In describing the "fore-front" he gives a catalogue of the "bass-riliefs," from which a few extracts are made:
"1st. the Tobiolo assisted by the Angel in his jounrey to Rages, ... the second is the Angel that expells Adam and Eve from the Eden, by Carlo Maria Giudici. The two in the second order are: Daniel in the lake of the lions by the above Carabelli, and Job on the dunghill, by the above Giudici. The two upper Statues that figure Saint Bartholomew and Saint James Junior, are works by Buzzi Donelli and Buzzi Giuseppe. The Bass-Riliefs that follow aside of the Pilaster is God appearing to Moses in the ardent-brambles.... Over the great windout the Bass-Rilief representing Samuel while he oints Saul king of Israel is by Carlo Maria Giudici, and Angelo Pizzi a milanese, carved the vision of Jacob on the side of the following Pilaster. In sight of the same Moses who makes the water gush from the mountain is by Giuseppe Buzzi, and the other Bass-Rilief that is placed above, represents the prophet Elia presenting to the afflicted mother the resurrection of her Son, by Grazioso Rusca. By Canaillo Pacetti is the Statue of Saint James senior.... The Bass-Rilief over the great window represents the prophetess Debora providing captain Barach with arms.... Ornamented is the rest of the front with a great number of Statues managed with skill by intelligent Authors, and aside of the door are the Apostles Peter and Paul of ancient work and unknown Author ... as also of unknown chisel is Saul who tempts to kill David.... The Angel who assures Sampson's Father that his Wife, believed to be sterile, will generate the strongest of Israel's sons.... On reaching the fourth door one perceives in the frontispiece the Bass-Rilief that adorns it, which is by Lasagni; representing Givele that with a nail kills captain Sisara.... Esaù renouncing the primogeniture to his brother Jacob.... Over the great window is painted Agar dying with thirst, with the son of Ismael in the desert, while an Angel appears indicating a fountain to her.... The first of the other four Bass-Riliefs in view figure Gedeone preparing to fight the Madianites, and the second Sampson suffocating the lion.... The Saints Philip and Thomas placed upwards are by the egregious Pompeo Marchesi ... the second is by Ribossi, representing Absatom suspended by his hair to a tree and pierced through by Jacob."
In describing the interior, "G. P." is rather more instructive, but not quite so entertaining: however, a number of the peculiar expressions already quoted are repeated with the same confiding simplicity. A few extracts will suffice for this portion:
"The ornaments of the five doors are the designment of Fabio Mangone, ... the surprising vault a chiaro-scuro, drawn and painted in part by our milanese Felice Alberti, who in the year 1827 was ravished from the living by a fatal misfortune in the flower of his age ... in the inward columns on both sides are two very fine Statues sitting in a very melancholy action, which represent military Peace and Virtue ... under the tomb-stone is another small and genteel Bass-Rilief representing the Saviour afflicted, sustained by two little Angels.... The Altar of Santa Tecla, which is part of the left arm of the cross, or form of the Church, as is mentioned above, representing the Saint in a seraglio of wild beasts, is by the Sculptor Carlo Beretta."
Lest I should have exhausted your patience, as well as that of your readers, I will close with one more quotation, which displays what Mrs. Malaprop calls "a nice derangement of epitaphs:"
"The last altar that was seen not long since on this side was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, whose image carved in wood dated a remote antiquity, but as to the remnant nothing was found to be appreciable in sort of art."
A. R. X.
Paisley.