Alps and Sanctuaries of Piedmont and the Canton Ticino

{1} Vol. iii. p. 300.

{2} “I know that my Redeemer liveth.”—­“Messiah.”

{3} Suites de Pieces, set i., prelude to No. 8.

{4} Dettingen Te Deum.

{5} In the index that Butler prepared in view of a possible second edition of Alps and Sanctuaries occurs the following entry under the heading “Waitee”:  “All wrong; ‘waitee’ is ‘ohe, ti.’” He was subsequently compelled to abandon this eminently plausible etymology, for his friend the Avvocato Negri of Casale-Monferrato told him that the mysterious “waitee” is actually a word in the Ticinese dialect, and, if it were written, would appear as “vuaitee.”  It means “stop” or “look here,” and is used to attract attention.  Butler used to couple this little mistake of his with another that he made in The Authoress of the Odyssey, when he said, “Scheria means Jutland—­a piece of land jutting out into the sea.”  Jutland, on the contrary, means the land of the Jutes, and has no more to do with jutting than “waitee” has to do with waiting.—­R.  A. S.

{6} Treatise on Painting, chap. cccxlix.

{7} See Appendix A.

{8} Curiosities of Literature, Lond. 1866, Routledge & Co., p. 272.

{9} Ivanhoe, chap. xxiii., near the beginning.

{10} Handel’s third set of organ concertos, No. 6.

{11} “Storia diplomatica dell’ antica abbazia di S. Michele della Chiusa,” by Gaudenzio Claretta.  Turin, 1870.  Pp. 8, 9.

{12} “Storia diplomatica dell’ antica abbazia di S. Michele della Chiusa,” by Gaudenzio Claretta.  Turin, 1870.  P. 14.

{13} Handel; slow movement in the fifth grand concerto.

{14} For documents relating to the sanctuary, see Appendix B, P. 309.

{15} “Well, my dear sir, I am sorry you do not think as I do, but in these days we cannot all of us start with the same principles.”

{16} “It may be for a hundred, or for five hundred years, or for a thousand, or even ten thousand, but it will not be eternal; for God is a strong man—­great, generous, and of large heart.”

{17} “If a person has not got an appetite . . . “

{18} The waiter’s nickname no doubt was Cristo, which was softened into Cricco for the reason put forward below.—­R.  A. S.

{19} “Cricco is a rustic appellation, and thus religion is not offended.”

{20} “Religion and the magnificent panorama attract numerous and merry visitors.”

{21} “And the milk [in your coffee] does for you instead of soup.”

{22} Butler said of this drawing that it was “the hieroglyph of a lost soul.”—­R.  A. S.

{23} “Dalle meraviglie finalmente che sono inerenti al simulacro stesso.”—­Cenni storico-artistici intorno al santuario di Oropa.  (Prof.  Maurizio Marocco.  Turin, Milan, 1866, p. 329.)

{24} Marocco, p. 331.

{25} “Questa e la festa popolare di Gragha, e pochi anni addietro ancora ricordava in miniature le feste popolari delle sacre campestri del medio evo.  Da qualche anno in qua, il costume piu severo che s’ introdusse in questi paesi non meno che in tutti gli altri del Piemonte, tolse non poco del carattere originale di questa come di tante altre festivita popolesche, nelle quali erompeva spontanea da tutti i cuori la diffusive vicendevolezza degli affetti, e la sincera giovalita dei sentimenti.  Cio non pertanto, malgrado si fatta decadenza la festa della Madonna di Campra e ancor al presente una di quelle rare adunanze sentimentali, unica forse nel Biellese, alle quali accorre volentieri e ritrova pascolo appropriato il cristiano divoto non meno che il curioso viaggiatore.” (Del Santuario di Graglia notizie istoriche di Giuseppe Muratori.  Torino, Stamperia reale, 1848, p. 18.)

{26} Samson Agonistes.

{27} “Venus laughing from the skies.”

{28} Jephthah.

{29} I cannot give this cry in musical notation more nearly than as follows:- [At this point in the book a music score is given]

{30} “Such as ye are, we once were, and such as we are, ye shall be.”

{31} Lugano, 1838.

{32} Butler always regretted that he did not find out about Medea Colleone’s passero solitario in time to introduce it into Alps and Sanctuaries.  Medea was the daughter of Bartolomeo Colleone, the famous condottiere, whose statue adorns the Campo SS.  Giovanni e Paolo at Venice.  Like Catullus’s Lesbia, whose immortal passer Butler felt sure was also a passero solitario, she had the misfortune to lose her pet.  Its little body can still be seen in the Capella Colleone, up in the old town at Bergamo, lying on a little cushion on the top of a little column, and behind it there stands a little weeping willow tree whose leaves, cut out in green paper, droop over the corpse.  In front of the column is the inscription,—­“Passer Medeae Colleonis,” and the whole is covered by a glass shade about eight inches high.  Mr. Festing Jones has kindly allowed me to borrow this note from his “Diary of a Tour through North Italy to Sicily.”—­R.  A. S.

{33} Handel’s third set of organ Concertos, No. 3.

{34} “Storia diplomatica dell’ antica abbazia di S. Michele della Chiusa,” by Gaudenzio Claretta.  Turin, Civelli & Co. 1870. p. 116.

{35} “Item, ordinaverunt quod fiant mandata seu ellemosinae consuetae quae sint valloris quatuor prebendarum religiosorum omni die ut moris est.” (Claretta, Storia diplomatica, p. 325.) The mandatum generally refers to “the washing of one another’s feet,” according to the mandate of Christ during the last supper.  In the Benedictine order, however, with which we are now concerned, alms, in lieu of the actual washing of feet, are alone intended by the word.

{36} The prior-claustralis, as distinguished from the prior-major, was the working head of a monastery, and was supposed never, or hardly ever, to leave the precincts.  He was the vicar-major of the prior-major.  The prior-major was vice-abbot when the abbot was absent, but he could not exercise the full functions of an abbot.  The abbot, prior-major, and prior-claustralis may be compared loosely to the master, vice-master, and senior tutor of a large college.

{37} “Item, quod dominus abbas teneatur dare quatuor pitancias seu cenas conventui tempore infirmariae, et quatuor sextaria vini ut consuetum est” (Claretta, Storia diplomatica, p. 326).  The “infirmariae generales” were stated times during which the monks were to let blood—­“Stata nimirum tempora quibus sanguis monachis minuebatur, seu vena secabatur.” (Ducange.) There were five “minutiones generales” in each year—­namely, in September, Advent, before Lent, after Easter, and after Pentecost.  The letting of blood was to last three days; after the third day the patients were to return to matins again, and on the fourth they were to receive absolution.  Bleeding was strictly forbidden at any other than these stated times, unless for grave illness.  During the time of blood-letting the monks stayed in the infirmary, and were provided with supper by the abbot.  During the actual operation the brethren sat all together after orderly fashion in a single room, amid silence and singing of psalms.

{38} “Item, quod religiosi non audeant in Sancto Ambrosio videlicet in hospiciis concedere ultra duos pastos videlicet officiariis singulis hebdomadis claustrales non de quindecim diebus nisi forte aliquae personae de eorum parentela transeuntes aut nobiles aut tales de quibus verisimiliter non habetur suspicio eos secum morari faciant, et sic intelligatur de officiariis et de claustralibus” (Claretta, Storia diplomatica, p. 326).

{39} The two fingers are the barber’s, who lets one finger, or two, or three, intervene between the scissors and the head of the person whose hair he is cutting, according to the length of hair he wishes to remain.

{40} “Cellelarius teneatur ministrare panem et vinum et pittanciarius pittanciam” (Claretta, Stor. dip., p. 327).  Pittancia is believed to be a corruption of “pietantia.”  “Pietantiae modus et ordo sic conscripti . . . observentur.  In primis videlicet, quod pietantiarius qui pro tempore fuerit omni anno singulis festivitatibus infra scriptis duo ova in brodio pipere et croco bene condito omnibus et singulis fratribus . . . tenebitur ministrare.” (Decretum pro Monasterio Dobirluc., A.D. 1374, apud Ducange.) A “pittance” ordinarily was served to two persons in a single dish, but there need not be a dish necessarily, for a piece of raw cheese or four eggs would be a pittance.  The pittancer was the official whose business it was to serve out their pittances to each of the monks.  Practically he was the maitre d’hotel of the establishment.

{41} Here the text seems to be corrupt.

{42} That is to say, he is to serve out rations of bread and wine to everyone.

{43} “Tres denarios.”

{44} “Unam carbonatam porci.”  I suppose I have translated this correctly; I cannot find that there is any substance known as “carbonate of pork.”

{45} “Rapiolla” I presume to be a translation of “raviolo,” or “raviuolo,” which, as served at San Pietro at the present day, is a small dumpling containing minced meat and herbs, and either boiled or baked according to preference.

{46} “Luiroletos.”  This word is not to be found in any dictionary:  litre (?).

{47} “Caulos cabutos cum salsa” (choux cabotes?)

{48} “Sextaria.”

{49} “Grossos.”

{50} “Operarius, i.e.  Dignitas in Collegiis Canonicorum et Monasteriis, cui operibus publicis vacare incumbit . . .  Latius interdum patebant operarii munera siquidem ad ipsum spectabat librorum et ornamentorum provincia.” (Ducange.) “Let one priest and two laymen be elected in every year, who shall be called operarii of the said Church of St. Lawrence, and shall have the care of the whole fabric of the church itself . . . but it shall also pertain to them to receive all the moneys belonging to the said church, and to be at the charge of all necessary repairs, whether of the building itself or of the ornaments.” (Statuta Eccl.  S. Laur.  Rom. apud Ducange.)

{51} O. The seven antiphons which were sung in Advent were called O’s. (Ducange.)

{52} “Pro prioratu majori.”  I have been unable to understand what is here intended.

{53} “Carmingier.”

{54} “Primmentum vel salsam.”

{55} “Biroleti.”  I have not been able to find the words “carmingier,” “primmentum,” and “biroletus” in any dictionary.  “Biroletus” is probably the same as “luiroletus” which we have met with above, and the word is misprinted in one or both cases.

{56} “Item, priori claustrali pro sua dupla sex florinos.”  “Dupla” has the meaning “mulcta” assigned to it in Ducange among others, none of which seem appropriate here.  The translation as above, however, is not satisfactory.

{57} “Pastamderio.”  I have been unable to find this word in any dictionary.  The text in this part is evidently full of misprints and corruptions.

{58} “Ciceratam fractam.”  This word is not given in any dictionary.  Cicer is a small kind of pea, so cicerata fracta may perhaps mean something like pease pudding.

{59} Terce.  A service of the Roman Church.

{60} “Invitatorium.”  Ce nom est donne a un verset qui se chante ou se recite au commencement de l’office de marines.  Il varie selon les fetes et meme les feries.  Migne.  Encyclopedie Theologique.

{61} “Epistolam Evangelii.”  There are probably several misprints here.

{62} “Monnas.”  Word not to be found.

{63} “Sextaria.”

{64} Word missing in the original.

{65} “Borchiam.”  Word not to be found.  Borchia in Italian is a kind of ornamental boss.

{66} “Teneatur dare religiosis de carnibus bovinis et montonis decenter.”

{67} “Foannotos.”  Word not to be found.

{68} “Laganum.”

{69} “Enredullas hujusmodi”

{70} “In processionibus deferre et de sua prebenda nihil perdat vestiarium vere suum salvatur eidem sicut uni monacullo.”