His (Edward VII) catholicity, the object of both praise and
censure, was proverbial. An instance of this was given in a
letter written by Archbishop Magee, in December, 1873. Speaking
of a week-end visit to Sandringham, where Edward, then Prince
of Wales, attended his services, he said: “Just returned from
church, where I preached for twenty-six minutes (Romans, 8:28).
The church is a very small country one, close to the grounds.
The house, as I saw it by daylight, is a handsome country house
of red stone with white facings, standing well and looking
quietly comfortable and suitable. I find the company pleasant
and civil, but we are a curious mixture. Two Jews, Sir A.
Rothschild and his daughter; a Roman Catholic, Col. Higgins;
an Italian duchess, who is an English woman, and her daughter
brought up as a Roman Catholic and now turning Protestant; a set
of young lords, and a bishop. The Jewess came to church; so did
the half-Protestant lady. Dizzy (Disraeli) did the same, and
was profuse in his praises of my sermon.”--New York _Evening
Post_.
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