DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70302#0052
36
CATACOMBS OF THE ANCIENT SYRACUSANS
The undercroft or cemetery of the monastery contains
as curious a scene as any we had yet witnessed. We en-
tered it by a flight of steps, through a trap-door in the
nave of the chapel, and found it as light as the place we
had just left, having windows in the vaulted roof. But
our attention was immediately called off from other mat-
ters to an assemblage of venerable personages arranged
along the wall, in niches formed for the purpose; they
were all dressed in the habit of St. Francis, and at first
sight had the appearance of life; but on close examina-
tion their skin appeared dry, shrivelled, and as hard as
wood. Some of them had been dead nearly two centu-
ries ; many were decorated with long flowing beards, but
others had none, -whether fallen off by time or the fashion
of the age they lived in I cannot say; the monks of the
present day being distinguished by a profusion of that or-
nament. Besides the bodies of the monks we saw those
of the nobility and gentry who could afford the expence
of this mode of sepulture, for the worthy monks do not
permit the intrusion of unhallowed laity into their society,
without receiving, besides the entrance fee, a handsome
yearly compensation for it, which is paid in various ways.
Some contribute annually a wax-candle of many pounds
weight: and should any omission of the payment occur,
the unfortunate ancestor of the defaulter is turned out of
his place to make room for another. These strangers are
generally habited in their best suits, and are laid in boxes
with lids fastened by locks, which were opened for our
inspection ; some of them had bag-wigs, ruffles and laced
coats, and presented a frightful satire on human vanity.
No ladies are admitted of this silent party. The orna-
ments of this solemn repository are entirely appropriate :
round the cornices and over the altar, which has a cruci-
fix on it, are skulls and cross bones, and over the entrance
to the chapel is this motto, Commune mori, mors nulli
parcit
CATACOMBS OF THE ANCIENT SYRACUSANS
The undercroft or cemetery of the monastery contains
as curious a scene as any we had yet witnessed. We en-
tered it by a flight of steps, through a trap-door in the
nave of the chapel, and found it as light as the place we
had just left, having windows in the vaulted roof. But
our attention was immediately called off from other mat-
ters to an assemblage of venerable personages arranged
along the wall, in niches formed for the purpose; they
were all dressed in the habit of St. Francis, and at first
sight had the appearance of life; but on close examina-
tion their skin appeared dry, shrivelled, and as hard as
wood. Some of them had been dead nearly two centu-
ries ; many were decorated with long flowing beards, but
others had none, -whether fallen off by time or the fashion
of the age they lived in I cannot say; the monks of the
present day being distinguished by a profusion of that or-
nament. Besides the bodies of the monks we saw those
of the nobility and gentry who could afford the expence
of this mode of sepulture, for the worthy monks do not
permit the intrusion of unhallowed laity into their society,
without receiving, besides the entrance fee, a handsome
yearly compensation for it, which is paid in various ways.
Some contribute annually a wax-candle of many pounds
weight: and should any omission of the payment occur,
the unfortunate ancestor of the defaulter is turned out of
his place to make room for another. These strangers are
generally habited in their best suits, and are laid in boxes
with lids fastened by locks, which were opened for our
inspection ; some of them had bag-wigs, ruffles and laced
coats, and presented a frightful satire on human vanity.
No ladies are admitted of this silent party. The orna-
ments of this solemn repository are entirely appropriate :
round the cornices and over the altar, which has a cruci-
fix on it, are skulls and cross bones, and over the entrance
to the chapel is this motto, Commune mori, mors nulli
parcit