The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-05-21 00:00:00

THE HOLY FIRE AT JERUSALEM.

A letter from Jerusalem, in the Monde, contains the
following curious narrative : •
The Holy Saturday of the Eastern dissident commu-
nions was again signalised this year at Jerusalem by
the afflicting spectacle of the pretended sacred fire.
Once more, by their taking the lead in this super-
stitious ceremony, the heads of the Greek, Armenian,"
and Coptic. Clergy have abused the credulity of their
followers. The Russian clergy at Jerusalem, however,
took no part in the fabrication of the schismatic
miracle. The Governor of Jerusalem had taken every
precaution to prevent disorder. A company of,
soldiers under arms were placed in the court of
the temple; , pickets of troops of the line were
posted at the points where the confusion was likely
to occur, and a . double line of soldiers stationed
round the Holy Sepulchre, and along the passages com-
municating with the principle entrance of the temple.
The utmost efforts of the military were, however,
hardly sufficient to keep free the approaches to the two
miraculous openings, close to which stood two deacons,
a Greek and an Armenian, in their dalmatics, ready to
receive the fire and communicate if to. the deputies from
the neighbouring Greek villages, who stood there with
lanterns, ready to receive the flame and carry it to
their townsmen. About two o'clock, the noisy and
inpatient crowd were somewhat silenced by the
approach of the superior of the Coptic monks, having a
chlamys of many colours thrown over his shoulders,and
on his head a tall conical cap; he was preceded by two
Mussulman porters, who made him sit down on a stone
bench near the entrance of the sepulchre, he not being
entitled to enter first. Next were seen advancing from
the choir a dozen banners, borne by stout young Greeks,
with bare tattoed arms, who took their stand in front of
the statues of the Apostles. These youths as they ad-
vanced assumed a variety of burlesque attitudes, under
the direction of a Greek priest with a white beard.
They were followed by twelve priests in rich white
dresses, and the Archbishop of Petra, all chanting the
"Kyrie eleison," and the procession, having twice made
the circuit of the sacred monument, stopped before the
door. Each of the ministers then hurriedly stripped off
his ornaments, and the prelate entered the Chapel of
the Angel ; he was immediately followed by the Greek
patriarch, and the poor Coptic abbot was thrust in
after them. The noise and confusion now attained its
height, and the soldiers had great difficulty in main-
taining their position against the multitude eager to
press forward. The miracle was not long delayed ; a
pale light was seat to issue from the two openings;,
the two deacons caught the celestial flame, and hastily
retired, followed by crowds of devotees, anxious to
light their tapers at the privileged torch. The nearer
its source the fire ,is obtained, the greater are its sup-
posed virtues. The most extraordinary powers are
attributed to this fire, and it is believed to remove all
impurities of soul and body. The chief performers
remained a short time in the Holy Sepulchre, and then
the archbishop, the patriarch, and the Copt came forth
with haggard looks, as if overcome by the scene, and
were eagerly received by their respective priests in
attendance. The farce then terminated, and the specta-
tors soon dispersed. -

The arrangement for the termination of banking
business at three o'clock on Saturdays came into
operation on Saturday last.
The Times has a leader cn the position and prospects
of an Irish brigade, in Italy, with Catholics as good. as
themselves for adversaries, and Swiss and Austrian levies
as companions in arms,
The colonial produce markets during the week have
been quiet, partly on account of the late heavy imports
and partly from the unsettled state of Continental affairs,
which prevents any revival of the foreign demand.

ASSASSINATION AT MALTA.--T 13.0 dead body of first-
class constable Serafino Zammit, aged 35, was, on the
morning of the 11th instant, found covered with wounds,
in the vicinity of Cazal Zeitun. No further particulars
concerning this cold-blooded assassination have reached
us. There can hardly be any doubt, however, that the
same villain who caused the death of Felice Dalli has
perpetrated it. Mr. Zimelli has done all that could be
done to capture Giuseppe Ebjer, the confirmed thief and
burglar, who, it is conjectured, has had a hand in both
the foul murders committed within the last fortnight.
HARES TARE THE WATER.--Itl the beginriing of last
week, while two gentlemen were fishing in Essenside
Loch, they observed something swimming across the
loch. Prompted by curiosity they got into the boat and
gave chase, and on nearing the object they were not a

little surprised to find themselves engaged in the rather
unusual pursuit of hare hunting in the water. "Puss,"
if not an experienced swimmer, showed much of her
proverbial nimbleness in the watery element, and was
not such an easy capture as her pursuers imagined, for
it was not until they had had an exciting chase for
about fifteen minutes that they were able to run her
down. No . cause whatever was apparent for her
venturing on this fatal aquatic excursion.—Scotsman.
RELIGIOUS REFORMS IN RUSSIA.—A letter from
Odessa, dated April 29, says :—" Russia is at the
present moment accomplishing two religious reforms.
The first is a careful translation into the Russian
language of the Holy Scriptures and the prayers of
the church. Hitherto the old Sclaironic tongue was
_ _

the language used, and as the Latin in the Roman
church 'is a dead letter to 'the congregation, so the
Sclave has been to the Russians. The translation of
both old and ne,w testaments had already
.been corn?:
menced. The second reform is the abolition of the
seminaries, where up to the present not only the priests
themselves .reccOed their education, but were obliged
to bring up their children. The male portion of the
family ivas thus compelled, to adopt the sacerdotal pro-
fession, whether they were so disposed or not. Thus
the priestly character was rendered in Russia purely
hereditary as well as compulsory. Those young per-
sons who were admitted, notwithstanding their not
being children of any priest, had to embrace the pro-
fession nolens volens. In place of the seminaries which
are now to be abolished, it is proposed to have a theo-
logical faculty in all the universities, so that persons
may have it in their own power to choose the vocation
they ar© to purauo, and not bo made psicata by foroo."
REPORTERS IN A " Flx."—Several reporters attended
an inspection by General Pennefather,' in the Fulwood
Barracks, and were busy recording the complimentary
address of the inspecting. officer, when the general
, suddenly stopped, and was understood to exclaim,
"There are those with the books, or I intended
,to say more to you:" The reporters were immediately
ordered to "be off ;", and before they could sufficiently
recover from their astonishment to obey the command,

the troops approached in double quick time, .and the
knighti of the pencil retired before the advancing lines ;
but before they could make good their retreat they were
taken in charge by a burly serjeant and three privates,
who, with bayonets fixed, insisted upon their at once
leaving the barracks. As no explanation was given of
this strange proceeding, it is a very natural inference,
that the bold general had learned from experience to
doubt if his speeches looked well in print.—West Sussex
Gazette.

KOMETIIING LIKE A PRESENT.-It will be remembered

that, in the late cruise of the Euryalus, Capt. Tarleton,
his Royal Highness Prince Alfred paid a visit to Alei-
andria to the Viceroy of Egypt, Said Pacha. His High-
ness, as an expression of his gratification on the occasion,
sent on board the Euryalus, for the use of the officers
aud crew, the following bountiful supply of provisions,
vis.: —Beef, 17,490 1b..; sheep, 132; turkeys, 132 ;
fowls, 1,660; bread, 66,000 loaves; butter, 3961 b.; tea,
2001 b.; coffee, 1,8151 b.; sugar, 3,3001 b.; pickles, 400
bottles; salad oil, 330 bottles; milk, 396 gallons; nut
kernels, 132 gallons ; raisins, 33 drums ; maccaroni,
1,4001 b. ; apple juice, 66 gallons ; pear juice, 33 gal-
lons ; pigeons, 200 ; rice, 6,2701 b. ; lemons, 3;000 ;
radishes, 300 lb. ; sage,. 601 b. ; eggs, 9,300 ; tobacco,
3601 b. ; ' spinach and leeks, 3,300 ; limes, 500 ; onions,
1,500 ; turnips, 3001 b, ; carrots, 6001 b. ; treuatrusses,
1,3001 b.; pumpkins, 33 cwt. ; celery, 1,3001 b. ; cab-
bages, 3,000 ; beet root, 3001 b. ; cauliflowers, 1,000 ;
artichokes, 1,0001 b.; lettuce, 1,0001 b.; gee, a kind of
butter, 50 cwt.; parsley, 1701 b. ; mint, 1701 b. ; pota-
toes, 3,0001 b.; anchovies, 30 bottles ; capers, 30 bottles;
olives, 20 bottles; live bulloeks, 4.

BEATING TII E BOUNDS •IN WESTMINSTER.—The

ancient custom of perambulating the parish boundaries
was performed the other day by the parochial officials
of the parishes of St. George's, Hanover-square, and St.
Martin's-in-the-Fields, and, in consequence of au ar-
rangement previously effected, under the sanction of the
Queen, that a meeting of the two parishes should take
place in the Palace-gardens, and as it was reported that
her Majesty would honour them with her presence,
there was, as might be anticipated; sufficient interest
attached to this unusual incident to oecaion a numerous
body of th.e people to assemble outside Buckingham-
palace. Precisely at three o'clock, the proces,sion
arrived at the Victoriarroad, where they. were met by
the officials of St. Martin's, accompanied by about
1,000 school children of that parish. The two proces-
sions proceeded to the boundary stones inside the Palace-
gardens, where they halted, drew up in line, and sang
the National Anthem; the voices of the numerous
children having a most pleasing effect. The Queen was
seen at one of the windows; and shortly afterwards,
accompanied by several members of the Royal Family,
presented herself on the balcony, bowed, and appeared
to be particularly interested in the pauper children,
who cheered her Majesty with great gusto. Her
Majesty retired amidst three hearty cheers, and -the .
processions departed to their respective destinations.