The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-06-28 00:00:00

DEATH OF THE PRINCE
IMPERIAL

We glean from various sources the following interesting
Items and extracts rosptcting the sad death of the Prince
Imperial, and the universal feeling of regret with which the
intelligence of the lamentable event has been received
The Times of Monday said :—" Telegrams have been
received at Chislehuret from most of the Zovereigns of
Europe, including the German Emperor and the
Crown Prince of Germany. the Emperor of Austria,
the Czar of Russia, the Queen of Wiirtemberg, the
King ot Snain and Queen Isabella, the King of
Italy. the King of Sweden, the King of Denmark ;
and from many private persons. The Pope has
sent his benediction through Cardinal Bonaparte.
The Turkish Ambassador and the Portuguese Minister
have been among the bearers of messages of con-
dolence. Our readers will be glad to learn that, in
spite of many disquieting rumours, the Empress her-
self has been well enough to take cognisance of the
expressions of sympathy made to her. Her Majesty
received on Sunday, after Mau, two of the earliest
friends of the Prince—Lieutenant Conueau and Lieu-
tenant Espinasae—who were the companions of Prince
Louis at the Tuileries, and are now in the French
Army. At midday, M. and Madame Rouher, who
bad arrived in London late the previous evening, paid
a visit to Cnislehurst, and were received by her
Majesty, not for any political object, it may well be
assumed, but to express the natural feelings of sorrow
and sympathy with the illustrious lady on whom the
shadow of the Zulu war hue fallen so darkly. At 9.30
the Empress attended Mass in the room of the Prince
Imperial. Monsignor Goddard, ot Chislehurst, offi-
ciated. Her Majesty was very much affected, and
immediately. alter service retired to her own room.
Baron Corvisart, who was for so many years the prin-
cipal physician to the Emperor, and is always at
Camden-place, issued a bulletin at 8 a. m. as follows:-
9 M. l'lmpdratrice est dans le mdme etat de profonde
douleur ; to sommeil est venu cette unit, pendant quelques

heures.'
"The slumber spoken of in the tulletin was the first
that Her Majesty had enjoyed since the news reached
her, but she had borne her great sufferings with the
most heroic fortitude, and Christian resignation, and
the statements which had considerable circulation as
to her'becoming and remaining unconscious must have
been the result of some misapprehension. The Em-
press has been suffering from a nervous contraction
of the throat, which gives her trouble in swallowing,
but has always been able to take liquid food. Nor did
she ever lose consciousness even at the moment when the
unenviable duty fell to the lot of the Duo de Biseano
to communicate to her the full tenour of the disastrous
news from the Cape. The Empress is surrounded by
many of the old adherents ot her house. Notable
among these is General Bourbeki. The Duo de
Mouchy arrived on Sunday. The Duchess de Mouchy,
born a Princess Murat and niece of the Empress, has
been with the Imperial lady for two days. The
Countess Clary and the Countess Aguado are among
those by whom her Majesty is faithfully attended.
"The principal religious functions relating to the
death of the young Prince will be solemnized on the
return of the body to England. It is not expected till
the middle of July. In addition to the mass at Camden-
house, at which the Empress was present, three masses
were solemnized yesterday at Chialehurst Catholic
Church, at each of which referenee was made to the
event which has filled this pleasant country village with
mourners. A constant procession of black-clad visitors
from London and Paths passed from the station to the
gates of Camden-house and thence across the common,
all golden with the gorse which Linnreas thanked
God for, to the little chapel. Toe building
is of Kentish rag without ornamentation, and is
situated in the midst of tall lime trees, beeches, and
flowering laburnums,. Within, the walls are plain,
only relieved by the stations of the Cross in eoloured
terra-cotta. The gorgeous Paschal ornamentations
have been removed—the satin curtains offered by the
Empress. the carpet woven by ladies of France.
A few flowers decorated the walla, and there were
roses and peones among the tapers on the altar, where
the chalice or the gold monstrance was the only orna-
ment. Above it the light came through a rose window,
In which the Virgin in painted glass supported her child
on her knees. A perpetual lamp was suspended from
the roof. The swinging censer made the air faint and
heavy. Within the sanctuary stood a chair draped
In black. It was one of three reserved for the Em-
peror, the Empress, and their son. Now two of them
will be always vacant. Another chair in the mortuary
chapel at the side where, in the great marble sarco-
phagus presented by our Queen, the body of the third
Napoleon reposes, was also draped in black. There
were no other sable hangings. Indeed, the altar
furniture was white and gold, for yesterday was the
festival of the Sacred Heart. From this building
three times yesterday the Angelus rang, and as many
times a numerous and attentive congregation gathered,
first at 8.30, again at eleven, and for the last time
at half-past three. Monsignor Goddard said the
first mass, and afterwards proceeded to Camden.
house, where a temporary altar had, with the
sanction of the Bishop, been erected in the Prince's
room. A prie-dieu was placed just before the
altar for Her Majesty, and she was surrounded by
her immediate attendants. The Moueignor returned
to the church for the mass of the day at eleven o'clock.
The ceremonial commenced with the asperges, or
sprinkling holy water among the faithful; the mass
for the festival of the Sacred Heart was said by
Father Wale. At the end of the mass Monsignor
Goddard came into the sanctuary and went at once
into the pulpit. He announced that the mass for the
repose of the soul of the Prince Imperial would be said
to-day ateleven, and alter reading this and ether notices,
he said a few words to his flock, evidently unpreneedi-
tated, and spoken from the heart with much emotion.
The parishioners, on their part, were deeply affected.
It would be easily understood, the Monsignor said, that
his whole duty that morning coneisted in asking them to
pray eArnestly for the Prince and for the Empress—
for the dead eon aol for the childless mother. In his
anxiety about the Prince, knowing the dangers to
which he would ne, es,arily bi ex oaseel by circum-
stances and by his own daring, he himself wrote to
his Imperial Highness, and reminded him that it was
the season of the year in which every Catholic ap-
proached the altar and performed his sacred religious
duties. He added that he was afraid lest in the hurry
of preparation for his departure this should have
escaped his memory. In replying with his usual
gentleness, the Prince wrote these words in French
"I thank you, Monsieur le Cure, for the letter you have
been kind enough to write to me. It proves once again the
love you bear me; but I um anxious tti.tt you should not
believe that the hurry of my departure or the care of its do-
tails should make me forget my duties as a Christian. I
will present myself to-morrow morning at eight o'clock to
receive for the last time the Holy Communion in the
church of Chislaurst, where I desire to be placed when I
die.'
"The next morning thePrinoe came and went through
the most solemn duties of life. He knelt by his father's
tomb, prayed for a little while, kissed it, and left
Chislehurst for the lasttime—till he should be brought
back to it dead. They must all pray for him, because,
although he was a Christian in life and a Christian
soldier in death,y et faith taught them that absolute
purity in needful for the soul before it can stand before
the Throws of God.
"Many who had been desirous to attend were excluded
from the service in the afternoon at half-past three.
After Moneignor Goddard had said a short prayer
before the altar, Faber's hymn, 'Heart of the holy
child,' was sung by the congregattcn and the choir,
chanting from the far end of the church. The Mons
signor then went to the pulpit and recited the tscte of
faith, hope, and charity, and gave his usual ogee-be-
g/sal instruction, which happened be on that article a
tka, creed which relates to the communion of souls.
The Lit-f.. 47 of the Holy Name was then said, and the
same payee Lac the Prince recited as in the morning.
The service goAcilutql, with the usual long benedictum,
in which the village gb4.4r 4santed excellently."

Large numbers of persons arrticclat Chislehurat
airing Sunday, An d many Ladies and g,e4lernen of
distinction called at Camderrhoube to ezpre;;;a their
regret and ,loodolence with the Enapreos in her &g
Borrow.

PULPITR"Ei,EITSAV TO THE PRINCE'S DEATH.
On Sunday in all tbe EnWit
n Catholic churches be.
longing to the Archdiocese of •Wostminster allusion
was made to the death of the FrlsiGo ,rtc.iperial, and
the prayers of the faithful were requestat • ;.•,'.; each of
the services for the repose of his soul. At the Irr.exp
church of Wotre Dime de France, Leiceeter•square,
there was a very affecting scene, when, prayers being
requested for the rccov, oi the soul of the late Prince
and for the Empress in44r present condition, many
of the congregation were mo,vo te tears. At the
Jesuit Church, Faun-street, the kco ras alluded to
Ds being a faithful Catholic, and prayers' ware 5i..14 for
the guapress. At the special request of Or." p9,nea,
Itoroap Cstholio Bishop of Southwark, in whilfie
diocese Ohiaohurst is situated, the prayers el the
faithful were kfe.reci me for Prince Louis Napolecra,
and at St. George's LeektaNe,dral the "Dead March," in
Saul, was played after the R.:, gh Mse. The Bishop of
Southwark officiated in the C;onicc,h of the Sacred
/Inert, Camberwell, and during -tbe_eeeviee the
preacher, the Rev. Harrington Moose, 14.4.9 .0; t 63
pro-Catia,edral, Kensington, alluded to Like cad oviktil.
He said tll;.t.dming the past few days a gkont ita,d
fallen upon this eopntry and a disaster had occurred
to a great cause, wt, which, though it was nene of
theirs, they could not h.cki feeling sympathy in its
misfortune. In a great house in tttediocese there was
a home of sorrow, wherein an •4k:fit:jetty lady
mourned over the loss of her only son. While ,they
prayed for the repose of the soul of the Princa, he
begged them also to remember ixt their prayers the
sorrowing mother.

On Sunday morning, the Brigade of Lilo auysl ;sia,val
Volunteer Artillery, some of whom had come ap :pp
Brighton to the parade mustered on the Thames Embank-
numbering about 300, under the command of their
Lleutens,, Viscount Ashley, and marched to Westminster
Abbey. The W.etr. Dr. Lee, chaplain of the corps, met the
brigade outside, an..l fi,•companied them into the Abbey.
The sermon was preached ,by Dean Stanley, who took his
tea from Psalm 107, v. 23, 24: ,I.'Th,ey that go down into the
.sea In ships, &a." After dwelling on tte value of naval
Ser,viee as a discipline, and as tending to ezll.2,rge and
Strengthen the sniud, and on the greet naval'eaptains,
L017,:e of whe,se remains Jay in the Abbey, the Dean' said :-
1 Lad written thus far -when there came the shock of the
tragicAl eyeat which has rerniutled i how, in the service
of their coautry, sailors and soldiers have but one heart
and soul, and how Sip. WO one heart mid 'soul all t0,,0 world
share. Many and strange aro the memories which eroivii on
the mind, as we hew that, Celigng under the British hag,
the Prince imperial of France has pa:A(:4 ;.waY, ny ori'e who
was in Paris on the day of his birth can ne.v,3r fcir'eet the
moment when, in the early dawn of that 6unclay worn-
a were roused by the s-nnad of the cannon which
annolincc 0.,.2.0 birth of a child, and the feeling of which
deepened la tiA continuance of the volleys anhounced
that the child wet a by. Every inhabitant of that vast
city was listening at the asizePhota
,c.pd the same moment
with anxious expectatton to thi'lding-pge:Arnotod thunder
e artillery, which told us that "Snothir
was iikcp to the Empire, another prop to I 'tfiliov
dynsfity, a 1442 complication for the future of France.
We heard as yeakeiro44l on of the love of his parents to this
one hope of their'liv'es—"-s, de-,-ction unchanged amidst the
risissitndes of all the world belside.' tip heard of the boy at
c;;.ildhood's play building castles in tteliazu; tlis well-
nown iesc,rt on the shores of the Atlantic. We heard ic4 hYa
'faithful Englis4 nurse and her good advice to hint.' We
watched him yet later4zsed to and fro in the rack and rain
of the Imperial House at Gravelotte and Sedan. We heard
of him after his arrival in this country suddenly called to his
lather' death bed, and gathering up his boyish energies to
offer with a,ferce strangely beyond' his years a few words of
agonlsed prayer as he knelt by the lifeless corpse. We learned