The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1809-11-22

visit has excited, may afford you some information
and amusement. have resolved TO sketch them 10
you have given you upon another occasion the
description of the spiendour of S. Peters and the
Vatican, the most imposing objects of the modern
world The manners and ceremonies OF Roman
worship shall be exclusively the subjects Of present
inquiry You will rccollect that we now draw near
the period fixed by the latter Christians for the birth
Of our Saviour, and that the anniversary
of it approaches, the ostentaton OF Catholick
ship increases. This Sunday, being the first in the
Advent or coming of our Lord, is celebrated ir
Rome by the communion, which was this year per-
formed in great style by the cardinals in absence Of
the pope, who has gone TO Paris TO consecrate the
new emperour. should vainly attenr. to give you
a correct idea Of the magnifcence of tho Roman
Catholick worship in this its principal seat. In ST.
Peters, the ordinary number of csnnons, who assist
at publick worship, is not less than sixty They arc
clothed in sumptuous apparel, and chaunt the grand
mass with dignity and imposing effect The chapel,
in which this mass is performed, is splendid beyond
conception. st. Peters contains twelve or fourteen
Of these chapcls, all Of which rich and magni
fcent.
In the Grcgorian chapel they prepare the commun-
ion table, and four cardinals assisted at the
n.y. These cardinals arrive at ST. Peters in style
superiour to that which any crowned head in Europe
assumes common occasiorz They have two
perb coaches for each of them, both of bright
crimson colour richly orna.aented with god with
four servants behind the first and two behind the
purple robes of the most precious kind, with hat Of
crimson Their train, which is very long, is upheld
by gentlemen. arayed in black silk gowns like those
used by our clergymen, and they appear to be, andI
believe arc, men OF gool manners, aud dare say OF
science and crudition The cardinals enter the
church with vast train Of servants, one carries the
hat another the umbrella, third the cloak besides
a considerable number Of well dressed dependents.
When the cardinal kneels bis whole cortege or reti-
nue., kneel and pray with him. After the service is
finished, the cardinals proceed one by one to pay
their obeisance to the statue Of ST. Peter (Which,
by the way, made out Of statue Of Jupiter Ca
fo6,uls) geetcel man, dressed in black, precedes
his cxccllencyto wipe with white handkerchief the
foot Of the statue which had been soied by the
slant embraces of the vulgar. The cardinal then
advances, kisses It., rbs his forehead against the
toes says short prayer, again kisses it, and departs
to repeat the same ceremonies in smother chapel
When the vulgar, even layeen OF rank, say their
prayers, they fall down on the bare marble floor :
not the lofty cardinal he is proceeded by gen.
tlcman usher, who drops soft silk purple velvet
cushion, upon which his sacred knees softly recne.
The service finished, the cardinals retire in the same
ostentatous style, in which they came.
When one reflects, that all the pre-emncnce claim
ed by the church of Rome, its popes and its cartn
ais, is derived from tho idea of their being the d
rect and only legitimate descendants Of the prmi-
tive church and Of the apostles that they aver that
all the apostock powers and privileges all the pre-
cmincncc and authority Which were vested in those
most excellent, glorious and brave defenders of our
faith, have dcvolved upon them, one cannot help
contrasting, the pure, modest, humble manners, the
simplicity and poverty of the one with the refined
ostenatous, magnificent, proud behaviour, the rich
es and luxurics of the other Who would believe,
that the present splendid claimants of the apostolck
functions were the imitators Of the humble and low
ly Saviour, who often knew not were to lay his head
who despiscd, and taught his followers to contemn
the forms and pageantry of this world that they
pretend to be the successors Of those heroick dsc-
pies and inspired heroes, who suffered exile. pcrsc
cuon. poverty, distress, death, for the religions Of
which they were the worthy and disintercstcd pro-
fessors In place of setting at nought the lonours
and pleasures, the vantiss and Injuries OF this hte
YOU must search every thing which is rich, magnii-
cent, costly, luxurious sof high value amongst men,a
the fine arts, all which contribute to pride, splen
dour and human grandeur, in the palaces of cardn-
ais, ropes and their relations. What is the Vatican,
what ST Peters, but the coverings to the splendid
maasolea of deceased popes little II any inferour to
those of Augustus, of Trajan, or Adrian }
Letter 22d to be continued.]