Astheseventeenthcenturywenton，ingenuityinallpartsofEuropeseemeddevotedtonewdevelopmentsoffetichism。AverycuriousmonumentofthisevolutioninItalyexistsintheRoyalGalleryofPaintingsatNaples，wheremaybeseenseveralpicturesrepresentingthemeasurestakentosavethecityfromtheplagueduringtheseventeenthcentury，butespeciallyfromtheplagueof1656。OneenormouscanvasgivesacuriousexampleofthetheologicaldoctrineofintercessionbetweenmanandhisMaker，spunouttoitslogicallength。Inthebackgroundistheplague-strickencity：intheforegroundthepeopleareprayingtothecityauthoritiestoaverttheplague；thecityauthoritiesareprayingtotheCarthusianmonks；themonksareprayingtoSt。
Martin，St。Bruno，andSt。Januarius；thesethreesaintsintheirturnareprayingtotheVirgin；theVirginpraystoChrist；
andChristpraystotheAlmighty。Stillanotherpicturerepresentsthepeople，ledbythepriests，executingwithhorribletorturestheJews，heretics，andwitcheswhoweresupposedtocausethepestilenceof1656，whileintheheavenstheVirginandSt。JanuariusareintercedingwithChristtosheathehisswordandstoptheplague。
Insuchanatmosphereofthoughtitisnowonderthatthedeathstatisticswereappalling。Wehearofdistrictsinwhichnotmorethanoneintenescaped，andsomewereentirelydepopulated。
SuchappealstofetichagainstpestilencehavecontinuedinNaplesdowntoourowntime，thegreatsavingpowerbeingtheliquefactionofthebloodofSt。Januarius。In1856thepresentwritersawthismiracleperformedinthegorgeouschapelofthesaintformingpartoftheCathedralofNaples。Thechapelwasfilledwithdevoutworshippersofeveryclass，fromtheofficialsincourtdress，representingtheBourbonking，downtothelowestlazzaroni。Thereliquaryofsilver-gilt，shapedlikealargehumanhead，andsupposedtocontaintheskullofthesaint，wasfirstplaceduponthealtar；next，twovialscontainingadarksubstancesaidtobehisblood，havingbeentakenfromthewall，werealsoplaceduponthealtarnearthehead。Asthepriestssaidmasses，theyturnedthevialsfromtimetotime，andtheliquefactionbeingsomewhatdelayed，thegreatcrowdofpeopleburstoutintomoreandmoreimpassionedexpostulationandpetitionstothesaint。Justinfrontofthealtarwerethelazzaroniwhoclaimedtobedescendantsofthesaint’sfamily，andthesewereespeciallyimportunate：atsuchtimestheybeg，theyscold，theyeventhreaten；theyhavebeenknowntoabusethesaintroundly，andtotellhimthat，ifhedidnotcaretoshowhisfavourtothecitybyliquefyinghisblood，St。CosmoandSt。Damianwerejustasgoodsaintsashe，andwouldnodoubtbeverygladtohavethecitydevoteitselftothem。Atlast，ontheoccasionabovereferredto，thepriest，turningthevialssuddenly，announcedthatthesainthadperformedthemiracle，andinstantlypriests，people，choir，andorganburstforthintoagreatTeDeum；bellsrang，andcannonroared；aprocessionwasformed，andtheshrinecontainingthesaint’srelicswascarriedthroughthestreets，thepeopleprostratingthemselvesonbothsidesofthewayandthrowingshowersofroseleavesupontheshrineanduponthepathbeforeit。Thecontentsofthesepreciousvialsareaninterestingrelicindeed，fortheyrepresenttousvividlythatperiodwhenmenwhowerewillingtogotothestakefortheirreligiousopinionsthoughtitnotwrongtosavethesoulsoftheirfellowmenbypiousmendacityandconsecratedfraud。Tothescientificeyethismiracleisverysimple：thevialscontain，nodoubt，oneofthosemixturesfusingatlowtemperature，which，whilekeptinitsplacewithinthecoldstonewallsofthechurch，remainssolid，butuponbeingbroughtoutintothehot，crowdedchapel，andfondledbythewarmhandsofthepriests，graduallysoftensandbecomesliquid。Itwascurioustonote，atthetimeabovementioned，thateventhehighfunctionariesrepresentingthekinglookedatthemiraclewithawe：theyevidentlyfound“joyinbelieving。”andoneofthemassuredthepresentwriterthattheonlythingwhichCOULD