The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-19 00:00:00

---
52, Fleet-street. At home from 10 till 5.

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OYAL FREE HOSPITAL, Gray's-inn-road,
it, in the immediate vicinity of the Great Northern Rail-
way Terminus, King's-cross.
Patron—Her Most Gracious Majesty the QUEEN.
Vice-Patron—ll is Royal Highness the Prince of WALES, K.G
President-111s Grace the Duke of BUCCLEUCIL K.G.

This Hospital, founde 1 in the year 1828, the first to estab-
lish the principle of free admission to the sick poor, without
the delay and difficulty of Governors' orders, is wholly de-
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It affords relief to a large number of in-patients, and, in
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lestitute sick has for a considerable period averaged between
1,000 and 4,000 weekly.
The Committee earnestly solicit the ASSISTANCE of the
benevolent, as the premises of this Hospital are capable of
containing several hundred more beds, had the Committee
the requisite funds to maintain them.
Contributions are received by the Treasurer, Edward Mars •
crruan, Esq., Nicholas-lane; also by Messrs. Coutts and Co.;
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And Cu. ; Prescott, Grote, and Co.; Smith, Payne, and Co. ;
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ney, and Co. ; Nisbet and Co , Berners-street ; I. Barned and
Cl. , Liverpool ; and at the Hospital, from 10 till 5.
STANFORD BRITH, Secretary.

(From the Special Correspondent of the Times)
BRUSSELS, Dec. 16.
To-day the funeral of the late King of the Bel-
gians took place, with almost more than the royal
pomp which usually clog these mournful ceremonies,
and, what is not usual, amid the most profound
expressions of regret and sympathy on the part
his late subjects. Since I last wrote, the work of
putting the city in mourning has been going for-
ward steadily and rapidly night and day. Especially
during last night were the exhibition of these
mournful emblems hurried forward, and when the
gloomy dawn broke this morning amid the ceaseless
boom of muffled bells from every spire in the city
there was scarcely a hotse of consequence which was
not dressed with pall-hie draperies of ghastly black
and white. Even the Tery lamps were muffled over
with crape, and the necessity which thisoccasioned of
leaving the lights burning with a sickly yellow
gloom made the whole line of road from the Place
Royale to Porte Luke). look like an avenue to a
vault. Seen through the dim winter morning it
would be difficult to conceive anything more mourn-
ful in this aspect than these thoroughfares. It
seemed at the first glance not so much that a King '
was to be buried, but as if all his subjects were dead
too. Closed windows, closed shutters, black flags,
and black drapery met the eye on every side, while
the very sir was filial with indications of sorrow as
the echo of the minute guns and tolling of the muf-
fled bells came with dull reverberation from every
quarter. The great centre of the indication of
gloom and mourning was, of course, the Brussels
Palace itself. Most 'cisitors to Brussels know its
cheerful aspect as seen through the trees of the
park—it starts up brightly beyond its fine open
square. Few even of those most familiar with its
appearance could have recognised it to-day. It was
draped with black cloth almost throughout its en-
tire front. Around its main entrance the black was
dimly spangled with small golden lions, and each
porch ornamented with a temporary gilt archway
similarly draped and gilded. Along the whole length
of the balustrade in from of the windows urns were
placed filled with incenw, which as it burnt curled
up in wreaths of smoke before the Palace. Under
the main portico gilded tripods were placed laden
with the same kind of incense, till the very air in
front of the Palace was made heavy and unbearable.
All this was done before daylight, and almost with
daylight the first ranks of spectators took their
places. Early as they were, however, the great
masses of troops which kept the square and had to
take part in the procession were there before, and
had enclosed with double rows of infantry the space
allotted to the arrangement of the cortege. This duty
of keeping the ground was a mere sinecure, as far
as duty went ; for anything more orderly, or, if we
may so term it, more reverent than the demeanour
of the immense crowd could not have been desired.
Though the concourse in front of the Palace was
very dense, the footways, mailings, lamp posts, vehi-
cles, and even park trees being almost equally
crowded, yet not only way the most perfect order
observed, but the most perfect silence maintained.
In the centre of the square were squadrons of
Guides and Hussars, with companies of the Royal
Regiment of Gardes, repmesentative detachments
from the Garde Civique, both cavalry and infantry,
all with their colours shrouded in heavy crape.
Mixed in the groups of officers who commanded
there were to be seen the white uniforms of Austria,
the grey and blue dress of the Russians, the bright
scarlet of the English army, the deep blue of Prus-
sia, and officers from Wurtemburg, Saxony, Portu-
gal, and Bavaria. Some of the uniforms of the older
corps were quaint enough, exactly recalling to mind
the old grenadier costumes worn by the artillery
companies nearly two centuries ago ; but the great
mass was rich and tasteful, and looked very well,
even under the foggy chill of a Decemher morning,
and when the spectators had nothing else to look at
for some three hours.
The officials invited to take part in the ceremonies
at the Palace began to arrive soon after 9 o'clock.
As they alighted at the chief entrance they were es-
corted up the staircases, all hung with black, except
upon the landings, where the crape gloom was broken
by small hatchments, which even made the general
effect of the interior of the Palace, if possible, more
funereal than ever. Yet sombre as these wide black
unfrequented staircases at first appeared, they seemed
by contrast almost cheerful to the great saloons to
which they gave admittance. All the shutters were
closed, all theblinds and curtains drawn. A few streaky
rays of half dawn peered through them here and there,
just enough to show where tables and vases were to
be avoided, and now and then enable one to discern
the outlines of the pictures and mirrors with which
the lofty walls were garnished. Silence and darkness
seemed the rule. Occasionally the latter was dissi-
pated as some of the royal mourners passed through
the saloons to the White drawing-room, where the
body lay in state ; and from this regal chamber,
where the doors were thrown wide, came the glare
of lights from many candelabra, seeming all the
more brilliant from their contrast with the heavy
piles of velvet drapery which surrounded the coffin.
On the previous night the body had been laid in its
coffin. There were four of these, and all of great
size. The first was a very massive one of lead ; the
second and third of oak three inches thick, and lined
with lead ; the fourth and last a massive case of
ebony of great weight and thickness, but unadorned
except by a black plate with the simple inscription—
" S. M. LEOPOLD IER.,
GEORGE CHERETIEN FREDERIC,
ROI DES BELGES."

Only the immediate members of the late King's
family were present when the body was enclosed,
and the coffin at last restored to its place under the
gorgeous-looking canopy. Then all the insignia of
the orders once worn by his Majesty were removed,
and, except the paintings and mirrors of the great
White drawing-room, there was nothing to break
the monotony of dark colours amid which the bier
was left to rest.
None remained in the chamber on the morning
of the funeral. Its doors were kept shut and
guarded by equerries, for only the Royal Family
and Royal mourners were allowed to enter and
take their last look at the coffin of their illustrious
relative and say a prayer by the side of the remains
of one of the most popular Monarchs who have
lived in modern times. Their entry and depar-
ture through the great doors let out a flood
of light, sufficiently marked, but beyond these
occasional gleams the obscurity of the rooms
that adjoined it was unbroken. Before 10 the
officials had begun to assemble in the saloons,
and the few servants, their splendid liveries only
partly hid by long crape scarves, were superseded
by equerries, grooms of the chambers, and high
officials, who marshalled all to the chambers in which
they were to wait till all was ready. The Ministry,
the Ambassadors, and the Senate, occupied the
three saloons leading from the new King's private
apartments to the White drawing-room, in which
the coffin lay. Beyond this the members of the
various tribunals of law and commerce and of the
Chambers were assembled, all in official costume or
evening dress. The wearers of the latter, however,
were few and far between, for even the small mino-
rity that did not appear in uniform had their black
coats covered with orders ; and one civilian, a young
banker, wore a number of decorations that might
have excited at least the surprise of our oldest
Peninsular veterans. As the crowd of uniforms, legal,
municipal, and diplomatic, gradually filled the chief
saloons, the ice of the long silence was at last thawed,
and when the thaw did set in it went on very ra-
pidly. At first it was only a whisper that was ven-
tured on, then talking ; then very general talking,
until an air of suppressed vivacity and universal
good spirits seemed to pervade the company. All
of a sudden this was checked by the entrance of
two equerries, who requested all to rise and ar-

range themselves on either side of the saloons, as
the King was approaching. A total silence fol-
lowed this announcement, and all the officials took
their places and remained waiting now very
silently. Three times the great doors at the end
of the saloon were thrown open, but only to
give ingress to some high officers of State, and
slowly, but surely, the half-smothered talk grew
up again, subsiding as instantly as before, when
the doors were opened time after time, but still no
King appearing. Almost at the last moment, at 10
minutes before 11, the great entrance of the Cham-
ber was thrown open, and, preceded by his Cham-
berlains and officers of the household, the King came
slowly in. His appearence denoted more than mere
anxiety or mere fatigue. On his left walked the
King of Portugal in a superb uniform, but which,
like the uniforms of all the other illustrious relatives,
was covered deeply with the usual signs of military
mourning. Behind the King came his brother, the
Comte of Flanders, and the Comte de Hainault.
The Prince of Wales, who wore the full uniform of
a Field Marshal, followed, with the Prince of Prus-
sia. After them came the Archduke Joseph of
Austria, Prince Louis of Hesse, Prince Arthur (in
Highland garb), the Grand Duke of Baden, Prince
Nicholas of Nassau, Prince Augustus of Saxe-
Coburg-Gotha, Prince George of Saxe, the Prince
of Wurtemberg, the Prince Presumptive of Ilohen-
zollern-Sigmaringen, the Duke of Cambridge,
Prince de Joinville, the Duke crAumale,:and the
Duke de Nemours. Next followed the Envoys
Extraordinary of various foreign States :—General
Count de Grabbe (Russia), Count de Bylandt
(Holland), Lieut.-Gen. deßupplein (Wurtemberg),
Baron de Elofstein (Saxe-Meiningen), Field-Mar-
shal Count de Neipperg (Austria), Duke de Bassano
(France), Lord Sydney and General Grey, (Great
Britain), Count de Seebach (Saxe-Royal), Baron
de Beau-lieu (Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Altenburg),
Count de Hompesch (Prussia), and Baron de See-
bach (Saxe-Coburg-Gotha). To these succeeded
the diplomatic representatives of the various foreign
courts, the President, of the Senate, and the Cham-
ber of Representatives, the Royal Ministers, and the
members of the Cabinet, who followed as the Royal
mourners moved to the White Room. Then all the
doors leading to it were thrown open, and the
chief mourners passed at once to the head of the
room. On the left of the coffin stood the
King of Portugal, with the Counts of Flanders
and Hainault and the Prince of Prussia. On
the right the King, with the Prince of Wales,
the Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Arthur, while
the various representatives of the foreign Courts
grouped around the foot of the bier. The massive
silver crucifix had been placed at the head of the
coffin, but that had been the only change made dur-
ing the morning. As soon as the subduednoise caused
by the influx of the great tide of officials had sub-
sided, the Rev. Mr. Becker, one of the Protestant
chaplains of the King, commenced the service for

the dead. It was very rapidly uttered, and, of
course, in French. When that portion of the ritual
was arrived at where the body is lowered to the
grave the prayers ceased, and the rev. gentleman
proceeded to deliver the funeral oration, which now
forms almost a necessary part of all important Con-
tinental funerals. It had, it was stated, been made
a special request that this part of the ceremony
should be brief. Nevertheless, the rev. pastor's
eulogium on the late King's virtues occupied nearly
half an hour in delivery, and would probably have
been still more lengthy in point of time but for the
remarkable volubility with which the words were
poured forth. So rapid, indeed, was the speaker's
utterance that it was not only difficult to hear his
words, but even to follow the contest of his sen-
tences. During the whole time, however, the dis-
tinguished audience he was addressing remained as
mute and almost as motionless as the illustrious
mourners who stood around the coffin. It may be
possible that the many officials who had gathered
together in the saloon leading to the -White Drawing-
room were quite out of reach of hearing the rev.
gentleman's exhortation ; in any case, the fact re-
mains that a continued hum of earnest conversation
arose from:the ante-rooms, in sufficient volume to
prevent those who strove to attend to the funeral
oration from clearly hearing the speaker.

Not only before the funeral sermon had begun, but
before the service commenced, or even before the
Royal mourners had entered the White Drawing-
room, the first detachment of the long funeral pro-
cession had left the Palace, and was almost half a
mile away. It would be a mere needless iteration to
recapitulate the programme of this great ceremony,
and point out how every department, civil, military,
judicial, and ecclesiastical, had their representatives
in the cortege. Yet, it was only as the last of these
various State officers had filed away that the fune-
ral oration ceased, and left time to marshal the am-
bassadors and Special Ministers of foreign Courts
in their due order of precedence. This was done in
the ante-room, and in a few minutes the chamber
where the body lay was deserted by all save the
chief mourners. Not until all had left did they quit
their positions at the side of the coffin—nor, indeed
then, until the detachments of non-commissioned
officers, selected from different regiments of the
Belgian army, appeared to carry the late King
away. Then the mourners left the chamber as the
word was given by the Chamberlain, and the pon-
derous coffin was with difficulty moved a few steps
by 15 powerful men. It seemed curious that the
only sounds which now broke the silence as the
Royal family moved away were the muttered words
levez" and " halte," as the companies of soldiers
each brought the coffin a few steps on and then had
to rest it. Its weight was so great that nearly half
an hour was occupied in getting it down the stairs
to the grand entrance. Possibly the very number
of soldiers employed to move it may have been
the cause of half the difficulty, but this excess of
precaution was done to the very sudden embarrass-
ment which • arose when the body was brought
in from Laeken in its coffins, and when at
the last moment the strength of the bearers
appointed to the honour of carrying it' was
found quite inadequate to the task. As the
coffin was being slowly carried down from stair to
stair the State funeral car, escorted by a detach-
ment of cavalry, and drawn by eight black horses,
drew up in front of the Palace. In design it
was certainly all that a monarch's hearse should
be. In execution, however, its effect was spoilt by
the substitution of gold instead of silver decora-
tions. It was a very large and very lofty catafalque.
The lower part was hid with velvet fringed with
gold. Above was a kind of second story, on which
were emblazoned the shields of the nine great pro-
vinces of Belgium. Over all was the conventional
tomb with the Royal mantle draped with crape and
the crown and sceptre laid upon it. At each of the
four corners of the car were tripods filled with in-
cense. These, however, burnt so quickly and sent
forth such flames, that when the hearse reached the
Palace some fear was excited lest they should ignite
the draperies, and the attendants who followed with
baskets of charcoal to keep the urns burning were
dispensed with. In the basement of the royal car
the coffin was laid, and superb wreaths of golden
immortelles on velvet concealed it from public view.
Close following the car were the household officers
and private domestics of the late King, and after
them the State charger of the illustrious deceased
was led covered with crape housings. No music
was played, no drums beaten nor trumpets blown ;
mily the sound of the minute guns proclaimed when
the procession, or rather the funeral car, had left
the Palace, and as it did so the great bells of St.
Gudule were rung " backwards," and their confused
peals -boomed out in a strange tangle of sound.
Following the funeral car came the Royal car-
riages. The first contained Leopold 11., the King,
of Portugal, and the Count of Flanders. The
second his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales,
the Prince Royal of Prussia, Archduke Joseph of
Austria, and the Prince of Wurtemberg. Li the third

was the Prince of Saxony, the Grand Duke William
of Baden, Prince Louis of Hesse, and his Royal
Highness Prince Arthur. The fourth Royal car-
riage contained the Prince Auguste of Saxe-Coburg-
Gotha, the Duke de Nemours, the Prince de Join-
Tulle, ani the Duke D'Aumale. In the fifth and
last of the carriages allotted to Royalty were the
Prince Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and the Duke of
Cambridge.
Before the carriages had left the Palace the great
bulk of the procession was well on its way to
Laeken, leaving a long train of ambassadorial,
Ministerial, and official carriages still to follow. The
whole cortege was more than a mile in length.
As it issued into the streets beyond the Palace the
marks of respectful sympathy with which the funeral
re eaec
every
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morerid was
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uncoveredo r
across less
car was received were remarkable. All, even of the
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hd ladies
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mourning, all the draped windows were crowded
as the body passed. It was 1 o'clock before the
the in
canal that in a manner divides Laeken from the city
of Brussels. The representatives of the different
corps of the Belgian army arrived here in somewhat
straggling and broken order. There had been fre-
quent and very tedious intervals of delay along the
line of march, and at this point there was a pause
of more than a quarter of an hour before the head
of the procession was joined by its main body, led
by the judges in their, robes of State. The members
of the Senate and of the Chambers followed with
the Council of Ministers ; behind these was the
funeral car, the tripod fires of which were then all
burnt out, but about which there was some anxiety
as to whether the huge towering chariot could be
got safely across the steep bridge of the canal. No
mishap, however, occurred ; and the rest of the way
—a broad open thoroughfare as far as the church—
was traversed speedily. The route from here was
deeply lined with troops, both regulars and volun-
teers, and backed on either side by dense and eager
crowds. On either side as soon asthe State carriages
containing the royal family and the distinguished
relatives taking part in the ceremony had passed,
the deputations of municipal, military, and public
corporations with banners and badges endeavoured
to follow them. But here the spectators had entirely
broken through the line of sentries, and the greater
part of the end of the procession was swamped by
the pressure of the multitude.
Just within the royal domain stands the very old
but not not the less poor-looking church of Laeken.
It can only, however, be regarded as a temporary
Royal chapel, for close beside it is rising a hand-
some structure. At the end of the Avenue de la
Reine stands the new church of Lacken, roughly
blocked out in outline, and imperfect both outside
and inside. Passing to the left of this, the funeral
cortege approached the old church, in which the late
Queen is buried, and where the vault had been pre-
pared for the remains of King Leopold. In order
to obviate any question which might be raised by
the Catholic clergy as to the performance of a Pro-
testant service in an edifice consecrated according
to their rites a temporary chapel had been prepared.
The chief dignitaries of the Roman Church, how-
ever, held a meeting, at which it was agreed to
waive any objection of this nature, but, as the tem-
porary chapel had been prepared, it was used for
the concluding service, and there the chief mourners
and the rest of the company assembled before the
coffin was carried to the vault. The Rev. Mr.
Vent, one of the most distinguished ministers of
the Reformed Church of Belgium, read the prayers,
and a chant specially composed for the occasion was
sung with much feeling by the Lyric Society of
Brussels.

The procession was then reformed and passed
through the church to one side where the vault was
opened, and the coffin was deposited therein amid
the hushed and solemn silence of the spectators. In
future the grave will be approached by a gateway
opening from the cemetery, so as to give access
without rendering it necessary to enter the church.
Before the procession had left the Palace,—in-
deed before the funeral car was out of sight—work-
men were busy tearing away the scarcely-finished
mourning draperies in which the Palace was half
bidden. Other of the principal residences at once
followed the example, and the torn crape and mor-
tuary emblems revealed behind them festive illumi-
nations and-latent transparencies to burst forth in
their full glory of rejoicing to-morrow. It is the
old story of "Le Roi est mort ! Vive le Roi !"
Mourning is forbidden to-morrow, as the new King
accepts the throne.

A Princess's Trousseau.

The wedding outfit of the Princess Alexandrine
of Prussia (who was recently married to the Duke
FredericWilliamNicholas of Mecklenburg-Schwerin)
was arranged for inspection in some of the apart-
ments at the Royal Palace at Berlin, which had been
decorated for the occasion by the Court upholsterer.
In the first apartment were the travelling trunks
and boxes ; the second chamber contained the
princess's slippers, shoes, and boots in all colours,
and also a great number of coloured silk and white
stockings. On one particular table, in front of the
window, were the writing materials and the usual
toilet requisites, scent-bottles, brushes, &c. In the
Hall of Mirrors adjoining the linen was arranged
in three divisions. On the right was her royal high-
ness's travelling bed, trimmed with white and blue
silk hangings intermixed, and a blue silk coverlid.
All the linen appertaining to it was of the finest
quality, with the richest trimmings. In another
part of the room were the sheets (four dozen in
number), the towels and napkins (24 dozen of each),
nicely arranged with toilet covers and so forth, all
numbered and bearing her royal highness's initials
worked in silk ; and next was a table with the cor-
sets and crinolines, smoothing irons and boards. The
middle table was covered with the under-linen, the
chemises (24 dozen), trimmed with costly lace and
embroidery ; the little dressing jackets (four dozen),
and four dozen caps, with white embroidered under-
clothes, &c. Elsewhere were the fine linen,
n i ri
a theiis
negliges, dressing jackets, worn while the h
being dressed, and pocket-handkerchiefs. The
principal portion of the outfit was displayed
adjoining dining-room. . Here was her royal
highness's dressing-case, all the fittings of which
were of solid silver, and close by were the gloves,
in all colours. Near at hand was a table covered
with her royal highness's ornaments. Of these
must first be mentioned the bridal gift of the King
—a diamond necklace—of course of the first water,
19 stones on each side, with an exceedingly large
one in the centre, all very beautifully set ; also a
diamond of large pear-shaped pearls with dew-drops
in brilliants, presented by her Royal Highness the
Princess Charles. A gift from the princess's mother
consisted of a necklace of Siberian amethysts set in
brilliants, and a diamond of emeralds as large as
nuts, with brilliants. The Dowager Queen of
Prussia's gift consisted of a diamond and other or-
naments, consisting of large turquoises, and fine
brilliants. Opposite these were the bridal and state
robes of ample length and breadth, the train orna-
mented with gold and silver embroidery. The train
of the bridal robe and the robe itself were of the
heaviest white moire antique, beautifully em-
broidered with silver. Above the robe was the
bridal wreath. The Court train beneath was of blue
velvet, and embroidered in silver with lilies and
jasmines. A third robe was of purple velvet orna-
mented with gold embroidery of an arabesque pat-
tern. Near the bridal robe was a handkerchief of
costly Brussels lace and a pretty little fan. Under
the Court robe was a dress of tulle embroidered
with satin and silver, underlaid and garnished very
tastefully with blue velvet. Near at handwerea
great number of ball and-wedding dresses, and con-
spicuous among these was a black velvet jacket
trimmed with beautiful coral.