Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-05-06

bells At the elevation of the host and the
chalice, the crowd fell upon their knees,
priests, soldiers, officers, princes, beggars,
ladies and children, dropped in their places,
and there sounded through the church from
some distant and unseen balcony such soft,
sweet and delicious peal of silver trumpets,
as made the nerves fairly tremble and shiver
with delight The effect was fine and greatly
enhanced by the soldiers rising from their
knees and grounding arms all along the lines
on the marble floor | think the theatrlc
effect of the whole scene could not be sur
passed. The mass was over, and the process
sion resumed its course to the sound of mill
tary music through the church to the vestl-
bule, and then to the balcony of st. Peters,
where the Pope blessed, as on Holy Thursday,
the immense crowd assembled in the square
After the benediction. the cannon Numbered,
the bells rang, and enthusiastic Uiuas poured
forth from $4,000 threats. The bands struck
up, 10 900 soldiers ordered arms, dragons
hourished their sabres, excited officers mar
shalled their companies, and the services OF
Easter Sunday were over. But the picture
of and crowd in St. Peters square on that
day will never be efaced. 1t was one of
those pictures which only the old world can
produce This evening occurred also the
illumination of st. Peters church and colon
made. | have just returned from the spec
great American painter, to the house of Mr..
Mozer, the great american sculptor, IN
Rome. a large company of Americans were
assembled in his drawing rooms and ON his
balconies. His house is on the PInclus Hill
at the top of the Scala Spagna. The situation
commands the best view of st. Peters OF any
in Rome. | met there Bayard Taylor, Brad
ford Rogers and others who are and Will be
celebrated in our history The church is one
Il. t,o
sky and Vatican Hill in tranquil majesty.
The illumination began at seven O'Clock.
Silver lights followed all the lines Of the
building from the base to the cross on the
top of the dome The wonderful structure
was thus relieved against the sky, then black
with clouds, in all its grand proportions, per-
feet in every part, like temple OF light. 1t
was ideal picture. like my conception OF
the Holy Temple in the New City of God
1t was Il moeaic Of silver fire; and at no time
and in no place has this marvellous building
put on such bewildering glory, when to-
night all its architectural lines and parts
were traced in stars against the clouds. At
eight precisely, IN a single moment, at the
sound of cannon, the illumination changed
from silver to golden light. But the splendor
of the second illumination was too profuse
1t lacked the purity and clelrncsS of the first.
Still, as babe farewell to it at nine o'clock,
it seemed as if | was bidding adieu to ce
lestial vision. like that which Will greet the
eye in better world. | was so far away
from the crowd the noise, the bands, the
machinery of the illumination, that the whole
scene seemed unreal and almost magical.
Thus Easter Sunday, the great festival of
Rome, has ended. In all its parade, and
spectaclcs, and splendors, there is an I'M
speakable contrast to the real resurrection of
our blessed Redeemer. Where multi udes
struggle for pre-eminence where pomp and
circumstance preeede enitence and love :;
where theatric effects are studied for mere
sensual impression; where military and civic
and ecclesiastical powers vie with each other
in the glitter of their cquipages where the
braying of trumpets and the peal OF bells and
the thunder of cannon mingle with the voices
of priests and of eunuchs; where State and
Church combine to enhance material Splen-
dor and to generate 0bsequiousneSs and ser
vility there is an infinite contrast 10 the sim
plicity of Jesus Christ. to the quiet and re
pose of lowly faith. left the Church, so
sublime and glorious. and ceremonies SO
Ostentatious and snowy. t. look upon long
retinues of ecclesiastical carriages and mill
tary legions armed. fed and paid by the Vicar
of Christ and rs | walked home, hundred
squalid beggars. who might have been en-
riched with education and inspired with high
principle at half the cost Of one days need
less display, held out their hands and made
piteous appeals for charity. Not quarter
of the multitude who knelt for the blessing
could read and write They are nursed in
ignorance and the Church Is glorious in its
parade and display, in it, Examinations and
music, but not in its elevation Of the poor,
its instruction of the ignorant, its inspiration
of the masses with the aims of high and
noble manhood Its real, Christ-like life ex-
pircs in the blaze Of its sensuous glories.
The true resurrection of Christ is celebrated
in the resurrection of the neonlc.