in full pontificals, with the triple Crown on his head, on a chair borne by men, palanquin fashion; he is conducted thro’ the lane formed by the Papal Guard, and as he passes he makes the sign of the cross several times with his finger, repeating the words:  Urbi et Orbi.  He is then set down, with his face fronting the baldachin, when he immediately takes off the tiara, and begins the ceremony.  That ended, he leaves the church in the same state, and then ascends the staircase, in order to prepare to give the benediction, which is usually given from a window above the facade of the church.  The Pope is there seated on a chair with the triple Crown on his head.  Troops of cavalry and infantry are drawn up in a semi-circle before the facade of the church, and the whole vast arena of the Piazza di San Pietro is covered with spectators.  On a sudden his Holiness rises, extends his hands towards heaven, then spreads them open, and seems as if he scattered something he held in them on the crowd below; a silly young Frenchman who was standing next to me said:  Le voila!  Le voila qui arrache la benediction au ciel, et qui la repand sur tout le monde! I could not refrain from laughing at this sally, tho’ I was much impressed with the solemnity of the scene, which I think one of the grandest and most sublime I ever beheld.  This ceremony concluded, salves of ordnance were fired.  The Pope retires amidst clouds of smoke, and seems to vanish from the Earth.  The troops then fire a feu de joie and move off, playing a march in quick time, and the company disperse.

It is the etiquette on these occasions that no person be admitted either into the church of St Peter or into the Sistine Chapel except in full toilette.  The ladies dress generally in black with caps and feathers; the gentlemen either in black full dress or in military uniform.  From the variety of foreigners of all nations that are here, most of whom are military men, or intitled to wear military uniforms, much is added to the splendour of the spectacle.

On the evening of Easter Monday, I was present at the illumination of the facade of St Peter’s.  Rows of lamps are suspended the whole length of the columns and pilasters and all over the cupola, so that, when illuminated, the style of the architecture is perceptible.  The illumination takes place almost at once.  How it is managed I cannot say; but a splendid illuminated temple seems at once to drop from the clouds, like the work of an enchanter; I say drop from the clouds, because the illumination begins from the cross and cupola and is communicated with the rapidity of lightning to every other part of the edifice.  About ten o’clock the same evening the most magnificent firework perhaps in the world begins to play from the castle of St Angelo.  All kinds of shapes are assumed by these fireworks:  here are castles, pagodas, dragons, griffins, etc.  These last about an hour and then conclude, and with them conclude all the ceremonies used in commemoration of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.