“At last they put him again into the chair, set the crown upon his head, and, preceded by the great ostrich feather fans, he was borne out of the church. We made all possible expedition up to the loggia,—a temporary sort of gallery, erected on the top of the colonnade, opposite to that occupied by the royal families,—and secured places in the front row. An expecting crowd had long covered the broad expanded steps, and platform of the church, and spread itself over the piazza. The military now poured out of St. Peter’s and formed an immense ring, before its spacious front, behind which the horse guards were drawn up, and an immense number of carriages, filled with splendidly dressed women, and thousands of people on foot, were assembled. But the multitude almost shrunk into insignificance in the vast area of the piazza; and neither piety, curiosity, nor even that all universal gregarious passion, that makes people crowd wherever there is a crowd, had collected together sufficient numbers to fill it. The tops of the colonnades all round, were, however thronged with spectators; and it was a curious sight to see such a mixture of all ranks and nations,—from the coronetted heads of kings, to the poor cripple who crawled along the pavement,—assembled together to await the blessing of an old man, their fellow-mortal, now tottering on the brink of the grave. Not the least picturesque figures among the throng, were the Contadini, who, in every variety of curious costume, had flocked in from their distant mountain villages, to receive the blessing of the holy father, and whose bright and eager countenances, shaded by their long dark hair, were turned to the balcony where the pope was to appear. At length the two white ostrich feather fans, the forerunners of his approach, were seen, and he was borne forward on his throne above the shoulders of the cardinals and bishops, who filled the balcony. After an audible prayer, he arose, and elevating his hands to heaven, invoked a solemn benediction upon the assembled multitude, and all the people committed to his charge. Every head was uncovered, the soldiers, and many of the spectators, sunk on their knees on the pavement to receive the blessing. That blessing was given with impressive solemnity, but with little gesture and parade. Immediately the thundering of cannon from the castle of St. Angelo, and the peal of bells from St. Peter’s, proclaimed the joyful tidings to the skies. The pope was borne out, and the people rose from their knees; but at least one half of them had never knelt at all, which greatly diminished the impressive effect of the whole. I forgot to say, that, after the benediction, several papers were thrown down by one of the cardinals, which contained, I understand, the indulgence granted to the different churches, and a most pious scuffle ensued among the people to catch them. The pope’s benediction this day, the Italians say, extends all over the world, but on Thursday,