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A View of Society and Manners in Italy (1790)
A View of Society and Manners in Italy - 1790 Author:John Moore Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Letter Xlix. Rome. IN my laft, I informed you of my having been feduced almoft into idolatry, by the influence of example, and the pomp Which furrounded th... more »e idol. I muft now confefs that I have actually bowed the knee to Baal, from mere wantonnefs. We are told that, to draw near to that Being, who ought to be the only object of worfhip, with our lips, while our hearts are far from him, is a mockery, Such daring and abfurd hypocrify I fhall always avoid: but to have drawn near to him, who ought not to be an object of worfhip, with the lips only, while the heart continued at a diftance, I hope will be confidered as no more than a venial tranfgreflionu In fhort, I truft,t truft, that it will not be looked on as a mortal fin in Proteftants to have kifled the Pope's toe. If it fhould, fome of your friends are in a deplorable way as you fhall hear.—It is ufual for ftrangers to be pre- fented to his Holinefs, before they leave Rome. The Duke of Hamilton, Mr. Kennedy, and myfelf, have all been at the Vatican together, upon that important bufinefs. Your young acquaintance Jack, who, having now got a commiffion in the army, confi- ders himfelf no longer as a boy, defired to accompany us. We went under the aufpices of a certain ecclefiaftic, who ufually attends the Englifh on fuch occafions. He very naturally concluded, that it would be moft agreeable to us to have the circumftance of kiffing the flipper difpenfed with. Having had fome converfation, therefore, with his Holinefs, in his own apartment, while we remained in another room, previous to our introduction; he Vol. II. E afterwardsafterwards returned, and informed us, that the Pontiff, indulgent to the prejudices of the Britifh nation, did not infift on that part of the ceremonial ; and therefore a very low bow, on our ...« less