St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-05
THE POPE'S HABITS.

Eat er---At Work on His His
tory.
The pope rises very early both in
winter and summer. AT in the morn
ing he is found in his private chapel
celebrating mass. Immediately after
wards he takes a cup of coffee prepared
by his body servant by the aid of
spirit lamp. During his residence in
foreign countries his holiness acquired
the habit of drinking coffee prepared as
in Turkey and without sugar, and
he clings to this habit even against the
advice of his physicians who tell him
that coffee prepared in this way is too
eXcitative, especially when taken on an
empty stomach. He first reads the
Roman and foreign newspapers and
marks with red pencil those articles to
which answers must be made. Some
times he dictates himself the reply, and
the manuscript is then sent to the official
journal of the papacy, which is printed
occupies never less than two hours.
At about 10 o'clock the pope eats his
first meal, which is very frugal and al
ways the same. 1t consists of two
pOached eggs, piece of the breast of
fowl and, for dessert, some fruit or pre-
serves. He drinks almost no wine
never more than one glass of white
Frascati during the whole repast. He
will not touch Bordeaux, which is more
intoxicating and tonic than the wines of
the neighbOrhOod of Rome. After this
simple breakfast he receives callers.
But if there happens to be no
e eoes o Waiting for to w Ses him in the he
gardens of the Vatican. This prone
made never last more than an hour. He
is accompanied during these brief mo-
ments of recreation by prelates who are
admitted to his intimacy and who are
expected to show a certain reserve in
their relations to him. Leo XIII. is as
grave, rejecting and severe as Plus TX.
was gay, witty and sportive. The latter
was full of humor, and was often in
high spirits, and when he had laid aside
the cares of his sacred Office enjoyed a
joke and would indulge with his friends
in puns, sarcastic hits and anna BILE
little speeches. His successor, the pres
ent pope, keeps his thoughts more
to himself and is more cOntemplative.
When not working, he prefers to discuss
serious topics, history, philosophy and
literature. He knows Horace and Vir-
gil by heart, and, so competent judges
declare, the Latin poems in honor of the
Virgin Mary, which he has written,
will bear comparison with the best
selections from the ancient classics. 1
am not bad judge in matters of this
kind, for profound acquaintance with
Latin has always been one of the spe-
cialties of the Roman priesthood. Now,
l assure you that | obtain as much
pleasure from one of Leo KILLS Latin
prayers as from an ode of Horace.
IL i'm of no
in summer takes a nap, which gener-
ally lasts an hour. He then repairs to
study which has been arranged near
the Vatican library, whittier are brought
all the books, documents and manu-
scripts necessary to complete the collec-
ton of notes which he is using for the
composition of his History of the Pa
pacy." This work will show that the
papacy, far from being an obstacle in
the way Of the expansion of the human
mind, has always favored the develop
ment of philosophical studies and
of every step in advance that
o'clock the holy father returns to the
park and visits the kitchen garden
which, since he came to power, has
been sort of profit to the Vatican
treasury. Under the preceding
reign this garden produce belonged to
the gardeners, who, after having fur
nlShed the pOpe'S cooks with all the
vegetables and fruits that were needed,
carried the rest to the public market
and sold it and put the money in their
own pockets; or they offered the early
fruits and vegetables to the cardi-
nails, who gave them large fees
in return. The position of
gardener to bis holiness was very lucra-
nlt
after. But Leo XIII. put an end to this
abuse. Now what is left over after the
pope'S wants nhave been supplied is
sold at the public market and the money
is paid over to the pontifical treasury.
By this means the pope has a new
source of revenue for charitable uses.
And it may also happen that fruits
ripened on the Vatican trees are some
times eaten on the Quirinal table! The
pope used to like limiting and fire.
quently INDUCED in this sport. But he
has had ton abandon this sort of recrea,,
ton on account OF advancing years and
his susceptibility to getting chilled. AT
5 o'clock, the pope eats his second and
last meal, which is as frugal and SIM
pie as the first. Many cOmmOner sits
down to far more sumptuOuS repast.
Soup, one kind of meat, a vegetable,
fruit and simple glass of Frascati wine
such is the menu of one of these Vat
lean dinners, For many years he would
eat only boiled meats, and his ply
sicians had to exert their united in
fluence to get him to touch
roasts: Leo XIII. does not indulge in
hour or two and then sets to work again,
so that it may be truly said that at the
moment when the day ends for most
persons it begins for the chief of the
Catholic world. Leo XIII. reserves for
evening, when there is nothing to dis
turb him, the more important Occupa-
tions of the days work. Every night at
8 o'clock he receives the secretary of
state, who communicates all the diplO-
matte correspondence and asks the
pOpe'S advice as to what the replies
shall be. But if some important nego-
tiatiOn requires an immediate response
the secretary of state obtains an audience
at no matter what hour of the day.
Leo dictates word for word answers to
important communications and is thor
Oughly versed in the language of diplo-
macy, with whose resources and fnesse
he became familiar during his diplO-
matte missions to different states of Eu-
rope before he became pope. 1t may be
truly said that Leo XIII. directs per-
sonally the the diplomatic policy of the
holy see, for the cardinal who fills the
post of secretary of state and signs the
documents sent forth from the papal
foreign office is little else than clerk
charged with the execution of very
strict instructions.
When Cardinal Rampolla takes leave,
the pope goes once more to his study,
arranges his private correspondence
and lays out work for his secretaries for
the next day. He is occupied i'll this
| way until 10 o'clock, when he repeats
| his evening prayers in company with
| MOnsignor Macchi, his major domo, and
with his chamberlain. He then goes to
his bedchamber and retires for the
f! night.