St JANUARIUS, the patron saint of Naples, where his head is occasionally carried in procession, in order to stay the eruption of Vesuvius. The liquefaction of his blood is a famous miracle at Naples. The saint suffered martyrdom about the end of the third century. When he was beheaded, a pious lady of Naples caught about an ounce of his blood, which has been carefully preserved in a bottle ever since, without having lost a single grain of its weight. This of itself, were it equally demonstrable, might be considered as a greater miracle than the circumstance on which the Neapolitans lay the whole stress, viz. that the blood which has congealed, and acquired a solid form
Januarius, January. form by age, is no sooner brought near the head of the saint, than, as a mark of veneration, it immediately liquefies. This experiment is made three different times every year, and is considered by the Neapolitans as a miracle of the first magnitude.
The substance in the bottle, which is exhibited for the blood of the saint, has been supposed to be something naturally solid, but which melts with a small degree of heat. When it is first brought out of the cold chapel, it is in its natural solid state; but when brought before the saint by the priest, and rubbed between his warm hands and breathed upon for some time, it melts; and this is the whole mystery. But Dr Moore, though he confesses himself unable to explain on what principle the liquefaction depends, is convinced that it must be something different from this: "For he had it (he informs us) from the most satisfactory authority, from those who had opportunities of knowing, and who believe no more in the miracle than the staunchest Protestant, that this congealed mass has sometimes been found in a liquid state in cold weather, before it was touched by the priest, or brought near the head of the saint; and that, on other occasions, it has remained solid when brought before him, notwithstanding all the efforts of the priest to melt it. When this happens, the superstitious, which, at a very moderate calculation, comprehends 99 in 100 of the inhabitants of this city, are thrown into the utmost consternation, and are sometimes wrought up by their fears into a state of mind which is highly dangerous both to their civil and ecclesiastical governors. It is true, that this happens but seldom; for, in general, the substance in the phial, whatever it may be, is in a solid form in the chapel, and becomes liquid when brought before the saint: but as this is not always the case, it affords reason to believe, that whatever may have been the case when this miracle or trick, call it which you please, was first exhibited, the principle on which it depends has somehow or other been lost, and is not now understood fully even by the priests themselves; or else they are not now so expert as formerly, in preparing the substance which represents the saint's blood, so as to make it remain solid when it ought, and liquefy the instant it is required."
The head and blood of the saint are kept in a kind of press, with folding doors of silver, in the chapel of St Januarius belonging to the cathedral church. The real head is probably not so fresh and well preserved as the blood. On that account, it is not exposed to the eyes of the public; but is inclosed in a large silver bust, gilt and enriched with jewels of high value. This being what appears to the people, their idea of the saint's features and complexion are taken entirely from the bust.—The blood is kept in a small repository by itself.