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25 December 1882 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Monday. 25th December [1882]. Christmas Day. At ¼ to 10 Henry & I went off in gondola to the Armenian Convent to see the Christmas service & ordination of 3 young priests. It was a long but very interesting service– We arrived just as the procession was going thro’ the cloisters to meet the bishop. The body of the church was cleared & the procession accompanying the bishop at first stopped there & chanted some hymns to oriental music such as one hears in all sects & religions in the East & it reminded me of the Jewish wedding, the turning Dervishes, the harem music, & the opera of Aida—not forgetting the Spanish muleteers’ songs. The dresses were Oriental of gorgeous & harmonious colouring & richly decorated with gold. The service was long but as I had an English translation I was able to follow it. The service was done in the Armenian language & was conducted with much decency & solemnity. One cd not help feeling sorry for the 3 young men who were being ordained for, entirely brought up in the Convent how cd they be fit judges of their fitness to undertake such an arduous task or of the temptations that they wd be liable to. The service was not quite over when we came away at ¼ to 1. There was a great deal of incensing, curtains were drawn before the Bishop at different times—one was not worthy of its place being only an old cretonne of many coloured flowers! The weather was splendid & the sun almost too hot to bear on ones head– The distant mountains appeared so near one felt they cd not be 2 miles off. We got home 1.30 & lunched. Arranged flowers Mr Malcolm had sent & then walked with Henry to the Piazzetta– Found the gondola there & came home by 4. Put my studio in order to receive Css Canevaro & her 2 boys, Andriana Marcello & her young people, Olga Mocenigo & Valentine, Css Brandolin with her children & Css Giulia Persico & her 2 boys. Gave them tea & cakes in the library & then had Snap Dragon wh was a novelty & amused them very much. Had dinner party. Mr Malcolm, Mr Brown & his mother, Mr Tindal, Mr Stewart, Mme Hurtado & Idita– In the eveng I played the harmonium– We separated early. | |
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