1828] [ 477 3 



20th April, 1828. 



SINGULAR RELIGIOUS CEREMONY IN FRANCE. 



THE French have at last fairly confessed their sense of inferiority to 

 us, by that most unequivocal of all evidences the open habit of imita- 

 tion. The Anglo-mania is in fact universal among them. English 

 manners, opinions, and modes of feeling are gaining ground in all depart- 

 ments of French society ; and even that strong hold of the prejudices 

 and predilections of a Catholic people their established modes of incul- 

 cating and enforcing their religious principles and precepts is (mirabile 

 dictu!) giving way before the example of certain English modes of 

 arriving at the same ends. Briefly, in addition to all the other isms of the 

 day in France all of them (but one) borrowed from the English such as 

 ultraism, liberalism, royalism, ministerialism, journalism, absolutism, and 

 the rest they have lately been cultivating that (with us) most flourish- 

 ing and effective of them all evangelism ; and with this sole difference 

 from that which is at present so prevalent among us in certain classes of 

 society ; namely, that in England evangelism is, generally speaking, opposed 

 to the interests of the established mode of worship ; whereas, in France, 

 it is brought in aid of those interests, and patronized and protected by 

 the constituted authorities accordingly. Of course, the matter is managed 

 very differently in the two countries ; since, in both cases, it is in the 

 hands of persons who well know the genius and habits of the people 

 they seek to influence, and are well skilled and little scrupulous in adapt- 

 ing their means to their ends. But there are as striking similarities in 

 either case as there are striking differences. In writing the description 

 which we are about to present to our readers, we are aware of the some- 

 what dang6rous ground on which we tread. But as our wishes and 

 intentions are not to contravene the opinions, still less to offend the feel- 

 ings, of any class of persons whatever, we shall rely confidently on those 

 intentions in keeping us from so doing. Moreover, we shall, to the same 

 end, strictly confine ourselves to a bare and literal relation of that which 

 we have just seen and heard, leaving commentaries and conclusions to 

 those whom they may concern : especially as the scene which we have 

 to describe is of a nature at once so curious and novel, that nothing we 

 could add in the way of reflection would be likely to increase its inte- 

 rest in the eyes of English readers. 



Before proceeding to describe the religious ceremony we have just 

 witnessed, it is necessary to premise, in reference to what has been said 

 above, that there at present exists in this kingdom, not a sect, but a 

 society of religieux, calling themselves missionaries, who go about at 

 fixed periods to all the great towns and cities, preaching those particular 

 doctrines and precepts of the Catholic faith, on which it is the present 

 policy of the priesthood to lay the greatest stress ; and, at every one of 

 the places where the pecuniary proceeds of their mission will enable 

 them to do so, planting (as they phrase it) a cross, in commemoration 

 of their visit. These missionaries furnish (with one point excepted) the 

 true pendant to our Methodists differing from the rest of their holy 

 brethren precisely as the above-named sect differs from the members of 

 the church of England as by law established. They evince the same 

 fiery and uncontrollable zeal the same humble and humbling opinions 



