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24 June 1910 — Mezzaratta, Bologna | |
Friday. 24th [June 1910]. Quiet day as usual– We sat on the terrace overlooking Bologna & the plain most of the day. Joined by the “Fraticello” at meals from the city. He entertained us with descriptions of the superstitions of the populace here & the inventions of the priest for exacting money wh he declares goes on more than ever. In San Petranico even today there is a penitence imposed by the priests that a certain prayer should be recited 80 times while 4 candles are burnt. The penitent goes round these candles & while he gabbles his “pater” or “ave” & in order to keep count of the mumbles of them he throws away a pellet of paper each time—having duly filled his pocket with the right number. Should he fail to get thro’ this required number before the candles have burnt down—all his trouble has been in vain & he must begin again with fresh candles! The power of a priest is greater than ever—more especially now that the Catholic banks have been started by the Jesuits who advance sums of money to people in order to get them in their power when not repaid. Any body can borrow money at these banks if they have obtained the signature of a priest to their demand. So we passed the time peacefully—Donna Laura with her embroidery. As she sat there in a white gown with a light white shawl over her head to keep off the draughts she looked so like a picture of a Lady Abbess that I gave her that name & she completed the idea by dubbing me Suor’ Angelica—the Villa itself is really the old secularised Church of Mezzaratta—half of which remains with its frescos more or less intact. Donna Laura had arranged it nicely with a few stalls with wood panells & some long tables—so the idea of being a Convent with the Reverend Madre Abbessa, the Suor’ Angelica & the Fraticello seemed a natural one– As we are all three of us very anticlerical it was the more amusing. | |
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