Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-03-08

nails, their violet trains borne by priests !;
heads Of the Dominicans in waite,
Frantiscans In black, others In brown !;
Armenian bishops in high round caps,
priests IN plain violet cassocks, and csi-
IDENTIFY men of Importance, Judging
from the respect with which they
were received. Distinguished civil
ians and diplomatists we're there,
too~--their sombrc costume relieved
by blaze Of decorations, and
Knights Of Malta in scarlet uniforms,
the white cross Of their order tapering
10 the centre and nearly covering the
front Of their gilt corsclets. The clergy,
prominent among them Cardinal
Howard. filed the east end Of the
chapel and were all seated before the
Pope arrived.
APPEARANCE or THE POPE.
The Pope wore a silvered mitre and
a long red-and-white satin train and red
vestment, and presided over the service
with gentlcness far removed from any
semblance OF the tyrannizing power sup
posed to be welded by the head Of the
Church, and gave the blessing at the
end with less pomp than is often seen
in an out-of-thc-way country church.
The music of the requiem was well rem
dered by g choir Of men and boys, but
the difficult soprano parts by voice
suspiciously like woman's. The So
lemnity eliminated at the most sacred
part Of the service. The captain Of the
detachment Of palace-guards stationed
within the screen raised his sword, and
his men followed suit the Swiss guards
stood at attention, the Pope descended
from his throne to the open space in
front of the altar then swords and
halberds were lowered and heads and
knees bent, and all, his Holiness in
cluded, remained for few moments in
silent devotion, and soon afterwards
dispersed.
AMERICAN LADIES.
In going out saw several American
ladies, literary and fashionable, and
businessmen wisely utilizing the bad
times by taking holiday, and who had
been in this comparatively small and
essentially exclusive assembly, for which
it was such favor TO obtain ticket.
Besides the manifold attractions in the
heart Of the city of Rome several villas
or park-lile gardens, situated just
within the walls or close outside them,
are thrown open to the public on GER
tain days of the week, which are so ar
ranged that some can be visited each
afternoon. Then they become the fash
ionable resorts for driving or walking,
according as they are suited for one or
the other recreation. Friday is the
afternoon for driving in the Villa Pam
phil DORA, the property of Prince
DORA, and many walkers are to be
found there, too. though the size OF
the place prohibits most people from
seeing it well on foot. These grounds
contain everything to make such place
perfect and delight the eye. Gardens
laid out symmetrically, and gardens
without any apparent plan; drives in
the open, where the finest views can
be had. and drives under thickly-shad-
ing avenues Of stately evergreen forest
trees grottoes from which rushcs in
number Of falls and lakes that reflect
the whiteness of the swans swimming
on them undimmed; turf of vivid, spot
less green, and grassy slopes pied with
daisies. purple anemones growing in the
sun and violets in the shade, and well
come to be picked by all. We saw
oxen at work with horns a yard
in length and of the meekest be-
havior; peacocks spreading their tails
and screeching at the visitors, and silver
pheasants darting in and out the sun
light. These are few Of the pleasant
sights to be found i'll this charming
villa; and besides, when we visited it
there was a gentle wind blowing. but
only Just blowing the delicious, balmy
air. and coming more as a soft caress.
Yet the Roman wind can change its
character. and come down as tramon-
tame over the snowy heights, and then
every one is shrivelled up for day or
two till the milder breeze comes back
and all nature expands again.
AMONG THE DEAD.
have had the folly to 60 to the hid
eous spectacles in the vaults of the
Church of the Cappucini. They are in
square divisions, open towards the walk
which runs along the outer wall, and
the bones of innumerable monks are
piled up on three sides Of them and
stuck to the ceilings skulls, cross-bones.
and every other kind in the human body
are formed into inches and arches and
columns or stacked up in some orna-
mental design, and amid them, standing
or reclining, are skeletons dressed in
black and labelled. and strongly sug-
gcstiye of the Witch of Endor. In
each division are tombs filled with
earth from Jerusalem, and destined to be
the first resting place of one of the
brotherhood after death, the one longest
buried having to make way for the one
last dead. The sun shone brightly into
this charnel-house as | walked through
it and rather heightened its repulsiye-
ness by force Of contrast. Last Sunday
being the first Of the carnival, the Villa
Borehese grounds outside the Porta del
popolo, where people drive on Sunday
afternoons, presented very gay scene.
The carriages Of the queen, the leading
aristocracy, and all the strangers who
owned them or could hire them. were
out, and thousands of walkers crowded
the footpathS.
THE KINGS FAST HORSES.
The King was in mail phaeton, at
tended by an aide-de-camp, and drove
his fast horses, and at the same time
returned the cordial salutations made
him by perpetually raising his hat with
an ease that comes only Of long prac-
tice, and with frequency that must
have greatly marred the pleasure Of
driving.
The models have congregated Oh the
steps near the Via Sistina in greater
numbers than usual since the begin
r ~