The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-11 00:00:00

ITALY.

ROME, DEC. 19.—0 n Monday Prince George of Cam-
bridge bad an audience of tho Pope; he was presented by
Car Kestner, the Hanoverian Minister, A few days after
he was present at the profession of a nun.
The Duchess of Cambridge and the Princesses Sophia
and Mary, with the Prince of Nlecklenburg-Strelitz, have
been twice present at the Philharmonic Concert. They
could not but be highly delighted, as it stands unrivalled
in Rome. It is a society of musicians and vocalists, of
which the highest families in Rome do not disdain to be
members and performers.
On Friday, the 11th, the Bishops-elect, who had to be
appointed to the vacant sees in the approaching Consistory,
were examined. It is no idle ceremony. During the exa-
mination, which occupies about an hour, the Bishop is on
his knees ; anciently he bad no support, but Pope Pius
VII., who had experienced the painfulness of the sitnation,
allotted them a small desk. The examiners are selected
from the ablest theologians in the city. His Holiness, who
was present, expressed himself highly gratified with their
learning and proficiency.
On Monday the 14th, his Holiness held a secret csnsis-
tory in the Vatican palace, in which, after a short allocu-
tion, ho declared cardinals of the Roman church of the
order of priests, M. John Mary, of the family of the
Counts of Mastai Ferretti, Bishop of Imola, born at Sini-
gallia, on the 13th of May, 1792 ; M. Gaspar Bernard, of
the family of the Marquises Pianetti, Bishop of Viterbo
and Toscanella, born at Jesi, on the 7th Feb., 1781.
The new cardinals, during the three nights after their
elevation to the purple, received the congratulations of the
nobility and clergy of the city. The Corso presented a
gay and lively appearance ; numerous bonfires were burn-
ing before the palaces of the great ; the front of many of
the churches were illuminated, and bands of music eta-

tioned near the Sciarra palace, where Cardinal Pianetti
resided, contributed to the liveliness and joyousness of the
occasion.

On the morning of Thursday, the 17th, his Holiness
held a public consistory in the Vatican palace. There
was assembled a large and highly respectable audience,
amongst whom I recognised several clergymen of the
Church of England. The Duchess of Cambridge and
suite occupied a separate box.
After his Holiness had ascended the throne, and the as-
sembled cardinals had done homage, the two new cardinals
were summoned, and presented to his Holiness the cardi-
nal deacons. They first kissed the foot, then the hand of
his Holiness ; after which he embraced them, and they then
received the embraces of their colleagues. They were
then conducted to their appropriate seats. They wore
their berettas ; the other cardinals were without them.
They were again led to the throne, and his Holiness
placed on their heads the cardimal's hat, exhorting them to
be zealous defenders of the Church, even to the effusion of
their blood. As typical of this zeal, they wore a red bat
and red beretta.

Rome still continues very dead. An industrious report
has been spread at Naples and Florence that it is the scene
of a raging and malignant fever, which deters many from
coming; but nothing could be more false.