Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-27

and that he early increased the health
fulness thus received by his outdoor life
in his native place.
Once tall, he is now shortened, by the
painfully pronounced bend Of the entire
upper part of his body. The former is
the effect Of age, the latter must be great
ly the result of long years Of assiduous
study and Of a sedentary life. He may
be said to have passed the last years of
his childhood at college, since he was
only years Of age when he was sent TO
the Jesuit College, at Viterbo. He passed
his youth within seminary walls. AS
young man he was Governor of a pro-
vince and titular archbishop Long be-
fore his prime he had been nuncio TO Bel
gium-when he went to England, and was
presented to her Majesty-and had been
called to the See Of Perugia. which he
only left during the last months of the
reign of his papal predecessor. His life
then has been an indoor life-the life of
a student.
This fact supplies the explanation both
Of his mental habits and of his material
health to-day. He has always on hand
the preparation Of some pontifical docu-
ment Of importance. Each Of these docu-
ments implies a vast labor, so that his
mental habits are laborious and exhaust
ing. But knotty questions are Of far
EItdltI frequency IMAM Nilt SDiuNiOH VI
| doubts or the exposition of great issues
| in public documents. All the ramifica-
tions of the papal administration end
naturally in him, and II IS his daily duty
| to ratify, after conscientious examina-
| ton, the findings Of each branch of the
| ecclesiastical government.
There is a fancy, IL not a tradition,
among Catholics, that a Pope, however
aged or invaded, cannot lose the use of
| his mental powers. The preservation OF
| Leo XIII. in life, healthfulness and ac-
tivity, has the general merit of teaching
| some homely lessons in hygiene Leo
! XIII. is an enthusiast for frugality, and
/ after the manner of Cornaro, he has not
! only given an example Of personal prac-
tice, but he has published precepts. Upon
his verses on sobriety. since the period
Of their publication and of their transla-
tion by Mr.. Andrew Lang. there have
been modelled menus, at least in the
United States.
In still stricter conformity with. them,
| as a glance at the menus shows. is the
| Popes unchanging diet-self-prescribed at
| Perugia and approved by the Archiatro
Pontifico in Rome. Indeed, the Pope's
| appetite has not varied I'm any percepti-
! BILE degree for thirty years. and his pres
ent physician could have described II al
that distance Of time, as he does now
saying: IL think that 1 take more at one
| meal than the Pope in a week."
AN EARLY RISER.
After about four hours sleep and some
additional rest, the Pope rises at 6. Be-
sides his coffee and milk, taken with a
morsel Of bread-literally a morsel-he
settles down to the work of the day. More
than half way through the morning he
takes a cup of broth. and occasionally al
other times, when he feels weakness. Al
| / o'clock, or even later and sometimes as
late as 2 o'clock, he takes his midday
meal, which, according to the old-time
| italian hygiene should give the staple
of sustenance to the body. 1t consists OF
little soup, which is French, rather
than Italian, being clear, and not filled
with vegetables and paste; of little boil
ed meat, the inevitable bollito, which
opens every Italian dinner; of some
roast-preferably roast-lamb, with vege-
tables, and, infrequently, of a pudding
Of spinach a la Parisienne, or of some
pudding. and Of fruit. This light refec-
ton may be measured by its accompani-
ment of wine, especially prepared and
sent from a convent Of Bordeaux. He
drinks a wine-glassful He has been adj
vised. especially some years ago, 10 try
richer wines, but he has expressed dis
satisfaction after a trial His solitary
glass of wine suffices to secure him his
daily siesta, which he takes reposing or
a couch with his face turned towards the
window of the room.
When the weather is fine. the Pope.
after a short period Of work, which fol-
lows on his siesta, is carried In sedan
so as TO avoid changes of atmosphere, 10
the entrance of the gardens. Here he
! enters his carriage. which Is closed, and
is driven about. After he has been driven
few turns he alights and takes a walk
escorted by the prelates and chamber
ialns in attendance.
He has 2 collection OF birds. OF which
he is very fond. especially OF his gaudy.
colored parrots. and collection OF ant
mals-pelcans, ostriches. and fawns.
These also receive his frequent attention
He has q vineyard, which is so much the
object OF his care that he may almost
be called its cultivator. Such, with a su-
pervision OF the direction In every respect
are his dlyersiors ia the gardens, where