Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-06-02
Religious. Ceremony in Madrid.

Ihe Madrid correspondent OF the
London Times gives the following &C
count Of the emblematic ceremony of
washing the Apostles 1eet, as recently
performed by King Alfonso: "The re-
hgious service is attended by the King.
which is performed in the chapel, and
to which the public are freely admitted,
was over at noon, and I went up the
Princes Staircase on my way to the
Hall of Columns, where the ceremony
of the day was to come off. Everything
about the Madrid Alcazar is grand, if
not strictly beautiful. The command
ing site, with view of the dreary, yet
vast open country, and of the bleak
Cuardarma ridge, the court yard, with
its massive but clumsy colonnade, the
chapel with it's wealth of marbles and
frescoed vault; finally the Salon
de las Colunanas, q spacious vestibule
of magnificent loftiness, a stately en-.
trance to the somewhat too gorgeous
suite of state apartments everything
is on large scale and admirably bene-
fitting great imperial home. It was
not without terrible struggle that the
persons favored with o pass and clad,
the men in uniforms or in sober even
ing black, the ladies in the brilliant
colors of their brand-new fnery,
black mantilla alone being de rigeur,-
could force their way along the CORR
doris and up to the portals, beset with
an unwashed throng, among whom J.
detected a sprinkling of undeniable
pickpockets. With good deal of wear
and tear, however, brave men and push
ing women managed to get through, and
by the time entered a compact mass
OF silk and velvet, broadcloth and gold
lace; crowded the saloon, the spec
tators, more than 800 Of whom were
ladies, standing all round jammeo up on
benches, row upon row, leaving barely
the most limited space open for the per-
formers. Within this space the twelve
paupers, or apostles, sat on settee,
each of them with their best foot and
leg bare to the knee, and as well
prepared for the occasion as by dint
of much soap and water could be con-
trived; the King in his grand uniform,
with a towel tied around him, apron
wise, followed by Cardinal Moreno,
Archbishop of Valladolid, in his scarlet
robes and skull-cap, and behind and all
around them q great staff of grandees
and Marshals, an array of golden uni
forms only distinguishable from the no
less sumptuous liverics of the
court menials by the stars, crosses
cordons, and scarfs of their
chivalrous orders. The Cardinal went
first, and spr1nkled few drops of per
TUNED water over each of the bare feet
IN succession, the King came after.
kneeling before each foot, rubbing it
slightly with his towel, then STOPPING
upon it as if he meant to kiss it. The
ceremony did not take many minutes.
The twelve men then got up; they were
marshaled in great pomp round the
hall. and seated in row on one side of
the the table, with their faces to the
spectators, in the order observed In Lee
onardo's grand picture of the Last Sup
per. In the rear of the table. on high
and lofty platform, stood the court. In
the middle the Infanta Isabella, Count
ess OF Girgenti, heiress presumptive to
the throne, upon whom, after long dis
cussion, the title of Princess OF Asturias
has lately been conferred, looking tall
and majestic, and even somewhat stern
and naughty from her elevated station,
and with the only grave countenance IN
that vast assemblage; she was simply
attlred in gray silk and wore IN ample