258

THE DECLINE AND PALL

CHAP.

LX1X.

Inconstan-cy of su-perstition.

apostles. A rare prodigy is once recorded, thattwo horses, belonging to the archbishops ofMentz and Cologne , repassed the Alps, yet ladenwith gold and silver: h but it was soon under-stood, that the success, both of the pilgrims andclients, depended much less on the justice oftheir cause than on the value of their offering.The wealth and piety of these strangers were os-tentatiously displayed; and their expences, sa-cred or profane, circulated in various channelsfor the emolument of the Romans.

Such powerful motives should have firmlyattached the voluntary and pious obedience ofthe Roman people to their spiritual and temporalfather. But the operation of prejudice and in-terest is often disturbed by the sallies of ungo-vernable passion. The Indian who fells thetree, that he may gather the fruit, 1 and the Arab who plunders the caravans of commerce, areactuated by the same impulse of savage nature,which overlooks the future in the present, andrelinquishes for momentary rapine the long andsecure possession of the most important bless-ings. And it was thus that the shrine of St.Peter was profaned by the thoughtless Romans;who pillaged the offerings, and wounded the pil-

* Germanici .... summarii non levatis sarcinit onusti nihilominusrepatriant inviti. Nova res! quando hacteuus aurum Roma refudit ?Et nunc Koraanorum consilio id usurpatum non credimus (Bernard deConsidcratione, 1. iii, c. 3, p. 437). The first words of the passage areobscure, and probably corrupt.

1 Quand les sauvages de la Louisiane veulent avoir du fruit, its con-pent 1’arbre au pied et cueillent le fruit. Voila le gouverncment des-potique (Esprit des Loix, 1. v, c. 13); and passion and ignorance arealways desposlic.