_ 21 Author's Note._--"There are at Rome even now several churches which had formerly been pagan temples, and thirty-nine of them have been built on the foundations of such temples."--_Marangoni_, pp. 236-268. There is no country in Europe where similar examples are not found. It is necessary to remark, that all these transformations began at the end of the fifth century.
_ 22 Author's Note._--At Rome four churches have pagan names, viz:--_S. Maria Sopra Minerva_, _S. Maria Aventina_, _St Lorenzo in Matuta_, and _St Stefano del Cacco_. At Sienna, the temple of Quirinus became the church of _St Quiricus_.
_ 23 Translator's Note._--And still more to their corruption.
_ 24 Translator's Note._--Christ has said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."--Matt. xi. 28-30. I would ask the learned author, whether these words of our Saviour are not sufficiently mild, tender, and consoling, and whether there was any necessity to _consecrate_ some new ideas in order to temper their severity?
_ 25 Author's Note._--Amongst a multitude of proofs I shall choose only one, in order to show with what facility the worship of Mary swept away in its progress the remnants of Paganism which were still covering Europe:--Notwithstanding the preaching of St Hilarion, Sicily had remained faithful to the ancient worship. After the council of Ephesus, we see eight of the finest Pagan temples of that island becoming in a very short time churches dedicated to the Virgin. These temples were, 1. of Minerva, at Syracuse; 2. of Venus and Saturn, at Messina; 3. of Venus Erigone, on the Mount Eryx, believed to have been built by Eneas; 4. of Phalaris, at Agrigent; 5. of Vulcan, near Mount Etna; 6. the Pantheon, at Catania; 7. of Ceres, in the same town; 8. the Sepulchre of Stesichorus.--V. _Aprile Cronologia Universale di Sicilia_. Similar facts may be found in the ecclesiastical annals of every country.
_ 26 Translator's Note._--The time when the church is to accomplish this purification has, alas! not yet arrived.