from the ceiling; a gallery at each end
supported by marble pillars, with a row of tall
windows on either side; a dark, inlaid floor
of some brown wood; but with no sign whatever
of Hercules to be seen. Suffice it to say,
that having noticed all this at a glance, we
observed, in the centre of the hall, a small
altar covered with white linen, and bearing
upon it golden candlesticks, a missal bound
in crimson velvet, a veiled crucifix, and a
golden ewer standing in a golden dish. On
one side of the altar rose a tall reading-
desk, draped with a sulphur-coloured cloth,
upon which lay a large open book: a row
of low, crimson stools stood along the hall,
opposite the altar; on the other side, across
the windows, ran a white and very long
ottoman raised upon a high step covered
with crimson cloth, and chairs of state were
arranged at either end of the hall below the
galleries. The arrival of people below was
gradual, although our gallery and the gallery
opposite had been crowded for hours. We at
length had the pleasure of seeing something
commence.

The door at the further end opened, and in
streamed a crowd. Then tottered in ancient
representations of the twelve "apostles,"
clothed in long violet robes, bound round the
waist with white bands striped with red, and
with violet caps on their heads: on they
tottered, supported on either side by some
poor relative, an old peasant-woman, a
stalwart man in a black velvet jacket and
bright black boots reaching to the knee, or by
a young, buxom girl in her holiday costume
of bright apron and gay boddice. On they
come, feeble, wrinkled, with white locks falling
on their violet apparel, with palsied hands
resting on the strong arms, that supported
them—the oldest being a hundred-and-one,
the youngest eighty-seven years old! My
eyes swam with sudden tears. There was a
deal of trouble in mounting them upon their
long snowy throne; that crimson step was a
great mountain for their feeble feet and stiff
knees to climb. But at last they were all
seated, their poor friends standing behind
them. A man in black marshalled them like
little school-children; he saw that all sat
properly, and then began pulling off a black
shoe and stocking from the right foot of
each. There, with drooped heads and folded
withered hands, they sat meekly expectant.
A group of twelve little girls, in lilac print
frocks and silver swallow-tailed caps, headed
by an old woman in similar lilac and silver
costume, took its place to the right of the
old men in a little knot; they were twelve
orphans who are clothed and educated by
the Queen, and who receive a present on
this day.

The hall at the further end was by this
time filled with bright uniforms—blue, scarlet,
white, and green. In front were seen King
Max and his brothers, also in their uniforms;
numbers of ladies and children; and choristers
in white robes, who flitted, cloud-like, into a
small raised seat, set apart for them in a
dark corner behind the uniforms. A bevy
of priests in gold, violet, blue, and black
robes, with burning tapers and swinging
censers, enter; prostrate themselves before
the King of Bavaria, and before the King of
Hosts, as typified to them on the altar; they
chaunt, murmur, and prostrate themselves
again and again. Incense fills the hall with
its warm, odorous breath. They present open
books to the King and Princes. And now
the King, ungirding his sword, which is
received by an attendant gentleman,
approaches the oldest "apostle;" he receives
the golden ewer, as it is handed from one
brother to another; he bends himself over
the old foot; he drops a few drops of water
upon it; he receives a snowy napkin from the
Princes, and lays it daintily over the honoured
foot; he again bows over the second, and so
on, through the whole twelve; a priest,
with a cloth bound round his loins, finishing
the drying of the feet. A different scene
must that have been in Jerusalem, some
eighteen hundred years ago!

And now the King, with a gracious smile,
hangs round the patient neck of each old
man a blue and white purse, containing a
small sum of money. The priests retire; the
altar and reading-desk are removed. Six
tables, covered with snowy cloths, upon each
two napkins, two small metal drinking-cups,
and two sets of knives, forks, and spoons, are
carried in, and joined into one long table,
placed before the crimson step. In the mean
time the man in black has put on the twelve
stockings and the twelve shoes, and, with
much ado, has helped down the twelve
"apostles," who now sit upon the step as a
seat. Enter twelve footmen, in blue and
white liveries, each bearing a tray, covered
with a white cloth, upon which smoke six
different meats, in white wooden bowls; a
green soup—remember it is green Thursday—
two baked fish; two brown somethings; a
delicious-looking pudding; bright green
spinach, upon which repose a couple of tempting
eggs, and a heap of stewed prunes. Each
footman, with his tray, is followed by a fellow-
footman, carrying a large bottle of golden-hued
wine, and a huge, dark, rich-looking roll on
silver waiters. The twelve footmen, with the
trays, suddenly veer round, and stand in a
long line opposite to the table, and each
opposite to an "apostle;" the twelve trays
held before them, with their seventy-two
bowls, all forming a kind of pattern—soup,
fishes, spinach; soup, fishes, spinach;
pudding, prunes, brown meats; pudding, prunes,
brown meats,—all down the room. Behind
stand the other footmen, with their twelve
bottles of wine and their twelve rolls. I can
assure you that, seen from the gallery above,
the effect was considerably comic.

A priest, attended by two court-pages, who
carry tall, burning tapers, steps forth in front