New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-30
ST, PAUL'S DAY IN MALTA.
RIVAL OF A GORGEOUS MEDIEVAL
SPECTACLE.

.
So st. Paul and the Knights of 81. John have gwen
this little island more than its geographical share of
| historic renown. The Maltese return the favor ~.
! Paul did them eighteen and half centuries ago
/ with compound interest Statues, churches,
chapcls bays grottOes streets babies and cats and
dogs all over the island are named for bin. gro
| tesquely shaped oil lamp here in use is dubbed
St. Paul. lamp There is an old, black, blunt
! bowed tugboat plying in one of the harbors called
st. Paul. Such Joke is nothing short OF total
wreck; perhaps there's where the joke comes in.
If it was ordained that the Saint must be
| wrecked somewhere il was as well on his own ac-
count that he should have ashore in the pref
titst bluest buif-shored bay of this island and 1t
was best for the Maltese. The inhabitants have
! never ceased to cherish the honor and fame that
came to them when the dripping Apostle climbed
! up the rocks out Of the sea and set ms 1901 on
Malta. And over the very spot where he was dry
ing his clothes when he shook the viper of his hand
! into the fire there now stands sad-taced little
/ chapel cheaply appointed, within which and back
| of the always dusty altar a feeby pretentIous
| painting of the shpwreck has had all harmony OF
colors and attitudes washed out of it by The debii-
Eating and sticky srOccos that come over the sto-
ried sea from Africa ST. Paul's Bay is seven miles
from the principal city of the island, Valetta. and
is reached either by the sea by driving over hard
smooth. white road with racy little touches OF
quaint scenes and scenery the whole way.
| The fsta of the shipwreck began on Thursday,
! eliminating at five o'clock this Sunday, evening in
grand procession and illumination of the city OF
| Valletta. Early in the week the preparations
| began: hundreds of white and gilded gas-posts
were set about twenty-five feet apart through the
| principal streets each post crowned with branch
ing pyramid of gas-lamps. Where streets inter
sected extra designs, picked out in colored lights
J were suspended. Flags and banners were strung
! from hOuse-top 10 house-top-the old flag or the
knights Of St. John rich in color but richer in mem
| cries. matchmaking in the medley of bunting
The facade Of st. Pauls Church, situated in the
! hollow of q street Of the same name, that curves
! like the crescent of a new moon, it threads its
course through the town, was almost solid blaze
| of coal-gas glory. Shops dwellings, and their
never-absent Widowed balconies, were all
! sprnked over with little many-colored glass OIL
cups; and | know of at least four band-stands
built like bridges the streets in which Maltese
musicians Yielded their lip-servIce to give tone to
the celebration through four whole days
Since Thursday, then, the narrow strcets Of Val
| letta have more resembled arohed garden-walks,
where pomegranate- blossoms in redundant reds
! and morning gores in yariegated vividness
abounded by day and where by night countless
lights made a midsummer nights dream a tangible
and palpitatlng something The city has been
| thronged with crowds of clean-clad Maltese and
better behaved and better natured crowd to make
| ones oft hndered way through does not assemble
| in any land. Maltese c. OVID is an emlnenty
| safe one both 20 natives and strangers. The emily
| disturbance have ever seen in was engendered
bv tipsv British sailors or soldiers. The Maltese
have no national holidays. Their festds are all OF
religious character and origin. The Church, Which
| is the ruling power here, desgnates and controls
them Even the Maltese sports and races are ac-
comnlished on Saints days On St. Cecilias day
| they get out their accordons and mandohns; on
| St Lawrences day they roast young pigs on
Madonna del Carmne's day they drink red wine
ON ST. Peters day they over their happy lot ;
| and on St Vitus's day they shake dice. The
Maltese are really happy and spirited people in
their unambltious way. They are like children TO
enjoy. and like catA to fight They are naturally a
neacef,l race but are easily excited. One fiery man
| could incte a riot without reason. Happily thelr
religious instincts strong ana their confluence ana
reverence for the priests are absolute ana tOuchhg
The nriests are their fathers and friends One hundred
and one Catholic churches and chapels TO loo'opo
nonulatiou is not a bad showing, and some OF the
churches are large enough to harbor 1000 wor-
shinpers nj once One church has the fourth largest
dome in the world and yet never heard of 1t till
! came 10 Malta, The size and elegance ana I'M
obtrusve ip,pressveness of few of these churches
startle the unsuspecting visitor You suddenly
tnru a corner in quiet village, and 10. double
lowered structure meets your gaz, that would be an
architectural credit to millou-souled city.
ON 81. PauIs Day the Maltese celebrate the ship
wreck and the happy catastrophe Is still green and
| iuicv in Maltese memory. Ii might have happened
the DAY before yesterday, or year ago or at any
rate not further OH than February 10, 1871 II one
unknowing. might judge from the enthusiasm that
|
with a companion to st. Pauls Church in San
Paolo-st. A great crowd filled the editice-a crowd
co dense and wedged that despaIred OF reaching
the two chairs that had secured by sending early
IN tbe day a very deaf and thence not easily brlbed
man 70 occupy and hold them till came have
soon crowded places indoors and outdoors IN four
! continents but never anything like this.
! ~ PauTs though so severe without, Is very beau-
+;r,I within. 4 combination of thoughtful drab and
sombre gold in an arched interior is usually sue
! ccss especially when lghtened by sunshine and
IIp,,ined bv stretches of gold-borlered red satin
tapestrv creeping along undulatng Norman lines
| The domed and arched ceilings were plenttuliy
! frescoed and on either side and back OF the mgh
altar hung huge paintings OF It. Paul working mr.
aoles for the barbarians Of Malta amid ORIENTAL sur
ronndings The chief picture, however was the
! sbinvreck. The main altar fronted with a slab
of figured silver ten feet long by four feet broad
and if WAS covered with shelf of costly malachIte
over which was laid a sheet of exquisite Maltese
lace of great antiquity Man-high candlestlcks
holding lighted candles fifteen feet long stood on
the supe1-atar alongside of some tour-feet high
solid silver statues of the Apostles. vast be-
tasseed yellow silk canopy was suspended over the
altar and its glittering appurtcnanCes by twisted
crimson cord from the high ceiling while in front
hing glorious three-hamed silver and gold lamp OF
great weight and value, held IN the air by silver
chain that looked like one long unbroken ran-drop
| coming down from the dome
In the organ gallery at the back almost as high up
az an angel chorus might be was perched an opera
orchestra and trumpets and drums, cymbals and
-. o,l an+os IN the number of fftv instruments