They show at Rochelle a few drops of it, which, as they
say, was collected by Nicodemus in his glove. In some places they have
phials full of it, as, for instance, at Mantua and elsewhere; in other
parts they have cups filled with it, as in the Church of St Eustache at
Rome. They did not rest satisfied with simple blood; it was considered
necessary to have it mixed with water as it flowed out of his side when
pierced on the cross. This is preserved in the Church of St John of the
Lateran at Rome.

Now, I appeal to the judgment of every one whether it is not an evident
lie to maintain that the blood of Jesus Christ was found, after a lapse of
seven or eight hundred years, to be distributed over the whole world,
especially as the ancient church makes no mention of it?

Then come the things which have touched the body of our Lord. Firstly, the
manger in which he was placed at his birth is shown in the Church of
Madonna Maggiore at Rome.

In St Paul's Church there are preserved the swaddling clothes in which he
was wrapped, though there are pieces of these clothes at Salvatierra in
Spain. His cradle is also at Rome, as well as the shirt his mother made
for him.

At the Church of St James, in the same city, is shown the altar upon which
he was placed at his presentation in the temple, as if there had been many
altars, according to the fashion of the Popish churches, where any number
of them may be erected. This is what they show relating to the time of
Christ's childhood.

It is, indeed, not worth while seriously to discuss whence they obtained
all this trash, so long a time after the death of Jesus Christ. That man
must be of little mind who cannot see the folly of it. There is no mention
of these things in the Gospels, and they were never heard of in the times
of the apostles. About fifty years after the death of Jesus Christ,
Jerusalem was destroyed. Many ancient doctors have written since,
mentioning fully the occurrences of their time, even to the cross and
nails found by Helena, but these absurdities are not alluded to. But what
is more, these things were not brought forward at Rome during the days of
St Gregory, as may be seen from his writings; whilst after his death Rome
was several times taken, pillaged, and almost destroyed.

Now, what other conclusion can be drawn from these considerations but that
all these were inventions for deceiving silly folks? This has even been
confessed by some monks and priests,