gs with the
greatest care; and in the fashionable drives, every tenth carriage (it
seemed to me) had a dog lying on the seat, or standing on his hind
legs, looking out of the window. A friend told me that, when present at
a grand review where there was a great crowd, she saw a woman, who
could not get near enough to see the show, hold up her dog over the
heads of the people, that he might at least have the pleasure of seeing
what was going on.
I must tell you about the ceremony of making an archbishop, which we
had the good fortune to witness. It took place at Notre Dame.
The nave of the church was full. Around the altar, all the priests and
dignitaries of the church were seated; the officiating archbishop in a
high seat, and an empty chair by his side for the new archbishop when
finished and prepared for the honor. All the priests were in full
dress. Their garments were stiff with gold and silver. My eyes were
dazzled with their splendor.
Perfect silence prevailed, and the ceremony commenced. The priest, who
was to be made into a bishop, had all sorts of things done to him. He
knelt, he prayed, he was prayed over, he was read to, he had hands laid
upon him, he was crossed; incense was thrown up, the organ played, and
all the priests and bishops knelt and rose from their knees, and knelt
and rose again, and again; high mass was said, and the show was very
remarkable.
Once the poor mortal, who was to be consecrated, knelt, and a large
book was put upon him, like a saddle. Finally they took him and tied
napkins upon his arms and his neck, and then led him to a knot of
priests a little out of my sight. In a few moments, he reappeared with
all his canonicals on, except the mitre. Now he was brilliant indeed,
loaded with gold ornaments, stiff with splendor. His face, I noticed,
was very red, and he looked weary. I did not quite understand the
tumbled towels; whether these were to catch the consecrating oil that
they poured on his head, or whether they were emblematic of the filthy
rags of this world, which he laid aside for the new and shining
garments of perfect holiness, I could not find out. Now the new
archbishop knelt again before the old archbishop, and the old one put
the mitre upon the head of the new one. Then the old archbishop
embraced and kissed the new, and after that all the other bishops, who,
as the French say, assisted at the ceremony, performed the same act on
both sides of his face. After this, th
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