The Life Of Charles Stewart Parnell - Ii

yEx. 37] Ml*. ElOliNGTON'S MISSION 25
the Errington mission had become a matter of history. ' Oh,' he answered, ' we looked upon him as an English envoy. I remember in those days whenever I called
to see Cardinal------I was habitually told that I could
not see him ; Errington was constantly closeted with the Cardinal. When he walked about in the vicinity of the Vatican the Swiss Guards saluted him. He was looked upon as a man of authority. It is easy for the English Government to repudiate Mr. Errington now, but they gave him the means of holding himself out to us as their agent.' The English Envoy used his influence to discredit the Irish agitators—lay and clerical.
One story will suffice to show how the Vatican regarded the Irish movement about this time. ' Had
you been in Italy,' said Cardinal ------ to an Irish
ecclesiastic, ' in the time of Garibaldi you would have supported Garibaldi/ ' Yes, your Eminence/said the Irishman, £ I would have supported Garibaldi if he had had at his back the bishops and priests and people of Italy.'
Despite all attempts at secrecy, the Errington mission became a public fact, and Ministers were forced to admit in the House of Commons that Mr. Errington had received a letter of recommendation from Lord Granville, and that his despatches from Borne were deposited, like the despatches of any other ambassador or envoy, in the archives of the Foreign Office. In Ireland the papal rescript was at once ascribed to Mr. Errington's handiwork.
England had secretly sought the services of the Pope, her ancient enemy, to strike at the Irish leader and the Irish movement. Could the force of England's meanness further go? 'If we want to hold Irelandof Krrington