altar, on each side of
him: another priest, in a black vesture, officiated as an assistant; and
each, in turn, knelt, and bowed, and prayed ... to the admiration of some
few half dozen casual yet attentive visitors--while the full sonorous
chant, from the voices of upwards of one hundred and fifty priests and
deacons, from the choir above, gave a peculiar sort of solemnity to the
mysterious gloom below.

I now ascended; and by the help of a chair, took a peep at the ceremony
through the intercolumniations of the choir: my diffidence, or rather
apprehension of refusal, having withheld me from striving to gain
admittance within the body. But my situation was a singularly good one:
opposite the altar. I looked, and beheld this vast clerical congregation at
times kneeling, or standing, or sitting: partially, or wholly: while the
swell of their voices, accompanied by the full intonations of the organ,
and the yet more penetrating notes of the _serpent_, seemed to breathe more
than earthly solemnity around. The ceremony had now continued full two
hours; when, in the midst of the most impressive part of it, and while the
young candidates for ordination were prostrate before the high altar (the
diapason stop of the organ, as at Dieppe,[137] sending forth the softest
notes) the venerable Bishop placed the glittering mitre (apparently covered
with gold gauze) upon his head, and with a large gilt crosier in his right
hand, descended, with a measured and majestic step, from the floor of the
altar, and proceeded to the execution of the more mysterious part of his
office. The candidates, with closed eyes, and outstretched hands, were
touched with the holy oil--and thus became consecrated. On rising, each
received a small piece of bread between the thumb and forefinger, and the
middle and third fingers; their hands being pressed together--and, still
with closed eyes, they retired behind the high altar, where an officiating
priest made use of the bread to rub off the holy oil. The Bishop is an
elderly man, about three score and ten; he has the usual sallow tint of his
countrymen, but his eye, somewhat sunk or retired, beneath black and
overhanging eyebrows, is sharp and expressive. His whole mien has the
indication of a well-bred and well-educated gentleman. When he descended
with his full robes, crosier, and mitre, from the high altar, me-thought I
saw some of the venerable forms of our WYKEHAMS and WAYNEFLETES of
old--commanding the