LETTER VI.

CELEBRATION OF CORPUS CHRISTI.

A Sabbath in Quebec- Corpus Christi Day Streets lined with Evergreen Trees and arched-Full of People-Grand Procession Description of the Different Orders in Procession The Real Body of Christ in a Wafer Rival Chimes of Rival Church Bells-The Cathedral - Magnificence of the Interior-Pomp and Ceremony Visit to the Episcopal Cathedral-The Rev. Doctor's Sermon - Quietness of the City on Sabbath Crossing the Ferry-Feast of God on Point Levi Significance of the Catholic signs.

QUEBEC, JUNE 23, 1851.

In my present Letter, I must attempt to give a description of a most imposing observance of the Lord's Day in Quebec.

Yesterday was the Sabbath. I did not choose to keep it in entire solitude and silence. We are to worship God in secret; but not always alone. God made us to be social beings, and helpers of each other's joy. The happiness of heaven is not a selfish bliss; the praises of heaven are not a solitary homage. Each angel, as he gives expression to his holy affections, goes not away by himself from the company of fellow spirits, there to utter his praises; but, united to all other hearts by the chain of love, which, commencing in the divine throne, binds the whole family of heaven together, he unites his voice with the myriads of other voices, which, in happy unison, ascend in pæans of praise to God and the Lamb forever. Feeling

a desire to mingle with my fellow-men in a proper observance of the Sabbath, I yesterday took passage from our ship with the pilot in his boat for Quebec. The wind was blowing almost a gale upon our stern; the waves of the Bay were seas that made the proud ships of Tarshish dance right merrily; the pilot spread his sails wing-wing, and away we bounded like a very thing of life, "sometimes up, and sometimes down," but all the time scudding with more than steamboat celerity. It was one of the most exciting sails I ever took. The pilot was a good Catholic; and naturally affable and polite, he undertook to expatiate on the glories of the holy day, rather the holi-day, that was to be observed by the church, not only in the city, but throughout Christendom. He said, there was to be "one grand Procession," in which the "body of Christ" was to be borne; and he strongly desired we should behold it. So, on arriving at the city, we hastened away to the Cathedral, there to take our stand, and witness the solemn ceremonies that were to come off. Our pilot piloted us aright, and stood by, with ready ears and glistening eyes, to hear and explain all our interrogatories.

When we arrived at the church, we found the Procession was on the march - having already gone through St. John's Gate towards the Parish of St. Roch; we could hear the music of bugles and horns and drums in the distance. Our pilot guided us to St. John's Gate, there to remain posted till the Procession should return. Meanwhile, we found every street, through which the procession moved, lined with evergreen trees planted on both sides for the occasion, and here and there decorated with amaranthine arches and canopies thrown over the way, and flags of all nations and colors and emblems of various descrip

tions strung across the streets, from the tops of the buildings. The wind was high and the flags performed a lively duty for the occasion. The trees set out were mostly fir, cedar and spruce; they were large, varying in height from ten to twenty feet, and extending several miles in length; the cost of collecting and planting them must have been considerable.

In due time the Procession was seen approaching from the suburbs, and re-entered the high gate of St. John where sentries of Scotch Highlanders in full uniform, were marching guard. A herald, with drawn sword, and clad in regalia of red and white, led the way, followed by three stalwart Catholics, bare headed, dressed in flowing blue cloaks with scarlet capes and fronts, the middle one bearing a large silk velvet crimson banner, deeply fringed with gold tassels and lace, and having in its centre an image of Christ on the cross with the two Marys at its side, weeping. His companions supported the right and left of the banner, by ribbons of white, red and blue attached to its sides. The violence of the wind at times required the strength of all three at the standard, to hold the flowing banner up in the air. The hosts of Israel were in two lines, occupying opposite sides of the streets and marching in single file near the curb stones of the sidewalk. The officers and dignitaries of the church were in the centre of the street, marching sometimes alone, sometimes in groups of threes, fives, sevens, &c. It is well to say here, that every man's and boy's hat was off, and every female's head was covered only with a white cap, or a cap and lace veil. First came small boys clad in black, with blue sashes; between the lines of these was a friar in black crape robes, and white band suspended from

the chin. Next were lines of larger boys in sky-blue dresses, and purple scarfs; two friars with books in hand were within these ; next, small girls in pink dresses covered by white lace mantles and caps, the very image of the Graces; next the Nuns clad in purest white linen with fine white lace veils covering their heads and extending almost to the pavements. It is difficult to describe any thing more beautiful than the hundreds of these sisters of Charity thus dressed in the uniform of angels; other women, with appropriate dresses followed these, and men, in numbers that we could not estimate, came after them. But mark; all the way down between this longo agmine, this long extended train, were paraded, in the middle of the street, the various dignitaries of the church, dressed in their canonicals and accompanied by banners of fine paintings and flags and lanterns, and all sorts of insignia. As each banner passed, the people who lined the sidewalks bowed reverently.

The last section appeared to be the most consequential and imposing. This was led by the band, that discoursed music equal to any ever heard on Boston Common from the Boston Brigade Band. Then came a retinue of Priests, clad in vestments of gold and silver and silk, of all colors, wrought into many significant designs - the richest dresses we ever saw. Next a man in rich attire bearing a silver cross high in the air; then a hollow square of invested priests; following these were four boys in entire white, bearing large batons; then came the sacred Ark borne by four youths clad in pink satin, with sashes and rosettes of sky blue; lastly came the real Body of Christ, the Corpus Christi, under the richest canopy of crimsom silk, hung in gold lace that faded into the light of

silver fringes. It was borne by four Priests upon Corinthian pillars hung with drab crape, and enlightened on either side by four golden lanterns, with tapers burning within them, and elevated on gilt rods by men in sacerdotal robes. Under this canopy was the venerable Archbishop, attended by subordinate Bishops, and clad from head to foot in raiment as rich as gold and silver and precious stones and silk and satin could make it, himself bearing the real body of Christ (so it was pretended,) for the benediction of the people. But, reader, what do you suppose that body was?-merely a piece of white, unleavened paste, about the size and shape of a dollar, enclosed in a silver plate quite as large as an old fashioned platter, that was made to represent a halo, or sun in its glory, the centre of which was a glass casket occupied by the consecrated bread now having become the real body of Him that was crucified! The Catholics as much believe, as they believe they are alive, that this is a part of the real body of Christ. It is carried out into the world, all over the world, once a year, in order that Christ may yet be about, as he was in Judea of old, blessing the people by his miracles. No doubt we shall hear of many miracles performed in Catholic houses after this-such as healing the sick, and even raising the dead. If it would perform the greater miracle of enlightening the ignorant, curing superstition, and amending the life, I should have more faith in it.

We kept pace with the grand procession from St John's Gate, the whole length of St. John's Street, to its head, where the mammoth French Cathedral is situated, witnessing the images, paintings, costumes, furniture, music and performers. Arrived near the church we halted to