The Sun.
London, England, 1827-04-27 00:00:00

EASTER CEREMONIES AT LISBON.

SUNDAY.—For the last three days, nothing
hut devotion has occupied the time and atten-
tion of the people ; even war and politics, with
the exception of some rumours of a change of
Ministry, are entirely overlooked. Old and
young, rich and poor, noble and ignoble, man,
woman, and child—all flock to the churches, to
say prayers, take the Sacrament, hear the_music,
or witness the various ceremonies or shows that
take place during the holy week. Some of them,
even to a Protestant, have a good effect. Others
are ridiculous, and may be attributed to that
spirit so prevalent among the Clergy, Protestant
as well as Catholic, of adhering to the ancient
forms of the Church, and practising ceremonies
which were fit only for the dark ages. What,
for instance, can be more ridiculous than one of
the formalities of this week ? A man wearing a
red cloak without sleeves, accompanied by a
drummer and a bagpiper, goes through the dif-
ferent streets, asking alms, and carries with him
a red flag, on which the Holy Ghost is repre-
sented in the form of a dove. He holds it out
to the orange-women, who kiss the dove with
great devotion, and rub their faces with it.
"fhe more respectable part of the people smiled
in contempt ; and I did not see any one give
the mendicant any alms. The very women who
kissed the dove with such devotion shrugged
up their shoulders, extended their arms, and pro-
tested they were so poor, they could not give
a rea. In another place you will see a crowd
collected around an effigy of Judas. As soon
as the church bells begin to toll, on Saturday
morning, a rope is put about his neck, and he is
(what the French, during the revolution, called)
lantere—strung up to a lamp post, amidst the
scoffs and derision of the mob. The boys pelt
him with mud, prick him with goads, and seem
highly delighted at the fantastical figure which
he cuts, while dangling in the air. He is then

taken tiow:,, dragged through the filthy streets,
with his head all in a blaze, or filled with
crackers, which explode every moment, and after
suffering every indignity, is thrown into the
river. Some of the fishermen, too, amuse them-
selves in suspending a similar effigy from the
bowsprit of their vessel, and letting it fall re-
peatedly into the water, excite great merriment
among the spectators. Yesterday (Good Fri-
day) the city had a sad appearance. The shops
were shut, no church bells tolled, the very bells
at the necks of the mules and oxen were taken
down, the vessels in the river hoisted colours
half-mast high, the troops carried their arms re-
versed, all the inhabitants who could be at the
expense were in mourning, and at eight the city
was in total darkness—not a lamp was lit up, or
a shop open, and the unfortunate devotee, in the
midst of torrents of rain and Lisbon showers,had
to grope his way along the walls from one church
to another, with only an occasional glimmer-
ing from some distant window, or half open
door. Even in the churches, with the excep-
tion of the lights on the chief altar, only a few
tapers are to be teen. This darkness commenced
on Thursday, at mid-day, and was preceded by
great solemnity. Mass is first celebrated, the
Sacrament is then taken by the Clergy, arid some
of the people, and the Priest afterwards removes
the host front tne alter, and deposits it in the ta-
bernacle, where it remahia till the ceremonies
commence, which represent the resurrection of
Christ. He conceals it carefully under his robe
—walks round the church under a canopy of
state, accompanied by some of the principal in-
habitants—all the windows of .the chureh are
darkened—the bells cease ringing—the candle-
sticks and images are taken down, and every ob-
ject around bears marks of some great calamity
having taken place. Sentinels are placed at the
doors, and at each side of the altar ; the altars
are lit up with 150 or 200 candles, and adorned
with flowers of almost every description. The
churches are strewed with odoriferous plants, the
church plate is exhibited, and every measure
adopted to give an air of dignity and grandeur
to the ceremonies. On Thursday ant Friday,
till midnight, torrents of people are pouting into
the different churches, to hear sermons, or wit-
ness the various ceremonies. The men and
women commonly occupy different places. 'The
men stand (for no chairs or seats of any descrip-
tion are to he had), and the women kneel, or
squat down in the Moorish style, in the body of
the church. The females of the lower class have
the usual capote, with the muslin hand-
kerchief on their head, even more white, if
possible, than usual. Ladies are dressed in
black silk, without any head-dress, except a
large black veil, which is thrown over the head,
and reaches to the waist. This dress is uncom-
monly graceful, and gives great effect to the
modest demeanour of a young beautiful woman.
The mother commonly comes, accompanied by
two cr three of her daughters. They kneel down
beside her, with a prayer-book in one hand, and
a fan or reticule in the other, and are always
careful, as they kneel down, to cover their feet
with their robes, and seldom raise their eyes till
they have said their prayers. " The D is
in these dark deep black eyes," said a friend
that stood near me, as we were admiring the
features of a young woman, who knelt by her
mother ; " every volley goes to my heart, but then
the dirty streets through which she had to walk !"
In almost every church during the holy week, ser-
mons are delivered. The action of the preachers
is rather graceful, though, at times, far too vio-
lent. The subjects are generally taken from
those parts of Scripture which relate to the suf-
ferings of our Saviour, and the effect produced
by the preacher, when he describes the indigni-
ties to which he was subjected—the pains which
he endured, and the forgiving spirit which he
dispi,a, ed. can hard') be imagined. I have seen
nothing like it, except in the Highlands of Scot-
land. Women, and even men, weep bitterly ;
and at the clove of any striking description, and
particularly when the preacher uncovers, at the
proper moment, the crucifix, which is commonly
placed beside him, loud groans and lamentations
are heard. I have understood that a great num-
ber of the clergy of Lisbon bear a very respect-
able character, and are much beloved. The
monks and friars, on the contrary, are not at all
in favour, and the fishermen and watermen often
as they pass along the water make no scruple of
treating them with contempt. In some of the
churches there is a representation of Mount Cal-
vary, with the thieves on each side, and the cross
on which Christ was crucified in the middle. At

the close of the ceremonies each evening, boys,
with small wooden hammers and boards, make a
clattering noise, like that produced by the London
butchers, with the marrow-bones and cleavers.
This noise, which is extremely disagreeable,
takes place only during the holy week. The
singing, as far as I have had an opportunity of
judging, has not much to recommend it. On
Saturday, at mid-day, the churches resume their
wonted appearance. On a signal being given,
the hallelujah commences; the window-curtains

are all withdrawn at once, and the church is illu-
minated in the twinkling of an eye, amidst
ringing of hells and other demonstration r r
joy. The people, particularly those that err,,,f
from the country, deck their mules and bullocks
with flowers, and seem to evince great satisfac-
tiGn in listening again to the tinkling of their
bells, and the discordant screeching noise made
by the axletrees of their clumsy carts. On Sa-
turday, at midnight, the ceremony of interring
Bachalao (stock fish), is performed in different
parts of the streets, to the great joy of the inha-
bitants. This day (Sunday), all is rejoicing.
All the vessels in the river have their flags flyil.g.
The guns have been fired—bands of music are
parading the streets, and the churches are
crowded with persons of every description,
anxious to witness the ceremonies of the day,
and testify their joy at the resurrection of our
Sa'•iocc~