actice at Rome to procure two or more Jews, s', to convert them to Christianity, and confer the rite of Baptism. The ceremony is thus ed by a lively, and, we believe, accurate narthe religious ceremonies, manners, and cusf the modern Romans, whom we have before in our account of the Holy Week. The oted Israelites prepared for this occasion, n dirty yellow silk gowns, were seated on a within the marble font of the Baptistery, which es a large bath, both in form and shape, their prayers out of a book, with most rueful . Fast to their sides stuck their destined godtwo black-robed doctors of divinity, as if d and secure their spiritual captives. The vase at the bottom of the font, in which, ng to an absurd legend, Constantine was of his leprosy by St. Sylvester, stood before led with water, and its margin adorned with

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- Cardinal Bishop, who had been employed ace six o'clock in the benediction of fire, wawax, and flowers; now appeared, followed ong procession of priests and crucifixes. He ded into the font, repeated a great many sin Latin over the water, occasionally dipis hand into it. Then a huge flaming wax about six feet high, and of proportionate ess, painted with images of the Virgin and . which had previously been blessed, was set t in the vase; more Latin prayers were mumone of the Jews was brought, the Bishop cut gn of the cross in the hair, at the crown of ad, then, with a silver ladle, poured some of ter upon the part, baptizing him in the usual

s are preferred, when they are to be had, but they are very ighty Roman crowns each are paid to the Jews, and all debts heir brethren are cancelled.

forms, both the godfathers and he having agreed to all that was required of them. The second Jew was then brought, upon whom the same ceremonies were performed; this poor little fellow wore a wig, and, when the cold water was poured on his bare skull, he winced exceedingly, and made many wry faces. They were then conveyed to the altar of the neighbouring chapel, where they were confirmed, and repeated the creed. The Bishop then made the sign of the cross upon their foreheads, with holy oil, over which white fillets were immediately tied to secure it; he then pronounced a long exhortation, in the course of which he frightened them so that the little Jew with a wig began to cry most bitterly, and would not be comforted. This being over, the Jews were conducted, with great ceremony, from the Baptistery to the door of the church, where they stopped, and, after some chaunting by the Bishop, they were allowed to pass the threshold; they were then seated within the very pale of the altar, in order that they might witness a succession of various ceremonies.'-(Rome in the Nineteenth Century, vol. iii, p. 155.)

At twelve o'clock on this day, the Resurrection is announced to the people by the ringing of the bells of more than three hundred churches at once; the firing of cannon from the castle of St. Angelo; the blowing of horns and trumpets, the clang of kettle-drums, and every species of tumult. During the days in which the bells are tied up (from Holy Thursday to Saturday at noon), the hours on which they are usually rung for prayers, viz. six in the morning, three in the afternoon, and at sunset, are announced by a little wooden machine, called tric-trac, making a sound similar to its name, but very noisy, with which some of the inferior clergy run about the churches at the proper times. Though the resurrection takes place on Saturday at noon, the fast is not over till

at is, an enormous supper of fish, flesh, and total abstinence from food, during the two days, is still practised by many, but the is now more universal than the fasting. ts are very actively employed, at Easter, in n and out of every house, blessing it with er. Every Italian must at this time conreceive the communion.

-EASTER DAY, or EASTER SUNDAY. difference of opinion prevailed in the EastWestern churches respecting the precise bserving Easter; till, in 325, the Council of lared that the feast should be kept by all I on the same day. Easter is styled by the he highest of all festivals, the feast of feasts, en of festivals, and Dominica Gaudii, the Sunday. Masters granted freedom to their t this season, and valuable presents were the poor.

y singular custom formerly prevailed at Lostin Cornwall, upon Easter Sunday. The freeof the town and manor having assembled , either in person or by their deputies, one them, each in his turn, gaily attired and galmounted, with a sceptre in his hand, a crown mead, and a sword borne before him, and rely attended by all the rest on horseback, rode the principal street in solemn state to the At the churchyard stile the curate or other r approached to meet him in reverential pomp, en conducted him to church to hear divine . On leaving the church, he repaired with the Comp and retinue to a house previously prefor his reception. Here a feast, suited to nity he had assumed, awaited him and his and being placed at the head of the table, he rved, kneeling, with all the rights and ceremoat a real prince might expect. This ceremony with the dinner; the prince being voluntarily

On Easter Sunday, the grandest Catholic festival of the year, the church puts forth all her pomp and splendour, which are seen to the greatest advantage in the noble church of St. Peter's at Rome. The Pope assists at high mass, and there is a very grand procession, which, as it took place in the year 1818, is well described by the indefatigable author before quoted with approbation. The church,' says our observer', 'was lined with the Guarda Nobile, in their splendid uniforms of gold and scarlet and nodding plumes of white ostrich feathers, and the Swiss guards, with their polished cuirasses and steel helmets. The great centre aisle was kept clear by a double wall of armed men, for the grand procession, the approach of which, after much expectation, was proclaimed by the sound of a trumpet from the farther end of the church. A long band of priests advanced, loaded with still augmenting magnificence, as they ascended to the higher orders. Cloth of gold, and embroidery of gold and silver, and crimson velvet, and mantles of spotted ermine, and flowing trains, and attendant train-bearers, and mitres and cruci fixes glittering with jewels, and priests and patriarchs and bishops and cardinals, dazzled the astonished

lled the whole length of St. Peter's. Lastly, Pope, in his crimson chair of state (sedia ), borne on the shoulders of twenty Pulrrayed in robes of white, and wearing the triple crown of the conjoined Trinity, with of cloth of silver floating over his head; eded by two men, carrying enormous fans, d of large plumes of ostrich feathers, mountng gilded wands. He stopped to pay his s to the miraculous Madonna in her chapel, If way up; and this duty, which he never eing performed, he was slowly borne past Altar, liberally giving his benediction with of the three fingers as he passed..!

then set him down upon a magnificent stool, of the altar, on which he knelt, and his crown ken off, and the Cardinals taking off their skull-caps, and all kneeling in a row, he posed to pray. Having remained a few in this attitude, they took him to the chair 1 for him, on the right of the throne. There or seemed to read, something out of a book, he was again taken to the altar, on which was placed; and, bare-headed, he repeatas, by courtesy, they call it, sang-a small the service, threw up clouds of incense, and oved to the crimson-canopied throne; and high as celebrated by a cardinal and two bishops, at e assisted. During the whole of the service, it erved that the only part of the congregation who the least attentive, were the small body of Engom curiosity, and perhaps a sense of decorum, d so. All the Italians seemed to consider it s much of a pageant as ourselves, but neither nor an interesting one; and they were walking and talking, and interchanging pinches of with each other, exactly as if it had been a of amusement,-till the tinkling of a little bell, announced the elevation of the Host, changed