The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-31 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM Otiß OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Friday Evening.
In Paris it needs no bishop, as in London, to
exhort people to a religious and devout observance
of Good Friday. I have visited several churches in
Paris to-day, and, judging from the vast congrega-
tions at all of them, one might almost safely pro-
nounce that nearly the whole population of the city
have attended to the outward observance, at least,
of their religious duties. I do not profess to be
deeply versed in religious matters, but I do not re-
collect an occasion when, as has been the case this
year, the Bishop of London has thought it neces-
sary to endeavour to induce people to observe Good
Friday religiously and decorously. If it be not to
the disgrace it is not to the credit of Londoners
that Good Friday is a day set apart for pleasure
excursions. This is certainly not the case in Paris.
It is observed as a day of fasting and a day of reli-
gious duty by the great majority of the inhabitants
of Paris.

It is still the practice of the Pope to go to the
Basilisk of St. Jean de Latran on Holy Thursday
(yesterday), where his Holiness washes the feet of
the humblest of his subjects, and waits upon them
at table like a servant. The Court of France
formerly celebrated with much religious pomp the
occasion of the last supper which Jesus took with
his disciples, and the custom was observed, indeed,
under the Restoration. The King, followed by the
officers of his household, who came that day on
duty, presented 12 dishes to 12 children, who re-
presented the apostles. These dishes were carried
in procession by the gentlemen of the household in
grand uniform, having napkins of fine cambric, and
also bearing an enormous bouquet, who took from
the buffet fish and other aliments and placed them
on wooden dishes. There was no meat. After

the repast the King washed the feet of the repre-
sentatives of the apostles, chosen from among the sons
of the officers of the household. They were clothed
in red tunics. The feet of these children had been
previously washed. The first valet-de-chambre of
the King poured upon the feet of the children holy
water, from a golden vase. The solemnity took
place in the gallery of Diana at the Tuileries, and
great numbers of persons were allowed to witness
it with tickets. Ladies generally constituted a large
proportion of the visitors. The custom has now
fallen into desuetude in Paris, but it has been ob-
served in modern times. If I mistake not this
ceremony has been performed by Louis Philippe.
Cardinal Tosti, librarian to the church, has just
died at Rome, in his 90th year. Under Pope
Gregory XVI. he held the office of Minister of
Finance.

The funeral of General Zusuf took place at Al-
giers on Friday last, with much " pomp, pride, and
circumstance." It was a great and imposing
ceremony. Troops lined the road from the
admiralty to the cathedral. The funeral car
was drawn by six white horses. Commandant
Petel, the Generals Aide-de-camp, carried the de-
corations of the deceased upon a cushion. At the
four corners of the funeral car were the generals
commanding the artillery, the Vice-Admiral of the
Marine and the Intendant of the Division ; Marshal
M'Mahon, Governor of Algeria ; General Ladmi-
vault, Sub-Governor ; the military authorities, and
a vast number of influential natives and foreigners
followed. The funeral service at the cathedral was
performed by the Abbe Suchet. At the entrance to
and departure of the remains from the cathedral
salvoes were fired from the Marine battery. The
body was interred at the cemetery of Bab-el-oved.
Speeches, eulogistic of the deceased general, were
made, over the grave by General Wimpffen and M.
Piervey, Chief President of the Imperial Court of
Algiers.

Among the houses demolished in order to com-
plete the site for the new Hospital of Hotel Dieu,
now in progress of construction, was one at the
corner of the Rue des Chantres, to which interesting
historical recollections are attached. It was the
residence of Abelard and Heloise, and formerly it
bore this inscription, " Abelard and Heloise for-
merly inhabited this spot. They were rare models
of sincere lovers. 1118." In 1832 the house was
occupied as a school for young ladies. There still
existed then the dark, original staircase, with a
balustrade of oak, which led to the room where
Abelard lived, and further on was a small tower
where Heloise was educated. How the destiny of
this locality has been changed by Time ! Abelard's
room became the receptacle for dirty linen. The
window where Heloise watched for the return of
her preceptor had lines around it where hung to
dry the frocks and linen of the young ladies.
The room where the two- unfortunate lovers
used to study was the class room for the
young ladies. Near the spot is now a splendid
mansion five storeys high. To commemorate the
fact of the residence of the two lovers there are now
to be seen two medallions, representing the profiles
of Abelard and Heloise, and this inscription :

" Ancient habitation of Heloise and Abelard. 1118.
Rebuilt in 1849." It is, I believe, pretty generally
known that there is in Pere la Chaise a remarkable
tomb which encloses the remains of the lovers.
Visitors to Paris seldom omit to visit this monument.

To-day is the anniversary of the death, in 1249,
of Guillaume d'Auvergne, who was 21 years Bishop
of Paris. He had been Professor of Theology at
the Sorbonne, and was considered to be the most
solid writer of his age. This was one of the prelates
who, at that early day, condemned plurality of
livings. The Bishop was buried at the Abbey of St.
Victor, in the chapel of St. Denis.
To-day the political vane again points to war
among the great German potentates. The Siecle
gives the following account of the position :—" One
is less able than ever to form a judgment upon the
respective intentions of the great German Powers.
In spite of the official denials, to which we have
alluded, Austria is making military preparations,
which are very minutely described by the Gazette
de l'Allemagne du Nord. Prussia has addressed to
all the Cabinets a despatch, in which she insists
upon the impossibility of obtaining a settlement of
the present difference by the Diet, and all the news-
paper organs of the Prussian Government have re-
sumed a warlike tone. The news from the Saxo-
Bohemian frontier is that the contingents of some
regiments were increased by calling into activity
soldiers who were heretofore at liberty. Numbers
of horses have been purchased, and those for the
artillery at very high prices."

CEIANGE-RINGING.—A funeral peal was rung on
the bells of St. Mary, Islington, on Wednesday last, the
28th inst., as a mark of respect to the late William Smith,
for many yearge, ringer of the Society otlelingtou Youth,