Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-06-23
From Letter to the Evening Post.l
Pope Plus TX.
HOW HE LIVES, EATS AND SPENDS HIS
TIME,

oome OF your readers may ieel aOme
curiosity, if not interest, as to the manner
in which the Pope lives and passes his
time. 1t is very simple, entirely Invested
of the pomp surrounding him at the great
church festivals, and far less luxurious
than the dear bishops of republican Amer
lea. Winter and summer Plus TX. rises
at 5 a. m. After dressing he passes a
half hour alone in prayer; then he says
mass at 6 a. m. After which he break
fasts on cup of chocolate q peaa and dry
bread From a. M, until midday he is
occupied in the examination of state doc
uments and in the reception of ministers,
each member of his cabinet having spec
ial on which his report must be made,
with the exception of the cardinal minis
ter of state, Antonelli, who is admitted
every day. At two o'clock, or little be-
fore, the Anticamera Mobile, or court dig
nitaries on duty are dismissed and the
Pope sits down to dinner. This is of the
very simplest fare, generally consisting
only of vegetables, sometimes with fish,
rarely, if ever, of meat; no butter or
sauces of any kind, and, only when his
medical attendant prescribes it, accom-
panied by glass of country wine-vino
nostrale.
At 8 p. m. he hears vespers in his pri-
vate chapel, and immediately afterward,
if the weather be not too inclement, goes
out for drive, in which he is accompa-
MED by one or two of his clerical cham
berlains and by the detachment of twelve
noble guards who are on duty. By the
way, it is well to state that these war
riors, although one of them rides on each
lo ofh
mental appendages, not guardians of his
person, for they would scorn to soil their
aristocratic hands by any contest with
malefactors and always run away or get
leave of absence, when any 81 black spots \"
are to be seen along the political horizon ;
besides the Pope has no need of champi-
ons among the Roman people, who are
devoted to him personally, as any one
may assure himself who has ever seen the
battistrada, or outriders, dash along In
front of the cortege, or who has noticed
the affrciionate reverence displayed by
all classes of the natives as they discover
the numbering red carriage with its four
black horses, or the venerable pontiff HIM
self, attired in his plain white cassoek and
broad red hat, distributing his blessings
to the crowd as he walks along the mid
die of the street Par 9dTeptteSeS,-
it is contrary to etiquette for
any cardinals to be seen on
foot within the city walls
50 that their pedestrianism is confined ex-
clusively 10 the rural districts but the
Pope always does the length of the Corso,
or tho circuit of the Pincian Hill, if it
does not rain, particularly should any of
the foreign newspapers have published a
report of his falling health or strength.
After his return from his drive, the Pope
takes another frugal repast, and then, un-
til bedtime-about ten to eleven o'clock
is busted in the examination of minis
terial reports and state documents.
Such is the daily routine of the holy
father, only varied by private receptions
of distinguished personages i'll the NOR
nings three or four times week, and by
a pnhlin reception Seadays al four
o'clock, both of which are, as rule, fear
full nuisances. 1t is a generally received
opinion that Plus TX. is a mere cypher-
50 a good man occupied solely with spiri-
tual affairs, and abandoning secular mat
ters entirely to Antonelli." There never
was a greater mistake in the world. The
Pope is eood-not even his enemies deny
that hut he is not only a spiritual chief,
but II temporal ruler in every sense of the
word, and few sovereigns are more busted
with the affairs of state than
is the old man of the Vatican"
He does not spend very great amount of
public money, for the entire civil list OF
the Pontigcial government including the
Pope's personal expenses, the salaries of
the cardinals, of all the foreign diploma
tic agents and home ministers, and of the
court officials, guards and servants of the
Vatican, is covered by the sum of five
hundred thousand dollars annually.
As rule Plus TX. eats alone, his domes-
tic chaplain reading aloud the prayer of
the day during the meal. Sometimes,
however, one of the prelates on duty is in
vited to share the repast, an honor OF
which it appears they are not extremely
covetous, as it is scarcely up to their
standard of good living. One of them
Mgr de Merode, squint-eyed prelate,
who once played minister of war, used to
be great favorite with the holy father,
on account of his wit and his talent for
retailing the gossip of the city, of which
the Pope likes to be informed but he
forfeited his claims to favor by the shock
ing amount of ill-nature which he display
ed in his stories, and by his insinuations
against some of the colleagues, whom he
almost directly accused of plotting against
their sovereign's life, when he advised the
renewal of the old custom of having
''taster" at the meals, as precaution
against poison. His holiness smiled quite
maliciously when the proposition was
made, and at once ordered Merode to dis
charge the functions of an Office which
L,l hnII
Merode, of course, refused, and was sent
into the corner, like spoiled child, and
was told to stand there with his face to
the wall until the pope ate his dinner,
as a punishment either for his disobedi-
ence or his want of charity, his own con-
science would tell him of which fault he
was guilty.
The presentation of private documents
or petitions requiring the papal signature
is prevented as vigorously as possible, al
though the orders are that every request
of Importance should be submitted to his
personal examination and many an indi-
gent family have been relieved by the
private bounty of the pope, who has in
sisted that the papers stretched out to him
by people in the streets should not be
withheld by his attendants, who would
like monopoly of their masters charity
PHYSICIANS OF LONG PRACTICE.--The
Middlebury Register lately alluded to the
long practice of DR.. Ralph Bugbee, of
Lower Waterford, who has been in the
active practice of'his profession fifty four
wears, and to DR.. z. Bass, of Middlepury,
whose active practice has already extended
over period of fifty-seven years; it now
mentions case which is still more re-
markable. DR.. Theophilus Clark of Tii-
of DIR. Charles Clark who
used to practice in Middlebury-now
about SO years of age has, practiced his
profession in the town where he resides 60
years, and had previously served in Mid
dletowh one year, making in all 66 y ears
continuous professional service, and he is
still hale and hearty, with no apparent
thought of giving up his labor for years