LETTER XXVIL

Ceremony of Palm Sunday The distribution of palms - Wednesday in Easter week-Vespers chanted in the Capella Sextina-Holy Thursday-High muss performed in the Capella Sextina-The feet of twelve poor men washed by the pope in the Capella Paulina-His holiness waits on the same at dinner, in the ducal chamber of the Vatican-Good FridayThe interior of St. Peter's lighted by a cross covered with lamps---Easter Sunday---High mass performed by the pope--He gives his benediction afterwards from the window of St. Peter's.

Rome, April 11, 1803.

My dear sir,

EASTER Week has been celebrated here with much pomp; and as it forms one of the great festivals of the church of Rome, I thought myself fortunate in being present on such an occasion.

The forerunner of the ceremonies was a service performed in the private chapel of the pope, at the palace of Monte Cavallo, on the preceding Sunday. His holiness being seated on his throne, and the cardinals in their scarlet robes ranged around him, high mass was sung; after which the pope was carried in a chair out of the chapel, followed by the cardinals, bishops, and other ecclesiastics. In a few

minutes he was brought back, followed by a long train of priests, of every rank and order, chanting hymns and strewing boughs before · him. He then resumed his seat, and proceeded to distribute palms, in honor of the day. The cardinals kneeled, one by one, at the foot of the throne; and each received in his turn a consecrated branch of the palm tree, or, more properly, an artificial representation of the same handsomely made. Next followed the patriarch of the Greek church, with a venerable white beard, and dressed in a splendid robe. The archbishops, bishops, prelates, chaplains, and lastly private persons, received the same favor; but with this difference, that the branches given to the cardinals and higher dignitaries of the church were made for the purpose in imitation of those of the palm tree, while common boughs, recently, cut, were considered as a sufficient compliment for the rest.

Among those who solicited and obtained these boughs, were several foreigners; and in the number I was surprised to see some English; one of whom was dressed in a military uniform. I did not imitate their example; for though humor, and not devotion, was certainly the cause of this action, I thought it scarcely decent in the subject of a protestant king thus publicly to receive on his knees a badge of papal favor.

I ought to add, that the cardinals kissed the hand of the pope, the bishops his knee, and the other persons his foot; and that each person who had received a palm held it in his hand during the rest of the service.

The ceremony was long and tiresome, principally consisting in genuflexions and in changes of dress. Every cardinal has an attendant ecclesiastic, who sits under him, and holds a blue bag, containing the different garments used on these occasions.

On the Wednesday after Palm Sunday, the English ladies, accompanied by madame Torlonia (the banker's wife whose assemblies I mentioned in my first letter from Rome), were led into a box railed off for the purpose, and looking into the Capella Sextina, in the palace of the Vatican. No places were reserved for gentlemen; and in consequence of the number of foreigners now at Rome, the crowd was so great that I had considerable difficulty in gaining admittance. The pope was seated, with the cardinals around him, in the same manner as I have already described in speaking of the ceremony of Palm Sunday. Vespers were then sung; and the melody, by judges of harmony, was esteemed extremely fine,—the whole being performed by soprano voices, without any intermixture of instrumental music. A given number of wax tapers was lighted. At the

conclusion of each psalm, or hymn, one of these was put out; and when the last was extinguished, the service ended.

The following day, being Holy Thursday, I went in the morning to the same chapel, and heard high mass performed. At the conclusion of that ceremony, I succeeded, after much struggling through an immense crowd, in making my way into the Capella Paulina, where the pope, according to annual custom, was about to wash the feet of twelve poor men. So numerous was the assemblage of people on this occasion, that the Swiss guards (whose grotesque dresses I have before mentioned) had the greatest difficulty in keeping order, and were compelled to use their halberds in forcing back the pressing multitude. In the chapel were two private boxes, one kept for his majesty the king of Sardinia and his family (a similar compliment being paid to this unfortunate prince on all occasions, and in all the chapels of the pope), and another for the archduchess of Austria, sister to the emperor, who now resides at Rome. The latter had been lent to the princess Corsini, who sat there with a large party, in which I observed an American gentleman of my acquaintance. He had the goodness to remark me in the crowd; and having sent to me, introduced me to madame de Corsini, and procured me the privilege of a place

in her box: I therefore saw the ceremony to great advantage.

Twelve pilgrims, dressed in white jackets and white night-caps, were seated on a bench. Their feet rested on another; and their stockings were already removed. The pope, on his arrival in the chapel, proceeded to perform the ceremony. A sponge, and a silver basin filled with water, were placed on the lower form. His holiness, beginning with the pilgrim nearest to him, dipped the sponge in the water, washed the feet presented to him, and afterwards wiped them with a napkin. He performed the same duty to every one of them; and in leaving each, presented him with a nosegay and a piece of money.

As soon as this singular ceremony was finished, we left the Capella Paulina, and went into the ducal chamber of the Vatican, to witness another scene, not less extraordinary than that which we had just seen. I followed the princess Corsini, and again obtained, with her party, a place in a box reserved for the archduchess. I thought myself extremely fortunate, as, notwithstanding the immense size of the room into which we had now moved, it was completely filled with a prodigious crowd formed of persons from all nations of the world. -In the centre was placed a table, covered with a sumptuous dinner, consisting of various