The Sun.
London, England, 1835-09-09 00:00:00

YORK MU,51.6.A.1. FESTIVAL.

The bustle of the festival has fairly set in. The st,treetsi.
11
are crowded, and every moment travelling carrines. are:3rr-
dashing up to the principal hotels. At an early hour
morning (Monday) the Member z' of the Corporation weofV,4
making preparations for proceeding to Bishopsthorpe,
to
•-•unen
present the address to. the Duchess of Rcnt ; and at test,,..o'Clork the procession set. out, beaded by a b..,•.nd music,
the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, and Common C., ,
dressed in their robes of office. The deputation p,-oceeded
by water, and on arriving at the Palace was most graL.;ously
received, as was also the deputation with the address agl'eed.
upon at a meeting of the inhabitants a few days ago. 'Elio,
latter, which was read by the Lord Mayor, was as fth:-
lows :

" TO PIER ROYAL HIGHS:FAS TILE DEcTIEsS OF RENT.
,s—The inhabitants of'
which the " May it please your Royal Highth:
e Princess the city of York, proud of the high hone'lla
pre-
sence of your Royal Highness and that of tae
Vic-
toria confers upon this ancient city, beg leave to .approach your
Royal Highness with sentiments of profound reeps-ct and
affection. They eagerly avail themselves of a,:ee happy
opportunity of expressing to your Royal Highness ins 4 the
heiress presumptive to the British throne their sentiments of
devoted attachment to your . illustrious house, whose benign`
sway has conferred so many blessings upon these realms.
They trust your Royal Highness will deign to accept of there.
congratulations, upon your visit to a city once the abode of
Royalty, and which has been honoured by the presence of
many of your august family; and that your Royal Highnesses
may long live to adorn that high and important station in which
Providence has placed you, is 6e earnest prayer of the inha-
bitants of York, as, they doubt not, it is of those of the whole
British empire."
The address from the Corporation %les of similar import,
an,: was read by the Recorder. To eaci: the Duchess of
Kent abed the Princess Victoria listened with. very marked
and in her replies the Duchess express'qd,
attention, on be-
half of herself aeid the Princess, the sincere gratificestion at
the reception they h
ed experienced in their visit to the pity
of York. It being knOin that their Royal Highnesses
were to pay a visit to the Mansion House immediately'
after the presentation of the adt:."esses, the streets through
which the Royal party bad to pass were lined with crowds,
anxious to have a view of the Princess; and the windows
of the houses were also filled with elegantly dressed ladies.
About two o'clOck, the carriages containing ,tie Royal per-
sonages and their attendants made their appea'ance, and
their approach was hailed with loud cheers. The carriages
drew up at the Mansion House, and his Grace the Arch-•
bishop of York, who accompanied their Highnesses,
alighted, and gave his arm to the Princess, who paused a
few moments to return the greetings of the assemblage ere
she entered the house. After remaining to partake of an
elegant collation the Royal party returned to the Palace,
the crowds thronging round the carriage as before, to get a
glimpse of the Royalb personages, the ladies in the windos's
cheering also and waving their handkerchiefs. The Princess:
was a little flushed, but looked remarkably well, and the
Duchess was evidently gratified by the kindly feeling ma-
nifested towards herself and her daughter. The streets
continued much thronged during the evening, and the
greatest anxiety pre" tils for the commencement of the fes-
tival to-morrow morning. The Committee sit at the Guild-
hall to superintend the issue of the tickets, and the demand,
I understand, considerably exceeds that upon the occa-
sions of the former festivals in 18'23, 1825, and 1828.
The arrangements in the Minster are admirable, and en-
title the Committee to the highest prai:e. The steps of
the entrance by the great south doors cre covered by
wooden barricades divided into three Winding passages, in
order to guard as much as possible from the pressure which
occasioned so much serious inconvenience at the former fes-
tivaLa At the west front there is a curved staireasellead-
ing, into the side galleries, through the extreme windows
in the south aisle of the nave, and at this point there is
principal entrance to the gallery for the Royal and other
distinguished personages, which covers the two western en-
trances, and stands over the whole length of the front. On
the outside, standings have been erected for those who may
be desirous of witnessing the arrival of the distinguished
visitors. On the north side of the Minster another en-
trance has been provided, so that with all those facilities of
ingress and of egress, it is to be premixed that very little
difficulty or trouble will be experienced by any one—even
the most delicate and timid. The appearaaece of the inte-
rior almost baffles description. The splendor and magni-
ficence that bursts upon the eye—the boldness s:nd simpli-
city of the architecture of this celebrated fabric—beautiful,
vet solemn and severe ; the " dim religious light" streaming
among the aisles through the richly-tinted windows impeess
upon the mind of the beholder a:feeling of vastness, and sins,-
lirnity, and veneration of the most stirring and elevating cha-
racter. You step timidly and cautiously—you seem as if by
magic instantaneously placed far above the petty and selfish
ee,:ings of humanity—the bones of the mighty dead. are
moultLering around you, and you approach, as it were, the
portals era future and illimitable world. . No man :can
look u
pot, this splendid pile, .which puts to shame the ar-
chitectural ension4 oft the nineteenth century, without
,
sensations which ivords cannot describe. Compared to it
the gingerbread anal gilded edifices of our .days stealing
timidly into view, acid ,mixing up all orders in one common
hash, are paltry .and inscnilicant indeed. If our superio-
rity over our ancestors be measured by our progress
in architectural skill, alas ! :alas ! for .the schoolmaster and
tile boasted intellectuality of the age ! Let the "philoso-
pher and the Statesman, and these who would poison with
their prejudices and their narrow see..! contracted habits the
charities and the holiest' feelings see our nature,. explain
whence is this falling off among the neoderns in the most
elevated branch of art, and one which requires for its suc—
cessful prosecution the greatest breadth and grs;sl) of mind.
That our deficiency is sadly apparent is evidences by every
relic of by-gone times we have around us, and we- have' Often
to lament that, as the spirit of particular periods prevail,
a higotted or a Vandal feeling would level with the.dust
every splendid reeniorial of the ages that have preceded us.
I had never heard the service of the Church of England
to such advantage as in the York Minster ; and it is dur-
ing the performance of Divine worship that you feel to
its .full extent the force and effisct of the architectural
grandeur that, surrounds you. There is nothing petty,
nothing insignificant, nothings tawdry. It in all things
corresponds with the solemnity of the occasion, and pro-
duces mingled feelings of admiration and awe. The voices
of' the cholr, and the full peal of the mee-nificent organ,
roll throughout, the venerable Cathedral with indescribable
effect, and as the tones now soft and pathetic burst out into
the loudness of thunder, your feelings become so strongly
and so highly excited, that you are for the momeot almost
utterly enable to sustain yourself against an influence so
overpower:ng and overwhelming. And just similar de we
find the resinl.'s when devotional feel:tig is joined Ivith the
simplicity of na.:'ire, as we speak of it at present in con-
nection with the sp;:m..7id combinations of art just
when we listen to the nide and stern eloquence of the
mountain preacher, and het:" the untaught voices of nis
peasant audience raised to the 1117ilitiei of his Creator atni
the wildnesses and. bleakness of ti,eir native hills.
rt is paying no small coinpliiitt-:.nt to those who had the
difficult duty assigned them of maleirees the interior prepa- ,
rations in the Minister that they have petYorined their task
in th manner which reflects much credit ti?on their skill and
their good taste. The orchestra, which is of gTeat extent,
is immediately under the organ, and opposite to tue orches-
tra on the further end is the patron's g..lllery; in front of
which are seats prepared for the Duchess, the PrillCt:S9, and
the Royal attendants. There are in addition the side gal-
leries and the centre aisle, all fitted up with much neatne,:l.
The covering of the seats is of' a rich crimson tint, and the
galleries are covered with a light-coloured gothic paper,
which harmonises well with the heautii.ul edifice, the beast
and ornament not only of • the city, hut of the kingdom.
Accommodation is provided for 4,000 people, and it is cam-
. .laestered that every vat will he occupied. The first per-
formati:4 lel;es place toenoerow.

THE LATE CdI2ENT AT GitAVZSEND.—We
yesterday gave the pat.aoilal, 2f the accident to tile lion. Mr.
,4rowned by the ucsetting of
and tlrs. 13,!tre, who were .7carly
a boat in attempting to board j'tfay•rict steamer. We have
since received the Esser Herald, which cmmuniantes 604'01-
lowing partisulars :—The Hon. Mrs. Pare, it appear, has
,
beep for some time in a very delicate state of ;;ealth, but on
Sunday lag en ident that
she was so far recovered from the a
preparations were made for returning home. The luggagee
was placed in the boat, but th? thoughts of re7crossi.g th
river gave her frame so powerful a chock, that she became
a sud-
denly worsz., nd survived only a few minutes. The Ho,!-
Mr. Petro still remains very ill, and the lady's maid lies in a
dang,crous state. So highly is the Hon. Mr. Petro respected
by all classes, that as soon as the intelligence was received at
Brentwood of the escape of the family from drowning, a con-
gratulAtory address was prepared and signed by most of the
respectable inhabitants. This was of cout::e not presented, in
consequence of the above deplorable event. Lord and Lady
l'etm, who received the melancholy tidings 011 Sunday, by
express, immediately left Thornton Hall for Gravesend.. ,
• About a weed: ago a young man of 25, and a young
woman .of 20, tool: an apartment at the Hotel tin Midi, in
the Rue de la Bibliotheque, where they passed for man. and
wire, seemed to live upon the happiest terms. Yester-
day morning the report of fire-arms, and piercing shrieks
issuing from their chamber, spread alarm. through the
house, and upon some neighbours hastening to enter, a
frightful scene presented itself. The young man had his
head horribly shattered and was expiring in the arms of his
mistress, who herself had her breast and shoulder perforated
by a ball. It appears from her statement that while she was
asleep her lover fired the pistol, which occasioned his own
death and wounded her. He had taken the precaution, before
he put the pistol into his month, to place his head under the
arm of his mistresi-, so that the ball might pass-through his
head and strike her heart. She also states' that ho hied been
very sombre for a Ivo:sit: past,.
,and expressp&greatslicust of
life, from the shame he felt at having senisei:l,lo Lai 4. duel.
The hotly was' carried to the *qui, dfid7tifq*itikliTiCll:4ll
to an hosptal,- • •