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have been a very entertaining sight. I understand that Pius VI., who was a very handsome man, kept up this custom; but the present pope is far too infirm for such an enterprise, and so he followed the man on the white mule in his state coach, at the very sight of which he seemed to have made a jump back of two hundred years at least. It was a huge machine, composed almost entirely of plate-glass, fixed in a ponderous carved and gilded frame, through which was distinctly visible the person of the venerable old pope, dressed in robes of white and silver, and incessantly giving his benediction to the people by a twirl of three fingers, which are typical of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the last being represented by the little finger. On the gilded back of this vehicle—the only part, I think, that was not made of glass-was a picture of the pope in his chair of state, and the Virgin Mary at his feet. This extraordinary machine was drawn by six black horses, with superb harness of crimson velvet and gold. The coachman, or rather postilions, were dressed in coats of silver stuff, with crimson velvet breeches, and full-bottomed wigs well powdered, without hats.

"Three coaches, scarcely less antiquely superb, followed, with the assistant cardinals and the rest of the train. In the inside of the church, the usual tiresome ceremonies went on that take place when the pope is present. He is seated on a throne, or chair of state; the cardinals in succession approach and kiss his hand, retire one step and make three bows or nods, one to him in front, and one on the right hand and another on the left, which, I am told, are intended for him (as the

personification of the Father), and for the Son, and for the Holy Ghost, on either side of him; and all the cardinals having gone through these motions, and the inferior priests having kissed his toe—that is, the cross embroidered on his shoe-high mass begins. The pope kneels during the elevation of the Host, prays in silence before the high altar, gets up and sits down, reads something out of a great book which they bring to him with a lighted taper held beside it (which must be eminently useful in the broad daylight), and having gone through many more such ceremonies, finally ends as he began with giving his benediction with three fingers all the way as he goes out. During all the time of this high mass, the pope's military band, stationed on the platform in front of the church, played so many clamorous martial airs that it would have effectually put to flight any ideas of religious solemnity—if any there had been.”

THE BORGHESE PALACE.

Ma quantunque di gloría animi accensi
Faccian splender quaggiù mirabil cose,

Ch' argin segnino al tempo invan tu pensi.
Caggion le solid' opre e le famose.

E pria dell opre, ahi! che al colpir suo grave
Si consuma la man che le compose !

SALOMONE FIORENTINO.

THE palace and villa of the Borghesi are among the most celebrated in Rome. The former was founded by the Cardinal Dezza in the year 1590, and after the plans of the distinguished architect, Martini Lunghi the elder. In extent and magnificence it has the air of an imperial residence, rather than of an edifice belonging to a private family. It is divided into three great apartments, the communication between which is formed by a double gallery, running across the court of the garden. This noble entrance is surrounded by an elegant double portico, supported by a hundred massive granite columns of the Doric and Ionic orders, and ornamented by several statues, of which the most conspicuous are those of Faustina and of an Amazonian. The principal room in the ground floor was formerly filled with one of the largest collections of sculpture, both ancient and modern, to be found in the world; but the present possessor of the palace having married Paulina, sister of the late Emperor of the French, bartered it away to his brother-in-law; and the

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