The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-15
LITERATURE.
REVIEW OF NEW BOOKS.


TBs oID WORLD IN ITS NEw FACE. By Henry
W. Bellows. Vol. III. Published by Harper |
Brothers. Philadelphia Agents: Claxton,
Remsen & Haffelfnger. . ...
The ordinary route Of the European tourist
has been SO often described that 1t is difficult
TO say anything new about it. DR.. Bellows
narrative, therefore, does not tell us anything
that has not been told before in books Of
travel innumerable, but it is valuable as CON-
tanning the impressions Of an intelligent and
cultivated gentleman, who knew how to use
his eyes and ears, who was unbiased by pre-
judioes, and who endeavored to look on life
in the Old World in an appreciative spirit.
DR.. Bellows descriptions of persons, scenes,
and incidents are fresh and graphic albeit at
times a little prolix, and his comments are
evidently honest and dictated by desire to
do justice in all cases when he could
not commend. During his visit
TO Egypt DR.. Bellows was much
impressed with the Mshometan re-
igiousi observances, and his conclusions are
that there must be some real vitality in such
religion for it to exert the influences that II
does. He looked upon the worship Of the
Mahometans with the largest Christian cha
rity, and he saw many things in the simpli-
city of their ceremonials, the multiplication of
mosques, open alike to rich and poor at all
hours, and the attention which all classes give to
their religious affairs, which might be initiated
with advantage by Christians The Catholic
observanoes did not impress DR.. Bellows 80
favorably, and he expresses considerable ap-
prehension at the spread of Roman Catho-
icism in this country. His description of the
ceremonials which he witnessed in Rome are
interesting, however, and will repay perusal.
We quote the following account of a pontifcal
Mass at st. Peters Church in Rome:-
have Just returned from the Ponti6cal Mass
in the Slstine Chapel. At 10 A. NJ. the Swiss
Guards, in their uniforms OF black and orange,
slashed with led, filed into the chapel, followed
by the hundred or tao Of strangers who had
dressed themselves, the ladies in black, with
black yells on their heads, the gentlemen In
black dress suits according to the rigid etiquette
OF these grand ceremona al occasions. The car
dlnals came in one by one each folio wed oy his
attendant priest, knelt before the altar and took
their seat on raised dais common to all. As
each came in all the seated Cardinals rose until
the new C ,mer had taken his place. They were
dressed in long red cloak5 with enormous
trains, over white priests smocks, with red
stockings, white fur capes, and a sKull-cap of
red. IL was no easy matter for them to manage
their robes in all the prostraions. salutes,
r and movements they passed through in the
course OF the service. AT III O'Clock process
sion OF other cardinals, bishops, and priests
ushered the Pope into the chapel. He took his
place upon his throne on the lett hand of the
altar. He was dressed in white satin robes
em0rOdered with gold, and wore a white skull
cap. He looks now about 73 years old.
His face is mild, patieut, and benignant and he
enters into all chutch ceremonies with marked
earnestness and simplicity OF bearing. His per-
son is large and commanding, his head full and
well sbapej, aud he looks more as Edward
ttA in, hnp p10 go
any person ] can now think OF. He was
attended by two cardinals, Que on the right
and another on the left, who were raised above
the others. One looked as Antonelh ought to
man with hooked nose and irm jaw, fitted
to uphold the Pope's temporal government ln
its most lmperled hour. The service was
chiefly conaucted by a cardinal bishop, who
had grand voice, and could be heard by all
the assembly. Another cardinal sat on the
platform OF red cloth at the foot of the
Pope's throne, who had SPECIAL functions to
perform, such as swinging the censer at his
Holiness at certain intervals. The Armenian
Patriarch held the candle whenever the Pope
read any small portion of the service. His book
was meanwhile supported by another graudee
of the Church, and everything, to the holding
OF his skirts, seemed assigned in most careful
gradation to those having the precise claim TO
the privilege. Nothing could exceed the pune.
tihousness and etiquette observed. / have often
been amazed at the knowledge of their several
Gated arrangements Of secular and stage specta-
cles, but the memory and method observed IN a
ponti6cal mass exceeds every other achievement
In the way OF conqueripg ceremonial compleXity.
will not attempt to describe the order of the
ceremony, which, except in splendor and the
presence OF the embodied dignity of the Roman
Church, was like any other high mass. The
famous choir of the SistiDe Chapel 4d much
the largest part of the work to do, and they
did II with a precision and copiousness and
magnifcenee of musical effect which entltle
them TO their superlative reputation. The
"Glorla" exceeded In exquisiteness of harmony,
in light and shade, in tullness of sound, and
In exactness OF rendering, anything in the
shape of unaccompanied mae voices / ever
heard.
undergoing their imaginary transubstantiation
the sceLe was truly impressive. profound
silence reigled while Pope. cardinals, bishops,
and the whole assembly knelt aud waited as ii
some awful event we're in suspense. Certainly
the Catholic Church is true to its theories
Having adopted the incredible dogma OF Tran.
substantalon, IL honors il with logical reye
renee. Every thing hinges, as well II nav on
this Tremendous assumption. II Is the pre-
sence CT the cOnsecrated mas that hallows tht
altar. PUT on yosr hat,n said one of the tune
tionaries TO me in a cold church one day, 9TH,
Host is not on the ALTAR Another point
difference to supeIioTs is emphasized in ever,
possible way, and thus hierarcnica order Il
kept up. ALI the cardinals to-day IN turn pajC
their homage to the Pope by kissing his hand
homage to each other, passing the 'pdr uobis
\ cum" down from the upper cardinal to the las
- appointed. Precedence 10 observed as strictly a
kat court The cardinal Of highest rack swing
he ceDser at the Pope. A bishoO swings it at tn
laTdinas in turn, who rise and bow as the otficia
alutes them with the incense. Then tn
bishops are ncensed in their turn by pres
. and finally the priest bV a deacon, and so tn
etiquette is laboriously kept UD. Nothing cOul
serve better to uphold, in the eyes ofthe people
a.fn IS IL. a-f. ,,a1