The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-15 00:00:00

of St. Peter's come forward to receive the Pontiff
and welcome him into the Basilica. The great
doors are thrown open, and to his sight is spread
out a spectacle never seen from the same stand-
point by any mortal eyes but his. Men of all classes
of religious thought rave of its surpassing beauty,
even as seem in their imperfect way, in fitful vistas
through the seething crowd of men like them-
selves, but to him the whole luminous vision is un-
folded in all its perfection at once. The majestic
line of princes and servants of the Church prepares
the way before him as far as eye can reach. On
either side the kneeling multitude of the faithful,
without distinction of rank or class, but as they
will be before the Throne at the Great Day, are
bending forward to catch his benediction, fringed
by the presented arms of his volunteer fighting-
men, and lighted up by the downward-pointed
swords of the Guardia Nobile ; above, the countless
gem-like lights studding the firmament of the
Basilica, showing forth many a sacred symbol in
patterns of flame ; and the whole, as it were, radiat-
ing from and centreing in him as the general focus
of all.

On the other hand, for the ordinary faithful, too,
is reserved a joy which is not for him. It is the
vision of the extreme sweetness and placidity of
the common Father. The encouraging sight of one
who, amid all the swerving waves of doubt, repre-
sents the perfect embodiment of the special Mes-
senger of the One Unseen—who, with utter good
faith, and therefore without a shadow of ostenta-
tion, shows you that he believes in himself, and
convinces you he is what he believes himself to be.
It is a sight by which you may truly be said to be
entranced, or, as the beautiful Italian idiom has it,

imparadisato.
So he passes majestically down the centre of the
capacious nave. Midway a highly characteristic
incident occurs. He arrives opposite the Chapel
of. the SS. Sacrament. At that momenthe who has
been the culminating point of universal regard and
universal reverence bows to adore the One greater
than he. The Sedia Gestatoria is lowered, the mitre
removed, and his head bared of even the white
zucchetta, he kneels on the pavement to acknow-
ledge the Divine Presence in the Tabernacle.
This duty performed, the stately march is re-
sumed. At the foot of the steps of the High Altar
he again descends from the Sedia, and, after an
interval of private prayer, he proceeds to take his
place on the throne. Perhaps this is hardly the
occasion for criticizing, yet I cannot speak of the
said throne without observing that it is the only
thing in the church which disappoints the eye. I
do not knob,if there is any intention of symboliz-
ing lowliness in its proportions, but, whether or
not, it is certainly an unpretending piece of furni-
ture, to be the centre of so much magnificence and
the scat of so great might.
As soon as he was seated, the cardinals advanced
two and two ;to salute him by kissing his hand ;
the bishops (nearly 500), by kissing his knee, and
the abbots and grand penitentiaries by kissing his
foot ; after which ceremonial, all returned to their
seats ranged round the interior apse, which is
always formed for great functions with rich crim-
son drapery festooned with cords of gold, and
,s termed on this occasion it Teatro della Canoniz-

zazione