the imagination of the gross and vulgar by a pompous, shewy, and busy ritual, they readily opened the door of the christian church for admission of the processions, and tapers, and choral services; the glittering ornaments, and splendid paraphernalia, of the heathen temple. The structures raised for polytheistic worship, were converted into christian basilica; and the days dedicated to the gods of classical mythology were consecrated to christian saints and martyrs, who had obtained the posthumous honours of popish canonization. To these accommodations to the passions and prejudices of the gentile converts, the Roman Catholic clergy added an adoption of some of the heathen festal anniversaries; and as that of the Saturnalia would be most popular with the lower orders, because it reversed, for a short period, the conditions of master and slave, and gave a temporary right to those who were in thraldom and poverty, to lord it over their tyrants and oppressors, the politic priesthood carefully cherished this ancient usage, not as an indemnification for the privations and penalties imposed upon the canaille at other

seasons, but because they perceived that to rob them of a privilege which they had enjoyed from the remotest antiquity, and which was invaluable to them from its peculiar character, would prove an effectual bar to the progress of proselytism, and and final establishment of their own spreading popularity, and increasing aggrandisement.* Nay, what is more, they

afe

The Roman Saturnalia were, latterly, prolonged to a week's debauchery and folly. It was towards the close of December, that all the town was in unusual motion, and the children every where invoking Saturn. Nothing was now to be seen but tables spread out for feasting; and nothing to be heard but shouts of merriment. All business was dismissed, and none at work but cooks and confectioners: no account of expenses was to be kept; and, it appears, that one tenth part of a man's income was to be appropriated to this jollity. All exertion of mind and body was forbidden, except for the purposes of recreation; nothing to be read or recited, which did not provoke mirth, adapted to the season and the place. The slaves were allowed the utmost freedom of raillery and truth with their masters, (Horace, lib. xi. sat. 7 be sitting with them at table, dressed in their clothes p playing all sorts of tricks; telling them of their fault to their faces, which they smutted. The slaves were imaginary kings, as, indeed, a lottery determined their rank, and as their masters attended them: when

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offered their own sacred fabrics as the theatres

ever it happened that these performed their offices clumsily, doubtless with some recollection of their own misdemeanours, the slaves made their masters leap into the water head foremost. No one was allowed to be angry; and he who was played on, if he loved his own comfort, would be the first to laugh. Glasses of all sizes were to be ready; and all were to drink where and what they chose: none but the most skilful musicians and tumblers were to perform; for those people are worth nothing at all, unless they are exquisite, as the Saturnalian laws decreed. Dancing, and singing, and shouting, and carrying a Efemale musician thrice round on their shoulders, accompanied by every grotesque humour which they imagined, were indulged in that short week, which was to repay the many in which their masters had revenge for the reign of this pretended equality. Another custom prevailed at this season: the priests performed their sacrifices to Saturn bare-headed, which Pitiscus explains, in the spirit of this extraordinary institution, as designed to shew that time discovers, or, as in the present case of the bare-headed priests, uncovers all thing s.- D'Israeli's Cur. Lit. first series, v. iii. p. 254, edit. 1817. Some remnants of this feast are still to be found in Roman Catholic countries, particularly in Portugal, although the time of exercising such licence is changed from Christmas to Shrove Tuesday. On this day the liberties taken by the lower orders towards their superiors are much in the spirit of the ancient Saturnalia.

on which these Saturnalian sports should be performed; and, during the Christmas-tide, (the period when the ancient heathen feast was held,) admitted into the cathedrals and churches a rabble rout of vulgar masqueraders and wassailers; who, personating beasts, monsters, and other characters of various descriptions, indulged in every violation of order and decency; committed the most abominable excesses; travestied the most solemn services of religion; and profaned in all possible ways the consecrated piles.

The twofold charge against the Romish clergy, of thus assimilating the forms and services of the Christian faith to the classical ritual, and of encouraging the popular ridicule of sacred ordinances and religious edifices by their own example, is, it must be allowed, an accusation of a very heinous nature: but, unhappily, it is too satisfactorily authenticated, to admit of a doubt of its being justly directed against them. With respect to the first feature of this double reproach, its proofs are notoriously afforded by the Romish calendar itself, where many of their saints'

anniversaries will be found to occur on the very days which were anciently commemorative of deities and demigods and heroes; and most of its periodical feasts, with their peculiar ceremonies, will appear (from the same authority) to be fixed on the periods for the celebration of certain ancient pagan festivals; the formalities of which were also imitated, by the introduction of heathen practices into the Christian services appointed for those occasions.

In the Gemma Anima it is confessed, says Mr. Turner, that the processions with lighted tapers, on the Purification of the Virgin Mary, was adopted from the custom of the pagans; who, in the same month, always went about their cities with lights.

The feast of St. Peter ad Vincula was instituted to supersede a splendid pagan festival, celebrated every year on that day, to commemorate the victory of Augustus over Anthony at Actium.

The feast of St. Peter Epularum was another competition: a day in February, on which the pagans brought banquets to the tombs of