which the wax tapers were all lighted, and a prie-dieu was arranged near
the shrine, and covered with scarlet velvet. On each side, along the
breadth of the side aisle, were placed seats, covered with rich tapestry
or carpeting; and some gentlemen and ladies--English, probably, or
American--had comfortably deposited themselves here, but were compelled
to move by the guards before the pope's entrance. His Holiness should
have appeared precisely at twelve, but we waited nearly half an hour
beyond that time; and it seemed to me particularly ill-mannered in the
pope, who owes the courtesy of being punctual to the people, if not to
St. Peter. By and by, however, there was a stir; the guard motioned to
us to stand away from the benches, against the backs of which we had been
leaning; the spectators in the nave looked towards the door, as if they
beheld something approaching; and first, there appeared some cardinals,
in scarlet skull-caps and purple robes, intermixed with some of the Noble
Guard and other attendants. It was not a very formal and stately
procession, but rather straggled onward, with ragged edges, the
spectators standing aside to let it pass, and merely bowing, or perhaps
slightly bending the knee, as good Catholics are accustomed to do when
passing before the shrines of saints. Then, in the midst of the purple
cardinals, all of whom were gray-haired men, appeared a stout old man,
with a white skull-cap, a scarlet, gold-embroidered cape falling over
his shoulders, and a white silk robe, the train of which was borne up by
an attendant. He walked slowly, with a sort of dignified movement,
stepping out broadly, and planting his feet (on which were red shoes)
flat upon the pavement, as if he were not much accustomed to locomotion,
and perhaps had known a twinge of the gout. His face was kindly
and venerable, but not particularly impressive. Arriving at the
scarlet-covered prie-dieu, he kneeled down and took off his white
skull-cap; the cardinals also kneeled behind and on either side of him,
taking off their scarlet skull-caps; while the Noble Guard remained