CARDINAL WISEMAN.

Evening Post, Issue 76, 8 May 1865, Page 3

CARDINAL WISEMAN.

The long illness of bis eminence Cardinal Wiseman has at length reached a fatal termination. He died on Feb. 15, at the comparatively early age of 62. Nicholas Wiseman was the son of Mr. James Wiseman, merchant, of Water ford and of Seville, in which latter city the late cardinal was born on Aug ist 2, 1 802. The family of Wiseman is one of considerable antiquity, and they appear to have had lands in the county of Essex since the reign of Edward IV. * The illness of which his eminence has died has been one of long standing, and when he left England for Rome in the spring of 1860, there were many of his friends who feared that they would see his face no more. But he lived to return to England, and to recover some portion of his former health. It is almost superfluous to add that his eminence's loss will be severely felt among the English Roman Catholics both lay and clerical, as he was nearly the only member of their body who earned for himself a wide and lasting reputation for ability and learning, The funeral of Cardinal Wiseman took place on Feb. 23. The body h-id lain in state for the space of three days at his residence in York place. During the night of Feb. 21 the body was removed to St. Mary's Church, Moorfleld's. Arrived at the church, it was carried into the middle of that sacred liv Iding, and was placed upon a bier, draped with violet cloth, the bordtr of which was richly embroidered with gold lace. Thousands of persons, under the direction of the police, continued to visit the chapel during the entire day of the 22.. d. The- announc ment that a " solemn mass of requiem " was to be celebrated at the chapel on the 23rd, brought together one of the most distinguished and diversified congregations th,it have, perhaps, for centuries assembled in the metropolis. Among the noblemen and gentlemen present were — The Duke of Sutherland, the Marchionesses of Londonderry and of Lothian, the Earls of Courteniy, Mahuesbury, Kenmare, Oxford, and Buehan; the Dowager Countesses of Buuhan and Newbury; Viscounts Fielding, Campden, Southwell, and Castlerosse ; Lords Stafford, Petre, Lovat, and IJerriis; Counts Torre Diaz and Eyre ; Sir G. Bowyer, Bart., Sir Hungerford Pollen, B.irt., Lady Catherine Berkeley, Lady Milford, Hon. Mrs. Agar Ellis, IL>n. Miss Calthrpe, Hon. Montague Mostyn, Mr. Justice Shee, Mr. O'Reilly, M.P., Mr. Pope Ilennessy, M.P., ( 'huvalier de Zuluetta, &c. In a tribunal behind the stalls on the north side of the choir, was seated the Count de Ohabannes, who appeared there as the repiepresentative of Queen Marie Amelie, the widow of the late King of the French. The mass did not commence till a quarter to eleven o'clock. It was celebrated pontiftcally by the Right Rev. Bishop Morris, formerly vicar apostolic of the Mauritius, assisted by the Very Rev. Dr. Russell, president of the Royal College of Maynuoth, who acted as assistant priest, and by the Rev. Dr. Pius Melia, confessor of the late cardinal, who acted as deacon, and the Rev. T. Gloeg, of the Oratory, who acted as sub-deacon. At one or other side of the altar were ranged the Most Rev. Archbishop Cullen and the right rev. bishops of the English districts. The provost and canons of the diocese occupied their stalls in the choir. The other English, Irish, Scotch, French, and Btlgian clergymen, to the number of 300, filled a series of benches in froit of the catafalque: and as all those prelates were arrayed in their full canonicals, while ail the minor church 'dignitaries and priests wore their snrplices, the whole scene was one of an extremely impressive character, All at once during the principal portion of the ceremony each clergyman carried a lighted taper; and a nuw and striking effect was produced by this mass of sudden and concentrated light in the midst of the generally gloomy accompaniments The very tremulousness or feebleness of the voice of the aged and venerable prelate who performed the chief office of the day seemed most fittingly to blend with the solemnity and pluintiveness of the occasion. The Gregorian Mass, as arranged by Novello, was that which was throughout chanted 5 and it was impossible for the coldest or most cautious intellect to listen amidst such a scene to its earnest strains without a profouud remembrance of our common mortality. At the conclusion of the mass a sermon was preached by the Very Rev. Monsignore Manning. This discourse naturally assumed the character of a review and a eulogy of the late cardinal, with a special notice of his intense longing and his unremitting labours for the "conversion of Enaland." The religious services being over, the funeral proces'ion was formed, which was between two-and three miles in length, anJ proceeded to Kensal Green Cemetery, where .previous to the interment more

prayers were offered up. The mortal remains of the late cardinal were thus home to the grave with a pomp with which the great majority of Englishmen will but imperfectly sympathise. But Cardinal Wiseman was no common pers majje. lie will probably be generally acknowledged to have been the most eminent Roman Catholic Churchman whom England has known for the last Ihree centuries, lie possessed hi«h capacity and scholarship; he took, at a memorable epoch, a prominent part in the stranue scene of our religious contentions ; and it is impossible that Englishmen should not for many a day look back on his memory with feelings of curiosity and interest. The three names which Cardinal Wiseman, previous to his deaih, sent in to the Holy See, as the list from which should be chosen his successor in the see of Westminster, are those of Dr. Grant, Bishop of Southwark; Dr. Clifford, Bishop of Clifton ; and Dr. Ullathorne, Bishop of Birmingham. It is not likely that any English cardinal will be appointed at present.