The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-09 00:00:00

TAKING THE VEIL.

The attractive and impressive ceremony of taking
the white veil, preparatory to becoming a nun, took
place on Wednesday at the Catholic church, Ber-
mondsey, to which there is a convent of the Sisters of
the Order of Mercy attached. The postulant, Miss
Fox, a young lady of independent means, is a near
relative of Dr. Fox, of New Broad-street, in the
City. The church, the interior of which is much
admired for the beauty and simplicity of its ar-
chitecture, was numerously attended by well-
dressed personages, among whom were many Pro-
testants, anxious to witness the ceremony, which
was performed with much of the grandeur that distin-
guishes the ceremonials of the Church of Rome. The
young lady who was to take the veil entered the
church at twelve o'clock, preceded by the Superior of
the Convent, and accompanied by the Sisters of the
Order, to the number of thirty, including those of
the branch convent at Chelsea. The organ sent forth
its sacred notes, which, swelling through the aisles,
and blending with the chant of the sisters, as they
advanced in solemn procession to the grand altar,
tended greatly to give an elevation of thought and
devotional motive to the proceeding. The pro-
cession was in itself a picture ; the Sisters
of the Order, bearing each a wax light in
her hand, were attired partly in black, and partly in
white, the former being the habit of those who had
taken the black veil, which is the last solemn step in
the ceremonial of making a nun, and after taking
which there is no retreating; and the latter, that of
those who are passing through their probation, to test
the constancy of their inclination to that extremity;
an inclination which, if they approve not of at the
end of a year, they are at liberty to forego, when they
can again enter the world, and participate in all its
gaieties. The postulant, who was the chief object
of all beholders, was attired in a muslin dress of
purest white, and most fashionable make; her hair,
in flowing ringlets, was further set off by a wreath
of flowers, all emblematical of the vanity, gaiety,
pride, and ostentation of this world. Arrived at the
altar, the sisters ranged themselves in single line at
its foot, where, with the postulant in the centre, they
knelt in prayer, the postulant bowing her head to the
floor. The officiating bishop, the Right Rev. Dr. Wise-
man, followed by the Right Rev. Dr. Morris, Bishop of
Troy, who acted as assistant bishop in the ceremony,
and by a numerous train of priests of the diocese,
over which the former has been recently called
to preside, then entered the church, and having
prayed for a few moments at the foot of the altar,
ascended its steps, and again engaged in prayer. He
then delivered an eloquent and appropriate discourse,
addressed to the understanding of the postulant, and
bearing mainly on the seriousness of the step she
was about to take. He cited, in the course of his ad-
dress, numerous appropriate passages from the Holy
Scriptures, pointed out the works of mercy and cha-
rity which the postulant would have to discharge to
the poor, the afflicted in spirit, and the sick, should she
take the final vow of nunhood (for it is the peculiar
province of the sisters of the Order of Mercy to go forth
from their convent into the ranks of the poor, the
sick, and afflicted, administering to them spiritual
and temporal relief, irrespective of the personal risk
of fever and pestilence), and concluded with an implo-
ration to God to give her grace in her inclination,
and a disposition to carry out the virtues which
the vow of the order imposed, should she finally
take it. This discourse, calculated to produce a
profound impression, was listened to with at-
tention by the auditory. The postulant then
rose, and, accompanied by the Sisters of the Order,
left the church in procession, and after a short
time again returned, habited in the probationary at-
tire, an humble garb, which contrasted markedly
with her previous gay dress. The latter she had di-
vested herself of, her head-wreath.,of flowers included,
and now, kneeling at the altar, the officiating bishop
imposed hands upon her, and the superior of the
convent placed the white veil upon her head, which
she received with evident humility and devotional
spirit, the organ the while pealing forth the Veni
Creator and other solemn psalms, the effect of which
was heightened by the singing of Mrs. Lamont, and
the occasional chanting of the nuns and priests. The
solemn ceremony of " The Benediction 1" was then
gone through, the incense smoking on the altar, as a
part of the devotional homage paid to it, and with this
impressive part of the proceeding, the ceremony
closed, the nuns and the postulant retiring to their
convent by one door, and the bishops and priests to
the sacristy of the church by another.
At Rome, when the ceremony of taking the veil
occurs, the postulant passes the three previous days
in visiting and taking leave of her relatives and
friends, from whom and some of the distinguished
branches of the nobility, she receives, to be used on
the occasion, the most valuable presents in jewels,
diamonds, &c., with which she decorates her person,
as emblematical of the gaiety of the world. She
passes, during those three days, in grand procession,
and a showy carriage, through the streets of the city,
and on the third day, lays all these ornaments aside,
and takes " the black veil," becoming from that mo-
ment a nun for the future portion of her life.
From the convents of the Sisters of Mercy, at Ber-
mondsey and Chelsea, the nuns are to be seen daily
issuing forth to the public ways, on their mission of
mercy and charity, in accordance with their row,
and thus and in acts of prayer, they are reputed to
pass their lives. The ceremony was throughout im-
pressive.

SUICIDE OF MR. BOND, CORONER
OF FOLKESTONE.
On Wednesday last Mr. J. J. Bond, coroner of
Folkestone, committed suicide by nearly severing his
head from his body with a razor. The whole town
was, in consequence, thrown into a state of excite-
ment ; for although the eccentricities of this gentle-
men have lately been of a character to cause uneasi-
ness to his friends, such an occurrence was not at all
anticipated. He had, on Saturday evening last,
instituted a Chess Divan, at the Shakspere Hotel,
where the second meeting was held on Tuesday
evening. On that evening Mr. Bond gave a reading
upon chess, and played two games. Afterwards the
company sat in for singing, when he sang "Auld lang
syne, ' and told a tale. The party broke up about
half-past twelve o'clock, when he went home, and in
an apparently calm state, retired to bed. He
remained quiet until about seven o'clock in the
morning, when Mrs. Bond, who sleeps in the room
under the one in which Mr. B. slept, heard a fall on
the floor. She immediately ran up stairs, opened his
bedroom door, and saw his feet pointed towards the
door. She at once called the servant, who came, and
they went into the room, where they saw the unfor-
tunate man weltering in his blood. Dr. Bateman
was sent for, and on his arrival, found life was extinct.
The deceased, the better to effect his purpose, had
seated himself on a chair, and placed a looking-glass
on the floor.
We must suppress further particulars until after the
inquest, which will take place on Monday. Mr. Bond
was coroner for Folkestone; therefore another must be
appointed ere the inquest can be held. By his death
the situations of clerk to the magistrates, and deputy
steward of the manor to Lord Radnor, also become
vacant.—Dover Chronicle.

OTRATFORD-ON-AVON. VISIT OF LORD MOR-
PETLI.—His Lordship, in company with C. H. Brace-
bridge, Esq., visited this town on Friday last. At five
o'clock a deputation from the Royal Shaksperean Society
consisting of the vicar, the Rev. J. Clayton, Dr. Thom-
son, W. 0. Hunt, Esq., and R. B. Wheler, Esq., waite
on him at the White Lion Hotel, and escorted him to the poet's birth-place, the church, the site of New Place,
now the residence of D. Rice, Esq., and afterwards he
met the committee of the Shaksperean Society at the
Shakspere Hall. The principal room was lit up on the
occasion, in order to afford his Lordship an opportunity
of viewing the portraits of Shakspere and Garrick.
The following gentlemen, in addition to the above, were
in attendance i—The Mayor, W. Sheldon, Esq., W. J.
Harding, Esq., R. 11. Hobbes, Esq., D. Rice, Esq., J.
Webb, Esq., E. F. Flower, Esq., T. Umbers, Esq., and. several others. his Lordship, on examining the minutes
of the recent proceedings of the society, which were laid
before him by the honorary secretary, expressed his
perfect concurrence in them. At seven o'clock he
honoured Dr. Thomson with his company to dinner,
where a select party was invited to meet him ; and on
Saturday morning, in company with that gentleman, he
visited the grammar school. The head master, the Rev,
T. R. Medwin, A.M., received him ; and his Lordship,
subsequently made an excursion to the village of Shot-
tery, for the purpose of viewing Anne Hathaway's
house. At eleven o'clock he returned, and immediately
took his departure, having previously expressed the plea-
sure he felt in making the visit.—Banbury Guardian.
SnicthE of A SURGEON. Yesterday Mr. T.
Wakley, M.P., held an inquest at the Nottingham Arms,
Nottingham-street, New-road, on the body of Mr.
Charles Smith, aged 44, a snrgeon, who committed
suicide under the following circumstances :—The de-
ceased, who it wears was highly connected, and of good
family himself, had formerly been a surgeon in the
navy, During the last few years, however, his position
was much altered ; and from his being somewhat ad-
dicted to drink, he was abandoned by many of his
friends. He had been residing in the above street, but
about three months since he was obliged to leave from
embarrassed circumstances. The deceased removed to
the immediate vicinity, occupying a room on the second
floor, and from his involved condition he became very
melancholy ; but although his circumstances were needy,
he was not in obsolete want. On Tuesday last he went
home in a most dejected state of mind, and going to
the cupboard drank something from a tea-cup, which
subsequently proved to bo prussic acid. He expired in
a few minutes afterwards. Verdict—" That the de-
ceased destroyed himself by taking prussic acid, but
that there was no evidence to show in what state of
mind he was at the time he committed the act."
LUNATIC ASTVC.IIS.•—•The plans in competition for
the proposed pauper asylum fopr Middlesex were sent in
on Friday in the last week. A lunatic asylum for the
counties of Aronreouth, Hereford,l and Radnor,
is to be erected in the neighbourhoodeer'
he sum put down for it is 20,000/. °ThAebfeorugnadvaetionti-.
stone of the Birmingham Lunatic Asylum was laid last