[Footnote 14: Such was the prevailing terror, that one body of 6000
under René surrendered to a French officer who had hardly 500 men with
him.]

[Footnote 15: The priests had an image of the Virgin Mary at this place,
which they exhibited to the people in the act of shedding tears, the
more to stimulate them against the impious Republicans. On entering the
place, the French were amused with discovering the machinery by which
this trick had been performed; the Madonna's tears were a string of
glass beads, flowing by clockwork within a shrine which the worshippers
were too respectful to approach very nearly. Little ormolu fountains,
which stream on the same principle, are now common ornaments for the
chimney-piece in Paris.]

[Footnote 16: The _Santa Casa_, or _holy house_ of Loretto, is a little
brick building, round which a magnificent church has been reared, and
which the Romish calendar states to have been the original
dwelling-house of the Virgin Mary in Nazareth, transported through the
air to Italy by miracle. This was for ages the chief resort of Romish
pilgrims, and the riches of the place were _once_ enormous.]




CHAPTER VIII

Neutrality of Venice--The Archduke Charles--Battle of
Tagliamento--Retreat of the Archduke--Treaty of Leoben--War with
Venice--Venice conquered.