The New York herald., 1877-11-22
NORFOLK HASTINGS.
Grand Wedding at the Brompton
Oratory Yesterday.
ARISTOCRATlc CATHOLICS.
Fifteenth Earl, Chief Butler, Premier
Duke and Hereditary Marshal.
LADY FLoRA'S FORTUNE.
Sudden Conversion to Catholicism
Wins a Dukedom.
IN THE CHAPEL
Appearance of the "High
Contracting" Pair.
DRESSES AND JEWELRY.
Marvellous Array of Diamonds, Rubies
and Sapphires
ROYAL DISPLEASURE.
Presents Representative or ORR
entail SplendOr
Appearance of the "High
Contracting" Pair.
DRESSES AND JEWELRY.
Marvellous Array of Diamonds, Rubes
and Sapphires.
ROYAL DISPLEASURE.
Presents representative or Ori-
entail Splendor.
[sx CABLE TO THE HERAnp.1

[DY CABLE TO THE HERAxp.1
LONDON, Nov. 20, 1877.
The marriage of Henry Fitzalan Howard,
fifteenth Duke of Norfolk, to Lady Flora
Hastings, took place yesterday morning at
the Oratory, Catholic retreat at Brompton,
In the suburbs to the southwest of this city.
In many respects it was the most important
social event Of the season. A vast con-
course Of people gathered around
the Oratory, to see the celebrities
enter the modest looking edifce
in which the ceremonies were performed.
The equipages from the neighboring
suburbs, including Kensington and Chel-
sea, were grand in the extreme. Most
conspicuous was the turnout Of the Marquis
and Marchioness Of Butte. The four horses
attached to the carriage were literally COW
cred with silver trappings, while the four
attendants in light livery and powdered
wigs might have been mistaken for til o
royal pages Of Windsor Castle.
ARRIVALS AT THE oRAronx.
strong detachment of police kept the
approaches closed to all vehicles except
those going to the Oratory. The weather
was cold and rainy. As the visitors arrived
they were received by Monsegneur Capel
for the most part and conducted to the
chapel, in which the Norfolk family have
worshipped for many years past. The
police arrangements were imperfect, and
the scenes of crowding and jostling within
and without the edifce were painful.
THE DUKES RELIGIOUS HOME
The Duke has scarcely left the building
for the past two weeks, for he began the
preparations for his marriage in a very
unusual way. On the 9th inst, both
the bride and bridegroom began what
Catholics technically term spiritual re-
treat" The bride entered the convent in
Kensington square, where Monseigneur Capel
is director; the bridegroom retired to the
Oratory, which is superintended by the
well known ecclesiastic, Father Faber.
THREE DAYS OF PRAYER AND MEDITATION
For three days these young people laid
aside all their worldly affairs and devoted
themselves in meditation and prayer to the
solemn consideration of their future re-
sponsibilities and duties of State. During
these three days of devotion the retreatants
rose at six O'Clock each morning, spent an
hour in meditation, heard mass at eight,
then took breakfast. consisting only
of bread and butter and coffee or tea.
After half an hour spent in open air
exercises another meditation followed The
reading of books on spiritual topics and
the preparation for confession and COM
munion consumed the rest Of the morning. A
plain dinner was served ut noon, consisting
of one kind Of meat, two kinds of vege-
tables and pudding After dinner silent
recreation followed in the open air.
NO LOVERS NOTES ALLOWED.
Indeed, during the whole of the three
days retreat silence was observed, except
where the retreatants were in communica-
tion with the priests or the superiors of the
institutions. No letters were written to
any one, nor was any correspondence had
with friends, between the lovers or between
the devotees and the outside world. The
afternoons were employed in meditation,
&C., as during the mornings, each day clos
ing with light repast. Tho hour for re-
firing was nine o'clock.
READY ron wEDLocx.
At the end of the retreat" general con-
fession of the whole lives of the subjects
was made, the communion administered
and the retreat ended. Usually the three
days spent in retreat are the three days i'm
usdla.ely preceding tao wedding, but in