PEN AND INK SKETCH OF CARDINAL MANNING

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 113, 26 June 1875, Page 9

PEN AND INK SKETCH OF CARDINAL MANNING

BY "PIETRO."

What the new Cardinal is may be learned from a graphic pen picture of him by the ' Catholic Review's ' accomplished London correspondent, "Pietro," who, writing from London, March 30, 1873, thus describes him. It is a short but keen description. He says : " The other evening, walking through Kensington, I chanced to meet our archbishop hurrying on foot towards his cathedral. He looked weary and wan ; the perspiration stood in drops upon his wasted face ; his clothes were soiled with the dust of the streets ; he had been for hours engaged in doing some parish work for one of tho priests, whose strength had given way, and who was then lying very ill. I had heard that his grace was himself unwell, and I told him I was surprised to see him thus exposed. ' Oh,' said he, with that sweet smile which lingers in the memory of every one who has ever seen it, ' ifc was nothing but a cold, and we should not be idle you know.' Idle ! Good heavens ! This man talk about being idle ! Strange stories go about concerning Henry Edward, by the grace of God and favor of the Apostolic See, Archbishop of Westminster. It has long been known, one telb you, that he never eats anything ; you can seethafc by looking at him ; to say it is Lent all the year round with him is nothing ; as he never eats anything, he cannot eat less in lent, and so he makes it up by other mortifications. But then, bo never sleeps either ; one of two things he is always doing— he is always working or always praying. The amount of work he does, pleasantly apart, is wonderful ; but God and the saints only know how much he prays. I think he is one of the happiest priests I have ever met — and I have known very many happy ones — and he enjoysj oys this almost perfect | happiness in despite, not only o£ his burdens, but o£ -the thousand thorns which must afflict him in this Babal of wickedness. His people love him with a wonderful love — I believe there is not one of them who would not joyfully die for him. They have just provided him with a now palace, to which he is now removed. It is at tho west end of Victoria-street, not very far from the desecrated Westminster Abbey. It is a large and commodious residence, very haudsomely fitted 'up ; and there the throngs that come to his weekly receptions will be much more at their ease than in his former residence in York Place. The income of tho see is now about £3,000 ; and of this sum, I am told, the archbishop spends upon himself about £25. These proud prelates ! How their luxurious modes of life contrasts with the Christian simplicity of Brother Spurgeon, and of the gentleman who calls himself Archbishop of Canterbury."

The municipality of Rome, having nothing better to do just at present, intend depriving the Vatican of water. Paul V. brought the -water from Albano by a superb aqueduct which, supplies the Vatican. It seems now that either his Holiness will have to pay a heavy tax, or else the supply of water to the Pontifical palaco will be exit off. Signor Ru*poli has announced that unless the Holy Father pays this tax, he will have to Bubmit to the inconvenience of having no water to drink. In the last nine years, in England and Wales, 188 persons were sentenced to death, and 16,310 to penal seivitude.