration of fche Estimates, we may expect a series of ve.y long discussions. As an enormous amount of whafc is termed private members' business will necessarily be shelved very soon, we may expecfc that motions to intercept Supply will bo very frequent, and in many instances will occupy much fcime. It will be the only chance members will have of raising questions which thoy deem important. Looking at the position of the business of the session generally — the work which must be done, and the work which ought to be done — we cau see no chance of prorogation being reached for afc least another two monlhs. It will requiro fche exercise of greator lingual restraint) by membera than they have yefc shown themselves capable of if it is re; ched fchen, oven by the sacrifice of an unusual number of dtservbg innocents, whilo a great deal of essential, work will have to be hurried through. Whafc must; be considered as fast flying was done, says a Christchurch paper of a recent dale, by nine homing pigeons belonging to Mr Piper, stationmaster ab Add.ngton. The birds, seven of which are under ten months old, were liberated at Washdyke at 7 40 a.m., and arrived at Addingfcon at one minute to 9 a.m., covering the distance in lhr lOmins. This means travolling at tho rato of 1080 yds per minute, whioh is the greatest rato of speed, as far as we know, attained by pigeons in New Zealand. The death of Mr F. A. Browne, otherwise " Rolf Boldrewood " is reported from Home, whore, it is said, he had gone fco arrange for the publication of another of his stories. Ho will ever be remembered as the author of those interesting Australian stories — " Robbery Under Arms," "The Miner's Right," "Tho Colonial Reformer," and " The Squatter's Dream."