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Show KINMEET$WE POPE T Rome, April 29. King Edward visited Pope Lep at the Vatican this afternoon, going direct from the British embassy in a closed carriage. He was accompanied accom-panied by Colonel Lamb, the British military attache. The carriage bearing the king was followed by another containing con-taining members of his majesty's suite. The Vatican is perhaps the most ceremonious cere-monious court of Europe. It is undoubtedly undoubt-edly one of the most picturesque, and all the costumes worn there are of medieval times. At the Vatican. As King Edward's carriages at 4:20 entered the court of San Damazo. surrounded sur-rounded by the well known loggie of Raphael, and-which has been trodden by the feet of every sovereign who has visited Rome with the exception of the present shah of Persia, his majesty was saluted by a battalion of the palatine ! guards in full uniform. Tattoo was given on the drumheads. There was no music, as there are no papal bands. It is declared that since the grotesque rendering of the German royal anthem by bugles on the occasion of the visit of the emperor of Germany, the experiment ex-periment of having music has not been repeated. On the Grand Staircase. When the royal party reached the grand staircase leading to the papal apartment. King Edward was greeted by the Marquis Sacchetti. who acted for Prince Ruspoli. the introducer of sovereigns, who is ill; Mgr. Merry del Val and Prince Antoci-Mattei. Antoci-Mattei. At the upper landing there was grouped an imposing array of ecclesiastics, ecclesias-tics, who formed a characteristic and magnificent assembly. Among them were Monsigneur de Azevedo, the- papal major domo; Mgr. Plffer, the papal sacristan: Mgr. Constantini. the great almoner; Mgr. Grabinski. secretary of the congregation congre-gation of ceremonials: Prince Rospigliosi. commander of noble guards; Count General Gen-eral Pecci. nephew of the pop, commandant command-ant of the Palatine guards; Marquis Ser-lupi. Ser-lupi. master of the horse, and Major Tagliaferrl, commandant of gendarmes. Brilliant Uniforms. Behind this group, attired in brilliant uniforms, were the Knights of the Cape and -chamberlains in black velvet breeches, blouses with stiff white ruffs and gorgeously jeweled chains about their necks, giving a touch of brilliant color to the scene. King Edward addressed a few words of thanks in return for the hearty greetings greet-ings offered him. Thejjoyal party pro- ceeded between ranks of the Swiss , guards, whose halberds gl-amed in the j sunlight that streamer: through the wide windows. The hum of the busy citv alone broke th deep silence that j reigned within the Vatican. At the Clem- entine hall the party was met by the j papal master of the chamber. Mgr. Bis- leti. who was attended by personages of ; the secret ante-chamber. Upon arriving ; before the private apartment of the pope the noble guard rendered military honors to the British sovereign. Pope and King. i At the conclusion of this ceremony the ;. door of the prpe"s apartment was irnme- ; diately opened and the aged pontiff was revealed standing on the threshold. His hand was extended, awaiting his guest. ,: . His holiness was dressed in robes of i j white and a red velvet cape bordered J with ermine. Even King Edward pauset a moment upon seeing the pontiff in his ; white garments. The pope's face was th. J color of ivory, but he moved without aid 5 and with no apparent difficulty. From , , his entire person there seemed to eman- ; - ate sentiments of benevolence and spir- 1 l ituality.. The king and the head of the church clasped hands and exchanged a . : few words in French. King Edward passed within the papal apartment, the , : door was closed and the pope and his , guest were left alone. : Private Interview. King Edward remained with the pontiff ' for twenty minutes. A bell was then rung, and King Edward's suite was ad- ' mitted ami presented to the pope. This little ceremony seemed to please the pope , immenselv. At its conclusion King Kd-ward Kd-ward took his leave, the pope crossing the room at his side and saying his last i . . words at the door. From the Vatican King Edward passed , through the piazza of St. Peter, where he was warmly greeted in English by a -' j number of Scotch pilgrims now in Rome, who shouted "Hurrah for the king." Had King Edward looked up at that moment he would have seen a figure in a window , of the second story of the palace. It was Pope Leo. Contrasted with the British i sovereign, who stood below in the sun- light and the center of the animation on the immense plaza, the solitary white fig- i ; ! ure in the palace window seemed to fur- i ther the idea of the pope as a prisoner. i ; Instead of returning to the British er bassy, the king drove directly to i ' quirinal. |
