The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1870-01-28
4 SKETCH or THE 1.OPE.


The Pontiff only wears the triple
crown on the grandest and most sol
enn occasions; for example, whom he
is carried in his palanquin or gedia
gestatoria, with the great fans OF pea
cocks feathers (said to have been taken
from temple of Jupiter) before him,
or when he blesses "the city and the
world" from the balcony Of st. Peters.
Whom he celebrates pontifcal high
mass in st. Peters, or N the Sistine,
he wears only an episcopal mitre when
in his carriage his snowy locks are
crowned by q plain black silk skull
cap, which, is also his headgear at re-
ceptions at the Vatican; but there lies
always beside him IN orthodox "shov-
el hat" Of the precise form Of that
worn by Don Bastilio in the Barber
of Seville, but of common velvet in
stead Of black beaver. When the
Pope alights from his carriage, as he
frequently docs during a promenade
on the Pincian Hill, the Hyde Park
drive Of Rome, all in his vicinity kneeI
down. lie puts on his crimson velvet
"shoyel," tucks up his white flannel
pctticoat and looks about smiling be-
nignly, and blessing, with two out
stretched fingers, tho poorest tTaste-
ycrina as aIniablc AZ he bestows his
benediction on tho wealthiest Angli-
can convert, or "pervert" as Ang1icans
who are not yet converted, choose
sneeringly to say.
Personally, nobody has ever word
to say against Pho Mono. His hand is
"open as day to melting charity" He
is SO good to the poor, who dog his
footsteps everywhere, and lay in wait
for him on the Scala Regia, and at the
approaches to the Cappella Paoilne,
until they are driven away by the Swiss
Guards, that the chance of his giving
away his head, if it we're loose, is any
thing but remote probability. His
valet once asked him for fifty francs to
buy dozen shirts s'for q poor man.
"Who is the poor nan p asked the
Pope, the tear Of compassion trem-
bling on his eyelids. Your Holiness" !"
replied the valet de chambre, "you
are always giving away your body lin
en-. Since that period the Camerieri
Segreti have made 1t somewhat more
difficult to 'tget at the Pope but he
is still accessible through the medium
Of petitions, and he must be a clumsy
| begging letter writer indeed who, IN
response TO an artfuliy werded suppl
cation, fails to extract something from
the Pontifieal Treasury.
Has Plus TX any faults, any failings?
Wei, always taking his infallibility IN
to account, the eensorious do say that
His Holiness is rather too much addict
ed to the consumption Of snuff, an
enormous quantity Of which, enclosed
IN tin cans heTTnetrically sealed, is an
.nually dispatched to Rome from the
famous house of Van Vlncke, of the
Hurmgracht, Amsterdam. And then
His Holiness, snufing incessantly as
he does, viii persist IN using only the
commonest blue pocket handkerchiefs
with white spots-"b birds ere fogles"
to be familiar-which have an unseem-
", not to say disastrous appearance
when he receives distinguished visitors
at the Vatican. Tt is said that Lady
Herbert, of Lea, was awfully shocked
on the frat occasion when she was in
4 tIoluSGu u tue 4 oAt4ity tAlu S1W A4u4
snuiling, with periodical recourse TO
the blue cotton pocket handkerchief.
But he is dear old gentleman for all
that One of the preitiest stories re-
lated Of him is in connection with q
| pert young English lady. Girl OF
the Period" although not of the pres
cnt ono, who absolutely refused to
kneeI down and he blessed as the Pope
was passing through one of the CALLER
les of the Vatican. 81 am Protest
ant, /" said she sternly to an attendant
chamberlain who had ventured to sug-
gest to her the propriety of genufux-
ion. Never mind, min fglla," OBJ
served the Pope, who had overheard
the alteration, "the blessings of an
old man will do you no harm )" and SO
he laid his good old hands on her re-
belious young head, and blessed her
against her viii.