Year: 1877

Ok CABLE TO THE HERALD. ]


LONDON, Nov. %, 1877.


Connected with the marriage Of the Duke
Uf Norfolk to Lady Flora Hastings at the
Brompton Oratory yesterday there were
many features of the ceremony which there
was no time to transmit to the HERALD, but
which, from their ifnpressiveness and in
terest, deserve to be recorded.


A GREAT CATHOLIC.


The wedding in the first place attracted
unusual interest, which arose more from
the position of the Howards as lay heads OF
the Catholic Church in England than from
the bridegroom's great rank in the peerage,
in which he stands, as Premier Duke next
to the blood royal. and which adds to one
dukedom, three earldoms and four baronies
The titles Of Earl Marshal and Hereditary Mar
7shal Of fEngland. While all this glitter of rank
and the ancient and honorable family his-
tory which it typifes has its peculiar weight
in the popular mind and it's value in placing
its possessor upon q pinnacle among the
proud aristocracy Of England, it is as the
titled and wealthy Catholic th at the doings
of His Grace are most eagerly watched. He
has been the centre Of the Catholic
nobility. Under the shadow of his name
the cultured Catholic hierarchy which Car
dinal Wiseman led were enabled to almost
vance unchecked upon that course OF high
flying proselytizing which bags nobleman
month and sometimes brings over
to Rome such great prizes as the
wealthiest marquis Of the realm. His
wealth has been at the service Of the Church,
and his piety has marked him apart from
the often dissolute and always 'sgny" youth
of the English mobiles. His name has been
q tower of strength to the Roman Church
struggling back to- something of its old
time English splcndor. It was from this
side Of his position that the masses viewed
with interest the ceremony yesterday at the
outwardly unpretentious Church of tho
.Oratorians of st. Philip Neri.


NOVEMBER DAY.


The day was not such one as brides SIGH
for, but then many q maiden as dainty rs
Lady Flora would accept the Premier Duke
in spite of all the rain and fog that London
in its November sourness could visit upon
mortals Cold and rainy weather carries
moro droariness with it in London
than most places in the world, and
about the Brompton Ontory it loses none Of
lis gruesome qualities. Notwithstanding
all this there was a large crowd in the vi
cinity, mostly made up of the Irish peasant
laboring class, who chstted and pointed to
the arriving carriages with an unconcern
for tho drizzling rain that was curious to
an American. There was much unseemly
crushing inside the entrance gate and at the
doors of the church. The fault was with
the police, whose arrangements were i'm
perfect


IN THE CHURCH.


The church within presented welcome
contrast to the scene without Its warm
colors and simple decorations, the glim-
mering altar lights, the faint perfume of
incense that somehow mingled with
and gave place to the odor Of the
bridal flowers, the rich costumes of the
greater part Of the arriving congregation
made up picture grateful to the eye. The
arrangements within the church were per-
feet, and there WAS no trouble in finding
seats and no crowding. one-third Of tho
,ehurch was reserved tor the friends Of the