Page:A Letter from Mr John Monro to the Publisher, concerning the Catacombs of Rome and Naples (IA paper-doi-10 1098 rstl 1700 0043).pdf/2

 a little off of Sant Agnese. They take their names from the Churches in their neighborhood, and seem to divide the circumference of the City without the Walls between them, extending their Galleries every where under, and a vast way from it, so that all the ground under, and for many miles about it, is said to be hollow. Now there are two sorts of Authors that run into extravagance on this subject; the one will have them made by the Primitive Christians, adding, that in the times of Persecution they liv'd, held their Assemblies, and laid up the Bodies of their Martyrs and Confessors in them. This is the account that prevails at Rome, and consequent to it there are men kept constantly at work in them. This is the account that prevails at Rome, and consequent to it there are men kept constantly at work in them. As soon as these Labourers discover a Repository, with any of the marks of a Saint about it, intimation is given to the Cardinal Treasurer, who immediately sends men of probity and reputation to the place, where they find a Palm painted or ingraven, or the Cypher Χρ, which is commonly read pro Christo, or a small round projeion in the side of the Gallery, a little below the Repository; what is within it is carry'd to the Palace. Many of these projeions we have seen open, with pieces of the Vials in them; the Glass indeed was tinur'd, and 'tis pretended that in these Vials was conserv'd the Blood of the Martyrs, which was thus laid up nigh their Bodies, towards the Head, to distinguish them from those of the other that were not call'd to the honour of laying down their lives for the faith of the Gospel. After the Labourers have survey'd a Gallery, they do up the entry that leads into it; thus most of them are shut; nor are more left open than what is necessary to keep up the trade of shewing them to Strangers, which they say is done to prevent what has open happen'd, I mean peoples losng themselves in these subterraneous Labyrynths; by this condu depriving us of the means of knowing