The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-12 00:00:00

Te Deurn at the Greek Church.

The small but important community of Greek
merchants in London manifested their fidelity to
George 1., the second King of Greece, by causing a
grand 1e Deum to be sung yesterday in honour of
his Majesty at the Greek Church in London Wall,
on which occasion the King kindly honoured his
subjects dwelling in London by his presence.
The church is a small but well-built edifice in the
Byzantine style, having a high vaulted roof. It was
erected about 20 years since by the Greek residents
of London, who bought the ground and expended
altogether about £20,000 in the work. In order to
accommodate a tithe of the applicants for admission
a gallery was erected at the end of the church oppo-
site the altar, but the other arrangements were, we
believe, the same as on ordinary occasions, except
that the pillars supporting the gallery on either side
were entwined with white and red roses, intermixed
with gilt laurel leaves, the same moans of decoration
being continued round the arches above the galleries.
The front of the gallery erected for the occasion was
draped with crimson cloth, and decorated with gilt
ornaments, and in the centre was the following in-
scription, " copros BaoLX 7,c raw (XXiivcov—Zrp-co,''
(" Live George King of the Greeks.") Besides the
decorations already alluded to, at the top of the
pillars and between the arches were the flags of
England, Denmark, and Greece entwined, the Greek
flag in the centre. As a further and symbolical
sign of welcome, though somewhat a novel mode to
English eyes, the carpet with which the floor of the
church is covered, and also the steps leading to the
altar, were strewn with laurel and bay leaves and
sprigs of rosemary. The altar-screen of the church
is ornamented with some beautiful paintings of
scriptural subjects in accordance with the usual
custom in the Greek churches, where graven images,
with the exception of that of the cross, are not
allowed, but where pictures are freely displayed,
and are held in such high honour that they are
lavishly ornamented with gold and precious stones.
In front of the altar were two beautiful gilt stands
holding three tall wax tapers, while behind these
were fixed two silver censors or lamps.

It had been proposed to erect a throne for the
accommodation of the King, but on this fact be-
coming known to his Majesty, he, with becoming
modesty, declined to assent to this arrangement, and
expressed his intention to stand during the service,
in accordance with the orthodox practice of the
Church in the kingdom of Greece, one of the three
branches of " The Holy Orthodox Catholic and
Apostolic Church." Thus, then, it resulted that the
only arrangement made for the King's aceomoda-
tion was the placing of a simple hearth-rug on the
floor of the church in front of the pillars supporting
the gallery to the left of the altar. As we have in-
timated, the applications for admission made to the
members of the committee were exceedingly nume-
rous, but, with a view to the proper accommodation
of those to whom the favour was granted, the
number of tickets issued was very limited. The
principal portion of the ladies were assigned places
in the newly-erected gallery, while others were
accommodated in one of the side galleries. The
spaces beneath two of the galleries were occupied
exclusively by gentlemen ; while the gallery on the
left of the altar was also devoted to the use of the
male portion of the congregation, it being custo-
mary in the Greek churches to separate the sexes
Amongst the gentlemen present were M. Thorben
de Bille, the Danish Minister in London ; Count
Putiatine ; Mr. Hazlewood, chairman of the Greek
bondholders. The following members of the Phil-
hellenic Committee were also present :—The Earl of
Coventry, Vice-Admiral Burney, ),Ir. Jas. \Vyld,
51. p., Mr. J. F. Maguire, ALP. (vice-presidents),
Mr. John Locke, M.P., Mr. J. Pope Hennessy,
M.p., with the Hon. Secretary Stephanos Xcnos,
and the Secretary Mr. J. F. O'Brien. Tho only
gentleman who wore the Greek costume was M.
Clavas, of Cephalonia. The point as to dress was,
as we understood, decided by his Majesty, who had
suggested that simple English costume would be
more desirable than the gaudy Greek habit. Among
those present was also M. Eugenius Popoff, the
priest of the Russian Church in London, wearing a
clerical robe, and displaying the insignia of several
orders and other decorations. He, however, took
no part in the ceremony.
As the doors had been opened at 10 o'clock,
the majority of the congregation were in their
places beforo 11, shortly after which hour the
Archimandrito Morphinou, the officiating minister
of the church, appeared at the centre opening of the
altar-screen, from which a gorgeous screen was
drawn aside, and recited some portions of the
psalms and some short prayers, in which duty be
was assisted by M. A gathides, the reader of the
church. At the appearance of the archimandrite,
a buzz of emversation, which had been going
was instantly hushed, and the utmost 61 e
abort service
was paid to the sacred words.
ti
lasted about a quarter of an hourl,i:t
1e I;:eirt)
uz tz
of con-
lie priest
retired within-the altar-screen, out
time
s
t afterwards
versation was renewed. In
d haor
requested those per.
M. Morphinos reappeared, an
sons present, who r
t diSS;d to be exuberanting
to the on
in their demonstrations
that the building
his arrival, to consider
a church, and always within
whi
11 ch they wee
r !"... had
b
hc that they
ii?, a church. t?d therefore