Star.
London, England, 1829-11-27 00:00:00

ROME, Nov. 4.

Since the Ist of the month we have had nothing here
but a succession of fetes—l mean of religious fetes; for, as to the
" comestibles," all the world has been Amphytrion unto itself. The
let of the month (Sunday) was All Saints-day, and on that occasion
I made it a point to attend Vespers in the Cathedral of St. Peters.
The Pope was not present, and, therefore, a great number of our
countrymen—comprising English, Irish, and Scotch—were griev-
ously disappointed. Nevertheless, the ceremony was striking, dra-
matic, and amusing ; but, as these terms are general, and give no
very precise notions, I must enter somewhat into detail, in order
that you may be able to judge for yourself. Of St. Peter's itself I
will give no description, because I know you would not, nor, in-
deed, ought not, to bear with me in the telling of a " twice-told
tale." You must, therefore, be 'pleased to imagine yourself within
the area of that vast Cathedral, Ins small chapel half way op the left
side of the aisle, at the time of four o'clock in the afternoon, with a
" dim religious light," admirably suited to the ceremony and occa-
sion. In a few minutes after that hour, enters the Arch, or High
Priest, clothed in rich vestments, between a tkeacon and Sub-
Deacon, with habiliments to correspond, bearing on their heads
caps in shape and figure resembling a wine tunnel. No doubt there
is something mystic and all.saving in the shape of these machines,
as a Frenchman would call them, but the" rationale" of the thing
I am so stupid as not to be able to give you ; and you, therefore,
must be contented with hearing simply that the matter is so, with-
out knowing anything whatever of the why or the wherefore about
which Englishmen in general are so very troublesome. Closely
following the High Priest are 38 Prebendaries. and 50 Minor Ca-
nons, who range themselves in the stalls appropriated to their use,
and which are admirably adapted, not alone for comfort, but for
that luxurious " causerie," or, as we would say, chit-chat, which
is so edifyingly and spiritedly carried on during the progress of the
Service. Next enter the Acolytes and Servitors, bearing pillars of
wax candles, and censers with the animated Thurifers, who swing
them so dextrously sideways, crossways, endways, and sill other
ways that heads can divine and hands execute. Next enter the
choir into a side gallery, over which a veil is drawn !
The choir of St. Peter's consists of fifteen voices—viz. two bass,
two tenor, two counter-tenor, two barytbne, two contra-alto, and
five Velutized members of the tuneful band. When all are ar-
ranged, a Swiss fugiemaa (dressed very much like Grimal4l as the
Clown) gives the cue for business to commence, and forthwith the
Arch-priest aggravates his voice, as " 'twere any nightingale," to
the greater honour and glory of Gon. The Diu de ee fairly begun
by a most dissonant chorus, composed of boys. women, eunuchs,
and asthmatic old men, the Prebendaries and Canons commence—
their talk and laughter! This one offers snuff to his neighbour—
while the other adjusts the band, arranges the stole, or disposes to
more picturesque advantage the tall of the holy man who is so
polished as well as sanctified. Presently the long-nosed and
agreeable Canon, seated on the last row, sees a pretty English-
woman, and. presto / he directs the wandering attention of the
fair and fresh-coloured Prebend, who sits beside him, to the
heretic dame, the light of whom eyes might lead him astray,
though it Is not " light from Heaven.' But I will pass ever this
disgraceful part of a scene so repugnant to the feelings of an Eng-
lishman, and say a word or two on the music. It is, in truth,
delightful ; and if any thin:, midst a scene so ill calculated to in-
spire devotion, could melt the soul to tenderness and love, it would
be the echo of those sweet and simple Lydian and Phrygian airs,
which, though so uniform in melody, yet give a soft and plaintive
melancholy to the words that must sink deep into the least suscep-
tible heart. When one listens to this music without heeding what
is passing to the right or the left, without bestowing a thought on
the loquacium•Canons, or a look on the jessamy and stage-stricken
choir from which it proceeds, it is indeed difficult not to be melted
into tears; and one can well understand and deeply toter into the
feelings of St. Augustine, who, during the performance of this cere-
mossy, wept aloud (as he avows in his amusing Confession.) at the
Cathedral of Milan. At five o'clock Vespers are over ; but, as
if an hour were too much to devote to the wurslrp of Coo, the
few stray Cardinals who attend this ceremony, and the Canute.
• and Prebends in great number, frequently enter into the body of
the Church, to talk louder or joke more broadly than they could in
the smaller Chapel. So much for Sunday. the first day in No-
vember ; but the same system is pursued every Sunday in the
year
In which Vespers is performed in the noblest Cathedral in the
Christian world.
It is now nee dfol that I should say a few words on the festival

of All Souls, and on the Papal Mass performed on that day at
Monte Cavallo. At nine o'clock on that morning great numbers
of English flock to the Quirinal ; but they have usually to wait
two hours, for his Holiness does not make his appearance before
11. So it was on Monday last ; and, instead of being but ne up the
aisle of the Papal Chapel en the shoulders of 20 valets, the Pope
walked in from the Sacristy, attended only by half a dozen
Servitors. Each of these had some particular duty assigned to hint.
For instance, one held the Pontiff's breviary, a second took charge
of his spectacles, a third hi• pocket handkerchief of white lawn, a
fourth of his mitre with two tails, a fifth his stole, and so on. All
this put one in mind of Madame de Canspan's lively description
of the toilette of Maria Antoinette, who was as much the slave of
tyrant ceremony as the Bishop of Rome. Each of the maids of
honour had a reticular duty ; one pot on the chemise of the
Queen, another her jupon, but, between them all, it often fell out
that the poor Queen was left shivering, if the attendant was nut
ready, for none dare infringe on the legitimate duty of the lady
whit Iv al the brevet of appointment. So it is with the Pope. His
spectacles were sometimes not to be found when he had need of
thew, and anon they were thrust on him when he wished them far
enough away. Some of the Pontifical dressers wero awkward,
some slow ; but there was one who was great in his calling—that
dexterous and lively man-milliner, Cardinal Albani. This Mer-
cury among the leaden heads was here, there, and every where ;
and seemed the very shallow of holiness, so closely did he stick to
it. His nimbleness, alertness, and Figaro faculty (of which cha-
racter. by the bye, he is the very impersonation in figure as well as
in manner) formed a grateful contract to the .touching air, lum-
bering gait, and dull decorousness of his brother Cardinals. There
is something supremely ridiculous in the dress of these function-
aries. The tail or train of their purple robe is. at least, six feet
long, and, till they enter the chapel, this is twisted like a rope, and
held up by their private chaplains. Wheat till, come into the house
of Goo, however, the train is let fall, and, peacock-like, they walk
to their seats! The Chaplain, when they are seated, places him.
self at the particular Cardinal!. feet to whom he belongs, and the
ceremony proceeds. ?flans over, the Pope gives his blessing, an d
the world departs in peace.
Yesterday being the Realm, of St. Clark., and the birth-day
of his Most Christian Majesty of France, the Pope came in state
to the Chapel of St. Charles, in the Corso, attended by his body
and Swiss Guards, as well as the Roman gendarmerie. This is
the representative of Christ on earth, who had no retinue, and was
a lowly one. and who came to give "peace on earth, and goodwill
to men !" His Holiness was carried up the chapel from his car-
riage, on a superb gilt throne, ornamented with marabou feathers,
in the form of a fleur-de-lis. the arms of France, by 20 valets in
scarlet liveries. He was too ill, however, to officiLe„ and a young
Cardinal, dressed .in white satin, with white satin pantaloons, and
shoes of white satin, embroidered with gold tassels, officiated for
him. During a part of the ceremony his Holiness appeared to me
to sleep, and when it was necessary that be should bless the con-
gregation, he appeared sick and languid. No wonder ! A man
who is always surrounded by state, who is always acting a part,
who never takes off his pontificials, and who is hardly permitted
to blow his nose without the intervention of a Bishop in pontifica-
Jibes. must lead a weary and miserable life, and often sigh for the
dull repose of the humble convent, which be has quitted to ex-
change for the chair of St. Petet's, and a world of ceremonial, such
as I have described.

Rousseau remarks somewhere (I forget now,) that it is neces-
sary to have spectacles for the people; and, as regards the Roman
people, this is certainly true. They are all, with a few exception*,
deeply penetrated by these ceremonies,:and I should concevil the
truth if I did not also avow that the *matters which I hate at-
tempted to describe produce a deep impression of awe, and often,
too, of veneration, on the minds of the younger portion of our Pro.
testanc countrywomen, whose eyes are too often the portals to their
heart; but it is also consolitery to think that those who only yield
to the suggestions of reasons (and 1 number among this class the
majority of English men and women) see the matter in its true
light ; and though they may be strong advocates for Emancipation,
and the most perfect toleration at home, are, nevertheles4, deeply
imbued with the mischievousness of a system which makes cere-
mony every thing; a system which prohibits knowledge, to per-
petuate the worst of tyranny—intellectual tyranny.