The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-15
HOLY THURSDAY IN EUROPE.
HhUEDY oERsHoNTEs o. ROYAL
ILMseIT1Ns AND HUMBLE DRKDa


D,strsH-ue. Or enc osse-'s Hsu-,y r.
wsrt-iaster Abbsy--The Pope, the Spas
| ish 0usss, saa ths Austrtsa E-Berer
wssh TIE Feet or ths Poor.
LONDON. March 27.-The historical chapel Of
whitehall having been diverted from lie oriei-
nal character and closed to sacred functions.
the annual distribution OF the Royal Maundy''
| last Thursday took place In Westminster Alb
bey. to the great satisfaction Of . large num-
Der OF citizens DESTROYS to be present. while
| formerly only very few spectators could en-
joy that privilege. owing to the limited space
at the disposal Of those who conducted the
| ceremony.
This year the dean OF tbs abbey issued .
| fair number Of pink tickets giving admission.
| 30 that the easttransept. known ss the Poets
Corner. began to Nil rapidly = full half hour
before the appointed time.
The term Maundy.' applied to the dsy and
the bounty. has had various origins sscribed
| to Il: but the most generally adopted interpre-
tation IL that It IL derived from msndamus In
the sense Of the passage Of tho Gospel OF St
John: " A new commandment give unto you
that ye love one another"
For great number of years the reiRning
sovereign Of Great Britain used to wash the
feet Of q certain number OF aged poor men on
every Maundy Thursday. James H.. however,
was the last king who oflciated in person at
this ceremony After 1885 the power to do so
was delegated to q deputy-Renerslly one OF
the Archbishops-but even this custom fell
into desuetude. and the Washing OF the
Feet was finally abandoned 140 years ago
Since the comm encement OF Queen victoria's
reign II has been an established rule to pre-
sent to twice &c many aged and deserving
Door men and women as there are years In her
Majesty's life donation In money. provisions.
nd hA 80 l.NNx. h..~
committed into money and the Maundy
bounty now consists Of two purses for each
recipient. The purses are white and red the
white contain one pound fifteen shlllings
for the women and two pounds ten for the
men: the red purses. which represent the
bounty OF provisions and clothing. contain one
pound In gold and a number OF silver two
penny and four-penny pieces. struck every
year solely for this occasion. As those pieces
are rare and interesting souvenirs the old
people are able to sell them again for ten or
twelve times their intrinsic value.
Last Thursday. as hor Majesty is in her 18th
year. there wero seventy-lve old men and as
many old women nominated. IA many Of
these as were able to attend were present In
the abbey. occupying the front row OF seats.
beginning with the choir and reaching to the
steps Of tho sacrarium. Not one OF them was
under 90 years. which 10 the prescribed mini
mum Of ago. and many were much older
Emerging from the hoary. silent cloisters
leading from the Deans yard into tho east
transept. and passing through narrow OPEN
ing In the pointed. nail-s.udded oaken door.
tho majesty OF the beautiful abbey seemed
desecrated by the concourse OF people ass en-
bled to witness an almost worldly and wholly
modern pageant 1t seemed as II nothing less
imposing than grand medieval procession
could httingly Ill that aisle. The Yeomen Of the
Guard carrying the broad gold dish on which
their antique dress and tall partisans wero
lost and dwarfed among the spectators that
marched slowly from the nave to the choir be-
fore taking up their position in a double row.
followed By the LORD High Ilmoner. Bishop Of
Fly. Lord Alwyn Compton. accompanied by
the S;a,nons the Dean, and other eccl.sastical
walked two little boysan two little girls bare
hsndsd and , wearing the yGts scarf: q TIE
monty selected from the scholars OF st. Johns
az ops 81 ,s and they carried nossSsys
The, service. was the ordinary evensong.
purses taking place at tho hands OF the Losd
High Almoner between the anthems for the
the church proceedings had a solemnity Often
bordering on depression and q dignity that
Gosnoa % antSS% q unto NJ Ee az
ye who labor. swelled gradually through the |
Rotnic aisis ana the pure nigh notes OF boy |
listers o. Westminster. did a religious feeling
predominate over mere curiosity and per |
were men and women whose faces as they re- |
ceiyed the bounty bore an expression OF pa |
cheeks told plainly that those few coins Of |
gold and silver we're the chest fuiflleI hopes |
The ceremony concluded with last anthem.
and then the procession. forming again in the |
The sos ro% aSSa SEATS sss ns owe
recognized cp among them the United states
LADY Hsrcourt and a few Other e notsbilitfes
who San had d, not not Est Joined the almost general
and Royal Gate aims had been. as in other
years. and according to old psages. distributed
preceding saturday' Fri d %ondsS On s snS
Tuesday 20 over one thousand aged. disabled.
seIseisd parishes q England and i Wales u INC
the aneisnt ritss q MaaRGS TSarsaa lSf% Took
place in Westminster Abbey. Cardinal Arch
rtus the Gstnos Ghaf re q; Fl. 5hs
cathedral: Clothed 10 his spiscoral robes he
ssrssd in %hss tfs iess 81 hpssn scoyss
each poured out the water and then wiped It
away with linen cloth, In comm emoration OF
washed the feet OF His disciples. The sH eo 1e
course OF spectators was enormous. but no
The Pope. the Queen OF spain. and the En-.
peror Of Austria are the last sovsreIans who
personally perform the lowly offlce on the APP
ness OF Leo Nil, compel him to select a
deputy for the task he has accom- plished so
ceremonial observed in the palace Of Madrid,
where the chapel Is filled by the most exalted
persons and the dignitAries OF court and State
all like the Queen arrayed in full court cos
tune The fact that all carriages and vehicles
are forbidden to pass through the streets Of
Madrid on Holy Thursday adds picturesaus
element to this function. as for that day alone
can be seen women in gala dress and ZEN in
brilliant uniforms cOrnscated with dazzling
orders picking their way on the pavement to |
the distant and frOwning nile surrounded by
widowed Queen Regent and the boy King, III |
Nino; as the loving loyal bpAniards Ike to
call Alfonso MIL NJ DES
Al AGED EquIHs PsaSioasr.
Us Oass..Aora H...-.osx