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Si.    MICHAEL'S    COLLEGE. 


ROME: 

ITS  RULER  AND  ITS  INSTITUTIONS. 


ROME: 


ITS  RULER  AND  ITS  INSTITUTIONS. 


JOHN    FltANCIS    MAGUIKE,    M.P. 


D.   &   J.   SADLIER  &   CO.,   164   WILLIAM   ST. 

BOSTON:— 128   FEDERAL  STREET. 

MONTREAL: — CORNER  OF  NOTRE-DAME  AND  ST.  FRANCIS  XAVIER  STS. 
1860. 


TO 


THE  HOK  AND  RIGHT  REV.  GEORGE  TALBOT, 

DOMESTIC  PRELATE  AND 
PRIVATE  CHAMBERLAIN  OF  HIS  HOLINESS  PIUS  IX. 


THIS     VOLUME     IS 


BY   THE   AUTHOR, 

AS    A    TESTIMONY    OF   EESPECT    FOB    HIS    CHARACTER, 
AND    OF    GRATITUDE    FOB    HIS   KINDNESS. 


P  E  E  F  A  C  E. 


THIS  volume  has  had  its  origin  in  a  series  of  letters, 
which  I  wrote  from  Rome,  in  the  belief  that  the  sub- 
jects of  which  they  treated,  and  the  information  which 
they  afforded,  would  prove  of  interest  to  a  large  circle 
of  readers.  The  result  justified  the  anticipation ;  for 
the  letters  were  extensively  copied  in  this  country,  as 
well  as  in  various  places  in  America,  and  were  reprinted 
in  more  than  one  European  language.  The  interest 
which  they  excited — or,  more  correctly  speaking,  which 
the  information  afforded  by  their  details  excited — was 
evidenced  by  almost  innumerable  applications  made  to 
me,  to  publish  them  in  some  more  enduring  and  per- 
manent form.  Many  of  these  applications  were  urged 
upon  me  with  a  weight  of  personal  authority  which  I 
could  not  attempt  to  resist ;  and  I  therefore  resolved  to 
comply  with  a  desire  in  which  I  thoroughly  sympa- 
thized, and  the  motive  of  which  I  perfectly  understood, 
— namely,  a  wish  to  encounter,  by  a  representation  of 


Viii  PREFACE. 

the  true  state  of  things  in  Rome,  that  system  of  false- 
hood and  misrepresentation  which  has  been  too  gener- 
ally adopted  with  reference  to  all  matters  connected 
with  the  government  and  institutions  of  the  Papal 
States :  which  system  of  falsehood  and  misrepresenta- 
ation  is  not  owing  to  the  circumstance  of  the  nation  and 
government  being  Italian,  but  of  both  being  Catholic, 
and  of  the  latter  being  that  of  the  Head  of  the  Catholic 
Church. 

At  a  considerable  sacrifice  of  time,  and  no  small  in- 
terference with  pressing  public  duty,  I  resolved,  not  on 
reprinting  my  letters,  but  upon  -using  them  as  the 
groundwork  of  a  volume  in  which  the  subjects  to 
which  they  referred,  but  briefly  treated,  might  be  dealt 
with  more  fully  and  more  deliberately;  ample  materi- 
als for  their  development  being  at  my  disposal,  the  re- 
sult of  what  I  myself  saw,  or  what  I  could  gather  from 
public  documents  of  undoubted  authority.  Scarcely, 
however,  had  I  commenced  my  task,  when  I  felt  con- 
vinced of  the  necessity  of  giving  a  brief  but  a  sufficient 
sketch  of  the  career  of  the  reigning  Pope,  principally 
with  a  view  of  recalling  to  the  recollection  of  the 
reader  the  remarkable  events  of  the  early  years  of  his 
pontificate,  and  exhibiting  the  causes  that  of  necessity 
arrested  the  progress  of  those  great  political  reforms  of 
which  he  was  the  author,  but  which  evil  men  sought 


PKEFACE.  ix 

to  use  to  their  own  advantage,  if  not  to  his  destruction. 
A  casual  conversation  with  a  friend,  whose  mind  tena- 
ciously retained  all  recent  impressions  made  by  the 
partial  statements  of  the  enemies  of  the  Pope,  and  the 
traducers  of  his  government,  but  from  which  every  rec- 
ollection of  the  events  of  1848  and  1849  had  utterly 
faded,  determined  me  to  carry  out  this  resolution,  and 
commence  the  volume  with  a  personalvand  historical 
sketch  of  the  career  of  Pius  IX.  This  I  have  done  at 
greater  length  than  I  had  at  first  intended,  but  perhaps 
not  so  fully  as  the  nature  of  the  subject  required.  At 
any  rate,  I  trust  I  have  done  sufficient  to  enable  the 
reader  to  behold,  in  his  true  character,  one  of  the  best 
of  men,  and  most  beneficent  of  rulers ;  and  to  estimate, 
at  their  right  value,  the  accusations  which  have  been 
made  against  him,  as  a  reformer  of  the  one  day,  and  a 
reactionist  of  the  next. 

The  letters  to  which,  as  I  have  said,  this  volume  owes 
its  origin,  I  have  but  sparingly  used ;  or  where  I  have 
used  them,  I  have  added  to  them  considerably, — so  as 
to  render  each  of  the  more  important  subjects  as  full  as 
I  could  afford  to  make  it  in  a  single  volume.  For  in- 
stance, I  have  devoted  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
book  to  a  sketch  of  the  Educational  institutions  of 
Rome, — a  subject  respecting  which  much  misconcep- 
tion exists  in  these  countries. 


X  PKEFACE. 

To  one  portion  of  this  book  I  feel  it  right  to  direct  at- 
tention,'— namely,  to  the  Appendix.  I  do  so  for  two 
reasons.  In  the  first  place,  it  contains,  in  the  official 
Report  furnished  by  the  Count  de  Rayneval,  the  French 
Envoy  at  Rome,  to  the  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs  in 
Paris,  the  most  authoritative  and  conclusive  refutation 
of  the  charges  urged  against  the  Government  of  the 
Pope ;  and  affords  an  amount  of  valuable  information, 
on  various  points,  of  which  it  is  essential  that  the  pub- 
lic of  these  countries  should  be  apprized.  This  docu- 
ment first  appeared  in  its  English  form  in  the  Daily 
News  of  the  18th  of  March,  184/T ;  and  while  adopting 
this  translation,  I  can  vouch  for  its  accuracy,  as  I  have 
closely  compared  it  with  the  original  French,  subse- 
quently published  in  that  journal.  In  no  material  re- 
spect does  the  one  differ  from  the  other ;  the  transla- 
tion, in  every  respect,  substantially  conveying  the 
meaning  of  the  original,  and  giving  all  its  figures  and 
facts  with  scrupulous  fidelity.  I  had  been  in  previous 
possession  of  documentary  evidence,  proving  the  truth 
of  the  statements  made  in  this  remarkable  State  Paper, 
and  had  even  embodied  many  of  them  in  my  letters ; 
but,  on  its  appearance  in  the  Daily  News,  I  was  at 
once  convinced  that  I  would  be  more  likely  to  serve 
the  cause  which  I  had  at  heart,  by  abandoning  what 
I  had  written,  and  adopting  the  dispatch  of  the  French 


PKEFACE.  XI 

Ambassador,  who  wrote,  not  only  under  a  sense  of 
official  responsibility,  but  from  a  personal  knowledge, 

( 

derived  alike  from  his  long  residence  in  Rome,  and  the 
facilities  which  his  position  afforded  him  of  arriving  at 
the  real  state  of  things.  To  this  dispatch  I  would  di- 
rect the  attention  of  every  reader  who  desires  to  ascer- 
tain the  truth  with  respect  to  the  Papal  Government. 

I  direct  attention  to  the  Appendix  for  this  second 
reason,  —  namely,  that  the  reader  may  learn,  from 
sources  of  unquestionable  authority,  that  we  ourselves 
have  very  many  and  very  important  reforms  to  effect, 
both  at  home  and  in  our  government  abroad,  before  we 
venture  to  become  the  self-appointed  censor  of  other 
nations  ; — that,  in  a  word,  we  should  cast  the  beam  out 
of  our  own  eye,  before  we  cast  the  mote  out  of  our 
brother's  eye. 

In  the  chapters  on  the  public  institutions  of  Rome, 
I  have  been  indebted,  in  some  measure,  to  the  able  and 
philosophic  work  of  the  late  Cardinal  Morichini ;  which 
obligation  I  have  acknowledged  in  more  than  one  place. 
This  valuable  work  was  given  to  me  in  Rome,  as  con- 
taining the  best  and  fullest  information  on  the  subjects 
with  which  I  desired  to  become  acquainted ;  but  my 
letters  merely  contained  descriptions  of  what  I  saw,  as 
I  had  no  time,  while  in  that  city,  to  devote  to  reading. 
But  for  a  fuller  account,  such  as  I  now  pretend  to  give, 


Xir  PREFACE. 

of  the  institutions  which  I  then  described,  a  reference 
to  a  work  of  the  very  highest  authority  became  a  mat- 
ter of  necessity. 

I  shall  only  add,  in  conclusion,  the  expression  of  a 
sincere  and  heart-felt  hope,  that  this  volume  may  have 
the  effect  of  removing  from  the  minds  of  many  honest 
and  well-intentioned  readers,  the  dark  veil  with  which 
ignorance  and  prejudice  have  obscured  the  truth, — and 
that  these  pages  may  enable  the  conscientious  of  every 
communion  to  comprehend  the  character  and  appre- 
ciate the  virtues  of  one  of  the  best  of  Men,  one  of  the 
most  beneficent  of  Rulers,  and  one  of  the  most  illustri- 
ous of  Popes. 

J.  F.  M. 

LONDON,  July,  1857. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  L 
Introduction.— The  Pauline  Chapel— The  Cardinals.— The  Pope. 


CHAPTER  IL 

The  Pope:  his  Birth  and  Education. — He  studies  for  the  Ministry. — His 
Malady  cured. — His  First  Mass. — Goes  to  Chili. — Instance  of  his 
Charity  to  an  English  Officer. — Returns  to  Rome. — Is  created  Arch- 
bishop of  Spoleto. — Difficulties  of  his  Position. — Appointed  Car- 
dinal Bishop  of  Imola. — His  charitable  and  pious  Works. — Is  elected 
Pope 18 

CHAPTER  IIL 

Pius  IX  ascends  the  Throne. — Grants  an  Amnesty. — Terms  of  the  Am- 
nesty.— Enthusiasm  of  the  People. — Machinations  of  the  Revolution- 
ists.— Their  Policy  and  Objects. — Mazzini's  Address  to  the  Friends 
of  Italian  Liberty.— Difficulties  of  the  Pope's  Position.— The  Pope  as 
a  Reformer. — Instances  of  his  Affability  and  Goodness. — His  Interest 
in  the  Education  of  Youth. — The  Pope  no  Nepotist. 34 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Alarm  of  Austria  at  the  Acts  of  the  Pope. — Popular  Demonstrations 
artfully  promoted. — Proclamation  against  them. — Occupation  of  Fer- 
rara  by  the  Austrians. — Military  Enthusiasm  of  the  People. — Inau- 
guration of  the  Council  of  State. — Its  Creation  an  Evidence  of  the 
Pope's  desire  for  Reform. — The  Pope  explains  his  intentions. — Ad- 
dress from  the  Council. — Foreign  Sympathy. — The  Pope's  Generosity 
to  Ireland. — His  Appeal  in  her  behalf. — State  of  Europe.  .....  64 


XIV  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Year  of  Revolutions. — Great  excitement  in  Rome. — Further  Re- 
forms demanded. — Opening  of  the  Roman  Parliament. — The  War  of 
Independence. — Its  disastrous  Result. — Count  Rossi  Prime  Minister. 
— His  Assassination  resolved  upon Page  73 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Assassination  of  Count  Rossi. — Dispatch  of  the  French  Ambassador. — 
Inhuman  Rejoicings. — Assault  on  the  Pope's  Palace. — The  Pope's 
personal  Liberty  at  an  end. — No  Excuse  for  this  Violence.  ....  81 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  personal  Liberty  of  the  Pope  at  an  end.— He  resolves  to  abandon 
Rome. — His  Flight  from  the  Quirinal. — He  reaches  Gaeta. — His  Re- 
ception by  the  King  and  Queen  of  Naples 89 

CHAPTER  VIIL 

The  Flight  of  the  Pope  supposed  to  be  the  Downfall  of  the  Papacy. — 
Former  Popes  driven  from  Rome. — Pius  VI.  and  Pius  VII. — General 
Cavaignac's  Letter. — Testimony  of  the  "  Times." — Addresses  pour  in 
on  the  Pope. — Offers  of  Hospitality 96 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Confusion  in  Rome  at  the  Flight  of  the  Pope. — His  Protest  from  Gaeta. 
The  Constituent  Assembly  convoked. — Arrival  of  Mazzini. — State  of 
Rome. — Pius  appeals  to  the  Catholic  Powers. — His  Appeal  responded 
to 108 

CHAPTER  X. 

Profane  Rites  in  St.  Peter's. — Atrocities  of  the  Republic. — Delusion  of 
the  Republicans, — Lord  Palmerston's  Advice. — Appeals  to  France 
and  England. — Armed  Intervention  indispensable 118 


CONTENTS.  XV 

CHAPTER  XL 

The  French  occupy  Civita  Vecchia,  and  march  on  Rome. — First  As- 
sault unsuccessful. — Bravery  of  the  Besieged. — Rome  surrenders. — 
The  Pope's  Grateful  Letter. ... Page  126 

CHAPTER  XIL 

The  Pope's  Edict  published  in  Rome. — Another  Amnesty. — Rome  re- 
assumes  its  old  Appearance. — General  Reaction. — The  Pope's  Re- 
turn announced. — His  Journey. — He  re-enters  his  Capital. —  Enthu- 
siasm of  the  People 133 

CHAPTER  XIIL 

Disastrous  Effects  of  the  Revolution. — The  Pope's  Efforts  to  remedy 
them. — His  daily  Life. — His  Audiences. — Petitions. — The  Pope's 
Charity. — His  Munificence 141 

CHAPTER  XJV. 

Instances  of  the  Pope's  Charity. — More  Instances. — Curious  Applica- 
tions.— Protestant  Opinions  of  his  Character. — He  gives  Audience  to 
a  Negro  Slave.— His  Affability  to  Students.— The  Holy  Father  a 
Pedestrian. — Pio  Nono  and  Father  Mathew. — Public  Bakeries  and 
Model  Lodging  Houses  established  by  the  Pope 161 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Personal  Courage  of  His  Holiness. — His  Presence  of  Mind  in  the  Hour 
of  Danger. — His  Visits  to  the  Cholera  Hospitals. — Not  afraid  of  his 
Subjects. — Evidence  of  his  Fearlessness 166 

CHAPTER  XVL 

The  Roman  Hospitals. — La  Consolazione. — San  Giovanni  di  Calabita. — 
San  Galicano. — San  Giacomo. — Santissima  Salvatore. — Santissima 
Trinita  di  Pellegrini 172 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Great  Hospital  of  Santo  Spirito. — Its  Extent  and  Importance. — Its 
Foundling  Hospital. — Foundlings  not  necessarily  illegitimate. — 


XVI  CONTENTS. 

Reasons  why  legitimate  Children  are  sent  in. — Average  Mortality. 
— State  of  the  Hospital. — Treatment  and  Training  of  the  Foundlings. 
— Hospital  of  San  Roceo. — Advantages  of  these  Institutions,  espe- 
cially in  preventing  Infanticide. — Asylum  for  Lunatics.. .  .Page  187 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  Roman  Prisons — In  a  State  of  Transition — Beneficial  Change  in 
their  Management — Religious  versus  Lay  Officials. — The  Termini. — 
The  Prison  for  Women. — The  Solitary  Cell — Influence  of  the  Nuns. 
— Reformatory  of  Santa  Maria  della  Misericordia. — Reformatory 
della  Vigna  Pia 208 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Prisons  of  San  Michele. — The  Cellular  and  Silent  Systems  long  prac 
tised  in  Rome. — The  Political  Prison  very  unlike  an  Italian  Dun- 
geon   224 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Asylum  and  Prison  of  the  Good  Shepherd. — Singular  Influence  of  the 
Nuns  over  the  Prisoners. — Model  Prison  of  Fossombrone. — The  Pope 
a  Prison  Reformer. — His  Advice  to  Bishop  "Wilson, 230 

CHAPTER  XXL 

Houses  of  Refuge. — Charitable  Associations  for  the  Defence  of  the 
Poor  and  the  Imprisoned. — Society  of  S.  Giovanni  Decollate. — Socie- 
ty della  Morte 24 1 

CHAPTER  XXIL 

Education  in  Rome. — The  Old  Calumny  against  the  Catholic  Church 
refuted  by  the  Educational  Institutions  of  Rome. — Its  Schools  more 
numerous  than  its  Fountains. — -Elementary  Education. — Gratuitous 
Education  originated  by  Ecclesiastics. — Religious  Orders  devoted  to 
the  Gratuitous  Education  of  the  Poor. — The  Brothers  of  the  Chris- 
tian Schools. — Their  admirable  System  of  Education 252 


CONTENTS.  XV11 

CHAPTER  XXIIL 

The  Roman  Night  Schools. — The  Deaf  and  Dumb. — Asylum  of  Tata 
Giovanni. — San  Michele,  a  School  of  Industry  and  Art.. . .Page  262 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Female  Education. — Ample  Provision  for  it. — Colleges  and  Seminaries — 
English  and  Irish  Colleges. — The  Propaganda. — The  Roman  College. — 
Educational  Statistics  of  Rome.— Its  high  Educational  Standard  275 


CHAPTER  XXV, 

Universities  in  the  Papal  States. — Their  Courses  and  Museums. — Valu- 
able Libraries. — Admission  gratuitous. — Elementary  Instruction. — 
Communal  Schools. — Number  of  Students  in  the  Universities. — The 
Church  not  afraid  of  the  Diffusion  of  Education. — Mr.  Macaulay 
quoted 288 

CHAPTER  XXVL 

Relief  of  the  Poor. — Poverty  not  treated  as  a  Crime. — Vagrancy  and 
Imposture  sternly  dealt  with  by  the  Popes, — Efforts  to  suppress  idle 
Mendicancy. — Modes  of  Relief. — Commission  of  Subsidies. — Charit- 
able Institutions.— Industrial  Relief. .,  .  295 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Dowries. — Monte  di  Pieta. — The  Roman  Savings  Bank. — Its  Origin,  its 
Operations,  and  its  Success. — Its  Deposits  a  Proof  of  increasing 
Prosperity 308 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Religious  Character  of  the  Roman  People. — Attendance  in  the  Churches. 
— Roman  Churches  not  merely  Local. — Attendance  at  the  Forty 
Hours'  Adoration. — Religious  Retreat  for  the  Poor. — Festivals  of  the 


.XV  ill        .  CONTENTS. 

"  Church. — The  Pope  at  San  Carlo. — The  Monastery  of  the  Passionists. 
—Church  of  St.  Clement— Church  of  St.  Isidore. Page  316 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

St.  Peter's. — Description  of  it  by  Gibbon  and  Byron. — My  own  Impres- 
sions.— Those  of  Eustace,  of  Forsyth,  Hilliard,  and  Madame  de  Stae'L 
The  Pope  at  the  Tomb  of  the  Apostles. — Ascent  of  the  Dome. — A 
Glance  into  the  Church. — Glorious  View  from  the  Top 330 

CHAPTER    XXX. 

The  Fine  Arts. — Why  they  are  specially  fostered  in  Rome. — The  Church 
their  uniform  Friend. — Pius  JX.  a  Liberal  Patron. — Discoveries  of 
Ancient  Painting. — Valuable  Restorations  of  Works  of  Modern  Art. 
— Churches  restored.  —  Church  of  St.  Agnes,  and  Church  of  St. 
Paul. 340 

CHAPTER  XXXL 

Pius  IX.  a  Preserver  of  the  Pagan  Antiquities  of  Rome, — The  Coliseum 
and  the  Popes. — Great  Repairs  effected  by  Pius  VII.  and  Pius  IX 
— Devotions  of  Friday  and  Sunday. — Visit  to  the  Coliseum  by  Moon- 
light.— Preservation  of  Pagan  Antiquities. — Sums  expended  on  Arts 
and  Antiquities. 350 

CHAPTER  XXXIL 

The  Catacombs. — Institution  of  the  Commission  of  Sacred  Archaeology 
by  the  Pope. — The  Catacombs  proved  to  be  the  Burying-places  of 
the  early  Christians. — Cardinal  Wiseman's  "Fabiola" 366 

CHAPTER  XXXIIL 

The  Papal  Government  not  opposed  to  Material  Progress. — Railways. — 
Reasons  why  they  have  not  hitherto  existed. — Four  principal  Lines 
in  progress  or  projected. — Gas. — The  Roman  Works. — Gas  first 


CONTENTS.  XIX 

started  in  Rome. — Electric  Telegraph,  its  "Use  and  Success. — Great 
Public  Works  inexpensively  conducted. — Utility  combined  with 
Charity.. Page  371 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

The  Pope  a  Commercial  Reformer. — Steady  Progress  towards  Free 
Trade.— We  should  not  judge  a  small  and  feeble  State  by  the  Stand- 
ard of  a  great  and  powerful  Empire. — Singular  Minuteness  and 
Accuracy  of  Roman  Statistics. — Material  Progress  stimulated  by 
Rewards. — Proportion  of  Priests  to  Laymen. — The  former  preferred 
to  the  latter.— The  Smallness  of  the  Salaries  of  Public  Officials  388 


CONCLUDING  CHAPTER. 

Summary  of  the  foregoing  Chapters. — The  Pope  ever  merciful. — Not  a 
single  Execution  for  a  purely  Political  Offence. — England  ought  not 
to  encourage  Anarchists. — Recent  Attempts  of  the  Mazzini  Party. — 
England  imitates  Russia  when  she  interferes  with  the  Independence 
of  small  States. — The  Pope's  recent  Tour  through  his  Dominions. — 
Its  Character  and  Objects  misrepresented. — Its  real  Purpose. — Lib- 
erality, Charity,  and  Clemency  of  the  Holy  Father. — The  Temporal 
Sovereignty  of  the  Popes. — Its  Importance  to  the  Dignity  of  the 
Papacy  and  Independence  of  the  Church 397 


APPENDIX. 

State  of  Education  in  Great  Britain 413 

How  Lunatics  are  treated  in  Scotland 421 

British  Administration  in  India 425 

Report  from  the  Count  De  Rayneval,  the  French  Envoy  at  Rome, 
to  the  French  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs 432 

The  Christian  Schools...  .450 


XX  CONTENTS. 

Measurement  of  the  Base  Line  for  a  Trigonometrical  Survey,  by  Father 
Secchi Page  462 

Poverty  in  London  treated  worse  than  Crime. 456 

English  Prisons  not  yet  perfect  Models 456 

Criminal  Statistics  of  the  Papal  States. 457 

The  Catacombs 461 

Extract  of  a  Letter  from  Naples 4*70 


ROME: 

ITS  RULER,  AND  ITS  INSTITUTIONS, 


CHAPTER  I. 

Introduction. — The  Pauline  Chapel. — The  Cardinals. — The  Pope. 

To  no  other  city  on  the  earth  does  the  stranger  direct 
his  steps  with  feelings  of  a  more  varied  character,  or 
with  a  livelier  anticipation  of  what  awaits  him  on  his 
entrance,  than  to  Rome.  No  doubt,  a  more  sacred  and 
solemn  awe  fills  his  mind,  and  bows  down  his  inmost 
soul,  as,  from  some  wild  path  amidst  the  mountains  of 
Judea,  he  catches  the  first  glimpse  of  the  towers  of 
Jerusalem — at  the  sight  of  whose  holy  walls  the  stern 
Crusader  burst  into  a  passion  of  tears,  and  smote  his 
mailed  breast  in  a  paroxysm  of  humility  and  sorrow. 
Jerusalem  is  a  place  of  one  great  and  all-absorbing 
interest,  being  the  theatre  of  that  sublime  sacrifice  by 
which  man's  redemption  was  accomplished ;  and  every 
nodding  tower  and  mouldering  pillar  of  that  once  proud 
city  is  sacred  in  the  eyes  of'  the  Christian  of  even 
ordinary  sensibility.  But  Rome,  while  abounding  in 
sources  of  that  deep  and  solemn  interest  which  Jerusa- 
1 


2  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

lem  inspires,  is  also  replete  with  attractions  of  a  totally 
different  kind,  and  offers  countless  objects  of  admira- 
tion, and  subjects  for  inquiry  and  reflection,  to  the 
scholar  and  man  of  taste,  the  antiquarian  and  the  phi- 
losopher. And  dull  must  be  the  mind  and  cold  the  heart 
of  him  who  does  not  experience  some  stir,  or  feel  some 
throb,  as  he  approaches  for  the  first  time-the  venerable 
walls,  and  passes  beneath  one  of  the  ancient  gateways, 
of  the  Eternal  City.  For  was  not  this  the  seat  and 
centre  of  that  universal  empire,  which  embraced  within 
its  circle  the  remotest  boundaries  of  the  known  earth  ? 
— was  not  this  the  proud  capital  of  that  haughty  race 
whose  banners  glistened  and  whose  arms  triumphed  in 
every  clime,  and  whose  laws  were  reverenced  as  well 
by  civilized  nations  as  by  savage  tribes  ? — was  not  this 
the  instructress  as  well  as  the  conqueror  of  mankind  ? 

It  is  the  Rome,  too,  of  a  wider  dominion  and  a  more 
glorious  rule  than  that  of  the  greatest  of  the  Caesars. 

If  Rome  were  not  the  birthplace  of  Christianity,  it 
was  its  nursing  mother.  It  was  the  seat  of  the  Apos- 
tles ;  the  theatre  of  their  trials,  their  sufferings,  and 
their  glory.  One  beholds,  passing  before  him,  as  it 
were  visibly  to  the  sight,  the  long  centuries  of  that 
momentous  war  waged  between  truth  and  error,  be- 
tween the  powers  of  light  and  darkness.  And,  in  spite 
of  the  vulgar  dwellings,  inelegant  and  mean,  that  sur- 
round him  as  he  stands  within  the  walls  of  modern 
Rome,  he  witnesses,  in'  imagination,  the  solemn  rites 
and  splendid  worship  of  that  polished  and  attractive 
system  of  Polytheism,  which,  though  despised  by  the 


INTKODUCTION.  3 

enlightened,  and  scoffed  at  by  the  philosophers,  still 
appealed,  and  not  in  vain,  to  the  passions  of  a  degene- 
rate people,  through  its  deification  of  the  weaknesses 
and  vices  of  human  nature, — that  claimed,  as  yet,  the 
allegiance  of  a  populace  so  long  accustomed  to  its 
pomp  and  splendour,  and  whose  temples  and  shrines 
rose  on  every  side,  in  all  the  magnificence,  of  their 
costly  material,  and  the  more  inestimable  beauty  of 
their  design  and  execution.  He  beholds,  also,  the  in- 
fant Church  of  the  True  Faith  hiding  its  timid  head 
beneath  the  very  highway  over  which  the  scornful 
polytheist  strode, — crouching  in  cell,  and  crypt,  and 
dark  and  tortuous  labyrinth — and,  when  venturing 
above  the  earth,  its  asylum  and  its  refuge,  appearing 
wicked  and  infamous  to  the  Roman  gaze,  spite  of  the 
courage  and  fortitude  of  its  apostles  and  its  martyrs. 
He  beholds  this  patient,  fearless  spouse  of  Christ  weep- 
ing tears  of  blood,  as, 

"Butchered  to  make  a  Roman  holiday," 

her  children  are  torn  by  the  jaws  of  ravening  beasts, 
consumed  by  fire,  or  fall  beneath  the  more  merciful 
sword.  He  sees  the  red  soil  of  the  amphitheatre  gradu- 
ally losing  its  hue  of  carnage,  and  blooming  with 
mysterious  beauty,  as  there  steals  into  the  hearts  of 
the  thoughtful  and  the  good  a  conviction  of  the  purity 
of  the  Nazarene's  faith — which,  to  the  wonder  of  the 
scorner  and  the  scoffer,  imparts  strength  to  tottering 
age,  fortitude  to  tender  youth,  and  the  courage  of  the 
hero  to  the  feeble  virgin.  He  beholds  how  the  statues 


4  ROME  AND   ITS  RULER. 

and  images  of  the  gods,  so  long  the  worshipped  of 
the  masters  of  the  world,  identified  with  the  triumphs 
and  the  glory  of  a  mighty  race,  were,  at  first,  care- 
lessly regarded,  next  despised,  then  detested, — how 
the  crushed  and  trampled  Church  of  the  Catacombs 
emerged  from  the  darkness  to  the  light  of  day,  no 
longer  loathed  and  execrated  as  the  foe  of  humanity, 
arid  the  teacher  of  all  wickedness ;  but  hailed  with  en- 
thusiasm by  a  softened  people,  and  protected  by  the 
authority,  but  still  more  by  the  devotion,  of  princes 
and  rulers, — and  how,  at  length,  and  after  long  ages 
of  persecution  and  of  obloquy,  the  Cross  rose  above 
the  temple  and  the  shrine,  to  be  hailed  from  thence 
forward,  and  through  regions  unknown  to  the  arms 
or  philosophy  of  Rome,  as  the  symbol  of  man's  sal- 
vation. 

And  here  grew  into  maturity  a  power  and  a  sove- 
reignty greater  than  that  of  the  Caesars — the  power  of 
the  Papacy,  and  the  sovereignty  of  the  Church.  Bap- 
tized in  blood,  and  cradled  in  adversity,  the  Papacy 
grew  into  strength,  the  citadel  and  the  stronghold  of 
the  Faith.  From  the  modest  throne  of  the  first  rulers 
of  the  Church  to  the  tribunal  of  the  tyrant,  there  was, 
for  centuries,  but  a  step ;  and  from  thence  to  the  stake 
and  the  scaffold,  the  road  was  but  too  well  defined  by 
the  bloody  footprints  of  their  heroic  predecessors. 
"Wave  after  wave  broke  in  fury  against  the  rock  on 
which  God  placed  His  Church.  Now  heresy  assailed 
her ;  now  schism  sought  to  rend  her  asunder ;  now  it 
was  the  rude  and  warlike  savage  from  the  forests  of 


INTRODUCTION.  5 

Germany  that  menaced  her ;  and  now  it  was  the  fierce 
and  frantic  Arab  that,  bursting  with  flaming  scimitar 
upon  the  countries  which,  once  provinces  of  Rome,  had 
yielded  a  willing  allegiance  to  the  spiritual  supremacy 
of  the  Popes,  ravaged  the  very  shrines  and  altars  of  the 
Apostles.  But,  watched  over  by  God's  providence,  we 
behold  the  enemies  of  the  Church  become  her  friends, 
her  assailants  her  protectors,  her  haughty  revilers  her 
humble  and  submissive  children ;  till  we  see  her  striking 
her  foundations  deeper  and  deeper  into  the  hearts  of 
nations,  and  extending  her  beneficent  dominion  wider 
and  wider  over  the  face  .of  the  earth. 

Then  the  chief  events  in  the  history  of  the  Papacy, 
from  the  days  of  Charlemagne  to  those  of  Napoleon, 
pass  before  the  mind  in  all  their  brilliant  or  gloomy 
colouring,  as  peace  presided  over  the  halls  of  the  Vat- 
ican, or  evil  men  sought  the  ruin  of  the  successors  of 
Peter.  And  there  stand  out  from  the  shadowy  back- 
ground the  striking  figures  of  such  illustrious  Popes  as 
Gregory  the  Great,  Julius  the  Second,  Leo  the  Tenth, 
Sixtus  the  Fifth,  and  those  later  Popes,  Pins  the  Sixth 
and  Pius  the  Seventh,  whose  sorrows  and  sufferings 
but  added  increased  splendour  to  their  virtues. 

All  kinds  of  associations,  Pagan  and  Christian, 
crowded  in  confusion  upon  my  excited  memory,  as  I 
entered  Rome,  for  the  first  time,  on  the  morning  of  the 
31st  of  October,  1856,  the  vigil  of  the  great  festival  of 
All  Saints.  My  great  desire,  paramount  to  all  others — 
whether  the  gratification  of  curiosity  or  .of  taste — was 
that  of  seeing  with  my  own  eyes  things  of  which  I 


6  EOME  AND  ITS  KULEE. 

had,  and  I  say  it  not  without  shame,  imperfect,  if  not 
altogether  erroneous  notions. 

This  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  when  it  is  considered 
that  the  sources  of  information  respecting  all  matters 
Roman  are  tainted  at  the  very  source;  and  that  the 
great  body  of  the  Catholics  of  these  countries  gener- 
ally depend,  certainly  have  hitherto  almost  exclusively 
depended,  upon  Protestant  writers  for  what  little  they 
know  of  the  Pope,  and  of  his  venerable  capital. 

For  instance,  judge  the  Pope  by  the  prevailing  belief 
of  Protestant  England,  derived  from  the  representations 
of  its  press,  its  platform,  or  its  pulpit ;  and  one  beholds 
in  him  a  combination  of  the  temporal  despot,  and  the 
spiritual  impostor,  at  once  the  scourge  of  an  afflicted 
people,  and  the  arch-priest  of  Satan.  Protestant  credu- 
lity regards  him  as  one  whose  mission  and  policy  it  is  to 
enslave  alike  the  bodies  and  the  souls  of  men,  by  fetter- 
ing their  civil  liberty  with  tyrannous  restrictions,  and 
darkening  and  stunting  their  intellect  by  the  denial  of 
a  liberal  education.  In  their  profound  ignorance  of  the 
truth,  many,  even  fair-minded  and  in  all  other  respects 
enlightened  people,  look  upon  the  Holy  Father — even 
the  gentle  and  merciful  Pius — not  merely  as  the  stern 
oppressor  of  his  own  hapless  subjects,  but  the  cause  of 
every  evil  which  afflicts  the  various  nations  into  which 
Italy  is  divided.  In  their  eyes,  it  is  the  Yatican  which 
casts  its  baleful  shadow  over  the  fair  face  of  the  Italian 
Peninsula,  and  shuts  out  from  that  beauteous  land  and 
its  gifted  races  the  light  and  warmth  of  national  free- 
dom. Nay,  why  should  not  this  be  so,  when  the  great 


INTRODUCTION.  7 

object  of  the  tyrant  and  impostor,  who  sitteth  on  the 
Seven  Hills  of  the  modern  Babylon,  is,  according  to  the 
ravings  of  the  fanatic  enemies  of  the  Church,  to  trample 
upon  the  liberties  of  all  free  countries,  and  make  of 
kings  and  princes  his  footstools?  The  ambition  of 
Home,  say  they,  never  sleeps ;  it  is  as  dangerous  now 
as  in  the  days  when  its  thunders  hurled  monarchs  from 
their  thrones,  and  brought  the  haughtiest  warriors  as 
suppliants  to  its  feet.  E"or  was  it  a  Julius  or  a  Sixtus 
that  was  alone  to  be  dreaded ;  for  did  not  a  Barbarossa 
meekly  hold  the  stirrup  of  the  mule  on  which  an  Alex- 
ander, then  a  weak  and  infirm  old  man,  rode  through 
the  streets  of  Venice  ?  Those  who  read  the  history  of 
the  dark  and  middle  ages  with  calm  and  unimpassioned 
judgment,  and  are  not  swayed  by  bigotry,  or  bewildered 
by  mere  names,  must  recognize  the  advantages,  to  the 
peace  of  nations  and  the  progress  of  civilization,  which 
had  been  conferred  by  this  very  influence.  But  that 
power,  so  often  omnipotent  for  good,  in  those  dark  and 
troublous  times,  when  might  was  right,  and  laws  were 
far  more  often  written  in  blood  than  ink,  is  now  a 
thing  of  the  past;  being  in  latter  years,  when  every 
country  has  its  own  well-ordered  system  of  govern- 
ment, and  when  a  well-defined  compact  exists  between 
nations,  by  which  the  weak  are  protected  from  the  ag- 
gression of  the  strong,  as  unnecessary  as  its  existence  is 
imaginary. 

It  will  be  my  grateful  task  to  exhibit  to  the  reader  a 
portraiture,  feeble  it  may  be  in  its  execution,  but  faith- 
ful in  intention,  of  a  modern  Pope — whose  whole  life 


8  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

approaches  nearer  to  the  Divine  model  than  that  of  any 
living  man.  And  this  I  shall  endeavour  to  do  in  a  sub- 
sequent place. 

To  behold  Pius  IX.  was  my  most  anxious  desire — 
which  I  soon  took  occasion  to  gratify ;  for  I  was  not 
many  hours  in  Rome  before  I  formed  one  of  a  consider- 
able number  of  persons,  mostly  strangers  from  various 
countries  of  Europe,  mixed  up  with  ecclesiastics  of  dif- 
ferent nations  and  orders,  and  students  of  the  principal 
Roman  Colleges,  that  were  assembled  in  the  great  hall 
opening  into  the  Pauline  Chapel,  the  Popes  private 
chapel  in  his  palace  of  the  Quirinal.  No  sooner  were 
the  folding-doors  flung  open  by  the  officers  on  duty, 
than,  with  an  eagerness  which  nearly  degenerated  into 
a  rush,  the  well-dressed  crowd  possessed  themselves  of 
every  vacant  place. 

It  was  curious  to  note  the  manner  and  bearing  of  the 
lay  portion  of  the  strange  congregation  thus  gathered 
together  from  almost  every  principal  nation  of  the 
world.  Generally  speaking,  it  was  respectful,  and  even 
pious ;  but  in  not  a  few  instances  curiosity  was  evidently 
combined  with  a  supercilious  contempt  "for  the  whole 
thing."  The  French,  Spaniards,  Austrians,  and  Italians, 
were  grave  and  collected,  and  so  were  several  of  the 
English  ;  but  some  of  the  latter  evidently  went  to  the 
Pope's  Chapel  as  they  had  gone  the  previous  night  to 
the  Opera,  to  hear  the  music,  or  to  "  do "  it,  as  they 
would  the  Coliseum,  or  the  Baths  of  Caracalla.  I  have 
a  lively  remembrance  of  the  remarks  of  one  young  and 
well-dressed  Englishman,  who  combined  in  an  extraor- 


THE   PAULINE   CHAPEL.  9 

dinary  degree,  ignorance,  irreverence,  and  comicality; 
and  of  the  singular  patience  of  the  intelligent  and 
courteous  ecclesiastic  from  whom  he  sought  informa- 
tion, or  to  whom  he  freely  imparted  his  own  views  and 
opinions  of  what  he  beheld.  But  none  so  devout  and 
so  collected  as  the  English  convert,  whose  identity  one 
might  discern  at  a  glance.  While  others  held,  or  used, 
an  opera-glass,  he  was  engaged  in  his  missal,  or  ab- 
sorbed in  his  devotions. 

Novelty  as  well  as  picturesqueness  were  imparted  to 
the  groups  around  me  by  the  variety  of  the  costume  and 
appearance  of  students  of  different  colleges,  monks  and 
friars  of  different  orders,  and  priests  of  different  coun- 
tries and  races.  The  greater  number  of  the  ecclesiastics 
had  their  hair  closely  cut,  and  the  face  and  chin  scrupu- 
lously shaven;  while  others  rejoiced  in  beards  of  patri- 
archal grandeur,  descending  even  to  the  breast.  Some 
were  clad  in  the  graceful  black  and  white  robes  of  the 
Dominican,  some  in  the  black  dress  of  the  Jesuit,  some 
in  the  dark  frock  and  embroidered  emblems  of  the 
Passionist,  and  others  in  the  coarse  brown  woollen  garb 
of  the  Franciscan.  Skin  of  every  hue,  eyes  of  every 
form  and  colour,  features  of  every  variety,  marked, 
even  to  the  most  careless  observer,  striking  distinctions 
of  country,  clime,  and  race,  and  illustrated  the  univer- 
sality of  that  Church  which  has  endured  for  nearly  two 
thousand  years,  and  of  which  Rome  is  the  seat  and 
centre,  as  it  was  the  great  nursing  mother.  Look  at 
these  students,  and  you  will  behold  how  the  youth  of 
Asia  and  Africa,  as  in  the  early  ages  of  Christianity, 


10  HOME  AND   ITS   KULEK. 

come  to  learn  the  great  truths  of  religion  from  the  teacher 
of  all  nations ;  and  how  the  Greek,  whose  ancestors 
gave  to  Rome  her  arts  and  her  philosophy,  is  now  clad 
in  the  academic  costume  of  that  most  celebrated  of 
Roman  Colleges,  the  Propaganda.  And  though  speak- 
ing the  same  language,  their  marked  variety  of  accent 
betrays  the  respective  countries  which  have  sent  these 
youths  of  fairer  complexion  and  of  larger  stature ;  and 
proves  that  England  and  Scotland,  as  well  as  Ireland, 
are  still  indebted  to  the  liberality  of  Rome  for  the 
training  of  a  portion  of  their  Priests. 

On  this  day,  as  on  the  next  morning,  and  on  several 
subsequent  occasions,  I  had  the  good  fortune  to  occupy 
a  position  which  afforded  me  an  opportunity  of  making 
myself  acquainted  wTith  the  personal  appearance  of  the 
Cardinals,  who,  with  the  exception  of  those  immediately 
in  attendance  on  the  Pope,  took  their  respective  places 
some  time  previous  to  the  commencement  of  the  cere- 
monies. And  taking  them  all,  as  they  sat  in  dignified 
composure,  the  greater  number  of  them  absorbed  in 
meditation,  or  devoutly  reading  their  breviaries,  a  more 
imposing  and  venerable-looking  body  of  men,  or  a 
nobler  collection  of  intellectual  heads,  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  imagine.  Let  me  particularize  a  few  of  them. 

That  tall  white-haired  old  man,  who  combines  the 
apostolic  sweetness  of  the  late  Archbishop  Murray  with 
the  patriarchal  dignity  of  the  late  venerable  Dr.  Egan, 
Catholic  Bishop  of  Kerry,  is  Cardinal  Tosti,  for  many 
years  past  the  accomplished  and  liberal  protector  of 
that  noblest  of  Roman  institutions,  the  Ospizio  of  San 


THE   CARDINALS.  11 

Michele.  A  single  anecdote  will  best  describe  the 
man. 

When  the  Pope  and  Cardinals  had  left  Rome,  after 
the  assassination  of  Count  Rossi,  and  the  attack  on  the 
Quirinal,  Cardinal  Tosti  remained  at  his  post  at  San 
Michele.  Several  of  the  revolutionists  paid  him  a  visit, 
to  congratulate  him  on  his  courage  and  devotion. 

"  Sirs,  I  refuse  your  praise,"  was  his  answer :  "  I  am 
no  more  afraid  of  you  than  were  any  of  my  colleagues 
who  are  gone  away.  It  was  through  love  and  obedience 
to  the  Holy  Father  that  they  followed  him  into  exile. 
The  same  motives  prevent  my  leaving  this  establish- 
ment ;  for  he  has  desired  me  not  to  abandon  so  many 
unfortunate  persons  sheltered  here.  Besides,  I  am  a 
Roman,  and  you  are  not.  I  shall  remain  at  Rome 
without  fear.  If  you  give  me  a  blow  of  a  stiletto,  it 
will  only  shorten  my  life  two  or  three  years,  for  I  am 
already  seventy-two." 

This  was  in  1848  ;  since  when  many  additional  years 
have  rolled  over  that  noble  head,  without  dimming  the 
fire  of  the  eye  that  speaks  of  the  bright  intellect  within. 

On  the  same  bench  sits  the  Capuchin  Cardinal ;  and 
only  that  the  face  is  not  so  full  of  colour,  nor  the  eye 
so  keen,  you  might  fancy  that  the  Cardinal  with  the 
sweeping  grey  beard  and  the  brown ,  habit,  now  so 
absorbed  in  mental  prayer,  was  Julius  the  Second, 
who  had  just  walked  out  of  the  immortal  canvas  of 
Raphael.  He  was  the  Pope's  confessor,  is  Superior 
of  the  Capuchins,  and  was  made  Cardinal  a  year  or 
two  ago.  When  the  Pope  was  at  Gaeta,  this  venerable 


12  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

old  man,  not  to  compromise  others,  put  up  the  Pope's 
decrees  upon  St.  Peter's  with  his  own  hand. 

The  Dominican,  in  the  white  robes  of  his  illustrious 
order,  is  Cardinal  Gaudi,  of  most  agreeable  countenance 
and  active  carriage,  and  whose  graceful  and  kindly 
manners,  as  I  afterwards  had  a  personal  opportunity  of 
knowing,  harmonized  with  his  attractive  appearance. 
It  is  not  long  since  that  he  came  to  Koine  from  Pied- 
mont, where  his  abilities  as  professor  had  given  him 
great  distinction.  The  Pope  lately  raised  him  from  the 
rank  of  simple  priest  to  that  of  Cardinal. 

On  the  same  bench,  and  very  near  to  where  I  stood, 
sat  Cardinal  Barnabo,  Prefect  of  the  Propaganda,  with 
whose  name  the  Catholics  of  the  United  Kingdom  have 
been  familiar  of  late.  With  head  solid  and  compact, 
eye  sharp  and  keen,  gesture  lively  and  active,  the  Pre- 
fect of  the  Propaganda  looked  to  be,  what  he  is,  in  the 
fullest  vigour  of  his  faculties,  of  body  as  of  mind. 

That  dark,  little  man,  whose  face,  thoroughly  Italian, 
has  an  expression  of  such  religious  goodness,  is  Cardinal 
Altieri.  He  is  a  prince  by  birth,  and  has  held  many 
offices  in  the  State. 

Cardinal  Picoluomini,  the  relative  of  the  new  queen 
of  the  lyric  stage,  whose  high  spirit  is  fully  equal  to  her 
musical  and  dramatic  genius,  is  that  heavy,  feeble  man, 
of  large  frame,  massive  head  and  dark  countenance, 
who  limps  with  difficulty  to  his  seat. 

Then  besides  Cardinal  Reisach,  whose  fair  and  florid 
complexion  denotes  his  German  origin,  there  are  Car- 
dinals Barberini  and  Medici ;  the  latter  about  the  fines1; 


THE  CARDINALS.  13 

type  of  the  Italian  that  could  well  be  imagined,  and 
whose  marked  and  striking  profile  seemed  especially 
suited  for  a  medal  or  a  coin. 

A  whisper  is  circulated — "  Here  is  Antonelli ;"  and 
a  visible  stir  may  be  observed  as  the  celebrated  Car- 
dinal Secretary  of  State,  and  Prime  Minister  of  the 
Government  of  Pius  IX.,  makes  his  appearance. 
That  sallow,  intensely  Italian  face ;  those  great  black 
eyes,  never  at  rest ;  those  parted  lips,  that  show  the 
glittering  teeth ;  the  jet-black  hair;  the  worn  yet  de- 
fiant look,  so  full  of  intelligence,  power,  and  pride,  can 
belong  to  none  but  Antonelli.  His  very  walk  is  a 
kind  of  stride,  that  speaks,  as  it  were,  of  the  super- 
abundant energy  of  one  of  the  most  remarkable  men  of 
the  day — a  man  relied  on  by  many  as  a  minister  of 
high  courage,  and  eminent  ability,  but  dreaded  and  de- 
tested by  the  revolutionary  party. 

Cardinal  Ferretti,  Grand  Penitentiary,  whose  benign 
expression  well  accords  with  his  gray  hairs,  is  also 
amongst  the  remarkable  personages  of  the  Papal  Court. 
This  distinguished  Cardinal  is  the  cousin  of  the  Pope, 
and  was  his  prime  minister  previous  to  the  revolution. 
He  is  simple  in  his  habits,  saintly  in  his  life,  and  emi- 
nent for  his  apostolic  zeal.  When  Cardinal  Bishop  of 
Rieti,  it  happened  that  robbers  broke  into  one  of  the 
churches  of  that  city,  and  stole  from  thence  the  pyx, 
adding  to  the  guilt  of  their  sacrilege  by  carrying  off  its 
sacred  contents.  Upon  being  apprised  of  this  abom- 
inable outrage,  the  Cardinal,  accompanied  by  his  cler- 
gy, walked  through  the  streets  with  feet  bare,  and 


14  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

ropes  round  their  necks,  and  thus  proceeded  in  peni- 
tential procession  to  the  market-place,  where  he  de- 
livered a  most  moving  discourse  on  the  affecting  text — 
"  They  say  to  her :  Woman,  why  weepest  thou  f  She 
saith  to  them :  Because  they  have  taken  away  my  Lord  : 
and  I  know  not  where  they  have  laid  him" — John,  xx. 
13.  The  pyx  was  restored  that  night,  its  sacred  con- 
tents untouched. 

Another  face,  eminently  Italian,  attracted  my  atten- 
tion. It  was  full  of  intelligence  and  animation,  and 
good  and  kindly  in  its  expression.  It  was  that  pf  the  Sub- 
stitute Secretary  of  State,  Monsignor  Berardi,  a  man  of 
considerable  ability  and  excellent  administrative  talent, 
who  understands  several  European  languages,  and  is 
thoroughly  conversant  with  the  social  and  political  con- 
ditions of  most  countries. 

And  on  this,  as  on  subsequent  occasions,  I  recognized 
with  pleasure  the  fair  and  familiar  countenance  of  Mon- 
signor Talbot,  whom  the  Catholics  of  London  may  well 
remember  for  the  unaffected  piety  and  untiring  zeal  with 
which  he  discharged  the  laborious  duti'es  of  one  of  the 
most  important  of  its  missions ;  and  who  is  known  to 
the  "  English"  strangers  in  Rome  as  one  of  the  most 
obliging  and  courteous  of  their  countrymen.  And  his 
confidential  position  in  the  Papal  Court,  as  one  of  the 
four  principal  chamberlains  of  his  Holiness,  affords  him 
many  opportunities  of  rendering  them  valuable  and 
timely  service. 

A  hush  now  suddenly  falls  on  the  assembly,  awing 
into  silence  the  whispered  comments  of  the  strangers, 


THE   POPE.  15 

who  seek  for  information  of  the  obliging  ecclesiastics 
that  surround  them ;  for  the  Pope  is  about  to  enter. 
From  the  door  at  the  left-hand  side  of  the  altar — in 
itself  most  simple  in  its  decoration — there  issues  forth 
a  varied  and  brilliant  procession  of  the  Prelates  and 
Princes  of  the  Church,  in  the  midst  of  whom  appears 
the  imposing  person  and  sweet  and  engaging  coun- 
tenance of  Pius  the  Ninth,  who  is  conducted  by  at- 
tendant dignitaries  to  the  throne  at  the  right,  or  Gospel 
side.  To  me,  as  indeed  to  every  stranger  present,  the 
Pope  was  the  great  object  of  attraction — his  every  look 
and  gesture  being  fraught  with  interest,  even  to  the 
unbeliever  and  the  scoffer — but  how  far  deeper  to  the 
Catholic  worshipper  from  a  distant  land,  who  recognized 
in  the  mild  and  noble  figure  before  him  the  venerable 
head  of  his  Church,  the  spiritual  sovereign  of  the 
greater  portion  of  the  Christian  world,  whose  authority 
is  affectionately  acknowledged  and  willingly  obeyed  in 
every  country  upon  which  the  sun  shines. 

The  features  of  Pius  IX.  have  been  for  many  years 
familiar  to  the  people  of  most  countries,  through  por- 
trait and  bust;  and  are  more  remarkable  for  gentle- 
ness, mildness,  benevolence,  and  a  rare  sweetness  of 
expression,  than  for  any  other  quality  or  character. 
A  face  more  calculated  to  win  confidence  and  inspire 
affection  I  have  never  seen.  One  smile  from  that 
tender  mouth,  one  soft  beam  from  those  mild  blue 
eyes,  and  even  men  would  come  as  children  to  his 
knee.  Though  the  very  opposite  of  those  stern  and 
haughty  Pontiffs  which  the  Protestant  imagination  may 


16  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

picture  to  itself,  as  it  thinks  of  a  Hildebrand  or  a  Ju- 
lius, I  could  not  conceive  a  manner  or  a  bearing  more 
full  of  true  dignity  than  that  of  the  Holy  Father,  as  he 
sat  enthroned  amidst  the  Princes  of  the  Church,  or 
rose  to  intone  the  vespers — which  he  did  with  a  musical 
and  sonorous  voice — or  to  impart  the  apostolic  bene^ 
diction.  I  have  elsewhere  seen  many  pious  priests  in 
the  performance  of  their  sacred  functions;  but  never 
before  did  I  behold  a  countenance  more  expressive  of 
profound  piety,  or  so  illumined  with  that  heavenly 
brightness  which  outwardly  manifests  the  working  of 
the  spirit  within.  It  seemed,  as  it  were,  suffused  with 
a  light  from  above.  Heart  and  mind  and  soul  appeared 
to  be  absorbed,  as  they  really  were,  in  the  ceremonies 
in  which  he  assisted ;  and  not  for  a  second's  space  did 
his  attention  wander  from  his  devotions.  He  com- 
muned as  truly  with  his  God,  in  the  midst  of  that 
splendid  crowd,  and  with  hundreds  of  eager  eyes  riveted 
upon  him,  as  if  he  were  kneeling  in  his  private  chamber, 
and  asking  for  another  day  of  strength  to  meet  the 
difficulties  of  his  exalted  but  perilous  position.  I  do 
not  write  this  as  the  result  of  a  single  impression,  but 
of  one  which  several  other  opportunities  only  tended 
to  confirm  the  more  strongly.  For  on  some  seven  or 
eight  subsequent  occasions  I  had  the  good  fortune  to 
be  present  when  the  Pope  assisted  in  person  at  various 
ceremonies  of  the  Church,  more  or  less  grand  and  im- 
pressive ;  and  on  each  occasion  I  was  struck  by  the 
same  rapt  piety,  the  same  devout  abstraction,  the  same 


THE   POPE.  17 

beautiful  expression  of  that  holiness  which  irradiates 
the  human  face  as  with  beams  of  celestial  light. 

The  most  prejudiced  person  who  beholds  the  Holy 
Father  engaged  in  any  act  of  devotion,  must  give 
him  credit  for  genuine  piety ;  but  the  stranger  who 
is  accustomed  to  regard  everything  Catholic  with  dis- 
trust, if  not  with  aversion,  compensates  himself  for 
his  involuntary  admiration  of  the  bearing  of  the  Pope, 
by  a  belief  in  his  bigotry  as  a  priest,  and  his  despotic 
tendencies  as  a  politician  and  a  sovereign.  Even  Cath- 
olics of  these  countries,  forgetting  or  overlooking  the 
events  which  rendered  the  first  years  of  the  Pontificate 
of  Pius  IX.  so  full  of  profound  and  startling  interest, 
not  unfrequently  fall  into  strange  errors  with  respect 
to  his  character  and  career  as  a  temporal  ruler.  It  is 
well,  on  this  account,  that  a  brief  history  of  those 
events  in  which  Pius  IX.  bore  so  prominent  a  part, 
should  form  a  portion  of  a  volume  which  is  chiefly 
written  with  the  intention  of  encountering  unjust  pre- 
judice, and  removing  injurious  misconception. 

Let  us  therefore  follow  this  good  and  holy  man 
throughout  his  whole  career,  in  every  stage  of  his  life, 
from  the  hour  when,  as  a  boy,  he  first  quitted  the  side 
of  his  affectionate  and  pious  mother,  to  the  moment 
when,  in  the  ripe  maturity  of  manhood,  we  at  length 
behold  him  clothed  with  the  highest  earthly  authority, 
and  offering  up  to  God,  as  a  willing  sacrifice,  the  sor- 
rows and  afflictions  of  a  loving  but  lacerated  human 
heart. 


IS  ROME  AND   ITS   RULER. 


CHAPTER   II. 

The  Pope :  his  Birth  and  Education. — He  studies  for  the  Ministry. — His 
Malady  cured. — His  First  Mass. — Goes  to  Chili. — Instance  of  his 
Charity  to  an  English  Officer. — Returns  to  Rome. — Is  created  Arch- 
bishop of  Spoleto. — Difficulties  of  his  Position. — Appointed  Cardinal 
Bishop  of  Imola. — His  charitable  and  pious  Woi^ks. — Is  elected  Pope. 

GIOVANNI  MAEIA  MASTAI  FEKEETTI  was  born  in  Sini- 
gaglia  on  the  13th  of  May,  1792,  of  the  Count  Jerome 
and  the  Countess  Catherine  Solazzi  of  the  same  city. 
In  1803,  being  then  in  his  eleventh  year,  he  was 
placed  by  his  parents  in  the  college  of  a  religious  body 
called  Scolopii,  at  Yblterra,  which  was  then  justly  cele- 
brated for  its  course  of  studies,  and  the  wise  system 
of  instruction  pursued  by  its  gifted  conductors.  The 
noble  aspect  of  the  youth,  the  sweetness  of  his  dispo- 
sition combined  with  the  firmness  of  his  character,  the 
vivacity  and  liveliness  of  his  discourse,  as  well  as  the 
talent  which  he  displayed,  soon  gained  for  him,  the 
love  and  esteem,  not  only  of  his  companions,  but  also 
of  his  masters.  He  was  so  distinguished  in  his  studies, 
that,  on  the  occasion  of  the  aunt  of  the  present  Em- 
peror of  France,  Eloise  Baciocchi,  then  Queen  of 
Etruria,  visiting  Yolterra,  and  being  received  by  its 
students,  he  was  selected  to  preside  at  what  is  termed 
"  an  academy  in  verse,"  which  was  given  in  her 
honour,  and  in  the  name  of  his  fellow-collegians. 

In  1808,  while  yet  pursuing  his,   collegiate  course, 


STUDIES  FOR  THE   MINISTRY.  19 

he  was  seized  with  violent  fits  of  epilepsy.  Never- 
theless, in  the  following  year,  and  in  accordance  with 
the  desire  of  his  pious  mother,  he  received  the  first 
tonsure  at  the  hands  of  Monsignor  Tecontie,  the  bishop 
of  Yolterra ;  and  in  the  October  of  the  same  year  he 
hastened  to  Rome  to  complete  his  ecclesiastical  studies. 

This  was  to  him  the  more  pleasing,  as  his  mother's 
wishes  were  wholly  in  accordance  with  his  own  aspira- 
tions, which  ever  tended  to  the  ecclesiastical  state ; 
whilst  he  was  also  aware  that  nowhere  as  in  Rome  can 
those  studies  and  those  preparations,  which  train  the 
mind  and  heart  for  the  sacred  duties  of  the  priesthood, 
be  so  well  attended  to  and  completed. 

In  the  Capital  he  lived  with  his  uncle,  a  canon  of 
the  Vatican  Basilica ;  but  the  latter  being  obliged  to 
fly  from  Rome,  in  consequence  of  the  sad  events  which 
shortly  afterwards  ensued,  the  young  Mastai  also,  in 
1810,  retired  from  that  city.  In  1812,  on  account  of 
his  distinguished  birth,  he  was  summoned  to  join  the 
guard  of -honour  in  Milan  ;  but  an  exemption  was  ac- 
corded him  because  of  the  distressing  disease  to  which 
he  was  then  subject.  From  this  simple  fact  seems  to 
have  been  derived  the  report,  which  has  been  so 
currently  received,  but  which  is  devoid  of  all  reality, 
that  Count  Mastai  presented  himself  to  Pius  VII.  in 
Rome,  with  the  intention  of  embracing  a  military  life, 
and  solicited  admission  to  the  ranks  of  the  Noble 
Guard.  In  truth,  Mastai  never  adopted  the  military 
profession,  nor  did  his  disposition  prompt  him  to  such 
a  career. 


20  EOME  AND   ITS  RULER. 

He  continued  in  his  native  city  till  the  return  of 
Pius  YII.  to  his  States.  "When  that  sorrow-stricken 
Pontiff  passed  through  Sinigaglia,  Mastai  had  the 
honour  of  being  presented  to  him,  and  soon  after 
hastened  once  more  to  Home,  where  he  witnessed,  in 
May,  1814,  the  enthusiastic  reception  given  by  the 
citizens  to  the  Holy  Father  in  the  Piazza  del  Popolo. 
The  Ecclesiastical  Academy  having  been  reopened, 
Mastai  attended  its  schools,  but  as  a  layman,  the  dis- 
ease with  which  he  was  still  affected  preventing  his 
aspiring  to  sacred  orders.  But  God,  who  intended 
him  for  the  ministry,  inspired  him,  by  inward  impulse, 
not  to  despair  of  attaining  that  ardently  desired  state  ; 
and,  reassuming  the  ecclesiastical  dress,  he  commenced 
soon  after  his  theological  studies,  under  the  direction 
of  the  distinguished  Professor  Joseph  Graziosi.  The 
attacks  of  his  malady  becoming  less  violent,  though 
still  of  occasional  recurrence,  he  was  admitted  to  minor 
orders. 

In  1818,  Monsignor  Odescalchi,  who  afterwards  laid 
aside  the  purple,  to  become  a  member  of  the  order  of 
Saint  Ignatius,  and  was  then  a  Prelate  of  the  Court, 
invited  him  to  take  part  in  a  mission  which  was  about 
being  given  in  his  native  province  of  Sinigaglia. 
Through  the  anxious  solicitude  of  the  Pontiff,  after  his 
return  to  Rome,  bands  of  zealous  missionaries  were 
everywhere  scattered  throughout  the  provinces,  to  re- 
awaken the  spirit  of  religion,  which  was  well-nigh  ex- 
tinct in  the  breasts  of  the  people,  in  consequence  of  the 
disorder  which  had  so  long  and  so  universally  prevailed. 


HIS  MALADY  CURED.  21 

In  this  mission  to  Sinigaglia,  together  with  the  above- 
mentioned  Prelate,  was  engaged  the  Bishop  of  Macce- 
rata,  Monsignor  Strambi,  whose  cause  for  beatification 
is  now  being  proceeded  with.  Mastai,  inasmuch  as  his 
ecclesiastical  orders  allowed  him,  engaged  in  the  mis- 
sion with  singular  zeal,  and  with  the  most  happy  results ; 
and  returning  to  Kome,  much  improved  in  health,  he 
asked  for  and  obtained  a  dispensation  to  be  promoted  to 
the  holy  orders  of  sub-deacon  and  deacon,  and  was  or- 
dained sub-deacon  on  the  18th  of  December,  1818.  His 
aspirations  were  not  yet  satisfied ;  but  looking  forward, 
ever  more  and  more  anxiously,  to  the  priesthood,  he 
solicited  from  the  Holy  Father  a  further  dispensation, 
which  was  also  granted,  but  with  the  condition  that, 
when  offering  the  Holy  Sacrifice,  he  should  be  assisted 
by  another  clergyman.  The  Pontiff  had  shown  himself 
so  loving  and  paternal  towards  him,  that  he  resolved  to 
ask  for  a  special  audience,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  have 
even  this  condition  removed.  In  this  audience  the 
Holy  Father,  with  his  usual  benignity,  taking  him 
affectionately  by  the  hand,  said — "  Yes,  we  will  grant 
you  even  this  fav6ur,  as  I  believe  that  for  the  future 
you  will  be  no  longer  affected  with  your  disease."  And 
so  indeed  it  has  happened;  as  from  the  close  of  the 
year  1818,  to  the  present  day,  a  period  of  nearly  forty 
years,  he  has  never  once  been  subject  to  it!  Thus  did 
Divine  Providence  guide  the  lips  of  the  Holy  Father, 
to  whom  one  might  almost  imagine  was  disclosed  the 
future  destiny  of  the  youthful  Levite,  who  then  knelt 
before  him  in  earnest  supplication.  On  the  festival  of 


22  ROME   AND  ITS  RULER. 

Easter,  1819,  Mastai  celebrated  Mass  for  the  first  time, 
having  chosen  the  church  of  St.  Anne  del  Falignami 
for  that  purpose.  His  special  motive  for  this  selection 
was,  that  in  an  adjoining  orphanage  he  had  hitherto  de- 
voted himself  to  the  care  and  maintenance  of  about  100 
poor  orphans,  whom  he  personally  instructed  in  their 
catechism  and  religious  duties,  while  at  the  same  time 
they  were  prepared,  by  a  suitable  training,  for  various 
branches  of  useful  industry ;  so  that  being  thus  made 
good  Christians,  they  might  also  one  day  become  valu- 
able members  of  society. 

In  1823,  a  Canon  of  the  Cathedral  of  St.  James,  in 
Chili,  having  come  to  Rome  to  solicit  from  the  Pontiff  a 
representative  of  the  Holy  See  in  that  remote  republic, 
Mastai  was  invited  by  Cardinal  della  Genga,  then  Yicar 
of  Rome,  and  afterwards  by  Cardinal  Gonsalvi,  to  take 
part  in  that. mission  with  Monsignor  Muzi,  afterwards 
Bishop  of  Castello.  At  that  time  such  distant  jour- 
neys were  not  viewed  without  just  alarm  and  well- 
founded  apprehensions  of  danger;  and  the  Countess 
his  mother  wrote  to  Cardinal  Gonsalvi,  Secretary  of 
State,  entreating  him  most  forcibly  not  to  permit  her 
son  to  undertake  this  remote  mission.  But  Mastai, 
nowise  affected  by  those  dangers  which  a  fond  mother's 
fancy  so  readily  conjured  up,  received  the  invitation  as 
a  voice  from  heaven,  summoning  him  to  a  new  and 
wider  field  of  labour.  Wherefore,  yet  ignorant  of  the 
solicitations  of  his  parent,  he  presented  himself  to  the 
Holy  Father,  who  said  to  him, — "The  Countess  your 
mother  has  written  to  the  Secretary  of  State  to  prevent 


EMBASSY  TO  CHILI.  23 

-  <*. 

your  journey ;  but  we  have  written  to  her,  in  answer, 
that  you  will  surely  return  safe  from  this  mission." 
This  occurred  in  the  month  of  June,  1823 ;  and  the 
prediction  of  the  Pontiff  was  verified  to  the  letter,  as 
about  three  years  afterwards  Mastai  revisited  his  friends 
in  Sinigaglia ;  the  Apostolic  Delegate  having,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  breaking  out  of  a  revolution  in  Chili, 
deemed  it  more  prudent  not  to  delay  longer  in  that 
country.  While  on  his  route  to  Chili,  he  was  obliged  to 
stop  at  Monte  Video  and  other  places  in  South  America ; 
and  wherever  he  stopped  he  lost  not  a  moment  in  exer- 
cising his  ministry,  to  which  he  also  untiringly  devoted 
himself  during  the  two  years  that  he  spent  in  Santiago. 
Besides  devoting  all  his  time  and  all  his  talents  to 
preaching,  instructing,  and  confessing,  he  gave  to  the 
poor,  and  applied  to  charitable  uses,  the  means  of  which 
he  was  possessed ;  so  that,  when  afterwards  made  Arch- 
bishop, he  had  to  sell  some  property  belonging  to  him 
in  Rome,  in  order  to  pay  for  the  Bulls  which  are  ex- 
pedited on  those  occasions. 

A  circumstance  of  which  I  lately  became  aware  is 
too  characteristic  of  the  illustrious  object  of  this  sketch 
not  to  be  mentioned  in  connection  with  his  mission  to 
Chili.  As  the  Apostolic  Delegate  and  his  companions 
and  suit  were  on  their  way  to  the  capital,  they  had  to 
put  up  at  a  miserable  wayside  inn,  far  remote  from  any 
other  human  habitation.  In  this  comfortless  abode 
lay  an  English  officer,  tossing  and  writhing  on  a  bed 
of  sickness,  many  thousand  miles  away  from  home  and 
friends.  The  sad  condition  of  this  unhappy  gentleman, 


24  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

a  stranger  and  a  "heretic,"  became  known  to  the 
Italian  ecclesiastics  ;  one  of  whom  charitably  re- 
mained behind  his  companions  to  watch  by  the  sick 
man,  whom  he  nursed  with  all  the  tenderness  of  a 
mother  or  a  sister.  !N"or  did  he  leave  his  side  till  he 
had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  him  restored  to  health 
and  strength.  The  Italian  priest  who  so  stopped  by 
the  wayside,  to  minister  to  the  sick  stranger,  was 
Mastai  Ferretti,  now  Pius  IX.* 

In  December,  1825,  on  his  return  to  Rome,  he  was 
appointed,  by  Leo  XIL,  to  the  presidency  of  the 
vast  ospizio  of  San  Michele.  The  prudence  and  soli- 
citude with  which  he  discharged  the  laborious  func- 
tions of  that  office  are  yet  gratefully  remembered  by 
those  who  were  then  acquainted  with  the  institution, 
and  formed  a  prelude  to  the  noble  works  which  he 
was  afterwards  to  achieve  in  a  wi$er  and  more  glorious 
field.  After  having  for  twenty  months  presided  over 
this  ospizio,  the  same  Pontiff  destined  him  to  the 
Archiepiscopal  See  of  Spoleto,  which  was  the  Pope's 
native  diocese. 

In  this  city  the  new  Bishop  founded  a  large  orphan- 
age for  poor  children  intended  for  the  mechanical  arts ; 
and  in  this  labour  of  practical  charity  we  may  recognize 
the  same  untiring  zeal,  in  ministering  to  the  wants  of 
the  helpless  and  indigent,  which  had  already  marked 
his  early  priesthood.  His  work  was  the  more  praise- 
worthy, as  being  established,  not  as  a  mere  temporary 
institution,  but  as  one  that  in  future  times  and  for 

*  The  name  of  the  British  officer  was  Miller. 


DIFFICULTIES  OF    HIS  POSITION.  25 

future  generations  was  to  relieve  the  destitute  orphan, 
and  remain  a  perpetual  monument  of  his  benevolence 
and  charity. 

Nor  was  he  at  this  early  period  of  his  career  without 
experiencing  those  more  public  difficulties  which,  in  a 
terribly  aggravated  form,  were  to  cast  so  sad  a  gloom 
over  the  first  years  of  his  Pontificate.  In  1831  some 
disturbances  were  excited  through  the  States,  which, 
however,  with  the  aid  of  the  Austrian  troops,  were 
soon  repressed.  This  was  a  trying  conjuncture  for  our 
Archbishop,  as  about  4,000  insurgents,  who,  on  the 
approach  of  the  Austrians,  had  abandoned  the  siege 
of  Civita  Castellana,  took  up  their  quarters  in  Spoleto. 
No  immediate  succour  could  be  hoped  for ;  but  still 
Mastai  did  not  abandon  his  flock,  or  lose  courage  in  the 
emergency.  Nay,  partly  by  entreaties  and  expostula- 
tions, and  partly  by  promising  some  few  thousand  scudi 
to  the  troops,  he  so  far  succeeded  with  them  as  to  induce 
them  to  return  to  their  allegiance,  and  yield  up  their  arms 
to  the  constituted  authorities.  These,  including  many 
thousand  stand  of  muskets,  and  five  pieces  of  cannon, 
were  transmitted  to  Rome.  This  indeed  was  one  of 
those  sweet  and  grateful  triumphs  which,  throughout 
all  times,  men  of  his  kind  have  won  over  passion,  and 
even  despair.  At  this  same  period,  the  authorities  of 
the  Provinces  of  Perugia  and  Spoleto  having  fled, 
Cardinal  Bernetti,  the  then  Secretary  of  State,  en- 
trusted to  the  Archbishop  their  double  functions, 
which,  during  the  disturbances,  he  was  ad  interim 
obliged  to  discharge.  The  band  of  insurgents  was 


26  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

headed  by  a  certain  Tercognani,  to  whom  his  followers 
gave  the  title  of  General ;  yet  such  was  their  distrust 
of  him,  that,  on  the  distribution  of  the  above-mentioned 
£um,  many  of  the  under-officers,  with  those  whom  they 
commanded,  declared  that  they  would  not  receive  it 
from  his  hands ;  and  asked  to  have  it  distributed  by 
the  Archbishop — a  proof  of  how  his  uprightness  of 
character  and  his  disinterestedness  were  known  and 
valued  by  all,  even  the  armed  foes  of  those  institutions 
which  he  represented  by  his  office,  and  defended  by  his 
authority. 

"We  may  here  incidentally  remark  that,  Spoleto  be- 
ing the  capital  city  of  the  province,  a  self-constituted 
committee  arose  in  it  during  the  revolution,  and  as- 
sumed to  itself  the  entire  and  uncontrolled  manage- 
ment of  affairs.  One  styled  himself  Minister  of  War, 
another  of  the  Interior,  and  so  forth.  Their  sphere  of 
action  was  however  every  day  more  and  more  circum- 
scribed, as  each  principal  city  of  the  province  claimed 
for  itself  a  like  independence.  Things  were  carried  on 
in  the  same  manner  in  Perugia  and  the  other  provinces. 
This  may  serve  as  an  illustration  of  the  difficulties 
which  are  at  every  step  to  be  found  in  the  cherished 
scheme  of  a  union  of  the  Italian  States. 

In  the  January  of  the  ensuing  year  an  earthquake 
laid  desolate  a  great  part  of  the  province ;  and  thus  a 
new  field  was  opened  up  to  the  charity  of  the  good  Arch- 
bishop. Everywhere  he  hastened  to  the  relief  of  those 
who  were  the  most  distressed,  especially  visiting  and 
comforting  those  districts  whose  inhabitants  had  no 


APPOINTED   CAKDINAL  BISHOP  OF  IMOLA.  27 

shelter  left  save  what  was  afforded  them  by  rudely 
constructed  huts.  The  faithful  Pastor  suffered  in  his 
flock,  and  made  their  misfortunes  his  own.  We  have, 
in  our  own  times,  seen  heavier  calamities  fall  upon  a 
portion  of  a  proud  empire,  whose  statesmen  and  whose 
press  treat  with  contempt  the  rule  of  ecclesiastics ;  but, 
notwithstanding  the  pride  and  power  of  that  empire, 
we  beheld  its  innocent  and  unoffending  subjects  dying 
like  mangy  dogs  upon  the  public  highways,  while  ef- 
forts, clumsy  and  unsympathizing,  were  being  tardily 
made  for  their  relief.  It  had  been  well  for  Ireland  if, 
in  the  days  of  her  tribulation,  a  Mastai  had  presided 
over  the  councils  of  her  rulers — or  if  there  had  been 
less  of  the  spirit  of  Political  Economy,  and  more  of 
the  spirit  of  the  Gospel. 

It  pleased  the  Sovereign  Pontiff  Gregory  XVI.  to 
translate  the  subject  of  our  memoir,  in  the  Consistory 
of  December,  1832,  from  the  Archiepiscopal  See  of 
Spoleto  to  the  Episcopal  See  of  Imola,  in  which  he  was 
successor  to  Cardinal  lustiniarii,  who  had  resigned  its 
charge.  In  this  see  he  was  decorated  with  the  purple, 
being  reserved  in  petto  in  the  Consistory  of  the  23d  of 
December,  1839,  and  proclaimed  Cardinal  on  the  14th 
of  December,  1840. 

In  Imola  he  promoted  many  useful  and  permanent 
institutions.  Amongst  others,  a  college  for  ecclesiastical 
students  whose  means  did  not  allow  them  to  complete 
their  studies  in  the  Episcopal  Seminary ;  and  an  or- 
phanage, or  rather  a  society  for  the  guardianship  and 
maintenance  of  about  thirty  children  of  the  poorest  class 


28  EOME  AND  ITS  RULEK. 

destined  for  the  mechanical  arts,  who  were  provided 
with  their  daily  food,  and  likewise  received  two  good 
suits  of  clothes  in  the  year,  one  for  winter  and  the 
other  for  summer.  On  festival  days  these  children 
were  assembled  by  certain  ecclesiastics  in  a  small 
chapel,  and  there  carefully  instructed  in  the  doctrines 
of  the  Church  and  in  the  knowledge  of.  their  religious 
duties.  The  same  ecclesiastics  also  superintended  their 
daily  conduct,  when  they  were  sent  to  the  shops  of  the 
city,  to  learn  or  pursue  their  different  trades.  To  the 
care  and  management  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  the  good 
Bishop  entrusted  a  conservatorio  of  female  orphans; 
and,  in  the  same  establishment,  founded  two  female 
schools,  one  for  girls  of  the  poorer  class,  and  the  other 
for  those  of  the  more  wealthy.  He  also  entrusted  the 
public  hospital  to  the  same  Sisters  ;  and,  adjoining  it, 
he  erected  an  asylum  for  those  who  were  deprived  of 
the  use  of  their  noblest  faculty. 

Having  accomplished  these  and  other  works,  so  con- 
genial to  his  tender  and  compassionate  nature,  Cardinal 
Mastai  crowned  them  by  one  of  still  holier  humanity.  To 
found  a  refuge  for  female  penitents  had  long  been  the 
object  of  his  fondest  wishes.  To  his  mind  was  always 
present  the  touching  spectacle,  to  use  his  own  expressive 
words,  of  the  "lost  daughters  of  the  world  soliciting 
admission  to  the  fold  of  Jesus."  For  those  unhappy 
beings  his  heart  bled ;  and  to  afford  them  an  asylum  from 
the  horrors  of  a  life  of  misery  and  a  death  of  despair,  he 
freely  sacrificed  his  every  available  resource.  Out  of 
his  own  private  means  he  purchased  and  suitably  fitted 


HIS  CHAEITABLE  WOKKS.  29 

up  a  house  for  the  reception  of  a  number  of  these  poor 
outcasts,  as  also  for  the  accommodation  of  some  nuns  of 
the  noble  order  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  who,  at  his  urgent 
request,  were  sent  from  the  parent  house  at  Angiers,  to 
take  charge  of  the  institution.  That  day  was  a  proud 
one  for  Cardinal  Mastai  that  witnessed  the  arrival  of 
four  Sisters  at  his  palace ;  which  he  placed  at  their  dis- 
posal, until  their  future  abode  was  fully  prepared  for 
their  reception.  With  indescribable  joy  he  welcomed 
the  good  Sisters,  whom  he  had  so  anxiously  implored  to 
come  to  his  assistance  in  his  work  of  charity ;  and  the 
simple  Nuns  were  filled  with  gratitude,  at  first  not 
entirely  divested  of  embarrassment,  at  the  attentions 
lavished  upon  them  by  a  Prince  of  the  Church,  who 
himself  waited  upon  them  while  they  sat  at  his  table, 
and  ministered  to  their  wants  with  more  than  the 
humility  of  a  servant.  The  feeling  of  delight  with 
which  Cardinal  Mastai  witnessed  the  accomplishment 
of  an  object  long  dear  to  his  heart  may  be  understood  by 
the  following  letter,  which  he  addressed  to  the  Superior 
of  the  House  of  Angiers : — 

"  Very  Reverend  Mother  General,  —  Your  Reverence 
must  already  have  received  from  your  dear  daughters  the 
details  of  their  happy  arrival  at  Imola ;  but  it  is  proper 
that  I  should  myself  inform  you  of  this  event,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  that  I  should  express  to  you  the  great  consola- 
tion that  I  experience  in  seeing  myself  enriched  with  this 
little  troop  of  sacred  virgins,  who  in  a  few  days  will  open 
the  mission  for  the  salvation  of  so  many  poor  wandering 
sheep.  I  feel  certain  that,  with  the  grace  of  God,  they  will 
reconduct  them  to  the  fold  of  the  Prince  of  Pastors,  Jesus 


30  EOME  AND  ITS  KULER. 

Christ.  May  eternal  praise  be  given  to  this  God  of  Mercies  ; 
and  I  beg  your  Reverence  to  accept  the  assurance  of  my 
deepfelt  gratitude.  I  have  the  consolation  of  having  them 
with  me  in  my  palace.  I  have  great  reason  to  thank  the 
Lord,  who  holds  in  his  hands  the  hearts  of  men :  but  it  ap- 
pears to  me  that  he  has  placed  those  of  your  daughters,  not 
in  his  hands,  but  in  his  own  heart.  I  will  not  fail  to  render 
them  every  assistance  in  their  wants  ;  and  from  that  thought 
I  pass  to  the  pleasure  of  assuring  you  again  that  I  am,  with 
deep  esteem,  the  affectionate  servant  of  your  Maternity, 

•J*  JEAN  MARIE,  Cardinal  MASTAI, 

"  Archbishop. 
"Imola,  14th  September,  1845." 


Thus  did  the  wise  Prelate  seek,  by  his  new  institu- 
tions, to  provide  for  the  wants  and  necessities  of  his 
flock ;  and  it  Is  difficult  to  know  which  most  to  admire, 
the  solicitude  of  the  Pastor,  or  the  generosity  and 
benevolence  which  prompted  such  works,  embracing 
all  classes,  and  excluding  none  from  their  beneficent 
operation. 

To  preserve  in  the  ecclesiastics  of  his  diocese  the 
spirit  of  their  holy  vocation,  he  opened  a  house  for 
spiritual  exercises,  where,  at  stated  times,  a  portion  of 
the  clergy  devoted  themselves  for  ten  days  to  retreat — 
an  arrangement  which,  though  immediately  affecting  the 
clergy,  yet  exercised  a  beneficial  influence  on  all  his 
flock,  as  it  more  fitly  prepared  for  the  duties  of  the 
ministry  those  who  were  to  be  their  religious  guides. 
He  also  repaired  some  churches,  restored  the  episcopal 
residence,  and  completed  the  front  of  the  cathedral 
church,  which  had  hitherto  remained  unfinished. 


HIS  COUKAGE.  31 

An  incident  that  occurred  in  the  February  of  1846, 
evinced  the  noble  courage  with  which  the  Prelate  was 
endowed,  and  the  singular  efficacy  which  Providence 
communicated  to  his  words.  One  evening  of  the  Car- 
nival, a  little  before  dusk,  the  Cardinal  was  making 
his  accustomed  visit  before  the  altar  of  the  Holy  Sa- 
crament in  the  Cathedral,  when  the  sacristan  rushed 
towards  him,  crying  out,  "  to  hasten  for  God's  sake,  as 
murder  was  being  perpetrated  in  the  sacristy."  In- 
voking the  Divine  aid,  the  Cardinal  at  once  arose, 
and  hastening  to  the  spot,  found  there,  lying  upon 
a  form,  a  youth  of  about  twenty  years  of  age,  who 
having  been  dangerously  wounded  by  a  bayonet  thrust, 
had  just  taken  refuge  in  the  sacred  building.  The 
Cardinal  had  scarcely  reached  the  sufferer,  when  three 
armed  men  rushed  in,  with  the  wicked  intention  of 
completing  their  deed  of  blood.  But  nowise  dismay- 
ed by  their  naked  weapons,  and  their  looks  of  deadly 
hate,  Mastai  boldly  confronted  the  assassins,  and,  pre- 
senting his  pectoral  cross,  described  to  them  the  enormity 
of.  their  crime,  and  commanded  them  to  retire.  His 
words,  so  full  of  courage,  and  uttered  as  with  the 
authority  of  one  commissioned  by  Heaven,  struck  ter- 
ror into  their  breasts,  and  were  silently  and  almost  un- 
consciously obeyed. 

Mastai  was  now  about  to  quit  the  scene  of  so  many 
,pious  labours,  and  so  many  works  of  charity  and  love, 
for  a  splendid  destiny,  the  grandest  and  the  loftiest 
which  man  can  be  called  on  to  fulfil  on  this  earth ;  but 


32  EOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

one  ever  fraught,  if  not  with  perils  and  sorrows,  at  least 
with  the  gravest  anxieties  and  the  profoundest  cares. 

In  the  beginning  of  June,  1846,  being  then  engaged 
with  a  considerable  number  of  his  clergy  in  a  spiritual 
retreat,  he  received  the  announcement  of  the  death  of 
Gregory  XYI.  Immediately  on  the  receipt  of  the  sad 
intelligence,  he  hastened  to  the  episcopal  residence,  and 
having  celebrated  the  last  obsequies  of  the  deceased 
Pontiff,  at  once  proceeded  to  Home,  unconscious  of  the 
fate  which  there  awaited  him.  He  arrived  in  the  Capital 
on  the  evening  of  the  12th  of  June ;  and  in  forty -eight 
hours  afterwards  he  and  his  Brethren  of  the  Sacred 
College  entered  the  Conclave.  On  the  15th,  the  testing 
of  the  votes  commenced :  the  evening  of  the  16th  saw 
him. unanimously  chosen;  and  on  the  morning  of  the 
17th,  the  election  of  Pius  IX.  was  proclaimed  to  the 
Christian  world. 

It  was  in  these  words,  so  truly  characteristic  of  his 
modest  and  humble  nature,  that  the  newly-elected 
Pontiff  announced  his  elevation  to  his  brothers  at  Sini- 
gaglia  :— 

"ROME,  16th  June,  at  £  past  11,  P.  M. 

"The  blessed  God,  who  humbles  and  exalts,  has  been 
pleased  to  raise  me  from  insignificance  to  the  most  sublime 
dignity  on  earth.  May  His  most  holy  will  be  ever  done. 
I  am  sensible  to  a  certain  extent  of  the  immense  weight 
of  such  a  charge,  and  I  also  feel  my  utter  incapacity,  not 
to  say  the  entire  nullity  of  my  powers.  Cause  prayers  to 
be  offered,  and  you  also  pray  for  me.  The  Conclave  has 
lasted  forty-eight  hours.  If  the  city  should  wish  to  make  any 


IS   ELECTED   POPE.  33 

public  demonstration  on  the  occasion,  I  request  you  will  take 
measures — indeed,  I  desire  it — that  the  whole  sum  so  destined 
be  applied  to  purposes  which  may  be  judged  useful  to  the 
city,  by  the  chief  magistrate  and  the  council.  As  to  your- 
selves, dear  brothers,  I  embrace  you  with  all  my  heart  in 
Jesus  Christ ;  and,  far  from  exulting,  take  pity  on  your  bro- 
ther, who  gives  you  all  his  apostolic  blessing." 
2* 


34  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 


CHAPTER    III. 

Pius  IX.  ascends  the  Throne. — Grants  an  Amnesty. — Terms  of  the  Am- 
nesty.— Enthusiasm  of  the  People. — Machinations  of  the  Revolution- 
ists.— Their  Policy  and  Objects. — Mazzini's  Address  to  the  Friends  of 
Italian  Liberty. — Difficulties  of  the  Pope's  Position. — The  Pope  as  a 
Reformer. — Instances  of  his  Affability  and  Goodness. — His  Interest  in 
the  Education  of  Youth. — The  Pope  no  Nepotist. 

NEVER  did  sovereign  ascend  the  throne  with  a  heart 
more  full  of  love  for  his  people,  or  with  a  more  fer- 
vent desire  of  contributing  to  their  welfare  and  happi- 
ness ;  and  rarely,  if  ever,  did  sovereign  enter  upon  a 
path  so  abundantly  bestrewn  with  embarrassments  and 
with  difficulties.  Devoted  to  the  Church,  of  which  he 
was  chosen  to  be  head  and  protector,  Pio  Nono  was  not 
the  less  the  friend  of  rational  liberty,  and  the  advocate 
of  enlightened  progress.  Thoroughly  acquainted  with 
his  native  country,  and  conversant  with  its  interests 
and  its  wants,  he  resolved,  from  the  first  hour  of  his 
Pontificate,  to  so  use  the  power  entrusted  to  him  by 
Heaven,  as  to  remedy  the  evils  which  he  knew  to  exist, 
and  put  an  end  to  abuses  of  which,  he  could  not  be  un- 
conscious. Convinced  that  no  attempt  at  reform  could 
be  successful  so  long  as  pains  and  penalties  for  former 
transgressions  were  still  enforced  against  a  considerable 
number  of  his  subjects,  who  had  been  connected,  more 
or  less  prominently,  with  revolutionary  disturbances  in 
the  reign  of  his  predecessor ;  and  also  feeling  the  ut- 


PIUS   IX.    ASCENDS  THE  THRONE.  35 

most  compassion  for  those  who  suffered,  whether  in  mind 
or  body — Pius  IX.  resolved  to  signalize  his  accession  to 
the  throne  by  an  act  of  grace  which  should  shed  a  light, 
as  if  from  above,  upon  many  sorrowing  homes  and  de- 
spairing families.  There  were  those  who  counselled  the 
Pope  to  moderate  his  generosity  within  the  limits  of 
prudence,  and  to  have  a  care  how  he  included  in  a  gen- 
eral pardon  many  men  whose  past  career  was  no  reliable 
guarantee,  for  their  future  loyalty.  But  these  cautious 
advisers  spoke  to  one  whose  soul  was  overflowing  with 
love  and  compassion,  and  who  yearned  to  embrace  his 
entire  people  within  the  arms  of  a  fond  father.  And, 
accordingly,  on  the  16th  of  July,  just  one  month  after 
his  election,  Pius  IX.  published  the  following  decree 
of  amnesty : — 

"  Pius  IX.  to  his  faithful  subjects :  salutation  and  apostolic 
benediction. 

"  In  these  days,  when  our  heart  is  moved  to  see  public  joy 
manifested  at  our  being  raised  to  the  Pontificate,  we  cannot 
refrain  from  a  feeling  of  grief  in  thinking  that  a  certain  num- 
ber of  families  are  unable  to  participate  in  the  common  joy, 
because  they  bear  the  pain  of  some  offences  committed  by 
one  of  their  members  against  society,  against  the  sacred  rights 
of  the  legitimate  Prince. 

"  We  now  desire  to  cast  a  look  of  compassion  on  the  inex- 
perienced youth  which  has  been  led  away  by  deceitful  hopes, 
in  the  midst  of  political  discord,  where  it  has  been  rather  the 
seduced  than  the  seducer.  It  is  for  that  reason  that  we  wish 
to  stretch  out  the  hand,  and  offer  the  peace  of  the  heart  to 
those  misguided  children  who  will  evince  sincere  repentance. 
Now  that  our  good  people  has  shown  towards  us  their  affec- 
tion, and  their  constant  veneration  for  the  Holy  See,  and  for 


36  ROME   AND   ITS  RULER. 

our  person,  we  are  persuaded  that  we  may  pardon  without 
danger.  We,  therefore,  ordain  that  the  commencement  of 
our  Pontificate  shall  be  solemnized  by  the  following  act  of 
sovereign  grace : — • 

"  1.  There  is  granted  to  all  our  subjects  who  are  under- 
going punishment  for  political  offences  a  remission  of  their 
sentences,  provided  that  they  make  in  writing  a  solemn  de- 
claration,* on  their  honour,  that  they  will  not  in  any  manner 
or  at  any  time  abuse  this  grace,  and  will  for  the  future  fulfil 
the  duties  of  good  and  faithful  subjects. 

"  2.  Those  of  our  subjects  who  have  fled  to  foreign  coun- 
tries in  consequence  of  political  crimes,  may  profit  by  the 
present  resolutions  in  making  known  within  the  delay  of  one 
year  to  our  Apostolic  Nuncios  or  other  representatives  of  the 
Holy  See,  their  desire  to  profit  by  this  act  of  our  clemency. 

"  3.  We  equally  pardon  those  who,  for  having  taken  par£ 
in  any  conspiracies  against  the  State,  are  under  political  sur- 
veillance, or  may  have  been  declared  incapable  of  holding 
municipal  offices. 

"4.  It  is  our  desire  that  all  criminal  prosecutions  for 
political  offences  which  have  not  yet  received  definitive 
judgment  should  be  instantly  put  a  stop  to,  and  that  the 
prisoners  be  set  at  liberty,  unless  any  of  them  may  demand 
the  continuation  of  their  trials,  in  order  that  their  innocence 
may  be  proved. 

"  5.  There  shall  not  be  included  in  the  provisions  of  the 
preceding  articles  the  small  number  of  ecclesiastics,  of  mili- 

*  The  following  is  the  form  of  the  required  declaration : — "  1,  the 
undersigned,  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  a  singular  favour  in  the  gen- 
erous and  spontaneous  pardon  which  the  indulgence  of  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff,  Pope  Pius  IX.,  and  my  lawful  sovereign,  has  accorded  me  for 
the  part  which  I  may  have  taken  in  any  manner  soever  in  the  attempts 
which  have  disturbed  public  order  and  attacked  the  lawfully  consti- 
tuted authority  in  his  temporal  dominions;  promise,  upon  my  word  of 
honour,  not  to  abuse  in  any  way,  nor  at  any  time,  this  act  of  his  sover- 
eign clemency,  and  pledge  myself,  besides,  to  fulfil  faithfully  all  the 
duties  of  a  loyal  subject." 


TERMS  OF  THE  AMNESTY.  37 

tary  officers,  and  employes  of  the  Government,  who  have 
been  already  condemned,  or  have  fled,  or  are  now  under  trial 
for  political  offences.  With  regard  to  those  we  reserve  our 
decision  until  we  shall  have  obtained  information  as  to  their 
particular  position. 

"6.  There  are  also  excluded  from  the  present  amnesty 
crimes  and  ordinary  offences,  which  are  subject  to  the  juris- 
diction of  the  tribunal. 

"  We  are  anxious  to  feel  a  confidence  that  those  who  will 
avail  themselves  of  our  clemency  will  know  how  at  all  times 
to  respect  their  duties  and  their  honour.  We  hope,  more- 
over, that  their  minds,  softened  by  our  pardon,  will  lay 
aside  their  civil  hatreds,  which  are  always  the  occasion 
and  the  effect  of  political  passions,  in  order  to  draw  closer 
those  bonds  of  peace  by  which  God  desires  that  all  the 
sons  of  the  same  father  shall  be  united ;  but  if  our  hope  be 
deceived,  it  would  be  with  bitter  pain  that  we  should  call  to 
mind  that,  if  clemency  be  the  sweetest  attribute  of  sovereign- 
ty, justice  is  its  first  duty. 

"  Given  at  Home  this  16th  day  of  July,  1846,  in  the  first 
year  of  our  Pontificate. 

(Signed)  "PIUS   P.  P.  IX." 

This  noble  evidence  of  the  great  heart  of  Pius  was 
hailed  with  ecstacy  by  a  people  already  fascinated  by 
the  sweet  countenance  and  modest  deportment  of  their 
new  ruler.  Vivas  rent  the  air ;  blessings  and  prayers  fol- 
lowed his  steps;  flowers  were  cast  beneath  his  feet;  and 
almost  instinctively  forming  themselves  into  impromptu 
processions,  one  of  the  most  excitable  and  demonstrative 
of  the  Italian  people  proceeded  through  the  streets  of 
Rome,  with  music  and  banners,  to  pour  out  before  the 
palace  of  their  sovereign  an  enthusiasm  which  appeared 
to  know  no  limit,  and  which  could  with  difficulty  find 


38  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

an  appropriate  utterance.  And  the  solid  earth  seemed 
to  rock,  and  the  very  heavens  to  tremble,  as  peal 
after  peal  of  wild  and  frenzied  cheering  burst  from 
mighty  masses  of  the  populace,  when,  yielding  re- 
peatedly to  the  fond  importunity  of  his  subjects,  the 
Pope  came  forth  on  the  balcony  of  the  Quirinal,  and 
with  graceful  gesture  imparted  to  them  the  Apostolic 
benediction.  Gratitude,  with  pardonable  vehemence, 
sought  a  natural  expression  in  the  language  of  hyper- 
bole ;  and  even  the  pen,  more  sober  and  less  impetuous 
than  the  tongue,  became  the  vehicle  of  the  most  im- 
passioned exaggerations. 

Very  many  of  the  political  prisoners,  who  soon 
flocked  into  Rome,  not  content  with  signing  the 
pledge  of  honour — the  only  condition  imposed  by  the 
terms  of  the  amnesty — added,  of  their  free  accord, 
such  gratuitous  vows  as  these  : — "  I  swear  by  my  head, 
and  the  heads  of  my  children,  that  I  will,  to  the  death, 
be  faithful  to  Pius  IX."— "  I  swear  to  shed  all 
blood  for  Pius  IX." — "  I  renounce  my  share  of  Para- 
dise if  ever  I  betray  the  oath  of  honour  which  binds 
me  to  Pius  IX." 

But  amidst  this  frenzy  of  enthusiasm  there  were  many 
who  were  far  from  being  content.  The  representatives 
of  despotic  Powers  witnessed  with  alarm  and  apprehen- 
sion these  popular  ovations,  but  still  more  the  beneficent 
acts  to  which  they  owed  their  origin.  The  cries  and 
cheers  that  rang  so  frequently  through  the  streets  and 
squares  of  the  Eternal  City,  in  homage  of  the  illus- 
trious promoter  of  reform  and  exalted  friend  of  rational 


.  ENTHUSIASM  OF  THE  PEOPLE.  39 

liberty,  sounded  harshly  in  the  ears  of  ministers  and 
statesmen  grown  gray  in  the  service  of  despotism. 
And  ominously,  too,  did  these  wild  accents  fall  upon  . 
the  startled  souls  of  those  who,  with  a  full  knowledge 
of  the  fickle  and  impulsive  people  by  whom  they  were 
uttered,  and  a  sad  experience  of  events  still  recent, 
shuddered  as  they  anticipated  the  license  to  which  such 
gatherings,  processions,  and  demonstrations,  were  ulti- 
mately, and  not  remotely,  to  lead.  To  their  alarmed 
fancy,  the  dagger  of  the  anarchist  gleamed  darkly  be- 
neath the  flowers  of  the  festival.  Nor  were  their  fears 
without  a  cause.  For,  mixed  up  with  the  masses,  con- 
sisting mainly  of  the  honest  and  the  well-meaning, 
and  ostentatiously  parading  their  enthusiasm  and  their 
gratitude,  were  men  who,  without  feeling  the  slightest 
sympathy  with  the  public  joy,  or  the  least  reverence  for 
the  sovereign  whose  reigri  was  inaugurated  by  a  deed 
of  gracious  mercy,  were  even  then  planning  how  best 
to  turn  all  this  enthusiasm  and  all  this  rejoicing  to  their 
own  purposes — which  aimed,  not  at  the  amelioration  of 
existing  institutions,  but  at  their  overthrow. 

The  disciples  and  followers  of  Joseph  Mazzini  were 
even  thus  early  at  their  work.  And  never  was  a  more 
subtle  and  crafty  policy  mapped  out  for  the  guidance 
of  a  political  confederation.  A  few  extracts  from  the 
writings  of  Mazzini,  and  one  or  two  of  the  more  active 
members  of  his  party,  many  of  whom  the  amnesty  per- 
mitted to  enter  Rome,  will  most  fittingly  display  their 
intentions,  and  the  nature  of  the  means  through  which 
they  sought  to  carry  them  into  execution. 


40  HOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

One  of  the  most  ardent  of  those  who  protested  their 
gratitude  to  the  Pope  was  Joseph  Galletti,  of  Bologna, 
whose  sentence  of  capital  punishment,  for  his  participa- 
tion in  the  conspiracy  of  1845,  had  been  commuted 
into  imprisonment  for  life,  and  the  door  of  whose 
dungeon  had  just  been  flung  open  by  the  general  par- 
don. This  document  had  been  alleged  against  him  on 
his  trial : — 

"  Our  enemies  are  many :  first  of  all  the  clergy,  the  nobil- 
ity, many  proprietors,  lastly  government  employes.  At  the 
cry  of  liberty,  shall  be  instituted  in  every  city  revolutionary 
committees,  which  shall  make  sure  of  the  said  persons  the 
most  suspected,  and  whose  liberty  or  survival  might  bring 
great  detriment  to  the  cause.  As  a  rule  for  the  sentences  of 
the  committees,  two  sorts  of  persons  are  to  be  distinguished. 
1.  Those  who  are  indifferent  to  the  cause,  but  have  commit- 
ted no  excess  against  its  partisans,  and  are  attached  to  gov- 
ernment through  love  of  quiet.  For  these  you  must  use  all 
zeal  to  interest  them.  2.  Those  who,  employes  or  not,  have 
openly  shown  themselves  our  enemies,  upsetting  us  in  every 
way ;  and  these  chiefly  shall  be  deprived  of  life.  The  man- 
ner of  arrest,  without  violence  and  by  night :  put  in  prison 
and  slain.  You  must  use  in  that  the  greatest  prudence  and 
secrecy,  giving  out  then  either  that  they  are  hid,  or  exiled, 
or  imprisoned  provisionally.  And  all  that  not  to  excite  tumults 
and  awaken  horror,  as  happened  in  the  Septemberings. 
Their  deaths  to  be  speedy,  and  without  torment." 

Bicciardi  announced  that — 

"To  acquire  independence  needs  revolution  and  war:  to 
put  aside  all  considerations  originating  in  the  progress  of 
knowledge,  civilization,  industry,  increase  of  riches,  and  pub- 
lic prosperity.  .  .  .  The  fatal  plant,  born  in  Judaea,  has  only 
reached  this  high  point  of  growth  and  vigour  because  it 


POLICY   OF   THE   EEVOLUTIONISTS.  41 

was  watered  with  waves  of  blood.  Would  you  have  an 
error  take  root  among  men,  put  fire  and  sword  to  it.  Would 
you  have  it  fall,  make  it  the  object  of  your  gibes.  .  .  .  The 
question  is  not  of  a  popular  assembly,  fluctuating,  uncertain, 
slow  to  deliberate :  but  there  needs  a  hand  of  iron,  which 
alone  can  rule  a  people  hitherto  accustomed  to  differences 
of  opinion,  and,  what  is  still  more,  a  people  corrupted,  ener- 
vated, made  vile  by  slavery.  .  .  .  Soon  a  new  era  will  begin 
for  men,  the  glorious  era  of  a  redemption  quite  otherwise  than 
that  announced  by  Christ." 

But  the  best  exponent  of  the  process  by  which  revo- 
lution was  made  a  science,  is  Joseph  Mazzini.  In  his 
address  of  October,  1846,  issued  from  Paris  to  the  friends 
of  Italy,  he  says : — 

"  In  great  countries  it  is  by  the  people  we  must  go  to  re- 
generation ;  in  yours  by  the  princes.  We  must  absolutely 
make  them  of  our  side.  It  is  easy.  The  Pope  will  march 
in  reform  through  principle  and  of  necessity ;  the  King  of 
Piedmont  through  the  idea  of  the  crown  of  Italy ;  the  Grand 
Duke  of  Tuscany  through  inclination  and  irritation;  the 
King  of  Naples  through  force ;  and  the  little  princes  will 
have  to  think  of  other  things  besides  reform.  The  people 
yet  in  servitude  can  only  sing  its  wants.  Profit  by  the 
least  concession  to  assemble  the  masses,  were  it  only  to  testify 
gratitude.  Fetes,  songs,  assemblies,  numerous  relations  estab- 
lished among  men  of  all  opinions,  suffice  to  make  ideas 
gush  out,  to  give  the  people  the  feeling  of  its  strength,  and 
render  it  exacting.  .  .  .  Italy  is  still  what  France  was  before 
the  Revolution :  she  wants,  then,  her  Mirabeau,  Lafayette,  and 
others.  A  great  lord  may  be  held  back  by  his  material  in- 
terests, but  he  may  be  taken  by  vanity.  Leave  him  the  chief 
place  whilst  he  will  go  with  you.  There  are  few  who  would 
go  to  the  end.  The  essential  thing  is,  that  the  goal  of  the 
great  revolution  be  unknown  to  them :  let  us  never  let  them  see 


42  EOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

more  than  the  first  step.  In  Italy,  the  clergy  is  rich  in  the 
money  and  faith  of  the  people.  You  must  manage  them  in 
both  those  interests,  and  as  much  as  possible,  make  their  in- 
fluence of  use.  If  you  could  create  a  Savonarola  in  every 
capital,  we  should  make  giant  strides.  The  clergy  is  not  the 
enemy  of  liberal  institutions.  Seek,  then,  to  associate  them 
to  this  first  work,  which  must  be  considered  as  the  obligatory 
vestibule  of  the  temple  of  Equality.  Without  the  vestibule 
the  sanctuary  remains  shut.  Do  not  attack  the  clergy,  nei- 
ther in  fortune  nor  orthodoxy.  Promise,  them  liberty,  and 
you  will  see  them  march  with  you.  ...  In  Italy  the  people  is 
yet  to  be  created :  but  it  is  ready  to  tear  the  envelope  which 
holds  it.  Speak  often,  much,  and  everywhere  of  its  misery 
and  wants.  The  people  does  not  understand ;  but  the  active 
part  of  society  is  penetrated  by  these  sentiments  of  compas- 
sion for  the  people,  and  sooner  or  later  acts.  Learned  dis- 
cussions are  neither  necessary  nor  opportune.  There  are 
regenerative  words  which  contain  all  that  need  be  often  re- 
peated to  the  people.  Liberty,  rights  of  man,  progress, 
equality,  fraternity,  are  what  the  people  will  understand, 
above  all  when  opposed  to  the  words,  despotism,  privileges, 
tyranny,  slavery,  &c.  The  difficulty  is  not  to  convince  the 
people :  it  is  to  get  it  together.  The  day  of  its  assembly 
will  be  the  day  of  the  new  era.  .  .  .  Nearly  two  thousand 
years  ago,  a  great  philosopher,  called  Christ,  preached  the 
fraternity  which  the  world  yet  seeks.  Accept,  then,  all  the 
help  offered  to  you.  Whoever  will  make  one  step  forward, 
must  be  yours  till  he  quits  you.  A  king  gives  a  more  liberal 
law ;  applaud  him,  and  ask  for  the  one  that  must  follow.  A 
minister  shows  intention  of  progress;  give  him  out  as  a 
model.  A  lord  affects  to  pout  at  his  privileges;  put  yourself 
under  his  direction :  if  he  will  stop,  you  have  time  to  let  him 
go  :  he  will  remain  isolated  and  without  strength  against  you, 
and  you  will  have  a  thousand  ways  to  make  unpopular  all 
who  oppose  your  projects.  All  personal  discontent,  all  de- 
ceptions, all  bruised  ambition,  may  serve  the  cause  of  pro- 
gress by  giving  them  a  new  direction The  army  is  the 


MAZZINI'S  ADDRESS.  43 

greatest  enemy  to  the  progress  of  socialism.  It  must  be  par- 
alyzed by  the  moral  education  of  the  people.  When  once 
public  opinion  has  imbibed  the  idea,  that  the  army,  created  to 
defend  the  country,  must  in  no  case  meddle  with  internal 
politics,  and  must  respect  the  people,  you  may  march  without 

it,  and  even  against  it,  without  danger The  clergy  has 

only  half  of  the  social  doctrine.  It  wishes,  like  us,  for  broth- 
erhood, which  it  calls  charity.  But  its  hierarchy  and  habits 
make  it  the  imp  of  authority,  that  is  to  say,  despotism.  We 
must  take  what  good  there  is,  and  cut  the  bad.  Try  to  make 
equality  penetrate  the  Church,  and  all  will  go  on.  Clerical 
power  is  personified  in  the  Jesuits.  The  odium  of  that  name 
is  already  a  power  for  the  socialists.  Make  use  of  it  .... 
Associate  !  associate !  every  thing  is  in  that  word.  The  se- 
cret societies  give  irresistible  strength  to  the  party  that  can 
call  upon  them.  Do  not  fear  to  see  them  split :  the  more  the 
better.  All  go  to  the  same  end  by  different  ways.  The  se- 
cret will  be  often  violated :  so  much  the  better :  the  secret  is 
necessary  to  give  security  to  the  members,  but  a  certain  trans- 
parency is  needed  to  inspire  fire  in  the  stationary.  When  a 
great  number  of  associates,  receiving  the  word  of  order  to 
spread  an  idea  and  make  it  public  opinion,  shall  be  able  to 
concert  a  movement,  they  will  find  the  old  building  pierced 
in  every  part,  and  falling,  as  if  by  miracle,  at  the  least  breath 
of  progress.  They  will  be  astonished  themselves,  to  see  fly- 
ing before  the  single  power  of  opinion,  kings,  lords,  the  rich, 
the  priests,  who  formed  the  carcass  of  the  old  social  edifice. 
Courage,  then,  and  perseverance !" 

The  transparency  of  danger  to  which  Mazzini  al- 
ludes, has  been  unveiled  by  Cantal  upo  of  Naples : — 

"  1.  The  society  is  formed  for  the  indispensable  destruction 
of  all  the  Governments  of  the  Peninsula,  and  to  form  a  single 
State  of  all  Italy,  in  republican  form.  .  .  .  30.  Members  who 
will  not  obey  the  orders  of  the  secret  society,  and  those  who 
unveil  its  mysteries,  shall  be  poignarded  without  remission. 


44  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

31.  The  secret  tribunal  shall  pronounce  the  sentence,  pointing 
out  one  or  two  associates  for  its  immediate  execution.  32. 
The  associate  who  shall  refuse  to  execute  the  sentence  shall  be 
held  perjured,  and  as  such  put  to  death  on  the  spot.  33.  It 
the  victim  succeed  in  escaping,  he  shall  be  pursued  incessantly 
in  every  place ;  and  the  guilty  shall  be  struck  by  an  invisible 
hand,  were  he  sheltered  on  the  bosom  of  his  mother,  or  in  the 
tabernacle  of  Christ.  .  .  .  54.  Each  tribunal  shall  be  compe- 
tent not  only  to  judge  guilty  adepts,  but  to  put  to  death  all 
persons  whom  it  shall  devote  to  death." 

This  was  the  policy,  these  were  the  proposed  means 
of  action,  of  the  men  who  recognized  in  Mazzini  their 
apostle  and  leader ;  and  a  policy  more  ruinous  to  true 
liberty  and  substantial  progress,  it  were  impossible  to 
imagine ;  or  means  more  crafty,  or  more  treacherous, 
not  dishonesty  itself  could  invent. 

Here,  on  the  one  hand,  was  the  large-hearted,  high- 
souled  Pontiff,  abounding  in  love  for  his  people,  anxious 
to  redress  their  grievances,  to  remove  every  just  cause 
of  discontent,  and  to  confer  upon  them  the  largest 
amount  of  freedom  compatible  with  safety  and  the 
preservation  of  interests — sacred  not  merely  in  his  own 
eyes,  but  in  the  estimation  of  the  Christian  world ; — 
and,  on  the  other,  a  band  of  insane  revolutionists,  who, 
gathered  from  different  parts  of  the  Italian  Peninsula, 
were  sworn  to  subvert  and  destroy  all  forms  of  govern- 
ment that  stood  in  {he  path  of  their  reckless  ambition, 
or  that  stopped  short  of  the  realization  of  their  utterly 
impracticable  schemes.  These  men  were  the  worst, 
because  the  most  insidious,  enemies  that  a  reforming 
ruler  could  have  combined  against  him ;  for  their  fixed 


DIFFICULTIES  OF  THE  POPE'S  POSITION.  45 

and  settled  plan  of  action  was,  as  may  be  seen  by  the 
instructions  of  their  teacher,  to  flatter  and  cajole,  to 
seduce  and  corrupt,  every  individual  or  class  that  could 
serve  their  purpose, — to  inflame  the  public  mind  by 
exciting  the  most  extravagant  hopes  of  changes  which 
could  never  be  soberly  contemplated, — and  to  turn 
against  the  Pope  and  his  government,  as  instruments 
of  destruction,  the  very  reforms  which  he  voluntarily 
conceded ! 

These  were  the  worst  enemies  of  the  Pope,  as  of 
true  liberty ;  but  they  were  not  the  only  enemies  with 
whom  he  had  to  contend.  Austria,  that  held  in  her 
grasp  some  of  the  fairest  portions  of  Italy,  experienced 
even  more  alarm  than  indignation,  as  she  beheld  the 
noble  attitude  of  Pius  IX.,  and  saw  how  the  spirit 
emanating  from  the  Vatican  was  kindling  a  new  and 
dangerous  flre  in  the  breast  of  a  down-trodden  people. 
"Wily  in  her  councils,  powerful  in  her  arms,  and  mighty 
in  her  resources,  Austria  was,  from  the  very  outset,  the 
most  formidable  enemy  of  reforms  which  she  had  every 
reason  to  dread.  Naples,  too,  viewed  with  jealousy  the 
onward  progress  of  the  Pope,  and  subsequently  at- 
tempted to  hide  from  her  people  the  knowledge  of  meas- 
ures which  he  had  conceded  to  his  subjects.  Smaller 
Powers  also  regarded  with  dismay  the  march  of  reform, 
and  trembled  for  their  feeble  though  cherished  tyrannies. 
Nor  was  France,  which  was  in  a  short  time  to  be  the 
theatre  of  one  of  the  most  remarkable  revolutions  re- 
corded in  her  history,  believed  to  be  altogether  sin- 
cere in  her  professions  of  approval  and  admiration 


46  HOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

of  the  benevolent  acts  and  reforming  spirit  of  the 
Pope. 

Nor  is  it  difficult  to  heighten  the  picture  of  the  al- 
most insurmountable  difficulties  which  surrounded  the 
path  and  followed  the  footsteps  of  Pius  IX.  The 
alarm  of  many  of  the  Cardinals  was  great,  but,  taking 
all  circumstances  into  consideration,  by  no  means  un- 
founded. They  remembered  the  amnesty  of  1831, 
which  had  only  given  the  opportunity  for  violent  prot- 
estations and  fresh  plots ;  and  they  could  not  believe 
that  the  amnesty  of  1846  would  be  productive  of  more 
fortunate  results.  The  Pope  held  his  first  Consistory 
on  the  27th  of  July ;  when  Cardinal  Macchi,  in  reply- 
ing to  the  allocution,  thus  pointed  out  the  apprehended 
danger : — 

"  We  think,  at  the  same  time,  to  what  tempests  the 
Church  is  exposed,  and  by  what  license  and  effrontery 
of  opinions  men,  unbridled  to  every  mischief,  leave 
nothing  untried  to  deprave  manners  with  wicked  bold- 
ness, to,  precipitate  the  ignorant  into  the  abyss  of  er- 
ror, to  overthrow  every  power,  and  even  the  Catholic 
Church  itself,  if  that  were  possible." 

Yet,  notwithstanding  the  complicated  difficulties  of 
his  position,  Pius  boldly  persevered  in  his  mission  of 
clemency  and  reform.  He  personally  inquired  into  and 
improved  the  administration  of  the  public  departments ; 
he  rigorously  examined  into  the  management  of  hospi- 
tals, prisons,  and  religious  institutions,  and  compelled 
such  changes  as  he  deemed  advisable ;  he  punished 
fraud  and  extortion,  especially  if  practised  on  the  poor, 


THE  POPE  AS  A  EEFOKMER.  47 

with  the  sternest  severity;  he  promoted  employment 
by  useful  works,  and  stimulated  industry  by  encourage- 
ment and  reward ;  he  introduced  reforms  into  the  collec- 
tion of  the  public  revenue,  and  the  management  of  the 
finances ;  he  remitted  taxes  which  pressed  upon  the 
necessities  of  the  bulk  of  the  population,  and  dimin- 
ished such  as  interfered  with  their  comforts ;  he  granted 
"  concessions"  to  companies  for  establishing  railways, 
and  aided  the  introduction  of  gas;  he  opened  the 
public  offices  to  deserving  laymen;  he  permitted  the 
establishment  of  a  press,  whose  freedom  was  guaran- 
teed by  a  mild  system  of  censorship — and,  to  reliefer 
more  effective,  as  well  as  permanent,  the  reforms  which 
he  himself  introduced,  he  announced,  by  his  circular 
of  the  19th  of  April,  1847,  his  intention  of  calling 
together  a  Council,  chosen  by  the  various  provinces, 
to  assist  him  in  his  administration,  and  give  its  opinion 
and  advice  on  all  matters  of  government  connected 
with  the  general  interests  of  the  country. 

And  with  all  these  labours  he  combined  a  sweetness 
and  a  simplicity  that  won  the  hearts  of  the  good,  and 
excited  a  love  and  a  veneration  that  would  have  over- 
come all  but  the  malice  and  the  machinations  of  his 
relentless  foes,  who  were  busily  occupied  with  their 
work  of  "regeneration."  He  was  to  be  seen,  to  the 
amazement  of  the  sticklers  for  etiquette,  and  to  the 
delighted  wonder  of  the  people,  walking  through  the 
streets,  clad  in  a  plain  garb,  and  sparingly  attended. 
Sorrow  had  not  then  robbed  his  cheek  of  its  freshness, 
or  dimmed  the  mild  lustre  of  his  soft  blue  eye ;  and, 


48  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

as  he  passed  through  his  capital,  an  almost  adoring 
populace  received  with  ecstacy  the  benediction  of  the 
Pontiff,  and  the  sweet  smiles  of  their  ruler  and  their 
father.  Children  ran  to  him  with  eagerness,  and  art- 
lessly made  known  to  him  their  wishes;  which  were 
ever  sure  to  be  complied  with.  One  day  he  went 
on  foot  from  the  Quirinal,  to  say  Mass  at  the  convent 
of  the  Yisitandines  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales.  On  leav- 
ing the  church,  a  little  child  went  up  to  him,  and  said, 
"  Art  thou  the  Pope  ?"  "  Yes,  my  little  friend,  I  am," 
replied  His  Holiness.  "I  have  no  father,"  said  the 
little  fellow.  "  Then  I  will  be  a  father  to  you,"  was 
the  characteristic  answer  of  the  Pope,  as  he  embraced 
the  child.  The  promise  so  given  was  fully  redeemed  ; 
for  inquiry  having  satisfied  the  Holy  Father  of  the 
truth  of  the  child's  statement,  he  gave  orders  to  have 
him  carefully  educated  and  provided  for,  in  his  name 
and  at  his  sole  charge. 

Several  anecdotes  are  told  of  the  Pope's  gentleness 
and  familiarity  with  children.  j^Tmongst  others,  the  fol- 
lowing is  not  the  least  characteristic.  One  day  a  little 
fellow,  all  in  tears,  attempted  to  make  his  way  through 
the  ranks  of  the  Swiss  guards,  to  present  a  petition. 
The  Pope,  hearing  the  noise,  inquired  as  to  its  cause, 
and  sent  for  the  petition.  It  was  in  these  words: — 
"  Most  Holy  Father,  my  mother  is  old  and  infirm.  I 
am  too  young  to  support  her  life  arid  mine.  Our  land- 
lord, a  bad  man,  will  turn  us  out  to-morrow  if  we  don't 
pay  him  the  four  scudi  we  owe  him.  Deign  to  lend 
them.  I  will  pay  you  when  I  am  bigger."  "  What  is 


INSTANCES  OF  HIS  GOODNESS.  49 

your  name,  my  good  child,  and  how  old  are  you?" 
asked  the  Pope.  "I  am  Paul;  and  I  am  ten  years 
old."  "What  trade  is  your  father?"  "He's  waiting 
in  Paradise  for  us  these  ten  years,"  answered  the  little 
fellow,  with  an  accent  of  touching  emotion.  "And 
your  mother  ?"  inquired  the  Pope.  "  She  embroiders 
and  prays  from  morning  to  night."  Having  asked  the 
child  where  he  lived,  and  been  told,  the  Pope  desired 
him  to  come  on  the  next  day,  and  that  he  would  give 
him  what  his  mother  wanted.  In  the  mean  time  in- 
quiries were  made,  which  proved  that  the  statement  of 
the  child  was  correct :  and  when  he  came  again,  the 
Pope  gave  him  ten  scudi.  "I  did  not  ask  you  for 
ten,"  said  the  little  fellow,  and  he  gave  back  six. 
"Take  them  .again,  my  good  child,"  said  the  Pope, 
"and  tell  your  mother  I  will  look  after  her  for  the 
future." 

Not  content  with  giving  alms  in  the  street,  or  to 
those  who  applied  to  him  personally  or  by  petition, 
the  Pope  himself  visited  many  an  abode  of  poverty, 
and  ministered  to  the  wants  of  its  occupants  with  his 
own  hand.  The  same  hand  smoothed  the  pillow  of  the 
sick  in  the  public  hospitals  (which  he  always  visited 
without  the  possibility  of  his  intentions  being  previ- 
ously made  known),  and  administered  to  the  dying  the 
last  consolations  of  religion. 

One  night  a  person,  in  a  lay  habit,  entered  one  of 

the  public  hospitals,  and  being  attracted  by  the  groans 

of  a  patient,  approached  the  bed  on  which  he  lay.   The 

sufferer  was  a  poor  French  artist,  who,  feeling  that  he 

3 


50  EOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

was  dying,  was  most  anxious  to  have  the  services  of  a 
priest.  The  almoner  was  looked  for  in  vain ;  but  the 
Pope — for  it  was  he — administered  the  last  Sacraments 
to  the  poor  man,  who  died  in  his  arms.  Next  day  the 
almoner  was  dismissed. 

Other  institutions  were  visited  in  the  same  manner, 
and  their  abuses  laid  bare  to  the  vigilant  eye  of  one  who, 
even  in  the  most  wretched  of  criminals,  recognized  a 
brother.  Gentle  and  merciful  to  every  form  of  suffering, 
whether  the  malady  were  of  the  soul,  the  mind,  or  the 
body,  the  Pope  was  inexorable  to  those  who  oppressed  or 
defrauded  the  helpless  or  the  poor ;  and  many  salutary 
examples  were  given,  by  fine  or  by  dismissal,  to  officials 
in  charge  of  the  various  public  institutions,  who  were 
soon  made  to  know  that  the  least  offence  against  cha- 
rity or  justice  would  not  go  unpunished.  And  no  class 
of  his  subjects  excited  in  his  breast  a  livelier  compassion 
than  the  poor  imprisoned  debtors,  many  of  whom,  no 
doubt,  were  the  victims  of  their  own  folly  and  extrava- 
gance, but  many  more  of  whom  were  victims  of  the 
fraud  or  the  tyranny  of  others.  To  these  his  visits 
were  indeed  those  of  an  angel  of  mercy ;  for  his  hand 
flung  open  their  prison  door,  and  his  generosity  sup- 
plied them  with  the  means  of  commencing  a  new 
career. 

Ever  alive  to  the  great  importance  of  educating  the 
young — a  duty  to  which  he  had  already  devoted  so 
many  years  of  his  life — the  Pope  was  determined  to 
see  with  his  own  eyes  how  his  wishes  in  that  respect 
were  carried  out ;  and  scarcely  a  week  passed  in  which 


THE   POPE'S   INTEREST   IN   EDUCATION.  51 

he  did  not  make  one  of  his  unannounced  and  unex- 
pected visits.  These  visits  were  made  by  night  as  well 
as  by  day. 

On  a  day  in  March,  1847,  two  priests,  who  had  come 
in  a  hired  carriage,  asked  permission  to  see  the  schools 
in  a  certain  street.  The  teachers  were  rather  annoyed 
at  being  disturbed  ;  and  one  of  them  said,  "  Certainly 
the  Pope  would  not  like  strangers  to  be  admitted  to 
the  school  exercises  without  an  order."  "  You  are 
mistaken,"  said  the  Pope,  throwing  open  his  cloak. 
He  then  took  a  seat,  inquired  into  every  thing,  ex- 
amined the  pupils,  and  distributed  prizes  to  the  de- 
serving. 

On  another  occasion  he  desired  to  witness  for  him- 
self the  operation  of  the  Night  Schools,  which  had  been 
specially  established  for  artisans  and  others  who,  being 
employed  during  the  day,  could  not  attend  the  ordin- 
ary schools ;  and  leaving  the  Quirinal  at  night,  in"  a 
hired  carriage,  and  attended  by  one  of  his  chamber- 
lains, the  Pope  was  enabled  to  judge  for  himself  of  the 
value  of  these,  the  most  interesting,  if  not  the  most 
useful,  of  the  Roman  schools. 

As  an  instance  of  the  manner  in  which  he  corrected 
abuses  and  administered  justice  with  his  own  hand, 
may  be  mentioned  the  following. 

Shortly  after  his  accession,  as  he  was  going  into  the 
garden  of  the  Quirinal,  a  soldier  on  duty  held  out  a 
regulation  loaf.  The  Pope  took  it,  and  found  it  to  be 
bad.  "  Do  you  always  get  bread  like  this  ?"  asked  the 
Holy  Father.  "Always,  your  Holiness,"  replied  the 


52  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

soldier.  "Well,  we  will  look  to  it."  Next  day  he 
asked  for  a  loaf  of  the  bread,  and  found  it  just  the 
same.  He  sent  for  the  purveyor,  and  had  him  at  once 
arrested  and  sent  to  prison,  to  be  tried  for  the  fraud. 

He  was  one  day  at  the  Police  Palace,  when,  on  look- 
ing out  of  the  window,  he  observed  a  number  of  coun- 
try people,  who  were  kept  waiting  an  hour  for  their 
passports,  while  the  person  in  charge  was  lunching. 
The  Pope  sent  for  him,  and  after  administering  a  sharp 
rebuke,  added : — "  Now  you  must  give  these  poor 
people  fifty  pauls  (about  a  pound  English  money)  for 
the  time  you  have  robbed  them  of."  "  But  I  have  not 
got  fifty  pauls,"  remonstrated  the  official.  "Here  they 
are,"  said  the  Pope ;  "  and  they  shall  be  struck  off 
your  salary." 

To  love  and  serve  his  people,  to  render  them  good 
and  happy,  was  the  sole  thought  of  Pius. 

Fondly  attached  to  his  own  family,  he  yet  resolved, 
from  the  first  moment  of  his  election,  that  the  natural 
weakness  of  human  affection  should  not  in  the  slightest 
degree  interfere  with  his  duty  to  his  subjects ;  and, 
accordingly,  it  was  soon  made  .known  to  his  brothers 
and  nephews,  that  any  hopes  of  preferment,  to  which 
his  election  to  the  Pontificate  might  have  given  birth, 
were  vain  and  illusory.  It  is  said  that  he  warned  one 
of  his  nephews,  a  young  officer  in  the  army,  that  he 
must  not  expect  promotion  at  the  cost  of  others ;  and 
exhorted  another,  who  was  living  without  an  employ- 
ment, to  retire  to  Sinigaglia,  from  the  ostentation  of 
Kome.  And  to  this  policy,  so  widely  different  from 


THE   POPE  NO  NEPOTIST.  53 

that  which  we  see  practised  in  every  court  of  Europe, 
Pius  IX.  has  adhered  to  this  hour.  Not  a  single  mem- 
ber of  his  family  holds  a  public  position  or  office,  either 
in  the  Papal  States,  or  at  any  foreign  court ;  and  so  far 
from  his  election  to  the  throne  having  served  his  fami- 
ly, it  has  more  or  less  injured  them — inasmuch  as  they 
have  been  compelled,  in  consequence  of  his  elevation, 
to  assume  a  greater  state,  and  at  a  necessarily  increased 
expense.  In  this  most  important  respect  Pius  IX.  has 
only  followed  the  example  of  Gregory  XVI.  How 
splendidly  does  such  conduct  contrast  with  the  policy 
pursued  by  every  other  sovereign  of  whom  we  know 
any  thing. 


54  EOME  AND  ITS  KULER, 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Alarm  of  Austria  at  the  Acts  of  the  Pope. — Popular  Demonstrations 
artfully  promoted. — Proclamation  against  them. — Occupation  of 
Ferrara  by  the  Austrians. — Military  Enthusiasm  of  the  People. — 
Inauguration  of  the  Council  of  State. — Its  Creation  an  Evidence  of 
the  Pope's  Desire  for  Reform. — The  Pope  explains  his  Intentions. — 
Address  from  the  Council. — Foreign  Sympathy, — The  Pope's  Gen- 
erosity to  Ireland. — His  Appeal  in  her  behalf. — State  of  Europe. 

THE  jealousy  of  Austria  became  more  marked,  and 
her  remonstrances  more  urgent,  if  not  more  overbear- 
ing in  their  tone,  as  the  liberal  intentions  of  the  Pope 
were  fully  disclosed.  The  following  passage  from  the 
Times  of  the  28th  of  March,  1847,  is  important,  being 
a  just  appreciation  of  the  public  conduct  of  Pius  IX., 
and  of  the  difficulties  which  foreign  cabinets — that  of 
Austria  especially — were  determined  to  throw  in  his 
way: — 

"  The  opposition  of  Austria  has  been  constant  and  intense 
from  the  moment  of  his  election.  The  spectacle  of  an  Italian 
Prince,  relying  for  the  maintenance  of  his  power  on  the  affec- 
tionate regard  and  the  national  sympathies  of  his  people — 
the  resolution  of  the  Pope  to  pursue  a  course  of  moderate 
reform,  to  encourage  railroads,  to  emancipate  the  press,  to 
admit  laymen  to  offices  in  the  State,  and  to  purify  the  law, 
but,  above  all,  the  dignified  independence  of  action  manifested 
by  the  Court  of  Rome,  have  filled  the  Austrians  with  exas- 
peration and  apprehension.  There  is  not  the  least  doubt  that 
the  Cabinet  of  Vienna  is  eager  to  grasp  at  the  slightest  pre- 
text for  an  armed  intervention  south  of  the  Po.  If  such  a 


POPULAR  DEMONSTRATIONS  PROMOTED.      55 

pretext  does  not  occur,  it  is  but  too  probable  that  it  may  be 
created;  and  any  disturbances  calculated  to  lead  to  such  a 
result  would  at  once  betray  their  insidious  origin.  Mean- 
while the  Pope  is  menaced  in  Austrian  notes,  which  have 
sometimes  transgressed  the  limits  of  policy  and  decorum; 
and  the  minor  Princes  of  Italy  are  terrified  by  extravagant 
intimations  of  hostile  designs  entertained  against  them  by 
the  national  party,  headed  by  the  Pope  and  the  house  of 
Savoy,  in  order  to  persuade  them  that  their  only  safeguard 
is  the  Austrian  army.  These  intrigues  may  be  thought  neces- 
sary to  the  defence  of  the  tottering  power  of  Austria  south 
of  the  Alps,  for  every  step  made  in  advance  by  Italy  is  a 
step  towards  the  emancipation  of  the  country." 

It  will  be  shortly  seen  that  the  apprehensions  to 
which  the  bearing  of  Austria  gave  rise  were  fully  just- 
ified by  her  subsequent  acts. 

In  the  meantime,  however,  the  plan  of  promoting 
demonstrations  was  systematically  persevered  in  ;  and 
thus  was  cunningly  devised  a  kind  of  out-door  tribunal, 
to  wbich  the  daily  course  of  the  government  was  sub- 
mitted, and  by  which  its  particular  acts  were  applaud- 
ed or  condemned.  The  advice  of  Mazzini  was  fol- 
lowed to  tbe  letter — "  Profit  by  the  least  concession  to 
assemble  the  masses,  were  it  only  to  testify  gratitude. 
Fetes,  songs,  assemblies,  numerous  relations  established 
among  men  of  all  opinions,  suffice  to  make  ideas  gush 
out,  to  give  the  people  the  feeling  of  its  strength,  and 
render  it  more  exacting"  Care  was  taken  to  gain  over 
the  more  prominent  of  the  leaders  of  the  populace, 
by  working  on  their  vanity ;  and  amongst  those  was 
Cicerouachio,  who,  vain,  noisy,  and  good-natured,  was 
easily  persuaded  that  he  was  an  orator,  and  who,  fore- 


56  EOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

most  in  the  expression  of  his  boisterous  homage  to  the 
Pope,  soon  became  distinguished  as  a  leader  of  each 
tumultuous  ovation,  and  eventually  as  the  blind  instru- 
ment of  his  crafty  flatterers. 

Let  it  not  be  supposed  that  the  Pope  was  either  in- 
toxicated or  deluded  by  the  shouts  and  cries,  the 
crowds  and  the  processions,  the  music,  the  banners, 
and  the  flowers,  that  were  ready  to  greet  his  appear- 
ance on  every  possible  occasion.  He  could  not  but  be 
conscious  that— even  supposing  there  were  no  lurking 
enemies  plotting  his  ruin,  and  whose  policy  it  was  to 
excite  and  inflame  an  ardent  and  impulsive  people — 
such  a  state  of  feeling,  as  was  naturally  created  by 
those  constant  and  almost  daily  provocations  to  popu- 
lar excitement,  must  be  unsuited  to  a  due  appreciation 
of  that  rational  freedom  and  those  progressive  reforms 
which  it  was  his  object  to  promote.  Besides,  placards, 
of  a  nature  calculated  to  excite  the  worst  apprehension 
of  what  the  future  might  bring,  began  to  make  their 
appearance  on  the  walls  of  Rome;  and  in  the  prov- 
inces, the  tumultuous  gatherings,  which,  according  to 
Mazzini,  were  to  teach  the  people  "  its  strength,"  and 
render  it  "  more  exacting,"  had  been  attended  with 
serious  disturbance. 

To  check  an  evil  which  was  becoming  too  formida- 
ble to  be  any  longer  endured,  and  also,  if  possible,  to 
moderate  expectations  which  were  artfully  stimulated, 
a  proclamation  was  published  on  the  22d  of  June, 
1847,  by  Cardinal  Gizzi,  in  the  name  of  the  Pope ;  in 
which  his  Holiness,  after  alluding  to  the  reforms  which 


CARDINAL   GIZZl's   PROCLAMATION.  57 

lie  had  felt  it  his  duty  to  introduce,  declares  that  he 
intends  to  persevere  in  the  same  course,  but  to  observe, 
in  doing  so,  wisdom  and  prudence.  The  proclamation 
went  on  to  say : 

€/ 

"  His  Holiness  is  firmly  resolved  to  pursue  the  course  of 
amelioration  in  every  branch  of  the  public  administration 
which  may  require  it,  but  he  is  equally  resolved  to  do  this 
only  in  a  prudent  and  calculated  gradation,  and  within  the 
limits  which  belong  essentially  to  the  sovereignty  and  the 
temporal  government  of  the  .head  of  the  Catholic  Church — a 
government  which  cannot  adopt  certain  forms  which  would 
ruin  even  the  existence  of  the  sovereignty,  or  at  least  dimin- 
ish that  external  liberty,  that  independence  in  the  exercise 
of  the  supreme  primacy  for  which  God  willed  that  the  Holy 
See  should  have  a  temporal  principality.  The  Holy  Father 
cannot  forget  the  sacred  duties  which  compel  him  to  preserve 
intact  the  trust  that  has  been  confided  to  him." 

The  Pope  then  enumerates  some  of  the  reforms  and 
ameliorations  that  he  had  introduced,  and  the  pro- 
clamation adds: — 

"  The  Holy  Father  has  not  been  able  to  see  without  deep 
regret  that  certain  restless  minds  are  desirous  of  profiting  by 
the  present  state  of  things  to  promulgate  and  endeavour  to 
establish  doctrines  and  ideas  totally  contrary  to  his  maxims, 
or  to  impose  upon  him  others  entirely  opposed  to  the  tranquil 
and  pacific  nature,  and  the  sublime  character,  of  the  person 
who  is  the  vicar  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  minister  of  a  God  of 
peace,  and  the  father  of  all  Catholics,  to  whatever  part  of 
the  world  they  may  belong ;  or  finally  to  excite  in  the  minds 
of  the  people,  by  speeches  or  writings,  desires  and  hopes  of 
reforms  beyond  the  limits  which  his  Holiness  has  indicated. 
As  these,  persons  are  in  small  number,  and  the  good  sense 
and  rectitude  which  govern  the  great  majority  of  the  people 
3* 


58  ROME   AND   ITS  RULER. 

have  hitherto  rejected  these  insinuations  and  counsels,  the 
Holy  Father  feels  assured  that  they  will  never  find  a  wel- 
come among  the  people.  But  it  is  more  easy  to  imagine 
than  to  describe  the  grief  felt  by  his  Holiness  at  some 
horrible  acts  which  have  taken  place  in  various  provinces, 
and  which  are  in  open  opposition  to  the  peace  and  concord 
which  he  was  desirous  of  establishing  among  his  beloved 
subjects,  when,  in  the  early  days  of  his  glorious  pontificate, 
he  pronounced  the  sweet  word  of  pardon.  Another  subject 
of  grief  for  his  Holiness  has  arisen  from  certain  assemblages 
of  the  multitude,  which,  under  a  pretext  of  scarcity  of  corn 
or  other  wants,  have  taken  place  in  divers  parts  of  the  state, 
to  the  disturbance  of  public  order,  and  sometimes  with  menace 
against  personal  security." 

Cardinal  Gizzi  then  says  that  the  Pope  does  not  con- 
found these  meetings  with  assemblies  which  have  taken 
place  for  the  manifestation  of  gratitude  for  the  benefits 
which  he  has  bestowed  on  the  people,  and  that  his 
Holiness  is  deeply  sensible  of  such  demonstrations, 
and  implores  God  to  bestow  the  most  perfect  blessings 
upon  the  reforms  which  he  has  granted.  But  he 
adds : — 

"The  paternal  heart  of  his  Holiness  suffers  deeply  at 
seeing  entire  populations  and  individuals  incessantly  put  to 
.  expense  for  public  demonstrations,  artisans  abandoning  their 
labour  to  the  injury  of  their  families,  and  youths,  destined 
to  study,  losing  time  which  is  precious  to  them.  The  heart 
of  his  Holiness  would  suffer  still  more  if  this  state  of  things 
were  to  continue.  The  first  year  of  his  pontificate  is  over, 
and  in  this  period  of  time  the  Holy  Father  has  been  able 
fully  to  appreciate  the  love,  gratitude,  and  devotedness  of 
his  well-beloved  subjects.  He  now  asks  a  proof^of  their 
praiseworthy  sentiments ;  and  this  proof  must  consist  in  the 


THE   AUSTRIANS   OCCUPY   FERRARA.  59 

cessation  of  all  unusual  popular  meetings  on  whatever  occa- 
sion, and  all  extraordinary  manifestations,  except  those  for 
which,  anterior  to  the  present  notification,  permission  had 
been  received  from  the  competent  authorities." 

The  effect  of  this  proclamation  was  to  check  an  en- 
thusiasm that  was  rather  dangerous  than  serviceable, 
and  to  restore,  in  some  measure,  sobriety  to  the  public 
mind,  which  had  become  bewildered  by  a  succession 
of  undue  stimulants.  It,  no  doubt,  for  a  time  chilled 
the  feeling  of  the  people,  who,  on  some  occasions  sub- 
sequent to  its  publication,  received  the  Pope  with  a 
coldness  and  silence  that  presented  a  remarkable  con- 
trast to  the  absolute  frenzy  of  rejoicing  with  which 
they  had  hailed  his  appearance  a  few  weeks  before. 
But  who,  looking  at  the  real  state  of  things,  as  they 
are  now  presented  to  their  consideration,  will  say  that 
this  proclamation  was  not  absolutely  indispensable,  in 
order  to  dispel  delusions  which  it  would  have  been  in 
the  highest  degree  mischievous  to  encourage,  even  by 
silence  ?  If  the  result  were  to  create  a  sentiment  of 
disappointment  and  mistrust,  its  intention  was  honest, 
and  its  necessity  imperative. 

In  a  short  time  after  (on  the  17th  of  July),  the  dif- 
ficulties of  the  Pope's  position  were  increased  by  the 
aggressive  conduct  of  Austria,  and  the  circumstances 
to  which  it  gave  rise.  On  the  miserable  pretext  of 
protecting  the  Sovereign  of  the  Papal  States  against 
conspirators,  the  city  of  Ferrara  was  occupied  by  Aus- 
trian troops,  1,500  strong,  arrayed  in  order  of  battle, 
with  artillery  and  lighted  matches.  The  general  in 


60  KOME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

command  acted  under  strict  orders  from  Marshal  Ka- 
detski,  then   in   Milan.     This   gross  violation  of  the 
rights  and  dignity  of  an  independent  sovereign  was 
met  by  a  spirited  protest  from  Cardinal  Ciacchi,  the 
Apostolic  Legate  of  the  city  and  province  of  Ferrara, 
and  an  indignant  demand  on  the  part  of  the  Pope,'s 
Government,  through  Cardinal  Ferretti,  the  new  Se- 
cretary of  State,  for  the  withdrawal  of  the  invading 
force.     The  bold  attitude  thus  assumed  by  the  Govern- 
ment, as  well  as  the  natural  irritation  created  by  the 
insolent  and  menacing  conduct  of  Austria,  in  a  mo-' 
ment  excited  the  military  ardour  of  the  nation,  and 
added  to  the  hatred  in  which  thje  foreign  occupants 
of  the  soil  of  Italy  were  held  by  every  true  Italian. 
Though  neither  within  the  province  nor  the  disposition 
of  Pius  IX.  to  act  the  part  of  an  aggressor,  still,  as  a 
sovereign,  he  had  rights  to  maintain,  and,  as  a  patriot, 
a  country  to  defend ;  and,  in  the  spirit  of  the  one*  and 
the  other,  he  resolutely  prepared,  if  negotiation  should 
fail,  to  meet  the  invader  with  his  own  weapons.     The 
people  nobly  responded  to  their  ruler;  and  even  the 
cloistered  monk  was  not  insensible  to  the  martial  ar- 
dour of  the  hour,  but  proclaimed  his  readiness  to  don 
the  harness  of  the  warrior,  and  wield  the  sword  of  the 
flesh  against  the  enemy.     A  little  while  ago,  and  the 
cry  was  for  further  reforms — now  it  was  for  battle 
with  the  Austrians;   and  the  press,  to  which  liberty 
had  been  conceded,  did  its  utmost  to  stimulate  to  the 
highest  point  the  ardour  of  the  nation.     All  the  dis- 
posable troops  were  ordered  to  the  frontiers ;  and  the 


COUNCIL  OF  STATE  INAUGURATED.  61 

National  Guard  was  organized  throughout  the  States 
with  the  utmost  activity,  and  its  banners  were  blessed 
with  all  the  solemnity  which  religious  ceremonial  could 
impart.  Something  like  the  old  spirit  of  Rome  blazed 
out  for  the  moment.  In  this  critical  emergency  the 
bearing  of  the  Pope  was  worthy  of  his  position  and 
the  occasion.  Thus  writes  the  gifted  contributor  to  a 
London  Journal,*  who  witnessed  what  he  described. 
"Meantime  Pius,  overwhelmed  with  the  cares  of  his 
new  position — isolated,  so  to  say,  among  the  crowned 
heads  of  Europe — has  a  heart  and  confidence  in  the 
God  of  justice,  which  nothing  can  daunt.  He  is  fully 
prepared  for  every  emergency."  The  face  of  Pius 
says  another  eyewitness,  "beams  with  the  calm  of  a 
good  conscience." 

Even  the  Jews  shared  in  the  enthusiasm  of  the  hour, 
and  offered  the  homage  of  their  gratitude  to  the  Pop'e, 
who  had  not  only  relaxed  the  severity  of  the  laws 
which  had  so  long  pressed  upon  that  unhappy  race, 
but  had  recently  allowed  them  to  appoint  a  successor 
to  their  late  High  Priest,  then  twelve  years  dead.  On 
the  occasion  of  the  induction  of  the  new  High  Priest, 
the  ceremony  was  concluded  by  a  hymn  for  the  Pope, 
written  in  the  choicest  Hebrew. 

The  difference  with  Austria  was  ultimately  arranged 
without  the  necessity  of  coming  to  blows. 

On  the  15th  of  November,  1847,  the  Council  of  State, 
promised  by  Pius  in  his  circular  of  the  19th  of  April, 
was  solemnly  inaugurated,  amidst  the  enthusiasm  of 

*  The  Daily  News. 


62  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

the  people,  the  earnest  wishes  of  the  moderate,  the  ap- 
prehensions of  the  timid,  and  the  evil  expectations  of 
the  designing,  whose  hopes  were  not  in  reform,  but  in 
revolution  —  not  in  gradual  development  or  judicious 
progress,  but  in  anarchy  and  confusion. 

The  object  of  calling  together  the  Council  of  State, 
as  well  as  its  composition  and  division,  are  explained 
in  the  following  Proprio  Moim  promulgated  by  the 
Pope  on  the  15th  of  October,  a  month  previous  to  its 
assembly : — 

"  When,  by  our  circular  of  the  19th  of  April  last,  we  an- 
nounced our  intention  to  choose  and  call  to  Rome  respectable 
persons,  from  each  province  of  the  Pontifical  dominions,  our 
object  was  to  form  a  Council  of  State,  and  thus  endow  the 
Pontifical  Government  with  an  institution  justly  appreciated 
by  the  other  European  Governments,  and  which,  in  former 
times,  constituted  the  glory  of  the  States  of  the  Holy  See,  a 
glory  due  to  the  genius  of  the  Roman  Pontiffs.  We  are  per- 
suaded that,  when  assisted  by  the  talent  and  experience  of 
persons  honoured  with  the  suffrages  of  entire  provinces,  it  will 
be  easier  for  us  boldly  to  take  in  hand  the  administration  of 
the  country,  and  impart  to  it  a  character  of  utility,  which  is 
the  object  of  our  solicitude.  This  result  we  are  certain  to  at- 
tain. Our  fixed  determination,  'Combined  with  the  modera- 
tion of  the  public  mind,  must  enable  us  to  reap  the  fruit  of 
the  seed  already  sown.  We  will  thus  show  the  entire  world, 
through  the  medium  of  our  voices  and  the  press,  and  by  our 
attitude,  that  a  population  inspired  by  religion,  devoted  to  its 
prince,  and  gifted  with  good  sense,  knows  how  to  appreciate 
a  political  blessing,  and  express  its  gratitude  with  order  and 
moderation.  This  is  the  only  price  we  demand  in  recompense 
of  our  constant  solicitude  for  the  public  welfare,  and  we  con- 
fidently hope  to  obtain  it.  Trusting  in  the  aid  of  Divine 
Providence,  and  wishing  our  sovereign  resolutions  to  be  exe- 


THE  COUNCIL  OKGANIZED.  63 

cuted,  we  have  decreed  the  following  of  our  own  accord,  hav- 
ing duly  considered  the  matter,  and  in  virtue  of  our  supreme 
authority : — 

"  ORGANIZATION    OF    THE    COUNCIL    OF    STATE. 

"The  Council  of  State  is  to  be  composed  of  a  cardinal-pres- 
ident, a  prelate,  vice-president,  and  24  councillors,  named  by 
the  provinces,  and  who  are  to  have  fixed  salaries.  Each  pro- 
vince will  return  a  councillor,  Bologna  2,  and  Rome  and  its 
vicinity  4. 

"  The  second  paragraph  relates  to  the  mode  of  election  and 
nomination  of  the  councillors. 

"  They  are  to  be  divided  into  four  sections  : — first,  of  legis- 
lation ;  second,  of  finance ;  third,  of  internal  administration, 
commerce,  and  manufactures;  fourth,  of  the  army,  public 
works,  prisons,  &c. 

"  The  Council  is  instituted  to  assist  the  Pope  in  the  admin- 
istration ;  to  give  its  opinion  on  matters  of  government,  con- 
nected with  the  general  interests  of  the  state  and  those  of  the 
provinces ;  on  the  preparation  of  laws,  their  modification,  and 
all  administrative  regulations ;  on  the  creation  and  redemp- 
tion of  public  debts ;  the  imposition  or  reduction  of  taxes ; 
the  alienation  of  the  property  and  estates  belonging  to  the 
Government ;  on  the  cession  of  contracts ;  on  the  customs' 
tariff,  and  the  conclusion  of  treaties  of  commerce ;  on  the 
budget  of  the  State,  the  verification  of  the  accounts,  -end  gen- 
eral expenditure  of  the  administration  of  the  State  and  prov- 
inces ;  on  the  revision  and  reform  of  the  present  organization 
of  district  and  provincial  councils,"  &c. 

Let  us  not  try  this  new  concession,  which  was  but 
the  forerunner  of  one  still  more  ample,  by  a  false  stand- 
ard ;  for  any  such  mode  of  judging  of  its  value  or  its 
importance  would  be  manifestly  as  fallacious  as  unjust. 
We  cannot  attempt  to  test  it  by  a  comparison  with  the 
free  constitution  of  these  countries,  or  of  any  country 


64  HOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

in  which  popular  institutions  have  long  been  estab- 
lished. Let  us,  instead  of  forming  any  comparison 
between*  it  and  our  thoroughly  denned  representative 
system,  which  has  been  the  growth  of  ages,  and  the 
splendid  result  of  an  unwearied  and  persistent  struggle 
of  the  popular  element  against  the  claims  and  encroach- 
ments of  the  kingly  power  and  the  aristocratic  influence, 
regard  it  in  its  true  light — as  a  bold  innovation  on  the 
established  system  of  Papal  government,  and  as  an  em- 
inently venturous  step  in  the  path  of  political  change. 
Surely  there  was  enough  of  power  in  this  Council  of 
State,  if  wisely  and  honestly  directed,  to  bring  about 
the  most  beneficial  results,  by  effecting  improvements 
in  the  laws  and  in  their  administration,  and  by  a  reso- 
lute attention  to  the  development  of  the  material  re- 
sources of  a  land  teeming  with  natural  wealth,  and  a 
people  abounding  in  energies  of  which  they  were  al- 
most unconscious.  A  great  reform  in  itself,  it  was  in- 
tended to  be  the  basis  of  reforms  far  more  comprehen- 
sive. It  was  a  mighty  instrument,  fashioned  by  the 
hand  of  a  benevolent  monarch — one  with  which  the 
true  patriot  might  have  effected  miracles  in  the  way  of 
substantial  and  enduring,  not  vain  or  shadowy,  im- 
provements in  all  the  social  and  national  interests  of 
the  Papal  States.  But,  alas !  this  instrument,  intended 
for  good,  was  turned  against  the  breast  of  its  author. 

That  was  a  day  of  carnival  in  Kome  which  witnessed 
the  arrival  at  the  Quirinal  of  the  members  of  the  Con- 
sulta — consisting  of  the  President,  Cardinal  Antonelli ; 
the  Vice-President,  Monsignor  Amici;  and  the  twenty- 


THE   POPE   EXPLAINS  HIS  INTENTIONS.  65 

four  Provincial  Deputies — and  beheld  them  take  their 
places  in  the  Hall  of  the  Throne,  where  they  first  as- 
sembled to  offer  their  homage  to  the  Sovereign ;  who, 
in  reply  to  an  address  from  the  President,  spoke  these 
words,  which  were  perfectly  in  accordance  with  the  in- 
tentions he  had  from  the  first  expressed : — 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  good  intentions,  and  as  regards  the 
public  welfare,  I  esteem  them  of  value.  It  was  for  the  pub- 
lic good  that  since  my  elevation  to  the  Pontifical  throne  I 
have,  in  accordance  with  the  counsels  inspired  by  God,  ac- 
complished all  that  I  could ;  and  I  am  still  ready,  with  the 
assistance  of  God,  to  do  all  for  the  future,  without,  however, 
retrenching  in  any  degree  the  sovereignty  of  the  Pontificate; 
and,  inasmuch  as  I  received  it  full  and  entire  from  my.  prede- 
cessors, so  shall  I  transmit  this  sacred  deposit  to  my  success- 
ors. I  have  three  millions  of  subjects  as  witnesses,  that  1 
have  hitherto  accomplished  much  to  unite  my  subjects  with 
me,  and  to  ascertain  and  provide  for  their  necessities.  It  was 
particularly  to  ascertain  those  wants,  and  to  provide  better 
for  the -exigencies  of  the  public  service,  that  I  have  assembled 
you  in  a  permanent  council.  It  was  to  hear  your  opinion 
when  necessary,  to  aid  me  in  my  sovereign  resolutions,  in 
which  I  shall  consult  my  conscience,  and  confer  on  them  with 
my  Ministers  and  the  Sacred  College.  Anybody  who  would 
take  any  other  view  of  the  functions  you  are  called  to  fulfil 
would  mistake  materially,  as  well  as  he  that  would  see  in  the 
Council  of  State  I  have  created  the  realization  of  their  own 
Utopias,  and  the  germ  of  an  institution  incompatible  with  the 
Pontifical  sovereignty." 

His  Holiness,  having  pronounced  those  last  words 
with  some  vivacity  and  not  a  little  heat,  stopped  a  mo- 
ment, and  then,  resuming  his  usual  mild  manner,  con- 
tinued in  the  following  terms : — 


66  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

"  This  warmth  and  those  words  are  not  addressed  to  any 
of  you,  whose  social  education,  Christian  and  civil  probity,  as 
well  as  the  loyalty  of  your  sentiments  and  the  rectitude  of 
your  intentions,  have  been  known  to  me  since  the  moment  I 
proceeded  to  your  election.  Neither  do  those  words  apply 
to  the  majority  of  my  subjects,  for  I  am  sure  of  their  fidelity 
and  their  obedience.  I  know  that  the  hearts  of  my  subjects 
unite  with  mine  in  the  love  of  order  and  of  concord.  But 
there  exist  unfortunately  some  persons  (and  though  few,  they 
still  exist),  who,  having  nothing  to  lose,  love  disturbance  and 
revolt,  and  even  abuse  the  concessions  made  to  them.  It  is 
to  those  that  my  words  are  addressed,  and  let  them  well  un- 
derstand their  signification.  In  the  co-operation  of  the  depu- 
ties I  see  only  the  firm  support  of  persons  who,  devoid  of 
every  personal  interest,  will  labour  with  me,  by  their  advice, 
for  the  public  good,  and  who  will  not  be  arrested  by  the  vain 
language  of  restless  men  devoid  of  judgment.  You  will  aid 
me  with  your  wisdom  to  discover  that  which  is  most  useful 
for  the  security  of  the  throne  and  the  real  happiness  of  my 
subjects." 

The  Pope  took  leave  of  the  Deputies  in  these  words : 
"  Proceed,  with  the  blessing  of  Heaven,  to  commence 
your  labours.  May  they  prove  faithful  in  beneficial 
results,  and  conformable  to  the  desires  of  my  heart." 

Amidst  the  heartfelt  rejoicings  of  the  population, 
and  surrounded  or  accompanied  by  all  that  could  grat- 
ify the  eye  or  excite  the  imagination,  the  procession 
wound  its  imposing  splendour  through  the  streets 
which  lay  between  the  Quirinal  and  the  Yatican. 
Brilliant  tapestries ;  fluttering  banners,  emblematic 
and  distinctive ;  gorgeous  equipages ;  glittering  uni- 
forms of  infantry  and  cavalry ;  costumes  of  all  kinds, 
many  of  them  in  the  highest  degree  picturesque — • 


ADDRESS  FROM  THE   COUNCIL.  67 

these,  added  to  a  dense  mass  of  ardent  and  enthusiastic 
people,  formed  one  of  those  magnificent  pageants  of 
which  Rome,  above  all  other  cities,  has  ever  been  pro- 
lific. Religion  lent  its  sacred  aid,  in  the  greatest  of 
its  earthly  temples,  to  render  solemn  and  memorable 
the  inauguration  of  the  National  Council.  From  be- 
neath the  dome  of  St.  Peter's,  the  Deputies  proceeded 
to  the  chamber  allotted  to  them  in  the  Yatican,  and 
there  formally  commenced  their  labours. 

Of  the  address  drawn  up,  in  answer  to  the  speech 
of  the  Pope,  the  following  passages,  with  which  it  con- 
cludes, exhibit,  at  least,  a  clear  perception  of  the  mo- 
tives of  the  sovereign,  the  magnitude  of  the  work  to 
be  accomplished,  and  the  means  by  which  it  could 
alone  be  successful: — 

"  But  the  accomplishment  of  an  undertaking  so  great  and 
so  difficult  will  require  much  study,  time,  and  calmness.  We 
confide  in  the  continuance  of  the  noble  tranquillity  of  which 
your  subjects  have  given  so  many  proofs.  They  will  pa- 
tiently await  the  salutary  fruits  of  the  seeds  which  you  have 
sown  with  a  generous  hand. 

"  Your  work,  Holy  Father,  has  not  been  undertaken  to  fa- 
vour exclusively  one  order  of  citizens ;  it  embraces  all  your 
subjects  in  a  common  bond  of  love,  and  that  love  is  such 
that  your  example  is  admired  and  followed  by  the  other  sov- 
ereigns of  Italy,  united  with  their  subjects  in  the  alliance  of 
principles,  passions,  and  interests. 

"  We  have  often  seen  reforms,  imposed  by  popular  exigen- 
cies, developing  themselves  amidst  tumults  and  collisions. 
Their  conquest  costs  tears  and  blood.  But,  amongst  us,  it  is 
the  first  and  most  venerable  authority  of  all  which  wishes  to 
initiate  us  in  the  progress  of  civilization.  That  authority 
itself  directs  the  minds  in  a  peaceable  and  moderate  move- 


68  KOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

ment,  and  guides  us  towards  the  supreme  end,  which  is  the 
reign  of  justice  and  truth  on  earth." 

While  these  events  were  passing  in  Kome,  the  sym- 
pathies of  every  generous  nation  were  drawn  towards 
the  occupant  of  the  Chair  of  Peter.  And  on  the  op- 
posite shores  of  the  Atlantic,  in  the  chief  cities  of  the 
United  States,  masses  of  men  met  to  express  their 
admiration  of  the  acts  of  the  illustrious  reformer. 
Amongst  the  most  remarkable  of  the  meetings  which 
took  place,  was  that  held  in  the  month  of  December, 
1847,  in  the  "  Tabernacle,"  New  York,  at  which  many 
of  the  leading  statesmen  of  America  gave  the  warmest 
expression  to  their  sympathy  and  admiration.  The  ad- 
dress and  resolutions  were  proposed  by  Puritans,  and 
the  descendants  of  Puritans;  and  though  Catholics 
attended  the  meeting  in  numbers,  they  refrained  from 
taking  any  prominent  part  in  the  demonstration,  with 
the  wise  intention  of  rendering  it  the  more  striking 
and  effective.  The  fourth  resolution  exhibits  a  thor- 
ough consciousness  of  the  obstacles  with  which  Pius 
had  to  contend,  and  the  dangers  by  which  he  was  men- 
aced : — 

"  Resolved, — That  we  present  our  most  hearty  and  respect- 
ful salutations  to  the  Sovereign  Pontiff  for  the  noble  part  he 
has  taken  in  behalf  of  his  people ;  that,  knowing  the  difficul- 
ties with  which  he  is  surrounded  at  home,  and  the  attacks 
with  which  he  is  menaced  from  abroad,  we  honour  him  the 
more  for  the  mild  firmness  with  which  he  has  overcome  the 
one,  and  the  true  spirit  with  which  he  has  repelled  the  other." 

Nor  was  Ireland,  even  in  the  midst  of  her  sorrows 


GENEROSITY  OF  THE  POPE  TO  IRELAND.  69 

and  her  tribulations,  insensible  to  the  claims  which  the 
Holy  Father  had  upon  her  sympathies ;  for  fresh  in  her 
gratitude  was  the  recollection  of  the  generous  hand 
that  had  been  extended  towards  her  from  the  Vatican, 
and  of  those  urgent  appeals  which  were  made,  in  her 
behalf,  to  the  compassion  of  Christendom.  No  sooner 
had  the  cry  of  a  distressed  nation  reached  the  ear  of 
Pius  IX.,  than  it  found  a  ready  echo  in  his  benevolent 
breast ;  and  not  only  did  he  at  once  send,  out  of  his 
small  means,  a  munificent  contribution  towards  the 
fund  for  its  relief,  but  caused  the  churches  of  Rome  to 
resound  to  the  earnest  solicitations  of  his  clergy  in  the 
same  cause  of  suffering  humanity.  The  Pope's  feel- 
ings in  behalf  of  Ireland  are  best  conveyed  in  his  own 
expressive  words.  On  the  8th  of  February,  1847,  a 
number  of  English,  Scotch,  and  Irish  gentlemen,  then 
residing  in  Home,  and  who  had  formed  themselves  into 
a  Committee  for  the  collection  of  subscriptions,  waited 
on  his  Holiness  for  the  purpose  of  expressing  their 
thanks  for  his  liberality.  "  We  desire,"  said  the  Chair- 
man of  the  Committee  (Mr.  Harford), — 

"  to  express  to  your  Holiness  our  lively  acknowledgment  for 
the  benevolent  and  spontaneous  manner  in  which  you  have 
signified  to  us,  through  Dr.  Cullen,  your  charitable  and  gen- 
erous intention  of  contributing  a  thousand  scudi  to  the  same 
object.  We  also  beg  your  Holiness  to  permit  us  to  express 
our  conviction,  that  the  sentiment  which  at  this  moment  ani- 
mates our  hearts  will  be  deeply  felt,  not  only  by  the  English 
now  in  Rome,  but  in  every  portion  of  the  British  empire." 

To  which,  with  every  appearance  of  the  most  genu- 
ine emotion,  the  Pope  replied  : — 


70  EOME   AND   ITS  KULER. 

"  It  affords  me  great  consolation  to  see  so  many  benevolent 
gentlemen  from  every  part  of  the  United  Kingdom  engaged 
in  so  excellent  a  work  of  charity,  exerting  themselves  to 
arrest  the  progress  of  famine,  and  striving  to  alleviate  the 
dreadful  distress  of  their  brethren  in  Ireland.  Were  the 
means  at  my  command  more  extensive,  I  should  not  limit 
myself  to  the  little  I  have  done  in  a  cause  in  which  I  feel  the 
warmest  sympathy.  To  supply  the  want  of  a  larger  contri- 
bution, I  shall  pray  with  fervour  to  the  Almighty,  beseech- 
ing him  to  look  with  mercy  on  his  people,  to  remove  the 
scourge  that  afflicts  them,  and  to  give  peace,  happiness,  and 
abundance  to  the  country." 

But  the  Pope,  in  his  Encyclical  Letter  of  the  18th 
of  March,  so  fully  expressed  the  compassion  with 
which  he  witnessed  the  increasing  distress  of  Ireland, 
and  his  knowledge  and  appreciation  of  the  religious 
fidelity  of  its  people,  as  well  as  of  their  attachment  to 
the  Holy  See,  that  a  passage  from  that  document  be- 
comes most  appropriate  in  this  place.  It  is  as  fol- 
lows : — 

"  Being  moved  by  this  example  of  our  predecessors,  and  at 
the  same  time,  by  the  inclination  of  our  own  will,  when  first 
We  learned  that  the  kingdom  of  Ireland  was  involved  in  a 
great  dearth  of  corn,  and  a  scarcity  of  other  provisions,  and 
that  that  nation  was  suffering  from  a  most  dreadful  complica- 
tion of  diseases  brought  on  by  want  of  food,  We  instantly 
applied  every  means,  as  far  as  in  us  lay,  to  succour  that 
afflicted  people.  Therefore,  We  proclaimed  that,  in  this  our 
city,  prayers  should  be  poured  forth ;  and  We  encouraged 
the  clergy,  the  Roman  people,  and  those  who  were  sojourn- 
ing in  the  city,  to  send  assistance  to  Ireland.  By  which 
means  it  was  arranged,  that  partly  by  money  cheerfully  sent 
by  ourselves,  and  partly  by  that  which  was  collected  in  Rome, 
assistance,  as  far  as  the  necessities  of  the  time  permitted, 


•HIS  APPEAL  IN  HER  BEHALF.  71 

could  be  forwarded  to  our  venerable  brethren  the  Archbishops 
of  Ireland,  which  they  may  distribute  according  to  the  con- 
ditions of  the  respective  localities  and  of  their  suffering  peo- 
ple. But  letters  are  still  brought  to  us  from  Ireland,  and 
accounts  are  daily  related  to  us  respecting  the  calamities 
mentioned  above  still  continuing  in  this  island — nay,  even  in- 
creasing— which  afflict  our  mind  with  incredible  grief,  and  ur- 
gently impel  us  again  to  afford  assistance  to  the  Irish  nation. 
And  what  effort  ought  We  not  to  make  to  raise  up  that  nation 
now  suffering  under  such  a  disaster,  when  We  know  how  great 
the  fidelity  of  the  clergy  and  people  of  Ireland  is,  and  always 
has  been,  towards  the  Apostolic  See — how,  in  the  most  dan- 
gerous times,  their  firmness  in  the  profession  of  the  Catholic 
religion  has  been  conspicuous — by  what  labour  the  clergy  of 
Ireland  have  toiled  for  the  propagation  of  the  Catholic  religion 
in  the  remotest  regions  of  the  world ;  and,  finally,  with  what 
zeal  for  piety  and  religion  the  Divine  Peter,  whose  dignity  (to 
use  the  words  of  Leo  the  Great)  is  not  the  less  in  an  unwor- 
thy heir,  is  among  the  Irish  nation  honoured  and  distinguished 
in  our  humble  person  !" 

By  the  Pope's  personal  contribution,  as  well  as 
through  his  instrumentality,  a  sum  of  about  12,000 
scudi  was  collected,  and  sent  to  the  suffering  poor  of 
Ireland. 

With  such  an  evidence  of  his  compassion  and  good- 
ness before  their  eyes,  it  is  no  exaggeration  to  say, 
that  by  no  people  were  the  steps  of  Pius  in  the  path 
of  social  and  political  amelioration  watched  with  a 
more  intense  and  eager  gaze  than  by  the  Irish,  especi- 
ally those  of  them  wrhose  religious  sympathies  harmo- 
nized with  their  love  of  rational  liberty.  The  Pope 
had  also  testified  his  marked  respect  for  the  memory 
of  O'Connell,  that  renowned  champion  of  the  Church, 


72  EOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

* 

whose  heart,  according  to  his  dying  wish  and  desire, 
had  been  brought  to  Rome,  as  a  last  attestation  of  his 
attachment  to  the  Holy  See.  The  vestments  used  on 
the  occasion  of  the  solemn  obsequies  had  been  sent 
from  the  Papal  Chapel,  by  the  special  orders  of  his 
Holiness. 

Catholic  Ireland  felt  towards  the  Pope  as  a  child  to- 
wards a  father. 

Towards  the  close  of  1847,  disturbances  were  com- 
mencing to  break  out  in  Messina ;  insurrection  was  rife 
in  Palermo  ;  and  disaffection  was  hourly  making  itself 
manifest  in  Milan.  These  were  the  first  heavings  of 
that  universal  earthquake  which  was,  ere  long,  to  burst 
forth  in  the  principal  capitals  of  Europe.  Accounts 
from  all  parts  of  the  Italian  Peninsula  heralded  a  year 
of  storm  and  convulsion. 


THE   YEAR  OF   REVOLUTIONS.  73 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  Year  of  Revolutions. — Great  excitement  in  Rome. — Further  Re- 
forms demanded. — Opening  of  the  Roman  Parliament. — The  "War  of 
Independence. — Its  disastrous  Result. — Count  Rossi  Prime  Minister. 
— His  Assassination  resolved  upon. 

THE  year  1848  opened  gloomily  upon  the  political 
world,  almost  every  country  in  Europe  being  rife  with 
discontent,  and  ready  for  revolution.  In  Rome  events 
were  fast  hastening  to  a  crisis  ;  and  each  new  account 
of  risings  throughout  the  Italian  States  or  elsewhere  but 
added  to  the  daring  of  the  extreme  party,  now  actively 
represented  by  the  press,  chiefly  in  the  hands  of  refu- 
gees, and  by  the  clubs,  which  had  lately  sprung  into 
existence,  and  had  already  become  the  focus  of  in- 
trigue, and  the  organs  as  well  as  the  promoters  of 
violence.  By  both,  the  crafty  policy  of  Mazzini  was 
persistently  inculcated,  and  every  opportunity  availed 
of  to  encourage  the  fetes,  songs,  processions,  and  gath- 
erings of  the  masses,  so  cunningly  relied  on  as  a  means 
of  stimulating  popular  excitement,  keeping  the  public 
mind  in  a  state  of  feverish  impatience,  teaching  the 
people  its  strength,  and  rendering  them  "  more  exact- 
ing." None  but  utterly  revolutionary  measures  could 
keep  pace  with  such  a  state  of  feeling  as  was  artfully 
fostered  by  the  enemies  of  rational  reform.  The  delib- 
erations of  the  Consulta  were  rudely  intruded  upon  by 
4 


74  HOME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

the  mob-leaders,  and  changes  demanded  with  a  manner 
not  always  free  from  menace.  To  add  to  the  perils  of 
the  hour,  the  diversion  of  large  numbers  of  the  people 
from  their  customary  pursuits  led  to  the  very  conse- 
quences against  which  the  Pope,  in  his  proclamation 
of  the  22d  of  June  of  the  previous  year,  had  so  pro- 
phetically warned  his  subjects.  With  the  abandon- 
ment of  industry,  idleness  became  general,  and  poverty 
and  distress  followed  as  a  matter  of  necessity ;  nor  were 
frequent  acts  of  violence  and  bloodshed  wanting,  to  im- 
part a  darker  aspect  to  the  position  of  affairs. 

It  was,  then,  upon  a  population  so  inflamed,  that  the 
news  of  the  terrible  insurrection  which  had  broken  out 
at  Palermo,  burst  with  electric  influence.  These  tidings 
were  quickly  followed  by  still  more  startling  intelli- 
gence— that  a  free  constitution  had  been  granted,  os- 
tensibly of  his  own  accord,  but  in  reality  through  fear, 
by  the  King  of  Naples;  that  movements  of  a  revolu- 
tionary character  were  apprehended  in  Austria  and 
Prussia ;  that  barricades  had  been  erected  in  the  streets 
of  Paris,  and  that  a  Republic  was  established  on  the 
ruins  of  the  Orleans  dynasty.  From  this  moment  the 
audacity  of  the  press,  the  clubs,  and  the  mob-leaders, 
knew  no  bounds  ;  and  even  the  most  upright  and  well- 
intentioned  ministers,  who  were  constantly  appearing 
upon  and  disappearing  from  the  political  stage,  were 
reluctantly  compelled  to  flatter  where  they  could  not 
hope  to  control. 

The  accounts  from  Paris  produced  the  most  intense 
excitement;  and,  in  a  short  time  after  they  were  circu- 


THE   ROMAN   PARLIAMENT.  75 

lated  through  Rome,  the  people  proceeded  in  an  im- 
mense crowd  to  the  Quirinal  to  demand  the  promised 
constitution ;  to  frame  which,  with  safety  to  the  grave 
interests  of  the  Church — which  the  Pope  was  specially 
bound  to  protect — seemed  to  their  impatience  a  matter 
of  trifling  difficulty.  In  answer  to  a  subsequent  and 
more  formal  demand,  the  Pope  gave  the  following 
reply  :— 

"  The  events,  I  will  not  say  which  succeeded  each  other,  but 
which  have  hurried  on  to  a  conclusion,  justify  the  demand 
addressed  to  me  by  the  senators  in  the  name  of  the  magis- 
trates and  the  council.  Everybody  knows  that  I  have  been 
incessantly  engaged  in  giving  the.  government  the  form  claimed 
by  those  gentlemen  and  required  by  the  people.  But  every- 
body must  understand  the  difficulty  encountered  by  him  who 
unites  two  supreme  dignities.  What  can  be  effected  in  one 
night  in  a  secular  state  cannot  be  accomplished  without  mature 
examination  in  Rome,  in  consequence  of  the  necessity  to  fix  a 
line  of  separation  between  the  two  powers.  Nevertheless,  I 
hope  that  in  a  few  days  the  constitution  will  be  ready,  and 
that  I  shall  be  able  to  proclaim  a  new  form  of  government, 
calculated  to  satisfy  the  people,  and  more  particularly  the 
Senate  and  the  Council,  who  know  better  the  state  of  affairs 
and  the  situation  of  the  country.  May  the  Almighty  bless 
my  desires  and  labours !  If  religion  derives  any  advantage 
therefrom,  I  will  throw  myself  at  the  feet  of  the  crucified 
Jesus,  to  thank  him  for  the  events  accomplished  by  his  will, 
and  I  will  be  more  satisfied  as  Chief  of  the  Universal  Church 
than  as  a  temporal  prince,  if  they  turn  to  the  greatest  glory 
of  God." 

The  promise  thus  given  was  speedily  fulfilled ;  and 
on  the  5th  of  June  the  Roman  Parliament  was  opened 
by  a  speech,  read  by  Cardinal  Atlieri,  in  the  name  of 


76  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

the  Pope;  in  which,  after  expressing  his  satisfaction 
at  having  succeeded  in  introducing  into  his  states  the 
political  reforms  demanded  by  the  times,  his  Holiness 
directed  the  attention  of  the  Chambers  to  matters  of 
pressing  interest  and  growing  emergency.  The  sittings 
were  then  declared  to  be  opened.  And  thus  was  a 
new  field  offered  to  the  activity  of  the  party  who 
looked  upon  all  reforms  with  contempt,  and  regarded 
the  most  generous  concessions  but  as  a  means  to  an 
end.  The  two  Chambers  contained  many  sincere  pat- 
riots, earnestly  devoted  to  their  country,  their  sov- 
ereign, and  their  church ;  but  their  prudence  and 
their  good  sense  were  soon  overborne  by  the  violence 
of  those  whose  vanity  or  whose  reckless  ambition  car- 
ried them  on  to  every  excess. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  flame  of  insurrection  had  burst 
out  in  other  capitals,  to  which  the  startling  events  at 
Paris  had  given  a  wild  impulse.  The  revolution  at 
Yienna  gave  new  confidence  to  the  patriots  of  Italy ; 
and,  after  a  noble  struggle,  the  Milanese  compelled 
the  Austrians  to 'evacuate  their  beautiful  city.  A  re- 
public was  also  once  more  proclaimed  in  Venice. 

The  Pope  was  not  insensible  to  the  generous  in- 
fluence of  the  hour,  and  no  one  could  more  sincerely 
desire  to  witness  the  triumph  of  Italian  independence 
than  he  did.  To  accomplish  this  great  object  he  made 
several  efforts,  unfortunately  in  vain,  with  a  view  of 
combining  the  different  states  into  a  common  national 
league ;  but  while  he  met  with  a  cordial  concurrence 
in  some  instances,  his  proposal  was  received  with  cold- 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  77 

ness  and  jealousy  in  others.  Naples,  Tuscany,  and 
other  states,  entered  with  alacrity  into  the  scheme; 
but  the  Sardinian  Government  refused  to  send  dele- 
gates to  Rome,  and  suggested  a  Congress  in  the  North 
of  Italy — a  proposition  not  calculated  to  overcome  the 
natural  apprehensions  entertained  by  the  governments 
of  the  South  of  the  ambitious  views  of  Charles  Albert. 
Had  the  scheme  of  an  Italian  League,  under  the  presi- 
dency of  the  Pope,  been  carried  into  effect,  it  would, 
in  all  human  probability,  have  effected  the  freedom 
of  Italy ;  and  while  saving  Home  from  the  machi- 
nations of  anarchists,  have  consolidated  the  reforms 
granted  to  the  Papal  States.  But  such  was  not  to  be. 

It  would  be  an  unnecessary  task,  and  besides  one 
quite  foreign  to  the  purpose  of  this  volume,  were  I 
to  follow  through  its  vicissitudes  the  short  War  of 
Independence,  that,  commencing  with  an  enthusiasm 
to  which  no  class,  and  scarcely  any  individual,  was 
insensible,  ended  in  defeat  and  disappointment,  and 
a  more  effectual  riveting  of  the  chain  by  which  Aus- 
tria held  her  Italian  provinces  in  bondage.  The  Ro- 
mans, who,  on  the  24th  of  March,  witnessed  the  de- 
parture of  General  Durando  from  their  ancient  gates, 
at  the  head  of  a  brave  but  not  too  well  disciplined 
army,  and  who  thought  of  the  old  times,  as,  with 
music  and  banners,  their  youth  marched  to  resist  the 
foes  of  their  country,  ere  long  received  the  tidings 
of  their  having  capitulated  at  Vicenza ;  from  which 
place,  but  three  weeks  before,  they  had  gallantly  re- 
pulsed the  Austrians.  General  Durando  had,  in  the 


78  ROME  AND  ITS  EULER. 

first  instance,  exceeded  his  instructions,  which  were, 
to  proceed  to  the  frontiers,  and  act  on  the  defensive ; 
and  in  an  address,  whose  exaggeration  the  circum- 
stances of  the  moment  may  explain  rather  than  just- 
ify, pledged  the  Pope  to  a  crusade  of  exterminations 
against  the  Austrians,  as  the  enemies  of  "  the  Cross 
of  Christ."  The  Pope's  repudiation  of  this  unwise 
address  excited  intense  agitation  in  Rome ;  but  Pius 
resolutely  adhered  to  his  proclamation,  in  which,  while 
professing  his  devotion  to  the  cause  of  Italian  inde- 
pendence, he  at  the  same  time  declared  that  he  could 
not,  as  Pontiff,  proclaim  war  against  a  Christian  power. 
However,  Durando  was  ordered  to  co-operate  with 
Charles  Albert;  and  the  unhappy  result  of  the  brief 
Roman  campaign  gave  rise  to  a  stormy  debate  in  the 
Roman  Commons,  in  which  the  most  opposite  opin- 
ions were  expressed  as  to  the  conduct  of  the  war  and 
the  courage  of  the  officers  in  command.  But  the 
armies  of  Rome  and  Piedmont  had  other  enemies  to 
contend  with  besides  the  Austrians ;  for  in  the  camps 
both  of  Durando  and  Charles  Albert,  the  emissaries 
of  the  republicans  were  ever  actively  engaged  in  sow- 
ing the  seeds  of  suspicion  and  distrust,  and  amongst 
the  very  troops  which,  if  these  men  were  sincere  in 
their  devotion  to  the  cause  of  Italian  liberty,  they 
should  rather  have  stimulated  and  encouraged. 

The  defeat  of  Charles  Albert  under  the  walls  of 
Milan  put  a  termination  to  the  war,  the  gallant  mon- 
arch being  compelled  to  retire  within  the  boundaries 
of  his  own  dominions.  And  although  the  King  had 


COUNT  KOSSI   PRIME   MINISTER.  79 

clone  all  that  man  could  have  done,  under  the  circum- 
stances in  which  he  was  placed  ;  and  though  the  terms 
of  the  capitulation  were  honourable  to  him  and  favour- 
able to  the  people  of  Milan,  whose  persons  and  pro- 
perty it  protected,  the  treatment  which  he  received 
from  the  rabble,  urged  on  by  the  false  and  cowardly 
anarchists,  was  disgraceful  in  the  extreme.  But  these 
men,  wherever  they  appeared,  proved  themselves  the 
worst  foes  of  Italian  freedom. 

Meanwhile  the  press,  the  clubs,  and  mob-leaders  of 
Home  had  become  more  violent;  while  a  new  and 
more  dangerous  element  was  added  to  the  already  suf- 
ficiently excitable  populace,  by  the  return  of  numbers 
of  reduced  or  disbanded  soldiers,  of  questionable  char- 
acter, but  of  singular  aptitude  for  riot  and  disturbance. 
Each  hour  the  people — in  reality  the  mob — grew  more 
conscious  of  its  strength,  and  consequently  "  more  ex- 
acting" in  its  demands.  In  such  a  sad  state  of  things 
there  was  only  one  chance  for  the  cause  of  constitutional 
liberty  against  the  dictation  of  the  clubs  and  the  law- 
less violence  of  an  infuriated  populace ;  and  that  was 
in  the  energy  and  determination  of  a  minister  of  liberal 
policy  and  firm  purpose. 

And  such  a  minister  did  Pius  IX.  call  to  his  councils 
in  the  person  of  Count  Rossi,  whose  abilities,  as  a 
trained  and  practised  statesman,  were  only  excelled  by 
his  sincere  desire  to  see  Italy  restored  to  peace  and 
tranquillity,  and  the  enjoyment  of  national  prosperity 
as  well  as  true  freedom.  It  was  not  in  a  moment  like 
that  at  which  things  had  now  arrived,  that  a  man  of 


80  HOME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

his  stamp  would  lightly  assume  a  position  so  abound- 
ing in  difficulties,  and  undertake  a  task  so  fraught  with 
hourly  peril.  A  solemn  consciousness  of  duty,  and  a 
chivalrous  anxiety  to  be  of  assistance  to  a  noble  but  ill- 
used  sovereign,  alone  induced  Count  Rossi  to  under- 
take the  conduct  of  the  government.  To  the  anarch- 
ists— those  who  looked  for  the  overthrow  of  the  Pope's 
authority,  and  the  erection  of  a  Red  Republic  upon  its 
ruins — no  minister  could  be  more  hateful  than  Rossi ; 
and,  accordingly,  his  first  vigorous  efforts  to  restore 
order,  and  put  a  stop  to  a  condition  of  things  which  no 
government  could  permit  without  a  virtual  abdication 
of  its  functions,  were  answered  by  a  yell  of  rage  from 
the  revolutionary  press,  and  by  the  ferocious  denuncia- 
tions of  the  clubs.  Nowise  daunted,  Rossi  persevered 
in  his  good  work;  which  was  so  happy  in  its  results, 
that  in  the  course  of  some  three  weeks — for  he  had  as- 
sumed the  direction  of  affairs  on  the  16th  of  August — 
he  succeeded  in  the  now  difficult  task  of  inspiring  con- 
fidence in  the  breast  of  a  bewildered  public,  and  re- 
newing hopes  of  ultimate  success  in  the  minds  of  those 
who  had  long  since  surrendered  themselves  to  despair. 
With  such  a  man  there  was  therefore  left  but  one 
mode  of  dealing,  and  that  mode  was  speedily  resolved 
upon.  The  dagger  of  the  assassin  was  now  to  do  its 
bloody  work,  not  in  the  darkness  of  night,  when  Na- 
ture, as  it  were,  flings  a  cloak  over  the  murderer,  but 
in  the  blaze  of  the  noon-day  sun,  and  in  the  presence 
of  hundreds  of  spectators. 


ASSASSINATION  OF  COUNT  EOSSI.  81 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Assassination  of  Count  Rossi. — Dispatch  of  the  French  Ambassador. — 
Inhuman  Rejoicings. — Assault  on  the  Pope's  Palace. — The  Pope's 
personal  Liberty  at  an  End. — No  Excuse  for  this  Violence. 

As  if  to  prove  to  the  world  how  unfitted  for  rep- 
resentative institutions  were  a  people  whom  .crafty  or 
designing  men  had  systematically  trained  into  licen- 
tiousness, the  day  selected  for  the  abominable  deed  of 
blood,  which  was  to  put  an  end  to  all  hopes  of  consti- 
tutional liberty,  was  that  appointed  for  the  reopening 
of  the  Chambers ;  and  the  appropriate  place  selected 
for  the  brutal  murder  was  the  very  entrance  to  the 
Cancellaria,  in  which  the  Parliament  held  its  sittings. 

Let  the  pen  of  the  horrified  and  indignant  Ambas- 
sador of  France  (the  Due  d'Harcourt)  describe  an  act 
which  evoked  one  universal  shout  of  execration  in 
whatever  country  it  was  heard  of.  The  following 
dispatch  was  laid  before  the  National  Assembly  of 
France,  preparatory  to  the  debate  on  the  proposed 
expedition  to  Civita  Yecchia: — 

"ROME,  November  16. 

"  MONSIEUR  LE  MINISTRE, — I  have  already  had  the  honour 
of  announcing  to  you  by  the  telegraph  that  M.  Rossi,  Minis- 
ter of  the  Interior,  was  assassinated  yesterday,  at  one  o'clock, 
as  he  was  alighting  from  his  carriage  to  enter  the  Chamber 
of  Deputies.  He  was  stabbed  in  the  throat,  and  died  im- 
mediately. The  murderer  was  not  arrested,  nor  was  even 
3* 


82  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

any  attempt  made  to  seize  him.  Some  gendarmes  and  Na- 
tional Guards,  who  were  on  the  spot,  did  not  interfere.  The 
populace  remained  mute  and  cold.  It  was .  with  difficulty 
that  the  Minister's  servant  could  find  any  one  to  help  him 
in  carrying  the  body  of  his  master  into  a  neighbouring 
room.  The  Assembly,  on  the  steps  of  which  the  murder 
was  committed,  continued  undisturbedly  to  read  its  minutes, 
and  not  a  word  was  mentioned  of  the  incident  during  the 
whole  sitting.  In  the  evening,  the  murderers  and  their  ad- 
herents, to  the  umount  of  several  hundreds,  with  flags  at  their 
head,  fraternized  with  the  soldiers  at  their  barracks,  and  none 
of  the  magistrates  came  forward  to  act.  The  Director  of 
Police,  although  urged  to  take  some  energetic  measures,  re- 
fused to  interfere,  and  withdrew. — This  morning  the  whole 
of  the  ministry  resigned.  It  is  difficult  to  conceive  any  new 
combination  possible,  or  any  chance  of  re-establishing  order, 
after  what  has  passed.  Such  is  the  position  of  the  successors 
of  the  ancient  Romans  !  Having  no  packet  immediately  at 
my  disposal,  I  have  resolved  to  send  this  dispatch  overland. 
Accept,  &c.,  "  HARCOURT." 

The  Ambassador  did  not  add  the  revolting  fact,  that 
the  assassins,  their  accomplices,  and  their  abettors, 
travestied  those  fetes  which  it  was  the  policy  of  the 
advocates  of  revolution  to  encourage ;  and,  gathering 
together  all  that  was  foul  or  frenzied  of  the  population, 
passed  in  procession  through  the  streets,  till  they  ar- 
rived beneath  the  windows  of  the  house  in  which  lay 
the  ghastly  form  of  its  murdered  owner,  and  there  in- 
sulted, with  inhuman  shouts  and  songs  of  hellish  tri- 
umph, the  agony  of  the  living,  and  the  solemn  repose 
of  the  dead. 

"  Long  live  the  hand  which  poignarded  Rossi !"  was 
the  benediction  pronounced  upon  the  assassin. 


83 

That  night  of  the  fatal  15th  closed  in  blood ;  but  the 
morning  of  the  16th  dawned  on  a  day  of  horror  and 
sacrilege,  in  which  the  guilt  of  the  previous  day  was 
far  exceeded  in  atrocity.  The  ministry  of  Count  Rossi 
having  been  destroyed  in  his  person,  it  was  now  deter- 
mined, by  those  who  instigated,  or  were  resolved  to 
profit  by,  his  assassination,  to  force  a  ministry  of  their 
own  selection  upon  the  sovereign.  The  second  dis- 
patch from  the  Duke  d'Harcourt,  an  eye-witness  to  the 
infamous  outrage,  thus  describes  the  manner  in  which 
the  well-instructed  rabble  exhibited  their  "strength:" — 

ROME,  Nov.  17. 

"  MONSIEUR  LE  MINISTRE, — I  have  had  the  honour  to  give 
you  the  account  of  the  murder  of  M.  Rossi.  Yesterday  we 
had  a  continuation  of  these  excesses,  which  will  make  you 
regret,  perhaps,  not  having  given,  at  a  certain  time,  some 
support  to  the  Sovereign  Pontiff.  It  would  be  difficult  to 
witness  a  more  sad  spectacle  for  the  nation,  than  that  of 
which  we  have  been  ocular  witnesses.  Towards  two  o'clock 
a  rather  large  crowd  of  the  people  went  to  the  Quirinal  with 
a  programme,  known  beforehand,  and  which  issued  from  the 
presses  of  the  Popular  Club.  This  programme  demanded 
the  dismissal  of  the  Ministry,  the  formation  of  another,  the 
formation  of  a  Constituent  Assembly,  a  solemn  declaration 
of  war,  &c. — There  are  in  the  interior  of  the  Quirinal  100 
Swiss,  who  are  alone  charged  with  the  personal  guard  of  the 
Pope,  with  a  few  gardes  du  corps.  When  the  Swiss  saw  this 
hostile  demonstration,  they  closed  the  doors  and  prepared  for 
a  defence.  The  diplomatic  corps  had  time  to  enter  the 
palace,  and  offer  to  the  Pope  its  moral  support  against  the 
violence  that  might  be  attempted  against  him.  The  assem- 
blage at  first  uttered  menaces  to  obtain  admission,  and  seeing 
that  their  desire  was  not  complied  with,  they  endeavoured  to 


84  EOME  AND   ITS  RULER. 

burn  down  the  principal  door.  A  few  musket  shots  from  the 
Swiss,  and  their  decided  attitude,  soon  forced  the  aggressors 
to  retire  to  a  distance.  Up  to  this  time  only  the  populace 
had  interposed ;  the  attack,  therefore,  did  not  last  long,  and 
the  populace  were  beginning  to  disperse  when  we  witnessed, 
to  our  great  surprise,  an  unexpected  spectacle.  The  civic 
guard,  the  gendarmerie,  the  line,  and  the  Eoman  legion,  to 
the  number  of  some  thousands  in  uniform,  with  music  and 
drums,  came  and  ranged  themselves  in  order  of  battle  on  the 
square  of  the  Quirinal,  and  were  there  joined  by  a  few  of  the 
people  who  had  remained,  and  began  to  fire  at  the  windows 
of  the  Palace.  Some  balls  penetrated  into  the  apartments, 
and  one  killed  a  prelate  who  was  in  his  chamber.  As  the 
Swiss  continued  to  display  a  bold  attitude,  and  it  was  thought 
that  a  determined  resistance  would  be  offered,  cannon  was 
brought  to  batter  down  the  doors  of  the  Palace  of  the  Pope, 
who  is  mildness  itself,  and  who  had  only  a  hundred  Swiss  to 
defend  him.  It  is  generally  thought  that  there  were  only  a 
few  hundred  plotters,  who  had  laid  the  plan  of  this  conspiracy. 
There  were  near  the  Pope,  during  the  whole  of  the  day,  only 
the  diplomatic  corps.  The  Pope,  all  this  time,  showed  much 
sang  froid  and  firmness ;  but  as  it  was  impossible  to  oppose 
resistance, — and,  besides,  as  he  was  less  able  and  disposed 
than  anybody  to  shed  blood — it  was  necessary  to  do  what- 
ever was  demanded  by  his  own  troops,  who  besieged  him  in 
his  palace.  Negotiations  were  entered  into,  and  a  list  of 
ministers  was  proposed  to  him,  at  the  head  of  which  figure 
MM.  Mamiani,  Sterbini,  Galleti,  &c.  This  he  accepted,  pro- 
testing, however,  against  the  violence  which  was  practised, 
and  declaring  that  he  would  refer  to  the  Chambers  the  other 
measures  which  were  demanded  of  him.  The  authority  of 
the  Pope  is  now  absolutely  null.  It  exists  only  in  name,  and 
none  of  his  acts  will  be  free  and  voluntary. 

"  HABCOURT." 

The  statement  of  the  French  Ambassador  omits  the 
fact,  of  which  perhaps  he  was  not  aware  at  the  time  he 


FIRMNESS  OF  HIS  HOLINESS.  85 

wrote  his  dispatch,  that  the  motley  rabble  amongst 
whom,  to  their  shame,  men  who  called  themselves  sol- 
diers were  mixed  up,  had  proceeded  in  the  first 
instance  to  the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  and  insisted  on 
several  members  of  that  body  accompanying  them,  as 
their  organ  and  mouthpiece,  to  the  Palace  of  the  Pope. 
To  his  eternal  honour  be  it  recorded,  the  insulted  Sov- 
ereign declared,  in  spite  of  the  hoarse  and  savage 
shouts  which  reached  his  ears,  that  "he  would  not 
grant  any  thing  to  violence."  This  was  his  reply  to  the 
second  demand  made  by  the  dishonoured  Deputies,  in 
the  name  of  a  frenzied  mob.  But  the  brutal  violence 
to  which  his  Holiness  eventually,  though  under  protest, 
did  yield,  will  be  even  more  fully  understood  from  the 
following  passages  of  a  letter  which  appeared  in  the 
Daily  News,  written  by  a  gentlemen  whose  communi- 
cations to  that  journal  excited  the  greatest  attention  at 
the  time : — 

"  At  this  stage  of  the  proceedings  it  was  evident  that  the 
die  was  cast.  From  the  back  streets  men  emerged  bearing 
aloft  long  ladders  wherewith  to  scale  the  pontifical  abode : 
carts  and  wagons  were  dragged  up  and  ranged  within  musket- 
shot  of  the  windows  to  protect  the  assailants  in  their  deter- 
mined attack  on  the  palace ;  the  cry  was,  '  to  arms !  to 
arms !'  and  musketry  began  to  bristle  in  the  approaches  from 
every  direction ;  faggots  were  produced  and  piled  up  against 
one  of  the  condemned  gates  of  the  building,  to  which  the 
mob  was  in  the  act  of  setting  fire,  when  a  brisk  discharge  of 
firelocks  scattered  the  besiegers  in  that  quarter. 

"  The  multitude  began  now  to  perceive  that  there  would 
be  a  determined  resistance  to  their  further  operation,  but 
were  confident  that  the  Quirinal,  if  not  taken  by  storm,  must 


86  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

yield  to  progressive  inroad.  The  drums  were  now  beating 
throughout  the  city,  and  the  disbanded  groups  of  regular 
troops  and  carabineers  reinforcing  the  hostile  display  of 
assailants,  and  rendering  it  truly  formidable.  Random  shots 
were  aimed  at  the  windows,  and  duly  responded  to ;  the  out- 
posts, one  after  another,  taken  by  the  people,  the  garrison 
within  being  too  scanty  to  man  the  outworks.  The  belfry 
of  St.  Carlino,  which  commands  the  structure,  was  occupied. 
From  behind  the  equestrian  statues  of  Castor  and  Pollux  a 
group  of  sharp-shooters  plied  their  rifles,  and  about  four 
o'clock  Monsignor  Palma,  private  secretary  to  his  Holiness, 
was  killed  by  a  bullet  penetrating  his  forehead. 

"As  if  upwards  of  6,000  troops  of  all  ranks  were  not 
considered  enough  to  reduce  the  little  garrison  of  a  couple  of 
dozen  Swiss,  two  six-pounders  now  appeared  on  the  scene, 
and  were  drawn  up  and  duly  pointed  against  the  main  gate, 
and,  a  truce  having  been  proclaimed,  another  deputation 
claimed  entrance  and  audience  of  the  Pope,  which  the  mon- 
arch ordered  to  be  allowed.  The  deputation  were  bearers 
of  the  people's  ultimatum,  which  was  a  reproduction  of  the 
five  points  before  stated,  and  they  now  declared  that  they 
would  allow  his  Holiness  one  hour  to  consider  •  after  which, 
if  not  adopted,  they  announced  their  firm  purpose  to  break 
into  the  Quirinal,  and  put  to  death  every  inmate  thereof,  with 
the  sole  and  single  exception  of  his  Holiness  himself" 

Who  will  attempt,  on  rational  grounds,  to  account 
for  this  abominable  outrage?  If,  indeed,  the  palace 
assailed  with  such  savage  fury  had  been  the  dwelling- 
place  of  some  foul  tyrant,  stained  with  the  blood  of  his 
people — of  some  hardened  monster,  to  whose  ears  the 
cries  and  groans  of  his  subjects  were  as  sweet  music 
— of  some  wretch,  dead  to  every  good  and  generous 
emotion,  and  whose  greatest  delight  it  was  to  oppress 
and  trample  upon  those  unhappily  subject  to  his  sway, 


ISTO  EXCUSE  FOE  THIS  VIOLENCE.  87 

• — then  might  the  world  comprehend  and  account  for 
the  dark  doings  of  this  day  of  shame  and  terror.  But 
the  monarch  thus  brutally  outraged,  was  the  best  as 
well  as  the  most  exalted  of  living  men, — in  whose 
breast  ever  welled  a  fountain  of  love,  and  charity,  and 
compassion, — whose  every  thought,  from  the  moment 
that  he  rose  in  the  morning,  till  he  last  knelt  to  his  God 
at  night,  was  of  doing  good — how  he  could  improve 
and  elevate  his  people — how  he  could  promote  their 
temporal  and  eternal  interests — how  he  could  most 
effectually  minister  to  the  necessities  of  the  poor,  the 
suffering,  and  the  sick — how  he  could  most  securely 
train  the  young  in  intelligence  and  virtue,  raise  up 
the  fallen,  and  restore  the  erring  to  the  right  path. 
His  was  a  brow  that  never  contracted  in  resentment — 
his  an  eye  that  never  flashed  with  anger — his  a  mouth 
that  never  uttered  words  of  scorn  or  contempt ;  but, 
ever  gentle,  ever  merciful,  ever  good,  Pius  IX.  seemed 
born  to  attract  towards  him  the  hearts  and  win  the 
confidence  of  mankind.  But  the  base  and  bad  took 
advantage  of  those  qualities  which  command  the  re- 
spect of  the  good,  and  despised  the  gentle  and  benign 
sovereign  for  the  lack  of  that  sternness  and  that  rigour 
which  they  could  alone  appreciate,  but  which  formed 
no  element  in  the  sweet  character  of  the  Yicar  of 
Christ. 

The  plotters  had  done  their  work  too  effectually  to 
allow  of  hope  for  their  return  to  reason.  The  moderate 
were  shocked  at  the  excesses  perpetrated  in  the  pros- 
tituted name  of  liberty  ;  but  they  were  powerless  in 


88  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

tliis  hour  of  frenzy,  nor  could  their  voice  be  heard 
in  the  wild  storm  of  popular  commotion.  The  power 
of  the  Pope  was  utterly  paralyzed,  and  his  personal 
safety  in  danger.  To  repeat  the  words  of  the  Duke 
d'Harcourt,  "  The  authority  of  the  Pope  is  now  ab- 
solutely null.  It  exists  only  in  name,  and  none  of 
his  acts  will  be  free  and  voluntary" 


HIS  HOLINESS   MEDITATES   FLIGHT.  89 


CHAPTER   VII. 

The  personal  Liberty  of  the  Pope  at  an  End. — He  resolves  to  abandon 
Rome. — His  Flight  from  the  Quirinal. — He  reaches  Gaeta. — His  Re- 
ception by  the  King  and  Queen  of  Naples. 

SUCH  being  the  case — all  power  and  authority  being 
centred  in  the  very  men  who  had  been  all  along 
plotting  his  overthrow,  and  who  now  gloried  in  their 
achievement — there  was  but  one  course  left  to  the 
outraged  sovereign — namely,  flight;  and  this  he  was 
soon  induced  to  adopt.  One  consideration  more  than 
another  was  powerful  with  the  Pope — that  the  direc- 
tion of  those  affairs  which  related  to  the  Church  was 
not  only  interfered  with,  but  was  rendered  wholly 
impossible. 

At  first,  he  was  doubtful  as  to  the  course  which  he 
should  take,  or  the  resolution  to  which  he  should  come ; 
and  in  this  state  of  suspense  he  remained  for  two  or 
three  days,  when  he  received  a  letter  from  France, 
from  the  Bishop  of  Yalence.  In  this  letter  the  Bishop 
acquainted  His  Holiness  that  a  little  silver  case  having 
come  into  his  possession,  which  had  served  Pius  VII., 
of  blessed  memory,  to  keep  therein  a  consecrated  par- 
ticle, in  order  that  he  might  have  the  most  Holy  Sac- 
rament as  a  solace  during  the  sad  exile  to  which 
tyranny  and  infidelity  had  condemned  him ;  he  was 


90  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

happy  to  have  it  conveyed  to  Pope  Pius  IX.,  as  a 
memorial  of  one  of  his  holy  predecessors,  and  as  an 
object  perhaps  not  useless  during  the  events  that  were 
taking  place  in  those  days.  On  the  receipt  of  this 
precious  memorial,  the  Pope  no  longer  delayed,  or 
hesitated  as  to  the  course  which  he  should  take ;  and 
he  accordingly  resolved  upon  abandoning  Eome.  At 
first,  he  deliberated  upon  what  place  to  select  for  his 
stay ;  but  as  the  Spanish  Court  had  offered  him  their 
hospitality,  and  as  the  Ambassador,  Signor  Martinez 
della  Rosa,  assured  him  of  the  immediate  arrival  of  a 
steamer  belonging  to  that  nation  in  the  harbour  of 
Civita  Yecchia,  the  Pope  thought  that  this  would  be 
an  opportune  means  whereby  to  effect  his  escape.  But 
the  Spanish  steamer  being  retarded  from  day  to  day, 
and  the  state  of  affairs  in  Koine  becoming  more  and 
more  alarming,  the  Pope  intimated  to  the  Spanish 
Ambassador  that  he  purposed  setting  out  at  once, 
and  that  orders  might  be  given  to  the  captain  of  the 
steamer,  when  he  should  arrive  at  Civita  Yecchia,  to 
sail  to  the  port  of  Gaeta,  whither  he  had  determined 
to  proceed.  The  intended  flight  had  been  already 
communicated  to  upwards  of  fifty  persons,  ecclesiastics 
and  seculars,  and  everything  was  in  readiness  for  its 
accomplishment.  It  took  place  in  the  following  man- 
ner:— 

Count  Spaur,  Minister  of  His  Majesty  the  King  of 
Bavaria,  wished  to  take  upon  himself  the  duty  of  ac- 
companying the  Pope  on  his  secret  journey.  Mean- 
while, the  Palace  of  the  Quirinal,  which  had  witnessed 


HIS  FLIGHT  FROM  THE   QUIRINAL.  91 

the  savage  assault  of  the  16th,  was  surrounded  on  all 
sides  by  armed  men,  and  guarded  by  a  great  number 
of  sentinels ;  so  that  the  escape  of  the  Pope  seemed 
to  be  a  matter  of  impossibility — at  least,  beyond  his 
power,  or  that  of  his  faithful  friends,  to  accomplish. 
But  Providence  was  on  the  side  of  the  good,  and 
against  the  wicked.  It:  was  about  the  dusk-  of  the 
evening  when,  in  pursuance  of  the  plan  that  had  been 
adopted,  the  Duke  of  Harcourt,  whose  dispatches  have 
been  quoted,  came  to  visit  the  Pope,  leaving  his  car- 
riage at  the  foot  of  the  stairs  by  which  all  those  who 
are  about  to  have  an  audience  with  the  Holy  Father 
must  ascend.  After  a  short  communication  with  the 
Duke,  the  Pope  asked  him  to  remain  in  his  cabinet,  in 
order  that  he  himself  might  retire  to  another  apart- 
ment, and,  laying  aside  his  white  robes,  assume  the 
dress  of  an  ordinary  priest.  This  humble  toilet  was 
completed  in  a  few  minutes ;  and  the  Holy  Father, 
who  throughout  preserved  the  greatest  calmness  and 
tranquillity  of  mind,  took  his  leave  of  the  Duke,  who 
was  deeply  affected,  but  who  was  compelled  to  remain 
awhile  in  the  cabinet,  in  order  to  give  the  fugitives 
time  to  pass  through  the  secret  apartments,  and  de- 
scend into  the  Cortile  by  another  staircase.  The 
Cavalier  Filippani  a  Roman,  who  had  a  carriage  in 
readiness  in  the  Cortile,  accompanied  the  Pope  through 
the  spacious  halls  along  which  they  had  to  pass,  their 
footsteps  lighted  only  by  a  single  taper,  which  was 
borne  by  the  Cavalier.  As  they  passed  through  one 
of  the  apartments,  the  taper  was  suddenly  extinguished, 


92  ROME  AND  ITS  EULER. 

and  both  the  Pope  and  his  attendant  were  left  in  total 
darkness.  To  proceed  further  without  light  was  im- 
possible ;  so  Filippani  was  obliged,  in  order  to  re-light 
the  taper,  to  return  to  the  same  cabinet  in  which  the 
French  Ambassador  had  been  purposely  left  waiting. 
On  seeing  Filippani  return,  the  Duke  was  seized  with 
astonishment  and  terror,  believing  that  some  untoward 
occurrence  had  occasioned  the  extinction  of  the  taper, 
and  deranged  the  entire  plan  of  escape ;  but  his  mind 
was  immediately  relieved,  and  his  apprehensions  of 
danger  removed,  by  the  assurance  that  it  had  occurred 
through  mere  accident.  All  cause  of  apprehension 
was  not  yet  over;  for.  just  as  the  Pope  was  about 
stepping  into  the  carriage  prepared  for  him,  a  do- 
mestic, accustomed  to  show  respect  to  his  illustrious 
master,  and  totally  forgetful  of  impending  danger,  cast 
himself  upon  his  knees  to  receive  the  blessing.  For- 
tunately, however,  he  instantly  arose  upon  a  sign  to 
that  effect  being  rapidly  made  to  him. 

The  Cavalier  Filippani  got  into  the  carriage  along 
with  the  Pope,  and  the  carriage  crossed  the  Piazza  and 
Cortile  of  the  Quirinal,  which  was  full  of  guards,  whose 
attention  was  so  engaged  at  that  very  moment — one 
might  almost  say  miraculously  so — that  they  did  not 
perceive  who  it  was  that  passed;  and  Pius  thus  escaped, 
through  the  midst  of  armed  men,  from  the  palace  in 
which  he  had  been  held  and  treated  as  an  actual 
prisoner.  Having  passed  the  Piazza  del  Quirinale, 
the  carriage  descended  by  the  Yia  .delle  tre  Canelle 
into  the  Piazza  degli  SS.  Apostili,  and  having  traversed 


HE  BEACHES  GAETA.  93 

a  portion  of  the  Corso,  proceeded  through  different 
streets  to  the  Coliseum,  and  thence  by  the  Yia  or 
Strada  Labicana,  from  whence  the  Pope  arrived  on 
foot  at  the  monastery  of  SS.  Marcellino  e  Pietro,  where 
Count  Spaur,  with  another  conveyance,  was  awaiting 
him.  Having  passed  through  the  adjoining  gate  of 
S.  Giovanni,  he  arrived  without  any  mishap  at  the 
gate  of  Albano,  and,  in  accordance  with  the  plan 
previously  arranged,  went  somewhat  out  of  his  way 
by  the  so-called  Gallerie  di  Castel  Gondolfo,  where  he 
was  to  meet  the  post-chaise  which  was  to  carry  him  to 
Gaeta,  and  which  fortunately  was  there  in  readiness 
to  receive  him.  The  Pope  descended  from  the  con- 
veyance in  which  he  had  arrived,  and  rested  against 
a  paling  during  the  short  space  of  time  in  which  they 
were  adjusting  his  trifling  baggage ;  and  at  this  very 
moment  three  gendarmes  on  patrole  happened  to  pass 
by,  and  halted  between  the  carriage  and  the  Pope. 
But  he  calmly  saluted  them,  by  wishing  them  "  a  good 
night."  His  dress,  that  of  an  ordinary  priest,  saved 
him  from  their  recognition.  Count  Spaur  now  mount- 
ed to  the  box  seat;  and  the  Holy  Father,  with  the 
Countess  and  her  son  Maximilian,  then  about  the 
age  of  eighteen,  and  a  Bavarian  priest,  D.  Sebastian 
Liebel,  entered  the  carriage.  At  dawn,  on  the  25th, 
they  arrived  safely  at  Fondi,  and  continued  their  route 
to  Mola  di  Graeta,  where  they  met  Cardinal  Antonelli 
and  Count  Arnan,  Secretary  to  the  Spanish  Embassy ; 
whose  exertions  and  zeal,  in  conjunction  with  those 
of  the  Ambassador  Martinez  della  Rosa,  cannot  be 


94  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

too  highly  praised,  directed  as  they  were  to  assist  the 
Supreme  Pontiff  in  this  afflicting  emergency.  Here 
the  Pope  rested  for  some  hours,  and  then,  accompanied 
by  the  same  retinue,  proceeded  to  the  neighbouring 
Gaeta,  expecting  that  he  should  there  find  the  diocesan 
Bishop.  Before  parting,  however,  he  wrote  a  letter 
to  the  King  of  Naples,  and  Count  Spaur  offered  him- 
self to  be  its  bearer.  In  this  letter  the  Pope  informed 
King  Ferdinand,  that,  having  been  compelled  to  aban- 
don Rome,  he  felt  himself  bound  to  announce  to  him 
that  he  had  entered  his  kingdom  ;  but  that  he  did  not 
wish,  by  his  presence,  to  cause  him  the  least  trouble 
during  the  stay  which  he  would  be  obliged  to  make, 
whilst  waiting  for  the  vessel  which  should  carry  him 
to  Spain.  The  nuncio  of  the  Pope,  who  had  left  the 
King  a  little  time  before,  returned  again  to  the  Eoyal 
Palace  with  the  Bavarian  Minister,  who  about  mid- 
night presented  to  his  Majesty  the  letter  of  which  he 
was  the  bearer.  Scarcely  had  the  King  read  it,  when, 
with  a  promptitude  and  alacrity  that  displayed  alike 
his  generosity  and  attachment  to  the  Yicar  of  Christ, 
he  gave  orders  that  a  vessel  should  on  the  instant  be 
got  in  readiness,  and  such  matters  placed  in  it  as  his 
own  mind  suggested  would  be  most  necessary  to  sup- 
ply the  wants  of  the  Pope  and  the  companions  of  his 
exile.  Then  he  himself,  with  the  Queen  and  the  entire 
Royal  family,  going  on  board,  sailed  immediately  for 
Gaeta,  where  the  vessel  arrived  about  mid-day.  In 
the  meantime,  the  Pope,  not  having  found  the  Bishop 
at  his  residence,  betook  himself  to  an  humble  inn, 


HIS  KECEPTION  BY  THE  KING  OF  NAPLES.         95 

without  having  been  recognized ;  and  there  he  passed 
the  night.  On  the  King's  arrival  at  Gaeta,  he  caused 
the  Queen  to  be  conveyed  to  one  of  the  palaces,  and 
then  taking  another  route,  in  order  to  escape  the  ob- 
servation of  the  curious  crowd,  prevailed  upon  the 
Pope  to  leave  his  humble  dwelling  unobserved,  and 
come  to  the  Royal  palace ;  which  invitation,  warmly 
and  affectionately  urged,  was  accepted  by  the  Holy 
Father.  On  the  Pope's  arrival  at  the  palace,  he  was 
met  by  the  Queen,  who  received  him,  on  bended  knees, 
at  the  foot  of  the  staircase.  Much  affected  at  this  re- 
ception, the  Pope  gave  his  blessing  to  the  good  Queen, 
and,  raising  her  up,  he  ascended  the  stairs  in  company 
with  her,  and  conversed  with  her  Majesty  until  the  ar- 
rival of  the  King,  who  could  not  speak  through  emo- 
tion, as  he  beheld  the  illustrious  fugitive  beneath  his 
roof,  and  thought  of  the  indignities  and  outrages  which 
he  had  endured.  And  it  must  be  said,  in  justice  to 
the  King  of  Naples,  that  he  maintained  throughout 
the  entire  of  the  Pope's  long  stay  in  his  dominions — 
a  period  of  nearly  seventeen  months — the  same  gener- 
ous solicitude  for  his  comfort,  and  the  same  veneration 
and  affection  which  he  displayed  from  the  very  h'rst 
moment,  when  he  found  the  loftiest  Majesty  of  the 
Christian  world  sheltered  in  a  lowly  inn,  a  fugitive 
from  the  rage  of  enemies  who  had  turned  his  capital 
into  a  Pandemonium. 

Before  referring  to  subsequent  events,  it  may  be  well 
to  say  something  of  the  feeling  which  the  flight  of  the 
Pope  excited,  wherever  the  sad  story  was  heard. 


ROME  AND   ITS  RULER. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

The  Flight  of  the  Pope  supposed  to  be  the  Downfall  of  the  Papacy. — 
Former  Popes  driven  from  Rome — Pius  VI.  and  Pius  VII. — General 
Cavaignac's  Letter. — Testimony  of  the  "  Times." — Addresses  pour  in 
on  the  Pope. — Offers  of  Hospitality. 

"THE  Pope  has  fled — the  Papacy  is  at  an  end!" 
This  was  the  cry  which,  uttered  by  the  vainglorious 
revolutionists  of  Rome,  was  repeated,  with  more  or  less 
of  exaggeration,  by  every  thoughtless  enemy  of  the 
Church.  From  press,  and  platform,  and  pulpit,  the 
ominous  announcement  rang  forth — "  The  Papacy  is  at 
an  end !"  Bigots  piously  congratulated  each  other  as 
they  met,  on  the  happy  overthrow  of  the  too  long-en- 
dured abominations  of  the  Vatican.  Never  more  was 
the  Scarlet  Lady  to  sit  upon  the  Seven  Hills  of  the 
modern  Babylon !  The  reign  of  Antichrist  was  at  an 
end !  The  miserable  fabric  of  pasteboard  and  paint  had 
been  swept  to  everlasting  ruin  by  the  strong  breath 
of  Public  Opinion !  Let  "  alleluias"  ascend  to  heaven, 
for  man  was  once  more  free !  Such  were  the  tidings 
of  gladness  which  thrilled  the  soul  of  the  fanatic,  and 
led  astray  the  judgment  of  the  shallow.  People  who 
thus  rejoiced  in  what  seemed  to  be  the  fulfillment  of 
their  own  prophecies,  knew  little  of  the  Church,  little  of 
her  history,  and  much  less  of  the  political  agencies  by 


FORMER  POPES  DRIVEN  FROM  ROME.      97 

•which,  for  a  longer  time  than  any  existing  monarchy 
has  endured,  Providence  has  protected  the  Papacy, 
and  guarded  from  spoliation  its  temporal  possessions. 

Pius  IX.  was  not  the.  first  Pope  who  was  compelled 
to  leave  Rome,  whether  through  the  ingratitude  of  a 
deluded  people,  or  the  hostility  of  a  foreign  foe ;  nor, 
in  all  human  probability,  will  he  be  the  last.  Of  the 
past,  let  a  few  instances  suffice  to  show,  that,  although 
Popes  have  been  driven  from  their  Capital,  not  only 
was  the  Papacy  untouched,  and  its  temporal  possessions 
secure,  but  that  persecution  gave  new  life  and  imparted 
greater  energy  to  the  Church. 

Gelasius  the  Second  was  forced  to  leave  Rome  by 
the  Emperor  Henry  the  Fifth,  and  to  fly  for  refuge  to 
France— a  country  even  at  that  period  (A.  D.  1118)  of- 
fering a  ready  asylum  to  the  Sovereign  Pontiffs.  On 
his  journey,  all  the  nobility  and  clergy  of  Provence 
came  to  meet  him ;  and  the  King  of  France  fell  pros- 
trate at  his  feet. 

Eugenius  the  Third,  like  our  Pius,  was  compelled  to 
leave  Rome  through  the  conduct  of  his  people,  insti- 
gated to  rebellion  by  Arnold  da  Brescia ;  and  in  his 
flight  this  Pontiff  was  met  by  deputations  representing 
the  majority  of  the  bishops  and  people  of  Armenia,  who, 
shaking  off  the  Nestorian  heresy,  became  reconciled  to 
the  Church. 

Alexander  the  Third  was  exposed  to  the  outrages  of 

the  faction  of  the  Emperor  Frederick  (Barbarossa) — to 

escape  whose  fury  the  venerable  Pontiff  wandered  a 

fugitive  through  Italy,  France,  and  Germany.     But  his 

5 


98  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

long  exile  was  one  continued  ovation.  The  princes  and 
people  of  all  Christian  nations  rivalled  each  other  to  do 
him  honour.  Messages  and  gifts  flowed  in  from  the 
King  of  Jerusalem,  and  even  from  Emanuel  Comnenus, 
Emperor  of  Constantinople,  who  was  a  supporter  of  the 
Greek  heresy ;  and  the  Kings  of  France  and  England 
esteemed  it  an  honour  to  wait  upon  the  illustrious  exile. 
The  Catholic  Bishops  of  all  countries,  including  St. 
Thomas  of  Canterbury,  tendered  him  their  homage,  and 
addressed  him  letters  of  affectionate  sympathy.  And, 
finally,  a  league  was  formed,  by  the  Yenetians  and  the 
different  cities  of  Lombardy,  to  protect  him  against 
Frederick ;  who,  at  last,  was  forced  to  throw  himself  as 
a  suppliant  before  the  outraged  Pontiff,  and,  upon  his 
knees,  to  beg  for  mercy  and  pardon.  This  struggle, 
one  of  the  most  protracted  and  perilous  which  the  Pa- 
pacy ever  had  to  encounter,  terminated  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  See  of  Rome  on  a  much  firmer  basis 
than  before. 

Coming  down  to  late  times,  we  behold  Pius  VI.  ex- 
posed to  danger  and  persecution,  and  eventually  dyin'g 
in  exile.  He  is  compelled  to  deliver  up,  by  extorted 
treaty,  important  portions  of  his  possessions,  and  to  sub- 
mit to  see  the  priceless  treasures  of  art  with  which  he 
had  enriched  his  galleries,  made  the  spoil  of  the  con- 
queror. His  capital  is  occupied  by  a  French  army—- 
his authority  is  superseded — a  Republic,  on  the  model 
of  that  of  France,  is  established  in  its  stead ;  and  be- 
cause he  will  not  acknowledge  the  usurpation,  he  is 
compelled  to  leave  the  Vatican,  and  seek  shelter  in  a 


PIUS  VI.   AND   PIUS  VII.  99 

convent  near  Florence,  in  which  he  is  allowed  to  remain 
but  a  short  time.  Treated  like  a  criminal,  and  trans- 
mitted from  fortress  to  fortress,  Pius  VI.  at  last  yields 
up  a  life  of  suffering,  most  heroically  endured.  Still 
the  Papacy  was  not  destroyed,  nor  was  its  temporal 
sovereignty  at  an  end. 

In  Venice,  not  in  Home,  was  his  successor,  Pius  VII. , 
elected.  Alike  in  name,  he  was  also  similar  to  him  in 
his  sufferings.  There  are  many  yet  living  who  remem- 
ber the  persecutions  to  which  this  saintly  Pope  was 
subjected.  The  policy  of  the  Directory  was  to  uproot 
the  Papacy — that  of  Napoleon  was  to  maintain  it,  but 
in  complete  subjection  to  his  authority.  "All  Italy,'7 
said  Napoleon,  writing  to  Pius,  in  the  year  1805,  "must 
be  subject  to  my  laws.  Your  situation  requires  that 
you  should  pay  me  the  same  respect  in  temporal,  which 
I  do  you  in  spiritual  matters.  You  are  sovereign  of 
Home,  but  I  am  its  emperor.  All  my  enemies  must 
be  its  enemies.  No  Sardinian,  English,  Russian,  or 
Swedish  envoy  may  be  permitted  to  reside  at  your 
capital."  The  reply  of  Pius  to  that  extraordinary 
being  who  already  aimed  at  universal  dominion,  and 
whose  star  of  destiny  then  rose  high  in  the  ascendant, 
was  dignified  and  firm ;  the  more  so,  that  his  position 
placed  him  at  the  mercy  of  the  conqueror.  Pius  thus 
writes : — 

"  Your  Majesty  lays  it  down  as  a  fundamental  prin- 
ciple that  you  are  Sovereign  of  Rome.  The  supreme 
Pontiff  admits  no  such  authority,  nor  any  power  su- 
perior in  temporal  matters  to  his  own.  There  is  no 


100  ROME   AND   ITS   EULER. 

Emperor  of  Rome.  It  is  not  thus  that  Charlemagne 
treated  our  predecessors.  The  demand  to  dismiss  the 
envoys  of  Russia,  England,  and  Sweden,  is  positively 
refused :  the  father  of  the  faithful  is  bound  to  remain 
at  peace  with  all,  without  distinction  of  Catholics  or 
heretics." 

Every  one  acquainted  with  the  events  of  those  times 
knows  how  Buonaparte  gradually  stripped  the  Pope 
of  his  dominions — how  the  excommunication  boldly 
launched  at  him  by  Pius,  was  resented  by  the  armed 
invasion  of  his  palace,  and  the  seizure  of  his  person — 
how  for  years  he  was  kept  as  a  prisoner  in  the  fortress 
of  Fenestrelles,'  and,  when  ultimately  brought  to  Fon- 
tainebleau,  compelled  to  submit  to  terms  which  seemed 
to  place  the  independence  of  the  Church  beneath  the 
armed  heel  of  the  conqueror,  and  render  the  Yicar  of 
Christ  the  subject,  if  not  the  slave,  of  an  earthly  mon- 
arch. Still  the  Papacy  was  not  at  an  end ;  and  Rome 
once  again  hailed  with  grateful  affection  its  long-suffer- 
ing and  saintly  sovereign,  Pius  YII.  And,  as  in  pre- 
vious instances,  the  trials  and  humiliations  to  which 
the  august  Head  of  the  Church  was  subjected,  only 
drew  more  strongly  towards,  the  Chair  of  Peter  the 
sympathy  and  allegiance  of  the  faithful  throughout  the 
Christian  world. 

Look  now  to  the  last  instance  in  which  foolish  men 
beheld  the  downfall  of  the  Papacy. 

"  Pius  IX.  has  seen  the  last  of  Rome,"  said  one  eye- 
witness of  the  events  of  1848.  "  We  have  beheld  the 
end  of  the  reign  of  the  Popes,"  said  another.  And 


101 

thus  writes  one  of  the  inspired  madmen  of  the  hour — 
"  The  Republic  is  erected  on  the  ruins  of  the  throne  of 
the  Popes,  which  the  shout  of  all  Europe,  the  maledic- 
tions of  all  people,  and  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel,  have 
trampled  in  the  dust."  The  wretch  who  wrote  this 
lied  and  raved  at  the  same  time. 

Every  generous  nation  of  the  earth  sympathized 
with  the  illustrious  victim  of  human  fickleness  and  in- 
gratitude ;  and  from  the  midst  of  every  Catholic  people 
came  the  most  ardent  expressions  of  homage  and  devo- 
tion. The  sovereigns  and  princes  of  Europe  wrote  to 
Pius  in  terms  of  the  greatest  respect  and  affection; 
and  the  chief  Catholic  Powers  vied  with  each  other 
for  the  honour  of  receiving  nim  within  their  dominions. 
The  most  eloquent  orators  in  the  French  Assembly  and 
the  Spanish  Cortez,  while  eulogizing  his  virtues  and 
enumerating  his  many  acts  of  liberality,  enforced  the 
necessity  of  the  Pope  having  absolute  independence  in 
the  government  of  his  territories. 

It  was  in  the  following  language,  so  earnest  and  so 
full  of  warmth,  that  the  heroic  Cavaignac,  then  at  the 
head  of  the  French  Republic,  wrote  to  his  Holiness,  in 
the  very  hour  which  was  declared  by  false  prophets  to 
be  that  of  his  "  downfall  :"— 

"  PARIS,  Dec.  3. 

"  VERY  HOLY  FATHER — I  address  this  dispatch  and  another 
from  the  Archbishop  of  Nicea,  your  Nuncio  to  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Republic,  to  your  Holiness,  by  one  of  my  aides- 
de-camp. 

"  The  French  nation,  deeply  afflicted  at  the  troubles  with 


102  ROME  AND   ITS   RULER. 

which  your  Holiness  has  been  assailed  within  a  short  period, 
has  been  moreover  profoundly  affected  at  the  sentiment  of 
paternal  confidence  which  induced  your  Holiness  to  demand, 
temporarily,  hospitality  in  France ;  which  it  will  be  happy 
and  proud  to  secure  to  you,  and  which  it  will  render  worthy 
of  itself  and  of  your  Holiness.  I  write  to  you  therefore  in 
order  that  no  feeling  of  uneasiness  or  unfounded  apprehension 
may  divert  your  Holiness  from  your  first  resolution.  The 
Republic,  the  existence  of  which  is  already  consecrated  by 
the  mature,  persevering,  and  sovereign  will  of  the  French  na- 
tion, will  see  with  pride  your  Holiness  give  to  the  world  the 
spectacle  of  that  exclusively  religious  consecration  which  your 
presence  in  the  midst  of  it  announces,  and  it  will  receive  you 
with  the  dignity  and  the  religious  respect  which  becomes  this 
great  and  generous  nation.  I  have  felt  the  necessity  of  giving 
your  Holiness  this  assurance,  and  I  heartily  desire  that  your 
arrival  may  take  place  without  much  delay. 

"  It  is  with  those  sentiments,  Very  Holy  Father,  that  I  am 
your  respectful  son, 

"GENERAL  CAVAIGNAC." 

And  on  the  following  Christmas  Day  the  diplomatic 
body,  then  assembled  at  Gaeta — and  including  tbe 
Russian  Ambassador  at  Naples — waited  on  the  Pope, 
and  thus  addressed  His  Holiness  through  the  Ambas- 
sador of  Spain : — 

"  Holy  Father,  on  this  solemn  day,  consecrated  by  religion, 
the  diplomatic  body  performs  a  duty  in  laying  at  the  feet  of 
your  Holiness  its  most  respectful  and  sincere  homage.  Hav- 
ing witnessed  the  virtues  which  your  Holiness  displayed  in 
circumstances  too  striking  ever  to  be  forgotten,  we  are  happy 
to  express  on  this  occasion  the  same  sentiments  of  admiration 
and  devotedness,  as  unalterable  as  the  virtues  they  inspire. 
In  wishing  your  Holiness  the  peace  and  happiness  of  which 
you  are  so  worthy,  we  are  only  faithful  interpreters  of  the 


TESTIMONY   OF  THE    "TIMES."  103 

wishes  of  our  Governments,  who  all  take  a  lively  interest  in 
the  fate  of  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  whose  cause  is  too  just,  too 
holy,  not  to  be  protected  by  Him,  who  holds  in  His  powerful 
hand  the  destinies  of  nations  and  kings." 

9 

"While  that  section  of  the  public  press  of  these  coun- 
tries, which  represents  the  extreme  anti-Catholic  por- 
tion of  the  population,  laboured  to  prove  that  the  flight 
of  the  Pope  was  not  only  the  destruction  of  his  tem- 
poral sovereignty,  but  the  ruin  of  his  spiritual  influ- 
ence, there  were  some  writers  who,  either  fairer  or 
more  far-seeing,  took  quite  a  different  view  of  the  real 
position  of  Catholic  affairs.  Amongst  those  who  did 
not  suffer  their  judgment  to  be  blinded  by  their  preju- 
dices, was  a  writer  in  the  Times  of  December  4th ;  a 
passage  from  whose  able  and  generally  well-toned 
article  on  the  great  event  of  the  hour,  is  a  striking  tes- 
timony against  the  ravings  of  bigotry  : — 

"  It  is  a  matter  of  history,  however  singular  and  unwel- 
come such  an  assertion  might  sound,  that  in  the  very  hour  of 
his  flight  and  his  fall,  Pius  IX.  was  and  is  more  entirely  and 
essentially  pope  and  head  of  the  Latin  Church  than  many 
hundreds  of  his  predecessors  have  been  amidst  all  the  splen- 
dour of  the  Lateran.  Personally  the  deposed  Pontiff  has 
exhibited  to  the  world  no  common  share  of  evangelical  vir- 
tues ;  and  though  his  political  abilities  proved  inadequate  to 
execute  the  moderate  reforms  he  had  entered  upon,  from  the 
unworthiness  of  his  subjects  and  the  infelicities  of  these 
times,  yet  the  apparition  of  so  benignant  and  conscientious  a 
man  on  the  Papal  throne,  in  the  midst  of  the  turmoil  of 
Europe,  has  forcibly  struck  the  imagination  and  won"  the 
affection  of  the  whole  Roman  Catholic  population  of  Eu- 
rope. Accordingly,  at  a  crisis  when  every  other  constituted 


104:  HOME  AND   ITS   RULER. 

authority  has  been  more  or  less  shaken,  and  every  other 
institution  tried,  the  Romish  hierarchy  has,  in  all  countries 
where  it  exists,  extended  its  influence,  and  more  displayed  its 
power."  • 

At  no  period  of  his  Pontificate  did  Pius  IX.  com- 
mand a  greater  degree  of  influence  throughout  the 
Catholic  world  than  during  his  stay  at  Gaeta.  With  a 
lowlier  reverence,  and  a  more  profound  devotion,  Cath- 
olic nations  bowed  before  the  venerable  Father  of  the 
Church  ;  no  longer  enthroned  amidst  the  splendours  of 
the  Vatican,  but  an  exile,  driven  from  his  capital  by 
violence  and  treason.  Declarations  of  attachment,  pro- 
fessions of  admiration  and  sympathy,  offers  of  assist- 
ance, and  presents  of  money,  poured  in  upon  the  Pope. 
And  it  may  be  here  properly  remarked,  that*  of  the  vast 
sums  which  he  has  since  expended  in  works  of  utility 
and  charity  in  Rome,  the  larger  portion  was  then  de- 
rived from  the  generous  and  spontaneous  offerings  of 
the  faithful.  In  every  living  language  did  sympathy 
convey  its  sweet  consolation  to  the  wounded  heart  of 
Pius.  And  perhaps  one  of  the  most  touching  letters 
received  by  the  Holy  Father  was  one  sent  to  him  by  a 
Lutheran  Protestant,  named  Christian  Freytag,  of  Lu- 
bec,  enclosing  thirty  ducats,  and  concluding  in  these 
words : — 

"  Permit  me,  Holy  Father,  who  am  penetrated  with 
the  most  profound  respect  for  your  holy  person,  to  con- 
tinue my  prayers  for  you  to  our  Saviour,  Christ  Jesus. 
Deign,  in  return,  to  bless  my  family,  who,  although 
Protestant  Lutherans,  implore  for  you  the  choicest 


ADDRESSES  TO   THE   POPE.  105 

blessings  from  the  hands  of  our  Father  in  Heaven,  who 
Himself  is  Love  and  Holiness." 

Addresses  poured  in  upon  the  Royal  Exile  from  the 
Archbishops  and  Bishops  of  Martinique,  Oregon,  Agra, 
the  Mexican  Confederation,  Auckland,  Bosnia,  (in  the 
Ottoman  Empire),  Japan,  Lima,  Melbourne,  Pondi- 
cherry,  Sydney,  Santiago ;  and,  without  enumerating 
the  places  or  dioceses  throughout  the  world  from  which 
there  flowed  one  great  tide  of  sympathy,  it  is  enough  to 
say,  that  on  whatever  spot  of  the  earth  a  Catholic  altar 
was  raised,  or  in  which  a  Catholic  community  existed, 
there  was  experienced  a  filial  sense  of  horror  at  the 
outrages  perpetrated  on  the  Holy  Father — and  that 
the  entire  Church  felt  aggrieved  in  the  sacred  person 
of  the  Supreme  Pontiff. 

But  in  no  country  did  the  events  which  terminated 
in  the  flight  of  the  Pope  excite  a  more  profound  feel- 
ing of  regret,  or  a  keener  sense  of  indignation,  than  in 
Ireland  ;  and  by  no  people  was  attachment  to  the  per- 
son of  the  Pope,  and  devotion  to  the  Holy  See,  more 
ardently  and  emphatically  expressed,  than  by  the 
Catholic  population  of  that  country.  Loving  liberty 
with  passionate  ardour,  and  sympathizing  with  every 
generous  effort  made  by  the  oppressed  nations  of  Eu- 
rope to  shake  off  the  yoke  of  the  stranger,  they  looked 
with  horror  upon  the  brutal  and  sacrilegious  outrages 
with  which  the  most  illustrious,  as  well  as  the  most  en- 
lightened and  well-intentioned  reformer  of  the  age,  had 
been  rewarded  for  his  large  and  liberal  concessions. 
They  had  followed  every  step  of  his  political  progress 
5* 


106  ROME   AND   ITS  EULER. 

with  the  deepest  interest,  enhanced  by  a  consciousness 
of  the  dangers  which  he  had  to  encounter,  and  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  complicated  obstacles  that  lay  in  his  path ; 
and  they  sickened  with  disgust  as  they  read  of  the 
murder  of  the  Pope's  minister,  and  the  assault  upon 
the  Quirinal.  For,  independently  of  the  ingratitude 
which  such  atrocities  evinced,  they  saw  how  the  dag- 
ger and  the  bullet  of  the  assassin  struck  at  that  very 
Liberty  whose  prostituted  name  he  invoked.  The 
people  of  Ireland  well  knew  that  such  excesses,  which 
delivered  up  Rome  to  a  reign  of  anarchy,  afforded  a 
ready  excuse  to  every  despotism,  and  a  plea  against  all 
concessions  to  popular  demands. 

At  any  rate,  at  no  time  in  the  history  of  the  Church 
did  a  sentiment  of  more  complete  identity  exist,  than 
that  which  now  bound  so  many  wide-spread  nations 
and  races  to  the  Chair  of  Peter.  The  rock  on  which 
the  hand  of  God  had  placed  the  Church  was  never 
stronger  than  in  this  hour,  when  the  storm  howled, 
and  the  waves  of  human  passion  dashed  against  it  in 
their  fury.  Neither  was  the  Papacy  at  an  end ;  nor 
were  its  temporal  power  and  possessions  to  be  torn 
from  it.  For — such  was  the  will  of  Providence — the 
descendants  of  the  same  race  that,  through  their  sov- 
ereign Charlemagne,  restored  the  keys  of  the  cities 
of  the  Exarchate,  which  wrere  torn  from  the  grasp  of 
the  Lombard  invader,  and  placed  them  on  the  altar  of 
St.  Peter,  were,  in  a  few  brief  months  from  the  hour 
of  the  flight  of  Pius,  to  lay  at  his  feet  the  keys  of  his 
liberated  capital.  And,  most  wonderful  dispensation 


OFFERS   OF   HOSPITALITY.  107 

of  Providence !  the  same  nation  that  would  have  blot- 
ted out  the  Papacy  under  the  Great  Revolution,  or 
held  it  in  bondage  beneath  the  armed  power  of  the 
First  Napoleon,  now  rushed  to  its  rescue  under  a  Re- 
public, whose  President  gloried  in  the  fact  that  he 
was  the  nephew  of  the  very  Emperor  who  had  held 
in  captivity  the  sacred  person  of  Pius  VII.  And  yet 
there  were  those  who  shouted — "  The  Papacy  is  at  an 
end  !" 

During  the  Pope's  sojourn  at  Gaeta,  that  port  was 
frequented  by  vessels  from  many  nations — including 
France,  Portugal,  Spain,  Piedmont,  and  America, — 
who  sent  deputations  to  the  Holy  Father,  offering  him 
their  hospitality,  and  the  homage  of  their  respect.  The 
Protestant  King  of  Prussia  placed  at  the  Pope's  dispo- 
sal a  castle  in  his  own  dominions ;  and  on  the  part  of 
England,  Admiral  Parker  came  twice  to  Gaeta,  offer- 
ing him  an  asylum  in  the  island  of  Malta.  But  over- 
come by  the  cordial  and  generous  reception  which  the 
King  of  Naples  had  given  him,  and  by  the  desire 
which  that  monarch  expressed  of  his  remaining  in  his 
territory,  Pius  resolved  upon  doing  so,  more  especially 
as  the  vicinity  of  Gaeta  to  Rome  afforded  just  grounds 
for  its  being  preferred  to  the  other  States. 


108  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Confusion  in  Rome  at  the  Flight  of  the  Pope. — His  Protest  from  Gaeta. 
— The  Constituent  Assembly  convoked. — Arrival  of  Mazzini. — State 
of  Rome. — Pius  appeals  to  the  Catholic  Powers. — His  Appeal  re- 
sponded to. 

IT  is  not  necessary  to  enter  into  a  detail  of  the  events 
which  followed  the  departure  of  the  Pope ;  nor  to  just- 
ify a  course  which,  though  irritating  to  a  ministry  who 
had  been  absolutely  forced  upon  his  Holiness  with  fire 
and  sword,  was  inevitable,  if  the  personal  freedom  of 
the  Sovereign  were  to  be  preserved.  /'The  Pope,"  said 
the  proclamation  of  this  bewildered  ministry,  "  ceding 
to  fatal  counsels,  quitted  Rome  this  night."  Rifle-bul- 
lets, scaling  ladders,  combustibles,  and  pointed  cannon, 
must  have  meant  "  fatal  counsels ;"  for  to  these  the 
Holy  Father  certainly  did  yield.  The  protest  made  by 
the  Pope  at  Gaeta  will  sufficiently  describe  what  took 
place  since  his  quitting  Rome  on  the  25th  of  Novem- 
ber. It  also  briefly  refers  to  the  efforts  which  he  had 
made  to  satisfy  the  demands  and  promote  the  happiness 
of  his  subjects.  This  protest  was  made  on  the  17th  of 
December : — 

"  Raised  by  Divine  dispensation,  in  a  manner  almost  mi- 
raculous, in  spite  of  our  nnworthiness,  to  the  Sovereign  Pon- 
tificate, one  of  my  first  cares  was  to  endeavour  to  establish  a 
union  between  the  subjects  of  the  temporal  state  of  the 


THE  POPE'S  PEOTEST.  109 

Church,  to  make  peace  between  families,  to  do  them  good  in 
all  ways,  and,  as  far  as  depended  upon  us,  to  render  the  state 
peaceable  and  flourishing.  But  the  benefits  which  we  did  all 
in  our  power  to  heap  upon  our  subjects,  the  wide-founded  in- 
stitutions which  we  have  granted  to  their  desires,  far,  as  we 
must  in  all  candour  declare,  from  inspiring  that  acknowledg- 
ment and  gratitude  which  we  had  every  right  to  expect,  have 
occasioned  to  our  heart  only  reiterated  pain  and  bitterness, 
caused  by  those  ungrateful  men  whom  our  paternal  eye 
wished  to  see  daily  diminishing  in  number.  All  the  world 
can  now1  tell  how  our  benefits  have  been  answered,  what  abuse 
has  been  made  of  our  concessions,  how,  by  denaturalizing 
them,  and  perverting  the  meaning  of  our  words,  they  have 
sought  to  mislead  the  multitude,  so  that  these  very  benefits 
and  institutions  have  been  turned  by  certain  men  into  arms, 
with  which  they  have  committed  the  most  violent  outrages 
upon  our  sovereign  authority,  and  against  the  temporal 
rights  of  the  Holy  See.  Our  heart  refuses  to  repeat  in  de- 
tail the  events  which  have  taken  place  since  November  15, 
the  day  on  which  a  minister  who  had  our  confidence  was  bar- 
barously murdered  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin,  applauded  with 
a  still  greater  ba,rbarity  by  a  troop  of  infuriated  enemies  to 
God,  to  man,  and  to  every  just  political  institution.  This  first 
crime  opened  the  way  to  a  series  of  crimes  committed  the  fol- 
lowing day,  with  sacrilegious  audacity.  They  have  already 
incurred  the  execration  of  every  upright  mind  in  our  state,  in 
Italy,  and  in  Europe ;  they  have  incurred  execration  in  all 
parts  of  the  earth.  This  is  the  reason  why  we  oan  spare  our 
heart  the  intense  pain  of  recapitulating  them  here. 

"  We  were  constrained  to  withdraw  from  the  place  in  which 
they  were  committed — from  that  place  where  violence  pre- 
vented us  from  applying  any  remedy,  reduced  to  weep  over 
and  deplore  with  good  men  those  sad  events,  and  still  more 
lamentable  want  of  power  in  justice  to  act  against  the  perpe- 
trators of  these  abominable  crimes.  Providence  has  conduct- 
ed us  to  this  town  of  Gaeta,  where,  finding  ourselves  at  full 
liberty,  we  have,  against  the  authors  of  the  aforesaid  attempts 


110  ROME   AND   ITS   BULEB. 

and  acts  of  violence,  solemnly  renewed  the  protests  which  we 
issued  at  Rome  at  the  first  moment,  in  the  presence  of  the 
representatives  accredited  to  us  of  the  courts  of  Europe,  and 
of  other  and  distant  nations.  By  the  same  act,  without  in  any 
manner  departing  from  the  institutions  we  had  created,  we 
took  care  to  give  temporarily  to  our  states  a  legitimate  gov- 
ernmental representation,  in  order  that  in  the  capital  and 
throughout  the  state  provision  should  be  made  for  the  regular 
and  ordinary  course-  of  public  affairs,  as  well  as  for  the  pro- 
tection of  the  persons  and  property  of  our  subjects.  By  us, 
moreover,  has  been  prorogued  the  session  of  the  High  Coun- 
cil and  the  Council  of  Deputies,  who  had  recently  been  called 
to  resume  their  interrupted  sitting.  But  these  determinations 
of  our  authority,  instead  of  causing  the  perturbators  and  the 
authors  of  the  acts  of  sacrilegious  violence  of  which  we  have 
spoken  to  return  into  the  path  of  duty,  have  urged  them  to 
make  still  greater  attempts.  Arrogating  to  themselves  the 
rights  of  sovereignty,  which  belong  only  to  us,  they  have,  by 
means  of  the  two  councils,  instituted  in  the  capital  an  illegiti- 
mate governmental  representation,  under  the  title  of  Provis- 
ional Supreme  Junta  of  the  State,  which  they  have  published 
by  an  Act  dated  the  12th  of  the  present  month.  The  duties 
of  our  sovereignty,  in  which  we  cannot  fail,  the  solemn  oaths 
with  which  we  have,  in  the  presence  of  God,  promised  to  pre- 
serve tjje  patrimony  of  the  Holy  See,  and  to  transmit  it  in  all 
its  integrity  to  our  successors,  obliges  us  to  raise  our  voice 
solemnly,  and  protest  before  God,  and  in  the  face  of  the  whole 
universe,  against  this  gross  and  sacrilegious  attempt.  There- 
fore we  declare  to  be  null,  and  of  no  force  or  effect  in  law,  all 
the  acts  which  have  followed  the  violence  committed  upon  us, 
protesting  above  all  that  the  Junta  of  State  established  at 
Rome,  is  an  usurpation  of  our  sovereign  powers,  and  that  the 
said  Junta  has  not  and  can  not  have  any  authority.  Be  it 
known,  then,  to  all  our  subjects,  whatever  may  be  their  rank 
or  condition,  that  at  Rome,  and  throughout  the  whole  extent 
of  the  Pontifical  State,  there  is  not  and  can  not  be  any  Legiti- 
mate power  which  does  not  emanate  expressly  from  us ;  that 


CONSTITUENT  ASSEMBLY  CONVOKED.  Ill 

we  have  by  the  sovereign  motu  propria  of  the  27th  November, 
instituted  a  temporary  commission  of  government,  and  that  to 
it  alone  belongs  exclusively  the  government  of  the  nation  du- 
ring our  absence,  and  until  we  ourselves  shall  have  otherwise 
ordained.  "  Pius  PAPA  IX." 

This  protest,  when  published  in  Rome,  was  torn 
down  and  trampled  upon ;  and  the  "  Supreme  Junta," 
in  the  belief,  or  on  the  plea,  that  by  such  a  course 
alone  could  the  horrors  of  impending  anarchy  and  dis- 
solution be  prevented,  called  on  the  ministry  to  present 
to  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  a  project  of  law  for  the 
convocation  of  a  Constituent  Assembly.  This  proposal 
was  adopted ;  and  a  Roman  journal  of  the  day  thus 
describes  the  intended  character  of  the  new  constitu- 
tion : — 

"  It  consists  of  fifteen  articles,  and  explains  the  mode  of 
election  and  qualification  of  the  members  and  electors.  The 
elections  are  to  be  by  electoral  colleges.  This  Bill  for  the 
summoning  of  a  Constituent  Assembly  at  Rome,  as  presented 
to  the  Roman  Parliament,  proposed  to  enact  that  the  election 
to  the  Assembly  should  take  place  on  the  25th  of  January, 
by  universal  suffrage  and  ballot ;  that  the  Assembly  should 
be  of  two  hundred  members,  paid  at  the  rate  of  two  crowns 
a  day,  without  property  qualification ;  and,  finally,  that  the 
Assembly  should  meet  at  Rome  on  the  5th  of  February." 

The  Constituent  Assembly,  thus  chosen  ^  and  thus 
constituted,  was  formally  opened  on  the  day  appoint- 
ed ;  and  its  first  act  was  to  declare  the  Roman  Repub- 
lic, and  depose  the  Pope.  One  of  the  most  prominent 
actors  on  this  occasion  was  Sterbini,  who,  having  come 
to  Rome  after  the  publication  of  the  amnesty  with 


112  HOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

which  Pius  IX.  inaugurated  his  reign,  and  taken  ad- 
vantage of  the  relaxation  of  the  laws  relating  to  the 
press,  established  the  Conteinporaneo,  under  the  affec- 
tation of  promoting  moral  and  social  reforms ;  and  in- 
creasing in  audacity  as  time  progressed,  and  as  "  the 
people"  grew  more  and  more  "  exacting,"  he  became 
the  promoter  of  disaffection,  and  the  organ  of  sedition. 
There  were  some  men  of  character  and  prudence  in 
the  Assembly,  such  as  Mamiani,  who  endeavoured  to 
prevent,  if  possible,  the  adoption  of  this  extreme 
course ;  but  they  were  overborne  by  the  vehemence 
of  those  who  had  nothing  to  lose,  and  everything  to 
gain ;  by  the  ardour  of  the  young,  the  rash,  and  the 
inexperienced ;  and  by  the  cries  and  shouts  of  the  gal- 
lery— the  Koman  "  Mountain,"  which  was  to  be  from 
henceforward  the  chief  power  of  the  Assembly,  and 
the  capricious  despot  whose  approval  was  to  be  pro- 
pitiated by  gross  flattery,  or  by  coward  submission  to 
its  violence. 

The  same  "Mountain"  thundered  forth  its  loudest 
peal  of  welcome,  as  Mazzini,  in  a  month  after  the 
opening  of  the  Constituent  Assembly,  was  conducted 
to  a  seat  of  honour  beside  the  President.  The  wildest 
exultation  filled  the  breasts  of  his  disciples  and  fol- 
lowers, as  the  High  Priest  of  Insurrection  at  length 
arrived,  to  witness  the  splendid  result  of  his  machina- 
tions, and  enjoy  the  short-lived  triumph  of  an  imprac- 
ticable republic.  From  the  Capitol  of  Rome — once 
again  to  be  the  Teacher,  if  not  the  Mistress  of  the 


STATE   OF  HOME.  113 

world — was  freedom  to  be  proclaimed  to  the  whole 
human  race ! 

But  soon  did  those  who  assumed  the  task  of  govern- 
ing a  people  whom  they  had  systematically  educated 
to  a  disgust  of  every  restraint  whatsoever,  begin  to 
appreciate  the  difficulties  of  their  position.  Having 
themselves  given  a  flagrant  example  of  disregard  for 
the  respect  which  is  due  to  legitimate  authority,  it 
was  not  to  be  expected  that  their  influence  with  an 
excited  and  turbulent  populace  would  be  of  much 
avail.  In  vain  were  pompous  proclamations,  appeal- 
ing to  republican  virtue,  placarded  on  the  walls ;  in 
vain  did  orators,  once  demagogues  and  incendiaries, 
now  preach  peace  and  patience,  and  expatiate,  in  stilt- 
ed phrases,  on  the  beauty  of  order.  These  fine  words 
did  not  stay  the  uplifted  hand  of  the  assassin,  or  scare 
the  noonday  robber  from  his  spoil.  Eome  became  the 
attraction  and  refuge  of  the  scattered  vagabondage  of 
Italy ;  and  the  peaceful  portion  of  the  population  be- 
held, with  consternation,  their  city,  their  property,  and 
their  lives,  at  the  mercy  of  lawless  wretches,  whose 
utterly  desperate  fortunes  fitted  them  for  every  deed  of 
violence  and  rapine.  JSTow  indeed  might  the  well- 
intentioned  deplore  the  loss  of  a  mild  and  benevolent 
sovereign,  the  recollection  'of  whose  light  and  gentle 
rule  rendered  the  iron  pressure  of  a  brutal  yoke  more 
odious  and  intolerable.  Industry  paralyzed,  trade  de- 
stroyed, employment  hopeless,  credit  annihilated, 
houses  untenanted,  hotels  deserted,  and  the  streets 


114  EOME   AND  ITS  RULER. 

swarming  with  an  idle,  starving,  and  desperate  pop- 
ulation, Rome  presented  a  miserable  spectacle  to  the 
civilized  world,  notwithstanding  her  enjoyment  of 
her  newborn  freedom,  and  her  emancipation  from 
the  thraldom  of  a  "priestling,"  as  one  of  the  ora- 
tors of  the  Assembly  indecently  described  the  Su- 
preme Pontiff. 

In  such  a  state  of  things,  what  course  was  left  to  the 
Pope  but  to  demand  aid  from  the  Catholic  Powers, 
and  obtain,  through  armed  intervention,  the  restoration 
of  his  dominions  ?  Was  he  to  return  alone  to  the  cap- 
tivity from  which  he  had  almost  miraculously  escaped,,  • 
and  trust  himself  to  the  tender  mercies  of  a  rabble 
brutined  by  idleness,  by  turbulence,  and  by  crime? 
Or  was  he  to  submit  himself  to  the  disposal  of  the  men 
who,  since  the  very  hour  when  they  availed  them- 
selves of  his  freely-bestowed  pardon,  had  been  plotting 
his  downfall  ?  In  all  probability,  had  Pius  IX.  been 
rash  enough  to  return  to  Rome,  or  not  to  have  fled 
from  Rome,  the  world  might  have  heard,  with  new 
horror,  that  the  Yicar  of  Christ  was  the  occupant  of  a 
dungeon  in  the  fortress  of  St.  Angelo. 

The  Pope  appealed,  wisely  appealed,  to  the  great 
Catholic  Powers,  and  demanded  their  armed  assist- 
ance. This  he  did  by  his  Cardinal  Secretary  of  State 
(Antbnelli),  in  a  note  of  singular  ability  and  power, 
dated  from  Gaeta,  the  18th  of  February,  1849.  In  it 
were  recapitulated  the  reforms  and  concessions  that  he 
had  granted,  as  well  as  the  various  machinations  by 


APPEAL  TO  THE   CATHOLIC  POWERS.  115 

which  his  efforts  were  neutralized,  and  the  good  he 
intended  was  converted  into  sources  of  evil. 

The  document  is  one  of  considerable  length;  but 
the  following  passages  will  sufficiently  describe  its 
character,  and  indicate  its  purpose : — 

"  After  the  most  iniquitous  malversations  to  reward  their 
accomplices,  and  get  rid  of  honest  and  God-fearing  men — 
after  so  many  assassinations  committed  under  their  guidance 
— after  having  let  loose  rebellion,  immorality,  irreligion — 
after  having  seduced  the  imprudent  youths,  desecrating  even 
the  places  consecrated  to  public  worship  by  converting  them 
into  dens  of  most  licentious  soldiery,  formed  of  runaways  and 
criminals  from  foreign  countries — the  anarchists  wished  to  re- 
duce the  capital  of  the  Catholic  world,  the  See  of  the  Pontiff, 
to  a  sink  of  impiety,  destroying,  if  they  could,  all  idea  of 
sovereignty  for  him  who  is  destined  by  Providence  to  govern 
the  Universal  Church ;  and  who,  precisely  to  exercise  freely 
his  authority  over  all  the  Catholic  world,  enjoyed  as  an  estate 
the  patrimony  of  the  Church.  At  sight  of  such  desolations 
and  massacres  the  Holy  Father  could  not  but  be  profoundly 
grieved,  and  at  the  same  time  moved  to  weep  over  his  faith- 
ful subjects,  who  claimed  his  aid  and  his  succour  to  be  deliv- 
ered from  the  most  atrocious  tyranny. 

"  The  decree  called  fundamental,  emanating  on  the  9th  inst. 
(February)  from  the  Roman  Constituent  Assembly,  is  an  act 
which  is  the  essence  of  the  blackest  felony  and  most  abomin- 
able impiety.  It  declares,  principally,  the  Pope  deposed  by 
fact  and  by  right  from  the  temporal  government  of  the  Ro- 
man State ;  it  proclaims  a  Republic ;  and  by  another  act  is 
decreed  the  confiscation  of  the  armoury  of  St.  Peter.  His 
Holiness,  seeing  that  it  disgraces  his  supreme  dignity  of  Pon- 
tiff and  Sovereign,  protests  before  all  the  sovereigns,  before 
all  nations,  and  before  the  Catholics  of  the  entire  world, 


116  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

against  this  excess  of  irreligion,  against  so  violent  an  attempt, 
which  despoils  him  of  his  sacred  and  incontestible  rights.  If 
•  a  proper  remedy  is  not  applied  to  this  state  of  things,  succour 
will  arrive  only  when  the  States  of  the  Church,  at  present  a 
prey  to  their  most  cruel  enemies,  will  be  reduced  to  ashes. 

"The  Holy  Father  having  meanwhile  exhausted  all  the 
means  in  his  power,  obliged,  by  his  duty  to  the  Catholic 
world,  to  preserve  in  its  entirety  the  patrimony  of  the  Church 
and  the  sovereignty  which  is  annexed  to  it,  so  indispensable 
to  maintain  his  liberty  and  independence  as  Supreme  Chief 
of  the  Church  herself,  moved  by  the  sighs  of  his  faithful  sub- 
jects, who  loudly  implore  'his  aid  to  deliver  them  from  the 
iron  yoke  of  tyranny  which  they  cannot  endure,  addresses 
himself  to  the  Foreign  Powers,  and  in  a  particular  manner 
to  those  Catholic  Powers  who,  with  such  generosity  of  soul 
and  in  so  glorious  a  manner,  have  manifested  their  firm  in- 
tention to  defend  his  cause.  He  has  confidence  that  they  will 
concur  with  solicitude,  by  their  moral  intervention,  to  re-es- 
tablish him  in  his  See,  in  the  capital  of  his  dominions,  which 
have  been  piously  allotted  for  his  support  in  full  liberty  and 
independence,  and  which  have  been  guaranteed  by  the  treaties 
that  form  the  basis  of  European  nationality. 

"  And  since  Austria,  France,  Spain,  and  the  kingdom  of  the 
Two  Sicilies,  are,  by  their  geographical  position,  in  a  situation 
to  be  able  efficaciously  to  concur  by  their  armies  in  re-estab- 
lishing in  the  Holy  See  the  order  which  has  been  destroyed 
by  a  band  of  sectarians,  the  Holy  Father,  relying  in  the  reli- 
gious feeling  of  those  powerful  children  of  the  Church,  de- 
mands with  full  confidence  their  armed  intervention  to  deliver 
the  States  of  the  Church  from  this  band  of  wretches,  who,  by 
every  sort  of  crime,  have  practised  the  most  atrocious  des- 
potism." 

To  this  appeal,  which  it  pained  the  heart  of  Pius  to 
makje,  but  which  the  madness  of  his  enemies  rendered 


APPEAL  RESPONDED  TO.  117 

a  matter  of  necessity,  the  Catholic  Powers  responded 
with  a  generous  alacrity,  and  a  filial  ardour ;  and,  ere 
many  weeks  had  passed,  Rome  witnessed  the  approach 
of  the  army  of  France — this  time  come,  not  to  assail 
the  Papacy,  nor  to  rifle  of  their  priceless  treasures  the 
galleries  and  temples  of  the  Eternal  City ;  but  to  re- 
store to  the  Pope  his  venerable  Capital,  and  rescue  its 
people  from  the  horrors  of  anarchy  and  confusion. 

Some  few  instances  may  best  represent  the  state  to 
which  the  special  friends  of  human  liberty  had  suc- 
ceeded in  bringing  things  in  Home,  the  centre  of  their 
Model  Republic. 


US  ROME  AND  ITS  EULEE. 


CHAPTER    X.  l 

Profane  Rites  in  St.  Peter's. — Atrocities  of  the  Republic. — Delusion 
of  the  Republicans. — Lord  Palmerston's  Advice. — Appeals  to  France 
and  England. — Armed  Intervention  indispensable. 

THE  Triumvirs — Mazzini,  Armanelli,  and  Saffi — de- 
termined to  celebrate  the  great  festival  of  Easter  with 
all  the  religious  pomp  which  could  be  obtained  in  the 
absence  of  the  Supreme  Pontiff ;  and,  accordingly, 
they  commanded  the  Canons  of  St.  Peter's  to  prepare 
for  the  same  magnificent  worship  which  the  Pope  had 
usually  celebrated,  and  which  had  hitherto  attracted 
the  Catholic  faithful  from  all  parts  of  the  world  to  the 
centre  of  Catholic  unity.  The  good  priests,  loyal  to 
their  duty  as  ministers  of  God,  refused  to  play  the 
ignominious  part  of  political  showmen,  more  especially 
in  this  sad  hour  of  the  Church's  desolation.  Com- 
pelled by  the  honourable  refusal  of  the  Canons  to 
look  elsewhere  for  a  celebrant  of  rites  which,  to  many, 
had  an  air  of  impiety,  the  Triumvirs  were  content  to 
avail  themselves  of  the  assistance  of  a  priest  alleged 
to  be  under  interdict,  and  who  celebrated  pontifically 
at  one  of  the  four  altars  of  St.  Peter's,  at  which  only 
the  Pope  and  the  Dean  of  the  Sacred  College,  ap- 
pointed by  Papal  Bull,  are  authorized  to  offer  the 
Holy  Sacrifice.  The  sublime  church  was  dressed  in 


PKOFANE  BITES.  119 

all  its  festal  splendour;  but  instead  of  the  Pope,  the 
Cardinals,  and  the  Prelates,  there  were  present  the 
Triumvirs,  the  Deputies,  public  officials,  and  the 
Clubs ;  while  the  Tuscan,  Swiss,  American,  and  Eng- 
lish consuls  also  graced  the  motley  assembly  by  their 
presence.  Military  music  was  substituted  for  the  glo- 
rious chaunt  of  the  Papal  choir.  At  the  conclusion 
of  the  Mass,  the  presumptuous  priest  went  in  proces- 
sion to  the  great  balcony,  from  which  on  that  day 
twelve-month  the  Holy  Father  had  given  his  bene- 
diction to  his  people ;  and,  bearing  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment in  his  hand,  and  surrounded  by  the  banners  of 
the  Republic,  he  imparted  his  blessing  to  a  kneeling 
multitude,  amidst  the  pealing  of  bells  and  the  roar  of 
cannon.  Mazzini,  too,  presented  himself  to  the  de- 
luded people,  who  shouted  for  him,  and  the  liberty 
which,  through  him  and  his  followers,  they  then  en- 
joyed. This  solemn  mockery,  according  to  one  of 
the  organs  of  the  revolution,  was  the  festival  of  the 
"New  Pasch."  "The  Yicar  of  Christ  was  wanted," 
said  the  writer,  who  added,  *  but  not  by  our  fault ; 
and,  though  he  was  away,  we  had  the  people  and 
God."  For  their  courageous  resistance  to  the  com- 
mands of  the  Triumvirs,  the  Canons  were  condemned 
to  pay  each  a  fine  of  120  scudi ;  not  indeed  solely  for 
this  offence,  but  also  for  having  refused  to  sing  the 
Te  Deum  for  the  Republic !  The  reason  given  for 
this  sentence  was,  "That  the  Canons  had  grievously 
offended  the  dignity  of  religion,  and  excited  scandal ; 
and  that  it  was  the  duty  of  the  government  to  preserve 


120  KOME   AND   ITS   EULEK. 

religion  from  contamination."*  Their  punishment  was, 
however,  a  very  trifling  one,  when  compared  with  that 
which  was  inflicted  on  the  Provost  of  the  Cathedral 
of  Sinigaglia,  who  was  murdered  on  the  21st  of  March, 
1849,  for  having-  guiltily  refused  to  sing  Te  Deum  for 
the  proclamation  of  the  Republic ! 

The  celebration  of  the  festival  of  Corpus  Domini 
was  even  more  glaringly  profaned:  the  Republican 
leaders  playing  a  still  more  prominent  part,  to  the  in- 
dignation of  the  faithful. 

In  times  of  civil  commotion,  when  the  authority  of 
the  executive  is  subservient  to  the  caprice  or  fury  of 
the  populace,  all  kinds  of  excesses  may  be  calculated 
upon  with  certainty ;  for  in  such  moments  it  happens, 
either  that  acts  of  individual  ferocity  pass  for  proofs  of 
a  zeal  perhaps  too  exaggerated  in  its  manifestation,  or 
that  those  entrusted  with  the  administration  of  the  laws 
find  themselves  too  weak  to  arrest,  or  too  much  com- 
promised to  punish,  their  perpetrators.  The  short-lived 
Roman  Republic  was  not  unfruitful  of  monsters,  some 
of  whom,  for  savagery  and  blood-thirstiness,  would  not 
have  suffered  by  comparison  with  the  most  ferocious 
"  Reds"  of  the  Reign  of  Terror,  in  the  first  French 
Revolution.  Amongst  those  who  earned  for  them- 
selves an  infamous  notoriety  was  Lambianchi,  who  ap- 
peared to  have  had  a  special  mission — namely,  to  hunt 
down  and  kill  all  kinds  of  ecclesiastics.  This  mild 
patriot  was  indignant  at  the  absurd  leniency  of  the 

*  Stato  Romano,  book  v.,  cap.  6. 


ATROCITIES   OF  THE   REPUBLIC.  121 

government,  that  released,  after  a  short  imprisonment, 
a  number  of  priests  and  civilians,  whom,  on  account 
of  their  dislike  to  the  Republic,  he  had  sent  as  prison- 
ers and  criminals  to  Rome.  In  the  estimation  of  this 
zealot,  hostility  to  the  Republic  was  the  greatest  of  all 
offences,  and,  as  such,  richly  merited  death.  He  was 
then  stationed  on  the  confines  of  JSTaples,  on  duty  with 
the  Revenue  Police ;  and  from  thence  he  had  forward- 
ed his  prisoners  to  Rome,  in  the  full  belief  that  the 
bullet  or  the  sword  was  to  be  the  reward  of  their  mon- 
strous guilt.  Disgusted  with,  what  he  held  to  be  the 
criminal  weakness  of  the  authorities,  he  swore  that  in 
future,  not  only  would  he  act  the  part  of  the  officer  of 
justice,  but  that  of  judge  and  executioner.  And  he 
kept  his  oath  with  exemplary  exactness ;  for  when,  on 
his  return  to  Rome,  he  encountered,  on  the  road  of 
Monte  Maria,  the  parish  priest,  Father  Sghirla,  a  Do- 
minican, he  slew  him  on  the  spot,  and  afterwards  made 
a  boast  of  his  meritorious  act !  Having  commenced 
BO  happily,  he  determined  to  render  still  greater  service 
to  the  Republic.  He  took  up  his  residence  near  Santa 
Maria,  in  Trastevere ;  and  having  "  suspected "  that 
priests  and  monks  were  conspiring  the  ruin  of  the  Re- 
public, he  prowled  about  in  quest  of  his  prey,  and, 
having  succeeded  in  seizing  several,  shut  them  up  in 
San  Callisto,  and  commenced  slaughtering  them  at  his 
pleasure.  It  is  not  known  how  many  such  proofs  he 
tli us  gave  of  the  strictness  of  his  republican  principles ; 
but  he  himself  afterwards  boasted  that  they  were  "  very 
many."  Neither  are  the  names  of  his  victims  accu- 


122  EOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

rately  known  ;  but  amongst  those  who  thus  fell  by  the 
hand  of  this  monster,  was  another  Dominican,  Father 
Pelliciajo,  the  priest  of  Santa  Maria  sopra  Minerva. 
It  was  said  that  fourteen  were  found  half-buried  in  the 
convent  garden :  but  it  is  certain  that,  having  informa- 
tion of  these  assassinations,  the  government  sent  its 
officers  to  save  the  prisoners  who  remained  alive,  and 
that  twelve  were  rescued  in  spite  of  the  resistance  of 
the  executioners.  Those  who  were  thus  rescued  were 
either  priests  or  monks.* 

A  still  bloodier  tragedy  was  enacted  in  the  noonday, 
on  one  of  the  most  public  spots  in  Home,  and  in  the 
presence  of  a  considerable  multitude.  Two  unfor- 
tunate men  had  been  seized,  and  were  conducted  into 
Rome  in  the  midst  of  a  threatening  mob.  They  were 
clad  as  vine-dressers,  but  the  cry  was  raised  that  they 
were  Jesuits !  To  be  a  Jesuit  was  to  be  an  enemy  of 
the  Republic,  and  to  be  an  enemy  of  the  Republic  was 
to  deserve  death.  Shouts  and  imprecations  rose  on 
every  side ;  eyes  flashed  and  daggers  gleamed ;  furious 
hands  were  thrust  forth  to  clutch  the  innocent  victims 
of  popular  rage.  "  At  them  !  At  them !"— "  Kill, 
kill!"  —  "TChey  are  Jesuits!" — were  the  cries  with 
which  the  sanguinary  mob  lashed  itself  into  frenzy  ; 
and,  on  the  Bridge  of  Saint  Angelo,  the  wretched  vic- 
tims were  literally  torn  to  pieces  by  blood-thirsty  sav- 
ages.— an  immense  multitude  being  spectators  of  the 
tragedy ! 

To  this  public  butchery  might  be  added  a  long  list 

*  Farini,  Stato  Romano. 


DELUSION  OF  THE  KEPUBLICANS.       123 

of  atrocious  murders  at  Rome,  Ancona,  Sinigaglia,  Bo- 
logna, and  throughout  the  Papal  States. 

Notwithstanding  the  affectation  of  respect  for  religion 
which  the  Government,  or  the  Triumvirs,  exhibited,  they 
made  no  successful  effort  to  check  the  fury  of  the  un- 
bridled and  licentious  faction  which  held  dominion  in 
the  streets,  and  which  lost  no  opportunity  of  inflicting 
injury  upon  the  priests.  While  hymns  of  liberty  were 
sung,  and  greetings  of  brotherhood  were  interchanged, 
dwellings  were  broken  into,  villas  were  plundered,  pro- 
perty was  stolen,  and  every  opportunity  was  availed  of 
for  violence  or  rapine.  No  doubt,  the  Government  de- 
sired, and  in  many  instances  made  attempts,  to  restrain 
this  lawlessness ;  but  what  could  it  do  against  numbers 
— especially  against  those  who  had  been  too  well  taught 
the  lesson  of  their  "strength?"  Besides,  its  energies 
were  now  required  for  the  defence  of  the  Capital  against 
the  advancing  armies  of  indignant  Christendom  ? 

Perhaps  the  strangest  delusion  common  to  this  period, 
was  the  belief  entertained  of  the  stability  and  perman- 
ence of  the  Republic,  and  of  the  sympathy  and  support 
which  it  was  certain  to  receive  from  the  principal  na- 
tions of  Europe,  if  not  from  their  governments.  The 
Rome  of  the  Popes  being,  according  to  the  boastful  as- 
sertion of  the  revolutionists,  as  much  a  thing  of  the  past 
as  the  Rome  of  the  C&sars,  the  Rome  of  the  People  was 
now  to  have  its  career  of  glory  and  renown.  These  en- 
thusiasts saw  the  future  from  the  historic  hill  of  the 
Capitol ;  but  an  English  minister,  not  averse  to  foreign 
commotion,  viewed  it  from  a  lees  elevated  position,  but 


124  HOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

through  a  clearer  atmosphere.  Lord  Palmerston,  then 
Foreign  Minister,  assured  those  who  successively  waited 
upon  him  on  behalf  of  the  Republic,  that  it  was  advis- 
able to  come  to  terms  with  the  Pope,  for  that  it  was  cer- 
tain he  would  be  restored  in  spite  of  all  opposition.  This 
was  the  advice  which  he  offered  from  the  beginning ; 
and  even  after  a  gleam  of  transitory  success,  the  result 
of  the  repulse  of  the  French  in  their  first  serious -assault 
on  Home,  had  flung  a  ray  of  hope  over  the  fortunes  of 
the  Republic,  the  same  advice  was  more  emphatically 
urged  by  his  Lordship,  with  the  assurance  that,  no  mat- 
ter what  might  be  the  form  of  government  in  France, 
even  should  it  be  that  of  a  Red  Republic,  still  France 
would  restore  the  Pope  to  his  dominions,  under  some 
title,  or  name,  or  colour. 

The  French  Assembly  as  well  as  the  English  Parlia- 
ment were  addressed  in  a  manifesto  issuing  from  the 
Roman  Assembly,  who  began  at  length  to  understand 
that  the  Catholic  Powers  would  not  refrain  from  active 
interference  in  the  Pope's  behalf.  The  Roman  Repub- 
lic was,  indeed,  willing  to  recognize  the  spiritual  juris- 
diction of  the  Holy  Father,  but  unwilling  to  restore  his 
temporal  authority ;  which  latter  would  be  much  better 
retained  in  the  hands  of  the  Triumvirate — Mazzini,  Ar- 
manelli,  and  Saffi.  What  the  power  of  the  Pope,  for 
the  free  exercise  of  his  spiritual  authority,  would  be  un- 
der the  rule  of  those  gentlemen,  and  coexistent  with  the 
revolutionary  zeal  of  the  Assembly,  the  tyranny  of  the 
gallery,  the  activity  of  the  clubs,  the  ferocity  or  enthu- 
siasm of  the  press,  and  the  sanguinary  and  unchecked 


ARMED  INTERVENTION  INDISPENSABLE.          125 

license  of  the  streets,  it  would  be  absurd  to  speculate 
upon.  In  fact,  in  such  a  state  of  things,  the  Pope  would 
be  nothing  better  than  a  state  prisoner,  at  the  mercy  of 
a  reckless  faction,  the  more  insolent  because  of  their 
success ;  and  the  dearest  interests  of  the  Church  would 
be  hourly  imperilled  through  the  machinations  or  the 
violence  of  its  most  inveterate  opponents. 

As  matters  stood,  mere  negotiation  was  useless ;  and 
nothing  but  the  sword  could  put  an  end  to  the  compli- 
cated difficulties  of  the  question.  If  the  Pope  were  to 
be  restored,  it  should  be  as  an  independent  sovereign, 
not  as  a  puppet  or  a  slave. 

The  other  Catholic  Powers  eagerly  responded  to  the 
appeal  from  Gaeta  ;  but  to  France,  the  eldest  born  of 
the  Church,  belongs  the  glory  of  restoring  the  Yicar  of 
Christ  to  his  throne  of  the  Yatican. 


126  EOME  AND  ITS  KULEK. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

The  French  occupy  Civita  Vecchia,  and  march  on  Rome. — First  Assault 
unsuccessful. — Bravery  of  the  Besieged. — Rome  surrenders. — The 
Pope's  grateful  Letter. 

ON  the  25th  of  April,  1849,  the  French  squadron 
anchored  before  Civita  Vecchia ;  and  on  the  day  fol- 
lowing, at  noon,  that  city  was  occupied,  without  resist- 
ance, by  1800  men  of  the  expeditionary  army.  On  the 
28th,  General  Oudinot  commenced  his  march  on  the 
capital ;  and  on  the  30th,  the  armies  of  the  two  Repub- 
lics first  came  into  hostile  collision. 

The  Triumvirate  and  the  Assembly  had  not  been  idle 
in  the  meantime,  but  had  adopted  every  available  means 
of  preparation.  They  endeavoured  to  render- the  vene- 
rable walls  of  Aurelian  capable  of  resisting  a  modern 
foe ;  they  organized  bands  of  volunteers,  in  aid  of  the 
regular  military  force  which  had  been  gathered  togeth- 
er; they  drilled  and  they  disciplined  all  who  could  or 
would  bear  arms ;  they  excited  the  passions  of  the  pop- 
ulace by  animated  appeals ;  and,  by  placards  and  man- 
ifestoes, distributed  along  the  line  of  the  French  march, 
they  sought  to  enlist  the  sympathies  of  their  republican 
assailants  in  behalf  of  a  republican  cause.  The  first  at- 
tack of  the  French  general  was  not  successful ;  and  his 
retreat,  which  was  accompanied  by  severe  loss,  was 


FIRST  ASSAULT  UNSUCCESSFUL.  127 

hailed  with  frantic  joy  by  those  who  favoured  the  new 
order  of  things.  The  fabric  of  the  Roman  Republic 
was  now  cemented  by  the  blood  of  its  defenders,  who 
died  in  vanquishing  the  armed  ambassadors  of  Despot- 
ism !  The  attention  of  the  civilized  world  was  fixed  on 
the  victorious  standard  waving  from  the  Castle  of  St. 
Angelo ;  and  the  Rome  of  the  People  was  to  prove  it- 
self worthy  of  its  ancient  fame  as  the  Rome  of  the 
Caesars  I 

The  story  of  this  first  assault  was  thus  given  in  a 
letter  from  Toulon,  dated  the  4th  of  May,  and  which 
was  published  at  the  time : — 

"  It  is  known  that  after  having  organized  Civita  Vecchia, 
of  which  the  command  had  been  given  to  Colonel  Blanchard, 
of  the  36th,  General  Oudinot  took  up  a  position  within  a  few 
leagues  of  Rome,  hoping,  no  doubt,  that  the  presence  of  the 
expeditionary  corps  would  determine  a  movement  against  the 
Triumviral  Government.  His  expectations  were  not  realized. 
A  company  of  the  first  battalion  of  tirailleurs,  sent  on  to  the 
gates  of  Rome,  having  been  received  with  musket  shots,  re- 
tired in  good  order,  and  soon  after  part  of  the  division  ad- 
vanced and  penetrated  without  much  difficulty  into  the  en- 
ceinte of  the  capital,  of  which  the  streets  were  barricaded ; 
but  they  were  received  by  a  well-fed  fire  of  musketry,  and  a 
storm  of  missiles  from  the  windows  and  roofs  of  the  houses. 
The  20th  of  the  line,  which  was  in  the  front,  was  severely 
treated ;  a  company  of  voltigeurs  of  that  regiment  was  al- 
most totally  destroyed.  At  last,  seeing  the  impossibility  of 
continuing  a  struggle  which  became  fatal,  General  Oudinot 
ordered  the  retreat,  and  the  expeditionary  corps  occupies  at 
this  moment  a  strong  position  near  Rome.  We  had  about 
200  men  killed,  of  whom  some  are  officers ;  amongst  them 


128  HOME  AND  ITS  EULEE. 

is  M.  Farras,  aide-de-camp  of  General  Oudinot,  and  several 
hundreds  wounded." 

The  victory  inspired  the  republicans  with  increased 
confidence  in  that  dashing  soldier  of  fortune,  Garibaldi, 
to  whom  the  command  had  been  entrusted.  Oudinot, 
taught  not  to  despise  the  valour  of  the  Italians,  at  once 
demanded  of  his  government  strong  reinforcements  for 
his  little  army.  In  the  meantime  more  fervent  ap- 
peals were  made  to  the  defenders  of  Rome  and  its 
populace,  to  resist  the  stranger,  and  thus  not  only 
cover  the  new-born  Republic  with  immortal  glory, 
but  save  Rome  from  the  reimposition  of  an  authority 
which,  as  the  orators  of  the  Assembly  and  the  press 
declared  anew,  was  contrary  to  the  Gospel,  and  ex- 
ecrated by  mankind.  The  enthusiasm  of  the  mob  was 
kept  alive  by  such  agreeable  diversion  as  hacking  and 
hewing  to  pieces  some  three  or  four  superfluous  car- 
riages of  the  Cardinals,  which  had  been  left  after  the 
remainder  had  been  converted  into  street  barricades. 
The  work  of  demolition  having  been  completed  to  the 
satisfaction  of  the  mob,  the  fragments  were  borne  in 
procession  to  the  Piazza  del  Popolo,  and  there,  amidst 
shouts,  yells,  and  savage  rejoicings,  converted  into  a 
flaming  bonfire.  But,  this  time,  the  shouts  of  triumph 
and  hymns  of  rejoicing  had  not  the  same  terrible  mean- 
ing as  when,  a  few  months  before,  they  were  heard 
beneath  the  windows  of  the  room  in  which  lay  the 
body  of  the  murdered  Rossi.  The  pay  of  the  soldiery 
was  increased,  bread  was  distributed,  rewards  were 
freely  promised;  and  those  whose  dwellings  were  in 


BRAVERY   OF   THE   BESIEGED.  129 

reach  of  the  enemy's  fire,  were  allowed  to  occupy  the 
deserted  palaces  and  other  great  houses  which  were 
beyond  the  range  of  the  French  artillery.  The  grim 
portraits  of  the  mailed  and  ermined  ancestors  of  those 
princely  families,  whose  mansions  were  thus  occupied, 
might  be  supposed  to  frown  down  upon  the  strange 
intruders,  who  strutted  amidst  their  splendid  galleries, 
so  rich  in  treasures  of  immortal  art,  with  more  than 
the  pride  of  genuine  possession. 

A  skirmish  with  the  Neapolitans,  in  which  the  inde- 
fatigable Garibaldi  was  successful,  further  increased 
the  confidence  of  the  revolutionary  party  in  Rome. 
Some  slight  subsequent  successes  added  to  that  gene- 
ral's fame,  and  brought  to  his  ranks  an  accession  of 
desperadoes,  whose  influencing  motive  was  far  more 
that  of  plunder  than  of  glory.  Well  might  Rome 
look  with  apprehension  on  these  her  new  defenders ! 

The  struggle  which  followed  certainly  did  honour  to 
the  courage  and  endurance  of  the  besieged.  On  the 
12th  of  June,  the  investment  of  the  city  was  complete ; 
and  on  the  29th  of  the  same  month,  in  consequence  of 
the  continued  refusal  of  the  Assembly  to  yield,  the 
final  attack  was  made.  From  the  24th  to  the  29th, 
the  struggle  had  become  more  deadly,  the  French 
steadily 'gaining  the  advantage,  but  not  without  the 
utmost  exertion,  the  defenders  performing  miracles  of 
valour.  Some  young  men  who  had  thrown  themselves 
into  the  Casino  Barberini  were  surrounded  by  the 
enemy,  and  all  slain,  after  a  struggle  so  obstinate  and 
furious,  that  one  is  said  to  have  received  no  less  than 
6* 


130  ROME  AND  ITS  RULEK. 

twenty-five  wounds,  —  honourable  testimonies  of  his 
courage.  The  legion  known  as  the  Medici  were  parti- 
cularly distinguished  by  their  heroism ;'  for  though 
numbers  of  that  corps  were  buried  beneath  the  ruins 
of  the  Yascello  Palace,  which  fell  on  the  26th,  the 
survivors  stood  out  valiantly  against  the  foe.  Other 
strong  places  fell  on  the  27th  and  28th  beneath  the 
furious  fire  of  the  French  artillery ;  but  such  was  the 
desperation  which  the  struggle  with  the  "foreigner" 
had  enkindled  in  the  fiery  Italian  heart,  that  the 
wounded  crawled  from  the  hospitals,  to  assist,  with 
their  feeble  arms,  in  the  hopeless  task  of  defending 
the  crumbling  walls  of  the  Rome  of  the  Caesars.  On 
the  night  of  the  29th,  the  roar  of  the  artillery  mingled 
with  peals  of  thunder;  and  the  flashes  of  the  guns 
gleamed  more  redly  by  contrast  with  the  white  glare 
of  the  flaming  lightning.  On  the  morning  of  the  30th 
the  fate  of  Rome  was  decided.  The  French  rushed 
through  the  breach,  and  were  there  met  by  the  de- 
fenders ;  when  a  desperate  hand-to-hand  conflict  en- 
sued, the  officers  giving  an  example  to  their  men, 
fighting  with  muskets,  and  even  striking  with  their 
clenched  hands.  Four  hundred  of  the  besieged  were 
bayoneted  on  the  bastion  which  they  defended  with 
such  resolute  valour ;  and  such  was  the  determination 
"to  do  or  die,"  that  many  of  the  artillerymen  were 
found  lashed  to  their  guns,  which  they  would  not 
abandon  in  life,  and  which  they  grimly  guarded  in 
death.* 

*  Farini. 


KOME  SURRENDERS  TO  THE  FRENCH.     131 

It  was  Garibaldi  himself  who  declared,  in  reply  to 
the  Assembly,  that  all  further  attempts  at  defence 
were  useless ;  and  as  this  opinion  coincided  with  the 
feelings  or  apprehensions  of  the  majority,  negotiations 
with  the  victors  were  decided  upon,  notwithstanding 
the  opposition  of  Mazzini,  who  now  saw  his  short-lived 
authority  at  an  end.  Oudinot  would  listen  to  no  terms 
short  of  unconditional  surrender ;  and  on  the  2d  of 
July  he  entered  Kome  with  his  army,  Garibaldi  hav- 
ing quitted  it  on  the  previous  night  with  some  5,000 
men. 

The  French  General  at  once  sent  the  tidings  of  his 
victory  to  Gaeta,  by  Colonel  Niel,  who  was  intrusted 
with  the  grateful  duty  of  laying  the  keys  of  the  lib- 
erated city  at  the  feet  of  the  Supreme  Pontiff;  who 
thus  expressed,  in  an  autograph  letter,  the  gratitude 
which  he  felt  to  the  gallant  victor,  and  to  the  great 
and  generous  nation  whose  valour  and  whose  fidelity 
to  the  Holy  See  he  so  well  represented : — 

"  MONSIEUR  LE  GENERAL, — The  well-known  valour  of  the 
French  arms,  supported  by  the  justice  of  the  cause  which 
they  defend,  has  reaped  the  fruit  due  to  such  arms — victory. 
Accept,  Monsieur  le  General,  my  congratulations  for  the 
principal  part  which  is  due  to  you  in  this  event — congratu- 
lations not  for  the  blood  which  has  been  shed,  for  that  my 
heart  abhors,  but  for  the  triumph  of  order  over  anarchy,  for 
liberty  restored  to  honest  and  Christian  persons,  for  whom  it 
will  not  henceforth  be  a  crime  to  enjoy  the  property  which 
God  has  divided  among  them,  and  to  worship  with  religious 
pomp,  without  incurring  the  danger  of  loss  of  life  or  property. 
With  regard  to  the  grave  difficulties  which  may  hereafter 
occur,  I  rely  on  the  Divine  protection.  I  think  it  will  not  be 


132  EOME  AND  ITS  KULEE. 

without  use  to  the  French  army  to  be  made  acquainted  with 
the  history  of  the  events  which  occurred  during  my  Pontifi- 
cate ;  they  are  traced  out  in  my  allocution,  with  which  you  are 
doubtless  acquainted,  but  of  which  I  nevertheless  send  you  a 
certain  number  of  copies,  in  order  that  they  may  be  read  by 
those  whom  you  may  think  it  useful  that  they  should  be  ac- 
quainted with  them.  This  document  will  sufficiently  prove 
that  the  triumph  of  the  French  army  has  been  gained  over 
the  enemies  of  human  society,  and  will  of  itself  awaken  sen- 
timents in  the  mind  of  every  right-thinking  man  in  Europe, 
and  in  the  whole  world.  Colonel  Niel,  who,  with  your  hon- 
oured dispatch,  presented  to  me  the  keys  of  one  of  the  gates 
of  Rome,  will  hand  you  this  letter.  It  is  with  much  satisfac- 
tion I  avail  myself  of  this  opportunity  to  express  to  you  my 
sentiments  of  paternal  affection,  and  the  assurance  that  I  con- 
tinually offer  up  prayers  to  the  Almighty  for  you,  for  the 
French  army,  for  the  government,  and  for  all  France. 

"  Receive  the  Apostolic  benediction,  which  I  give  you  from 
my  heart.  (Signed)  "  PIUS,  P.P.,  IX. 

"  GAETA,  July  5." 

Thus  terminated  a  contest  which  the  Catholic  world 
deplored  with  anguish,  yet  in  the  result  of  which  it 
could  not  but  rejoice ;  for  Rome,  the  Eternal  City,  the 
Seat  of  the  Apostles,  the  cradle  in  which  the  Church 
of  God  was  rocked  amidst  the  storm  and  fury  of  Pagan 
persecution,  was  restored  to  the  venerable  successor  of 
Peter — the  good,  the  holy,  the  benevolent  Pius.  Those, 
too,  who  loved  rational  liberty,  not  license,  were  glad 
that  the  tyranny  of  the  clubs  and  their  organs  of  the 
press  was  at  an  end ;  and  that  a  stop  was  put  to  the 
system  of  spoliation  and  outrage  which  had  so  long 
spread  terror  through  the  streets  of  the  Capital  of  the 
Christian  World. 


THE  POPE'S  EDICT. — ANOTHER  AMNESTY.         133 


CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Pope's  Edict  published  in  Rome. — Another  Amnesty. — Rome  reas- 
sumes  its  old  Appearance. — General  Reaction. — The  Pope's  Return 
announced. — His  Journey. — He  re-enters  his  Capital. — Enthusiasm 
of  the  People. 

ON  the  20th  of  September,  1849,  the  Papal  Com- 
mission, which  consisted  of  four  of  the  Cardinals,  pub- 
lished an  edict  of  the  Pope,  dated  from  Portici  the 
12th  of  the  same  month ;  by  which  his  Holiness  grant- 
ed a  Council  of  State — to  give  its  advice  on  all  projects 
of  law  before  being  submitted  to  the  sovereign  sanc- 
tion, and  on  all  questions  of  importance  in  every 
branch  of  the  public  administration — a  Consulta  for 
finances — Provincial  Councils — and  in  which  was  con- 
firmed the  existing  municipal  institutions.  The  two 
concluding  articles  announce  important  reforms,  and 
proclaim  an  amnesty : — 

"Art.  5.  The  reforms  and  improvements  will  extend  to 
the  judicial  order,  and  to  the  civil,  criminal,  and  administra- 
tive legislation.  A  commission  will  be  named  to  examine 
this  question  immediately. 

"  Art.  6.  Finally,  being  always  inclined  to  indulgence  and 
pardon  by  the  inclination  of  our  paternal  heart,  we  still  wish 
to  be  clement  towards  the  men  who  have  been  drawn  into 
treason  and  revolt  by  the  seduction,  the  hesitation,  and  per- 
haps also  the  weakness  of  others.  On  the  other  hand,  taking 
into  consideration  what  is  required  of  us  by  justice,  which  is 


134  EOME  AND  ITS  KULER. 

the  foundation  of  kingdoms,  the  right  of  others  violated  or 
set  aside,  the  duty  incumbent  on  us  of  protecting  you  against 
a  renewal  of  the  evils  which  you  have  suffered,  and  the  obli- 
gation of  keeping  you  from  the  pernicious  influence  of  the 
corrupters  of  all  morality,  and  the  enemies  of  the  Catholic 
religion,  which,  being  the  inexhaustible  source  of  all  good  and 
social  prosperity,  was  your  glory,  and  caused  you  to  be  re- 
marked as  the  elected  family  which  God  favoured  with  his 
more  particular  gifts,  we  have  ordered  that  an  amnesty 
should  be  published  in  our  name  for  all  those  who  are  not 
excepted  in  this  decree  of  amnesty. 

"  Such  are  the  dispositions  which,  in  the  presence  of  God, 
we  have  thought  it  our  duty  to  publish  for  your  good.  They 
are  compatible  with  your  dignity,  and  we  are  convinced  that, 
being  faithfully  executed,  they  may  produce  that  good  result 
which  is  the  honourable  wish  of  wise  minds.  The  good  sense 
of  all  of  you  who  aspire  to  do  good,  in  proportion  to  the  evil 
they  have  suffered,  are  to  us  our  ample  guarantee.  But  let  us 
be  careful  to  put  our  confidence  in  God,  who,  even  in  the 
midst  of  his  just  designs,  never  fails  in  mercy. 

"  Given  at  Naples,  in  the  suburb  of  Portici,  on  the 

12th  of  September,  1849,  fourth  year  of  our 

Pontificate." 

Accompanying  this  edict,  was  a  notification  from 
the  Papal  Commissioners,  in  which  were  explained  the 
terms  and  limitations  of  the  amnesty  announced  in 
Article  6  :— 

"  To  those  who  have  taken  part  in  the  last  revolution  in 
the  Pontifical  States  is  granted  the  pardon  of  the  penalty  to 
which  they  shall  be  liable  for  the  political  offences  for  which 
they  shall  be  responsible.  The  members  of  the  Provisional 
Government,  the  members  of  the  Constituent  Assembly  who 
have  taken  part  in  the  deliberations  of  that  Assembly,  the 
members  of  the  Triumvirate,  and  of  the  Government  of  the 


ROME  REASSUMES  ITS  OLD  APPEARANCE.         135 

Republic,  the  chiefs  of  the  military  corps,  all  those  who,  hav- 
ing already  on  former  occasions  enjoyed  the  benefit  of  the 
amnesty  granted  by  his  Holiness,  have  forfeited  their  word 
of  honour  in  joining  in  the  late  political  movements ;  in  fine, 
those  who,  in  addition  to  political  offences,  have  rendered 
themselves  guilty  of  other  crimes  provided  against  by  the 
laws  now  in  force,  are  excluded  from  the  benefit  of  this  am- 
nesty. The  present  amnesty  does  not  imply  the  maintenance 
in  the  employment  of  the  Government,  or  in  provincial  or 
municipal  posts,  of  those  who  have  rendered  themselves  un- 
worthy of  them  by  their  conduct  during  the  late  events. 
The  same  reservation  is  applicable  to  the  military  and  em- 
ployes of  all  arms." 

Rome  now  began  to  breathe  freely,  as  one  who 
awakes  from  a  horrible  dream,  in  which  images  of 
terror  mingle  in  wild  disorder,  and  to  wbose  startled 
soul  the  light  of  morning  brings  a  delightful  conscious- 
ness of  security.  Tbe  streets  began,  by  degrees,  to 
assume  tbeir  wonted  appearance,  and  the  shops  their 
former  air  of  business.  Workmen  were  again  em- 
ployed in  various  branches  of  industry ;  and  even  the 
cleansing,  painting,  and  decoration  of  palaces,  villas, 
hotels,  and  lodging-bouses,  absorbed  a  considerable 
amount  of  labour.  The  churches  were  again  visited, 
and  even  thronged  by  worshippers ;  for  the  observance 
of  religious  duty  was  no  longer  regarded  with  suspi- 
cion, nor  was  piety  to  be  classed  in  the  same  category 
with  treason.  Ecclesiastics  once  more  freely  walked 
through  the  streets ;  for,  though  fierce  eyes  might 
flash,  and  dark  brows  gather  in  a  frown,  as  the  relig- 
ious habit  was  recognized  by  tbe  scattered  and  panic- 
stricken  disciples  of  revolution,  its  wearer  had  no 


136  ROME   AND  ITS  RULER. 

longer  an  apprehension  of  being  rushed  upon  by  a 
noon-day  murderer,  or  torn  limb  from  limb  by  infuri- 
ated bloodhounds.  The  painter  again  resumed  his 
pencil,  and  the  sculptor  his  chisel ;  for  Eome  was  once 
more  an  object  of  attraction  to  people  of  distant  na- 
tions— to  the  religious,  to  the  curious,  to  the  idle,  to 
the  wealthy — almost  every  one  of  whom,  by  whatso- 
ever motive  attracted  within  its  walls,  was  sure  to 
benefit  one  or  other  section  of  the  community,  whether 
by  daily  expenditure,  by  purchase,  or  by  the  giving  of 
an  order  for  the  execution  of  some  work  of  art.  The 
population,  which  recent  events  had  caused  to  dwindle 
down  to  that  of  a  third-rate  Italian  city,  began  to  flow 
in  with  a  daily  increasing  stream ;  and  by  the  latter 
end  of  the  year  1849,  or  the  commencement  of  1850, 
the  Corso  was  again  instinct  with  life ;  and  equipages 
of  all  kinds,  from  the  hackney-carriage  of  the  stranger 
and  sight-seer  to  the  chariot  of  the  prince,  once  more 
rattled  and  flashed  through  the  streets  and  public 
places  of  Home. 

Many  there  were,  no  doubt,  who  regretted  the  ab- 
sence of  that  license  which  they  had  enjoyed  during 
the  brief  existence  of  the  Republic,  and  who  looked 
with  disgust  upon  the  restoration  of  order;  but  the 
vast  majority  of  the  population — even  including  those 
who  had  been  seduced  from  their  allegiance  by  spe- 
cious words,  wild  hopes,  or  a  restless  craving  for 
change — longed  earnestly  for  the  return  of  the  Pope, 
the  recollection  of  whose  gentle  virtues  and  paternal 
disposition  was  now  only  the  more  enhanced  by  his 


GENERAL  REACTION.  137 

» 

trials  and  his  sorrows.  The  "reaction  in  favour  of  a 
restoration  to  the  old  order  of  things — or  to  the  rule  of 
the  Holy  Father — was  rapid,  and  pervaded  all  classes ; 
for,  independently  of  the  anxiety  to  behold  once  more 
that  familiar  countenance,  which  never  looked  but  with 
love  upon  the  people,  there  was  no  class,  no  interest, 
no  industry,  that  had  not  suffered  from  the  wild  and 
stormy  period  which,  commencing  with  the  flight  to 
Gaeta,  did  not  end  till  the  Pope's  government  was 
fully  restored.  To  have  him  once  more  in  his  own 
palace,  was  now  the  most  anxious  wish  of  his  people*;- 
and  this  feeling  was  frequently  expressed  through  dep- 
utations earnestly  praying  his  return. 

If  Pius  IX.  appeared  to  some  rather  reluctant  to 
hasten  the  moment  of  his  return,  it  was  not  to  be  won- 
dered at  if  he  were  so ;  for,  living  in  tranquillity,  in 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  spots  of  the  earth,  with  the 
lovely  Mediterranean  sparkling  and  murmuring  be- 
neath the  balconies  of  his  palace,  and  the  delightful 
influence  of  a  delicious  climate  wooing  his  spirit  to 
peace,  he  might  well  have  looked  back  with  horror  to 
that  dreadful  day  when  the  Quirinal  was  besieged  by  a 
furious  mob,  whose  savage  cries  were  even  more  fear- 
ful than  their  murderous  violence. 

At  length,  however,  the  time  of  the  Pope's  return 
was  announced  to  an  expectant  people,  and  great  was 
the  joy  which  it  caused. 

If  manifestations  of  popular  enthusiasm  could  have 
satisfied  the  heart  of  Pio  E~ono,  he  had  ample  cause  for 
congratulation  in  his  progress  through  the  Neapolitan 


138  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

and  Eoraan  States.  From  his  departure  from  Portici 
on  the  4th  of  April,  to  his  arrival  in  the  great  Square 
of  the  Lateran,  his  journey  was  one  continuous  tri- 
umph. The  people,  clad  in  their  holiday  attire,  met 
him  everywhere  with  beaming  eyes,  with  blessings, 
and  with  shouts  of  joy ;  flowers  were  strewn  beneath 
his  feet  by  beautiful  maidens  and  graceful  youths ; 
banners,  bearing  mottoes  expressive  of  welcome  and 
homage,  rustled  in  the  gentle  breeze ;  the  prince  vied 
with  the  peasant  in  testifying  veneration  and  love  for 
his  person ;  and  as  his  carriage  passed  along  through 
city  or  through  highway,  multitudes  reverently  knelt 
to  receive  his  benediction. 

So  long  as  the  journey  was  performed  in  the  Nea- 
politan dominions,  the  Pope  was  accompanied  by  his 
generous  host,  Ferdinand,  King  of  the  Two  Sicilies, 
who  thus  gracefully  terminated  his  hospitality,  the  mu- 
nificence of  which  was  only  surpassed  by  its  delicacy. 

A  very  simple  but  beautiful  description  of  illumina- 
tion welcomed  the  arrival  of  the  Holy  Father  at  Terra- 
cina.  No  sooner  had  the  sun  sunk  beneath  the  waves, 
than  the  sea  seemed  at  once  lit  up,  as  if  by  enchant- 
ment. Millions  of  orange-rinds  had  been  converted 
into  lamps,  with  oil  and  wick ;  and  these  being  simul- 
taneously lighted  and  set  afloat,  the  effect  of  the  sud- 
den and  strange  illumination  was  beautiful,  beyond  the 
power  of  language  to  describe. 

In  his  own  dominions,  his  welcome  Was  even  more 
enthusiastic  than  that  given  by  the  lively  and  impul- 
sive Neapolitans ;  for  here  there  was  an  atonement  to 


THE  POPE  RE-ENTEKS  ROME.  139 

be  made,  and  a  bitter  memory  to  be  wiped  out.  At 
Frosinone,  Yelletri,  and  along  his  route,  great  prepa- 
rations were  made  to  receive  the  Sovereign  befitting- 
ly;  and  at  the  former  place  houses  had  been  pulled 
down  to  widen  the  street  through  which  he  was  to  pass. 
The  Church,  no  longer  widowed,  but  now  joyful  as  a 
bride,  everywhere  assumed  her  brightest  attire,  and 
put  forth  her  most  imposing  pomp,  to  express  the 
gratitude  and  exultation  with  which  she  hailed  the 
return  of  Christ's  Vicar  to  the  Chair  of  Peter. 

At  Velletri,  where  his  reception  was  equally  splen- 
did and  enthusiastic,  the  Holy  Father  was  met  by 
General  Baraguay  Hilliers,  who  had  come  thither  to 
offer  him  his  homage. 

The  crowning  spectacle  of  the  whole  was  witnessed 
on  the  14th  of  April,  when  Pius  IX.  presented  himself 
to  his  now  repentant  capital.  The  whole  population 
had  been  from  an  early  hour  in  the  streets,  and  every 
spot  was  occupied  from  which  the  first  glimpse  of  the 
Holy  Father  could  be  obtained.  Amidst  the  waving 
sea  of  human  beings,  through  which  French  and  Ro- 
man troops  with  difficulty  preserved  an  open  space, 
Pius  made  his  entry.  Such  was  the  enthusiasm  now 
manifested,  that  one  unacquainted  with  the  Italian 
character  might  have  supposed  that  the  population 
had  suddenly  gone  delirious.  And  yet  many  who 
now,  with  wild  and  vehement  gesture,  called  down 
blessings  on  the  Holy  Father,  had,  not  very  long  be- 
fore, as  wildly  and  as  vehemently  shouted,  "  Long  live 
Mazzini  1" — nay,  perhaps,  had  yelled  their  coarse  im- 


140  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

precations  against  the  Pope  on  Ihe  16th  of  November, 
1848,  because  he  would  not  accept  a  revolutionary 
ministry  at  the  demand  of  an  armed  mob.  But  now, 
flowers,  and  smiles,  and  blessings  were  flung  over  the 
past ;  and  those  were  a  small  minority  who  did  not 
feel  genuine  satisfaction  at  beholding  the  return  of 
their  good  and  gentle  Sovereign.  With  illuminations, 
and  music,  and  joyous  cries,  were  renewed,  at  night, 
the  rejoicings  of  the  day. 

The  exulting  strains  of  the  Te  Deum — that  glorious 
anthem  of  kings  and  conquerors — which  now  echoed 
through  the  superb  dome  of  St.  Peter's,  were  answered 
from  the  Churches  of  Christendom;  for  the  Catholic 
world  rejoiced  in  the  triumph  of  good  over  evil,  of 
.order  over  anarchy. 


EFFECTS  OF  THE  EEVOLUTION.        141 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

Disastrous  Effects  of  the  Revolution. — The  Pope's  Efforts  to  remedy 
them. — His  daily  Life.  —  His  Audiences. — Petitions. — The  Pope's 
Charity. — His  Munificence. 

RETURNED  to  his  dominion,  Pius  IX.  strenuously  de- 
voted himself  to  the  difficult  duties  of  his  position,  and 
endeavoured,  by  the  application  of  wise  remedies,  to 
repair  the  injury  which  had  been  inflicted  on  the 
Papal  States  —  in  their  trade,  their  industry,  their 
finance,  as  well  as  in  their  intellectual  progress  and 
moral  condition — by  the  fury  and  paralysis  of  the  Re- 
volution. In  its  paper  money  and  its  debts,  the  Re- 
public left  a  legacy  of  serious  embarrassment  to  the 
Pope ;  but  this  difficulty  has  at  length  been  happily 
and  completely  overcome ;  and  the  finances  of  the 
Pontifical  Government  may  now  stand  comparison 
with  those  of  many  prosperous  European  States.  To 
educate  youth,  to  reform  the  criminal,  to  comfort  the 
sick,  to  protect  the  widow  and  the  orphan,  to  shield 
old  age  from  want,  to  encourage  industry,  to  reform 
abuses,  and  to  re-awaken  in  the  hearts  of  his  people 
the  spirit  of  religion — these  have  been  the  principal 
cares  of  Pius  IX.  since  the  hour  of  his  return  to  Rome. 
And  to  these  duties,  to  which  he  was  equally  impelled 
as  a  temporal  sovereign  and  a  spiritual  father,  were 


142  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

added  those  of  the  Supreme  Pontiff,  who  has  to  watch 
over  the  widely-spread  branches  of  the  Catholic  Church 
throughout  the  world,  and  to  apply  to  the  wants  and 
necessities  of  each  such  remedies  as  its  condition  and 
its  circumstances  demand.  It  was  not  to  be  supposed 
that  the  revolutionary  embers  would  not,  now  and 
then,  emit  a  sullen  spark;  but  though  plot  and  con- 
spiracy have  since  then  been  attempted  and  detected, 
the  feeling  of  the  people— even  of  the  fickle  populace 
— is,  year  by  year,  becoming  more  in  favour  of  the 
Pope,  and  less  in  favour  of  those  wild  schemes  which 
brought  such  misery  and  suffering  upon  the  country. 
If,  as  yet,  Pius  IX.  has  not  renewed  the  experiment 
with  which  he  commenced  his  reign,  let  those  who 
read  the  story  of  the  past  say,  if  the  present  system 
— of  gradual  reform  and  steady  amelioration — should 
not  be  preferred  to  a  more  ambitious  achievement, 
when  attended  with  a  more  certain  risk  ? 

Let  us  now  inquire  more  minutely  than  we  have 
as  yet  done  into  the  character  of  the  Holy  Father ; 
and  we  shall  behold  his  simple  and  laborious  life — 
his  universal  benevolence — his  active  and  unceasing 
charity — his  enlightened  liberality — his  splendid  mu- 
nificence—  his  great  and  continual  efforts  to  render 
Rome  the  chief  object  of  attraction  to  the  pious,  the 
polished,  the  learned,  and  the  philosophic,  of  every 
civilized  nation  of  the  earth.  Judge,  from  his  daily 
life,  how  different  is  the  real  Pope  from  the  imaginary 
portraiture  which  fiction  has  drawn,  and  which  pre- 
judice has  accepted. 


143 

He  rises  before  six  o'clock,  and  celebrates  Mass  every 
morning  in  the  year.  Not  content  with  this  act  of 
priestly  devotion,  he  hears  another  Mass.  He  then 
gives  audience  to  his  Secretary  of  State,  on  matters  of 
public  importance,  and  next  to  his  Major  Domo,  on  the 
affairs  of  his  household.  He  next  receives  the  letters 
addressed  to  him,  which,  as  I  shall  have  reason  to  show, 
are  of  the  most  varied  character.  These  he  carefully 
reads,  and  places  in  the  hands  of  his  Private  Secretary, 
for  further  information,  or  to  be  at  once  acted  upon,  as 
the  case  might  require.  At  ten,  his  audiences,  properly 
80  called,  commence,  and  generally  last  till  two.  He 
then  dines,  his  fare  being  of  the  simplest  kind.  At  three 
he  frequently  drives  out,  his  excursion  usually  occupy- 
ing till  five.  At  five  the  audiences  are  resumed,  and 
continue  till  nine,  or  even  to  ten,  at  night.  The  audi- 
ences being  over,  he  then  reads  his  office,  just  as  any 
ordinary  priest,  and  retires  to  a  bed  as  simple  and  plain 
as  belongs  to  the  humblest  student  in  Rome.  Besides 
special  audiences,  which  may  occur  at  any  moment, 
each  day  is  set  apart  for  those  of  a  particular  kind,  and 
the  transaction  of  certain  classes  of  business,  connected 
either  with  the  internal  administration  of  the  Papal 
States,  or  appertaining  to  those  no  less  grave  matters 
which  demand  the  constant  consideration  of  the  Su- 
preme Pontiff.  The  various  fixed  audiences  which  are 
given  at  present  on  each  day  in  the  week,  may  be  thus 
particularized : — 

MONDAY. 

Morning. — His  Eminence  the  Secretary  of  Memori- 


144  EOME   AND   ITS   RULEK. 

alSj  and  the  Minister  of  Arms.  The  first  Monday  of  the 
month,  the  President  of  the  Academy  of  Noble  Eccle- 
siastics, and  the  Secretary  of  Regular  Discipline,  who 
has  audience  also  on  the  third  Monday.  The  second 
Monday,  the  Promoter  of  the  Faith.  The  fourth  Mon- 
day, the  Advocate  of  the  Poor. 

Evening. — Cardinal  Prefect  of  the  Segnatura,  Secre- 
tary of  the  Council,  Administrator  and  Secretary  of  St. 
Peter's,  and  the  Secretary  of  Briefs  to  Princes. 

TUESDAY. 

Morning. — Cardinal  Secretary  of  Briefs,  Cardinal 
Pro-Datario,  and  the  Under  Datario.  On  the  first  and 
third  Tuesdays  of  the  month,  the  Cardinal  Visitor  of  the 
Apostolical  Ospizio  of  San  Michele,  and  Monsignor  the 
Almoner. 

Evening. — The  Master  of  the  Apostolic  Palace,  and 
Monsig.  the  Commendatore  di  S.  Spirito.  The  second 
Tuesday  of  every  month,  Monsig.  President  of  the  Con- 
sulta,  which  is  one  of  the  principal  tribunals  of  Rome. 

WEDNESDAY. 

Morning. — Minister  of  the  Public  Works,  Minister 
of  the  Interior  and  of  the  Police,  and  Minister  of  Fi- 
nance. 

Evening. — Monsig.  the  Assessor  of  the  Holy  Office, 
Monsig.  the  Secretary  of  the  Consistory,  Monsig.  Secre- 
tary of  Ecclesiastical  Affairs,  and  Monsig.  Secretary  of 
Latin  Letters. 

THURSDAY. 

Morning. — Congregation  of  the  Holy  Office. 


FIXED  AUDIENCES.  145 

Evening. — Monsig.  the  Auditor  of  His  Holiness,  and 
the  Secretary  of  Briefs  to  Princes.  Every  first  Thurs- 
day evening,  the  Secretary  of  Holy  Kites. 

FRIDAY. 

Morning. — Cardinal  Secretary  of  Briefs,  Cardinal 
Pro  Datario,  and  Under  Datario,  Cardinal  Secretary 
of  Memorials,  and  Monsig.  Secretary  of  Sacred  Rites. 

Evening. — Cardinal  Penitentiary,  and  Monsig.  Sec- 
retary of  Bishops  and  Regulars. 

SATURDAY. 

Morning. — Minister  of  the  Interior  and  of  the  Police, 
and  Minister  of  Finance. 

Evening. — Cardinal  Yicar  of  Rome,  Monsig.  Secre- 
tary of  Latin  Letters,  Monsig.  Secretary  of  the  Apostolic 
Visit.  The  last  of  these  on  the  third  Saturday  of  every 

month. 

SUNDAY. 

Evening. — Monsig.  Secretary  of  Propaganda,  Mon- 
sig. Auditor  of  His  Holiness,  and  Monsig.  the  Secretary 
of  Studies. 

Before  the  above-mentioned  morning  audiences  com- 
mence, the  Holy  Father  receives,  about  half-past  eight 
o'clock,  every  day  of  the  year,  his  Eminence  the  Secre- 
tary of  State,  or,  in  his  place,  Monsig.  the  Under  Sec- 
retary of  State. 

These  are  the  audiences  which  are  fixed  and  settled 
as  I  have  particularized  ;  and,  I  venture  to  say,  they  do 
not  allow  of  much  leisure  time  to  His  Holiness. 

It  may  be  asserted,  with  perfect  truth,  that  the  Pope 


146  HOME  AND  ITS  KULER. 

is  the  sovereign  who,  of  all  others  in  the  world,  is  the 
most  accessible  to  his  subjects.  Even  the  humblest  ap- 
plicant may  approach  his  person ;  nor  is  the  blackest 
criminal  in  the  States  debarred  from  the  privilege  of 
addressing  him  by  petition.  Hence  the  innumerable 
claims  for  audiences ;  and  hence  the  flood  of  appeals, 
on  every  imaginable  subject,  that  pours  in  on  His  Ho- 
liness, either  directly,  or  through  a  multitude  of  chan- 
nels, official  or  otherwise.  A  petition  to  the  Pope  is  no 
idle  mockery,  but  an  appeal  that,  in  one  shape  or  other, 
is  certain  to  reach  the  ear,  if  not  touch  the  heart,  of  the 
most  merciful  and  benevolent  of  living  men.  No  mat- 
ter for  what  offence  a  prisoner  may  have  been  incar- 
cerated, that  prisoner  may  appeal  directly  to  the  Pope ; 
and  no  officer  or  person  in  charge  of  a  prison  dares  to 
stand  between  the  criminal  and  the  seat  of  mercy.  As 
in  all  other  places  in  the  world,  but  perhaps  more  pe- 
culiarly in  southern  countries,  there  are  crimes,  even 
terrible  ones,  which  are  almost  wholly  the  result  of 
passion  and  excitement ;  and  if,  upon  inquiry  through 
the  proper  channel,  which  inquiry  is  unfailingly  made, 
the  Pope  feels  convinced  that  mercy  may  be  benefi- 
cially extended,  it  is  so  extended,  and  the  punishment 
either  greatly  lessened,  or  a  free  pardon  granted.  As 
I  shall  have  to  treat  elsewhere  of  the  public  prisons  of 
Koine,  which  I  have  personally  examined  in  detail,  I 
shall  not  further  allude  to  this  portion  of  the  subject  at 
present,  but  content  myself  with  the  statement  of  a  fact, 
which  will  afford  the  best  idea  of  the  real  value  of  this 
privilege  of  petition, — that  no  fewer  than  from  50  to  60 


PETITIONS. — THE   POPE'S   CHARITY.  147 

pardons  are  granted  by  the  Pope  every  month  of  the 
year, — and  therefore,  that  from  600  to  TOO  persons,  who 
have  been  condemned  for  various  offences,  are  annually 
restored  to  freedom  by  the  exercise  of  that  noblest  pre- 
rogative of  Princes,  mercy. 

The  charity  of  the  Holy  Father  is  also  hourly  ap- 
pealed to,  and  scarcely  ever  in  vain.  If  he  walk 
through  the  streets,  hands  may  be  seen  stretched 
forth,  holding  letters  of  supplication — perhaps  com- 
plaints of  injustice,  or  of  wrong  inflicted,  but  more 
generally  appeals  for  alms;  and  these  are  taken  by 
one  of  the  Noble  Guard  (a  few  of  whom  accompany 
His  Holiness),  and  are  afterwards  handed  to  himself 
personally.  Then  the  post-office  is  a  constant  means 
of  communicating  directly,  and  without  any  interme- 
diate agency,  with  the  Pope ;  and  there  is  no  letter  or 
petition  which  he  receives,  be  it  from  the  humblest, 
the  meanest,  or  the  most  guilty,  that  he  does  not  read, 
and  into  the  subject-matter  of  which  he  does  not  in- 
quire. The  official  channels  of  communication  are  the 
following.  The  Cardinal  Prefect  of  Subsidies  receives 
communications  on  matters  immediately  connected 
wTith  his  office,  as  well  as  upon  others ;  and  he  has  a 
fixed  day  in  every  week  for  an  audience  of  the  Pope, 
to  whom  he  refers  them.  The  Cardinal'  Secretary  of 
Memorials  also  receives  petitions,  as  well  as  com- 
plaints, on  almost  every  subject  respecting  which  ap- 
peal or  remonstrance  could  be  made.  Every  petition 
is  examined  by  his  Secretaries,  then  referred  to  him, 
and  by  him  submitted  to  the  Pope,  of  whom  he  has  an 


148  ROME  AND   ITS  KULER. 

audience  every  Tuesday  and  Friday.  Then  there  is 
Monsignor  the  Almoner  of  the  Pope,  who  has  crowds 
of  petitioners  at  his  door,  and  who  has  appointed  days 
for  hearing  and  receiving  appeals,  which  are  similarly 
transmitted  as  all  the  rest.  Monsignor  the  Almoner 
accompanies  the  Pope  when  he  goes  abroad,  and  inva- 
riably brings  with  him  a  bag  of  money,  for  distribu- 
tion among  the  poor  who  may  be  met  with  on  the 
way.  The  Minister  of  the  Interior  discharges  the 
functions  of  the  Minister  of  Grace  and  Justice,  which 
latter  office  is  merged  in  the  former ;  and  this  officer  is 
likewise  made  the  medium  of  appeals  for  mercy. 
Then  there  are  the  Secretary  of  State,  and  the  Under 
Secretary,  whose  duty  it  is  to  receive,  inquire  into, 
and  submit  petitions  to  His  Holiness.  The  Cardinal 
Yicar  is  also  an  important  channel  of  communication ; 
so  is  every  Cardinal,  each  of  whom,  according  to  his 
particular  position,  has  constant  claims  made  upon  his 
influence ;  so  are  all  who  hold  offices  about  the  per- 
son, and  may  be  said  to  have  the  ear,  of  His  Holiness, 
— so  also  are  the  Parish  Priests,  to  whom  vast  num- 
bers, especially  of  the  poor,  tirst  address  their  com- 
plaints, or  make  their  necessities  known.  Through 
these  and  other  channels  the  people  communicate  with 
their  Sovereign,  the  poor  and  the  needy  with  a  com- 
passionate and  bountiful  benefactor.  I  stated  an  im- 
portant fact,  which  strikingly  illustrated  the  value  of 
the  privilege  of  petition  to  the  prisoner,  and  the  merci- 
ful and  clement  disposition  of  the  Pope ;  and  I  shall 


HIS  MUNIFICENCE.  149 

now  mention  one  which  as  conclusively  displays  his 
benevolent  and  charitable  nature.  Since  his  accession 
to  the  Pontificate,  in  1846,  Pius  the  Ninth  has  spent, 
in  charitable  and  pious  works,  no  less  a  sum  than 
1,500.000  scudi — a  sum  fabulous  in  amount,  when 
taking  into  consideration  the  extent  of  his  private  re- 
sources. These  consist  of  355  scudi  a  month,  or  about 
4,200  scudi  in  the  year ;  which  would  be  about  equal 
to  £1,000  a  year  of  English  money.  What  a  revenue 
for  a  Sovereign  Prince !  How,  then,  it  may  be  asked, 
were  the  1,500,000  scudi  obtained  ? — from  what  source 
was  this  enormous  fund  derived  ?  The  answer,  which 
I  have  elsewhere  anticipated,  is  significant,  and  affords 
a  lesson  to  those  who  foolishly  imagine  that  the  Papacy 
would  be  destroyed  the  moment  that,  by  revolution  or 
plunder,  the  Pope  should  be  deprived  of  his  temporal 
power;  that  is,  of  his  sovereignty  over  the  Papal  States. 
The  greater  portion  of  this  wealth,  which  the  Pope  so 
generously  devoted  to  works  of  piety  and  charity, 
poured  in  upon  him  at  Gaeta,  while  he  was  an  exile 
from  his  country  and  his  throne — poured  in  upon  the 
Father  of  the  Christian  Church  from  all  quarters  of 
Christendom,  at  the  very  moment  when  thoughtless 
persons  were  frantically  shouting  out — "The  Papacy 
is  at  an  end  1"  There  are  those  in  Rome  and  through- 
out the  States  who  long  for  a  change  of  government — 
for  any  change,  by  which  they  might  hope  to  realize 
their  dreams,  or  accomplish  their  personal  objects — 
and  who,  therefore,  are  hostile  to  the  existing  state  of 


150  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

things;  but  in  the  great  breast  of  the  people — the 
mass  of  the  people — there  exists  a  sincere  loyalty,  to 
the  throne  and  person  of  the  Pope,  and  a  profound 
conviction  of  those  virtues  which  adorn  his  character 
as  a  Man,  a  Ruler,  and  a  Priest. 


INSTANCES  OF  HIS  CHARITY.  151 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

instances  of  the  Pope's  Charity. — More  Instances. — Curious  Applica- 
tions.— Protestant  Opinions  of  his  Character. — He  gives  Audience 
to  a  Negro  Slave.— His  Affability  to  Students.— The  Holy  Father 
on  foot. 

As  a  proof  of  the  benevolent  and  merciful  character 
of  His  Holiness,  I  stated  that  he  distributed,  during 
his  reign,  no  less  than  1,500,000  scudi  in  pious  and 
charitable  works,  at  the  same  time  mentioning  that  his 
own  private  income  did  not  exceed  4,200  scudi,  or 
about  1000Z.  a  year.  Perhaps  I  might  illustrate,  by  an 
interesting  fact,  that  intense  love  of  the  poor,  and  sym- 
pathy for  the  suffering,  which  the  Holy  Father  has 
invariably  displayed. 

Shortly  after  his  return  to  Rome,  from  his  temporary 
exile  at  Gaeta,  the  Queen  of  Spain  sent  him,  as  a  mark 
of  her  respect,  a  splendid  tiara,  which  was  valued  at 
50,000  scudi — a  very  large  sum,  even  when  represented 
by  English  money.  The  Pope  accepted  the  princely 
gift,  but  gave  immediate  orders  that  its  value,  to  the 
full  amount,  should  be  distributed  to  the  poor,  to  the 
aged,  and  the  sick,  and  in  such  a  manner  and  through 
such  channels  as  would  be  certain  to  produce  the  most 
beneficial  results. 

I  have  heard  of  numbers  of  instances  of  the  impul- 


152  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

sive  generosity  with  which  he  responds  to  appeals  to 
his  compassion,  all  equally  indicative  of  the  charity  of 
his  disposition. 

In  the  month  of  October  last,  a  poor  family  fell  into 
distress,  in  consequence  of  the  illness  of  one  of  its  prin- 
cipal members,  and  were  unable  to  bear  up  against  the 
expenses  in  which  they  necessarily  became  involved. 
In  their  affliction  they  appealed  to  the  Pope — applied 
by  petition ;  and  the  answer,  after  inquiry  made  into 
the  facts  of  the  case,  was  a  prompt  gift  of  50  scudi. 
Similar  appeals,  daily  and  hourly  made,  produce  simi- 
lar or  even  greater  results. 

A  little  time  before  that,  a  certain  person  applied  to 
the  Holy  Father  for  an  office  of  some  importance,  that 
would  have  been  of  the  greater  consequence  to  him, 
from  the  reduced  circumstances  into  which  he  and  his 
family  had  fallen.  Unfortunately,  the  office  which  was 
in  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Father,  had  been  previously 
promised  to  another ;  but  so  keenly  did  the  Pope  feel 
for  the  disappointment  which  a  refusal  must  inevitably 
inflict  on  his  suitor,  that  he  sent  him  1000  scudi  as  a 
compensation  for  his  loss,  and  as  a  means  of  relieving 
his  necessities. 

Not  more  than  a  few  days  previous  to  my  arrival  in 
Rome,  a  venerable  pensioner,  who  had  once  held  some 
small  office,  not  being  able  to  provide  himself  with  cer- 
tain comforts  suited  to  his  extreme  age  and  ailing  con- 
dition, without  involving  himself  inextricably  in  debt, 
applied  to  the  Pope  for  assistance,  and  to  his  surprise, 
at  once  received  eight  years'  amount  of  his  pension  in 


MOKE  INSTANCES  OF  HIS  CHAEITY.  153 

advance  y  although  no  insurance  company  in  the  world 
would  have  valued  his  life  at  more  than  a  year's  pur- 
chase. 

I  had  an  opportunity  of  witnessing  the  manner  in 
which  the  alms  given  from  the  private  purse  of  the 
Holy  Father  are  distributed,  and  the  gratitude  with 
which  they  are  received.  Speaking  on  one  occasion  to 
a  kind  friend,  to  whose  courtesy  and  whose  intelligent 
mode  of  communicating  information  I  had  been  equally 
indebted,  on  a  subject  interesting  to  us  both — namely, 
the  character  of  the  Pope,  and  especially  his  charity 
and  benevolence — he  suddenly  said, — "  Perhaps  you 
would  have  no  objection  to  discharge  for  me  a  little 
commission  with  which  I  have  been  intrusted.  It  is  to 
give  a  small  sum  from  His  Holiness  to  a  poor  family. 
The  father,  an  old  man,  sent  a  petition  some  time  since 
to  the  Quirinal,  imploring  assistance ;  and,  on  inquiry 
being  made,  the  case  was  found  to  be  a  deserving  one." 
We — for  I  was  accompanied  by  a  young  Irish  clergy- 
man— immediately  expressed  our  willingness  to  act  as 
temporary  almoners  of  the  Papal  bounty;  and  the  sum 
of  15  scudi — more  than  31. — was  handed  to  us.  At 
our  earliest  convenience,  we  proceeded  to  the  house, 
which  was  in  one  of  the  narrowest  streets  of  the  city — 
the  very  description  of  street  that  Tacitus  tells  us  was 
considered  the  most  agreeable  to  the  Romans  of  his 
day,  with  lofty  houses  on  each  side,  affording  ample 
protection  against  the  raging  heat  of  the  noonday  sun. 
Ascending  massive  stone  steps,  which  seemed  to  go  to 
the  top  floor  of  the  building,  we  came  to  the  landing 


154  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

indicated  in  our  instructions.  The  door  was  freely 
opened  to  our  summons ;  and  on  entering,  we  were  at 
once  convinced  that  the  necessity  was  as  pressing  as 
the  aid  was  timely.  There  was  nothing  of  that  squalid 
poverty  which  as  often  exhibits  the  absence  of  all  self- 
respect  as  the  presence  of  intense  destitution ;  on  the 
contrary,  the  apartments,  while  most  scantily  furnished, 
were  scrupulously  clean.  But  the  head  of  the  family, 
a  fine  venerable  old  man,  who  might  have  sat  to  a 
painter  as  a  model  for  one  of  the  Apostles,  was  past 
the  years  of  labour ;  and  a  daughter  seemed,  from  the 
supernatural  brightness  of  her  eye,  the  peculiar  hollow- 
ness  of  her  cheek,  and  her  wasted  mouth,  to  be  far  on 
the  road  to  a  happier  world.  We  explained  the  object 
of  our  visit,  and  produced  the  little  roll  of  gold  pieces 
with  which  we  had  been  intrusted.  The  glitter  of  the 
gold  brought  happiness  to  the  heart  of  that  poor  family, 
for  it  spoke  of  unaccustomed  comforts  and  momentary 
abundance ;  and  food  and  clothing  are  positive  happi- 
ness to  the  poor.  In  an  ecstacy  of  gratitude,  the 
mother  and  her  children  flung  aside  the  needle-work 
with  which  they  had  been  employed,  rushed  to  us, 
seized  our  hands,  and  kissed  them  with  graceful  ges- 
tures; at  the  same  time  murmuring  blessings  on  the 
head  of  their  good  and  merciful  Father  and  Pope. 
We  felt  convinced  that  the  family,  thus  temporarily 
relieved,  would  be  cared  for  by  one  of  those  noble 
charitable  confraternities  which  abound  in  Rome,  and 
are  the  glory  of  the  Church. 

I  was  told  of  a  somewhat  curious  application  made 


CURIOUS  APPLICATIONS   TO   HIS   HOLINESS.       155 

to  the  Pope  by  a  poor  countryman  of  my  own.  Writ- 
ing to  His  Holiness  from  England,  he  informed  him 
that  he  had  lost  the  use  of  his  limbs,  and  that  he 
wished  him,  as  the  successor  of  St.  Peter,  to  bid  him 
"  Stand  up  and  walk,"  as  St.  Peter  did  to  the  lame 
man,  as  recorded  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  This 
singular  letter  was  referred  to  the  Pope,  who  imme- 
diately sent  ten  dollars  to  the  writer,  at  the  same  time 
informing  him  that  he  had  not  the  miraculous  powers 
of  Saint  Peter. 

And  in  an  audience  with  which  I  was  honoured  by 
the  Holy  Father,  I  had  a  good  opportunity  of  under- 
standing the  strange  and  varied  character  of  the  peti- 
tions poured  in  upon  him  daily,  to  the  very  necessary 
exercise  of  his  exhaustless  patience.  In  the  course 
of  the  audience,  the  Pope  took  up  a  large  package 
or  bundle  of  papers  from  the  desk-table  by  which  he 
stood  for  the  whole  time,  and,  with  a  smile  full  of 
singular  sweetness,  not  however  unmingled  with  hu- 
mour, he  said, — "These  are  all  I  have  got  this  morn- 
ing." And  surely  they  were  sufficient,  and  rather 
more  than  a  first-rate  London  barrister  could  conve- 
niently "read  Up"  before  going  to  court.  Two  or 
three  of  the  documents  were,  in  fact,  as  bulky  and 
voluminous  as  chancery  briefs.  And  the  most  volu- 
minous of  these  was  the  contribution  of  a  lady,  who 
evidently  desired  to  take  the  Holy  Father  into  her 
confidence  upon  the  most  delicate  of  all  questions  to 
her  sex — marriage.  Her  inclinations  tended  decidedly 
in  that  direction;  but  there  were  "difficulties"  in  the 


156  EOME   AND   ITS   KULER. 

way — and  with  these  she  managed  to  fill  sheet  after 
sheet  of  respectably-sized  paper.  The  Pope  read  sev- 
eral passages  of  this  formidable  petition,  and  glanced 
at  its  various  heads,  and  then  laid  it  aside  with  a  mean- 
ing smile,  and  a  gesture  expressive  of  more  than  a 
suspicion  of  his  correspondent's  state  of  mind.  An- 
other petition  was  for  no  less  a  sum  than  150  dollars ; 
and  this  "  very  moderate  demand,"  as,  with  quiet  hu- 
mour, the  Holy  Father  termed  it,  appeared  to  be  based 
upon  no  other  justification  than  the  alleged  fact,  that 
such  a  sum  would  be  just  then  particularly  convenient 
to  the  petitioner.  But  there  were  others,  praying  for 
mercy,  or  asking  for  assistance  in  case  of  real  distress. 
And  as  the  good  Pope  glanced  at  these,  a  look  of 
tender  compassion  chased  away  for  the  moment  the 
sweet  smile  that  played  about  his  mouth,  and  the  light 
of  genuine  humour  that  sparkled  in  his  mild  blue  eye. 
It  evidently  was  an  easy  matter  to  touch  the  heart  of 
Pius  IX.  These  petitions  were  to  be  handed  over  to 
a  confidential  secretary,  by  whom  a  resume  of  their 
contents  was  to  be  prepared  for  the  future  inspection 
and  decision  of  the  Pope.  And  this  he  explained  in 
the  simplest  and  most  unaffected  manner — in  fact,  as 
if  lie  were  the  equal  of  those  who  then  regarded  him 
with  reverential  homage,  the  more  profound  because 
of  his  virtues,  of  his  pure  and  noble  nature,  than  on 
account  of  his  exalted  temporal  rank,  as  the  first  of 
Christian  Sovereigns,  or  of  his  sublime  spiritual  dig- 
nity, as  Vicar  of  Christ. 

I  could  fill  a  volume  with  well- authenticated  facts 


OPINIONS   OF   THE   POPE'S   CHARACTER.  157 

illustrative  of  the  tender  and  compassionate  disposi- 
tion of  one  who,  in  this  as  in  many  other  respects,  is 
recognized  by  all  who  know  him  to  be  a  type  and 
model  of  the  noblest  of  Christian  virtues.  Let  it  not 
be  imagined  that  my  information  is  by  any  means  ex- 
clusively derived  from  those  whose  personal  venera- 
tion for  the  Holy  Father  might  be  considered  to  in- 
fluence their  judgment.  Such  is  not  the  fact ;  for  I 
have  heard  English  Protestants,  who  have  not  a  single 
feeling  in  common  with  the  religion  of  which  he  is  the 
head,  and  whose  prejudices  are  strongly  opposed  to  the 
form  of  government  now  existing  in  Rome,  speak  of 
the  Pope  with  the  utmost  respect  and  veneration.  A 
most  intelligent  Englishman,  of  the  class  I  indicate, 
was  speaking  to  me  with  respect  to  certain  reforms 
which  he  deemed  absolutely  necessary — not  great  or- 
ganic changes,  but  reforms  in  administration — and  he 
wound  up  by  saying :  "  But  as  for  the  Pope,  I  verily 
believe  there  is  not  a  kinder,  or  better,  or  purer  man 
living  on  the  earth — there  can  be  only  one  opinion 
about  him." 

Then  as  to  his  personal  bearing,  even  to  the  hum- 
blest, no  other  Sovereign  approaches  him  in  this  re- 
spect. No  matter  what  may  be  the  object  for  which 
an  audience  is  sought  of  the  Pope,  whether  of  business 
or  charity — to  prefer  a  charge,  or  obtain  a  favour — no 
matter  for  what  it  may  be,  the  same  kindness  and  cour- 
tesy are  exhibited  to  all  persons,  and  on  all  occasions. 

A  most  remarkable  case  in  point  occurred  in  the 
course  of  the  last  year,  which,  in  its  simple  and  unaf- 


158  ROME  AND  ITS  RULEK. 

fected  goodness,  puts  to  shame  those  exhibitions  of  mock 
sympathy  for  the  poor  African  Slave  in  which  it  is  the 
'fashion  now-a-days  to  indulge.  A  family  of  French 
extraction  brought  with  them  from  New  Orleans  a  fe- 
male slave  of  pure  African  blood.  Had  this  poor  wo- 
man desired  to  do  so,  she  might  have  made  herself  free ; 
for  long  before  the  cry  for  the  emancipation,  of  the 
Negro  was  heard  in  England,  a  Pope  had  declared  that 
in  the  Roman  States  "  no  slaves  could  be."  Having 
been  brought  up  a  Catholic,  she  wished  to  be  confirmed ; 
which  she  eventually  was,  in  the  chapel  of  the  French 
Nuns  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  by  Archbishop  Bedini.  It 
afterwards  occurred  to  her  mistress  that  it  would  be  a 
great  comfort  to  the  good  creature  if  she  were  allowed 
to  stand  somewhere  so  as  to  get  the  Pope's  blessing  as 
he  passed.  His  Holiness  was  informed  of  the  matter  ; 
to  which  he  replied, — "I  will  think  about  it."  The 
next  day,  a  papal  dragoon  was  seen  riding  up  and  down 
the  Yia  Condotti,  making  inquiries  at  various  places 
for  "  Mademoiselle  Marguerite,"  for  whom  he  had  a 
letter  of  audience  with  the  first  Sovereign  of  the  world  ! 
Not  finding  Mademoiselle  Marguerite  in  the  Yia  Con- 
dotti, the  dragoon  became  somewhat  perplexed  how  to 
execute  his  commission.  At  last  he  said  to  himself, — 
"  Oh,  this  is  one  of  those  French  or  English  devotees, 
and  they  will  know  something  of  her  at  the  convent  of 
Trinita  di  Marti."  To  that  convent  he  accordingly  pro- 
ceeded, and  was  there  told  that  his  letter  would  be  safely 
delivered  to  the  right  person.  At  the  appointed  hour, 
the  sable-visaged  Marguerite  found  herself  in  the  midst 


HE  GIVES  AUDIEHCE  TO  A  NEGRO  SLAVE.         159 

of  a  company  of  the  high-born,  the  rich,  and  the  beau- 
tiful, who  were  waiting  to  pay  their  Easter  homage. 
The  Pope  was  long  and  privately  engaged.  But  when 
he  was  at  length  free,  the  first  name  called  was  that  of 
"  Mademoiselle  Marguerite."  One  may  imagine  the 
feelings  of  awe  and  reverence  with  which  the  poor  de- 
spised child  of  Africa  prostrated  herself  at  the  feet  of 
the  successor  of  Peter.  A  voice  of  touching:  sweetness 

o 

and  gentleness  soon  inspired  her  with  confidence.  "  My 
child,"  said  the  Pope,  "there  are  many  great  people 
waiting,  but  I  wish  to  speak  to  you  the  first.  Though 
you  are  the  least  upon  earth,  you  may  be  the  greatest 
in  the  sight  of  God."  He  then  conversed  with  her  for 
twenty  minutes.  He  asked  her  about  her  condition, 
her  fellow-slaves,  her  hardships.  "  I  have  many  hard- 
ships," she  replied  ;  "  but  since  I  was  confirmed,  I  have 
learned  to  accept  them  as  the  will  of  God."  He  ex- 
horted her  to  persevere,  and  to  do  good  in  the  condi- 
tion in  which  she  was  placed  ;  and  he  then  gave  her  his 
blessing.  He  blessed  her,  and  blessed  "  all  those  about 
her;"  so  that  this  poor  despised  slave  carried  with  her 
from  that  memorable  interview,  greater  courage  and 
stronger  fortitude  to  bear  up  against  her  yoke  of  suffer- 
ing and  humiliation. 

A  beautiful  feature  in  the  character  of  Pius  IX.  is 
his  benignity.  From  it  springs  that  thoughtful  con- 
sideration for  the  feelings  of  others  which  ever  distin- 
guishes him,  and  of  which  an  instance  has  been  given 
in  the  case  of  one  whom  prejudice — aye,  and  prejudice 
deep-rooted  in  the  breasts  of  those  who  boast  of  their 


160  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

Christianity — accounts,  if  not  actually  infamous,  at 
least  destined  by  nature  for  persecution  and  degrada- 
tion. 

To  children  especially  he  is  gentleness  itself.  He 
delights  to  engage  them  in  conversation,  as  he  meets 
them  in  his  walks  outside  the  city,  or  in  its  more  re- 
tired districts.  But  he  never  fails  to  inquire  as  to 
their  knowledge  of  the  catechism,  and  their  progress  in 
education;  and  if  he  finds  that  the  object  of  his  scru- 
tiny is  ignorant,  or  in  danger  of  falling  into  an  evil 
course,  either  through  having  bad  or  negligent  parents, 
or  from  being  unprotected,  he  at  once  gives  orders  to 
one  of  his  attendants, — which  orders  ensure  to  the 
child  the  benefit  of  a  good  education,  or  the  protection 
of  a  safe  asylum. 

To  students  he  is  as  affable  and  familiar  as  he  was 
in  his  bishopric  of  Imola,  or  while  yet  a  simple  priest. 
In  the  early  part  of  last  Autumn  he  had  a  number  of 
the  students  of  every  ecclesiastical  college  in  Rome  to 
dine  with  him.  This  was  an  act  of  condescension  alto- 
gether unusual,  as  the  Pope  almost  invariably  dines 
alone ;  but  such  is  the  special  kindness  which  he  feels 
towards  the  students  of  the  Irish  College,  that  more  of 
their  body  enjoyed  the  distinction  than  of  any  other 
college,  that  is,  in  proportion  to  their  relative  numbers. 

One  afternoon,  I  was  returning  from  a  ramble  over 
the  charming  Pincian  Hill,  from  whose  various  eleva- 
tions exquisite  views  of  Kome  and  the  country  beyond 
it  may  be  enjoyed,  when  the  friend  who  accompanied 
me  cried  out, — "  See  !  there  is  the  Pope  1"  I  accord- 


THE   POPE   A   PEDESTRIAN.  ,        161 

inglj  looked  in  the  direction  to  which  he  pointed  my 
attention,  and  I  saw  a  figure  clad  in  a  white  cloth  Bu- 
tane, with  a  cape  and  belt  of  the  same  colour,  and 
wearing  a  wide-brimmed  crimson  hat,  adorned  with  a 
gold  cord,  which  encircled  it,  and  which  terminated  in 
large  tassels  of  the  same  costly  material.  At  each  side 
walked  two  persons,  dressed  as  the  students  of  the 
Apolonari  College;  and  behind  came  three  or  four 
officers  of  the  household,  one  of  whom  acted  as  Al- 
moner, as  is  the  custom  when  the  Pope  goes  abroad. 
These  were  followed,  at  some  distance,  by  a  few  of  the 
Noble  Guard;  and  then  two  carriages  of  a  plain  de- 
scription, the  one  for  His  Holiness,  the  other  for  his  at- 
tendants. My  friend  and  I  did  not  hesitate  long  about 
forming  part  of  the  cortege,  that  accompanied  the  illus- 
trious pedestrian  from  the  foot  of  the  Pincian  Hill, 
across  the  Piazza  del  Popolo,  through  the  gate  of  the 
same  name,  and  for  nearly  two  miles  along  the  Flamin- 
ian  Way,  which  the  prevalence  of  a  strong  wind  had 
rendered  more  than  usually  dusty.  Divested  of  the 
splendid  robes  in  which  I  last  beheld  the  Pope,  and 
clad  in  the  simple  dress  which  I  have  described,  his 
figure  appeared  stout  and  robust,  but  by  no  means  un- 
duly full  for  a  man  of  sixty-three — which  is  about  his 
age  at  present.  He  walked  vigorously  and  well,  freely 
using  his  arms  as  those  do  who  desire  to  give  the  bene- 
fit of  the  healthful  exercise  to  all  their  limbs.  As  lie 
was  descending  the  hill,  he  met  a  group  of  students  of 
the  Propaganda,  amongst  whom  I  instantly  recognized 
one  of  the  dark  faces  which  I  had  previously  seen  in 


162  ROME  AND   ITS  RULER. 

the  Pauline  Chapel.  The  Pope  at  once  stopped,  arid 
conversed  with  them  for  a  few  moments.  In  the  same 
way  he  spoke  to  some  children  who  had  been  enjoying 
themselves  in  innocent  sport,  "but  who,  on  being  ad- 
dressed by  the  Holy  Father,  evinced  towards  him  re- 
spect, not  bashfulness.  For  two  miles,  or  even  more, 
he  stoutly  pursued  his  way  along  the  road,  walking  in 
the  very  centre  of  it,  and  little  regarding  the  dust 
which  rose  before  a  breeze  that  was  robbing  many  a 
tree  on  each  side  of  its  russet  leaves.  Every  human 
being  whom  he  met  on  his  way  knelt  to  receive  his 
blessing.  There  was  no  exception  whatever — old  as 
well  as  young,  rich  as  well  as  poor,  the  rude  driver  of 
the  quaint-looking  market-cart,  as  well  as  the  noble 
equestrian — all  knelt  as  he  approached,  and  with  an 
utter  disregard  of  the  mode  or  place  in  which  they 
knelt.  I  particularly  remarked  that  a  group  of  gentle- 
men, some  of  whom  were  named  to  me  as  members  of 
well-known  noble  families,  at  once  dismounted,  and 
knelt  with  just  the  same  alacrity  as  the  very  poorest. 
The  latter  had  more  than  one  motive  for  their  act  of 
homage ;  for  they  knew  that  the  Almoner,  or  his  sub- 
stitute, was  among  the  attendants  of  the  Holy  Father, 
and  that  he  bore  with  him  a  purse,  which  had  been  re- 
plenished specially  for  them,  and  whose  contents  were 
in  rapid  process  of  distribution.  The  dress  of  the 
Holy  Father  was  different  indeed  from  that  in  which  I 
beheld  him  on  several  previous  occasions ;  but  there 
could  be  no  change  in  the  unalterable  mildness  and 
benevolence  which  nature  and  character  had  impressed 


PIO   NONO   AND   FATHER   MATHEW.  163 

upon  his  features.  There  was  nothing  in  that  face  to 
awe  or  repel,  but  everything  to  attract.  In  its  general 
character — I  do  not  mean  its  lines  and  curves,  but  its 
spirit — there  is  in  the  face  of  Pius  IX.  much  that 
would  recall  to  the  memory  the  sweet  countenance  of 
another  most  benevolent  Priest,  the  illustrious  and 
lamented  Father  Mathew.  Nor  is  the  resemblance 
merely  external ;  for,  in  considerateness  and  kindness 
of  manner  to  all  persons,  without  distinction  of  rank  ; 
in  compassion  and  tenderness  for  the  poor  and  the  suf- 
fering, and  in  unfailing  gentleness  to  youth,  there  is 
much  similarity  of  character  and  disposition  between 
these  two  great  and  good  men.  In  their  boundless 
charity — the  desire  to  convert  their  every  possession 
into  the  means  of  relieving  others — I  can  see  a  still 
stronger  and  more  touching  resemblance. 

The  Pope,  as  might  be  supposed,  receives  many 
beautiful  and  costly  presents,  not  alone  from  the  faith- 
ful, but  even  from  those  who,  while  they  regard  his 
church  with  aversion,  admire  his  character,  and  do 
honour  to  his  virtues.  Amongst  other  presents  re- 
ceived, not  long  since  by  the  Holy  Father,  was  a  sump- 
tuous saddle,  studded  with  precious  stones,  and  enriched 
with  all  the  barbaric  magnificence  of  the  East.  This 
costly  gift  was  the  offering  of  the  present  Sultan,  who 
has  frequently,  and  in  many  ways,  manifested  his  per- 
sonal respect  for  the  Pope.  By  the  sale  of  its  gems  he 
was  enabled  to  carry  out  a  favourite  work  of  charity. 
With  their  produce  he  fed  and  clad  and  consoled  the 
poor.  The  Queen  of  Spain  also  sent  him  a  gorgeous 


164  EOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

golden  clialice,  which  blazed  with  jewels;  but  the  Pope 
had  it  divested  of  its  precious  stones,  broken  up,  and 
gold — and  with  the  proceeds  he  was  enabled  to  estab- 
lish in  Eome  additional  public  bakeries,  in  which  bread 
is  sold  to  the  poorer  classes  at  a  low  price.  There 
were,  last  year,  six  of  such  valuable  institutions  estab- 
lished in  the  most  convenient  districts  of  the  city ;  and 
not  only  do  they  confer  an  immediate  benefit  on  those 
for  whose  especial  use  they  are  intended,  but  they  also 
confer  great  good  on  the  community  generally,  by 
helping  to  keep  down  the  price  of  this  most  important 
article  of  daily  food.  From  many  causes,  the  past 
year  has  been  one  of  serious  privation  in  most  parts  of 
Italy,  as  well  as  in  Kome  and  throughout  the  Papal 
States.  The  vintage  has  been  generally  unfavourable, 
owing  to  the  continual  prevalence  of  that  mysterious 
blight  which  has  for  years  ravaged  the  wine-producing 
countries  of  Europe  ;  the  grain  crops  have  also  suffered 
materially ;  and  oil,  which  is  an  article  of  primary  ne- 
cessity to  the  Italians,  has  increased  immensely  in 
value,  in  consequence  of  the  more  than  partial  failure 
of  the  olive. 

In  connection  with  the  public  bakeries,  there  may 
be  mentioned  another  work  of  benevolence  commenced 
by  the  Pope,  out  of  compassion  to  the  poorer  classes. 
He  has  lately  caused  to  be  constructed  a  number  of 
small  houses,  in  which  the  working  man,  or  the  poor 
family,  can  have  a  good  accommodation,  and  even  con- 
siderable comfort,  at  small  expense.  This  attempt  is, 
in  Kome  as  in  most  other  places  in  which  it  has  been 


PUBLIC  BAKEKIES  AND  MODEL  HOUSES.          165 

made,  only  in  its  infancy ;  but  it  is  to  be  made  on  a 
larger  scale,  according  as  circumstances  render  it  con- 
venient or  possible.  These  houses  have  been  erected 
at  the  sole  cost  of  the  Holy  Father,  and  out  of  his  pri- 
vate purse. 


166  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Personal  Courage  of  His  Holiness. — His  Presence  of  Mind  in  the  Hour 
of  Danger. — His  Visits  to  the  Cholera  Hospitals. — Not  afraid  of  his 
Subjects. — Evidence  of  his  Fearlessness. 

I  SHALL  have  ample  occasion  to  exhibit  still  further 
the  merciful  disposition,  as  well  as  the  enlightened 
character,  of  Pius  IX. ;  but  it  may  not  be  out  of  place 
to  refer  to  one  trait  in  his  character,  for  which,  owing 
to  misrepresentations  of  its  real  nature,  many  people 
may  not  give  him  credit — namely,  courage.  In  mo- 
ments of  the  greatest  danger,  he  has  displayed  a  calm- 
ness and  a  presence  of  mind  that  are  not  always  asso- 
ciated with  the  more  vulgar  quality  of  mere  physical 
bravery.  Mild  and  gentle  as  he  is  by  nature,  there  is 
no  danger  which  he  would  not  face,  when  called  upon 
by  a  consciousness  of  duty  to  do  so.  Remember  how 
boldly  he  braved,  and  how  effectually  he  awed,  the 
furious  assassins  in  the  sacristy  of  the  Cathedral  of 
Imola.  Also,  how,  amidst  the  horrors  of  the  fearful 
16th  of  November,  1848,  he  maintained  his  position 
with  unshrinking  courage,  declaring  that  "  he  would 
yield  nothing  to  violence."  If,  at  length,  he  did  affect 
to  yield,  it  was  to  save  his  faithful  guards  and  personal 
attendants  from  being  butchered,  and  the  streets  of 
his  capital  from  being  deluged  with  innocent  blood. 


INSTANCES  OF  THE   POPE'S  COUEAGE.  167 

Again,  during  his  flight,  he  exhibited*a  coolness  and  a 
courage  which  those  interested  in  his  safety  could  with 
difficulty  emulate.  And  bravely,  too,  on  another  criti- 
cal occasion,  but  one  of  a  far  different  kind,  did  his 
nerves  withstand  a  shock  that  made  many  a  stout  heart 
tremble  at  the  time.  This  was  on  the  12th  of  April, 
1855,  when  the  flooring  of  a  hall  in  the  Monastery  of 
St.  Agnes  gave  way  beneath  the  unaccustomed  weight 
of  some  hundred  and  fifty  persons ;  and  Pope,  cardi- 
nals, prelates,  generals,  soldiers,  monks,  and  students, 
were  whirled  through  the  yawning  ruin,  amidst  falling 
beams,  fragments  of  masonry,  and  clouds  of  dust.  Not 
a  few  were  hurt,  some  more  or  less  seriously,  by  the 
fall  and  the  consequent  crush ;  but  the  Pope  was  un- 
touched— his  escape,  under  the  circumstances,  appear- 
ing to  be  something  miraculous.  Not  the  least  miracle 
was  the  wonderful  presence  of  mind  which  he  displayed 
at  such  a  fearful  moment.  By  cheerful  words  he  dis- 
pelled the  panic  with  which  nearly  all  were  seized. 
And,  in  gratitude  to  God  for  such  an  escape,  he  invited 
those  who  were  unhurt  to  follow  him  to  the  church ; 
where,  in  a  full  and  firm  voice,  he  intoned  a  thanks- 
giving to  the  Almighty  for  His  great  mercy. 

I  shall  not  dwell  upon  his  courage  in  braving  the 
perils  of  the  Cholera  Hospital ;  for  there  is  not  to  be 
found  a  Roman  Catholic  Priest  who,  however  natu- 
rally timid  or  apprehensive  he  may  be,  is  not  at  any 
moment  ready  to  incur  the  danger  of  visiting  and  ad- 
ministering to  the  sick,  no  matter  by  what  malignant 
disease  they  might  be  stricken  down,  and  whether  in 


168  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

the  wards  of  an  hospital,  or  in  the  fetid  atmosphere  of 
a  garret  or  a  cellar.  But  the  difference  between  the 
two  cases  is  this — the  Priest  goes  to  the  cholera  hospi- 
tal in  the  discharge  of  his  duty ;  but  the  Pope  did  so 
with  the  view  of  allaying  the  wild  apprehensions  of  his 
people,  and  giving  an  example  of  fearlessness  to  others. 
Indeed  it  would  be  impossible  to  describe  the  dismay 
and  horror  of  the  lower  classes  of  the  Roman  people  at 
the  last  visitation  of  this  terrible  disease.  As  the  poor 
were  in  general  its  victims,  and  as  the  rich  mostly 
escaped — -just  as  has  been  the  case  in  all  other  places 
— it  was  madly  supposed  that  there  was  a  hellish  con- 
spiracy of  the  rich  against  the  poor !  They  even  fan- 
cied that  the  doctors  were  bribed  to  administer  poi- 
soned medicines  to  the  class  marked  out  for  sacrifice. 
In  moments  of  terror  men  and  women  go  back  to 
childhood,  and  are  slaves  to  its  wildest  credulity.  The 
subject  of  the  cholera  swallowed  up  all  other  topics, 
and  entirely  absorbed  the  public  mind.  "Who  is 
dead  to-day  ? — how  many  cases  since  last  night  ?"  were ' 
the  questions  almost  universally  asked.  In  a  word, 
the  panic  was  at  its  height.  And  such  was  the  mortal 
terror  caused  by  the  spread  of  this  disease,  pronounced 
to  be  "  contagious,"  that  the  nearest  and  dearest  ties  of 
affection  and  blood  were  appealed  to  in  vain,  and  the 
sick  were  fled  from  in  dismay.  In  the  midst  of  this 
panic,  when  all  who  could  have  done  so  had  left 
Rome,  the  Holy  Father  himself  publicly  visited  the 
great  hospital  of  Santo  Spirito ;  and  going  from  bed  to 
bed,  he  blessed. and  consoled  the  patients,  taking  many 


HE   VISITS  THE   CHOLEKA  HOSPITALS.  169 

of  them  by  the  hand ;  and,  with  the  utmost  tenderness 
and  compassion,  he  assisted  one  man  in  his  last  agony. 
He  then  visited  the  convalescents,  and  spoke  to  them, 
and  blessed  them,  and  cheered  them  by  his  gentle 
voice  and  hopeful  words.  A  few  days  afterwards  he 
went  to  the  female  cholera  hospital  at  St.  John  Lat- 
eran,  and  there  imparted  consolation  to  the  last  mo- 
ments of  a  poor  Jewess,  who  actually  died  in  his  arms. 
On  another  occasion  he  visited  the  French  soldiers 
who  were  attacked  by  the  disease,  and  in  the  same 
pious  offices  displayed  at  once  his  compassion  and  his 
courage.  Of  course  these  visits  produced  a  profound 
sensation  and  most  beneficial  effect  throughout  Kome ; 
and  in  a  short  time  the  wild  panic  subsided,  and  the 
community  was  restored  to  tranquillity  and  confidence. 
It  has  been  freely  and  frequently  stated  that  the  life 
of  the  Pope  is  in  constant  danger  from  his  own  sub- 
jects, and  that  he  dares  not  venture  abroad.  That  he 
does  go  out,  and  that,  too,  in  the  most  public  places  in 
Koine,  I  was  a  witness  of  on  more  than  one  occasion. 
He  is  frequently  to  be  seen  walking  on  the  Pinciah 
Hill,  and  on  some  days  even  in  the  streets  of  the  city. 
But  he  necessarily  prefers  more  retired  and  less  popu- 
lous districts,  for  other  reasons  than  those  of  apprehen- 
sion or  mistrust;  for  he  is  so  hemmed  in  by  the  people, 
asking  his  blessing,  imploring  alms,  or  presenting  peti- 
tions, that  it  is  with  the  utmost  difficulty  he  can  make 
his  way  through  the  crowd  which  his  appearance  in 
the  more  populous  districts  is  at  once  sure  to  attract. 
Certainly,  one  thing  is  true  beyond  doubt, — that,  if 


170  ROME   AND   ITS   KULER. 

any  of  his  people  be  so  utterly  abandoned  as  to  enter- 
tain evil  designs  against  the  sacred  person  of  their 
Sovereign,  they  have  numberless  opportunities  of 
carrying  their  designs  into  execution,  or,  at  least,  of 
making  the  attempt  with  every  probabilityjof  success. 
At  any  rate,  if  danger  exist,  the  Pope  looks  and  acts 
as  if  it  did  not  exist ;  and  that  it  does  not,  is  the  con- 
viction of  those  who  are  best  acquainted  with  the  feel- 
ings of  the  people.  On  the  contrary,  the  Holy  Father 
is  personally  beloved  by  his  subjects ;  and  any  out- 
rage, or  even  insult,  offered  to  him  would  be  followed 
by  summary  vengeance  from  the  hands  of  those  who 
witnessed  it.  To  give  a  striking  instance  of  the  confi- 
dence which  the  Pope  manifests  in  his  people — or  of 
his  fearlessness — I  may  mention  that,  having  gone,  a 
short  time  since,  by  chance,  into  a  field  in  which  five 
battalions  of  Roman  infantry  were  going  through  their 
exercises,  he  allowed  them  to  fire  blank  cartridge 
right  in  his  face ;  although  there  was  a  report  then 
rife  in  Rome,  that  the  Papal  army  was  full  of  "  dan- 
gerous democrats." 

Gentle,  merciful,  compassionate,  and  paternal,  Pius 
is;  but  there  is  no  sacrifice  which  he  would  not  be 
prepared  to  make,  no  danger  which  he  would  not 
cheerfully  encounter,  in  the  vindication  of  the  truth, 
or  in  the  discharge  of  what  he  felt  to  be  his  duty. 
"  I  am  prepared  to  go  to-morrow  to  the  Catacombs,  as 
many  of  my  predecessors  have  done,  if  the  interests  of 
the  Church  of  God  require  it,"  were  words  which  he 
uttered  in  my  presence ;  and  with  such  simple  dignity, 


NOT  AFRAID  OF  HIS  SUBJECTS.  171 

such  an  unconscious  nobleness  of  gesture,  such  a  quick 
flushing  of  the  face  and  lighting  up  of  the  eye — that 
there  rose  up  before  my  mind  those  fearless  martyrs 
of  the  early  Church,  who,  though  holy  and  gentle  and 
mild  as  Pius,  could  yet  meet  the  sword  of  the  slayer 
without  the  betrayal  of  a  single  emotion  of  human 
weakness. 

The  Pope's  immediate  connection  with  the  principal 
institutions  of  Home  will  still  further  illustrate  the  be- 
nignity of  his  nature,  and  the  paternal  character  of  his 
rule. 


172  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Roman  Hospitals. — La  Consolazione. — San  Giovanni  di  Calabita. — » 
San  Galicano. — San  Giacomo. — Santissima  Salvatore, —  Santissima 
Trinita  di  Pellegrini. 

I  HAVE  ever  held  the  belief,  that  no  institutions  re- 
flect greater  credit  on  a  ruler,  or  a  higher  honour  on  a 
country,  than  really  good  and  efficient  hospitals,  to 
which  the  poor  may  have  immediate  recourse,  without 
a  sense  of  personal  degradation,  and  with  full  confidence 
in  the  ability  and  zeal  of  those  by  whom  they  are  man- 
aged. It  cannot  be  said  that  the  greater  portion  of  the 
magnificent  hospitals  of  Eome  are  the  work  of  the  pres- 
ent Pope  ;  for,  were  ft  true,  it  would  be  a  sad  reflection 
on  his  illustrious  predecessors.  But  this  I  can  assert,  from 
having  beheld  the  result  with  my  own  eyes,  as  well  as 
instituted  minute  and  repeated  inquiries, — that  Pius  IX. 
has  not  only  added  largely  and  munificently  to  those 
valuable  monuments  of  the  zeal  and  humanity  of  former 
Popes,  and  in  several  instances  out  of  his  own  private 
resources,  or  such  means  as  were  at  his  immediate  dis- 
posal ;  but  that  he  has  most  rigorously  reformed  the 
whole  system,  and  brought  it,  or  is  engaged  in  bring- 
ing it,  to  a  condition  as  near  perfection  as  it  is  possible 
to  render  institutions  of  human  origin.  Some  hospitals 
have  been  entirely,  and  others  almost  wholly,  rebuilt ; 


THE  EOMAN  HOSPITALS.  173 

more  have  been  added  to,  so  as  to  double  the  extent  of 
their  accommodation ;  new  and  improved  arrangements 
have  been  adopted  in  many — and  in  all  the  influence 
of  a  vigilant  eye  is  plainly  manifest,  even  to  the  most 
casual  visitor.  I  use  no  mere  phrase,  when  I  allude  to 
the  influence  of  this  well-known  vigilance ;  for  the  ad- 
ministrators of  the  Roman  hospitals  have  already  had 
frequent  proofs  of  the  watchfulness  of  His  Holiness,  in 
visits  unannounced  and  unexpected.  It  is  his  invaria- 
ble practice  not  to  give  the  slightest  notice  of  his  inten- 
tion to  visit  those  institutions  until  he  is  actually  seated 
in  his  carriage,  and  is  leaving  the  gates  of  the  palace ; 
and  he  only  then  communicates  his  intention  to  one  of 
the  noble  Guard,  who  rides  on  before,  not  to  announce 
the  Pope's  coming,  but  in  order  that  the  gates  might 
be  at  once  opened  on  his  arrival.  In  this  manner  he 
has  visited  and  inspected  all  the  hospitals  of  Rome  ;  and 
many  of  the  improvements  and  reforms  already  adopt- 
ed, or  in  actual  progress,  are  the  valuable  results  of 
those  visits,  and  the  fruits  of  the  experience  thus  ac- 
quired. JSTor  have  the  visits  of  His  Holiness  been  alone 
made  at  times  when  the  health  of  the  city  was  good, 
and  no  danger  could  have  been  apprehended  ;  for,  as  I 
have  elsewhere  stated,  when  cholera  broke  out  in  Rome, 
and  the  usual  alarm  accompanied  its  mysterious  and 
appalling  presence,  the  Pope  publicly  visited  the  hospi- 
tals then  open  for  the  treatment  of  this  terrible  disease  : 
and  this  he  did,  not  merely  to  allay  the  terror  of  the 
people,  but  to  excite  to  greater  activity  the  zeal  and 
self-devotion  of  those  who  were  then  entrusted  with 


174  ROME  AND  ITS  KULEK. 

their  care,  from  the  most  distinguished  physician  down 
to  the  humblest  attendant. 

The  result  of  the  munificent  additions  which  the  Pope 
has  made  to  the  hospitals  of  Home,  as  well  as  of  the 
constant  solicitude  with  which  he  watches  over  their 
management,  is  this — that  not  only  is  the  amplest  ac- 
commodation now  offered  for  the  treatment  of  every 
possible  form  of  human  malady,  but  there  are  means 
ever  at  hand  to  meet  any  exigency  which  could  arise ; 
such,  for  instance,  as  the  prevalence  of  a  dangerous  ep- 
idemic. The  first  hospital  which  I  visited  will  suffi- 
ciently illustrate  the  power  of  expansion  that  may  be 
said  to  be  common  to  all  the  hospitals  of  Rome. 

LA    CONSOLAZIONE. 

This  was  La  Consolazione,  built  very  close  to  the 
Tarpeian  Rock,  which  place  of  tragic  interest  has  now 
almost  to  be  looked  for,  though  not  in  vain  ;  as  nearly 
thirty  feet  of  the  once  dreaded  precipice  are  yet  visible 
above  the  constantly  encroaching  soil.-  Still  Byron 
might  well  have  asked — 

" where  the  steep 

Tarpeian  ?  fittest  goal  for  Treason's  race, 
The  promontory  whence  the  Traitor's  Leap 
Cured  all  ambition," 

This  hospital,  which  was  founded  and  afterwards  en- 
larged by  Caesar  Borgia,  was  the  smallest  of  the  many 
through  which  I  went,  and  yet,  to  me,  its  size  appeared 
very  great ;  for  the  chief  ward  in  the  establishment  for 
the  men  was  about  200  feet  in  length,  and  contained 


LA  CONSOLAZIONE.  175 

62  beds.  To  this  great  hall  the  present  Pope  lately 
added  a  new  wing,  in  which  16  beds  were  placed, 
ready  for  use ;  but  of  the  78  beds  then  made  up,  and 
ready  at  a  moment's  notice,  not  more  than  21  were 
occupied.  Such,  however,  is  the  great  width  of  the 
principal  hall,  or  ward,  that  a  double  row  of  beds 
might  be  easily  placed  at  each  side,  as  is  done  in  the 
great  hospital  of  Santo  Spirito,  and  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent in  the  other  hospitals.  The  width  being  about 
40  feet,  two  rows  of  beds  at  each  side — the  head  of 
the  second  bed  being  placed  up  to  the  foot  of  that 
next  the  wall — would  not  occupy  more  than  24  or 
25  feet,  thus  leaving  a  great  passage,  of  at  least  15 
feet,  in  the  centre ;  so  that  in  this  hospital  there  might, 
at  any  moment,  be  156  beds  ready  for  the  reception 
of  patients.  It  was  at  the  time  entirely  devoted  to 
surgical  cases,  such  as  fractures,  wounds,  burns,  &c. 
I  carefully  noted  that,  not  only  was  the  building  lofty 
in  proportion  to  its  length,  and  thoroughly  ventilated, 
but  that  a  most  liberal  allowance  of  space  was  pre- 
served between  each  bed — generally,  an  average  of 
5  feet.  Of  course,  the  curtailment  of  this  space  be- 
tween the  beds  would  still  further  add  to  the  power 
of  accommodation,  in  case  of  necessity.  The  beds 
looked  good,  clean,  and  comfortable,  and  the  entire 
building  partook  of  the  same  character;  although,  to 
the  eye  of  one  accustomed  to  timber  flooring,  a  dull 
red  brick,  or  tile,  while  eminently  useful  in  a  warm 
country,  does  not  at  first  sight  make  the  most  favour- 
able impression.  Six  secular  clergymen  constantly 


176  EOME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

reside  in  a  house  attached  to  the  hospital,  which  is 
also  attended  by  Jesuits,  and  other  religious  orders. 
A  number  of  novices  are  likewise  in  unceasing  attend- 
ance upon  the  sick.     In  this,  as  in  all  the  Eoman  hos- 
pitals, there  is  a  little  Chapel— the  altar  of  which  is 
visible  from  every  side — in  which  mass  is  daily  offered 
up  for  the  benefit  of  the  patients,  who  also  assist  at 
the  rosary,  and  other  religious  exercises.     It  is  scarcely 
necessary  to  remark  how  much  this  salutary  provision 
for  the  comfort  and  consolation  of  the  sick  aids  the 
efforts  of  human  skill  in  the  favourable  treatment  of 
disease,  and  to  what  extent  it  assists  in  the  operation 
of  the  cure.     To  the  patient,  whose  body  is  tortured 
by  pain,  or  whose  mind  is  prostrated  by  the  effects  of 
the  malady,  the  consolation  of  hourly  spiritual  minis- 
tration is  a  blessing  great  beyond  expression, — such, 
indeed,  as  those  in  rude  health  cannot  by  possibility 
appreciate.     It  is  at  a  moment  of  the  kind  that  the 
gentle  voice  reaches  his  heart,  and  the  word  of  whis- 
pered counsel  touches  his  inmost  soul. 

The  hospital  for  women  is  divided  by  a  street  from 
that  of  the  men.  It  had  24  beds  in  immediate  readi- 
ness, besides  ample  resources  in  case  of  necessity ;  but 
of  the  beds  so  prepared,  not  more  than  9  were  then  oc- 
cupied. The  low  wailing  moans  of  one  poor  woman, 
whose  breast  had  been  fearfully  scalded,  and  who'  had 
been  only  that  day  taken  in,  were  most  painful  to 
hear.  The  unhappy  sufferer  evidently  struggled  with 
her  anguish ;  but  it  frequently  overmastered  her,  and 
a  sharp  cry  occasionally  testified  to  its  severity.  A 


SAN   GIOVANNI  DI   CALABITA.  177 

religious  community  had  the  charge  of  this  branch 
of  the  hospital,  and  several  of  its  members  were  busy 
about  the  beds  of  the  patients,  or  employed  in  various 
duties  necessary  for  their  comfort.  The  beds  were  neat 
and  well  kept,  and  the  place  quite  clean. 

SAN  GIOVANNI  DI  CALABITA. 

This  hospital  particularly  interested  me,  it  being  in- 
tended for  a  class  of  cases  entitled  to  the  greatest  sym- 
pathy, and  for  which,  in  my  judgment,  every  state,  or 
government,  should  make  the  most  ample  provision, — 
namely,  those  afflicted  with  temporary  maladies.  It  is 
built  on 'the  island  of  St.  Bartholomew,  in  the  Tiber, 
and  upon  a  most  appropriate  site — the  very  spot  on 
which,  in  Pagan  times,  stood  an  hospital  attached  to 
the  temple  of  Esculapius.  It  was  founded  in  the  Pon- 
tificate of  Gregory  XIII.,  in  1581 ;  and  is  under  the 
care  of  the  Brothers  of  St.  John  of  God,  ,an  order 
specially  instituted  by  its  holy  founder  for  attendance 
on  the  sick.  This  order,  which  is  of  Spanish  origin,  is 
popularly  known  by  the  name  Benefratelli,  from  the 
fact  of  their  having,  on  their  institution  in  Eome,  gone 
about  soliciting  alms,  and  using  the  words — "Fate 
lene  fratelli  per  Vatnor  di  Dio" — "  Brethren,  do  good 
for  the  love  of  God."  Seven  of  the  brothers  were  in 
the  hospital  as  I  entered,  and  were  engaged  in  attend- 
ance on  the  sick.  The  principal  hall  is  about  200  feet 
in  length,  and  contained  fifty  beds  in  a  state  of  imme- 
diate preparation ;  but  of  this  number  not  more  than 
8*- 


178  ROME  AND   ITS  RULER. 

sixteen  were  occupied  at  that  time.  One  of  the  pa- 
tients, a  singularly  interesting  young  man,  a  native  of 
Switzerland,  whose  malady  was  an  affection  of  the 
chest,  was  surrounded  by  the  female  members  of  his 
family,  whose  holiday  attire  imparted  a  cheerful  aspect 
to  the  place.  He  was  evidently  of  a  somewhat  better 
class,  and,  in  conversation  with  a  friend  by  whom  I 
was  accompanied,  he  expressed  himself  most  grateful 
for  the  attention  which  he  had  received.  The  capa- 
bility of  expansion,  according  to  circumstances,  was  as 
manifest  in  this  as  in  the  other  hospitals.  I  found  the 
beds  to  be  neat?  comfortable,  and  well  ordered. 

An  adjoining  hospital,  for  women,  was  in  the  care  of 
a  number  of  Italian  nuns.  Not  more  than  eighteen  of 
the  beds  were  then  occupied,  though  the  great  hall  in 
which  they  were  placed  might  be  easily  made  to  ac- 
commodate five  times  that  number  of  patients.  Yet 
another  hall,  or  ward,  had  been  recently  added  to  it 
by  the  present  Pope. 


SAN  GALICANO. 

The  Hospital  of  San  Galicano  is  interesting  in  many 
respects,  but  in  this  respect  more  than  in  any  other — 
that  it  exhibits  in  a  very  striking  manner,  the  admi- 
rable solicitude  which  the  Church  evinces  towards  the 
young.  This  hospital  was  established  for,  or  is  de- 
voted to,  the  treatment  of  cutaneous  diseases  of  all 
kinds.  Originally,  it  was  an  hospital  for  leprosy — a 
disease  of  which,  happily,  little  is  now  known  in  Rome. 


SAN   GALICANO.  179 

It  was  founded  in  1722  by  a  pious  priest,  Emilio  Lami ; 
was  enlarged  in  1754  by  Benedict  XIY. ;  and  owes 
many  of  its  improvements  to  the  benevolence  and 
vigilance  of  Pius  IX.  Its  present  accommodation  is 
for  60  men,  54  women,  and  30  boys — in  all  144 ;  but 
the  number  of  patients  at  the  time  of  my  visit  did  not 
exceed  104,  of  which  number  the  boys  constituted 
more  than  one  third.  The  latter  were  then  engaged  in 
play,  in  a  spacious  yard;  and  if  I  were  to  judge  of 
their  condition  by  their  vivacity,  I  might  safely  pre- 
dict for  them  a  speedy  restoration  to  health.  The  dis- 
ease seemed  principally  to  have  assumed,  with  them, 
the  character  of  "  scald,"  as  they  all  wore  on  the  head 
a  close-fitting  linen  cap.  Their  dress  was  dark  and 
serviceable,  and  decidedly  comfortable.  Some  persons 
may  deem  it  a  great  calamity,  that  the  treatment  of 
the  disease  with  which  these  children  are  afflicted  gen- 
erally extends  to  the  term  of  a  year,  or  even  a  year 
and  a  half;  but  their  ideas  might  undergo  a  change,  if 
they  learned  that  the  education  of  the  young  patients 
was  as  strictly  looked  to  as  if  they  were  attending  a 
seminary,  instead  of  being  the  inmates  of  an  hospital. 
The  boys  are  placed  under  the  care  of  the  Brothers  of 
St.  John  of  God,  by  whom  they  are  taught  reading, 
writing,  and  arithmetic,  and  are  thoroughly  grounded 
in  catechism  and  Christian  doctrine.  In  fact,  they 
undergo  a  course  of  education  and  a  course  of  physic 
at  Qne  and  the  same  time;  and  when  they  leave  the 
hospital  cured,  they  also  leave  it  educated.  The  same 
may  be  said  of  the  girls ;  with  this  difference,  that,  in 


180  EOME   AND   ITS   KULER. 

addition  to  the  literary  and  religious  instruction  which 
they  receive,  they  are  also  taught  useful  work  of  vari- 
ous kinds.  At  the  time  I  visited  the  institution,  I  saw 
about  thirty  girls,  whose  ages  varied  from  three  to 
fourteen  years,  receiving  instruction  in  catechism  from 
one  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  to  whose  management 
they  are  happily  entrusted.  Some  of  the  children  had 
been  sent  in  from  the  country,  for  the  advantage  of  the 
better  treatment  which  the  hospital  afforded,  and, 
being  the  offspring  of  poor  parents,  living  in  remote 
and  sequestered  districts,  were  generally  ignorant  at 
the  time  of  their  admission ;  but,  thanks  to  the  care 
taken  of  them  by  their  excellent  teachers,  they  were 
then  progressing  in  intelligence  as  in  health.  Old  and 
young  hear  Mass  every  morning,  and  attend  the  rosary 
and  other  devotions  during  the  day.  The  two  estab- 
lishments— male  and  female — presented  a  pleasing  ap- 
pearance of  neatness  and  cleanliness,  valuable  as  a 
remedial  adjunct,  but  perhaps  still  more  valuable  in  its 
influence  on  the  tastes  and  habits  of  its  youthful  in- 
mates. I  was  shown  the  separate  bath-rooms  for  the 
children  of  both  sexes.  In  the  boys'  department  there 
were  six  baths  of  white  marble,  over  one  of  which  was 
carved  the  ominous  word  "  Leprosia  /"  but  as  there 
had  been  no  case  of  that  frightful  malady  in  the  hospi- 
tal for  two  years  before,  that  bath  enjoyed  a  state  of 
fortunate  exemption  from  use. 


SAN  GIACOMO.  181 

SAN  GIACOMO. 

The  most  beautiful  of  the  Roman  hospitals,  though 
not  the  largest  in  its  accommodation,  or  the  vastest  in 
its  extent,  is  that  of  San  Giacomo,  in  Augusta.  It  is 
likewise  one  of  the  noblest  monuments  of  the  munifi- 
cence and  humanity  of  Pius  IX.  Originally  founded 
in  1339,  by  the  executors  of  Cardinal  Fietro  Colonna, 
in  compliance  with  his  testamentary  wishes,  it  was  im- 
proved and  enlarged  in  the  present  century  by  Pius 
VII.  and  Leo  XII.  It  was  instituted  for  the  poor  who 
were  afflicted  with  ulcers,  or  other  loathsome  diseases 
that  rendered  them  objects  of  aversion ;  and  in  1515 
Leo  X.  specially  destined  it  for  the  treatment  of  lep- 
rosy and  syphilitic  diseases.  But  the  whole  building 
was  splendidly  restored  by  Pius  IX. — in  fact,  was  re- 
erected.  Completed  in  August,  1856,  it  was  in  full 
operation  when  I  visited  it  in  the  following  November; 
and,  from  the  perfection  of  all  its  arrangements,  as 
well  as  from  the  care  taken  to  provide  for  the  cure 
and  comfort  of  the  patients,  it  may  be  termed  a  model 
hospital. 

The  length  of  the  great  hall  is  340  feet ;  and,  as  I 
entered  it  at  an  hour  when  the  day  was  drawing  to  a 
close,  it  seemed  to  me  something  wonderful  in  its  ex- 
tent. But  viewed  at  any  time,  or  under  any  circum- 
stances, it  would  be  impossible  to  behold  a  more  impos- 
ing, or  a  nobler  hall.  Its  width  as  well  as  its  loftiness 
are  in  proportion  to  its  length ;  so  that  there  may  at 
any  time  be  two  rows  of  beds  at  each  side,  and  still  an 


ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

ample  space  preserved  between  the  outer  rows.     In  the 
centre  there  is  laid  down,  for  the  entire  length  of  340 
feet,  a  pavement  of  pure  white  marble,  fully  six  feet  in 
width,  and  of  fine  quality.     A  light  gallery  divides 
the  height  of  the  walls  on  each  side ;  its  object  being 
to  afford  greater  facility  in  the  management  of  the 
windows.      This  hospital  had  been  opened  with  108 
beds,  but  it  then   contained  130,  and  at  any  moment 
might  be  made  to  accommodate  200.     In  case  of  an 
emergency,  the  lower  hall,  over  which  the  one  I  de- 
scribe has  been  erected,  could  be  at  once  restored  to 
usefulness ;  whereas  now  it  is  abandoned  for  the  new 
and  beautiful  building.     There  is  a  large  staff  of  expe- 
rienced physicians  and  surgeons,  besides  twelve  or  four- 
teen attendants,  also  professional  men,  but  some  of  them 
with  a  reputation  yet  to  achieve.     Three  visits  daily 
are  regularly  paid  to  all  the  patients  in  the  hospital — 
the  first  in  the  morning,  the  second  at  noon,  and  the 
third  in  the  afternoon.     As  the  surgeons  went  their 
rounds  on  the  occasion  of  my  visit,  many  a  wound  or 
ulcer  was  bared,  and  many  a  moan  was  uttered,  as  the 
attendant  dressed  it  under  the  direction  of  the  head 
surgeon,  or  he  himself,  rapidly  and  with  practised  hand, 
used  the  knife,  or  applied  the  caustic.     This  institution 
is  called  the  Hospital  of  .Incurables  ;  but  while,  unhap- 
pily, a  large  proportion  of  its  inmates  may  come  within 
that  miserable  category,  the  term  incurable  would  not 
apply  to  others,  the  former  rules  of  admission   having 
been  relaxed,  for  purposes  of  greater  utility.     Its  spir- 
itual care  is  entrusted  to  the  Brothers  of  St.  John  of 


THE  DYING  BOY.       .  183 

God,  who  are  likewise  assisted  by  members  of  other 
religious  orders. 

A  short  time  previous  to  my  visit,  the  Pope  had 
carefully  gone  through  this  hospital,  and  personally 
examined  into  all  its  details.  He  went  to  the  bed-side 
of  the  patients,  inquired  into  their  condition  and  the 
nature  of  their  malady,  and  blessed,  consoled,  or  ad- 
monished them.  I  was  shown  a  most  interesting-look- 
ing boy,  who  was  at  the  moment  engaged  in  reading 
his  prayer-book,  by  the  light  of  a  lamp ;  and  as  the 
light  fell  upon  his  youthful  features,  wasted  by  sickness, 
and  spiritualized  by  an  expression  of  intense  piety,  a 
painter  might  have  borrowed  from  his  countenance  and 
attitude  an  idea  of  angelic  purity  and  sanctity.  He 
was  suffering  from  an  aggravated  spine  disease,  and  no 
hope  was  entertained  of  his  recovery.  The  compassion 
of  the  Pope  had  been  greatly  excited  by  the  sweet  and 
gentle  resignation  with  which  the  little  fellow  bore  his 
sufferings ;  and  tears  of  tender  pity  fell  from  the  eyes 
of  the  Holy  Father  upon  the  pale  cheek  -of  the  child,  as 
he  kissed  him  and  pressed  him  in  his  paternal  arms, 
after  he  had  confessed  and  absolved  him.  There 
seemed,  as  it  were,  a  radiance  of  holiness  around  the 
sweet  head  of  that  dying  boy. 

In  another  part  of  the  building,  there  is  a  depart- 
ment for  womenj  but,  though  of  nearly  equal  accom- 
modation, not  at  all  similar  in  its  construction  and 
arrangement.  And  here,  as  in  the  hospital  which  I 
have  described,  surgical  cases  are  relieved  irrespective 
of  the  age,  country,  or  religion  of  the  patient.  Several 


184  .KOME  AND  ITS  KULEE. 

charitable  congregations  of  both  sexes  minister  to  the 
religious  wants  of  the  suffering.  This  hospital  was  a 
favourite  resort  of  St.  Philip  Neri.  And  very  fre- 
quently, at  the  present  day,  many  of  the  unhappy 
females  who  are  driven,  by  their  vicious  lives,  to  seek 
relief  within  its  walls,  owe  their  thorough  reclamation 
to  the  exertions  of  pious  ladies — many  of  them  of  the 
noblest  families  of  Eome — who  constantly  attend  it. 

Besides  this  hospital  for  women,  there  is  the  impor- 
tant one  of 

SANTISSIMO  SAHVATORE. 

This  great  hospital,  which  consists  of  two  piles  of 
buildings,  separated  by  the  street  leading  from  the 
Lateral  to  the  Coliseum,  was  founded  in  1216  by  Car- 
dinal Giovanni  Colonna,  and  was  at  first  called  after 
St.  Andrew,  but  soon  after  by  its  present  name,  from 
the  confraternity  to  whose  care  it  was  committed.  This 
confraternity  was  composed  of  twelve  noble  Eomans, 
who  had  charge  of  the  Chapel  called  Sancta  Sancto- 
rum, near  the  Lateran  Palace.  The  hospital  is  chiefly 
intended  for  women  requiring  medical  treatment,  and 
receives  patients  of  any  country,  age,  rank,  or  religion. 
It  has  also  a  male  department,  principally  for  those 
who  have  suffered  from  violent  accidents;  and  the 
average  number  of  beds  in  both  is  over  500.  Great 
care  has  been  taken  of  late  years  in  the  management 
of  this  hospital,  which  is  now  remarkable  for  its  clean- 
liness and  neatness.  Its  ordinary  or  smallest  staff  con- 
sists of  two  principal  physicians,  and  one  principal 


HOSPITAL   FOK   PILGRIMS.  185 

surgeon,  with  two  assistant  physicians,  and  two  assist- 
ant surgeons ;  besides  its  attendants  and  dressers.  The 
regular  visits  are  made  twice  a  day ;  but  professional 
assistance  is  to  be  had  at  any  moment  of  the  day  or 
night.  A  religious  order  called  Oruciferi,  from  the 
red  cross  borne  on  its  habit,  attends  to  the  spiritual 
wants  of  the  patients. 

In  1821  Pius  VII.  transferred  to  this  hospital  a  com- 
munity of  Sisters  of  Charity  who  had  dedicated  them- 
selves to  visiting  the  sick  in  another  district.  Leo  XII. 
and  Gregory  X  VI.  were  both  conscious  of  the  value 
of  this  noble  order,  and  conceded  important  privileges 
to  it.  The  vows  (those  of  poverty,  chastity,  obedience, 
and  hospitality),  last  only  for  a  year,  and  are  renewed 
at  the  end  of  that  time ;  but  when  the  Sisters  attain 
the  age  of  forty,  they  can  make  the  vows  perpetual. 

The  cost  of  a  patient  in  this  hospital  averages  a  shil- 
ling a  day  of  our  money. 

SAJSTTISSIMA  TRINITA  DI  PELLEGRINI. 

This  hospital  was  founded  by  St.  Philip  Keri  in 
1550.  It  is  destined  for  the  relief  of  pilgrims,  and  is 
used  for  convalescents  from  the  other  great  institutions. 
It  contains  about  500  beds,  and  affords  relief  to  more 
than  11,000  persons  in  the  year.  The  institution  of  the 
Jubilee,  which  has  been  the  great  source  of  pilgrimage 
to  Rome,  originated,  in  the  year  1300,  with  Boniface 
VIII.,  and  serves  to  bind  Catholics  of  all  nations  by 
the  closest  ties  to  the  See  of  Rome.  At  first,  it  was  to 


186  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

have  taken  place  every  hundred  years ;  but  Clement 
YL,  whose  seat  of  government  was  at  Avignon,  short- 
ened the  period,  and  ordained  its  celebration  in  the 
year  1350 ;  and  it  was  further  shortened  to  a  quarter 
of  a  century  in  1475,  by  Paul  II.  St.  Philip  Neri,  in 
1550,  founded  the  Confraternity  of  the  Holy  Trinity, 
to  succour  and  relieve  pilgrims,  and  also  to  receive 
convalescents  from  the  other  hospitals.  Paul  IV. 
granted  the  confraternity  a  convenient  building  for  an 
hospital,  and  Clement  XII.  added  refectories  in  which 
about  1000  persons  can  receive  their  meals  at  the  same 
time.  In  Jubilee  years  the  number  of  pilgrims  is  im- 
mense ;  and  even  in  ordinary  years,  especially  at  Easter, 
it  is  considerable.  To  be  received,  they  must  have 
come  from  a  distance  of  at  least  sixty  miles,  and  have 
brought  with  them  certificates  from  their  bishop  and 
parish  priest  to  the  effect  that  their  journey  was  for 
visiting  the  Holy  Places.  Italians  are  entertained  for 
one  day,  Ultramontanes  two,  Portuguese  five,  and  so 
on.  In  the  Jubilee  of  1825  the  number  of  pilgrims 
who  received  hospitality  was  263,592:  and  the  ex- 
penses of  that  year,  under  this  head,  amounted  to 
64,644  scudi. 

Passing  over  a  number  of  smaller  hospitals,  and  all 
those  which  may  be  described  as  private,  I  come  to  the 
most  important,  if  not  the  most  interesting,  of  all. 


HOSPITAL   OF   SANTO   SPIRITO.  187 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

Great  Hospital  of  Santo  Spirito. — Its  Extent  and  Importance. — Its 
Foundling  Hospital. — Foundlings  not  necessarily  illegitimate. — Rea- 
sons why  legitimate  Children  are  sent  in. 

SANTO  SPIRITO. 

To  go  through  this  magnificent  hospital,  which  is  not 
only  the  greatest  but  the  most  ancient  of  the  existing 
Roman  hospitals,  was  the  work  of  several  hours.  It  is 
said  that  it  owes  its  orgin  to  the  patriotic  charity  of  a 
Saxon  King,  who,  having  abdicated  his  throne  and  be- 
come a  convert,  took  up  his  abode  in  Rome  in  728, 
and  there  founded  an  hospital  for  the  relief  of  his 
countrymen.  It  was  restored  by  Innocent  III.,  who 
confided  it  to  the  Brothers  of  the  order  of  S.  Spirito, 
from  which  it  derived  its  name.  To  enlarge  and  en- 
rich it,  was  the  grateful  task  of  many  successive  Popes. 
Benedict  XIV.,  in  1751,  added  a  museum  and  ana- 
tomical theatre :  Pius  YI.  endowed  the  museum  liber- 
ally with  the  choicest  specimens ;  and  Pius  YII.  added 
dissecting  rooms,  baths,  and  many  other  requisites. 
The  present  Pope  has  made  this  noble  institution  the 
object  of  his  special  solicitude,  and  effected  the  most 
important  reforms  in  its  management  and  administra- 
tion. Amongst  the  most  valuable  of  the  reforms 
effected  by  Pius  IX.,  was  the  appointment  of  twenty 
Capuchin  Priests  to  its  spiritual  assistance.  To  render 
their  connection  with  the  hospital  complete,  he  had  a 


188  EOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

house  built  for  them  within  the  enclosure ;  so  that  at 
all  hours,  of  the  night  as  well  as  of  the  day,  some 
members  of  the  body  might  be  in  the  wards,  and  in 
attendance  on  the   sick.     A  community  of  Sisters  of 
Charity  also  aid  in  the  pious  work,  as  well  as  manage 
the  working  details  of  the  vast  institution— which,  be- 
sides the  hospital  for  the  sick,  also  contains  an  hospital 
for  the  reception  of  deserted  children,  and  a  conserva- 
torio  for  children  of  the  same  class,  who,  after  being 
nursed  outside,  are  restored  to  its  care.     The  magni- 
tude of  the  hospital,  properly  so  called,  may  be  best 
understood  when  I  state  that  there  were  780  patients 
in  its  extensive  wards  on  the  day  that  I  passed  through 
them  ;    that  there   is   accommodation  for  twice   that 
number;  and  that  in  case  of  an  emergency— such  as 
might  arise  from  the  sudden  outbreak  of  disease— it 
could  be  made  to  receive  2000  patients !     I  took  the 
number  then  in  the  hospital  from  the  register,  which 
was  courteously  exhibited  to  me  by  the  Sister  in  whose 
charge  it  was,  and  by  whom  it  was  kept  in  a  manner 
to  excite  admiration  even  in  a  London  banker.     Two 
of  the  Sisters  were  at  the  same  desk ;  and  both  kept 
an  account  of  every  article  given  out  of  the  store- 
rooms, or  supplied  from  the  kitchen— itself  a  curiosity 
—and,  in  fact,  of  every  detail  connected  with  the  daily 
management  of   the  vast  establishment.     In  another 
part  of   the  building,  the  Prelate  in  charge  has  his 
apartments,  and  to  him  the  officers  in  charge  commu- 
nicate  all   necessary   particulars,   as   well   as   receive 
orders  and  instructions  at  his  hands.     My  application, 


HOSPITAL  OF  SANTO  SPIRITO.  189 

to  be  permitted  to  go  through  the  different  depart- 
ments, found  him  in  the  midst  of  his  affairs,  giving 
audiences  and  dispatching  business — business  involv- 
ing the  welfare  of  not  less  than  2000  human  beings. 
No  sooner  was  the  request  made  than  it  was  granted, 
and  orders  were  at  once  given  that  every  part  of  the 
immense  establishment  should  be  thrown  open  to  my  in- 
spection— a  permission  of  which  I  fully  availed  myself. 
The  halls  in  this  hospital  are  of  enormous  size,  and 
afford  space  to  two  rows  of  beds  on  each  side,  leaving 
from  fifteen  to  eighteen  feet  in  the  centre.  Here,  as  in 
other  hospitals  which  I  had  seen,  the  beds  were  clean 
and'  comfortable ;  and  such  was  the  effect  of  good  ven- 
tilation, that  I  failed  to  perceive  the  least  unpleasant- 
ness of  odour,  such  as  is  a  matter  of  common  occur- 
rence even  in  hospitals  of  great  pretension.  The  same 
remark  I  can  safely  make  of  the  other  Roman  hospi- 
tals which  I  visited ;  and  in  a  quick  perception  of 
offence  to  the  sense  of  smell,  I  am  too  painfully  acute 
for  my  own  comfort.  I  did  not  consider  the  mortality 
by  any  means  in  excess,  but  rather  the  contrary ;  for 
in  an  hospital  of  800  patients,  many  of  whom,  both 
medical  and  surgical,  had  been  received  in  a  bad  state, 
the  deaths  for  the  last  three  days  were  but  eleven — 
that  is,  four  on  the  first  day,  four  on  the  second,  and 
three  on  the  day  of  my  visit.  The  medical  and  sur- 
gical staff  is  fully  in  proportion  to  its  requirements, 
care  being  specially  taken  that  professional  aid  may 
be  had  at  a  moment's  notice,  during  every  hour  of 
the  four-and- twenty.  It  would  be  quite  unnecessary  to 


ROME   AND   ITS  RULER. 

represent  in  detail  the  several  features  of  this  hospital ; 
and  it  will  therefore  be  sufficient  to  say,  that  they  are 
adapted  to  the  great  ends  proposed— the  comfort,  the 
consolation,  arid  the  cure  of  the  patient. 

I  must  not,  however,  omit  referring  to  its  really  fine 
museum,  abounding  with  the  most  beautiful  prepara- 
tions, natural  as  well  as  in  wax,  of  all  parts  of  the 
human  frame,  and  exemplifying  the  effects  of  various 
kinds  of  disease  on  its  principal  organs.  I  was  parti- 
cularly struck  with  some  preparations  which  displayed 
in  the  most  startling  manner  the  virulence  of  what  I 
may  unprofessionally  term  the  poison  of  cholera.  Two 
or  three  of  the  great  organs  of  the  human  body  were, 
in  one  place,  represented  in  their  normal  or  health- 
ful condition;  and  similar  organs,  which,  having  dis- 
charged their  separate  functions  regularly  and  health- 
fully before  they  were  blasted  by  this  fell  disease,  were 
shown  dried,  like  leather,  and  shrivelled  up  to  a  tenth 
of  their  original  size.  But  a  further  and  still  more 
striking  illustration  of  the  terrific  power  of  the  dis- 
ease was  exhibited  in  the  skull  and  great  bones  of  a 

patient  who  had  fallen  a  victim  to  it  in  1853 which 

were  as  blue  as  if  they  had  been  purposely  dyed  of 
that  colour.  The  poison  had  not  only  withered  up  car- 
tilage and  muscle,  but  had  penetrated  to  the  very  bone. 
Curiously  enough,  these  preparations,  as  well  as  the 
oilier  interesting  objects  that  enriched  the  museum, 
were  pointed  out  to  me  by  one  who  had  covered  him- 
self with  distinction,  by  the  skill,  humanity,  and  un- 
tiring zeal  which  he  displayed  in  his  treatment  of 


THE  FOUNDLING  HOSPITAL.  191 

cholera  patients  in  the  year  to  which  I  refer.  At 
that  time  Dr.  Ceccarelli  was  a  young  man  in  his  pro- 
fession ;  but  such  was  his  skilful  treatment  of  the  dis- 
ease, that  he  effected  many  cures  which  at  the  moment 
appeared  wonderful.  At  length,  he  himself  yielded  to 
its  force,  and  the  effects  of  almost  matchless  exertion ; 
but  to  the  bedside  of  the  now  illustrious  patient  rushed 
numbers  of  his  brethren,  to  watch  over  a  life  emin- 
ently precious  to  humanity  and  science ;  and  ere  long 
the  Holy  Father  had  the  satisfaction  of  rewarding, 
with  his  own  hand,  merit  and  worth  to  which  he  was 
keenly  and  gratefully  sensible.  The  particular  pre- 
parations of  which  I  have  spoken  bore  upon  them 
the  name  "  Ceccarelli ;"  but  it  was  not  until  I  had 
parted  from  my  courteous  guide,  that  I  learned  bj 
whom  I  had  been  accompanied. 

In  another  part  of  the  building  is  a  great  military 
hospital,  the  hall  or  corridor  of  which  seemed  of  enor- 
mous magnitude.  It  was  much  occupied,  but  entirely 
by  Italian  soldiers. 

I  was  most  anxious  to  judge  for  myself  of  the  condi- 
tion of  the  Foundling  Hospital,  which,  as  I  have  stated, 
forms  an  important  branch  of  this  vast  institution  ,  for 
I  had  hoard  different  opinions  as  to  its  management. 
A  kindly,  cheerful-looking  Sister  was  directed  to  act  as 
our  guide;  and  she  at  once  led  the  way,  through  many 
courts  and  corridors,  to  that  part  of  the  building. 

The  average  number  of  children  received  during  the 
year  is  about  900 ;  but  of  these,  not  more  than  600,  or 
two-thirds,  are  illegitimate — the  remaining  300  are  the 


192  EOME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

offspring  of  poor  and  needy,  perhaps  in  some  instances, 
of  heartless  parents,  who,  from  various  causes  and  mo- 
tives, adopt  this  ready  mode  of  providing  for  them,  or 
getting  rid  of  them. 

If  it  happen,  as  it  very  often  does  with  people  in  the 
humblest  condition  of  life,  that  their  family  exceeds 
their  means  of  supporting  them,  one  of  the  children  is 
committed  to  the  wheel  of  the  Foundling  Hospital  of 
Santo  Spirito — it  might  be,  with  some  mark  on  its  dress, 
by  which  it  could  be  registered  in  the  hospital,  and  its 
identity  afterwards  proved ;  in  case,  for  instance,  of  its 
being  claimed  by  the  parents,  which  is  by  no  means  of 
uncommon  occurrence.  Another  frequent  cause  of  hav- 
ing recourse  to  this  institution,  for  the  maintenance  of 
legitimate  offspring,  is,  either  the  delicacy  of  the  moth- 
er, or  the  delicacy  of  the  child.  The  mother  has  no 
nourishment  to  give  the  infant,  and  she  is  too  poor  to 
provide  a  nurse  for  it ;  therefore  she  sends  it,  or  bears 
it,  to  an  asylum  where  that  aliment,  which  nature  has 
refused  to  her,  will  be  provided  for  it.  Or  it  is  a  rick- 
ety, miserable  little  thing  from  its  birth,  stunted,  mal- 
formed, or  so  delicate  that,  in  the  rude  hut  of  its  parents, 
it  has  no  chance  of  ever  doing  well ;  then,  too,  in  its 
case,  the  wheel  of  the  hospital  is  a  safe  resource,  and 
with  parents  of  hard  hearts  takes  the  place  of  many  an 
evil  suggestion,  such  asls  too  often  present  in  the  homes 
and  the  breasts  of  the  destitute.  Frequently,  the  parent 
is  known  to  argue  that  the  infirm  or  malformed  child, 
who  is  thus  got  rid  of,  has  the  best  chance  of  recovery, 
and  certainly  of  being  provided  for,  where  eminent 


WHY   PARENTS  ABANDON  THEIR   OFFSPRING.      193 

medical  attendance  is  always  to  be  had,  and  where  the 
greatest  care  is  taken  of  the  training  and  future  inter- 
ests of  the  foundling.  It  may  be  said,  that  this  facility 
of  getting  rid  of  legitimate  offspring  leads  to  a  disregard 
for  the  manifest  obligations  of  a  parent's  duty ;  but  to 
this  fair  objection  I  can  only  offer  a  preponderating  ad- 
vantage,— that  it  does  away  with  that  awful  proneness 
to  infanticide  which  distinguishes  other  countries,  but 
pre-eminently  England.  In  England,  a  mother — a 
mother  by  lawful  wedlock,  too — is  starving,  or  her 
poverty  has  assumed  a  degree  which  renders  her  despe- 
rate ;  and  she  makes  away  with  her  children  secretly, 
or  slays  them  more  openly,  and  consummates  her  fran- 
tic guilt  by  destroying  her  own  life.  ~No  cases  of  this 
nature  occur  in  the  Papal  States ;  not  because  intense 
poverty  is  not  experienced  there  by  classes  as  well  as 
individuals,  but  that  the  State  has  afforded  a  means  of 
provision  which  leaves  no  room  for  fierce  suggestion 
and  terrible  temptation.  It  may  also  happen  that  a 
man's  wife  dies  in  giving  birth  to  a  child,  or  from  some 
other  cause ;  and  that  the  poor  bewildered  father,  not 
knowing  what  to  do  with  the  helpless  little  creature, 
consigns  it  to  the  shelter  of  the  Foundling  Hospital, 
which,  he  well  knows,  is  under  the  protection  of  the 
State,  and  managed  by  a  body  of  religious  women  whose 
lives  are  devoted  to  its  duties.  These  are  some  of  the 
causes  which  induce  the  parents  of  legitimate  offspring 
to  adopt  this  mode  of  providing  for  them.  As  to  the 
causes  which  influence  the  parents  of  illegitimate  off- 
spring to  rid  themselves  of  the  living  evidences  of 


194  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

their  shame,  they  are  too  obvious  to  be  particularized. 
The  number  of  900  may  seem  very  great,  as  repre- 
senting the  annual  average  received ;  but  it  should  be 
stated  that  the  hospital  of  Santo  Spirito  affords  an  asy- 
lum not  only  to  the  foundlings  of  Rome,  but  to  those 
of  the  provinces  of  Sabina,  Frosinone,  Yelletri,  and  the 
Comarca,  and  also  districts  on  the  borders  of  the  king- 
dom of  Naples. 

Not  more  than  fifty  of  the  children  recently  sent  in 
were  in  the  house  when  I  went  through  it ;  the  remain- 
der had  been  sent  off  to  the  country,  for  the  benefit  of 
better  nursing,  and  a  more  healthful  atmosphere,  than 
the  city  could  furnish.  Several  of  the  wretched  little 
beings  were  known  to  be  the  children  of  wedl6ck,  from 
certain  precautions  taken  by  those  who  had  sent  them 
in  ;  and,  from  the  state  in  which  I  saw  but  too  many  of 
them,  I  could  well  understand  the  pressure  under  which 
their  parents  had  acted.  Some  of  them  were  evidently 
suffering  from  transmitted  disease ;  others  were  shrouded 
from  the  light,  their  sight  being  grievously  affected ; 
more  were  evidently  passing  away  to  a  happier  world, 
and  lay  still  and  cold  in  the  cot,  or  feebly  moaned  in 
the  arms  of  a  nurse ;  while  not  a  few  were  exhibited 
with  pride  by  their  nurses,  and  crowed  and  bawled 
as  merrily  and  lustily  as  if  they  had  been  born  heirs  to 
princes,  and  were  cradled  in  royal  luxury.  One  special 
"bambino"  was  really  a  noble  fellow,  and,  were  it  not 
that  he  was  swathed  and  strapped  and  bandaged,  so 
that  he  resembled  a  juvenile  mummy,  he  might  have 
fairly  rivalled  any  authentic  feat  of  the  Infant  Hercules. 


AVERAGE  MORTALITY.  195 

I  had  heard  a  great  deal  of  the  mortality  of  this  in- 
stitution, and  was  quite  prepared  to  have  such  state- 
ments confirmed ;  but,  taking  all  circumstances  into 
consideration,  especially  the  condition  in  which  the 
children  are  sent  in,  the  actual  percentage  of  deaths 
was  far  less  than  I  had  been  led  to  anticipate,  and, 
in  fact,  had  been  informed  it  was.  I  made  particular 
inquiry  on  this  head,  and  was  informed,  on  the  best 
possible  authority,  that,  of  late  years — during  which 
much  has  been  done  by  the  present  Pope  for  the 
better  management  and  administration  of  the  hospital 
— the  mortality  did  not  exceed  ten  per  cent.  Had  it 
been  much  more,  it  could  not  have  been  a  matter  of 
reasonable  surprise.  For  only  imagine  a  poor  little 
being  brought,  in  a  basket,  a  distance  of  sixty  miles 
or  more,  under  the  rays  of  a  burning  sun,  or  in  the 
depth  of  winter,  perhaps  in  the  midst  of  rain  and 
snow;  and  then  judge  in  what  condition  it  must  be 
ere  it  reaches  the  wheel  of  the  hospital ! 

The  nurses  are  kept  with  great  care,  and  never  leave 
their  young  charge.  They  are  well  fed,  and  well  paid, 
and  every  inducement  is  held  out  to  them  to  discharge 
their  duty  honestly  and  faithfully.  The  constant  pres- 
ence of  one  of  the  Sisters  is  a  guarantee  for  as  much 
care  and  attention  as  can  be  expected  from  such  a 
class  to  such  a  class — from  the  mercenary  hireling  to 
the  miserable  foundling,  the  offspring  of  shame,  or,  at 
best,  the  child  of  poverty.  I  should  not  report  truly, 
however,  if  I  did  not  state,  as  the  result  of  my  visit, 
and  a  by  no  means  careless  inspection,  that  the  nurse- 


196  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

ries  were  in  good  order,  that  the  cots  of  the  children 
were  clean,  and  that  all  the  other  requisites  for  such 
an  establishment  were  ample  and  comfortable.  The 
beds  of  the  nurses  were  also  neatly  made  up ;  and  the 
women  themselves  looked  to  be  healthy,  and  compe- 
tent for  their  task.  Still  I  would  defy  any  one,  who 
had  not  a  heart  of  iron,  to  pass  unmoved  through  the 
rows  of  cots,  in  which  many  a  pale  and  sickly  little 
face  unconsciously  appealed  to  his  compassion,  and 
from  which  there  came  low,  fe'eble  moans,  that  were 
but  too  eloquent  of  pain.  For  my  part,  I  felt  more 
acutely  when  passing  through  those  dormitories,  occu- 
pied by  their  miserable  little  tenants,  than  I  did  when 
witnessing  the  grown  man  shudder  as  the  surgeon's 
knife  touched  his  shrinking  flesh,  or  as  the  sharp 
shriek  of  agony  gave  evidence  of  torture  too  great 
for  human  nature  to  endure  in  silence. 

Some  particulars  with  respect  to  the  reception  and 
care  of  the  foundlings  may  be  added.  But,  first,  as  to 
the  origin  of  the  system. 

The  protection  of  exposed  or  abandoned  children, 
whether  the  offspring  of  lawful  wedlock  or  the  fruit 
of  illicit  connection,  has  occupied  the  attention  of  the 
Church  from  its  earliest  ages,  and  was  made  the  sub- 
ject of  discussion  in  various  councils  so  far  back  as  the 
fourth  century.  In  this  aspect,  as  in  many  others, 
Christianity  offered  a  striking  contrast  to  Paganism ; 
the  one  so  full  of  tenderness  and  compassion,  the  other 
selfish,  stern,  and  remorseless.  Constantine,  the  first 
Christian  Emperor,  evidently  with  a  view  of  prevent- 


TREATMENT  OF  THE   FOUNDLINGS.  197 

ing  the  system  of  child-murder,  which  was  common  at 
the  time,  and  which  had  long  existed  in  more  polished 
Greece,  made  known  his  desire  to  assist  those  who, 
from  their  poverty,  or  other  cause,  could  not  support 
their  children.  The  first  regular  asylum  for  exposed 
infants  was  established  in  Milan,  in  the  year  795,  in 
the  house  of  an  archbishop,  who  left  his  wealth  for 
its  support,  with  the  direction  that  the  children  should 
be  maintained  till  the  age  of  seven,  and  then  taught 
a  trade.  Innocent  ILL,  in  the  twelfth  century,  col- 
lected all  abandoned  children,  either  legitimate  or  of 
poor  or  unnatural  parents,  in  the  place  where  he 
opened  an  hospital  for  the  sick.  A  similar  institu- 
tion was  established  in  Paris,  in  1638,  by  that  Prince 
of  Humanity,  St.  Vincent  de  Paul ;  and  in  the  follow- 
ing century  London  followed  the  merciful  example. 

Particular  care  is  taken  in  noting  down  every  thing 
connected  with  the  reception  of  the  child.  Of  course, 
the  day  of  the  year  and  month  are  noted,  as  well  as 
the  very  hour ;  and,  if  the  person  bringing  the  child 
have  no  difficulty  in  telling  them,  also  the  name  and 
origin.  The  official  in  charge  makes  a  slight  incision, 
in  the  shape  of  the  cross  of  Santo  Spirito,  on  the  right 
foot,  and  introduces  into  it  a  dark  dye,  in  order  to  ren- 
der the  mark  indelible.  The  child  is  then  carried  to 

« 

the  nursery,  where  it  is  taken  charge  of  by  the  Supe- 
rior, who  examines  the  clothes,  to  ascertain  if  there  be 
any  mark,  writing,  coin,  medal,  or  ribbon :  and  if 
there  be  any  such,  she  makes  a  note  of  it,  which  she 
fastens  to  the  clothes.  In  fine,  every  particular  by 


198  EOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

which  the  identity  of  the  child  can  be  described,  is 
carefully  put  aside  and  registered.  If  there  be  no  cer- 
tificate of  baptism,  the  little  one  is  carried  to  the 
church,  and  there  baptized  conditionally.  The  nurser- 
ies consist  of  three  rooms,  capable  of  containing  fifty 
beds  for  the  nurses;  and  each  bed  has^two  cradles  near 
it.  Two  of  the  rooms  are  for  the  healthy  children,  and 
one  for  the  sick. 

The  children  are  not  long  retained  in  the  hospital, 
the  rule  being  to  send  them  to  the  country  as  quickly 
as  possible.  In  fact,  on  certain  days  nurses  apply  for 
the  children,  bringing  testimonies  from  the  Parish 
Priest  and  Deputy,  as  to  age,  health,  and  capability, 
and  also  as  to  the  birth  and  death  of  their  own  chil- 
dren ;  in  order  that  they  should  not  ask  for  their  own 
offspring,  and  support  them  at  the  expense  of  the  insti- 
tution. The  nurse  receives  a  present  of  clothes,  marked 
with  the  cross  of  S.  Spirito,  and  is  paid  at  the  rate  of 
one  scudo  a  month  for  fourteen  months.  Then  com- 
mences the  nursing  a  pane,  which  lasts  till  twelve  years 
for  boys,  and  ten  for  girls.  For  the  first  six  months  of 
the  dry-nursing,  the  pay  is  sixty  bajocchi  a  month,  and 
after  that  forty  bajocchi  till  the  end.  Morichini,  from 
whom  I  take  these  particulars,  states  that  it  is  remarked 
in  Rome  that  nurses  entertain  a  greater  affection  for 
boys ;  which  is  principally  accounted  for  because  of 
the  advantage  to  be  gained  from  the  boy  when  he 
grows  up,  in  case  of  the  family  adopting  him.  It  even 
frequently  happens  that  the  foundling  is  the  most 
cherished  member  of  the  poor  family  into  which  he  is 


TRAINING   AND   EDUCATION   OF  THE   GIRLS,       199 

received.  The  boys,  when  they  return  from  their  nur- 
ses, are  sent  to  the  orphanage  of  the  City  of  Viterbo, 
called  S.  Maria  della  Providenza,  where,  for  a  certain 
monthly  pension,  they  are  maintained,  clothed,  educa- 
ted, and  instructed  in  some  trade  or  art,  until  the  age  of 
twenty-one,  when  they  are  dismissed  with  a  present  of 
ten  scudi.  If  the  boy  be  taken  by  any  person,  he  must 
be  educated  and  trained  in  the  same  manner,  and  until 
the  same  age,  when,  having  received  the  allotted  sum, 
he  may  remain  in  the  family,  or  go  where  he  pleases. 

The  girl  who  is  kept  by  a  family  must  be  maintained 
decently  till  she  is  married,  or  enters  a  convent ;  and 
in  case  of  her  marriage,  which  is  her  usual  destiny,  she 
receives  a  certain  sum  of  twenty  scudi ;  but  as  there 
are  various  dowries  established  for  illegitimate  girls, 
she  may  receive  even  one  hundred  scudi — a  small  for- 
tune in  Italy.  The  girls  are  restored  to  the  institution 
after  being  nursed,  and  form  a  great  establishment, 
amounting  to  somewhat  about  600  in  number.  Their 
dowry,  on  leaving  the  conservatorio  for  the  home  of  a 
husband,  is  one  hundred  scudi. 

The  manufacture  of  wool  and  hemp  was  introduced 
at  a  very  early  period  into  this  institution ;  and  since 
then  all  kinds  of  feminine  work,  including  sewing,  em- 
broidery, lace,  &c. 

If  my  visit  to  the  infant  dormitories  occasioned  a 
feeling  of  sadness,  a  walk  through  the  department  for 
the  grown  female  foundlings  replaced  it  by  one  of  real 
satisfaction.  The  entire  establishment  was  a  model  of 
neatness  and  good  order,  and  its  numerous  inmates 


200  EOME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

seemed  to  be  cheerful  and  happy.     In  one  large  and 
airy  room,  a  number  of  girls  were  prosecuting  their 
daily  studies ;  in  another,  they  were  employed  at  work 
of  different  kinds ;  and  in  a  third,  they  were  receiving 
religious  instruction  from  one   of  the  nuns,  between 
whom  and  their  pupils  the  strongest  affection  subsists. 
Carefully  watched  over,  well  instructed,  usefully  trained, 
and  provided  with  a  suitable  dowry  on  their  quitting 
the  asylum,  it  cannot  be  said  but  that  the  hand  of  char- 
ity has  done  what  it  could  to  compensate  the  foundling 
for  the  want  of  a  parent's  love,  if  not  to  efface  the  igno- 
miny of  an  origin  of  shame.     Formed  and  trained  by 
such  holy  and  gentle  teachers,  and  brought  up  in  the 
practice  of  every  virtue,  it  certainly  is  not  the  fault  of 
the  institution,  or  of  its  system  of  management,  should 
the  foundling  of  Santo  Spirito,  in  her  married  life,  not 
be  a  good  wife  and  a  good  mother— the  virtuous  com- 
panion of  her  husband,  and  the  watchful  guardian  of 
her  children. 

HOSPITAL  OF  SAN  Rocco. 

In  connection  with  the  Foundling  Hospital,  which 
has  been  alluded  to  at  such  length,  may  be  noticed  the 
remarkable  hospital  of  San  Eocco. 

It  was  originally  established  in  the  year  1500,  with 
50  beds,  partly  for  medical  and  partly  for  surgical 
cases ;  but,  in  the  year  1770,  Clement  XIV.  devoted  it 
exclusively  to  its  present  purpose — a  lying-in  hospital, 
in  which  female  frailty  is  hidden  from  the  scorn  of  the 
world,  and  by  which  the  honour  of  families  is  protected. 


HOSPITAL  OF  SAN  KOCCO.          201 

It  has  one  great  hall,  and  several  chambers,  one  of 
which  is  for  births.  The  average  number  of  beds  is 
about  20,  but  these  may  be  increased  if  necessary. 
Each  bed  has  its  curtains  and  a  screen,  by  which  it  is 
effectually  separated  from  the  other  beds,  and,  of 
course,  from  their  occupants.  Those  who  present 
themselves  for  admission  are  received  without  any 
question  being  made ;  and  should  they  wish  to  cover 
their  faces  with  a  veil,  so  as  to  preclude  the  possibility 
of  recognition,  this  measure  of  precaution  is  permitted 
them.  In  the  register  of  the  hospital  the  patient  is 
alone  distinguished  by  a  number.  To  insure  the  se- 
crecy so  desirable  in  an  institution  of  the  kind,  no  one 
is  allowed  to  enter  its  walls  save  the  physicians,  mid- 
wives,  nurses,  and  attendants.  When  recovered,  the 
patient  can  leave  the  hospital  without  any  apprehen- 
sion of  danger,  as  the  door  does  not  open  on  a  public 
road,  but  near  an  unfrequented  way.  Those  who  dare 
not  admit  their  condition,  without  ruin  to  their  charac- 
ter, are  received  a  considerable  time  before  the  period 
of  delivery ;  arid,  if  not  poor,  they  pay  a  small  pension, 
which  is  increased  if  they  desire  better  accommodation. 
The  children  are  sent  to  Santo  Spirito;  but  those 
mothers  who  desire  to  reclaim  their  offspring  at  a 
future  time,  put  some  distinguishing  mark  upon  them, 
by  which  they  could  be  afterwards  recognized.  Mori- 
cliini,  who  wrote  in  1841,  states  that  the  average  num- 
ber of  annual  admissions,  from  1831  to  1840,  was  165. 
Generally,  the  applicants  are  received  from  seven  to 
eight  days  before  the  time  of  delivery,  and  are  kept 
9* 


202  EOME  AND  ITS  EULEK. 

until  as  long  after  as  may  be  necessary ;  but  some  have 
been  known  to  have  remained  but  a  few  hours  !  The 
average  time,  however,  is  from  four  to  five  days  in  all. 
This,  like  the  other  charitable  institutions  of  Rome,  is 
partly  supported  by  its  own  revenues,  and.  partly  by 
the  State.  I  was  informed  that,  in  nearly  all  respects, 
its  condition  at  present  is  similar  to  what  it  was  ten  or 
twenty  years  since. 

I  know  it  will  be  said,  by  people  who  look  at  only 
one  side  of  the  question,  that  such  institutions  as  those 
last  described  necessarily  lead  to  immorality,  inasmuch 
as  they  afford  a  ready  asylum  to  shame,  and  a  conve- 
nient oblivion  of  its  consequences.  ISTo  doubt,  there 
would  be  much  force  in  this  objection,  if  it  could  be 
viewed  by  itself  only.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  is  there 
not  a  road  thus  left  open  to  moral  and  social  redemp- 
tion, which  is  closed  against  the  frail  one  in  other 
countries  ? — and  are  not  greater  and  more  terrible  evils 
obviated,  not  by  the  toleration,  but  by  the  prudent  re- 
cognition, of  the  one  evil  ?  The  State,  by  its  support 
of  S.  Spirito  or  S.  Rocco,  does  not  proclaim  its  tolera- 
tion of  immorality,  and  its  consequences  ;  but  it  wisely 
admits  their  existence,  and  the  utter  impossibility  of 
their  total  prevention ;  and  it  meets  them  in  a  manner 
equally  consistent  with  wisdom  and  humanity.  If,  in- 
deed, the  State  did  no  more  than  merely  establish  a 
foundling  hospital,  or  a  secret  lying-in  hospital,  the 
soundness  of  its  policy  might  be  questioned.  But  it 
does  more — it  openly  discourages  and  denounces  vice — 
it  banishes  it  from  the  streets  and  highways — it  preaches 


ADVANTAGES   OF   THOSE   TWO   INSTITUTIONS.      203 

against  it — it  educates  against  it — it  takes  numberless 
precautions  against  it.  Still,  in  spite  of  every  effort  which 
religion  can  inspire,  or  human  wisdom  adopt,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  guard  against  the  commission  of  certain  offences ; 
and,  acting  on  this  admitted  fact,  it  is  even  commonly 
prudent  to  render  them  as  little  hurtful  to  society  gener- 
ally as  possible.  The  great  object  of  human  laws  should 
be  rather  the  reformation  than  the  punishment  of 'the 
offender ;  and,  applying  this  principle  to  the  particular 
evil  with  which  we  now  deal,  let  us  ask,  whether  is  the 
open  acknowledgment  of  unchastity  more  calculated  to 
deprave  tHe  woman  who  makes  it,  or  the  hiding  of  her 
shame,  through  such  means  as  these  institutions  offer  to 
her  in  her  hour  of  misery  ?  Is  it  nothing  that  the  hon- 
our of  a  family,  hitherto  without  stain,  should  be  saved? 
— is  it  nothing  that  the  unhappy  woman,  oftentimes  the 
victim  of  another's  treachery,  or  of  her  own  unsuspect- 
ing innocence,  should  have  the  means  of  redeeming  her 
character,  if  not  of  recovering,  by  a  future  of  penitence 
and  virtue,  her  self-respect  2  Is  it  nothing  that  the  in- 
nocent offspring  should  be  rescued  from  the  desperation 
of  its  mother's  frenzy,  and  the  mother  from  the  dam- 
ning guilt  of  its  murder  ?  Shame  and  despair  are  fear- 
ful prompters  to  a  weak  woman,  who  hears,  in  her 
anguish,  the  fiery  hiss  of  the  world's  scorn,  and  beholds 
its  mocking  finger  pointing  her  out  as  a  lost  one.  And 
many  a  tender  and  gentle  woman,  whose  soft  white 
hand  never  before  inflicted  injury  on  a  living  thing, 
has,  in  a  moment  of  mental  agony  and  moral  bewilder- 
ment, clutched,  with  a  grasp  of  frenzy,  the  neck  of  her 


204  ROME  AND   ITS   KULER. 

infant,  and  crushed  out  its  little  life  in  the  mad  hope 
of  hiding  one  crime  by  the  commission  of  a  greater. 
No,  no;  the  austere  virtue  which  turns  away  its  of- 
fended eyes  from  the  infant  dormitories  of  S.  Spirito, 
and  the  closely-curtained  beds  of  S.  Rocco,  is  a  mere 
prude,  wanting  alike  in  wisdom  and  in  charity. 

HOSPITAL  FOR  LUNATICS. 

Adjoining  the  great  hospital  of  San.  Spirito,  is  situ- 
ate an  extensive  hospital,  or  asylum,  for  lunatics,  di- 
vided into  two  branches,  one  for  male  and  the  other 
for  female  patients.  It  is  subject  to  the  authority  of 
the  prelate  in  charge  of  San.  Spirito,  but  it  enjoys  a 
separate  administration.  To  Father  Lanez,  the  second 
General  of  the  Jesuits,  it  principally  owes  its  origin, 
in  1548 ;  and  amongst  those  holy  men  who  assisted  in 
the  good  work,  was  the  illustrious  Boromeo,  upon 
whom  every  institution  of  a  charitable  nature  pos- 
sessed an  irresistible  claim.  At  an  early  period  it  was 
placed  under  the  charge  of  a  religious  confraternity, 
with  the  sanction  and  approbation  of  Pius  IY.  The 
present  hospital  may  be  yet  improved  in  the  extent  of 
its  accommodation,  or  its  patients  may  be  fittingly  trans- 
ferred to  a  building  which  would  have  the  advantage 
of  a  rural  position,  and  of  extensive  grounds.  But,  so 
far  as  the  treatment  of  the  inmates  is  concerned,  there 
is  nothing  at  present  to  be  desired.  For  many  years 
past,  the  mode  of  treatment  has  been  that  which  hu- 
manity suggests,  and  of  which  reason  approves.  Gen- 
tleness and  persuasion  have  long  taken  the  place  of 


HOSPITAL  FOR  LUNATICS.  205 

that  barbarous  coercion,  and  that  cruel  system  of  re- 
straint, which  were  at  one  time  universal,  more  through 
ignorance  of  the  real  nature  of  the  malady,  than  from 
any  want  of  compassion  for  the  condition  of  its  un- 
happy victims.  In  Rome,  restraint,  which  is  most 
sparingly  applied,  is  used  only  in  particular  and  ex- 
treme cases,  and  then  only  when  paroxysms  of  fury 
are  apprehended,  which  might  be  dangerous  to  the  pa- 
tient as  well  as  to  others ;  and  then,  instead  of  irons, 
and  chains,  and  handcuffs,  a  strap  or  a  waistcoat  is 
alone  employed.  The  beds  are  of  a  good  description, 
their  covering  being  specially  attended  to  in  the  colder 
months  of  the  year.  The  dress  of  the  patients  -is  in 
every  way  sufficient,  and  their  diet  is  generous  in  its 
quality  and  its  quantity.  They  are  carefully  visited 
every  day  by  the  medical  staff  of  the  hospital,  which 
consists  of  men  of  the  highest  reputation  for  their  skill 
in  the  treatment  of  the  disease.  Religion  is  also  em- 
ployed with  great  success,  as  a  means  of  tranquilizing 
the  mind,  and  assisting  the  progress  of  the  cure.  The 
patients  attend  mass  daily,  and  join  in  other  religious 
exercises;  and  during  lucid  intervals,  they  are  in- 
structed in  spiritual  matters  by  a  number  of  clergymen, 
who  constantly  visit  the  institution.  To  a  community 
of  Sisters  of  Charity  is  intrusted  the  management  of 
the  hospital ;  and  these  nuns  attend  both  departments 
— that  for  men,  as  well  as  that  for  women.  Morichini 
states  that  the  institution  was  visited  in  1835  by  the 
late  celebrated  Dr.  Esquirol,  who  had  applied  all  his 
life  to  the  study  of  the  disease,  and  the  best  mode  of 


206  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

its  treatment;  and  that  this  distinguished  authority 
spoke  highly  in  praise  of  the  system  then  adopted,  and 
of  the  general  management  of  the  hospital. 

However,  since  then  there  have  been  considerable 
improvements  attempted  and  carried  out :  and  what- 
ever might  be  said  of  the  Koman  Lunatic  Asylum 
some  years  since,  it  may  now  be  spoken  of  in  terms  of 
just  approval.  The  present  Pope  has  carried  out  very 
important  reforms  in  its  management,  through  the  aid 
and  assistance  of  the  gentleman  now  at  the  head  of  the 
institution.  Dr.  Gualandi,  of  Bologna,  specially  visited 
the  hospitals  of  France  and  England,  some  years  since, 
with  the  view  of  inquiring  into  their  management,  and 
studying  such  improvements  in  the  treatment  of  the 
disease  as  modern  science  had  invented,  or  experience 
had  proved  to  be  those  most  successful.  He  returned 
to  Rome,  after  a  prolonged  tour  and  careful  inspection 
of  the  principal  hospitals  of  the  two  great  countries 
mentioned ;  and,  on  his  arrival,  he  presented  himself 
to  the  Pope,  and  laid  before  the  Holy  Father  his  plan 
for  the  management  of  the  Roman  hospital.  This  plan 
was  at  once  adopted  by  the  Pope,  who  placed  its  author 
at  the  head  of  the  institution,  with  full  authority  to 
carry  it  into  immediate  operation.  Dr.  Gualandi  avail- 
ed himself  of  the  permission  thus  given  to  him,  and  at 
once  effected  some  very  important  changes.  He  dis- 
missed several  of  the  officials,  and  replaced  them  by 
persons  of  approved  humanity  and  intelligence;  and 
in  many  other  ways  he  carried  into  execution  his  own 
designs  and  the  benevolent  wishes  of  Pius  IX. 


HOSPITAL  FOR  LUNATICS.  207 

It  may  be  mentioned,  that  throughout  the  Papal 
States  there  are  some  of  the  best  asylums  for  insane 
persons  which  are  to  be  found  in  Europe.  For  in- 
stance, that  of  Perugia  is  spoken  of  in  the  highest 
terms  by  all  who  visit  it :  and  in  Ferrara  the  treatment 
is  the  mildest  that  can  be  imagined — in  fact,  there 
appears  to  be  no  restraint  whatever,  save  that  which 
the  gentlest  authority  imposes.  In  Bologna,  Ancona, 
Faenza,  Pesaro,  and  Macerata,  the  treatment  of  luna- 
tics is  equally  humane  and  intelligent.  At  any  rate,  it 
may  be  safely  said,  that  there  is  no  suggestion  which 
may  be  made  to  the  Pope,  having  for  its  object  the 
improvement  of  these  institutions,  and  the  amelioration 
of  the  condition  of  their  inmates,  that  will  not  com- 
mand his  sympathy  and  insure  his  co-operation. 

The  Brothers  of  St.  John  of  God,  amongst  their 
other  good  works,  devote  themselves  to  the  care  of  the 
insane,  and  are  very  successful  in  their  management  of 
them. 

I  have  referred  only  to  the  Public  Hospitals  of 
Home  in  the  foregoing  chapter ;  but,  besides  those, 
there  are  several  private  institutions,  also  affording  a 
large  amount  of  relief.  The  total  accommodation 
which  the  entire  of  the  Roman  hospitals  is  capable  of 
affording,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  is  not  far 
from  5,000  beds.  The  average  number  of  beds  daily 
occupied  may  be  set  down  at  2,000.  But  this  average 
number  either  diminishes  or  increases,  according  to  the 
time  of  the  year,  and  the  state  of  the  public  health. 


208  ROME  AND   ITS   RULER. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

The  Roman  Prisons — In  a  State  of  Transition — Beneficial  Change  in 
their  Management — Religious  versus  Lay  Officials. 

I  MUST  premise  that  it  is  not  my  intention  to  attempt 
an  elaborate  account  of  the  Roman  Prisons ;  I  desire 
rather,  by  a  description  of  a  few  of  those  institutions, 
to  exhibit  the  value  of  an  important  change  recently 
made  in  the  character  of  their  management,  and  the 
practical  and  successful  efforts  of  Pius  IX.  towards 
a  steady  reform  in  the  system  of  their  government. 
Some  of  the  prisons  are  old,  and  not  well  adapted  to 
an  improved  system  of  classification,  or  to  the  carrying 
on  of  such  works  as  are  regarded  as  a  useful  aid  to  the 
reformation  of  the  prisoner.  But  the  spirit  of  progress 
is  manifested  in  various  ways;  for  instance,  in  the 
alteration  of  an  inconveniently  constructed  building— 
in  the  enlargement  of  one  found  to  be  too  small  for 
a  judicious  separation  of  certain  classes  of  offenders 
— or  in  the  erection  of  new  and  really  splendid  insti- 
tutions, in  which  all  the  modern  improvements  are 
adopted,  or  about  to  be  so.  In  more  than  one  instance 
I  witnessed  the  alterations  actually  being  carried  out ; 
and  I  visited  and  went  through  the  different  depart- 
ments of  prisons  which  had  been  completed  but  a 


ROMAN   PRISONS   IN   A   STATE   OF   TRANSITION.      209 

short  time  before.  In  a  word,  it  may  be  said,  with  the 
most  perfect  truth,  that  the  prisons  of  Home  are  in 
a  state  of  transition  •  and  that,  in  a  very  short  time, 
every  such  institution  will  experience  the  advantage 
of  that  wise  and  humane  policy  which  characterizes 
the  rule  of  Pius  IX.  If  the  stranger  who  visits  Rome 
do  not  find  all  its  prisons  in  the  same  condition  in 
which  he  might  wish  to  see  them,  he  must,  in  the 
first  place,  recollect,  that  the  resources  at  the  dispo- 
sal of  the  state  are  but  small,  and  that  the  income  of 
the  sovereign  is  less  than  that  of  a  third-rate  country 
gentleman  in  England;  and  he  must  remember,  in 
the  second  place,  the  confusion  and  trouble  caused 
by  the  Revolution  of  1848,  and  its  subsequent  events 
—by  which  many  useful  public  undertakings  were 
entirely  suspended,  and  many  valuable  reforms  ren- 
dered for  a  time  impossible.  Indeed,  with  such  causes 
for  discouragement,  the  wonder  is,  not  that  so  much 
remains  to  be  done,  but  that  so  much  has  been  accom- 
plished. Besides,  it  should  be  borne  in  mind,  that  the 
most  important  changes  effected  in  the  prisons  of  the 
United  Kingdom  are  of  recent  date ;  and  that  their 
condition,  not  very  long  since,  was  a  cause  of  scandal 
and  reproach  to  a  people  calling  themselves  Christian.* 
Even  at  this  day,  in  spite  of  the  enormous  wealth  of 
England,  and  her  unlimited  facility  of  applying  public 
money  to  the  erection  of  such  institutions,  the  prison 
system  of  England  will  not  for  a  moment  stand  compari- 
son with  that  of  Belgium.  Nor  must  it  be  forgotten 

*  See  Appendix 


210  ROME   AND   ITS  RULER. 

that  England,  as  well  as  other  countries,  is  indebted  to 
Home  for  the  improvement  of  the  separate  system — • 
which  dates  so  far  back  as  the  pontificate  of  Clem- 
ent XL,  fully  a  century  and  a  half  since.  And  those 
Reformatories,  too,  which  are  so  recent  in  this  country, 
are  of  old  date  in  Rome ;  in  which  city,  under  various 
denominations,  many  such  now  exist,  and  have  existed 
for  a  considerable  period.  In  many  of  the  schools  and 
orphanages  of  Rome  are  to  be  seen  the  best  possible 
models  of  the  modern  "  Reformatory  ;"  for  in  them  the 
youthful  vagrant,  or  incipient  criminal,  is  rescued  from 
ignorance,  idleness,  and  vice,  and  trained  to  knowl- 
edge, industry,  and  virtue. 

The  important  change  in  the  Roman  prisons,  which 
I  propose  as  the  principal  object  of  the  present  notice, 
is  the  gradual  substitution  of  members  of  religious 
orders  for  the  ordinary  staff  of  jailors,  turnkeys,  and 
guards — which  change  also  fitly  typifies  the  substitu- 
tion of  persuasion  for  force. 

In  all  humane  systems,  the  thorough  reformation  of 
the  criminal  ought  to  be  the  great  object  aimed  at. 
Punishment,  no  doubt,  is  essential,  as  a  means  of  de- 
terring others  from  the  commission  of  similar  offences, 
as  well  as  arresting  the  offender  in  his  career  of  guilt ; 
but  unless  the  improvement  of  the  prisoner  be  insisted 
upon  as  an  object  of  primary  importance,  it  were 
better,  perhaps,  for  society  that  he  was  got  rid  of  alto- 
gether— for  he  is  restored  to  it  hardened,  corrupted, 
and  desperate,  and  thus  unfitted  for  any  useful  or 
creditable  employment.  To  effect  the  reformation  of 


SUBSTITUTION  OF  RELIGIOUS  MANAGEMENT.     211 

the  unfortunate  criminal  is  certainly  the  first  wish  of 
the  paternal  heart  of  Pius  IX.;  and,  with  this  object 
in  view,  he  has  of  late  entrusted  several  of  the  prisons 
of  Rome  to  the  sole  and  unrestricted  management  of 
religious  orders.  Jailors  and  turnkeys,  however  excel- 
lent many  of  them  personally  may  be,  are  not  usually 
inspired  by  very  pure  or  lofty  motives  in  the  discharge 
of  their  functions.  To  suppose  they  were,  would  be  to 
expect  too  much  from  human  nature.  So  the  prisoner 
is  docile,  and  does  not  give  much  trouble,  they  are 
satisfied.  Besides,  their  first  duty  is  to  retain  in  safe 
custody  those  committed  to  their  charge ;  their  next  is 
to  compel  a  rigid  compliance  with  the  prison  rules ; 
and,  satisfied  in  these  respects,  they  generally  think  of 
little  else.  The  mere  stipendiary — save  in  rare  and 
noble  instances — serves  mechanically,  and  from  the 
hope  of  pecuniary  reward,  or  personal  advancement ; 
or  if  he  display  unusual  and  remarkable  activity  and 
zeal,  it  is  mostly  from  the  same  impelling  motive.  But 
the  religious  serves  out  of  pure  charity,  and  from  the 
love  of  God.  Thus,  while  the  one  is  a  jailor,  and 
nothing  but  a  jailor,  the  other  is  a  friend  and  a  bene- 
factor. The  whole  and  only  object  of  persons  devoted 
.to  a  religious  life  is  to  serve  God,  by  doing  the  great- 
est possible  good  to  their  fellow-creatures,  no  matter 
how  degraded  they  may  be,  no  matter  into  what  depths 
of  physical  misery  or  moral  depravity  they  may  have 
fallen.  It  does  not  require  much  penetration  to  deter- 
mine which  of  those  two  classes  of  persons  is  the  more 
calculated  to  inspire  the  prisoner  with  confidence,  and 


212  ROME  AND  ITS  EULEK. 

thus  achieve  the  very  first  step  towards  real,  not  mock, 
reformation. 

In  the  first  prison  which  I  visited,  I  had  the  opportu- 
nity of  understanding  the  value  of  the  substitution  of 
the  new  system  for  the  old.  This  was  a  prison  for 
women,  called 

THE  TERMINI. 

The  door  was  opened  by  a  Lay  Sister  of  the  order, 
to  which  the  control  of  the  establishment  has  been 
entirely  confided.  The  order  is  that  of  the  Swurs  de 
Providence,  one  of  those  noble  institutions  of  which 
Catholic  Belgium  has  been  so  gloriously  fruitful.  It 
is  specially  devoted  to  the  care  of  jails,  hospitals,  and 
schools ;  its  mission  being  to  reclaim  the  erring,  to  suc- 
cour and  console  the  sick,  and  to  enlighten  the  ignorant. 
I  had  the  advantage  of  an  introduction  to  the  Rev. 
Mother,  whose  honest,  kindly,  and  most  intelligent 
countenance  was  a  passport  to  immediate  confidence. 
Under  her  guidance,  we — for  I  was  accompanied  by 
friends,  some  of  wiiom  were  deeply  interested  in  the 
object  of  the  visit — were  conducted  through  the  build- 
ing. We  first  passed  into  a  great  open  space,  in  which 
the  prisoners  are  allowed  to  take  exercise  and  recre- 
ation at  regulated  hours.  And  if  those  who  have 
formed  to  themselves  fearful  notions  of  Italian  prisons 
and  Italian  "dungeons,"  had  only  stood  within  that 
vast  enclosure — certainly  two  English  acres  in  extent — 
and  beheld  it  so  warm  and  cheerful  as  I  saw  it,  over- 
hung by  a  cloudless  sky,  and  lit  up  by  a  bright  sun, 


THE  PEISON  FOR  WOMEN.  213 

their  preconceived  notions  would  have  received  some 
what  of  a  shock ;  for  a  place  more  -zmprison-like  I 
never  beheld.  A  few  of  the  prisoners  were  at  that 
moment  sauntering  about  this  open  space ;  others  were 
in  the  chapel ;  more  were  confined  in  the  infirmary ; 
but  the  great  body  of  them  were  assembled  in  a  vast 
apartment,  arranged  in  the  manner  of  an  ordinary 
school,  and  were  engaged  in  various  descriptions  of 
female  work,  and  the  making  and  repair  of  the  clothes 
of  the  inmates,  to  the  fabrication  of  the  most  beautiful 
and  costly  varieties  of  lace.  Three  or  four  Sisters  su- 
perintended the  employment  of  the  prisoners,  and  com- 
pletely controlled  them  by  their  presence.  "When  I 
first  visited  the  prison,  no  regular  uniform  had  been 
attempted,  although  it  was  in  immediate  contempla- 
tion, and  was  to  have  been  adopted  in  a  few  days; 
and,  therefore,  had  I  been  suddenly  introduced,  with- 
out having  previously  known  the  nature  of  the  estab- 
lishment, I  should  have  at  once  pronounced  it  to  be  an 
industrial  school  for  adults,  under  the  superintendence 
of  a  religious  community — so  little  did  there  appear  of 
any  system  of  punishment,  or  even  of  restraint.  But, 
here  and  there,  among  those  silent  rows  of  quiet-look- 
ing women,  there  were  some  whose  hands  had  once 
been  red  with  blood,  and  who,  in  their  forced  seclu- 
sion from  the  world,  were  then  expiating  the  gravest 
offences  against  the  laws ;  offences  prompted,  in  most 
instances,  by  fierce  and  sudden  passion.  I  was  pointed 
out  two  in  particular,  who  had  been  guilty  of  "  assas- 
sination ;"  and  their  dark  and  sullen  features  were  in 


ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

terrible  harmony  with  their  crime.  For  three  years 
the  Sisters  have  had  the  management  of  this  institu- 
tion, with  its  average  of  more  than  two  hundred  in- 
mates ;  and  beyond  their  own  unaided  influence,  and 
the  protection  of  a  solitary  sentinal,  who  keeps  guard 
over  the  gate,  there  is  no  means  of  controlling  this 
large  body  of  women,  who  in  Ireland  would  certainly, 
and  with  propriety,  be  classed  as  "  able-bodied."  There 
was  some  difficulty  experienced  at  first,  and  not  a  little 
serious  danger  either.  In  fact,  there  was  a  regular  re- 
bellion on  the  occasion  of  the  ]STuns  undertaking  the 
management,  as  the  prisoners  fiercely  resisted  their 
authority.  To  such  lengths  did  the  prisoners  proceed, 
that  one  of  the  Sisters  was  thrown  down  by  them,  and 
another  was  struck  violently  on  the  face.  Fortunately 
for  the  cause  of  order,  and  the  future  peace  of  the 
prison,  the  presence  of  mind  displayed  by  the  Sister 
who  had  been  struck,  speedily  put  an  end  to  the 
tumult.  She  quietly  said  to  the  excited  woman  by 
whose  blow  her  cheek  had  been  reddened — "You  have 
slapped  me  on  the  one  cheek ;  now  slap  me  on  the 
other,"  at  the  same  time  deliberately  turning  her  check 
to  her  furious  assailant.  In  an  instant,  there  were  two 
parties  in  the  prison,  whereas  there  was  but  one  a 
moment  before.  The  gentleness  and  courage  of  the 
Sister  were  irresistible  in  their  appeal  to  the  better 
part  of  their  rude  nature,  and  a  majority  at  once 
ranged  themselves  on  the  side  of  order;  and  from  that 
moment  to  the  present,  the  authority  and  influence  of 
the  Nuns  have  been  complete  and  undisturbed. 


THE   SOLITARY   CELL.  215 

At  the  time  of  my  visit,  there  was  but  one  of  the 
prisoners  in  solitary  confinement.  Her  immediate 
offence  was  that  of  striking  another  prisoner.  On  our 
expressing  a  wish  to  see  the  cell  and  its  inmate,  it  was 
cheerfully  complied  with.  The  bolt  of  the  exterior 
door  was  withdrawn,  though  not  without  some  diffi- 
culty, by  the  small  hand  of  the  Sister  who  accom- 
panied the  Superior ;  and,  as  we  entered  the  cell, 
which  was  well  lighted,  we  saw.  a  young  woman  sit- 
ting on  a  low  bed,  working,  with  a  cushion  and 
bobbins,  at  a  fine  description  of  lace.  She  at  once 
respectfully  stood  up,  and  smiled  brightly  at  the  Rev- 
erend Mother,  who  addressed  some  words  of  remon- 
strance to  her  in  a  frank  and  kindly  manner.  Her 
features  were  regular  and  her  eyes  peculiarly  bright, 
imparting  to  the  face  the  appearance  of  one  liable 
to  strong  and  violent  excitement.  One  of  the  parly 
interceded  for  her  with  the  Superior;  and  upon  his 
intercession  having  been  favourably  received,  his  hand 
was  eagerly  and  respectfully  seized  by  the  liberated 
captive,  and  kissed  after  the  fashion  so  common  in 
Italy  when  acknowledging  an  obligation.  In  answer 
to  an  inquiry  as  to  the  nature  of  her  offence,  we  were 
informed  that  she  had  assassinated  some  person  in 
a  moment  of  terrible  excitement.  But  I  afterwards 
learned  that  she  was  a  married  woman,  and  that, 
having  discovered,  under  peculiar  and  aggravating  cir- 
cumstances, that  her  husband  was  unfaithful,  she  sud- 
denly caught  up  a  knife  that  lay  within  her  reach,  and 
stabbed  his  paramour  to  the  heart.  We  did  riot  per- 


216  EOME  AND   ITS  RULER. 

haps  expect  such  a  revelation ;  but  the  impulsive 
manner  and  easily-lighted-up  countenance  of  the  wo- 
man made  one  readily  comprehend  with  what  rapidity 
the  mind  might  have  prompted  and  the  hand  executed 
even  a  deed  of  blood.  Indeed  she  afterwards  thanked 
the  Superior  for  having  placed  her  in  solitary  confine- 
ment, and  thus  afforded  her  time  for  reflection;  for 
such  was  the  frenzy  roused  in  her  by  her  quarrel  with 
the  fellow-prisoner  whom  she  struck,  that  she  said  she 
could  no  longer  control  her  passions,  and  that,  had 
she  not  been  forced  away,  she  would  certainly  have 
done  her  a  mortal  injury. 

We  were  shown  through  the  various  dormitories, 
which  were  of  immense  size,  lofty,  airy,  and  well- 
lighted.  In  one  room,  which  was  over  40  feet  square, 
there  were  but  18  beds,  neatly  arranged,  and  cleanly 
in  their  appearance,  as  well  as  comfortable  in  their 
materials ;  and  in  another,  which  was  60  feet  in  length 
by  40  in  width,  there  were  not  more  than  25  beds. 
The  infirmary,  chapel,  and  refectory,  were  large  in 
proportion,  and  kept  in  a  condition  of  perfect  cleanli- 
ness,— the  necessary  result  of  such  superintendence, 
and  such  control  as  the  wisdom  and  humanity  of  His 
Holiness  had  provided  for  this  important  institution. 

When  it  was  first  handed  over  to  the  Nuns,  a  few  of 
the  prisoners  were  in  a  state  of  great  ignorance,  some 
of  them  being  unable  to  read.  But  since  then  their 
proficiency  in  reading  and  writing,  as  weir- as  in  useful 
and  ornamental  needlework,  has  been  most  remark- 
able :  and  their  conduct  has  also  been  almost  uniform- 


INFLUENCE   OF  THE  NUNS.  217 

Ij  good.  The  Superior  stated  that  nothing  could  be 
more  edifying  than  the  piety  of  their  demeanour  when 
assisting  at  the  death-bed  of  a  fellow  prisoner,  or  their 
eagerness  in  sharing  in  the  religious  ceremonies  ap- 
pointed for  that  solemn  moment.  In  fact,  a  dozen 
feeble  women,  acting  under  a  sense  of  religious  obli- 
gation, and  animated  by  tender  compassion  for  human 
misery  in  its  most  painful  form,  have  succeeded  in 
acquiring  the  most  salutary  control  over  more  than 
200  of  their  ruder  fellow-creatures,  not  a  few  of  whom 
are  expiating  offences  of  great  enormity,  and  who  per- 
haps at  one  time  recognized  no  law  but  that  of  their 
fierce  and  untutored  natures.  It  is  unnecessary  to  say 
that  religion  is  the  potent  agent  by  which  gentleness 
and  docility  are  insured,  and  amendment  is  being 
steadily  accomplished. 

The  influence  of  the  Nuns  was  submitted  to  a  severe 
test  in  carrying  out,  on  a  subsequent  day,  the  change 
of  dress  which  had  been  in  contemplation  at  the  time 
of  my  first  visit.  Then,  as  I  have  stated,  their  dress 
might  have  led  a  stranger  to  suppose  that  the  institu- 
tion was  a  school,  or  a  factory,  rather  than  a  prison ; 
and  not  only  were  many  of  the  prisoners  possessed  of 
clothes,  but  also  of  various  other  articles.  Indeed  I 
had  particularly  remarked  the  number  of  boxes  or 
trunks  in  some  of  the  dormitories.  The  time  being 
come  for  the  meditated  change,  it  was  announced  that 
from  a  certain  day — then  named — the  prisoners  should 
cease  to  wear  their  ordinary  clothes,  and  were  to  as- 
sume a  regular  costume  instead ;  and  that  they  should 
10 


218  KOME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

likewise  surrender  every  thing  which  they  possessed. 
To  prepare  for  the  new  state  of  things,  the  Sunday—- 
the day  previous  to  that  of  the  intended  change — 
was  to  be  celebrated  as  a  festival,  in  a  religious  as  well 
as  in  a  more  mundane  sense  ;  and  such  was  the  influ- 
ence which  the  devotions  of  the  day  produced  upon 
their  minds,  that,  although  some  of  the  unhappy  wo- 
men wept  bitterly  as  they  parted  with  their  clothes,  or 
surrendered  their  little  effects,  the  most  complete  and 
perfect  obedience  was  manifested  by  all,  without  an 
exception.  The  costume  was  universally  assumed,  and 
boxes  and  money  were  quietly  yielded  up.  One  of  the 
prisoners  surrendered  eighty-three  dollars,  which  she 
had  kept  in  a  belt,  till  then  concealed  about  her  per- 
son. The  Nuns  looked  forward  to  the  enforcement 
of  the  new  rule  with  considerable  apprehension,  not 
knowing  how  the  prisoners  would  receive  it;  but, 
happily,  the  result  has  afforded  another  and  striking 
instance  of  the  power  and  influence  of  an  authority 
which,  while  commanding  respect,  also  inspires  affec- 
tion. Even  this  prison  is  still  only  in  a  state  of  pro- 
gress ;  and  many  other  reforms — especially  a  separate 
system  of  cells  for  sleeping — are  in  contemplation,  and 
will  be  adopted  with"  as  little  delay  as  possible. 

The  Brothers  of  Mercy  have  got  the  control  of  a 
prison  for  men  in  the  adjoining  building,  but  only  for 
the  last  twelve  months ;  and  though  some  of  the  offi- 
cers of  the  former  staff  are  still  retained,  the  three 
brothers  to  whom  its  care  has  been  entrusted,  would 
not,  as  they  stated,  be  in  the  least  degree  afraid  of 


-REFORMATORY  OF  SANTA  BALBINA.  219 

having  it  left  entirely  to  their  own  custody  and  man- 
agement. Their  influence — the  influence  of  a  mild 
and  gentle,  but  firm  rule — is  already  most  wonderful, 
and  productive  of  the  best  results,  in  the  improved 
tone,  manner,  and  feeling  of  the  prisoners.  This  pris- 
on, at  the  time  I  visited  it,  was  undergoing  consider- 
able material  alterations,  mainly  undertaken  for  the 
more  easy  and  speedy  adoption  of  a  better  system ; 
but,  so  far  as  it  was  possible,  in  the  condition  of  evident 
transition  in  which  our  visit  found  it,  even  industrial 
and  literary  training  was  sedulously  promoted.  The 
moral  improvement  of  the  prisoner  is,  of  necessity,  the 
first  object,  and  is  never,  under  any  circumstances, 
neglected.  The  brothers  under  whose  care  this  prison 
is  placed  belong  to  a  Belgian  community,  established 
by  a  distinguished  ecclesiastic,  Canon  Scheppers,  of 
Malms,  who  has  been  recently  appointed  one  of  the 
Chamberlains  of  His  Holiness;  though  his  sense  of 
duty  may  to  a  certain  extent  render  his  appointment 
an  honorary  distinction. 

SANTA  BALBINA. 

A  number  of  the  same  valuable  brotherhood  preside 
over  an  interesting  institution,  intended  for  the  re- 
formation of  juvenile  offenders,  and  vagrants  of  the 
worst  class — the  prison  of  Santa  Balbina.  Visiting 
it  after  the  hours  appointed  for  labour  or  study,  I 
saw  several  of  the  boys  in  the  play-ground,  a  large 
open  space,  in  which  they  roamed  about  freely,  and 
indulged  in  harmless  sport;  but  under  the  watchful 


220  EOME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

eye  of  a  brother,  whose  manner  towards  them  was 
of  that  paternal  kind  which,  while  exciting  confidence, 
also  commands  respect  and  ensures  obedience.  The 
entire  number  of  young  prisoners  was  97  on  the  day 
I  went  through  the  institution.  But,  really,  the  term 
"prisoner"  does  not  exactly  describe  their  condition, 
save  so  far  as  they  are  under  a  certain  restraint,  and 
cannot  leave  until  permitted  to  do  so.  They  are  all 
taught  to  read  and  write ;  many  of  them  are  employed 
in  a  vineyard  and  garden  belonging  to  the  establish- 
ment ;  and  the  rest  are  occupied  in  various  industrial 
pursuits,  suited  to  their  state  in  life.  The  rule  by 
which  they  are  governed,  and  which  they  cheerfully 
obey,  is  that  of  all  others  best  calculated  to  effect  their 
reformation.  The  separate  cell  system  is  in  a  great 
measure  carried  out  in  this  prison ;  the  extensive  dor- 
mitories being  divided  by  rows  of  small  apartments, 
perhaps  about  6  feet  by  5,  wired  in  at  the  top,  and 
in  front.  By  this  arrangement  ventilation  and  thor- 
ough separation  are  obtained  at  the  same  time.  This 
plan  has  been  also  adopted  in  the  Catholic  Reforma- 
tory now  in  operation  at  Hammersmith.  The  boys 
much  prefer  this  separate  system  to  that  of  open  dor- 
mitories, the  idea  of  the  little  room  being  their  own, 
as  well  as  the  duty  of  keeping  it  in  order,  in  some 
degree  exciting  a  feeling  of  self-respect.  The  Brothers 
say  "  they  can  do  any  thing"  with  the  boys ;  such  is 
the  influence  which  they  possess,  and,  above  all,  the 
confidence  which  their  motives  inspire,  even  in  the 
breasts  of  the  most  corrupted.  The  severest  punish- 


ANOTHER  REFORMATORY.  .    221 

ment,  unless  for  an  attempt  at  escape,  is  confinement 
for  a  short  period ;  and  it  may  be  mentioned  that  there 
is  but  one  "guardian"  attached. to  the  prison,  and  that 
he  is  stationed  at  the  outer  door.  The  Brothers  have 
been  connected  with  this  asylum  for  three  years. 

Another  of  the  many  reformatories  existing  in  Rome 
may  be  here  fittingly  introduced.  It  is  that  of 

SANTA  MARIA  BELLA  MISEEICOKDIA. 

This  institution  owes  its  origin  to  the  humanity  of 
a  private  individual,  Paola  Campa,  who  established 
it  in  the  year  1841.  It  combines  in  it  many  interest- 
ing features ;  being  at  once  an  orphan  asylum,  a  re- 
formatory, and  a  school  for  agriculture.  Its  worthy 
founder,  nowise  dismayed  by  the  smallness  of  his 
means  —  which  had  been  saved  from  his  income  in 
a  public  office — or  by  the  failure  of  other  attempts, 
determined  to  gather  together  a  number  of  poor  aban- 
doned orphan  children  —  in  fact,  vagrants — and  to 
educate  them  in  religion  and  virtue,  and  in  a  knowl- 
edge of  agriculture;  for  the  general  complaint  was, 
that  too  many  poor  boys  had  been  reared  to  trades. 
He  selected  a  salubrious  part  of  the  suburbs,  in  which 
he  procured  a  vineyard  of  three  rulbia,  to  which  he 
added  seventeen  more — in  all,  twenty.  Complete  suc- 
cess crowned  his  charitable  efforts ;  for  in  a  very  short 
time  there  were  14Y  bovs  of  various  ages,  from  five  to 

«/  o        / 

eighteen  years,  in  the  institution;  103  of  whom  had 
been  sent  by  the  Police  authorities,  33  by  the  Com- 
mission of  Subsidies,  and  the  rest  by  private  indivi- 


222  ROME  AND  ITS  KULEE. 

duals.    The  first  were  paid  for  by  the  police,  at  the 
rate  of  20  scudi  a  year  each ;  private  persons  paid  at 
the  rate  of  24  scudi  for  those  whom  they  sent  in ;  and 
some  of  them  were  at  the  entire  charge  of  the  gener- 
ous founder  himself.     The  number  of  boys  was  limited 
to  200,  as  a  single  rullia  of  land  only  gives  work 
to  10  pupils.    The  boys  are  divided  into  small  com- 
panies, each  of  which  has  for  its  head  an  agriculturist 
of  experience  and  good  conduct,  who  never  leaves  his 
pupils,  but  sleeps  with  them  in  their  dormitory,  eats 
with  them  at  the  same  table,  and  instructs  them  in  the 
field.     The  other  officers  have  separate  duties,  and  all 
are  presided  over  by  an  ecclesiastic,  as  Superior.     The 
pupils  are  taught  catechism,  reading,  writing,  arith- 
metic, and  the  principles  of  agriculture ;    and   their 
practical  training  includes  the  cultivation  and  man- 
agement of  vines,  olives,  corn  and  vegetables,  mead- 
ows, and  grass  fields.    They  likewise  have  bees,  silk- 
worms, and  also  a  few  cattle  for  their  instruction  in 
pastoral  occupations.     And,  in  order  to  stimulate  their 
zeal,  a  portion  of  the  profits  is  reserved  for  them,  and 
placed  in  the  savings  bank,  there  to  increase  by  in- 
terest.    They  rise  early,  arrange  their  dormitories,  as- 
sist at  Mass,  and  then  eat  their  first  meal ;  and  after 
singing  pious  hymns,  they  go  in  companies  to  their 
work,  under  the  escort  of  their  respective  chiefs.     The 
principal  meals  are  taken  in  common  in  the  refectory, 
and  are  eaten  in  silence,  a  good  book  being  read  during 
the  time.     Bread  is  freely  given  them  while  at  work, 
little  time  being  allowed  for  idling;  but  on  festival 


REFORMATORY  DELLA  VIGNA  PIA.  223 

days,  after  the  performance  of  their  religious  duties, 
they  are  suffered  to  indulge  in  harmless  sports  in  the 
beautiful  and  varied  grounds  of  the  institution,  which 
is  near  the  Yilla  Albano,  whose  trees  shelter  it  from 
the  hot  wind.  Watched  over  day  and  night  (the  dor- 
mitories being  well  lighted) ;  controlled  by  a  discipline 
at  once  mild  and  firm ;  and  constantly  occupied  in 
rural  labour,  in  study,  in  pious  practices  of  religion, 
and  in  healthful  recreation — it  may  be  easily  under- 
stood that  punishment  is  rarely  necessary,  and  that 
reformation  is  the  certain  result  of  a  system  which 
developes  the  finest  qualities  of  the  mind  and  heart, 
and  finds  a  free  scope  for  the  energies  of  the  body. 
MOKICHTNT  gives  a  touching  instance  of  the  affection 
entertained  by  the  boys  for  their  benefactor.  On  the 
occasion  of  CAMPA  returning  to  the  institution,  after 
his  recovery  from  a  severe  fit  of  sickness,  the  boys,  by 
a  spontaneous  impulse,  formed  a  circle  round  him,  and 
on  their  knees  offered  an  Ave  to  the  Virgin  Mother, 
the  Protectress  of  the  Institution,  in  thanksgiving  for 
his  safety. 

Pius  IX.  has  established  more  than  one  of  this  class 
of  institutions;  and  amongst  others,  a  valuable  and 
flourishing  one  for  vagrant  children  of  more  tender 
years,  who  receive  in  it  a  religious,  a  literary,  and  an 
agricultural  training.  To  found  and  maintain  this  re- 
formatory, which  is  known  as  that  della  Vigna  Pia, 
the  Pope  devoted  to  it  three  vineyards,  his  own  private 
property.  This  single  fact  is  indicative  of  his  zeal  for 
the  instruction  and  reformation  of  the  young. 


224  HOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


Prisons  of  San  Michele.— The  Cellular  and  Silent  Systems  long  practiced 
in  Rome.-—The  Political  Prison  very  unlike  an  Italian  Dungeon. 

AT  San  Michele,  one  of  the  greatest  establishments 
in  Kome,  embracing  within  its  vast  extent  a  grand 
college,  an  hospital,  more  than  one  asylum  for  the  poor, 
and  three  prisons — there  is  a  prison  for  males,  in  which 
the  separate  system  has  been  strictly  carried  out  for 
150  years,  or  since  the  time  of  Clement  XI.  In  some 
respects  it  is  very  similar  to  the  modern  military  pris- 
ons of  Ireland,  one  of  the  most  perfect,  if  not  best  man- 
aged, of  which  is  that  of  Cork.  In  all  cases  that  it  can 
be  enforced,  the  silent  system  is  maintained ;  but  there 

are  times  when  speaking  is  allowed,  arid  occupations, 

for  instance,  particular  descriptions  of  work, — during 
which  it  cannot  be  judiciously  prevented.  The  cells, 
as  in  the  military  prison  to  which  I  have  referred,  rise 
tier  over  tier,  or  story  above  story— all  looking  into, 
and  lighted  by,  a  vast  hall,  in  which  various  kinds  of 
industrial  employment  are  carried  on.  The  prisoners 
eat  their  food  in  their  cells  ;  and  as  I  entered  the  great 
hall  of  the  prison,  I  beheld  them  walk  quietly  and 
silently  from  their  cells  to  where  an  officer  was  serving 
out  to  each  a  fair  allowance  of  a  soup  that  looked  well 
to  the  eye,  aud-that  a  curious  friend  assured  me  was  not 
at  all  unpalatable  to  the  taste.  On  Sundays  they  are  al- 


THE   CELLULAR  AND  SILENT  SYSTEMS.  225 

lowed  to  talk  to  each  other  for  half  an  hour.  They  rise 
every  morning  at  half-past  five  o'clock,  dress,  and  ar- 
range their  cells ;  at  half-past  six,  they  attend  Mass ;  they 
then  breakfast ;  at  half-past  seven,  they  proceed  to  their 
various  occupations,  always  of  an  industrial  kind,  at 
which  they  continue  till  half-past  eleven  ;  they  then  get 
their  dinner,  and  remain  in  their  cells  till  half-past  one  ; 
when  they  resume  their  work,  which  lasts  till  five.  At 
five  they  sup ;  after  which  they  immediately  attend 
school,  which  lasts  till  half-past  seven ;  when  instruc- 
tion of  a  religious  nature  is  given,  and  the  night  prayers 
are  said.  They  then  return  to  their  cells,  into  which 
they  are  shut  up  till  the  next  morning  commences  an- 
other day  of  melancholy  drudgery,  irksome,  no  doubt, 
but  by  no  means  unimproving.  Several  of  the  prison- 
ers had  been  sentenced  to  various  terms  of  imprison- 
ment, some  even  for  life ;  but  the  greater  number,  if 
not  all,  of  this  class  had  their  sentences  commuted  to 
twenty  years  on  the  occasion  of  the  last  anniversary  of 
the  Pope's  accession  to  the  throne. 

This  prison  was  designed  and  constructed  by  the 
celebrated  architect  Carlo  Montana,  at  the  command  of 
Clement  XI.,  by  whom  it  was  originally  intended  for 
the  reformation  of  a  more  youthful  class  of  offenders. 
Each  cell  is  twelve  palms  in  length  and  ten  in  width, 
and  is  lofty  in  proportion.  An  iron  balcony  runs  be- 
fore each  row  of  cells,  the  upper  rows  being  reached 
by  a  circular  or  winding,  stairs. 

It  will  be  perceived  that  the  separate  and  the  silent 

systems,  which  are  now  regarded  in  these  countries  as 
10* 


226  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER.  • 

modern  inventions  in  prison  discipline,  are  carried  out 
in  a  Roman  prison  whose  origin  dates  back  a  century 
and  a  half;  and  that  both  those  systems  are  applied 
within  rational  and  humane  limits — neither  being 
maintained  as  a  matter  of  inflexible  rule,  but  both  be- 
ing judiciously  modified  and  departed  from,  equally  to 
the  advantage  of  the  prisoner  and  the  institution.* 

Four  Brothers  have  the  sole  charge  of  this  prison. 
By  one  of  them,  a  young  man  of  gentle  manner  and 
prepossessing  appearance,  I  was  conducted  through  its 
various  departments,  the  details  of  which  he  explained 
with  equal  courtesy  and  intelligence. 

THE  POLITICAL  PRISON.     • 

Passing  over  the  prison  for  women,  which  forms  part 
of  the  vast  collection  of  buildings,  I  may  refer  to  that 
in  which  persons  convicted  or  accused  of  political 
offences  were  then  confined.  To  this  department  of 
the  building  I  turned  with  considerable  anxiety,  being 
desirous  of  judging,  by  what  I  should  myself  see,  how 
far  the  statements  of  certain  of  the  English  journals, 
with  respect  to  the  treatment  of  political  prisoners, 
were  true  or  false.  I  expected,  at  the  least,  to  behold 
gloomy  and  noisome  cells ;  to  see  the  victims  of  Papal 
tyranny  lying  on  scanty  bundles  of  straw  flung  on 
stone  couches,  and  to  hear  the  clanking  of  the  galling 
fetter  and  the  ponderous  chain.  In  fact,  to  realize  the 

*  The  illustrious  Howard  specially  procured  a  plan  of  this  prison  for 
his  great  work ;  it  being,  as  he  says,  "  different  from  any  I  had  before 


THE   POLITICAL   PRISON.  227 

picture  of  a  "  Roman  dungeon"  which  English  writers 
have  made  familiar  to  my  mind,  the  prison  into  which 
I  was  about  being  admitted  should,  as  nearly  as  possi- 
ble, resemble  those  fearful  dungeons  that  are  shown  to 
the  stranger  in  Venice,  and  which,  in  their  horrid 
gloom  and  tomb-like  aspect,  speak  with  terrible  elo- 
quence of  the  mysterious  tyranny  of  its  departed  Re- 
public. But  as  the  guardian  turned  the  key,  and  flung 
open  the  door  of  the  great  hall  of  the  prison,  my  thick- 
coming  fancies  and  dark  associations  were  at  once  dis- 
pelled. For,  instead  of  gloom,  and  horror,  and  noisome 
dungeons,  I  beheld  a  large,  well-lighted,  well- ventilated, 
and — could  such  a  word  be  properly  applied  to  any 
place  of  confinement  —  cheerful-looking  hall.  The 
bright  sun  streamed  in  through  several  windows, 
placed  rather  high  from  the  ground,  on  one  side  of  this 
vast  hall ;  and  on  the  other  side,  and  facing  the  light, 
the  cells  were  constructed,  row  above  row,  their  doors 
ind  windows  opening  into  this  large  enclosure.  There 
was  no  clanking  of  chains  to  be  heard,  but,  instead, 
the  hum  of  conversation,  as  some  twenty  or  twenty- 
five  men  were,  at  the  moment,  either  walking  up  and 
down,  or  engaged  in  a  game  of  dominoes.  They  all 
wore  their  ordinary  clothes,  and  might  have  passed  for 
a  number  of  persons  who  had  been  confined  for  debt. 
A  glance  into  the  interior  of  the  cells  of  this  Roman 
dungeon  was  quite  sufficient  to  show  that,  not  only  had 
they  ample  air  and  light,  but  that  they  differed  from 
ordinary  cells  in  the  great  superiority  of  their  size  and 
arrangement.  In  size  alone,  they  were  considerably 


228  ROME  AND   ITS   RULEK. 

larger  than  the  cells  of  an  ordinary  prison.  They  also 
differed  from  the  ordinary  cell  in  a  much  more  remark- 
able manner ;  for  in  those  into  which  I  looked,  there 
were  drinking-glasses  of  different  kinds,  some  orna- 
ments, and  other  articles  not  to  be  expected  in  such 
places.  So  far  as  a  sense  of  delicacy  would  permit  of 
my  doing  so,  I  saw  enough  to  discredit  the  statements 
which  I  had  been  accustomed  to  read  ;  and  to  convince 
me,  that,  at  least  in  this  prison — the  only  prison  in 
Rome  in  which  political  prisoners  were  then  detained 
— there  was  no  feature,  whether  of  degradation  or  of 
cruelty,  which  could  in  any  way  justify  those  descrip- 
tions of  "  Italian  dungeons"  so  familiar  to  the  public 
of  the  United  Kingdom.  I  passed  through  a  room,  or 
ward,  of  considerable  size,  in  which  there  were  several 
men,  the  greater  number  of  whom  were  sitting  on 
their  beds ;  which  beds  appeared  to  be  of  the  descrip- 
tion usually  found  in  a  public  hospital.  Light  and  air 
were  fully  supplied  to  this  as  to  the  other  compartment 
which  I  have  described. 

This  prison  is  entirely  in  the  hands,  and  under  the 
management,  of  the  police.  At  the  time  of  my  visit, 
somewhere  about  the  middle  of  last  November,  the 
number  of  prisoners  within  its  walls  was  under  fifty ; 
and  of  this  number  but  a  small  proportion  was  under- 
going punishment  for  what  are,  in  Rome,  classed  under 
the  head  of  purely  politicalwoffences.  At  first,  I  was 
unable  to  understand  the  distinction  between  offences 
" purely  political  "  and  offences  "  arising  out  of  party- 
spirit.^  It  was,  however,  a  distinction  easily  explain- 


THE  POLITICAL  PEISON.  229 

ed.  The  former  class  of  offence  is  defined  by  its  own 
term,  and  comprehends  conspiracies  and  other  attempts 
against  the  sovereign  authority  of  the  state.  Bat  the 
other  class  of  offences  has  its  origin  in  the  vehemence 
of  party-feeling,  and  the  quarrels  and  violence  to 
which  it  leads.  Perhaps  I  could  not  better  indicate 
the  character  of  those  offences,  as  a  means  of  distin- 
guishing them  from  such  as  are  purely  political,  than 
by  a  reference  to  those  outrages  to  which  party-spirit 
annually  leads  in  the  North  of  Ireland,  and  which, 
though  arising  out  of  party-spirit,  are  not  purely  po- 
litical in  their  character,  and  in  no  way  imply  an  at- 
tempt against  the  government.  "Where  such  offences 
involve  injury  to  property,  and  even  to  life,  as  they 
very  frequently  do  in  the  Roman  States,  they  must  be 
punished,  or  society  would  at  once  become  disorgan- 
ized. And  this  class  of  offenders  formed  more  than 
two-thirds  of  the  entire  number  suffering  punishment, 
or  under  arrest,  for  offences  in  any  way  arising  out  of 
politics.  In  fact,  at  the  time  of  my  visit  to  Rome, 
there  were  not  more  than  TO  "  purely  political"  offend- 
ers in  all  the  prisons  of  the  States ;  while  of  the  other 
class,  who  had  committed  offences  "arising  out  of 
party-spirit,"  the  gross  number  was  about  200 — which 
figures  exhibited  a  very  different  state  of  things  from 
what,  in  common  with  the  general  public  of  these 
countries,  I  had  been  led  to  believe.* 

*  See  Appendix 


230  KOME   AND   ITS   KULEE.  . 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Asylum  and  Prison  of  the  Good  Shepherd. — Singular  Influence  of  the 
Nuns  over  the  Prisoners. — Model  Prison  of  Fossombrone. — The  Pope 
a  Prison  Reformer. — His  Advice  to  Bishop  Wilson. 

I  WOULD  desire  to  notice  somewhat  in  detail  one  of 
the  most  interesting  of  the  Roman  reformatory  insti- 
tutions— the  Asylum  and  Prison  of  the  Good  Shep- 
herd. It  is  a  splendid  establishment,  of  immense 
size,  quite  modern  in  its  construction,  being  one  of  the 
many  grand  monuments  which  the  Pope  has  erected 
during  his  reign.  There  formerly  existed  here  an  in- 
stitution for  female  penitents,  who  had  voluntarily 
sought  an  asylum  from  the  misery  and  horror  of  a 
profligate  life,  which  was  under  the  direction  of  a 
community  of  Augustinian  Nuns;  but  within  the  last 
three  years  the  vast  building  erected  by  Pius  IX.  has 
been  completed,  and  handed  over  to  the  Nuns  of  the 
order  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  twenty  of  whom  entirely 
govern  and  control  its  three  distinct  and  separate  de- 
partments,— one  called  the  Preservation  Class — the 
other,  the  Voluntary  Penitents — the  third,  the  Prison 
for  those  condemned  to  various  terms  of  confinement. 
At  the  time  I  visited  the  institution,  there  were  sixty 
of  the  first  class,  fifty-five  of  the  second,  and  sixty- 


VOLUNTAKY  PENITENTS.  231 

five  of  the  third — in  all  180.  There  was  not  even  a 
sentinel  stationed  at  the  gate,  as  is  almost  universally 
the  case  with  establishments  in  which  condemned  per- 
sons are  detained;  and  not  a  single  man,  or  indeed 
guard  of  any  kind,  was  to  be  seen  within  the  walls. 
The  exterior  door  was  opened  by  one  of  the  Nuns, 
who  summoned  the  Superioress ;  by  whom,  personally, 
every  portion  of  the  vast  building  was  readily  and 
courteously  exhibited,  and  fully  explained. 

In  the  first  large  apartment  which  we  entered,,  there 
were  assembled  between  thirty  and  forty  of  the  young 
persons  comprehended  in  the  Preservation  Class,  and 
whose  ages  ranged  from  four  to  upwards  of  twenty 
years.  Several  of  them  were  orphans ;  others  were 
children  of  parents  then  in  prison  for  offences  of  various 
kinds ;  and  a  few  were  the  children  of  depraved  parents, 
from  whom  they  were  rescued  by  being  placed  in  this 
asylum.  Special  care  is  taken  that  no  really  bad  char- 
acters are  admitted  into  this  part  of  the  establishment, 
lest  they  should  have  an  opportunity  of  corrupting 
those  old  enough  to  receive  the  moral  contagion  ;  and, 
indeed,  the  appearance  and  manners  of  the  girls,  as  they 
stood  silently  and  respectfully  before  one  of  the  Sisters, 
from  whom  they  were  then  receiving  religious  instruc- 
tion, was  calculated  to  impress  even  the  casual  visitor 
with  an  idea  of  their  innocence.  They  were  nearly  all 
pleasing-looking,  and  not  a  few  had  faces  full  of  actual 
beauty,  and  that  of  the  true  Roman  type.  These  chil- 
dren and  young  girls  are  taught  to  read  and  write,  to 
make  up  accounts,  to  be  expert  in  plain  and  other  work  ; 


232 


KOME  AND  ITS  KULER. 


and  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add,  that  their  moral  and 
religious  training  is  the  first  care  of  their  gentle  and 
affectionate  guardians.  Many  of  the  girls  wore  collars 
of  merit  suspended  round  their  necks,  and  to  some  of 
them  was  delegated  the  authority  of  Mom  tresses.  Their 
dormitories,  through  which  I  passed,  were  large,  lofty, 
cheerful,  admirably  ventilated,  and  kept  in  a  state  of 
the  most  perfect  neatness.  A  well-kept  and  sufficiently 
spacious  garden  is  attached  to  this  branch  of  the  estab- 
lishment, for  the  exclusive  use  of  this  class— a  high  wall 
separating  the  garden  appropriated  to  the  second  class, 
or  Voluntary  Penitents. 

Perhaps  the  term  Voluntary  Penitent  does  not  strictly 
apply  to  the  entire  of  this  second  class;  for  a  consider- 
able number  of  them  had  been  brought  in  by  their 
parents,  in  the  hope  of  checking  them  in  a  course  of 
folly  or  of  guilt.  The  rest  had,  of  their  own  choice, 
sought  a  refuge  in  the  asylum  ;  and  a  number  of  both 
were  then  in  the  infirmary  ward.  Should  a  parent  de- 
sire to  place  an  erring  daughter  in  this  asylum,  appli- 
cation is  made  to  the  Cardinal  Vicar,  within  whose 
jurisdiction  it  is,  and,  upon  his  consent  being  given, 
compulsion  might  be  had  recourse  to,  in  case  resistance 
were  attempted. 

A  description  of  the  daily  existence  of  this  class  of 
inmates  may  be  interesting,  as  illustrative  of  the  system 
adopted  for  their  reformation.*— They  rise  in  summer  at 
five,  and  in  winter  at  half-past  five.  After  a  short  time 

*  A  similar  system  is  adopted,  perhaps  with  some  modifications,  in 
most  of  the  Houses  of  Refuge  in  Rome. 


THE   PRISON.  233 

spent  in  mental  prayer,  they  hear  Mass,  and  then  com- 
mence work — always  of  a  useful  and  profitable  char- 
acter. During  their  work  they  frequently  sing  pious 
hymns,  which  lighten  their  labour,  and  keep  the  mind 
away  from  thoughts  which  it  would  not  be  well  to  en- 
courage. Before  breakfast — which  is  invariably  eaten 
in  silence — they  make  an  examination  of  conscience ; 
and,  during  the  repast,  a  chapter  of  a  good  work  is 
read.  One  of  the  Sisters  overlooks  this  as  well  as  the 
other  meals,  which  always  commence  and  terminate 
with  prayer.  After  dinner,  the  Penitents  enjoy  "an 
hour  of  innocent  recreation,  a  Sister  being  present. 
They  are  not  allowed  to  speak  in  whispers,  nor  are  they 
permitted  to  indulge  in  vain  or  idle  discourse,  much  less 
to  allude  to  improper  or  dangerous  subjects.  After 
recreation,  prayers,  reading,  and  study,  follow.  They 
then  resume  work,  at  which  they  continue  till  the  time 
arrives  for  saying  the  rosary,  which  is  said  in  common. 
At  half-past  six  or  seven,  they  sup,  equally  in  silence, 
and  during  the  reading  of  a  pious  book.  Another  hour 
of  recreation  follows ;  and  at  nine  o'clock  they  say  their 
night-prayers,  and  retire  to  rest.  Silence  is  observed  in 
the  dormitories,  and  indeed  always,  except  during  the 
hours  of  recreation.  The  Penitents  do  not  speak  to  any 
visitor,  other  than  a  father,  mother,  guardian,  or  person 
who  has  placed  them  in  the  institution,  except  in  the 
presence  of  a  Sister.  They  practice  humility,  obedi- 
ence, and  mortification;  they  have  the  use  of  good 
books ;  they  confess  weekly,  and  communicate  month- 
ly ;  they  control  even  their  gestures,  and  comport  them- 


234:  ROME  AND  ITS  RULEK.. 

selves  with  grave  and  modest  demeanour.  When  going 
from  one  place  to  another,  they  walk  two  and  two  ;  they 
call  each  other  "  sister,"  and  they  each  serve  in  their 
turn.  The  profit  of  their  work  is  all  their  own. 

In  each  dormitory,  as  in  all  the  dormitories  of  the 
establishment,  one  of  the  sisters  has  her  bed  placed ; 
so  that,  as  a  lamp  is  kept  burning  throughout  the 
night,  her  watchfulness  over  her  charge  may  be  said 
never  to  cease. 

The  third  compartment  is  the  Prison,  which  has  its 
chapel,  its  refectory,  its  work-rooms,  its  hospital,  its 
dormitories,  its  schools,  and,  of  course,  its  kitchen.  In 
the  hospital,  there  were  several  wretched  women,  of 
different  ages,  expiating,  in  various  stages  of  physical 
suffering,  their  career  of  vice.  The  women  in  this  side 
of  the  building  were  all  prisoners,  having  been  con- 
demned by  the  tribunal  of  the  Cardinal  Yicar  to  vari- 
ous terms  of  imprisonment,  from  six  months  even  to 
twenty  years.  The  only  woman  then  condemned  for 
this  latter  period  was  remarkable  for  her  tall  stature, 
and  a  certain  wildness  of  the  eye.  Her  offence  was 
that  of  infanticide— a  very  rare  and  exceptional  crime 
in  the  Papal  States,  and  one  which  excites  peculiar 
horror  when  it  does  happen.  It  may  also  be  said  that 
it  is  one  to  which  the  precautionary  policy  of  the 
government  allows  no  kind  of  excuse;  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  great  Foundling  Hospital  affords  an 
easy  opportunity  of  disposing  of  illegitimate  offspring, 
otherwise  than  by  assassination,  as  is  too  commonly 
the  case  in  England.  Upon  this  important  question 


INFLUENCE  AND  AUTHORITY  OF  THE  NUNS.      235 

the  most  opposite  opinions  are  entertained — some  hold- 
ing that  the  facility  of  getting  rid  of  the  shame  and  the 
burden  of  maintaining  the  offspring  of  illicit  connec- 
tion is  an  incentive  and  a  boon  to  immorality ;  while, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  singular  infrequency  of  the 
crime  of  child  murder  is  triumphantly  appealed  to  as 
the  result  of  a  policy  as  merciful  as  it  is  indispensable. 
Several  of  the  women,  then  in  the  prison;  had  been 
condemned  for  periods  of  five,  and  even  ten  years.  In 
the  infirmary  ward  were  some  elderly  women,  who  had 
been  detected  keeping  houses  of  bad  character,  and 
ensnaring  young  girls  to  their  destruction ;  and  these 
venerable  sinners  had  been  each  condemned  to  impris- 
onment for  a  period  of  five  years.  One  old  and  rather 
repulsive-looking  woman,  who  had  been  convicted  of 
selling  her  own  daughter  to  infamy,  was  undergoing  a 
sentence  of  imprisonment  for  ten  years.  I  mention  the 
offence  and  the  punishment,  as  indicating  the  vigilance 
and  rigour  of  the  tribunal  presided  over  by  the  Cardi- 
nal Vicar,  who,  as  the  Guardian  of  Morals,  takes  cog- 
nizance of  all  glaring  instances  of  their  infraction. 
Among  the  other  prisoners,  were  wives  against  whom 
charges  of  incontinence  had  been  made  and  proved  by 
their  husbands.  Considering,  then,  the  character  of 
many  of  the  prisoners,  it  was  a  matter  of  amazement  to 
learn  with  what  facility  they  were  controlled,  and  to 
see  the  flimsy  nature  of  the  locks  by  which  alone  the 
doors  of  the  work-rooms  and  dormitories  were  fastened. 
I  examined  several  of  them  with  curiosity;  and,  on 
drawing  the  key  from  the  lock  of  one  of  the  principal 


236  EOME  AND  ITS  KULER.- 

wards,  I  found  it  was  just  about  the  size  of  that  used 
for  an  ordinary  bed-room  of  a  private  house  in  Eng- 
land or  Ireland !  In  each  dormitory  was  placed  the 
bed  of  the  Nun,  little  more  than  its  curtains  distin- 
guishing it  from  the  beds  of  the  prisoners.  In  one 
dormitory  I  counted  as  many  as  twenty-eight  beds. 
And  to  maintain  authority  over,  and  ensure  the  obedi- 
ence of,  their  twenty-eight  occupants,  there  was  but 
that  one  Sister ;  unless  the  aid  of  a  "  guardian" — one 
of  the  prisoners,  raised  to  that  rank  for  good  con- 
duct— might  be  relied  on  in  case  of  necessity.  But 
though  some  difficulty  had  been  experienced  in  the 
commencement,  when  the  institution  was  first  handed 
over  to  the  Sisters,  none  whatever  is  felt  at  present ; 
for  the  rudeness  and  even  violence  of  the  past  has 
altogether  disappeared,  and  the  entire  of  the  prisoners 
are  remarkable  for  their  docility  and  ready  obedience 
to  the  orders  of  the  Nuns.  The  Superioress  stated 
that  there  never  was  an  attempt  made  to  escape ;  and, 
on  being  asked  what  she  could  in  case  a  number  of 
the  prisoners  determined  to  set  themselves  free,  she 
answered,  with  a  quiet  little  shrug,— "  There  would 
still  be  no  fear,  for  the  majority,  being  well  disposed, 
would  at  once  take  part  with  the  Sisters." 

In  this  prison  it  is  deemed  unnecessary  to  adopt 
the  separate  or  cellular  system,  from  the  fact  that  one 
of  the  Nuns  is  always  on  the  watch,  and  may  at  a 
moment  obviate  any  inconvenience  which  could  arise 
from  a  number  of  the  prisoners  sleeping  in  the  same 
apartment,  In  conclusion,  I  may  safely  assert  that,  in 


THE  POPE  A  PRISON  REFORMER.  237 

all  respects,  this  prison — in  which  the  same  industrial, 
literary,  moral,  and  religious  training  is  carried  out  as 
in  the  other  two  departments  of  the  establishment — 
will  stand  comparison  with  the  very  best  in  the  United 
Kingdom.  Of  itself,  it  is  an  admirable  illustration  of 
that  reformatory  spirit  of  which  Pros  IX.  is  the  origin 
and  the  inspiration. 

The  grand  new  prison  near  Fossombrone  may  be 
also  incidentally  referred  to.  It  is  now  ready  for  250 
inmates,  and  is  to  be  rendered  capable  of  containing 
500.  This  will  be  the  Model  Prison  of  the  States,  in 
which  every  improvement  that  experience  has  proved 
to  be  useful,  or  that  humanity  can  suggest,  will  have  a 
fair  trial.  In  the  other  prisons  there  is  change  as  well 
as  progress ;  but  in  this  there  will  be  the  most  perfect 
adaptation  of  the  means  employed  to  the  object  to  be 
accomplished.  The  penitentiary  system,  which  com- 
bines cellular  separation  at  night,  and  silent  work  un- 
der inspectors  by  day — and  which  has  been  in  opera- 
tion in  the  prison  of  San  Michele  since  the  year  1704: 
— will  be  applied  to  adults  in  the  new  institution  of 
Fossombrone.  The  construction  of  this  prison  is  an 
additional  evidence  of  the  humanity  and  reformatory 
zeal  of  Pius  IX. 

It  would  be  only  tedious  if  I  were  to  refer  to  the 
other  prisons  in  Rome,  especially  as  I  have  given  suffi- 
cient to  justify  my  assertion,  that  they  are  in  a  state  of 
transition,  and  the  expression  of  a  confident  hope  that, 
in  the  course  of  a  very  short  time,  they  will  be  inferior 
in  no  respects,  save  in  the  expense  of  their  construe- 


ROME   AND   ITS  EULER. 

tion,  maintenance,  and  management,  to  the  boasted 
prisons  of  England.     I  do  believe  that  in  some  respects 
they  will  be  vastly  superior  in  their  results;  above, all, 
in  the  great  work  of  reformation — in  the  real  improve- 
ment of  their  unhappy  inmates,  whose  guilt  is,  in  the 
Roman  States,  as  in  other  countries,  most  frequently 
caused  either  by  poverty  and  ignorance,  or  by  tempta- 
tions against  which  poverty  and  ignorance  are  but  a 
poor  protection.     To  no  subject  has  the  Pope  devoted 
more  attention  than  to  this  most  important  one  of  the 
treatment  of  criminals ;  and  the  gradual  changes  which 
are  being  effected,  or  which  are  already  planned,  have 
been  entirely  inspired  by  the  zeal  and  humanity  of  His 
Holiness,  whose   chief,  as  well  as  most   enthusiastic, 
agent  in  the  good  work  is  his  principal  Chamberlain, 
Monsignor  de  Merode,*  the  brother-in-law  of  the  Count 
de  Montalembert,     Monsignor  Talbot,  who  also  holds 
the  office  of  Chamberlain  to  His  Holiness,  is  equally 
most  zealous  and  earnest  in  the  great  work  of  prison 
reform.     So  that  the  Pope  has  the  advantage  of  the 
assistance  and  sympathy  of  two  men  who  are  singu- 
larly suited  to 'the  promotion  of  this  great  and  humane 
object;  for  while  Monsignor  de  Merode  has  had  ex- 
tensive experience  of  the  prison-system  of  Belgium, 
which  is  perhaps  superior  to  that  of  any  in  the  world, 
Monsignor  Talbot   is  thoroughly   acquainted  with   all 
those  improvements  which  have  been  recently  adopted 
in  England.     The  former  distinguished  person  has  the 

*  See  Appendix 


THE  POPE'S  VISITS  TO  THE  PRISONS.  239 

official  charge  of  the  Roman  prisons ;  while  the  latter 
visits  them  several  times  in  the  week,  but  in  a  capacity 
more  immediately  spiritual.  The  Pope  was  not  satis- 
fied with  hearing  of  the  state  of  those  institutions,  and 
he  resolved  to  see  with  his  own  eyes  into  their  actual 
condition.  Accordingly,  in  October,  1855,  he  made 
several  visits  to  the  Koman  prisons,  going  through 
their  different  departments,  the  dormitories,  the  cells, 
the  workshops,  the  infirmaries,  and  the  kitchens,  in 
which  he  carefully  examined  into  the  quantity  and 
quality  of  the  food  distributed  to  the  prisoners.  And 
of  these  he  asked  various  questions — as  to  the  offence 
which  they  had  committed — the  length  of  their  impri- 
sonment— and  the  manner  in  which  they  were  treated. 
This  visit  was  one  of  entire  surprise  to  the  authorities, 
and  at  the  time  excited  the  greatest  interest  through- 
out Rome,  as  no  such  visits  had  been  made  since  the 
year  1824,  when  Leo  XII.  personally  inspected  the  pri- 
sons in  the  same  manner.  Many  of  the  reforms  which 
are  being  carried  out,  as  well  as  those  which  are  now 
in  contemplation,  are  in  a  great  measure  the  fruit  of 
that  memorable  inspection. 

In  concluding  my  notice  of  the  -Roman  Prisons,  I 
may  repeat,  that,  while  the  greater  number  of  those 
institutions  would  bear  no  comparison  to  the  magnifi- 
cent and  costly  establishments  of  England,  they  are,  in 
general,  in  a  state  of  hopef^ll  transition,  not  to  costli- 
ness and  magnificence,  but  to  more  practical  efficiency, 
and  more  certain  success.  It  would  be  strange,  in- 
deed, if  the  condition  and  treatment  of  the  prisoner 


240  EOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

did  not  command  the  attention  of  one  of  the  most 
benevolent  of  men,  whose  feelings  with  reference  to 
this  unhappy  class  were  touchingly  expressed  on  the 
occasion  of  his  giving  a  final  audience  to  Bishop  Wil- 
son, when  that  prelate  was  about  to  return  to  his  dis- 
tant diocese.—"  Be  kind,  my  son,"  said  the  Pope,  "  to 
all  your  flock  at  Hobart  Town,  but  le  kindest  to  the 
condemned  /" 


HOUSES  OF  REFUGE.  241 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Houses  of  Refuge. — Charitable  Associations  for  the  Defence  of  the  Poor 
and  the  Imprisoned. — Society  of  S.  Giovanni  Decollate. — Society 
della  Morte. 

HOME  also  possesses  several  Houses  of  Refuge  for 
women,  who  have  left  the  prison  or  the  hospital,  and 
who  anxiously  desire  to  atone,  by  a  future  of  virtue, 
for  the  crime  and  scandal  of  the  past.  Some  of  these 
date  so  far  back  as  the  time  of  Leo  X.,  in  1520 ;  and 
others  have  associated  with  them  the  illustrious  names 
of  St.  Ignatius  of  Loyola,  St.  Charles  Borromeo,  and 
St.  Philip  Neri,  who  have  either  been  their  founders 
or  their  patrons.  Similar  institutions,  of  a  recent  date, 
have  had  their  origin  in  the  charity  of  a  Pope,  a  car- 
dinal, a  simple  priest,  or  even  a  lay  person  of  either 
sex.  And  as  a  founder,  promoter,  or  patron  of  such 
charities,  Pius  IX.  has,  to  say  the  least,  equalled  even 
the  most  munificent  of  his  predecessors. 

In  connection  with  the  Eoman  Prisons  may  be  noted 
some  few  of  the  more  remarkable  charitable  associa- 
tions which  have  been  founded  for  the  comfort  and  re- 
lief of  their  unhappy  inmates.  The  first  of  those  to 
which  I  refer  is  that  for  the — 
11 


242  KOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

DEFENCE  OF  THE  POOR  AND  IMPRISONED. 

To  protect  the  poor,  and  defend  the  weak  against 
the  aggressions  of  the  strong,  has  been  at  all  times  a 
leading  principle  of  the  Church;  which  has  given 
birth,  in  Rome  as  elsewhere,  to  many  institutions  ani- 
mated by  her  spirit,  and  devoted  to  her  cherished  ob- 
jects. The  Arch  Confraternity  of  St.  Ivo  is  one  of 
these.  But  so  early  as  the  year  563,  Gregory  the 
Great  instituted  seven  difensori  in  different  portions 
of  the  city ;  and  in  1340  the  College  of  the  Procura- 
tori  assumed  the  title  of  "  diritti  de*  poveri"  Urban 
VIII.  instituted  the  office  of  Advocate  of  the  Poor  in 
civil  cases,  to  which  a  noble  citizen  was  nominated. 
The  Congregation  of  St.  Ivo,  which  was  established  in 
the  beginning  of  the  16th  century,  was  thus  called 
after  its  founder,  a  saint  of  that  name,  who,  a  lawyer 
by  profession,  had  consecrated  his  life  to  the  gratuitous 
advocacy  of  the  poor,  especially  orphans  and  widows. 
The  society  consisted  of  advocates  and  prelates  of  the 
Sacra  Rota,  who  met  on  Sundays  in  the  Church  of  S. 
Paolo  Decollato ;  and  who,  after  having  performed 
their  religious  duties,  assembled  at  an  appointed  place, 
and  listened  to  the  questions  which  the  poor  submitted 
to  their  consideration.  When  convinced  of  the  justice 
of  a  case,  they  at  once  undertook  its  defence.  The  so- 
ciety was  created  into  an  arch  confraternity  by  Paul 
V.,  in  1616.  It  has  a  Cardinal  Protector,  and  a  Pre- 
fect, who  is  a  prelate  of  the  Curia  Romana.  The 


DEFENCE   OF  THE  POOR  AND   IMPE1SOJSED.       243 

members  of  the  confraternity  are  all  lawyers.  The 
defence  of  each  case  is  intrusted  to  a  brother,  after  it 
has  been  inquired  into,  and  the  poverty  of  the  client 
clearly  established.  The  society  pays  all  its  expenses  ; 
for,  besides  having  small  but  sufficient  revenues  at  its 
disposal,  it  commands  the  gratuitous  services  of  the 
procurators  and  advocates  who  are  members  of  its  own 
body.  It  defends  the  causes  of  poor  strangers  as  well 
as  others.  Many  great  and  illustrious  names  have  been 
enrolled  in  this  noble  association,  which  has  received 
special  honours  and  privileges  from  various  Popes. 

The  Arch  Confraternity  of  S.  Girolamo  della  Carita 
also  undertakes  the  defence  of  prisoners  and  poor  per- 
sons, especially  widows.  It  has  the  administration  of 
a  legacy  left  by  Felice  Amadori,  a  noble  Florentine, 
who  died  in  the  year  1639.  This  confraternity  owes 
its  origin  to  Clement  YIL,  while  Ife  was  still  Cardinal 
Giulio  de'  Medici.  It  was  raised  to  the  dignity  of  an 
arch  confraternity  by  Leo  X.,  who  conceded  to  it  the 
Church  of  St.  Girolamo,  in  1524.  It  has  been,  since 
then,  an  object  of  peculiar  interest  to  successive  Pon- 
tiffs, from  whom  it  has  received  important  privileges, 
all  tending  to  increase  its  usefulness  to  the  poor  and 
the  distressed.  The  principal  objects  of  their  solici- 
tude are  persons  confined  in  prison ;  and  these  they 
visit,  comfort,  clothe,  and  frequently  liberate,  either  by 
paying  the  fine  imposed  on  them  as  a  penalty  for  their 
offence,  or  by  arranging  matters  with  their  creditors. 
They  have  access  to  all  the  criminal  offices  in  Rome, 


244  HOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

and  thus  ascertain  the  number  and  amount  of  penalties 
imposed.  With  a  wise  charity,  they  endeavour  to  sim- 
plify and  shorten  causes ;  and  they  employ  a  solicitor, 
who  assists  in  arranging  disputes,  and  thus  putting  an 
end  to  litigation.  Some  of  the  most  important  prisons, 
including  the  New  Prisons,  have  been  confided  to  their 
superintendence ;  and,  besides  examining  the  food  of 
the  prisoners  daily,  they  defend  their  interests  and 
maintain  their  rights  with  the  zeal  of  humanity  and 
religion.  This  confraternity  embraces  the  flower  of 
the  Eoman  Prelacy,  of  the  Patrician  order,  and  of  the 
Priesthood.  Like  most  of  the  other  charitable  bodies, 
it  possesses  revenues  of  its  own,  and  is  further  assisted 
in  its  pious  work  by  assistance  from  the  State. 

A  kindred  confraternity  is  that  of  Pieta  de  Car- 
cerata,  which  was  founded  in  1575  by  a  French  Jesuit, 
who,  on  going  to  confess  prisoners,  ascertained  their 
great  want  of  charitable  assistance.  It  was  raised  to 
an  arch  confraternity  by  Gregory  XIII. ;  and  Sixtus 
V.  endowed  it  with  peculiar  privileges.  The  Church 
of  St.  John,  in  the  district  of  Pigna,  was  conceded  to 
it  by  the  former  Pontiff.  The  members  visit,  comfort, 
exhort,  and  give  alms  to  the  prisoners  ;  they  also  give 
food  and  clothing,  pay  debts,  and  endeavor  to  recon- 
cile creditors.  This  confraternity  consists  of  persons 
of  rank,  both  lay  and  clerical,  to  whom  is  freely  per- 
mitted the  privilege  of  visiting  the  prisons.  The  Capi- 
toline  Prison  is  specially  intrusted  to  their  pious  minis- 
trations; and  those  condemned  to  the  "galleys"  are 
objects  of  their  merciful  compassion. 


245 


ARCH    CONFEATEENTTT   OF   S.  GlOVANNI   DECOLLATO. 

Morichini  gives  an  interesting  account  of  this  confra- 
ternity, whose  mission  is  one  of  singular  charity, — to 
bring  comfort  and  consolation  to  the  last  moments  of 
the  condemned.  It  appears  that  on  the  8th  of  May, 
1488,  some  good  Florentines,  then  in  Rome,  consider- 
ing that  those  who  died  by  the  hand  of  justice  had  no 
one  to  visit  and  comfort  them  in  their  last  hours,  insti- 
tuted a  confraternity  which  was  at  first  called  Delia 
Misericwd&a,  and  afterwards  by  its  present  name,  from 
the  church  of  their  patron.  Pope  Innocent  VIII. 
granted  the  society  a  place  under  the  Campidolio,  in 
which  they  erected  a  church  to  St.  John  the  Baptist ; 
and  here  they  were  allowed  to  bury  the  remains  of 
those  who  had  been  executed.  Their  objects  were 
sympathized  with,  and  their  efforts  assisted,  by  succes- 
sive Pontiffs.  Tuscans  only,  or  their  descendants  to 
the  third  generation,  are  received  into  the  society. 

On  the  day  previous  to  the  execution  of  a  criminal, 
they  invite,  by  public  placard,  prayers  for  his  happy 
passage  to  the  other  life.  In  the  night  of  that  day,  the 
brothers,  some  half  dozen  in  number,  including  priests, 

assemble  in  the  church  of  S.  Giovanni  di  Fiorentini, 

• 

not  far  from  the  New  Prisons.  Here  they  recite 
prayers,  imploring  the  Divine  assistance  in  the  melan- 
choly office  which  they  are  about  to  perform.  They 
then  proceed  to  the  prisons,  walking,  two  by  two,  in 
silence,  some  of  the  brothers  bearing  lanterns  in  their 


246  EOME  AND  ITS  EULER. 

Lands.     On  entering  the  chamber,  called  conforteria^ 
they  assume  the  sack  and  cord,  in  which  they  appear 
to  the  prisoner  as  well  as  to  the  public.    They  divide 
between  them  the  pious  labours.    Two  perform   the 
office  of  consolers ;  one  acts  as  the  sagrestano  /  and  an- 
other makes  a  record  of  all  that  happens  from  the  mo- 
ment of  the  intimation  of  the  sentence  to  that  of  the 
execution.    These  dismal  annals  are  carefully  preserved. 
At  midnight  the  guardians  of  the  prison  go  to  the  cell 
of  the  condemned,  and  lead  him,  by  a  staircase,  to  the 
chapel  of  the  conforteria.     At  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  the 
condemned  is  met  by  the  notary,  who  formally  inti- 
mates to  him  the  sentence  of  death.    The  unhappy  man 
is  then  delivered  up  to  the  two  "  comforters,"  who  em- 
brace him,  and,  with  the  crucifix  and  the  image  of  the 
Sorrowful  Mother  presented  to  him,  offer  all  the  conso- 
lation which  religion  and  charity  can  suggest  in  that 
terrible  moment.     The  others  assist  in  alleviating  his 
misery,  and,  without  being  importunate,  endeavour  to 
dispose  him  to  confess,  and  receive  the  Holy  Commu- 
nion.    Should  he  be  ignorant  of  the  truths  of  Christian- 
ity, they  instruct  him  in  them  in  a  simple  manner.     If 
the  condemned  manifest  a  disposition  to  impenitence, 
they  not  only  themselves  use  every  effort  which  the 
circumstances  of  his  case  render  necessary,  but  call  in 
the  aid  of  other  clergymen.     The  other  members  of  the 
confraternity  employ  the  hours  preceding  the  execution 
in  the  recital  of  appropriate  prayers,  and  confess  and 
communicate  at  a  mass  celebrated  two  hours  before 
dawn.     Clad  in  the  sacco,  they  proceed,  two  by  two,  to 


BURIAL  OF  THE  POOE.  247 

the  prison,  the  procession  being  headed  by  a  cross- 
bearer  with  a  great  cross,  and  a  torch-bearer  at  each 
Bide,  carrying  a  torch  of  yellow  wax.  The  procession 
having  arrived  at  the  prison,  the  condemned  descends 
the  steps  ;  the  first  object  which  meets  his  gaze  being 
an  image  of  the  Blessed  Yirgin,  before  which  he  kneels, 
and,  proceeding  on,  does  the  same  before  the  crucifix, 
which  is  near  the  gate  that  he  now  leaves  for  ever. 
Here  he  ascends  the  car  which  awaits  him,  accompa- 
nied by  the  "  comforters,"  who  console  and  assist  him 
to  the  last ;  and  the  procession  moves  on  to  the  place 
of  execution,  the  members  of  the  confraternity  going  in 
advance.  Arrived  at  the  fatal  spot,  the  condemned  de- 
scends from  the  car,  and  is  led  into  a  chamber  of  an 
adjoining  building,  which  is  hung  with  black,  where 
the  last  acts  of  devotion  are  performed,  or,  if  he  be  im- 
penitent, where  the  last  efforts  are  made  to  move  him 
to  a  better  spirit.  The  hour  being  come,  the  execu- 
tioner bandages  his  eyes,  and  places  him  upon  the 
block ;  and  thus,  while  supported  by  his  confortori^  and 
repeating  the  sacred  name  and  invoking  the  mercy  of 
Jesus,  the  axe  descends  upon  the  criminal,  and  human 
justice  is  satisfied.  The  brothers  then  take  charge  of 
the  body,  lay  it  on  a  bier,  and,  carrying  it  to  their 
church,  decently  inter  it.  Finally,  they  conclude  their 
pious  work  by  prayer. 

THE  CONFRATERNITY  "  BELLA  MOKTE." 
Frequently,  towards  night,  does  the  stranger  in  Eome 


248  EOME  AND  ITS  HITLER*. 

hear  in  the  streets  the  sad  chaunt  of  the  Miserere  ;  and 
on  approaching  the  place  whence  the  solemn  sounds 
proceed,  he  beholds  a  long  procession  of  figures  clad 
entirely  in  black,  and  headed  by  a  cross-bearer ;  many 
of  the  figures  bearing  large  waxen  torches,  which  fling 
a  wild  glare  upon  the  bier,  on  which  is  borne  the  body 
of  the  deceased.  It  is  the  Confraternity  delta  Morte, 
dedicated  to  the  pious  office  of  providing  burial  for  the 
poor.  It  was  first  instituted  in  1551,  and  finally  estab- 
lished by  Pius  IY.  in  1560.  It  is  composed  mostly  of 
citizens  of  good  position,  some  of  whom  are  of  high 
rank.  The  members  are  distinguished  by  a  habit  of 
black,  and  a  hood  of  the  same  colour,  with  apertures 
for  the  eyes.  When  they  hear  of  a  death,  they  meet, 
and  having  put  on  their  habits,  go  out  in  pairs ;  and 
when  they  arrive  at  the  house  where  the  body  lies,  they 
place  it  on  a  bier,  and  take  it  to  a  church,  singing  the 
Miserere  as  the  mournful  procession  winds  through  the 
streets.  Even  should  they  be  apprised  of  a  death  which 
had  occurred  twenty,  or  even  thirty,  miles  distant  from 
Rome,  no  matter  what  may  be  the  time  or  the  season, 
the 'burial  of  their  poor  fellow-creature  is  at  once  at- 
tended by  this  excellent  society.  In  the  Pontificate  of 
Clement  YIIL,  a  terrible  inundation  was  caused  by  the 
rise  of  the  Tiber — a  calamity  ever  to  be  dreaded,  and 
ever  attended  with  the  greatest  misery  and  danger  to 
the  poor ;  and  the  brethren  were  seen  employed,  as  far 
as  Ostia  and  Fiumicino,  in  extricating  dead  bodies  from 
the  water. 


CHARITY  TO   AN  IRISH   PRIEST.          -         249 

Another  confraternity — della  Perseveranza — which 
is  composed  of  pious  men,  visit  and  relieve  poor  stran- 
gers who  are  domiciled  in  inns  and  lodging-houses,  and 
minister  to  their  different  wants.  This  confraternity 
was  established  under  Alexander  VII.,  in  1663 ;  and 
besides  its  duty  of  ministering  to  the  necessities  of  the 
living,  it  also  provides  decent  sepulture  for  the  dead — 
poor  strangers  being  in  both  cases  the  objects  of  their 
special  care. 

A  fatal  accident,  which  occurred  near  Tivoli,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1856,  afforded  a  melancholy  occasion  for  the 
exercise  of  the  charity  of  one  of  those  institutions,  and 
severely  tested  the  humanity  and  courage  of  its  broth- 
erhood. An  Irish  clergyman,  whose  name  it  is  not 
necessary  to  mention,  was  unfortunately  drowned  while 
bathing  in  the  sulphur  lake  below  Tivoli.  After  three 
days,  the  body  was  recovered  ;  but  it  was  found  to  be 
in  an  advanced  state  of  decomposition,  in  a  great  meas- 
ure owing  to  the  highly  impregnated  character  of  the 
water.  The  members  of  the  confraternity  della  Morte, 
established  in  the  Church  of  the  Carita,  in  Tivoli,  laid 
the  body  in  a  coffin,  which  they  had  provided  for  the 
purpose ;  and  though  the  day  was  intensely  hot,  and 
the  odour  from  the  body  was  in  the  highest  degree 
offensive,  they  bore  it,  for  a  distance  of  five  miles,  to 
the  Cathedral,  where,  after  the  last  offices  of  religion 
being  paid  to  it,  it  was  buried  in  the  grave  set  apart 
for  the  deceased  canons  of  the  church.  Here  were  a 
number  of  men,  the  majority  of  them  artisans,  encoun- 
11* 


250  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

tering  this  fearful  danger,  and  undergoing  this  perilous 
toil,  beneath  the  raging  heat  of  an  Italian  sun ;  not  only 
without  hope  of  fee  or  reward,  but  freely  sacrificing 
their  day's  employment  to  the  performance  of  a  pious 
work.  The  number  of  the  brethren  to  whom  this  duty 
was  allotted  was  twenty-four ;  and  they  relieved  each 
other  by  turns — those  not  engaged  in  bearing  the  body 
chanting  sacred  hymns,  the  dirge-like  tones  of  which  fall 
upon  the  ear  of  the  stranger  with  such  solemn  effect. 


EDUCATION   IN    ROME.  251 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Education  in  Rome. — The  Old  Calumny  against  the  Catholic  Church 
refuted  by  the  Educational  Institutions  of  Rome. — Its  Schools  more 
numerous  than  its  Fountains. — Elementary  Education. — Gratuitous 
Education  originated  by  Ecclesiastics. — Religious  Orders  devoted 
to  the  Gratuitous  Education  of  the  Poor. — The  Brothers  of  the 
Christian  Schools. — Their  admirable  System  of  Education. 

THE  old  and  long-standing  calumny  against  the  Cath- 
olic Church  is,  that  she  hates,  because  she  dreads,  the 
light ;  and  that  darkness  being  her  congenial  element, 
and  indeed  essential  to  her  safety,  it  has  been,  as  it  ever 
will  be,  her  policy  to  discourage  the  policy  of  educa- 
tion, and  thus  retain  the  human  mind  in  a  convenient 
state  of  intellectual  twilight.  This  is  no  worn-out  and 
obsolete  accusation,  which  one  has  to  search  for  in  some 
musty  volume,  or  dig  out  of  some  rust-eaten  record  of 
a  past  age.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  the  one  most  fre- 
quently made  at  this  very  day,  by  those  who  desire 
to  misrepresent  the  Church ;  and  it  is  the  one,  of  all 
others,  most  readily  credited  by  the  Protestant  public 
of  these  countries.  Now,  if  this  accusation — that  the 
Church  is  the  friend  of  ignorance,  and  the  enemy  of 
education — be  at  all  true,  to  no  better  place  within  the 
wide  circle  of  Christendom  could  we  look  for  the  exem- 
plification of  this  barbarous  and  benighting  policy,  than 


252  EOME   AND   ITS   KULEK. 

to  Rome ;  for  there,  not  only  has  the  Pope  to  maintain 
his  spiritual  supremacy  by  the  force  and  power  of  ig- 
norance, but  his  temporal  power  has  also  to  be  upheld 
by  the  same  potent  agency.  Therefore,  schools  ought 
to  be  very  rare  in  Rome,  and  systematically  discour- 
aged by  its  ruler  and  his  government.  Or,  if  they  exist 
in  any  number,  they  should  be  such  only  as  were  in- 
tended for  the  training  of  ecclesiastics,  whose  chief  ob- 
ject would  be  the  perpetuation  of  the  same  state  of  pop- 
ular debasement,  which,  according  to  the  calumny,  is 
the  very  foundation  and  stronghold  of  the  influence  and 
authority  of  the  Church, — its  influence  and  authority 
over  the  darkened  mind  of  man.  If  London,  Liverpool, 
and  Manchester  swarmed  with  schools  and  seminaries 
of  every  kind,  and  suited  to  every  want  and  necessity 
of  the  population  ;  and  if  these  schools  were  flung  open 
gratuitously  to  the  children  of  the  poor,  so  that  there 
ought  not  to  be  an  ignorant  child  left  in  either  of  those 
great  communities,  it  might  be  said,  with  justice,  that 
London,  Liverpool,  and  Manchester  were  marching  on 
the  high-road  of  civilization,  and  were  entitled  to  the 
respect  and  admiration  of  all  other  communities.  If  the 
same  can  be  said  of  Rome,  is  riot  Rome  equally  entitled 
to  the  same  admiration  and  the  same  respect  ?  Let  us 
see  if  Rome  really  merit  praise  on  this  account. 

It  may  be  said  of  Rome,  that  she  possesses,  even  at 
this  day,^and  notwithstanding  the  ruin  of  many  of  the 
magnificent  aqueducts  of  the  olden  time,  a  greater 
number  of  public  fountains,  from  which  her  population 
may  draw  an  abundant  and  unceasing  supply  of  the 


ELEMENTARY  EDUCATION.  253 

purest  water,  than  any  other  city  in  the  world.  And 
yet  her  schools  are  more  numerous  than  her  fountains, 
and  quite  as  accessible  to  all  classes,  from  the  youth  of 
her  nobility  to  the  offspring  of  the  porter  and  the  wood- 
cutter; and  not  more  pure  and  unpolluted  is  the  spring 
from  which  the  young  intellect  draws  its  first  nourish- 
ment in  the  seminaries  of  the  "  modern  Babylon,"  than 
are  those  streams  which  bring  health  and  daily  comfort 
to  the  poorest  of  her  people.  Pass  through  its  streets, 
and  at  every  turn  you  hear  the  plash,  plash,  of  water, 
falling  gratefully  on  the  ear  ;  and  so  may  be  heard  the 
unmistakeable  hum  and  buzz  of  the  regional  and  the 
parish  schools.  But  these,v  great  in  number  as  I  shall 
show  them  to  be,  form  but  a  small  portion  of  the  edu- 
cational institutions  of  calumniated  Koine. 

First,  of  Elementary  Education. 

Until  the  year  1597,  when  the  illustrious  Saint, 
Giuseppe  Calasanzio,  opened  the  first  gratuitous  school 
for  the  poor,  which  he  did  in  the  neglected  district  of 
Trastevere,  elementary  education  in  Rome  was  entirely 
in  the  hands  of  the  masters  of  the  region ary,  or  dis- 
trict, schools,  who  were  then  partly  paid  by  the  State, 
and  partly  by  a  small  weekly  stipend  from  their  pupils. 
Miserable,  however,  as  the  payment  of  the  regionary 
teachers  was,  they  stoutly  resisted  the  benevolent  exer- 
tions of  the  Saint  in  favour  of  gratuitous  education ;  nor 
could  he  have  overcome  the  many  difficulties  which 
were  placed  in  his  path,  and  which  were  attributable 
to  various  causes,  if  he  were  animated  by  a  less  ardent 
zeal,  or  were  endowed  with  a  less  energetic  spirit.  In 


254  ROME   AND   ITS  RULER. 

the  course  of  his  charitable  ministrations  to  the  poor,  he 
saw  that  which  we  all  see  at  this  present  day — namely, 
that  ignorance  was  the  fruitful  source  of  misery  and 
vice ;  and,  Catholic  Priest  as  he  was,  he  resolutely 
girded  his  loins  to  encounter  that  very  evil  of  intel- 
lectual darkness  which  he  believed  to  be  the  worst 
enemy  of  the  Church.  His  efforts  were  attended  with 
the  success  which  they  merited ;  and  to  those  efforts, 
followed,  as  they  have  been,  to  this  hour,  by  the  exer- 
tions and  sacrifices  of  numberless  successive  benefactors 
of  youth,  are  due  that  noble  system  of  gratuitous  in- 
struction which  forms  one  of  the  most  striking  and 
hopeful  features  of  modern  Koman  civilization. 

Leo  XII.  placed  the  elementary  schools  under  the 
control  and  jurisdiction  of  the  Cardinal  Vicar;  and, 
by  his  bull  of  1825,  the  private  schools,  otherwise  the 
regionary  schools,  were  subjected  to  a  strict  system 
of  supervision.  These  latter  are  held  in  the  private 
houses  of  the  masters,  who,  if  the  number  of  their  pu- 
pils happen  to  be  sixty — beyond  which  number  no  one 
school  can  contain — must  employ  the  services  of  an  as- 
sistant ;  the  calculation  being,  that  one  teacher  cannot 
properly  attend  to  more  than  thirty  scholars.  The 
course  of  education  varies  in  different  schools,  according 
to  the  age,  condition,  or  necessities  of  the  pupils.  In 
general,  besides  the  usual  system  of  reading,  writing, 
arithmetic,  and  catechism,  are  included  the  elements 
of  the  Italian  and  French  languages,  Latin  grammar, 
geography,  sacred  and  profane  history,  &c.  The  reli- 
gious education  of  the  child  is  never  overlooked  in  these 


EEGIONAEY  SCHOOLS.  255 

schools,  though  under  the  management  of  laymen ;  for 
not  only  do  the  pupils  attend  mass  every  morning,  but 
there  are  various  religious  practices  observed  during  the 
day.  Punishment,  which  is  strictly  limited  to  beating 
on  the  hand  with  a  small  rod,  is  rarely  administered, 
and  is  in  many  schools  absolutely  dispensed  with.  The 
masters  must  submit  themselves  to  an  examination,  in 
order  to  test  their  competency ;  and  the  duty  of  mak- 
ing this  examination  is  entrusted  to  a  Committee  of 
Ecclesiastics,  delegated  by  the  Cardinal  Vicar.*  The 
same  Committee  likewise  exercise  a  general  superin- 
tendence over  the  schools,  their  discipline,  and  their 
system  of  education.  In  case  of  the  illness  of  a  master, 
a  substitute,  paid  by  the  State,  attends  in  his  place; 
and  the  State  also  contributes  an  annual  sum  to  pro- 
vide re\vards  for  deserving  pupils.  The  number  of  the 
region ary  schools  is  rather  on  the  decrease  than  other- 
wise ;  but  this  decrease  is  owing  to  a  cause  in  the  high- 
est degree  favourable  to  a  more  widely-diffused  sys- 
tem of  education — namely,  the  increase  of  gratuitous 
schools.  The  average,  for  some  time  past,  has  been 
somewhere  about  50  schools  for  boys  of  the  private 


*  Tt  would  be  advisable  if  the  example  of  Rome  had  been  followed  in 
England ;  for  it  appears,  by  the  last  Census  Report,  that  such  an  exam- 
ination of  teachers  as  I  have  above  referred  to,  is  much  required  in  the 
private  schools  of  the  latter  country.  Mr.  Horace  Mann  says — 

"In  the  case  of  708  out  of  13,879  schools,  the  returns  were  respec- 
tively signed  by  the  master  or  mistress  with  a  mark.  The  same  is 
noticeable  with  respect  to  35  public  schools,  most  of  which  had  small 
endowments."  Mr.  Mann  truly  remarks,  that  "  the  efficiency  of  a 
school  depends  unquestionably  more  upon  the  efficiency  of  the  teacher 
than  upon  any  other  circumstance." 


256  EOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

and  paying  class,  with  80  masters  and  assistants,  and 
less  than  2,000  scholars.  The  exact  number  of  region- 
aiy  schools  at  present  is  49. 

The  saintly  founder  of  the  gratuitous  schools  was  ac- 
tively assisted  by  other  ecclesiastics — who  were  equally 
determined  foes  to  ignorance ;  and  before  God  called 
him  to  his  reward,  in  the  ripeness  of  a  glorious  old  age, 
he  had  the  happiness  of  beholding  many  free  schools 
crowded  with  the  children  of  the  poor,  and  the  organi- 
zation of  a  number  of  religious  and  charitable  associa- 
tions devoted  to  their  care. 

From  those  "Pious  Schools"  many  others  sprang; 
and  now,  in  every  part  of  Kome,  there  are  gratuitous 
elementary  schools  suited  to  the  wants  and  necessities 
of  the  population,  with  systems^  of  education  adapted  to 
various  occupations  and  different  branches  of  industry. 
Among  the  most  prominent  and  successful  conductors 
of  elementary  education,  are  the  Fathers  Scolopi,  the 
Fathers  Somaschi,  the  Fathers  of  the  Christian  Doc- 
trine, and  the  Christian  Brothers — all  of  whom  have 
a  number  of  nourishing  schools  under  their  charge. 

There  are  then  the  Parish  Schools,  one  of  which,  at 
least,  is  to  be  found  in  every  parish  of  Home.  These 
schools  are  under  the  immediate  control  and  direction 
of  the  Rector,  or  Parish  Priest,  who  uses  his  best  in- 
fluence to  induce  the  attendance  of  pupils.  These 
schools  alone  afford  a  vast  educational -provision  for 
the  children  of  the  poorer  class. 

Besides  these,  there  are  several  schools  in  the  care 
of  societies  of  various  kinds,  but  whose  chief  object  is 


THE  CHRISTIAN  SCHOOLS.  257 

the  education  of  youth.  Of  these,  may  be  mentioned 
the  Society  degli  Asili  d?  Infanzia,  which  has  two 
asylums,  or  educational  establishments,  for  boys ;  one 
in  Trastevere,  and  the  other  in  Regola.  Also,  the  So- 
ciety of  Private  Benefactors,  amongst  the  principal  of 
whom  is  Prince  Doria;  and  they  have  an  admirable 
institution  entirely  maintained  at  their  own  charge. 

The  Roman  Conference  of  the  Society  of  St.  Yincent 
de  Paul  has  lately  opened  a  nourishing  school  for  the 
education  of  boys ;  and  it  is  certain  to  use  every  exer- 
tion to  extend  the  sphere  of  its  operations. 

The  Christian  Brothers,  or  Brothers  of  the  Christian 
Schools,  have  taken  strong  root  in  Rome,  and  are  there, 
as  in  all  other  countries  where  they  have  been  estab- 
lished, amongst  the  most  zealous  and  successful  of  the 
teachers  of  youth.  To  the  Catholic  reader  of  these  coun- 
tries, more  especially  of  Ireland,  their  wonderful  suc- 
cess, in  elevating  the  tone  and  character  of  the  working 
classes,  is  well  known  ;  and  in  Rome,  their  reputation, 
for  the  possession  of  all  those  attributes  which  can  con- 
stitute zealous  and  conscientious  teachers,  is  fully  as  high 
as  it  is  elsewhere.  These  men  are  the  very  chivalry  of 
the  intellectual  army  of  modern  times ;  and  yet  their 
order  is  one  of  the  many  educational  institutions  which 
have  sprung  from  the  bosom  of  the  Catholic  Church — 
the  reputed  friend  of  darkness,  and  champion  of  igno- 
rance! Some  notice  of  the  origin  of  this  order  may 
fitly  introduce  an  allusion  to  their  success  in  Rome. 

The  Christian  Schools  of  France  owe  their  origin  to 
the  zeal  and  piety  of  the  Abbe  de  la  Salle.  This  distin- 


258  EOME  A&D   ITS  RULER. 

guished  ecclesiastic  was  born  at  Kheiins  on  the  30th  of 
April,  1651,  of  parents  of  the  highest  respectability. 
Resolving  to  devote  himself  to  the  service  of  religion, 
lie  accepted  a  canonry  in  the  Cathedral  of  Rheims,  arid 
at  a  suitable  age,  was  raised  to  the  priesthood.  Seeing 
the  spiritual  destitution  of  the  children  of  the  poor,  and 
the  very  inefficient  means  for  their  instruction  which  the 
existing  schools  afforded,  he  determined  on  devoting  to 
their  reformation  all  the  time  which  his  other  duties 
left  at  his  disposal.  He  assembled  a  small  number  of 
teachers,  induced  them  to  adopt  a  kind  of  community 
life,  presided  at  their  studies,  and  used  every  effort  to 
qualify  them  for  the  discharge  of  their  important  and 
onerous  obligations.  He  soon  found,  however,  that  his 
new  undertaking  would  demand  all  his  time  and  atten- 
tion. He  therefore  resigned  his  canonry,  sold  his  pat- 
rimony, and  distributed  its  proceeds  to  the  poor ; 
brought  the  teachers  to  reside  with  him  in  his  own 
house,  and  laboured  with  them  in  the  conducting  of 
the  schools.  The  fruits  of  his  teaching  soon  became 
manifest ;  the  schools  attained  a  high  reputation,  and 
numerous  applications  poured  in  on  the  good  Abbe  for 
communities  of  such  efficient  teachers.  A  noviciate,  or 
House  of  Probation,  was  established,  in  which  the  ju- 
nior members  of  the  society  were  educated  and  trained 
to  their  respective  duties ;  and  in  a  very  short  period  the 
Institute  spread  itself  throughout  the  principal  parts  of 
the  kingdom. 

Rules  and  constitutions  for  its  permanent  govern- 
ment were  now  drawn  up  ;  religious  engagements  for  a 


THE   CHRISTIAN  SCHOOLS.  259 

limited  time  entered  into ;  and  the  title  of  "  Brothers  of 
the  Christian  Schools"  adopted.  In  1702  the  saintly 
founder  sent  two  of  his  brothers  to  Rome,  in  order  to 
form  an  establishment  in  the  Holy  City.  His  object  in 
doing  so  was  (according  to  his  own  declaration)  to  place 
his  Institute  under  the  auspices  of  the  Holy  See;  to 
have  more  ready  access  to  the  feet  of  Christ's  Yicar, 
for  the  approbation  of  its  rules  and  constitutions;  to 
attach  it  for  ever  to  the  imperishable  and  infallible 
Church ;  and  to  give  testimony  of  his  inviolable  attach- 
ment to  the  Centre  of  Unity,  at  a  time  when  so  many 
were  found  ready  to  limit  its  prerogatives,  and  question 
its  authority.  The  undertaking  was,  after  some  time, 
successful.  An  establishment  was  formed.  Another 
was  given  by  Pope  Benedict  XIIL,  by  whom  the  soci- 
ety was  approved  and  confirmed  in  1715.  From  that 
time  it  continued  to  flourish  until  the  disastrous  period 
of  the  Revolution,  when  the  decrees  of  the  National 
Assembly,  which  proscribed  religious  societies,  com- 
pelled the  brothers  to  disperse,  and  scatter  themselves 
throughout  the  kingdom.  Some  took  refuge  in  Italy, 
and  were  received  into  the  houses  existing  in  that  coun- 
try ;  but  the  success  of  the  French  arms  in  that  penin- 
sula deprived  them  of  even  this  protection.  Of  the 
numerous  establishments  which  had  been  possessed  by 
the  society,  two  only,  those  of  Ferrara  and  of  Orvietto, 
now  remained ;  and  to  their  existence  was  owing  the  re- 
vival of  the  body,  when  the  decree  of  the  French  Consul 
permitted  the  brothers  again  to  assemble  in  community. 
In  1801  they  opened  an  establishment  in  Lyons. 


260  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

Other  establishments  followed.  In  1815  they  reas- 
sumed  the  religious  dress  ;  and  from  that  period  to  the 
present,  they  have  been  increasing  in  numbers  and 
efficiency,  diffusing  blessings  around  them  in  every 
locality  which  has  been  favoured  with  their  pious  and 
edifying  labours.* 

Actively  patronized  by  successive  Popes,  including 
Leo  XII.  and  Pius  IX.,  the  brotherhood,  having  been 
reinforced  from  France,  greatly  extended  the  sphere  of 
their  labours.  They  now,  in  1857,  possess  five  houses 
in  Eome ;  in  each  of  which  there  are  500  pupils,  or,  in 
all,  2,500.  They  have,  besides,  a  school  for  the  sons  of 
the  French  soldiers ;  and  also  a  boarding-house  for  boys 
who  are  intended  to  fill  situations  in  shops  and  other 
places  of  business: 

Morichini  bears  the  highest  testimony  to  the  value 
of  these  schools,  and  commends  the  zeal  and  ability  of 
the  masters,  and  the  docility  and  affection  exhibited- by 
the  scholars.  Indeed,  he  goes  so  far,  in  his  praise  of  the 
schools  of  the  Christian  Brothers,  and  of  the  manner  in 
which  they  are  conducted,  as  to  assert  that  the  boys 
have  been  known  to  go  home  grieving  when  the  follow- 
ing day  happened  to  be  a' holiday !  If  this  be  so,  never 
was  there  a  more  eloquent  tribute  offered  by  pupils 

*  By  the  latest  returns  we  find  that  in  France  they  have  1,235  schools; 
in  Belgium,  28 ;  in  Savoy,  37  ;  Piedmont,  33  ;  Pontifical  States,  29 ; 
United  States  of  America,  30 ;  Levant,  10 ;  Prussia,  4 ;  Malaysia,  2 ; 
Switzerland,  1 ;  England,  2.  Number  of  Brothers,  7,000 ;  number  of 
pupils,  300,315. 

The  schools  of  the  Christian  Brothers  in  the  United  Kingdom  (not 
included  in  the  above)  afford  education  to  somewhere  about  30,000 
boys. 


THEIR  EDUCATIONAL  SYSTEM.  261 

to  their  teachers.  The  Brothers  do'  not  confine  their 
labours  exclusively  to  their  own  schools,  but  attend  to 
some  others  which  have  been  lately  established,  either 
by  the  act  of  the  Pope,  or  by  the  assistance  of  private 
individuals. 

Kay  (the  Travelling  Bachelor  of  Cambridge),  in  his 
Education  of  the  Poor  in  England  and  Europe,  pub- 
lished in  1846,  says  of  the  educational  system  of  the 
Brothers  of  the  Christian  Schools : — 

"The  education  given  in  their  schools  is  very  liberal,  and 
their  books  very  good.  The  Brothers  consider  that  if  they 
neglect  to  develop  the  intellect  of  their  pupils,  they  cannot 
advance  their  religious  education  satisfactorily  •  they  con- 
sequently spare  no'  pains  to  attain  the  former  development, 
in  order  that  the  latter,  which  is  the  great  end  of  their  teach- 
ing, and  of  all  instruction  whatsoever,  may  not  be  retarded."* 

To  many  of  the  Roman  monasteries  there  are  col- 
leges or  schools  attached,  in  which  the  students,  during 
their  course  of  study,  assume  the  dress  of  the  order, 
without,  however,  becoming  members  of  it.  Thus  the 
Benedictines,  at  S.  Calisto ;  the  Regular  Canons,  at  S. 
Pietro  in  Yinculi ;  and  the  Greek  Basilians,  at  Grotto 
Ferrata,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Home,  whose  schools 
are  frequented  by  many  children  from  Rome. 

Adjoining  the  Mamertine  Prison,  there  is  a  School, 
of  Design  for  those  who  are  preparing  for  any  branch 
of  the  carpenter  trade.  This  school  is  of  very  ancient 
date,  and  was  founded  by  the  Arch  Confraternity  of 
St.  Joseph. 

*  For  a  practical  illustration  of  their  system  of  education,  see  Ap- 
pendix. 


262  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

The  Roman  Night  Schools. — The  Deaf  and  Dumb — Asylum  of  Tata 
Giovanni. — San  Michele,  a  School  of  Industry  and  Art. 

PASSING  over  a  number  of  other  day-schools,  to  which 
allusion  'might  be  profitably  made,  we  come  to  a  class 
of  schools  which,  owing  their  origin  to  the  charity  of  a 
humane  and  religious  mechanic,  are  increasing  yearly 
in  number  and  in  usefulness.  These  are  the  Night- 
Schools,  which  are  specially  intended  for  and  devoted 
to  the  education  of  young  artisans,  and  others  engaged 
in  various  laborious  pursuits,  and  who,  from  their  con- 
stant employment  during  the  day,  are  deprived  of  the 
ordinary  means  of  intellectual  and  moral  instruction. 
In  fact,  no  other  class  of  pupils  can  obtain  admission  to 
them  save  those  so  circumstanced -as  I  describe.  These 
schools  are  thirteen  in  number;  eleven  being  under 
one  institution,  and  two  under  separate  institutions. 
Each  school  consists  of  four  classes,  the  number  of 
pupils  attending  each  school  being,  at  the  lowest  es- 
timate, about  120 ;  which  would  give  a  total  attend- 
ance of  pupils  at  not  less  than  1,600.  These  schools 
are  sustained  by  various  means  and  resources — by  pri- 
vate contributions, "by  gran'rs  through  the  Commission 


THE  NIGHT  SCHOOLS.  263 

of  Supplies,  and  by  certain  ecclesiastical  funds  tem- 
porarily conceded  to  them  by  the  present  Pope ;  taken 
from  the  treasury  of  the  Dataria  Apostolica,  and  from 
the  Office  of  Briefs  and  Memorials.  Amongst  the 
benefactors  of  those  valuable  institutions,  His  Holi- 
ness is  the  principal ;  he  gives  to  them  120  scudi  an- 
nually, out  of  his  private  purse.  The  example  of  the 
Pope  is  imitated  by  the  cardinals,  the  nobility,  the 
clergy,  and  other  classes 'of  the  community. 

The  ordinary  teaching  comprises  reading,  writing, 
and  arithmetic ;  with  a  knowledge  of  the  principles  of 
design  and  practical  geometry,  both  of  which  latter  are 
applied  to  the  ornamental,  useful,  and  mechanical  arts. 
Eight  years  of  age  is  the  earliest  period  at  which  a 
boy  can  enter  the  scl^pol,  but  he  may  attend  it  until  he 
is  established  in  life.  In  their  mere  educational  charac- 
ter and  results,  these  schools  will  stand  a  fair  compari- 
son with  schools  of  a  somewrhat  similar  but  more  ambi- 
tious character  in  France  and  Belgium ;  but  in  one 
respect — the  moral  and  religious  training  of  the  young 
workman — the  Roman  Night  School  stands  by  itself. 
In  most  of  the  schools  elsewhere,  religion  is  not  even 
thought  of;  but  in  Koine  it  is  made  a  primary  consid- 
eration ;  and  the  most  efficacious  means  are  adopted, 
especially  through  religious  societies,  or  congregations, 
under  the  guidance  of  clergymen,  not  only  to  ensure 
to  the  Night  Scholar  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
principles  of  his  religion,  but  to  induce  him  to  the 
fulfilment  of  its  obligations. 

The  cost  of  each  school  is  about  twenty  scudi  per 


264  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

month,  or  240  scudi  a  year.  This  sum  serves  to  pro- 
cure oil  for  the  lamps,  paper,  ink,  and  books — all  of 
which  are  given  gratuitously  to  the  scholars.  The 
principal  items  of  expense  are  the  rent,  the  furniture, 
and  the  salary  of  the  "guardian." 

The  first  of  those  schools  was  established  in  the  year 
1819,  by  a  poor  artisan,  Giacomo  Casoglio,  a  carver 
in  wood,  who  gathered  together  a  few  idle  boys  who 
were  playing  on  the  banks  of  the  Tiber,  and  whom 
he  induced,  by  kind  words  and  little  presents,  to  fol- 
low him  to  his  home.  There  he  communicated  to 
them  what  little  he  himself  knew  of  the  rudiments  of 
secular  knowledge,  and  also  instructed  them  in  the 
truths  of  religion.  He  was  aided  in  his  pious  efforts 
by  some  good  ecclesiastics,  who  tfcrew  themselves  with 
ardour  into  the  work ;  and,  ere  long,  the  humble  ar- 
tisan had  many  imitators,  who  excelled  him  in  knowl- 
edge and  influence,  though  they  could  not  in  charity. 

In  1841,  the  number  of  schools  was  eight,  and  of 
scholars  1,000 ;  but,  in  1856,  the  schools  had  increased 
to  thirteen,  and  the  scholars  to  1,600.  Pius  IX.,  from 
the  first  year  of  his  pontificate  to  the  present  time,  has 
ever  evinced  the  greatest  anxiety  for  the  spread  and 
progress  of  those  schools,  the  number  of  which  he  has 
personally  assisted  to  extend.  And  not  only  does  he 
contribute  liberally  to  their  support,  but  he  has  on 
several  occasions  visited  them,  without  having  given 
any  previous  notice  of  his  intention  ;  and  minutely  in- 
quired into  their  system  of  education,  their  discipline, 
and  their  operation,  and  also  examined  several  of 


DEAF   AND   DUMB.  265 

the  pupils,  the  best  of  whom  he  distinguished  by  re- 
wards given  with  his  own  hand. 

It  may  be  added,  that  the  utmost  care  is  taken  by 
the  masters  that  the  pupils  do  not  ramble  about  the 
streets  at  the  conclusion  of  their  studies.  In  general, 
they  are  accompanied  to  their  homes  by  the  masters, 
as  is  the  custom  in  the  Pious  Schools.  Examinations 
are  held  every  year,  with  a  public  distribution  of  prizes 
by  the  hands  of  eminent  persons ;  and  the  prizes  are 
always  of  a  useful  character,  so  as  to  assist  the  hum- 
ble parents  of  the  pupils.  The  elder  boys  are  con- 
ducted to  the  public  hospitals,  and  there  encouraged 
to  the  pious  duty  of  ministering  to  and  comforting  the 
sick.  In  fine,  every  effort  is  made  by  those  who  are 
entrusted  with  the  management  of  these  schools,  as 
teachers,  directors,  or  superintendents,  to  fit  the  pupil" 
for  a  life  of  industry,  honesty,  piety,  and  active  benev- 
olence. 

DEAF  AND  DUMB. 

Rome,  among  its  other  educational  institutions,  pos- 
sesses an  admirable  one  for  that  most  afflicted  class,  the 
deaf  and  dumb.  It  owes  its  origin  to  the  benevolence 
of  an  advocate,  Don  Pasquale  di  Pietro,  who  estab- 
lished it  in  the  year  1794,  on  the  system  so  successfully 
adopted  in  Paris.  It  has  since,  with  the  consent  of  the 
family  of  the  founder,  been  taken  in  charge  by  the 
Congregation  of  Studies,  and  is  now  under  the  protec- 
tion of  the  Cardinal  President  of  the  Commission  of 
12 


266  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

Subsidies,  and  of  a  deputy,  and  is  managed  by  a  com- 
petent staff.  Every  improvement  which  science  and 
humanity  have  invented  or  devised  for  the  benefit  of 
these  sufferers,  has  been  adopted  by  the  conductors  of 
the  Roman  institution  ;  and  with  such  success,  that  the 
utmost  admiration  is  excited  by  its  public  examina- 
tions, in  which  the  pupils  display  the  greatest  intel- 
ligence, and  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  many  sub- 
jects embraced  in  a  system  of  education  in  the  highest 
degree  liberal  and  comprehensive.  They  are  even  in- 
structed in  various  branches  of  the  sciences.  Persua- 
sion is  the  only  means  used  to  obtain  obedience,  there 
being  no  punishment  or  disgrace  other  than  that  in- 
volved in  the  loss  of  a  reward.  This  institution  was 
lately  visited  by  the  Holy  Father,  to  the  intense  de- 
light of  its  inmates. 

There  are  three  colleges  or  seminaries  for  artisans — 
namely,  those  of  the  Termini,  Tata  Giovanni,  and  San 
Michele.  The  two  latter  deserve  special  notice.  First, 
the 

ASYLUM  OF  TATA  GIOVANNI. 

Princes  and  prelates,  great  merchants  and  successful 
professional  men,  have  not  been,  as  we  have  already 
shown,  the  only  founders  of  institutions  for  the  relief  of 
suffering  humanity,  the  shelter  of  the  widow  and,  pro- 
tection of  the  orphan,  or  the  education  of  the  ignorant ; 
for,  in  all  ages  of  the  Church,  and  in  all  Catholic  coun- 
tries, we  find  the  Divine  spirit  of  benevolence  animat- 


ASYLUM  OF  TATA  GIOVANNI.  267 

ing  some  poor,  unknown,  and  perhaps  despised  person, 
to  undertake  and  successfully  accomplish  a  great  work 
of  charity.  Andjt  would  be  difficult,  indeed,  to  find  a 
more  signal  instance  of  energy  and  humanity  than  was 
displayed  by  an  illiterate  journeyman-mason,  by  whose 
more  familiar  name  one  of  the  most  useful  of  the  Ro- 
man educational  institutions  of  Rome  has  been  long 
known.  The  history  of  its  foundation  is  this : — 

Towards  the  close  of  the  last  century,  there  worked 
at  the  sacristy  of  the  Vatican  Basilica,  as  a  mason,  an 
humble  and  illiterate,  but  religious  man,  Giovanni 
Borgi,  who,  after  his  day's  toil,  was  in  the  constant 
habit  of  attending  the  sick  in  the  hospital  of  Santo 
Spirito,  which  lies  in  the  same  direction.  Indeed,  such 
was  the  zeal  with  which  he  performed  this  office  of 
charity,  that  he  spent  entire  nights  by  the  bedside  of 
the  sick,  and  frequently  fell  asleep  over  his  work  in  the 
day.  On  one  evening,  as  he  accompanied  a  procession 
of  a  religious  confraternity  through  the  city,  his  atten- 
tion was  attracted  to  a  number  of  wretched  boys  whom 
he  saw  lying  on  the  steps  of  the  Pantheon,  and  crouch- 
ing under  the  benches  of  the  fowl  market  near  that 
building,  after  having  wandered  about  all  day,  bare- 
footed and  in  rags.  These  were  partly  vagrant  children, 
who  had  run  away  from  their  parents ;  children  whom 
their  parents  had  abandoned ;  or  poor  orphans,  who 
were  utterly  destitute.  Commiserating  their  unhappy 
state,  Borgi  took  some  of  them  to  the  ground  floor  of 
the  house  in  which  he  himself  resided ;  and  having  clad 


268  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

them,  with  the  aid  of  alms  which  he  collected,  he  ap- 
prenticed them  to  useful  trades.  Two  good  ecclesias- 
tics having  'observed  his  conduct  with  admiration,  as- 
sisted him,  as  well  by  counsel  as  by  money.  The  little 
asylum  soon  afforded  shelter  to  forty  boys,  when  it  was 
removed  to  a  convenient  house,  one  of  the  friendly 
priests  paying  the  rent.  It  was  now  assisted  by  a  soci- 
ety, which  was  formed  to  aid  it,  and  which,  by  volun- 
tary subscription,  contributed  more  than  one  hundred 
scudi  a  month  for  its  support.  Thus  aided,  its  organi- 
zation was  further  developed  in  1Y84.  -  Giovanni  called 
the  boys  "  sons,"  and  they  called  him  "  Tata,"  which  is 
a  vulgar  word  for  father ;  and  hence  the  name  of  "  Tata 
Giovanni"  given  to  the  institution.  Pins  VI.  highly 
approved  of  the  good  work,  and  having  purchased  for 
the  institution  the  Palazzo  Ruggia,  became  its  princi- 
pal protector,  and  was  most  kind  to  Giovanni — who 
now  frequently  took  up  idle  and  dissolute  youths  by 
force  ;  which  so  alarmed  the  beggars,  that  one  had  only 
to  say  to  the  importunate — "  Fly,  fly !  here  is  Tata  Gi- 
ovanni !"  in  order  to  scatter  them  at  once.  The  insti- 
tution was  now  increased  to  100  boys.  They  rose  at  an 
early  hour,  heard  mass,  and  then  received  a  loaf  of 
bread,  after  which  they  went  to  their  respective  shqps ; 
to  which  TATA  frequently  went  round  himself,  in  order 
to  inquire  how  his  "  sons"  were  going  on.  At  the  Ave 
Maria  he  stood  at  the  entrance  door,  with  a  bag  in  his 
hand,  into  which  the  boys  dropped  what  they  had 
earned  during  the  day.  Though  ignorant  himself, 
TATA  knew  the  value  of  learning;  and  he  induced  a 


ASYLUM  OF  TATA  GIOVANNI.  269 

number  of  benevolent  persons,  lay  and  clerical,  to  teach 
the  boys  in  the  evening.  The  school  lessons  were  fol- 
lowed by  the  rosary ;  and  then  came  the  frugal  supper 
at  which,  through  humility,  Princes  of  the  Church  fre- 
quently served  as  the  attendants  of  these  poor  children. 
The  rule  of  TATA  was  strict;  nor  had  the  proverb, 
"  Spare  the  rod  and  spoil  the  child,"  a  more  firm  be- 
liever than  himself.  His  care  of  the  boys  was  unceas- 
ing. He  walked  through  their  dormitories  all  night, 
and  did  not  seek  repose  till  the  morning.  During  this 
time  he  did  not  by  any  means  neglect  the  sick  at  Santo 
Spirito  /  and  if  he  could  not  contrive  to  go  himself  to 
the  hospital,  he  was  sure  to  send  some  of  the  older  pu- 
pils to  perform  that  office  of  charity.  TATA,  though 
strict,  was  also  considerate ;  and  frequently,  especially 
on  festival  days,  accompanied  his  "  sons"  to  the  coun- 
try, where — though  old,  short,  and  thick-set,  blind  of 
one  eye,  and  his  quaint  head  covered  by  a  scratch  wig 
— he  was  not  ashamed  to  join  in  their  sports.  After 
fifteen  years  of  sublime  perseverance,  this  good  man 
died ;  but  not  until  he  saw  his  labour  crowned  with 
success,  and  his  cherished  institution  established  on  a 
firm  and  lasting  basis.  The  work,  so  nobly  begun,  was 
well  followed  up  by  patrons  of  rank  and  influence ;  and 
though  the  place  was  changed,  and  another  institution 
amalgamated  with  it,  it  preserves  to  this  day  the  famil- 
iar name  of  its  founder,  Tata  Giovanni.  The  plan  of 
sending  the  boys  out  to  work  having  been  found  incon- 
venient, workshops  were  formed  in  the  establishment ; 
but  the  old  system  was  again  restored.  TATA,  rude  and 


270  ROME  AND  ITS  KULER. 

illiterate  as  he  was,  was  endowed  with  great  good 
sense  ;  and  in  no  respect  did  he  more  strikingly  mani- 
fest this  fine  quality  than  in  the  wisdom  with  which  he 
allowed  the  boys  to  select  the  trade  to  which  they 
had  the  greatest  inclination,  for  which  they  evinced 
the  greatest  aptitude,  and  that  best  suited  their  capac- 
ity and  strength.  The  soundness  of  this  principle  is 
practically  recognized  by  its  continued  adoption.  At 
twenty  years  of  age,  the  inmates  of  the  asylum  are  dis- 
missed ;•  and  not  only  are  they  well  educated,  carefully 
trained,  and  thoroughly  practiced  in  their  respective 
trades ;  but  they  have,  in  their  savings — being  the  sur- 
plus over  a  certain  daily  charge  for  their  support — the 
means  not  only  of  providing  tools  and  instruments  nec- 
essary for  their  calling,  but  for  the  purchase  of  clothes, 
a  bed,  and  other  necessary  articles.  Besides  the  ele- 
mentary studies,  in  which  the  boys  are  thoroughly 
grounded,  they  are  also  taught  geometry  and  the  prin- 
ciples of  design.  "Well  may  the  orphan  boy  bless  the 
memory  of  that  poor  ignorant  mason,  who,  under  a 
rough  exterior  and  even  repulsive  manner,  concealed  a 
heart  of  the  tenderest  compassion  and  the  loftiest  char- 
ity. May  the  name  of  TATA  GIOVANNI  be  long  honoured 
on  this  earth. 

Pius  IX.,  while  yet  a  simple  priest,  presided  over 
this  admirable  school,  from  motives  of  the  purest  char- 
ity, and  in  order  to  do  good  to  a  class  for  whom  he 
ever  felt  the  profoundest  sympathy.  It  was  his  ordi- 
nary custom  to  dine  off  the  humble  fare  provided  for 
the  boys,  as  he  sat  at  the  head  of  their  table. 


SA*N"  MICHELE.  271 

SAN  MICHELE. 

San  Michele,  now  a  Conservatorio  di  Belle  Arti,  is 
one  of  the  most  interesting  institutions  in  Rome,  and 
will  amply  repay  the  trouble  of  a  visit.  Besides  train- 
ing a  number  of  boys  to  different  branches  of  the  pure- 
ly mechanical  arts,  it  frequently  contributes  to  the 
great  world  of  art  some  of  its  most  distinguished  orna- 
ments. For  instance,  it  was  a  former  pupil  of  San 
Michele  who  lately  completed  the  beautiful  monument 
to  Gregory  XYL,  now  in  its  place  in  St.  Peter's,  and 
which  no  one  can  regard  without  a  feeling  of  genuine 
admiration,  for  the  exquisite  grace  of  the  figures  that 
adorn  it.  In  the  vast  and  comprehensive  seminary  the 
visitor  may  observe  its  pupils  engaged  in  the  most  va- 
ried and  opposite  pursuits.  Here,  they  are  learning 
some  simple  handicraft — there,  the  highest  branches  of 
art.  In  one  hall,  a  number  of  boys  are  weaving  car- 
pets, of  the  most  costly  texture  and  elaborate  design ; 
in  another  department,  other  classes  are  cutting  cameos, 
engraving  on  steel  and  copper,  or  engaged  in  model- 
ling a  bust  or  a  group,  or  chiselling  it  into  its  enduring 
form  out  of  the  pure  marble  of  Carrara.  You  leave 
the  hall  where  some  incipient  Canova  is  learning  the 
first  principles  of  his  immortal  art,  and,  passing  to  an- 
other part  of  the  building,  you  hear  the  quick  stroke 
of  the  carpenter's  hammer,  or  see,  drying  in  the  open 
air,  a  piece  of  cloth  that  has  lately  received  its  colour 
in  the  dye-vat.  The  wise  principle  of  this  noble  insti- 
tution is  to  allow  the  boy  to  adopt  the  pursuit  most 


272  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

congenial  to  his  tastes,  or  best  suited  to  his  capacity — 
not  compelling  the  youth  who  feels  within  him  an  in- 
stinctive longing  for  the  beautiful  in  art,  to  toil  and 
drudge  at  some  mere  mechanical  pursuit ;  nor  training 
another  to  the  profession  of  an  artist,  instead  of  confer- 
ring on  him  a  purely  mechanical  trade.  The  illustrious 
Howard,  who  speaks  of  "  this  large  and  noble  edifice" 
with  admiration,  remarks  that  when  he  visited  San 
Michele,  there  were  in  it  about  200  boys — "  all  learn- 
ing different  trades  according  to  their  different  abilities 
and  genius." 

To  secure  admission  to  this  institution,  a  boy  must  be 
an  orphan,  a  native  of  the  Roman  States,  and  not  over 
twelve  years  of  age.  Occasionally,  boys  are  admitted 
for  a  small  pension,  not  exceeding  sixteen  or  seventeen 
shillings  a  month  ;  and  for  this  small  sum  they  are  fed, 
clothed,  and  given  a  sound  literary  education,  a  trade, 
or  perhaps  a  profession.  Intercourse  is  freely  allowed 
with  their  relatives,  so  that  family  ties,  where  they  ex- 
ist, should  be  kept  up.  The  education  given  to  the 
boys  is  that  which  best  adapts  them  to  the  situation  in 
life  which  they  are  destined  to  fill.  Besides  other 
branches,  music  is  carefully  taught ;  and  perhaps  the 
stranger,  who  visits  Rome,  could  enjoy  no  greater  treat 
than  that  afforded  on  the  occasion  of  the  great  festival 
in  honour  of  the  Patron  Saint  of  the  institution,,  when 
the  choir,  entirely  composed  of  the  pupils,  performs 
the  splendid  music  selected  for  the  day,  which  is  cele- 
brated with  unusual  pomp. 

The  boys  seemed  to  be  happy  and  contented,  as,  in- 


SAN   MICHELE.  273 

deed  they  well  might  be ;  for  the  treatment  which  they 
receive  from  their  superiors  is  kind  and  affectionate  in 
the  extreme.  Persuasion,  not  force,  is  the  rule  of  the 
institution.  That  they  were  fine  healthy-looking  little 
fellows,  I  can  say  with  certainty ;  and  the  manner  with 
which  they  replied  to  such  observations  as  were  ad- 
dressed to  them  by  the  ecclesiastic  who  kindly  con- 
ducted me  through  the  greater  portion  of  the  vast 
building,  was  frank,  self-possessed,  and  most  respectful 
— which  manner  was  in  itself  a  good  test  of  the  train- 
ing of  the  pupil,  and  the  conduct  of  the  master. 

To  understand  the  value,  or  the  result,  of  that  artistic 
training  which  the  higher  classes  of  the  pupils  receive, 
one  had  but  to  pass  through  the  stately  apartments  of 
the  Cardinal  Protector,  the  learned  and  venerable  Tosti. 
These  apartments  principally  consist  of  a  number  of 
halls  and  galleries,  enriched  by  a  splendid  collection  of 
works  of  art  and  articles  of  vertu — a  great  number  of 
the  former  having  been  executed  by  the  pupils  of  the 
institution.  Besides  paintings  and  engravings,  many 
of  evident  merit,  were  some  beautiful  busts,  groups, 
and  bas-reliefs.  A  lovely  little  chapel,  all  of  the  purest 
marble,  was  also  the  work  of  their  hands.  Amongst 
the  most  exquisite  of  the  works  of  art,  not  of  modern 
execution,  was  a  group  in  silver,  representing  the 
scourging  of  the  Redeemer  in  the  hall  of  Pilate.  It 
stood  about  nine  inches  high,  and  one  glance  was  suffi- 
cient to  tell  that  it  came  from  the  hands  of  a  master ; 
for  genius  was  stamped  upon  it  most  unmistakably. 
The  artist  was  the  famous  Benvenuto  Cellini. 
1:2* 


274  EOME  AND  ITS  KULEB. 

Writing  of  this  noble  institution,  Morichini  justly 
says : — "  The  hospital  is  a  perfect  polytechnic  school,  a 
perfect  conservatory  for  arts  and  trades,  and  which  the 
genius  of  the  Popes  had  established  a  century  in  ad- 
vance of  the  most  cultivated  nations  of  Europe." 

In  another  branch  of  the  same  establishment,  there 
is  an  extensive  conservatory  for  girls,  who  are  gratui- 
tously maintained,  and  taught  every  thing  necessary  to 
their  future  condition.  They  are  carefully  trained  in  a 
knowledge  of  the  more  domestic  duties. 


FEMALE   EDUCATION.  275 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

Female  Education. — Ample  Provision  for  it. — Colleges  and  Seminaries. 
— English  and  Irish  Colleges. — The  Propaganda. — The  Roman  Col- 
lege.— Educational  Statistics  of  Rome. — Its  high  Standard. 

IT  is  not  necessary  to  refer  again  to  the  system  of 
education  carried  on  in  prisons,  reformatories,  and  even 
hospitals  for  the  treatment  of  disease ;  sufficient  has 
been  shown,  in  the  Prison  of  S.  Michele,  the  Reform- 
atory of  Santa  Balbina,  and  the  Hospital  of  San  Ga- 
licano,  to  prove  that  the  education  of  the  young  is  con- 
sidered in  Rome  as  a  matter,  not  of  secondary,  but  of 
primary  importance. 

Nor  is  it  advisable  to  go  through  a  list  of  the  schools 
for  female  children,  which  are  intended  for  those  of 
every  class  and  condition  in  life,  from  the  daughter  of 
the  prince,  to  the  poor  deserted  child  of  the  street.  The 
conservatories  alone  would  make  a  long  list,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  public  schools  under  the  care  of  the 
Maestre  Pie,  one  of  which,  at  least,  is  to  be  found  in 
every  parish.  There  are  several  other  religious  orders 
specially  devoted  to  the  instruction  of  youth,  including 
the  following:  —  the  Ursuline,  the  Presentation,  the 
Sacred  Heart,  the  Divine  Love,  the  Providence,  the 
S.  Giuseppe,  and  the  Holy  Name  of  Jesus.  In  fact, 


276  KOME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

it  may  be  said,  that  wherever  there  is  a  convent  of 
nuns,  there  is  also  attached  to  it  a  school  for  some  one 
class  or  other  of  female  children.  Not  a  few  of  the  in- 
stitutions for  girls  were  originally  intended  as  reforma- 
tories, or  asylums  for  the  protection  of  young  persons 
in  danger  of  growing  up  in  ignorance  or  vice.  For  in- 
stance, that  known  as  11  Borromeo  was  founded  by 
Cardinal  Borromeo,  who  purchased  a  house  on  the 
Esquiline,  and  placed  in  it  many  poor  abandoned  girls 
who  were  so  utterly  destitute,  that  they  were  common- 
ly called  "censiose,"  or  ragged.  So  that  the  "ragged 
school"  is  by  no  means  of  that"  recent  origin  which,  in 
England,  many  persons  suppose  it  to  be.  The  children 
maintained  in  this  institution,  as  in  all  the  conserva- 
tories, are  trained  up  in  industry -,  as  well  as  instructed 
in  the  usual  course  of  knowledge  suited  to  their  posi- 
tion. Indeed,  industrial  training  is  a  necessary  element 
in  the  education  which  girls  receive  in  all  such  institu- 
tions ;  as  the  profits  of  their  work  go  in  some  degree  to 
meet  the  charge  of  maintaining  the  establishment ;  the 
rest  being  generally  supplied  either  from  revenues  at- 
tached to  the  original  foundation,  or  by  a  contribution 
from  the  State,  administered  by  a  particular  commis- 
sion, or  controlling  body.  A  favourite  form  of  Roman 
charity  is  that  of  establishing  asylums  for  children  "  in 
danger,"  no  matter  whether  the  danger  arise  from  their 
orphan  condition,  or  from  the  neglect  of  careless  or  the 
example  of  bad  parents ;  and  at  the  present  day,  there 
are  to  be  found  zealous  clergymen,  benevolent  laymen, 
and  charitable  women,  ready  to  imitate  the  holy  ex- 


COLLEGES  AND  SEMINARIES.  277 

ample  of  a  Borromeo  or  a  Neri.  When  I  come  to 
give  the  total  of  scholars  of  all  ages  and  both  sexes,  it 
will  be  seen  that  the  education  of  the  female  child  is 
as  carefully  provided  for  as  that  of  the  boy. 

I  now  proceed  to  notice,  or  rather  enumerate,  the 
educational  institutions  of  a  higher  class. 

The  colleges  or  seminaries  for  the  higher  studies  are 
the  Orfani,  the  Panfili  —  for  ecclesiastics  from  the 
estates  of  the  house  of  Doria — the  Capranica,  for  Ro- 
mans or  the  natives  of  some  dioceses  of  the  Marche ; 
the  Seminary  of  St.  Peter,  the  Roman  Seminary,  the 
Seminario  Pio ;  the  secular  Colleges  of  Ghislieri,  Cle- 
mentino,  Nazafeno,  and  Borromeo,  specially  for  the 
sons  of  the  nobility. 

The  Seminario  Pio  was  founded  and  endowed  by 
Pius  IX.,  out  of  his  private  purse,  and  may  be  men- 
tioned as  another  proof  of  his  zeal  for  education.  The 
students  of  this  ecclesiastical  seminary  are  chosen,  by 
examination,  from  the  dioceses  of  the  Papal  States. 
The  result  is,  that  the  best  student  of  each  diocese  is 
enabled  to  perfect  his  education  in  Rome,  and  thus 
carry  back  to  his  native  place  somewhat  of  the  apos- 
tolic spirit  of  the  Holy  City. 

Besides  these,  there  are  the  colleges  of  the  Benedic- 
tines in  S.  Calisto,  and  of  Regular  Canons  Lateran,  in 
S.  Pietro  in  Yinculi. 

The  following  are  colleges  for  foreign  ecclesiastical 
students : — 

The  Propaganda;  and  the  colleges  of  the  English, 


278  EOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

Irish,  Scotch,  'Greek,  Belgian,  French,  German,  and 
Hungarian  nations. 

The  English  College  was  founded  and  endowed  by 
Gregory  XIII. ;  but  the  funds  are  not  equal  to  the 
support  of  more  than  20  or  25  students.  However, 
Pius  IX.  has  recently  joined  to  this  institution  a  new 
college  founded  by  himself,  and  bearing  his  own  name. 
The  Collegio  Pio  must  not  be  confounded  with  the  Semi- 
nario  Pio,  mentioned  above.  The  Collegio  Pio  has 
been  established  by  the  Pope,  not  alone  to  meet  the 
growing  wants  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  England,  but 
to  provide  a  place  of  study  for  the  numerous  converts 
that  of  late  years  have  quitted  the  Protestant  Church, 
and  returned  to  the  venerable  Church  of  their  fathers. 

A  new  French  college  has  also  been  established  by 
the  present  Pope ;  and  it  is  probable  that,  before  long, 
an  American  college  will  be  also  opened  in  Rome.  By 
such  acts  as  these  does  Pius  IX.  exhibit,  as  Supreme 
Pontiff,  "  his  care  for  all  the  churches." 
.  The  number  of  pupils  in  the  Scotch  College  is  not 
very  great  at  present ;  but  it  is  progressing. 

The  students  of  the  Irish  College  are  steadily  increas- 
ing in  number.  Of  this  fact  I  was-  myself  a  witness. 
On  my  first  visit  to  the  ecclesiastical  college  of  my 
own  nation,  the  number  of  students  was  forty-six ;  but 
before  I  left  Rome  it  was  increased  to  fifty-four,  by  ac- 
cessions from  various  dioceses  in  Ireland.  Indeed,  I 
had  travelled  to  Rome  with  two  students  whom  I  ac- 
cidentally met  on  the  platform  of  the  railway  in  Paris ; 


THE   IRISH  COLLEGE.  279 

and  they  were  from  the  diocese  of  Cloyne,  in  the  county 
of  Cork. 

My  first  visit  to  the  college  found  the  students  just 
terminating  a  "  retreat,"  which  was  conducted  by  a 
priest  of  the  order  of  the  Passionists,  whose  picturesque 
convent  forms  so  prominent  a  feature  on  the  Celian 
Hill.  I  was  introduced  into  a  long  narrow  chamber, 
from  which  the  bright  sun  was  excluded  by  dark 
blinds,  and  which,  indeed,  received  its  only  light  from 
the  candles  burning  on  the  altar.  The  students,  who 
were  clad  in  the  usual  academic  costume,  were  seated 
in  silent  rows,  listening  with  the-  most  profound  atten- 
tion to  the  eloquent  exhortations  of  the  Passionist,  who 
appeared  to  put  forth  all  his  fervour  and  all  his  impres- 
siveness  in  his  concluding  appeal.  His  voice  was  rich 
and  melodious,  and  adapted  itself  to  every  style ;  and 
his  action  was  eminently  natural — that  is,  it  corre- 
sponded with  the  words  which  he  uttered,  and  the 
emotion  which  he  felt.  In  fact,  he  was  an  orator, 
appealing,  too,  to  the  most  favourable  audience — to 
young,  pure  hearts,  glowing  with  piety,  and  full  of 
enthusiasm  for  the  sacred  profession  to  which  they 
aspired.  The  devotions  of  the  day  were  concluded 
by  the  students  approaching  the  altar,  and,  kneeling 
before  a  large  cross,  which  lays  at  its  steps,  kissing  the 
feet  of  the  image  of'  the  crucified  Redeemer, — an  act 
of  pious  homage,  not  to  the  insensible  ivory,  but  to  the 
Divine  Being,  whose  sublime  charity  and  compassion 
for  fallen  man  it  visibly  and  strikingly  represented. 

The  more  I  saw  of  this  college — and  I  was  a  frequent 


280  ROME   AND  ITS  RULER. 

visitor — the  more  I  was  impressed  with  its  discipline, 
its  management,  and  its  system  of  education.  Certain 
portions  of  the  necessary  course  are  taught  within  its 
walls ;  but  the  students  also  attend  the  lectures  of  the 
Roman  College,  and  the  Propaganda.  In  a  short  time 
they  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  Italian 
language,  which  is  indispensable  to  them  as  a  medium 
of  instruction.  The  gravity  and  decorum  of  the  stu- 
dents, as  they  walk,  in  groups  of  ten  or  twelve,  through 
the  streets  of  Rome,  is  only  exceeded  by  their  piety 
and  collectedness  in  their  devotions,  whether  performed 
in  the  adjoining  church  of  St.  Agata,  or  in  whatever 
church  they  happen  to  visit.  Indeed,  they  are  fortu- 
snate  in  their  superiors,  the  Rector  and  Yice-Rector  ;* 
than  whom  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  two  men  of 
gentler  nature,  of  a  solicitude  more  truly  paternal,  or 
who  are  more  profoundly  impressed  with  a  sense  of 
their  great  responsibility.  The  natural  consequence  is, 
that  the  students  honour  and  love  their  superiors.  For 
certain  months  in  the  summer  they  reside  altogether 
at  the  establishment  in  the  country  ;  and,  at  other 
times,  a  visit  to  the  vineyard  which  the  college  pos- 
sesses outside  the  city  affords  them  the  opportunity  of 
healthful  exercise. 

The  church  attached  to  the  Irish  College  was  that 
appropriately  selected  as  the  resting-place  of  the  heart 
of  Daniel  O'Connell ;  and  a  very  graceful  mural  monu- 

*  Monsignor  Kirby  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Moran.  The  latter,  a  scholar 
of  distinguished  merit,  is  nephew  to  the  Most  Rev.  Dr.  Cullen,  the  pre- 
decessor of  Dr.  Kirby,  and  now  the  Catholic  Archbishop  of  Dublin. 


THE   PKOPAGANDA.  281 

ment — erected  at  the  sole  cost  of  Charles  Bianconi,  to 
the  memory  of  his  illustrious  friend — marks  out  the 
spot,  and  commemorates  the  fame  of  the  great  cham- 
pion of  Catholic  liberty.  This  monument  was  one  of 
the  first  works  which  brought  the  artist  Benzoni  into 
notice,  and  assisted  him  to  attain  the  deservedly  high 
position  which  he  now  enjoys. 

There  are  several  Irish  students  in  the  famous  Prop- 
aganda ;  and  the  Irish  branches  of  the  Dominican,  Au- 
gustinian,  and  Franciscan  orders,  have  each  a  house  in 
Home. 

The  Propaganda,  as  is  well  known,  is  the  celebrated 
college  in  which  students  intended  for  foreign  missions 
are  educated.  Here  meet  all  nations,  and  are  spoken 
all  tongues  ;  and  from  this  great  institution  annually  go 
forth  brave  and  devoted  soldiers  of  the  Cross,  not  a  few 
of  whom  seal  with  their  blood  their  fidelity  to  the  faith 
of  the  Gospel.  This  college  has  its  own  staff  of  pro- 
fessors, who  deliver  lectures  of  the  highest  character, 
which  are  attended  by  students  of  many  other  colleges. 
At  the  annual  Polyglot  Academy  held  this  year,  the 
pupils  recited  compositions  in  no  less  than  forty-four 
different  languages.  Fourteen  of  these  were  Asiatic, 
four  African,  twenty -four  European,  and  two  Oceanic. 
The  last  were  spoken  by  natives  of  Uvea  and  Tonga. 
All  nations  and  all  races  of  the  human  family  are  rep- 
resented in  the  pious  and  heroic  youth  of  this  great 
Catholic  University,  which  strictly  fulfils  the  sublime 
mission  of  the  Church,  to  "  go  and  teach  all  nations." 

The  public  schools  are  the  Eoman  College,  the  Ap- 


282  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

polinare,  and,  so  far  as  rhetoric,  the  College  of  St. 
Maria  in  Montecelli.  Of  one  only  of  these — the  Ro- 
man College — a  brief  notice  is  required. 

To  give  anything  like  a  complete  account  of  the 
Roman  College  would  require  a  separate  treatise  in 
itself.  A  sketch  of  a  single  Faculty  will,  however,  give 
some  idea  of  the  extent  of  its  curriculum,  and  of  the 
method  of  instruction.  As  it  is  upon  the  Faculty  of 
Philosophy  that  the  character  of  a  university  will  be 
generally  found  to  depend,  it  will  be  convenient  to 
take  it  in  this  case  as  an  example.  This  Faculty  is 
conducted  by  nine  professors.  The  course  of  instruc- 
tion extends  over  a  period  of  three  years,  and  includes 
the  following  subjects : — 

LOGIC  AND  MATHEMATICS,  MORAL  PHILOSOPHY, 
ELEMENTARY  MATHEMATICS,  PHYSICO-CHEMISTRY, 
MATHEMATICAL  PHYSICS,  ANALYTICAL  GEOMETRY, 

PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION,         ASTRONOMY, 

DIFFERENTIAL  AND  INTEGRAL  CALCULUS. 

In  the  first  year  of  this  course  of  Philosophy,  the 
student  has  to  attend  lectures  on  two  subjects;  Logic 
and  Metaphysics,  and  Elementary  Mathematics.  There 
are  three  lectures,  of  an  hour  each,  every  day;  two 
being  devoted  to  the  Logic  and  Metaphysics,  and  one 
to  the  Mathematics.  In  the  second  year  of  Phi- 
losophy, the  student  attends  four  courses  of  lectures ; 
Moral  Philosophy,  Physico-Chemistry,  and  Mathemati- 
cal Physics  for  an  hour  each  every  day,  and  Analytical 
Geometry  for  half-an-hour  every  second  day.  In  the 
third  year,  the  student  attends  three  courses, — the  Phi- 


THE  ROMAN  COLLEGE.  283 

losophy  of  Religion,  Astronomy,  and  the  Calculus; 
lectures  being  delivered  on  each  of  these  subjects 
every  day. 

From  this  statement  it  will  be  seen  that,  as  far  as 
the  machinery  of  professorial  instruction  is  concerned, 
the  faculty  of  philosophy  in  the  Roman  College  is  su- 
perior to  that  of  any  university  or  college  in  Great 
Britain  or  Ireland,  not  excepting  Oxford  or  Cambridge. 
In  some  of  the  universities  lately  established  in  this 
country,  great  stress  is  laid  upon  the  importance  of 
mathematical  studies.  Yet  we  find  that  even  in  these 
institutions,  such,  for  instance,  as  the  Queen's  Universi- 
ty in  Ireland,  a  single  professor  is  expected  to  teach 
every  branch  of  mathematics ;  whilst  in  the  Roman 
College  there  are  in  general  four  distinct  chairs  appro- 
priated to  mathematical  subjects.  It  is  worthy  of  re- 
mark that  many  of  the  text  books  are  written  by  the 
Jesuits  themselves.  Some  of  these  are  well  known  in 
England ;  such  as  the  Principia  Calculi  Differentialis 
et  Integral**)  itemque,  Calculi  Differentiarwn  finitar 
ruin :  auctore  Andred  Caraffa.  8.  J. 

The  metaphysical  course  is  very  extensive.  It  is 
principally  devoted  to  a  critical  examination  of  the  va- 
rious theories  of  Psychology.  The  British  writers  who 
attract  most  notice  are  Locke  and  Reid ;  but  the  greater 
part  of  the  Psychological  course  appears  to  be  devoted 
to  combating  the  fallacies  of  the  German  metaphy- 
sicians. 

The  course  of  Astronomy  possesses  many  points  of 
interest.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  based,  to  a  great  ex- 


284  EOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

tent,  on  the  lithographed  treatise  which  the  late  cele- 
brated Father  De  Yico  prepared  for  his  class.  This 
gives  it  a  marked  character  of  originality.  In  the  sec- 
ond place,  many  brilliant  discoveries  have  of  late  years, 
as  well  as  centuries  ago,  been  associated  with  the  name 
of  the  Collegio  Romano ;  and  its  observatory  has  long 
been  acknowledged  to  be  one  of  the  best  in  Europe. 
In  studying  that  important  part  of  Astronomy  which 
treats  of  the  measurement  of  time,  the  student  remem- 
bers with  pride  that  it  was  to  the  founder  of  the  Col- 
lege, to  Gregory  XIII.,  we  owe  the  correction  of  the 
Calendar.  The  extent  of  the  astronomical  course  may 
be  judged  from  the  fact,  that  it  enters  fully  into  such 
questions  as  the  Lunar  Theory,  the  stability  of  the  Solar 
System,  the  Secular  and  Periodic  Variations,  the  effect 
of  a  resisting  medium,  and  the  figures  of  the  planets  ; 
all  these  questions,  as  a  matter  of  course,  requiring  a 
familiarity  with  the  highest  branches  of  mathematics. 

In  the  course  of  Physico-Chemistry,  after  going 
through  Chemistry  proper,  and  the  theories  of  Light 
and  Heat,  the  class  is  occupied  with  experiments  in 
Electricity,  Magnetism,  and  Galvanism.  These  experi- 
ments are,  however,  but  of  secondary  importance ;  the 
main  part  of  the  lectures  in  these  latter  subjects  being 
devoted  to  discussing  the  investigations  of  Ampere, 
Arago,  Faraday,  &c.,  and  developing  the  several  for- 
mulae which  bring  magnetism  and  electricity  into  the 
domain  of  mathematics. 

The  Roman  College  is  entirely  under  the  manage 
ment  and  in  the  hands  of  the  Jesuit  Fathers,  who  fill 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS.  285 

the  different  chairs  in  such  a  manner  as  to  maintain  the 
high  reputation  of  that  illustrious  order.  In  the  Ap- 
pendix of  this  volume  is  given  one  more  proof  of  the 
services  which  members  of  this  body  have  conferred  on 
the  cause  of  science.  I  allude  to  the  measurement  of 
the  base  line,  for  a  trigonometrical  survey,  by  Father 
Angelo  Secchi.* 

The  great  University,  the  Sapienza,  closes  my  list  of 
institutions  for  public  instruction  in  Rome.  This  col- 
lege was  founded  in  the  year  1244,  by  Innocent  IV., 
and  has  been  entirely  remodelled  in  the  course  of  the 
present  century  by  Leo  XII.  The  present  Pope  has 
added  to  the  number  of  its  chairs. 

Cardinal  Morichini  states  that,  in  1841,  there  were 
in  Rome  27  institutions  and  387  schools  for  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  children  of  the  poorer  portion  of  the  public. 
Of  these,  180  were  for  children,  or  infants,  of  both 
sexes ;  and,  of  the  remainder,  94  were  exclusively  de- 
voted to  males,  and  113  to  females.  The  total  number 
of  scholars  in  elementary  schools  amounted,  at  that  time, 
to  14,157.  Of  these,  3,790  were  of  the  infant  class; 
and  of  those  of  more  advanced  years,  5,544  were  males, 
and  4,823  were  females.  In  gratuitous  elementary 
schools,  7,579  received  their  education;  namely,  3,952 
boys,  and  3,627  girls.  In  schools  paying  a  small  pen- 
sion, there  were  1,592  males,  and  1,196  females — mak- 
ing a  total  in  such  schools  of  2,788.  Of  the  387  schools 
referred  to,  26  belonged  to  religious  communities  of 

*  See  Appendix. 


286  ROME  AND  ITS  KULER. 

men,  and  23  to  religious  communities  of  women. 
The  rest  belonged  to,  or  were  conducted  by,  seculars. 
In  addition,  2,213  children,  of  both  sexes,  learned  the 
rudiments  of  education  in  special  conservatories  and 
hospitals. 

The  figures  which  are  given  exclude  students  in  the 
universities  and  higher  colleges.  Including  these,  how- 
ever, with  the  classes  already  mentioned,  the  student 
population  of  Rome,  as  compared  with  the  total  popu- 
lation of  the  city,  was,  in  the  year  1842,  as  one  in  eight. 
But  since  then,  as  I  have  shown,  the  schools  and  the 
scholars  have  considerably  increased.  For  instance, 
not  to  go  beyond  the  Night  Schools  and  the  schools  of 
the  Christian  Brothers,  the  increase  is  very  marked 
since  the  time  when  Morichini  wrote.  The  schools  of 
the  former  description  have  increased  from  eight  to 
thirteen,  and  their  scholars  from  1,000  to  1,600.  Be- 
sides, the  present  Pope  has  himself  established  a  num- 
ber of  schools  for  children  of  both  sexes,  and  does  all  in 
his  power,  by  pecuniary  aid  as  well  as  by  other  modes 
of  encouragement,  to  promote  new  schools  throughout 
the  Papal  States,  and  to  enlarge,  or  otherwise  improve, 
those  already  in  existence.  He  also  impresses  on  his 
clergy  a  duty  which  they  zealously  perform — that  of 
urging  parents  to  send  their  children  to  school,  and  thus 
take  advantage  of  that  great  humanizing  agent  which 
is  brought  to  the  very  doors  of  the  humblest  and  poor- 
est. So  that,  it  may  be  fairly  asserted,  if  a  single  Ro- 
man child  grow  up  in  ignorance,  or  without  the  benefit 
of  a  sound  and  useful  education,  the  fault  lies  with  the 


EDUCATIONAL  STANDARD  VEKY  HIGH.  287 

parents  of  the  child,  and  not  with  the  government  of 
Pius  IX.,  or  with  those  institutions  which  redound  so 
much  to  the  honour  of  the  Eternal  City.  If,  then,  the 
educational  standard  were  one  in  eight  when  Morichini 
wrote,  it  must  now  closely  approximate  to  one  in  six, 
which  is,  perhaps,  the  highest  standard  at  which  any 
State  can  reasonably  hope  to  attain.* 

*  Mr.  Horace  Mann,  in  his  celebrated  Report  attached  to  the  Census 
Tables  of  1851, — which  Report  was  published  in  March,  1854, — says,  at 
page  21 : — "  Most  competent  writers  are  now  inclined  to  assume  that 
one  in  eight  would  be  a  satisfactory  proportion,  after  making  due  al- 
lowance for  practical  impediments."  At  the  same  time,  Mr.  Mann  ad- 
verts to  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Edward  Baiues — the  acknowledged  leader 
and  organ  of  the  voluntary  party — who,  after  a  careful  course  of  rea- 
soning, says  that  one  in  nine  would  be  a  proportion  quite  as  high  as 
the  condition  of  society  in  England  would  permit  One  in  eight  is, 
therefore,  the  highest  educational  standard  at  which  any  party,  even 
those  holding  the  most  advanced  views,  aspire.  In  1851,  one  in  eight 
and  a  third  was  the  nominal  educational  position  of  England. 

For  conclusive  information  as  to  the  real  or  nominal  character  of 
elementary  education  in  Great  Britain,  the  reader  ia  referred  to  the 
Appendix 


288  ROME    AND   ITS   RULER. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

Universities  in  the  Papal  States. — Their  Courses  and  Museums. — Valu- 
able Libraries. — Admission  gratuitous. — Elementary  Instruction. — 
Communal  Schools. — Number  of  Students  in  the  Universities. — The 
Church  not  afraid  of  the  Diffusion  of  Education.— Mr.  Macaulay 
quoted. 

HAVING  given  a  general  idea  of  the  educational  re- 
sources of  Rome,  it  may  be  well  to  add  some  few  par- 
ticulars with  respect  to  the  provision  made  for  the  in- 
struction of  youth  throughout  the  Pontifical  States ; 
inasmuch  as  it  must  tend  to  show,  to  those  who  are 
believers  in  that  imaginary  policy  of  intellectual  dark- 
ness attributed  to  the  Church,  that  in  the  very  domin- 
ions of  the  Church,  where  the  Church  may  be  said  to 
possess  more  direct  influence  and  authority  over  tem- 
poral matters  than  in  any  other  part  of  Christendom,  it 
preserves  its  influence  and  maintains  its  authority  in 
spite  of  the  intelligence  it  persistently  awakens,  and 
the  knowledge  it  so  anxiously  and  laboriously  promotes. 

There  are  seven  Universities  in  the  Papal  States— 
namely,  those  of  Ferrara,  Bologna,  Urbino,  Macerata, 
Camerino,  Perugia,  and  Rome.  In  each  there  is  taught 
a  complete  course  of  Theology,  Jurisprudence,  Philos- 
ophy, Medicine  and  Surgery,  besides  other  branches. 
The  Universities  of  Rome  and  Bologna  are  of  the  first 


THE   PAPAL   UNIVERSITIES.  289 

class,  and  in  these  is  taught,  in  addition,  a  complete 
course  of  mathematics.  They  are  also  supplied  with  a 
number  of  other  chairs  which  do  not  exist  in  the  uni- 
versities of  the  second  class.  It  is  the  rule,  I  believe, 
that  in  the  first-class  universities  there  must  be  thirty- 
eight  chairs ;  but  in  Rome  there  are  forty-five,  and  two 
additional  chairs  were  recently  instituted. 

The  secondary  as  well  as  the  first-class  universities 
are  supplied  with  museums  of  a  comprehensive  charac- 
ter, illustrating  the  various  sciences,  such  as  zoology, 
mineralogy,  anatomy,  chemistry,  mechanics,  &c. ;  and, 
as  for  the  museums  of  the  first  class  universities,  it  may 
be  said,  with  justice,  that  they  rival  those  of  any  Euro- 
pean capital,  in  the  variety  and  value  of  their  collec- 
tions. Thus,  for  instance,  the  museum  of  mineralogy 
in  the  Roman  University,  as  well  as  its  collection  of 
birds,  excel,  in  their  completeness  and  extent,  those  of 
any  other  Italian  city.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the 
museum  of  Bologna,  some  idea  of  the  magnitude  and 
value  of  which  may  be  afforded  by  the  fact,  that  its 
anatomical  collection  contains  60,000  preparations ! 

Each  university  is  also  supplied  with  an  ample 
library,  in  some  of  which  may  be  found  works  of  great 
antiquity  and  of  rare  value.  In  the  two  great  univer- 
sities there  is  an  excellent  observatory,  well  provided 
with  the  best,  the  newest,  and  most  costly  instruments. 
Four  of  the  universities — those  of  Rome,  Perugia, 
Bologna,  and  Ferrara — possess  each  a  chair  of  Agri- 
culture ;  and  in  order  that  experiment  and  practice 

might  be  combined  with  theory,  certain  grounds  are 
13 


290  BOME   AND   ITS   KULEE. 

attached  to  each  of  these  universities,  for  the  practical 
study  of  this  most  valuable  and  ancient  of  all  the 
sciences. 

The  admission  of  the  student  to  the  University  is 
gratuitous,  the  salary  of  the  professors  being  either  at 
the  expense  of  the  State,  or,  as  in  some  of  the  second- 
ary institutions,  at  that  of  the  Province,  or  provided  for 
out  of  special  funds  destined  to  the  purpose.  At  one 
period  only  is  there  any  charge  made  to  the  university 
student,  though  by  no  means  in  the  majority  of  cases  ; 
and  that  is,  on  his  attaining  to  and  taking  out  his 
academical  degrees — namely,  of  Bachelor,  Licentiate, 
and  Doctor ;  and  the  entire  cost  for  all  the  degrees  does 
not  exceed  60  scudi,  or  about  13Z.  And  in  many  in- 
stances, especially  where  the  student  is  in  a  humble 
position  of  life,  and  cannot  afford  this  very  moderate 
charge,  it  is  either  partly  or  wholly  remitted.  It  is 
also  remitted  in  cases  of  signal  merit,  as  where  the  stu- 
dent reaches  to  the  honours  of  the  Laureate. 

Then,  with  respect  to  elementary  instruction,  the  am- 
plest provision  is  made  for  it ;  for  not  only  in  the  first- 
class  cities,  but  in  general  in  all  cities — in  Ireland  we 
should  call  them  towns — containing  from  2,000  to  5,000 
inhabitants,  there  is  a  Gymnasium,  or  a  Lyceum,  for 
the  instruction  of  youth.  In  the  gymnasium  are  taught, 
besides  other  matters,  reading,  writing,  arithmetic,  ele- 
mentary philosophy,  and  the  principles  of  jurispru- 
dence ;  and,  as  an  invariable  rule,  the  boys  are  well 
grounded  in  a  knowledge  of  their  religion.  Some  of 
these  institutions  are  under  the  care  of  religious  bodies, 


GENERAL  PROVISION  FOR  EDUCATION.  291 

specially  devoted  to  the  instruction  of  youth ;  others 
are  conducted  by  secular  priests ;  and  more  are  con- 
fided to  laymen.  The  appointment  of  teachers  belongs 
generally  to  the  local  municipality,  and  is  made  with 
the  approbation  of  the  bishop  of  the  diocese,  and  the 
sanction  of  the  Congregation  of  Studies,  to  which  de- 
partment belongs  the  superintendence  of  all  the  educa- 
tional institutions  of  the  Pontifical  States.  The  Roman 
College  may  be  termed  the  Gymnasium  of  Rome ;  but 
besides  the  arts  or  sciences  above  mentioned,  there  is 
also  taught  in  it  a  complete  course  of  theology. 

To  those  institutions,  as  to  the  universities,  the  stu- 
dents are  admitted  without  any  charge  whatever,  and 
they  can  enter  them  with  the  utmost  facility. 

They  attend  Mass  every  morning,  and  are  instructed 
in  catechism,  either  every  day,  or  on  certain  fixed  days, 
according  to  their  class.  On  festivals,  they  assemble  in 
their  societies,  or  congregations,  when  they  approach 
the  sacraments,  and  receive  religious  instruction  from 
their  spiritual  director ;  and  every  year,  towards  Eas- 
ter, they  make  a  spiritual  "  retreat"  for  some  days. 

Where  the  gymnasium,  or  lyceum,  does  not  exist, 
there  is  to  be  found  a  Communal  School,  for  boys — • 
which  Communal  School  may  be  seen,  not  merely  in 
every  small  town,  but  even  in  every  village.  Similar 
schools  are  established  for  girls,  conducted  by  the 
Maestre  Pie,  and  other  religious  orders  devoted  to 
the  promotion  of  education.  It  may  be  again  repeat- 
ed, that  all  these  schools  are  wholly  gratuitous  /  the 
State,  or  the  respective  municipality,  defraying  the 


292  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

charge,  where  it  is  not  otherwise  provided  for  by  old 
foundations,  or  by  special  funds. 

Even  from  the  incomplete  list  of  educational  institu- 
tions which  I  have  given,  it  may  be  supposed  that  the 
number  of  students  receiving  a  first-class  education  in 
the  great  Universities  and  in  the  principal  Seminaries 
is  considerable.  By  the  latest  returns,  I  find  that  the 
number  of  this  class  of  students  amounts  to  28,899— a 
vast  number  indeed,  especially  when  contrasted  with 
the  srnallness  of  the  aggregate  population  of  the  Papal 
States.  Attending  the  Eoman  University,  the  number 
is  1,051— that  of  Bologna,  1,050— Macerate,  1,313— 
Perugia,  1,137— Pesaro  and  Urbino,  5,178— Ferrara, 
3,706.  Then  Ancona  has  2,515  scholars  of  the  higher 
grade,  and  Ascoli,  2,253— and  so  on,  until  the  gross 
number  of  28,899  is  made  up. 

These  details,  imperfect  as  they  are,  render  utterly 
ridiculous  the  accusation  levelled,  by  malice  or  by  pre- 
judice, against  the  Catholic  Church,  which  is  said  to 
owe  the  preservation  of  its  authority  to  the  ignorance, 
and  therefore  to  the  mental  debasement,  of  its  followers. 
If  the  Church  be  really  afraid  of  the  general  diffusion 
of  education,  she  must  be  said  to  adopt  an  extraordi- 
nary mode  of  evincing  her  alarm.  You  apprehend 
that  a  certain  enemy  has  a  design  on  your  life — that 
he  meditates  your  destruction  with  a  deadly  weapon. 
Prudence  tells  you  to  avoid  him,  or  to  deprive  him 
of  the  means  of  effecting  his  purpose.  At  any  rate, 
whether  you  fly  or  resist,  there  is  one  thing  which, 
unless  you  be  an  idiot,  you  do  not  do, — you  do  not 


ENLIGHTENMENT  AND  THE   CHURCH.  293 

yourself  select  the  weapon,  and  place  it  in  his  hand, 
with  an  invitation  to  its  murderous  use.  If  the  Church 
dreaded  the  light,  how  comes  it  that  it  is  she  who 
draws  back  the  veil  which  shrouds  the  intellect,  and 
.reveals  to  the  inquiring  spirit  of  youth  the  choicest 
treasures  of  knowledge,  human  and  divine  ?  Trace  her 
history  throughout  all  ages  in  which  she  has  exercised 
influence  over  man,  and  you  ever  find  her  the  most 
zealous  as  the  most  successful  promoter  of  education, 
and,  above  all,  dispensing  it  with  unstinting  liberality 
to  those  classes  of  the  community  who  have  been  con- 
sidered even  of  late  years,  and  in  many  states,  and  by 
many  statesmen,  as  not  entitled  to  its  advantages.  One 
proposition,  however,  is  clear  beyond  question — if  the 
progress  of  enlightenment  be  so  certain  to  ensure  the 
downfall  of  the  Church,  and  necessarily  of  the  Papacy, 
as  we  are  confidently  told  it  is,  then  Rome  is  deliber- 
ately, and  with  great  trouble,  devoting  both  herself 
and  the  Pope  to  destruction. 

But  to  those  who  look  to  the  progress  of  human  en- 
lightenment as  the  means  of  insuring  the  destruction 
of  the  Church,  may  be  commended  the.  following  de- 
liberate statement,  written  by  Mr.  Macaulay,  who  cer- 
tainly is  not  open  to  the  charge  of  partiality  on  the 
side  of  the  Catholics: — 

"  We  often  hear  it  said,  that  the  world  is  constantly  be- 
coming more  and  more  enlightened,  and  that  this  enlighten- 
ment must  be  favourable  to  Protestantism,  and  unfavourable 
to  Catholicism.  We  wish  that  we  could  think  so.  But  we 
see  great  reason  to  doubt  whether  this  is  a  well-founded  ex- 


294  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

pectation.  We  see  that  during  the  last  two  hundred  and  fifty 
years  the  human  mind  has  been  in  the  highest  degree  active  • 
that  it  has  made  great  advances  in  every  branch  of  natural 
philosophy ;  that  it  has  produced  innumerable  inventions 
tending  to  promote  the  convenience  of  life;  that  medicine, 
surgery,  chemistry,  engineering,  have  been  very  greatly  im- 
proved ;  that  government,  police,  and  law,  have  been  im- 
proved, though  not  to  so  great  an  extent  as  the  physical  sci- 
ences. Yet  we  see  that,  during  these  two  hundred  and  fifty 
years,  Protestantism  has  made  no  conquests  worth  speaking 
of.  Nay,  we  believe  that,  as  far  as  there  has  been  change, 
that  change  has,  on  the  whole,  been  in  favour  of  the  Church  of 
Rome.  We  cannot,  therefore,  feel  confident  that  the  progress 
of  knowledge  will  necessarily  be  fatal  to  a  system,  which  has, 
to  say  the  least,  stood  its  ground  in  spite  of  the  immense  pro- 
gress made  by  the  human  race  in  knowledge  since  the  days  of 
Queen  Elizabeth." 


BELIEF  OF  THE  POOR.  295 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

Relief  of  the  Poor. — Poverty  not  treated  as  a  Crime. — Vagrancy  and 
Imposture  sternly  dealt  with  by  the  Popes. — Efforts  to  suppress  idle 
Mendicancy. — Modes  of  Relief. — Commission  of  Subsidies. — Charita- 
ble Institutions. — Industrial  Relief. 

IT  is  no  exaggeration  to  assert,  that  the  wants  of  the 
poor  are  nowhere  more  effectually  relieved  than  in 
Rome.  Charity,  springing  from  the  very  bosom  of  the 
Church,  where  it  has  ever  existed  pure  and  undefiled, 
flows  through  numberless  channels  upon  those  whose 
wants,  whose  necessities,  and  whose  sufferings,  render 
them  objects  deserving  of  sympathy  and  compassion. 
And  though  its  seeming  superabundance  may,  and  not 
unreasonably,  be  supposed  to  inflict  a  certain  amount 
of  injury  on  the  community,  by  rendering  the  humbler 
classes  less  self-reliant  than  they  would  be  under  a  dif- 
ferent state  of  things ;  still,  no  one  can  deny  that  relief 
— food,  clothing,  and  shelter — is  successfully  applied  to 
all  who  stand  in  need  of  such  assistance.  Indeed,  one 
often  hears  it  made  a  matter  of  creditable  pride,  that 
so  great  a  calamity  as  a  "  death  from  starvation"  is  one 
of  those  things  never  heard  of  in  Rome,  or  in  the  Papal 
States.  Morichini  only  follows  the  example  of  other 
writers,  when  he  says,  at  the  conclusion  of  one  of  his 
chapters — "  Thanks  be  to  God !  we  did  not  know  that 


296  EOME  AND  ITS  KULEE. 

any  one  died  of  hunger  in  Borne,  even  in  the  worst 
times."  And  the  same  grateful  boast  is  commonly 
made  use  of  by  those  who  defend  the  government  and 
institutions  of  the  States  of  the  Church  from  the  accu- 
sations of  prejudice  or  of  ignorance.  It  would  be  well 
if  the  same  could  be  said  of  more  prosperous  countries, 
and  more  powerful  nations.* 

It  certainly  does  appear  to  be  a  matter  next  to  an 
impossibility  that  any  one  should  die  of  starvation  in 
Kome ;  for  not  only  are  the  most  ample  resources  ap- 
plicable to  every  human  want,  and  to  which  the  poor 
may  have  immediate  access ;  but  there  exist  all  kinds 
of  charitable  associations,  devoted  to  the  sacred  duty 
of  feeding  the  hungry,  clothing  the  naked,  visiting  the 
sick,  and  comforting  the  afflicted.  Then  there  are 
many  well-known  public  institutions,  always  open  to 
the  poor  person  in  distress,  and  from  whose  doors  want 
and  destitution  are  never  driven  by  surly  porters,  rep- 
resenting rather  the  selfishness  of  the  rate-payer  than 
the  charity  of  the  Christian.  Besides,  as  a  general 
rule,  one,  of  course,  admitting  of  exceptions,  the  Italian 
Catholic  does  not  feel  any  hesitation  in  making  known 
his  wants  to  his  neighbour — to  his  fellow-man — or  in 
asking  for  his  assistance.  In  these  countries,  and  espe- 
cially in  England,  poverty  is  certainly  not  regarded 

*  I  could  not  avoid  regarding,  as  rather  a  curious  coincidence,  the 
fact,  that,  just  after  I  looked  over  my  note-book,  in  which  I  had  spe- 
cially recorded  this  boast,  which  is  so  frequently  made  to  the  stranger 
visiting  Rome,  I  glanced  through  the  "  Times"  of  the  same  day  (Feb. 
'21  st,  1857),  in  which  I  saw  it  stated  that  three  persons  had  died  of 
starvation,  on  the  previous  day,  in  one  district  of  London! 


POVERTY  NOT  REGARDED  AS  A  CRIME.    297 

with  a  sentiment  of  reverence,  as  it  is  in  Rome.  There, 
voluntary  poverty  is  held  a  virtue ;  and  therefore,  nat- 
ural or  accidental  poverty  cannot  be  treated  as  a  vice. 
The  Church  that  has  canonized  beggars  will  not  im- 
prison the  poor  in  a  workhouse,  merely  to  spare  the 
sensitive  nerves  of  the  fastidious. 

But  though  poverty  is  not  regarded  as  a  crime  in 
Rome,  as  I  have  heard  it  stated,  on  competent  author- 
ity, it  is  elsewhere,*  still  there  is  no  sanction  whatever 
given  to  mere  vagrants  and  impostors — those  who  sim- 
ulate woes  with  a  view  to  extort  alms  from  the  benevo- 
lent. No  doubt,  the  giving  of  alms  in  the  streets,  and 
at  the  doors  of  churches,  does  something  to  encourage 

*  In  the  Times  of  Friday,  June  26th,  Mr.  Alderman  Copeland  is  re- 
ported to  have  said,  in  his  place  in  the  House  of  Commons,  on  the 
previous  night — "  That  his  experience,  as  a  citizen  of  London  and  a 
magistrate,  had  long  convinced  him  that  here  (in  London)  poverty  was 
regarded  as  a  crime,  and  treated  as  a  crime."  The  question  before  the 
House  was  on  a  motion,  by  Viscount  Raynham,  in  reference  to  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  Poor-law  in  certain  metropolitan  workhouses. 

This  statement,  so  deliberately  made  by  Mr.  Alderman  Copeland,  and 
which  Sir  John  Pakington  hoped  was  "  rather  the  expression  of  warm 
feeling  than  of  deliberate  conviction,"  is  thoroughly  confirmed  by  the 
Editor  of  the  London  Standard,  in  an  article  of  that  paper  of  the  2d  of 
July.  The  writer  says : — 

"That  the  large  amount  of  the  prison  element  in  the  discipline  and 
management  of  workhouses  has  been  fruitful  of  evil;  it  has  produced 
the  impression  that  poverty  itself  is  a  crime.  Workhouse  authorities 
rer/ard  every  application  for  relief  as  an  attempt  to  swindle;  evert/  work- 
hoiise  inmate  as  a  rogue  and  a  vagabond.  No  wonder  is  it  that  the  only 
principle  of  management,  if  principle  it  can  be  called,  is  to  render  the 
workhouse  as  forbidding  as  possible,  as  much  like  a  prison  as  is  com- 
patible with  a  workhouse.  On  this  principle  they  allow  the  inmates  to 
grow  up  idle  and  disorderly,  because  labour  is  of  itself  a  relief.  *  *  * 
Unlike  the  true  Christian  principle  of  sound  legislation,  workhouse 
management  is  not '  a  terror  to  evil  doers/  but  a  terror  to  those  who  do 
well.  The  bold,  the  unscrupulous,  and  the  incorrigible  find  their  ac- 
count in  it;  and  the  Devil  finds  his,  too." 

See  Appendix  for  a  proof  that  poverty  is  treated  worse  than  crime. 
13* 


298  ROME  AND  ITS  KULEK. 

the  lazy  and  the  indolent  to  prefer  a  life  of  mendicancy 
to  a  life  of  honest  labour.  But,  to  obviate  this  evil, 
the  most  rigorous  measures  have  been  adopted  by  suc- 
cessive Popes,  from  the  time  of  Pius  Y.,  in  the  sixteenth 
century,  to  Pius  IX.,  in  the  nineteenth,  to  suppress  vag- 
rancy, and  defeat  and  punish  imposture.  Even  the 
mildest  pontiffs  and  the  holiest  saints  have  sternly  set 
their  faces  against  loose  and  disorderly  beggars,  while 
their  hearts  overflowed  with  compassion  for  real  suffer- 
ing. St.  Charles  Borromeo  issued  a  severe  edict,  pro- 
hibiting mendicancy  in  the  churches  of  his  arch-diocese 
of  Milan ;  for  in  his  time  the  importunities  and  au- 
dacity of  the  beggars,  who  swarmed  in  the  churches, 
was  such,  in  Milan  as  well  as  in  Rome,  that  great  scan- 
dal was  thereby  caused  to  religion.  Gregory  XIII., 
Sixtus  Y.,  and  subsequent  pontiffs,  vigorously  struggled 
with  this  evil ;  and  to  their  efforts,  as  well  as  to  those 
of  private  individuals,  inspired  by  their  example,  are 
owing  many  of  the  public  asylums  and  orphanages  that 
flourish  in  the  present  day,  and  which,  at  the  time  of 
their  original  foundation,  were  intended  for  the  suc- 
cour of  the  aged  and  infirm,  or  for  the  protection  of 
destitute  and  abandoned  children,  who  would  other- 
wise have  grown  up  in  ignorance  and  vice.  Gregory 
XIII.  provided  the  monastery  of  St.  Sixtus  for  the  re- 
ception of  the  destitute ;  and  Sixtus  Y.  assigned  some 
houses  near  the  Ponte  Sisto  to  form  an  asylum  for  the 
relief  and  seclusion  of  mendicants.  Innocent  XII. 
issued  bulls  for  the  suppression  of  that  mendicancy 
which  fostered  idleness  and  led  to  disorder ;  while  at 


IMPOSTURE   STERNLY   DEALT   WITH.  299 

the  same  time  he  extended  the  means  of  affording  re- 
lief to  the  really  deserving,  by  founding  one  general 
institute,  calling  it,  Ospizio  Generate  di  Poveri  Inva- 
lidi.  The  pontifical  palace  of  the  Lateran  was  assigned 
to  some  as  an  asylum ;  while  others — those  who  were 
married  and  had  families — were  relieved  in  their  own 
houses.  The  magnificent  institution  of  S.  Michele — 
which,  as  I  have  before  stated,  now  combines  within 
its  walls  a  school  of  art  and  trade  for  boys,  a  conserva- 
tory for  girls,  two  asylums  for  men  and  women,  and 
three  prisons,  including  that  for  the  reformation  of  the 
young — mainly  owes  its  origin  to  the  determination  of 
Clement  XI.  to  imitate  the  example  of  his  energetic 
predecessors,  and  free  Rome  from  the  evils  of  importu- 
nate and  turbulent  mendicants.  Pius  VII.,  Leo  XII., 
and  Pius  IX.  have  followed  in  the  same  path — each 
founding  one  or  more  institutions  for  the  reception  of 
the  really  destitute ;  and  also  either  increasing  the 
number,  or  adding  to  the  accommodation,  of  the  exist- 
ing orphan  asylums,  industrial  schools,  and  reformato- 
ries. It  has  been  the  constant  practice  of  the  Popes, 
from  the  time  of  Sixtus  Y.  to  the  present,  to  send  for- 
eign vagrants  to  their  own  country,  and,  by  stringent 
measures,  to  compel  those  capable  of  work  to  do  so. 
The  same  has  been  done  by  the  present  Pope,  who, 
while  full  of  compassion  for  undoubted  distress,  is  as 
much  opposed  as  any  of  his  predecessors  to  that  sturdy 
idle  mendicancy  which  is  so  demoralizing  wherever  it 
is  tolerated. 

To  render  the  relief  of  the  meritorious  poor  more  sys- 


300  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

tematic  and  effectual,  Leo  XII.  established,  in  1826, 
the  Commission  of  Subsidies ;  and  to  this  body  is  en- 
trusted the  management  of  the  greater  number  of  the 
public  charities,  and  the  administration  of  revenues 
which  had  previously  been  distributed  through  a  num- 
ber of  channels.     This  important  body  is  composed  of 
a  Cardinal  President,  and  fifteen  other  members — in- 
cluding the  Treasurer  General  of  the  Camera,  and  the 
Almoner  of  the  Pope.     Twelve  of  the  "  deputies"  pre- 
side over  the  distribution  of  alms  in  the  city.     These 
deputies  are  nominated  by  the  Pope,  and  chosen  partly 
from  the  prelacy,  and  partly  from  the  nobility,  and 
hold   office   for  six  years.     The   city  is  divided  into 
twelve   districts,  or  regions,  and  each  region  is  still 
further  subdivided  into  parishes;  each  parish  having 
its  own  organization,  consisting  of  the  parish  priest  and 
two  parochial  deputies  (a  citizen  and  a  dama  di  carita), 
who  are   nominated  by  the  Cardinal  President,  and 
hold  office  for  three  years.     These  parochial  congrega- 
tions, with  a  physician  and  a  surgeon,  form  the  congre- 
gazione  regionaria,  at  whose  meetings  one  of  the  depu- 
ties of  the  Commission  presides.     All  these  give  their 
services  gratuitously,  but  each  of  the  district  associa- 
tions has  a  secretary  and  a  bailiff  or  steward,  both  of 
whom  are  paid.     The  Commission  also  has  its  neces- 
sary staff,  who  are   likewise   paid  for  their  services. 
The  alms  are   given   personally,  and   by  domiciliary 
visits — by  which  means   the  really  poor  are  known. 
The  motuproprio  of  Leo  XII.  divided  these  alms  under 
different  heads— ordinary,  extraordinary,  and  urgent; 


COMMISSION  OF  SUBSIDIES.  301 

and  not  only  do  they  include  money,  granted  for  pe- 
rio.ds  of  six  and  even  of  twelve  months,  but  also  cloth- 
ing, beds,  and  working  tools.  All  these  articles  are 
manufactured  in  the  asylum  of  Santa  Maria  degli  An- 
geli,  which  is  a  house  of  industry,  in  the  best  sense  of 
the  word,  and  one  of  those  many  institutions  which  owe 
their  origin  to  the  wise  efforts  of  late  Popes  to  substi- 
tute useful  labour  for  idle  mendicancy.  These  articles 
are  stamped,  and  cannot  be  sold  or  bought,  under  a 
penalty  of  ten  days'  imprisonment,  and  the  forfeiture 
of  the  article.  Applications  for  relief  are  sent  in  to  the 
parochial  deputies,  and  addressed  to  the  Cardinal  Pre- 
sident. The  case  is  at  once  visited,  in  order  to  test  the 
truth  of  the  statement ;  and  a  report  upon  its  merits  is 
made  to  the  parochial  congregation,  or  to  the  district 
prefect.  The  granting  of  "  urgent"  aid,  or  aid  in  cloth- 
ing, and  like  matters,  is  in  the  power  of  the  latter;  but 
applications  for  other  descriptions  of  relief  are  discussed 
by  the  parochial  congregation,  who  transmit  them  to  the 
district  congregation,  with  a  recommendation  as  to  the 
quality  and  amount  of  the  aid  to  be  given.  These  are 
again  examined  by  the  district  congregation ;  and  the 
prefect  presents  the  deserving  cases  to  the  Commission, 
by  whom  finally  the  proposed  aid  is  approved.  Assist- 
ance is  also  given  by  the  Cardinal  President  directly, 
or  through  the  Parish  Priests. 

The  reports  presented  by  the  Commission  to  the 
Pope  are  documents  of  much  importance,  as  they  not 
only  contain  an  audit  of  their  expenditure,  but  supply 
information  respecting  the  moral  and  material  condi- 


302  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

tion  of  the  poor,  and  offer  valuable  suggestions  as  to 
the  best  mode  of  their  improvement. 

But  there  are  those  in  Rome,  as  in  other  cities,  who 
are  "  ashamed  to  beg,"  and  who  would  rather  endure 
the  greatest  extremity  of  want  than  make  their  distress 
known  to  others.     With  some,  especially  those  who 
have  seen  better  days,  pride  is  the  influencing  motive 
of  this  reserve;  with  others,  that  bashfulness  and  timid- 
ity which  so   frequently  accompany  decent   poverty. 
The  sympathizing  spirit  of  charity  overlooks  not,  but 
specially  considers,  this   class   of   sufferers;    and  the 
Church  has,  from  time  to  time,  given  birth  to  associa- 
tions whose  object  it  is  to  seek  out  the  poor  who  blush 
to  make  their  wants  known,  and  who  hide  their  misery 
from  the  gaze  of  the  world.     Rome  boasts  of  many 
such  institutions.     Amongst  them,  may  be  mentioned 
the  Arch-Confraternity  of  the  Twelve  Apostles;  the 
Congregation    called    "  Urban  a,"    from    Pope    Urban 
VIII. ;  and  the  Congregation  of  Divine  Piety. 

The  first-mentioned  association  employs  a  number  of 
physicians,  who  visit  the  sick  whom  the  members  have 
found  to  stand  in  need  of  such  succour.  They  also  pro- 
vide professional  assistance  for  the  defence  of  the  poor; 
and  they  specially  protect  orphans  and  widows,  and 
procure  a  safe  shelter  for  girls  "in  danger."  They 
likewise  arrange  disputes  and  reconcile  enemies.  The 
brothers,  who  are  called  "deputies,"  are  all  of  noble  or 
wealthy  families,  and  include  some  lawyers. 

The  second,  besides  performing  many  works  of  piety, 
devote  themselves  to  the  assistance  of  poor  nobles  who 


CHARITABLE  ASSOCIATIONS  FOB  THE  POOK.      303 

have  fallen  into  distress,  and  to  whom  they  allow  a 
monthly  stipend. 

The  Congregation  of  Divine  Piety  was  founded  by 
Giovanni  Stanchi,  Priest  of  Castel  Nuovo,  in  1679. 
This  noble  society  seeks  for  objects  deserving  of  its 
charity ;  and  when  convinced,  by  visit  and  inquiry,  of 
the  existence  of  real  distress,  it  relieves  the  individual, 
or  the  family,  by  the  most  timely  succour — sometimes 
by  food ;  sometimes  by  money  and  food ;  sometimes  by 
a  present  of  beds  and  clothing ;  and  sometimes  by  the 
payment  of  an  arrear  of  rent,  or  by  the  redemption  of 
articles  pawned  through  the  pressure  of  want.  Its 
largest  aid  is  given  when  it  is  apprised  of  the  urgent  ne- 
cessity of  a  poor  and  respectable  family.  These  special 
alms  are  administered  through  four  members,  who  are 
not  required  to  give  an  account  of  the  sums  confided  to 
them,  so  that  the  names  of  the  persons  assisted  might 
not  appear  on  the  register.  In  many  instances,  succour 
comes  unexpectedly  to  a  reduced  family,  who  never 
know  their  benefactor ;  so  that  they  have  only  to  thank 
Divine  Providence  for  their  timely  relief.  An  un- 
known person  presents  himself  at  the  house  of  a  family 
in  distress,  makes  the  offering,  and  disappears.  Well 
might  the  society  be  called  by  the  beautiful  and  ex- 
pressive title  of  "Divine  Mercy." 

.  Morichini  says  truly,  there  is  not  a  religious  associa- 
tion or  institution  that  does  not  dispense  relief — not  a 
convent  or  monastery  that  does  not  give  some  kind  of 
food — not  a  noble  or  wealthy  house  that  has  not  its 
fixed  assignment  for  the  poor. 


304  EOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

But  one  of  the  most  important  branches  of  the 
charity  administered  to  the  poor  of  Kome,  is  the  em- 
ployment afforded  by  certain  "public  works,"  which 
are  principally  undertaken  with  a  view  to  the  indus- 
trial relief  of  those  who  would  otherwise  be  idle,  if 
not  utterly  destitute.  These  works  are  undertaken 
even  more  for  this  charitable  object,  than  for  the  pur- 
pose of  beautifying  the  city,  or  maintaining  in  pres- 
ervation the  remains  of  the  ancient  monuments ; 
though,  as  I  shall  show  in  a  subsequent  chapter,  the 
Pope  devotes  the  greatest  attention  to  the  safety  of 
objects  so  dear  to  the  scholar  and  the  man  of  taste. 

The  stranger  may  behold  a  number  of  men,  cer- 
tainly not  of  the  able-bodied  class,  languidly  wield- 
ing the  pickaxe,  or  slowly  trundling  the  wheelbarrow, 
at  the  base  of  some  ancient  monument ;  removing  ob- 
structions, directing  dangerous  streamlets  into  a  safe 
channel,  and  carting  away  rubbish  which  centuries 
had  accumulated,— thereby  frequently  revealing  to 
modern  curiosity  a  choice  bas-relief,  or  more  valuable 
inscription.  These  workmen  form  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  the  number  to  whom  employment,  of  various 
kinds,  but  generally  with  the  same  object  in  view,  is 
thus  mercifully  afforded. 

This  system  of  industrial  relief  is  by  no  means  of 
modern  invention,  having  been  originally  established 
and  adopted  by  Sixtus  Y.  and  Innocent  XII.  The 
French  Administration  made  use  of  it  with  considerable 
advantage,  as  well  as  a  means  of  employment  as  of  restor- 
ing to  view  many  half-buried  monuments  of  ancient  art. 


INDUSTRIAL  RELIEF.  305 

Leo  XII.  also  employed  the  same  means  towards  the 
same  ends;  and  Gregory  XYI.  greatly  increased  the 
annnal  sum  devoted  to  this  creditable  purpose.  But 
Pius  IX.  has  still  further  improved  on  the  liberality  of 
his  predecessors,  as  witness  the  many  important  works 
which  he  has  of  late  years  undertaken  and  carried  out. 

In  the  winter  the  pressure  is  greater  than  in  summer ; 
employment,  through  private  enterprise,  being  more 
general  in  the  latter  period  of  the  year,  when  the  wants 
of  Italian  life  are  fewer,  and  the  poor  are  enabled  to 
eke  out  a  subsistence  by  selling  fruit  and  other  small 
merchandise.  Healthy  and  able-bodied  men  are  not 
employed  on  these  works,  unless  they  are  proved  to  be 
in  absolute  want ;  such  employment  being  reserved  for 
those  whom  private  persons  would  not  be  likely  to  se- 
lect, and  who,  in  fact  are  really  fitting  objects  for  assist- 
ance. Masons  and  bricklayers  are  found  to  be  the  most 
frequent  applicants  for  this  species  of  relief ;  while  car- 
penters, smiths,  hatters,  and  shoemakers,  are  very  rarely 
so.  A  period  of  severe  pressure,  which  diminishes  the 
means  of  employment  afforded  through  private  enter- 
prise, necessarily  advances  the  value  of  this  resource  to 
the  really  industrious ;  and  according  to  the  necessity  of 
the  moment,  so  is  the  amount  of  employment  increased. 

A  certain  proportion  of  this  means  of  employment  is 
reserved  for  those  who  have  come  out  of  prison,  and 
have  not  been  able  to  find  work  in  the  ordinary  way. 
These  are  under  the  surveillance  of  the  police,  and  are, 
at  first,  paid  a  smaller  sum  for  their  labour  than  is  given 
to  all  others ;  but  if  it  be  found  that  they  conduct  them- 


306  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

selves  properly,  and  do  their  work  diligently,  they  are 
then  put  upon  a  level  with  the  rest,  and  receive  the 
usual  pay,  which  is  fifteen  bajocchi  a  day.  This  would 
be  a  miserable  rate  of  compensation  in  these  countries, 
but  it  is  not  so  in  countries  where  the  wants  of  life  are 
few,  and  where  they  are  cheaply  provided  for. 

Besides  the  numerous  asylums  in  which  old  age  and 
infirmity  are  sheltered,  there  are  hospitals  provided  for 
temporary  relief;  such  as  those  of  S.  Galla  and  S.  Luigi, 
which  receive  all  those  who  have  'no  other  place  of 
shelter  during  the  night. 

I  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  a  number  of  old  men 
sitting  down  to  a  comfortable  repast  in  the  refectory  of 
the  noble  asylum  of  S.  Michele.  The  hall  was  of  con- 
siderable size,  with  tables  ranged  on  each  side.  The 
tables  were  decently  furnished  with  linen  and  other 
requisites ;  and  before  each  old  gentleman  was  placed  a 
most  excellent  dinner,  consisting  of  soup,  meat,  vege- 
tables, and  bread,  with  a  fair  proportion  of  wine.  And 
composedly  and  respectably  sat  those  old  gentlemen 
before  their  meal — not  one  which  was  grudged  to  them 
by  selfish  ratepayers  and  pinching  "  guardians  of  the 
poor,"  but  to  which  they  felt,  because  they  had  been  so 
taught,  that  age  and  infirmity  gave  them  an  indefeasible 
right.  There  was  no  badge  of  degradation — nothing 
to  denote  that  they  were  outcasts  from  "  respectable" 
society  ; — on  the  contrary,  such  was  the  grave  compo- 
sure and  dignity  of  those  "  ancient  Bomans,"  that  a 
stranger  who  beheld  them  might  have  readily  supposed 
that  he  was  in  the  dining-hall  of  a  hotel,  and  not  in  the 


LICENSED  MENDICANTS.  307 

refectory  of  a  poor-house.  From  what  I  saw  of  their 
manner  to  my  guide — one  of  the  clergymen  having  the 
care  of  the  establishment — I  could  well  understand 
how  different,  in  its  influence  on  the  mind  and  heart  of 
the  recipient,  is  that  charity  which  springs  from  the  love 
of  God,  and  that  which  is  the  offspring  of  mere  State 
expediency.  The  one  cherishes  the  best  feelings  of  the 
heart;  the  other  chills  and  deadens,  if  it  do  not  kill, 
them.* 

My  gradually  diminishing  space  will  not  admit  of 
any  further  reference  to  this  subject.  I  shall  only  add, 
that  the  severity  of  the  laws  against  street  mendicants 
has  been  relaxed,  since  the  year  1837,  in  favour  of  cer- 
tain invalids  and  infirm  persons,  who  procure  a  license 
and  a  badge.  They  are  to  be  met  with  in  most  places 
in  Rome,  as,  indeed,  others  who  have  not  obtained  this 
legal  status  ;  but  I  cannot  say  that  I  have  found  them 
unduly  importunate.  At  any  rate,  if  a  stranger  hap- 
pen to  express  a  feeling  of  annoyance  at  the  prevalence 
of  the  practice  of  soliciting  alms,  he  is  very  likely  to 
be  reminded  of  the  words  of  the  Redeemer,  who  said, 
in  reply  to  the  hypocritical  remonstrance  of  Judas, 
when  Mary  anointed  the  feet  of  Christ,  "For  the 
poor  you  have  always  with  you  /  hut  me  you  have  not 
always"  (John  xxii.  8). 

*  I  find,  by  referring  to  the  great  work  of  John  Howard,  the  philan- 
thropist, who  visited  Rome  towards  the  close  of  the  last  century,  that 
he  was  favourably  impressed  by  this  institution.  He  thus  writes : — 

"Adjoining  to  another  court  are  apartments  for  the  aged  and  infirm, 
in  which  were  260  men  and  226  women.  Here  they  find  a  comfortable 
retreat,  having  clean  rooms  and  a  refectory.  I  conversed  with  some  of 
them,  and  they  appeared  happy  and  thankful." 


308  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Dowries. — Monte  di  Pieta. — The  Roman  Savings  Bank. — Its  Origin,  its 
Operations,  and  its  Success. 

AMONG  the  other  charities  of  Rome,  those  which  have 
been  established,  whether  by  associations  or  individuals, 
for  giving  dowries  to  young  girls,  especially  orphans, 
are  peculiarly  interesting.     This  has  at  all  times  been 
deemed  a  work  of  great  merit;  and  hence  we  find 
Popes,  cardinals,  princes,  nobles,  merchants,  lawyers, 
and  others,  bequeathing  funds,  with  the  object  of  mak- 
ing an  honourable  provision  for  those  who,  without 
such  provision  being  made  for  them,  might  be  exposed 
to  danger,  if  not  to  destruction.     The  number  of  dow- 
ries now  given  in  Home,  of  which  there  can  be  any 
public  record,  is  about  1200   annually;  and  this  has 
been  the  average  for  the  last  fifteen  or  twenty  years. 
In  the  year  1Y89  there  was  published  a  little  volume 
on  this  subject,  in  which  it  was  stated  that  the  sum 
which  was  then  annually  distributed  was  60,000  scudi ; 
which  gross  sum,  at  an  average  of  40  scudi  each  dow- 
ry, would  provide  1500  portions— then,  as  now,  given 
to  young  girls  on  their  marriage,  or  on  their  entering  a 
convent.     To  this  pious  work  several  confraternities,  or 
religious  associations,  are  entirely  devoted.     Of  these, 


DOWRIES.  309 

the  Arch-Confraternity  of  the  Holy  Annunciation  might 
-be  mentioned.  In  the  year  1460  a  society,  consisting 
of  200  Roman  gentlemen,  was  formed ;  the  first  motive 
of  this  association  being,  by  the  practice  of  piety  and 
good  works,  to  do  honour  to  the  Annunciation  of  the 
Blessed  Yirgin.  It  was  then  united  to  the  Church  of 
S.  Maria,  now  commonly  known  as  the  Minerva,  fi'om 
its  having  been  built  on  the  site  of  an  ancient  temple 
erected  to  the  worship  of  the  Daughter  of  Jove.  In 
I486  the  society  was  dedicated  to  the  gathering  of  alms, 
with  a  view  to  the  portioning  of  poor  girls,  so  as  to  save 
them  from  danger  of  seduction.  It  was  constituted  an 
arch-confraternity  by  Gregory  XIII.  in  1581 ;  and  Pope 
Urban  left  it  heir  to  his  wealth.  As  early  as  the  year 
1600,  it  portioned  200  girls  annually,  the  greater  por- 
tion of  whom  received  50,  and  some  100,  scudi.  In 
1700  it  gave  about  400  portions ;  and  at  this  day  the 
average  is  about  the  same,  at  a  gross  disbursement  of 
16,000  scudi.  It  still  consists  of  Roman  gentlemen,  a 
certain  number  of  whom  are  ecclesiastics,  the  Cardinal 
Yicar  being  its  Protector.  The  objects  of  its  bounty 
must  be  of  good  character,  and  born  in  wedlock ;  but 
this  latter  condition  is  overlooked  in  special  cases.  And 
in  order  that  its  charity  should  not  be  given  to  an  un- 
deserving person,  a  probation  of  three  years  is  insisted 
upon,  during  which  time  the  girl  is  watched  over  by 
the  society ;  nor  is  the  dowry  given  until  the  moment 
when  she  becomes  a  wife  or  a  religious.  This  period 
of  probation  is  of  great  advantage  to  the  girl  herself, 
as  well  as  to  the  community  generally. 


310  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

The  arch-confraternity  just  described  is  not  of  so  an- 
cient a  date  as   the   arch-confraternity  of   Gonfalone^ 
from  which  sprang  several  others,  also  dedicated  to  the 
same  objects— the  protection  of  poor  girls,  whom  they 
assisted  to  establish  in  life. 

Morichini  states  that  there  were,  when  he  wrote,  no 
less  than  thirteen  institutions  or  associations  in  Kome 
by  which  dowries  were  provided.  And  in  his  work  he 
alludes  to  no  fewer  than  sixty-two,  by  which  relief,  of 
one  kind  or  other,  was  administered. 

Pius  IX.  has  at  all  times  esteemed  this  giving  of 
dowries  to  young  girls  a  great  charity  ;  and  has  ac- 
cordingly expended,  and  continues  to  expend,  a  consid- 
erable portion  of  his  private  means  in' the  good  work. 

This  description  of  charity  is  very  common  through- 
out Italy,  and  is  practised  to  a  considerable  extent  by 
noble  and  wealthy  families  and  by  pious  individuals. 
Sums  of  money  are  commonly  bequeathed  for  this 
purpose;  and  the  bridal  festivities  of  the  rich  are 
gracefully  availed  of  as  a  fitting  occasion  of  conferring 
happiness  on  the  poor. 

A  brief  notice  of  what  was  intended  as  a  useful 
charity  may  be  here  added  :  the — 

MONTE  DI  PIETA. 

This  institution,  which  was  originally  established  so 
early  as  the  year  1539,  when  it  received  the  sanction 
of  Paul  III.,  was  intended  as  a  'remedy  against  the 
prevailing  evil  of  usury.  Extinguished  in  the  troubles 
which  marked  the  close  of  the  last  century,  it  was  re- 


MONTE  DI  PIETA.  311 

suscitated  in  1803,  by  Pius  VII.  The  loan  was  then 
limited  to  one  scudo,  or  crown ;  in  1814  it  was  increased 
to  three ;  but  from  that  time  it  was  extended  to  fifty, 
and  ultimately  it  has  had  no  fixed  limit.  The  office  is 
opened  at  an  early  hour,  and  is  not  closed  till  all  the 
business  is  done.  The  loan  is  always  one  third  less 
than  the  value  of  the  article  pledged ;  and  articles  of 
gold  and  silver  are  estimated  at  their  intrinsic  value, 
the  work  of  the  artist  not  being  taken  into  considera- 
tion. Each  loan  or  pledge  is  carefully  registered,  and 
the  goods  are  laid  aside  in  large  halls  specially  adapted 
to  the  purpose,  and  arranged  with  the  utmost  care  for 
their  safety  and  preservation.  The  goods  are  retained 
from  six  to  seven  months ;  after  which  time,  if  the  inter- 
est (which  is  limited  to  5  per  cent.)  be  not  paid,  they  are 
sold  in  canto  /  and  if  there  be  any  surplus  after  the  loan 
and  interest,  it  is  kept  for  the  persons  who  have  pledged 
the  articles.  Pledges  to  the  value  of  a  crown  are  received 
and  renewed  gratuitously,  and  without  interest ;  which 
is,  of  course,  intended  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
poor,  who  avail  themselves  of  it  very  freely.  These 
free  pledges  frequently  amount  to  a  considerable  num- 
ber daily.  They  increase  in  October  and  in  the  time  of 
the  Carnival,  and  diminish  at  Christmas  and  in  August. 
The  daily  loans  amount  to  nearly  4,000  crowns,  and 
the  capital  in  circulation  amounts  to  more  than  half  a 
million  of  crowns.  The  number  of  pledges  at  the  time 
when  MORICHINI  wrote,  was  more  than  100,000 ;  and 
the  annual  revenue  derived  from  the  transactions  of  the 
institution  was  then  about  40,000  scudi.  All  kinds  of 


312  ROME  AND  ITS  EULER. 

articles,  with  the  exception  of  those  belonging  to  pub 
lie  institutions,  and  which  are  marked,  are  received ; 
and  it  frequently  happens  that  objects  of  the  greatest 
value  are  deposited  as  pledges,  more  for  the  sake  of  se- 
curing their  protection,  than  with  a  view  to  pecuniary 
convenience.  In  all  respects  the  arrangements  are  ad- 
mirable, and  excite  the  interest  of  those  who  witness  the 
operations  of  the  institution  ;  which  is  administered  by 
a  prelate,  a  treasurer-general,  and  a  confraternity. 

In  natural  connection  with  the  Monte  di  Pieta,  may 
be  noticed  the 

Cassa  di  Risparmio,  or  Savings  Bank. 
Savings  Banks  are  of  comparatively  recent  origin; 
the  earliest— that  established  in  Hamburg— dating  no 
further  back  than  the  year  1778.     Before  the  close  of 
the  century,  the  example  of  Hamburg  was  followed  in 
several  European  countries,  England  included.  The  first 
in  Italy  was  established  in  Milan  in  1823 ;  but  it  was  not 
until  the  year  1836,  when  the  experiment  had  been  sat- 
isfactorily tested  in  many  other  places,  that  it  was  at- 
tempted in  Rome.    In  that  year,  four  Roman  gentlemen 
of  rank  met  together  to  discuss  the  subject  in  all  its 
bearings— the  advantages  and  dangers  of  such  an  insti- 
tution, and  its  adaptation  to  the  genius  and  character  of 
the  people.     Satisfied  of  its  usefulness  as  a  promoter  of 
industry  and  frugality,  they  resolved  on  the  attempt  to 
establish  it  in  Rome,  and  drew  up  rules  for  its  manage- 
ment.    They  secured  the  Prince  Francesco  Borghese  as 
its  President,  and  obtained  the  sanction  and  assistance 


THE   ROMAN  SAVINGS  BANK.  313 

of  Gregory  XYL,  who  highly  approved  of  its  princi 
pies.  No  sooner  was  the  public  announcement  made 
of  the  intention  to  establish  the  bank,  than  one  hundred 
associates  were  enrolled,  including  the  first  names  of 
Rome.  A  Council  of  twelve  persons,  was  next  formed, 
including  the  President,  Vice  President,  the  Secretary, 
five  Councillors,  a  Director,  an  Auditor,  a  Cashier,  &c. 
A  popular  explanation  of  the  object  of  the  bank,  its  ad- 
vantages, and  its  usefulness,  was  drawn  up  by  the  Sec- 
retary, Monsignor  Morichini,  one  of  its  four  originators, 
and  was  generally  distributed.  The  President  (Prince 
Borghese)  gave  rooms  in  his  own  palace ;  by  which  act 
he  increased  the  confidence  already  created  in  the  pub- 
lic mind.  On  Sunday,  the  4th  of  August,  1836,  the  bank 
was  solemnly  opened ;  and  its  rapid  success  was  the 
best  reward  of  its  benevolent  promoters,  and  the  best 
commentary  upon  the  soundness  of  their  judgment. 
The  bank  is  opened  on  Sundays  and  Wednesdays  at  nine 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  is  not  closed  until  the  busi- 
ness is  at  an  end.  Deposits  are  received  on  Sunday, 
and  drawn  on  Wednesday.  The  sum  received  at  one 
time  may  range  from  one  paolo,  or  five-pence,  to  20 
scudi,  or  somewhat  more  than  4Z.  Interest,  at  the  rate 
of  4  per  cent.,  is  paid  on  deposits  of  more  than  20  ba- 
jocchi,  or  a  little  more  than  tenpence.  Payment  of  in- 
terest is  made  twice  a  year,  in  June  and  December.  If 
the  interest  be  left  undrawn,  it  is  also  liable  to  interest. 
A  notice  of  fifteen  days  is  required  for  drawing  sums 
above  10  scudi;  but  any  demand  under  that  sum  is 

paid  at  once.    The  Council  assemble  twice  a  month  to 
14 


314  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

discuss  the  affairs  of  the  bank,  and  are  especially  solic- 
itous as  to  the  best  mode  of  investing  the  money  depos- 
ited, respecting  which  some  difficulty  may  at  times  be 
experienced.   The  accounts  are  published  annually.  As 
a  means  of  realizing  funds,  current  accounts  are  opened 
with  persons  of  wealth  and  approved  character.     The 
public  funds  that  offer  a  European  guarantee,  and  af- 
ford a  ready  facility  of  purchase  and  sale,  are  another 
means  of  investment.     Mortgages,  at  a  moderate  rate 
of  interest— a  boon   to   many   an    encumbered    pro- 
prietor, who  thus  is  enabled  to  exchange  a  heavy  lia- 
bility for  one  easy  to  bear — also  afford  a  means  of  in- 
vestment.    Shares  are  likewise  bought  in   approved 
projects,  according  to  the  best  discretion  of  the  Coun- 
cil.    The  sum  contributed  by  the  persons  who  associa- 
ted with  the  purpose  of  establishing  this  valuable  insti- 
tute-, was  5,000  scudi ;  and  with  this  small  sum  and  the 
moneys  of  the  depositors,  it  was  almost  immediately  in 
successful  operation.     Monsignor  Morichini,  its  original 
Secretary,  gives  an  account  of  what  it  did  within  the 
period  of  six  years  from  the  day  it  was  opened.     The 
deposits  for  that  time  amounted  to  1,653,659  scudi ;  and 
the  money  taken  out  amounted  to  769,852  scudi.     The 
number   of    pass-books  issued  was  16,364,  in   which 
158,647   deposits  had   been    entered.     The   cancelled 
pass-books  were  6,249.    For  an  entirely  new  institution, 
this  was  a  highly  successful  result.     The  comparatively 
low  rate  of  interest  prevents  speculation,  which,  if  en- 
couraged, would  interfere  with  the  manifest  intentions 
of  the  founders,  and  risk  public  confidence  in  its  useful- 


PEOOF  OF  INCREASING  PROSPERITY.  315 

ness.  But  several  benefit  and  charitable  societies  use 
the  bank  as  a  legitimate  means  of  increasing  their  in- 
come, and  extending  their  utility. 

The  Roman  Savings  Bank,  though  established  only 
twenty  years  since,  has  already  received  about  four 
millions  of  scudi,  or  nearly  one  million  of  our  money, 
in  deposits.  For  the  year  1856  there  was  an  increase 
in  the  number  of  depositors  and  in  the  amount  of  de- 
posits over  those  of  1855.  The  increase  in  the  number 
of  depositors  was  216 — and  in  the  amount  of  deposits, 
80,000  scudi.  These  figures  are  of  themselves  no  tri- 
fling indication  of  increasing  prosperity. 


316  ROME   AND  ITS  RULER, 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

Religious  Character  of  the  Roman  People.-Attendance  in  the  Churches. 
±Roman  Churches  not  merely  Local-Attendance  at  the  Forty 
Hours'  Adoration.-Religious  Retreat  for  the  Poor.-Festivals  of  ti 
Church.— The  Pope  at  San  Carlo.-The  Monastery  of  the  Passi 
ists.— Church  of  St.  Clement.— Church  of  St.  Isidore. 

AN  erroneous  notion  with  respect  to  the  religious 
character  of  the  Koman  people,  is  commonly  enter- 
tained by  strangers  who  casually  visit  the  churches  of 
Kome.     They  imagine,  because  they  do  not  behold  the 
churches  crowded  with  worshippers,  that  therefore  the 
Eomans  are  not  a  religious  people.     As  a  general  rule, 
the  idler  in  Eome  is  not  an  early  riser ;  while,  in  order 
to  be  able  to  form  a  fair  idea  of  the  devotional  charac- 
ter of  the  people,  he  should  be  so ;  for  it  is  at  the  very 
hour  when  he  is  still  buried  in  peaceful  slumber,  that 
the  people  are  to  be  found  in  great  numbers  in  the 
parish  churches,  or  in.  those  attached  to  the  convents, 
and  are  even  seen  crowding  round  the  rails  of  the  altar 
as  communicants.     This  description  applies  to  the  week 
days,  but  of  course  in  a  much  greater  degree  to  the 
Sunday.     Before  commencing  the  business  of  the  day, 
the  shop-keeper  and  the  trader  punctually  attend  Mass ; 
and  the  workman  sanctifies  his  coming  toil  by  the  same 
pious  practice.     Strangers  almost  invariably  go  to  the 


ATTENDANCE  IN  THE  CHUECHES.  317 

High  Mass,  to  witness  the  more  imposing  ceremonial, 
and  enjoy  the  treat  which  the  fine  singing  affords ;  but 
the  Roman  people  go  at  the  earliest  hours  to  the  "  low 
Mass" — the  feeling  of  religious  obligation  being,  with 
them,  a  sufficient  inducement.  Thus  the  great  church- 
es, such  as  the  Gesu  and  the  Minerva,  may  be  seen 
crowded  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning  by  devout 
congregations ;  and  so  many  other  churches,  which,  on 
many  accounts,  are  held  in  special  favour— for  exam- 
ple, the  Church  of  the  Capuchins,  in  the  Piazza  Bar- 
berini.  Besides,  notwithstanding  the  occupation  of  the 
people  during  the  hours  of  business  and  labour,  it  is 
almost  impossible  for  a  visitor  to  enter  any  one  of  the 
300  or  400  churches  of  Rome,  no  matter  at  what  hour 
of  the  day,  without  perceiving  at  least  two  or  three 
persons  kneeling  before  the  altar  of  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment ;  which  altar  is  indeed  as  conspicuous  from  the 
worshippers  Who  are  absorbed  in  devotion  before  its 
rails,  as  by  the  lights  which  are  constantly  kept  burn- 
ing upon  it.  I  myself  must  have  visited  very  nearly 
one-half  of  the  Roman  churches,  and  certainly  all 
those  considered  the  most  remarkable ;  and  I  have 
never  seen  any  one  church  entirely  destitute  of  wor- 
shippers; whereas,  on  many  occasions,  1  have  seen 
considerable  congregations  both  at  Mass  and  at  Yes 
pers.  But,  after  all,  how  is  it  possible  that  any  num- 
ber of  the  churches  of  Rome  could  appear  to  be  well 
filled?  Remember,  the  population,  according  to  the 
last  census,  was  about  172,000,  and  that  the  number  of 
churches  is  between  300  and  400 ;  and  that  amongst 


318  EOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

them  are  included  St.  Peter's,  St.  Paul's,  Santa  Maria 
Maggiore,  the  Lateran,  Santa  Croce,  and  a  number  of 
other  stupendous  buildings.  Why,  it  would  require  a 
far  larger  population  than  London  possesses  to  fill  the 
churches  of  Kome;  half  a  dozen  of  the  largest  of 
which  might  hold  every  man,  woman,  and  child  of  the 
population  in  the  midst  of  which  they  are  erected. 

"  But  why,"  asks  the  utilitarian,  in  the  true  parochial 
spirit,  "  has  Kome  so  many  churches,  when  there  are 
no  congregations  to  fill  them  ?"     The  answer  is,  the 
Koman  churches  are  not  local  churches,  for  local  pur- 
poses, and  local  wants ;  they  belong  to  Catholic  Christ- 
endom— to  the  Church  of  the  whole  world — and  not 
to  Kome  alone.     From  the  fourth  to  the  nineteenth 
century,  the  great  churches  of  Kome  have  been  the 
splendid  evidences  of  the  piety  and  liberality  of  rulers 
and  of  nations ;  and,  even  at  this  day,  the  contributions 
of  the  faithful  throughout  the  wide  extent  of  the  earth 
have  assisted  Pius  IX.  to  bring  to  a  state  of  completion 
the  great  Basilica  of  St.  Paul's,  which,  originally  com- 
menced by  Constantine,  and  finished  by  Theodosius 
and  his  son  Honorius,  has  risen  from  the  ashes  of  the 
great  fire  of  1823  in  almost  unparalleled  grandeur  and 
magnificence.     All  the  churches  of  Kome  have  been 
erected  with  the  great  and  paramount  object  of  giving 
glory  to  the  Supreme  Being;   but  many  have  been 
founded  with  the  additional  object  of  honouring  the 
Yirgin  Mother  of  God,  and  the  apostles  and  martyrs 
of  the  Church — of  commemorating  those  glorious  deeds 
by  which  the  religion  of  the  Gospel  was  firmly  estab- 


ROMAN  CHURCHES   NOT  MERELY  LOCAL.         319 

lished,  and  recording  those  signal  events  by  which  the 
Church  was  protected  from  the  violence  or  the  machi- 
nations of  her  enemies.  Surely,  St.  Peter's  is  not  a 
mere  Eoman  Church — but  the  Church  of  the  Christian 
World ;  for  beneath  its  sublime  dome  repose  the  bodies 
of  the  two  greatest  of  the  Apostles — Paul  and  Peter. 
Thus  many  of  the  churches,  which  the  utilitarian  may 
deem  superfluous  and  unnecessary,  rise  above  the  hal- 
lowed relics  of  some  saint  or  martyr,  whose  preachings, 
whose  labours,  or  whose  sufferings,  caused  them  to  be- 
long, not  to  any  country  or  to  any  race,  but  to  the 
world  and  mankind.  And  where,  more  fittingly  than 
in  Eome,  could  Catholic  piety  have  erected,  or  Catholic 
munificence  have  adorned,  such  splendid  memorials  to 
the  honour  of  the  heroes  of  God's  Church  ?  In  fact, 
in  the  Christian  temples  of  Eome,  you  may  trace  the 
chequered  history  of  the  Church  throughout  all  ages, 
from  the  gloomiest  days  of  its  persecution,  to  those  of 
its  proudest  -triumphs  and  most  splendid  conquests. 
Popes,  emperors,  kings,  princes,  cardinals,  and  bishops, 
as  well  as  empresses,  queens,  and  princesses,  have  ever 
sought,  through  the  magnificence  of  architecture,  the 
charms  of  painting,  and  the  more  spiritual  beauty  of 
sculpture,  as  well  as  by  the  lavish  use  of  the  rarest  and 
most  costly  productions  of  nature,  to  render  Eome,  as 
it  were  more  visibly  and  strikingly  to  the  eye  of  the 
stranger,  the  Centre  of  Catholic  Unity — the  City  of 
Holy  Places. 

The  immense  number  of  churches  in  Eome  may  be 
further  accounted  for  by  the  many  parishes  into  which 


320  ROME  AND  ITS  EULER. 

the  city  is  divided ;  each  parish  having  a  church  of  its 
own ;  by  the  fact,  that  to  each  convent  or  monastery  a 
church  is  almost  invariably  attached ;  and,  also,  by  the 
number  of  national  churches  belonging  to  Catholic  na- 
tions in  various  parts  of  the  world. 

But  I  was  alluding  to  the  devotion  of  the  modern 
Eomans.  To  really  understand  the  religious  character 
of  the  people,  one  ought  to  see  them  at  the  devotion  of 
the  Quarant  Ore,  or  the  forty  hours'  adoration.  The 
spectacle  is  most  impressive, — the  church,  purposely 
darkened,  crowded  at  all  hours  with  kneeling  worship- 
pers— the  outlines  of  the  building  dimly  traced,  and 
the  congregation  but  faintly  illumined,  by  the  lights 
which  burn  on  the  altar  on  which  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment is  exposed.  Then  the  deep,  earnest  devotion,  the 
reverent  air,  the  prayerful  attitude,  so  humble  and  so 
pious,  must  satisfy  any  one  who  is  not  an  arrant  scoffer, 
that  those  who  kneel  before  that  altar  do  so  in  the 
spirit  of  the  liveliest  faith  and  the  sincerest  piety.  The 
prince  and  the  peasant  meet  here  on  a  perfect  equal- 
ity ;  the  one  receiving  new  impulses  to  that  charity  in 
which  the  Eoman  noble  so  truly  proves  himself  to  be 
a  son  of  the  Church — the  other  borrowing  strength  and 
fortitude  to  meet  and  endure  the  difficulties  of  his  lot 
in  life. 

Space  will  not  permit  of  my  alluding  to,  much  less 
dwelling  upon,  the  many  means  by  which  a  religious 
spirit  is  cherished  amongst  all  classes  of  the  people; 
and  I  shall  only  therefore  attempt,  by  a  single  illus- 


RELIGIOUS  "RETREAT"  FOR  THE  POOR.   321 

tration,  to  afford  the  reader  an  idea  of  that  solicitude 
which  is  ever  felt  for  their  spiritual  welfare. 

About  forty  years  ago,  Michelini,  a  curate  in  the 
Trastevere,  obtained,  for  the  purpose  of  prayer  and 
temporary  retreat,  the  family  house  of  the  Ponziani, 
which  was  then  a  granary.  In  this  retreat  the  poor 
prepare  themselves  for  their  first  communion,  by  a 
seclusion  of  eight  days;  during  which  time  they  are 
provided  gratuitously  with  every  necessary,  and  minis- 
tered to  and  instructed  by  ecclesiastics  who  shut  them- 
selves up  so  long  as  the  retreat  lasts.  Seventeen  of 
these  retreats,  to  sixty  persons  each  retreat,  take  place 
in  the  year ;  so  that  each  year  1020  Christians  are 
fully  prepared  for  the  greatest  act  of  their  spiritual 
life ;  and  these  <are  not  the  rich — who  enjoy  the  pos- 
sessions of  the  world  —  but  the  poor.  Pius  IX. 
evinced  his  interest  in  this  most  valuable  charity,  by 
presenting  himself  unexpectedly,  about  three  years 
since,  and  administering  communion  to  the  temporary 
inmates  of  the  building.  The  whole  thing  is  beautiful. 
A  cheerful  little  court,  for  recreation,  adorned  with 
plants  and  orange  trees ;  and  the  modest  refectory  at 
the  side.  Upstairs,  the  wards,  plain  and  exquisitely 
neat,  each  with  a  bed  for  a  priest  who  presides,  and 
over  the  door  the  name  of  a  saint.  Several  chapels  for 
the  different  exercises,  one  set  apart  for  the  Communion, 
and  a  room  for  an  hour's  conversation — all  singularly 
tasteful  and  attractive.  In.  one  of  the  chapels  are  be- 
held an  eloquent  testimony  to  the  efficacy  of  this  good 
work — the  pistols,  stilettoes,  and  knives,  voluntarily 
14* 


322  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

abandoned.  In  this  house  of  touching  kindness,  food, 
lodging,  instruction — everything,  as  I  have  said,  is 
gratuitous ;  given  by  the  devotion  of  the  priests,  and 
the  alms  of  the  faithful.  We  have  praise  for  the  hos- 
pital and  for  the  well-ordered  prison ;  but  in  such  an 
asylum  as  this,  the  poor  find  a  greater  mercy— the 
silent  supernatural  bringing  of  man's  soul  to  God. 

A  corresponding  place  for  women  is  established  at 
San  Pasquale. 

To  prepare  the  young  for  their  First  Communion  has 
ever  been  one  of  the  most  cherished  objects  of  the  Pope, 
who  has  done  much  to  render  its  influence  more  last- 
ing on  the  mind  and  heart  of  the  youthful  communi- 
cant. It  is  his  frequent  habit  to  administer  the  Sacra- 
ment to  them  himself. 

The  Festivals  of  the  Church  afford  the  religious  peo- 
ple of  Koine  abundant  opportunities  of  indulging  their 
piety.  I  had  an  opportunity  of  witnessing  the  celebra- 
tion of  several,  and  at  the  same  time  of  convincing 
myself  of  the  devotional  character  of  the  modern  Ro- 
mans. 

On  Tuesday,  the  4th  of  November,  the  Feast  of  St. 
Charles  Borromeo,  I  formed  one  of  a  vast  crowd  who 
had  assembled  in  and  about  the  Church  of  San  Carlo, 
in  the  Corso,  to  witness  the  imposing  spectacle  of  his 
Holiness  coming  in  state  to  that  fine  church.  Having 
heard  and  read  so  much  as  to  the  indifference  of  the 
Romans  to  such  spectacles,  to  which  use  too  had  ren- 
dered them  so  familiar,  I  was  amazed  at  the  eager- 
ness so  vigorously  manifested,  not  by  strangers,  but  by 


THE  POPE  AT  SAN  CARLO.          323 

citizens,  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  Holy  Father.  To 
me,  who  witnessed  it  for  the  first  time,  the  whole  pa- 
geant was  as  striking  as  impressive ;  nor  was  its  effect 
diminished,  but  greatly  enhanced,  by  the  graceful  and 
elegant  manner  in  which  the  inhabitants  of  the  palaces 
and  houses  on  each  side  of  the  Corso  evinced  their  re- 
spect for  the  Pope.  From  every  window  and  balcony 
was  suspended  a  piece  of  drapery,  or  tapestry  of  some 
kind;  and,  in  many  instances,  judicious  contrast  and 
tasteful  arrangement  added  much  to  the  general  effect. 
The  picturesque  street,  so  full  of  architectural  variety 
— the  eager  crowd,  including  the  representatives  of 
many  countries,  attracted  to  Home  by  various  motives 
— the  uniforms  and  accoutrements  of  the  troops  that 
lined  the  streets — some  French,  some  Italian,  some 
Swiss — infantry  as  well  as  horse — the  flashing  of  the 
gorgeous  equipages  of  the  cardinals — the  clash  of  arms, 
and  the  grand  burst  of  two  full  bands,  as  the  more 
magnificent  state  coach  of  his  Holiness,  preceded  and 
followed  by  his  guards,  was  driven  to  the  door,  and  he 
himself  alighted  in  the  midst  of  a  kneeling  crowd,  to 
whom  he  imparted  the  apostolic  benediction, — all  seen, 
too,  beneath  a  beautiful  Italian  sky  and  a  bright  Italian 
sun,  formed  a  picture  brilliant  and  striking  to  any  eye, 
but  one  in  the  highest  degree  interesting  and  impres- 
sive to  a  Catholic  from  a  distant  land. 

The  appearance  which  the  interior  of  the  fine  Church 
of  San  Carlo  presented,  was  most  imposing.  It  was 
decorated,  according  to  the  custom. on  such  occasions, 


324  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

with  a  rich  drapery  of  crimson  damask,  with  a  gold, 
border,  relieved  by  a  blended  drapery  of  white  silk 
similarly  ornamented.  With  this  drapery,  the  piers, 
pillars,  and  pilasters,  were  concealed;  and  where. arches 
occurred,  they  were  gracefully  festooned  with  the  same 
elegant  material — the  effect  being  further  heightened 
by  flowers  tastefully  disposed,  and  by  a  profusion  of 
wax-lights  in  every  variety  of  candelabrum.  The 
swelling  notes  of  the  grand  organ,  the  glorious  burst 
of  the  full  choir,  consisting  -of  the  best  singers  of 
Koine,  and  the  splendid  ceremonials  with  which  the 
Church  did  honour  to  one  of  the  most  illustrious  of 
her  children— all  realized  to  the  eye  and  to  the  imagi- 
nation a  grand  picture  of  Catholic  worship. 

I  was  ratker  surprised  to  hear  it  said  that  this  visit 
of  the  Pope's  was  only  in  mezzo  gala,  or  half  state. 

The  rush  to  witness  the  departure  of  the  Holy  Father 
was  quite  equal  to  that  which  marked  his  arrival. 

During  my  stay  in  Rome,  I  was  present  at  many 
celebrations  of  the  great  annual  festivals,  and  in  some 
of  the  most  interesting  of  its  churches.  For  instance, 
the  Church  of  St.  John  and  Paul,  belonging  to  the 
Passionists ;  the  Church  of  St.  Clement,  belonging  to 
the  Irish  Dominicans ;  and  the  Church  of  St.  Cecilia, 
in  Trastevere,  to  which  is  attached  the  convent  of  the 
Benedictine  Nuns. 

The  monastery  and  church  of  the  Passionists  are  re- 
plete with  interest.  The  body  of  the  "  Blessed  Paul," 
the  founder  of  the  order,  lies  under  an  altar  of  one  of 


THE  MONASTEKY  OF  THE  PASSIONISTS.  325 

the  side  chapels,  and  could  be  seen,  through  the  glass 
covering  in  front,  on  the  day  of  the  festival.  I  was 
shown  the  rooms,  or  cells,  which  he  occupied  during 
his  lifetime,  and  in  which  are  preserved  with  religious 
veneration,  not  only  his  missal,  his  crucifix,  and  his 
chalice,  and  the  furniture  of  his  little  oratory,  but  even 
the  smallest  and  most  insignificant  article  of  daily  use. 
The  hair-shirt  which  he  wore,  and  the  instruments  of 
"  discipline"  which  he  used,  were  eloquent  evidences 
of  his  mortification  and  self-subjection. 

The  grand  ceremonies  of  the  day  are,  on  most  occa- 
sions of  the  kind,  followed  by  a  repast,  in  which,  out  of 
special  honour  to  the  festival,  some  departure  is  per- 
mitted from  the  simplicity,  if  not  austerity,  of  the 
general  and  almost  invariable  rule. 

The  appearance  of  the  refectory  of  this  monastery,  in 
which  the  entire  of  the  community,  nearly  eighty  in 
number,  and  several  guests — including  the  cardinal 
celebrant,  some  foreign  bishops,  and  a  few  lay  gentle- 
men— were  assembled,  was  very  striking.  The  same 
silence  was  strictly  observed  during  the  meal  on  this 
day  as  on  ordinary  occasions.  Some  two  or  three  of 
the  brothers  were  of  very  advanced  age,  and  of  the 
most  venerable  aspect,  their  silver  hairs  imparting  a 
more  spiritual  beauty  to  features  refined  by  study,  and 
wasted  by  vigil  and  mortification.  A  modern  painter 
could  here  have  found  living  studies  for  saints  and 
martyrs  of  other  days ;  nor  would  he  have  looked 
in  vain  for  the  bloom  and  fulness  of  manly  beauty 
amongst  those  dark-robed  soldiers  of  the  faith. 


326  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

An  agreeable  hour,  spent  in  cheerful  conversation, 
filled  up  the  interval  between  the  conclusion  of  the 
meal  and  the  commencement  of  Vespers — to  which 
crowds  of  people,  clad  in  their  holiday  attire,  might  be 
seen  coming  from  different  directions.  I  greatly  en- 
joyed a  saunter  in  the  delightful  shade  of  the  gardens 
of  the  monastery,  and  still  rtiore  the  grand  and  varied 
prospect  spread  out  before  me,  as  I  stood  at  the  boun- 
dary wall  overlooking  the  Colosseum,  the  warm  trav- 
ertine stone  of  which  glowed  like  amber  in  the  bright 
sunlight.  One  of  the  brothers,  Father  Luigi,  had 
known  and  loved  a  dear  and  valued  friend  of  mine — 
the  late  lamented  Frederick  Lucas,  the  distinguished 
member  for  Meath  ;  and  our  mutual  friendship  and  re- 
spect for  that  brave-hearted  champion  of  the  Church 
united  us  in  sympathy,  as  we  spoke  of  his  courage,  his 
manliness,  and  his  genius. 

The  Church  of  St.  Clement  seemed  to  wake  up  to 
life,  as,  on  the  day  of  the  high  festival,  its  ancient 
tribune  was  crowded  with  priests  of  every  rank,  from 
the  cardinal  to  the  deacon,  and  as  gorgeous  vestments 
contrasted  with  the  pale  cold  marble  of  its  beautiful 
choir.  A  cardinal-bishop  celebrated  the  High  Mass; 
and  a  grand  choir  chanted  the  solemn  and  majestic 
music  in  a  manner  that,  far  from  distracting  the  at- 
tention, inspired  that  devotional  feeling  which  it  is  the 
intention,  or  should  be  the  object,  of  sacred  music  to 
assist  in  producing.  The  epistle  and  gospel  were  read 
from  the  marble  pulpits,  or  ambones,  which  occupy 


THE  CHURCH  OF  ST.   CLEMENT.  327 

each  side  of  the  choir,  and  which,  with  the  choir  itself, 
are  of  great  antiquity. 

I  subjoin  j&  description  of  this  remarkable  church, 
written  many  years  since,  by  Eustace,  in  his  Classical 
Tour;  and  merely  add,  'that  the  tribune  is  enriched 
with  mosaics  of  the  thirteenth  century,  and  that  the 
Chapel  of  the  Passion  is  adorned  with  the  fine  frescoes 
of  Masaccio — most  important,  not  only  for  their  intrin- 
sic merit,  but  as  exemplifying  the  history  of  the  art.* 

*  This  church  is  thus  fully  described  by  Eustace : — 
"  The  church  of  St.  Clement,  in  the  great  street  that  leads  to  St.  John 
Lateran,  is  the  most  ancient  church  in  Rome.  It  was  built  on  the  site, 
and  was  probably  at  first  one  of  the  great  apartments  of  the  house  of  the 
holy  bishop  whose  name  it  bears.  It  is  mentioned  as  ancient  by  authors 
of  the  fourth  century  (St.  Jerome,  Pope  Zozimus,  <fec.),  and  is  justly 
considered  as  one  of  the  best  models  that  now  exist  of  the  ancient  form 
of  Christian  churches.  It  has  frequently  been  repaired  and  decorated, 
but  always  with  a  religious  respect  for  its  primitive  shape  and  fashion. 
In  front  of  it  is  a  court  with  galleries,  supported  by  eighteen  granite 
pillars,  and  paved  with  pieces  of  shattered  marble,  among  which  I  ob- 
served several  fragments  of  beautiful  verde  antico.  The  portico  of  the 
church  is  formed  of  four  columns  of  the  same  materials  as  the  pillars  of 
the  gallery,  and  its  interior  is  divided  into  a  nave  and  aisles  by  twenty 
pillars  of  various  marbles.  The  choir  commences  about  the  centre  of 
the  nave,  and  extends  to  the  steps  of  the  sanctuary ;  there  are  two  pul- 
pits, anciently  called  ambones,  at  each  side  of  the  choir.  A  flight  of 
steps  leads  to  the  sanctuary  or  chancel,  which  is  terminated  by  a 
semicircle,  in  the  middle  of  which  stands  the  episcopal  chair,  and  on 
each  side  of  it  two  marble  ranges  of  seats  border  the  walls,  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  priests;  the  inferior  clergy  with  the  singers  oc- 
cupied the  choir.  In  front  of  the  episcopal  throne,  and  between  it  and 
the  choir,  just  above  the  steps  of  the  sanctuary,  rises  the  altar,  unen- 
cumbered by  screens,  and  conspicuous  on  all  sj.des.  The  aisles  termi- 
nated in  two  semicircles,  now  used  as  chapels,  called  anciently  Exedrc* 
or  Cellce,  and  appropriated  to  private  devotion  in  prayer  or  meditation. 
Such  is  the  form  of  St.  Clement's,  which,  though  not  originally  a  basilica, 
is  evidently  modelled  upon  such  buildings ;  as  may  be  seen  not  only  by 


328  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

A  splendid  entertainment  evinced  the  hospitality — 
the  national  hospitality — of  the  kind-hearted  prior  and 
his  most  interesting  community.  It  was  partaken  of 
by  a  goodly  company,  including  cardinals,  prelates, 
and  many  foreign  ecclesiastics  and  laymen. 

The  fine  library  of  this  convent  is  much  used  by  the 
community,  which  consists  of  several  students  as  well 
as  priests ;  and  from  the  intelligence  and  cultivation  of 
the  former,  I  could  well  judge  that  the  Irish  branch  of 
the  illustrious  order  of  St.  Dominick,  which  boasts  of 
BO  many  eminent  divines,  is  not  likely  to  degenerate  in 
the  present  age. 

The  Church  of  St.  Isidore,  attached  to  the  convent 
of  the  Irish  Franciscans,  was  fast  approaching  to  a  state 
of  restoration  as  I  was  about  leaving  Rome.  I  had 
n-o  opportunity  of  seeing  this  beautiful  church  ;  but 
I  have  since  learned  that  its  restoration  and  embellish- 
ment do  equal  credit  to  the  zeal  and  energy  of  the 
community,  and  to  the  liberality  of  the  faithful.  One 
of  the  good  priests  told  me,  with  feelings  of  the  liveli- 
est gratitude,  of  his  interview  with  the  Holy  Father,  to 
whom  he  applied  for  assistance  in  the  undertaking ; 


the  description  given  of  them  by  Vitruvius,  but  also  by  several  other 
churches  in  Rome,  which,  having  actually  been  basilicas,  still  retain  their 
original  form  with  slight  modifications.  The  same  ^orm  has  been  re- 
tained or  imitated  in  all  the  great  Roman  churches,  and  indeed  in  al- 
most all  the  cathedral  and  abbey  churches  in  Italy;  a  form  without 
doubt  far  better  calculaled  both  for  the  beauty  of  perspective,-and  for 
the  convenience  of  public  worship,  than  the  arrangement  of  Gothic 
fabrics,  divided  by  screens  and  terminating  in  gloomy  chapels." 


THE   POPE  AND   THE   IKISH   FKANCISCANS.        329 

and  of  the  kindness  with  which  he  was  received — the 
sweet  simplicity  of  the  good  Pope — the  warm  interest 
which  he  manifested  in  the  object  of  the  application — 
and  the  generosity  -with  which  he  contributed  even  to 
the  last  scudo  then  in  his  possession. 


330  HOME   AND   ITS  KULER. 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

St.  Peter's. — Description  of  it  by  Gibbon  and  Byron. — My  own  Impres- 
sions.— Those  of  Eustace,  of  Forsy  th,  Hilliard,  and  Madame  de  Scae'l 
— The  Pope  at  the  Tomb  of  the  Apostles. — Ascent  of  the  Dome. — A 
Glance  into  the  Church.— Glorious  View  from  the  Top. 

THOUGH  this  volume  is  written  with  a  far  different 
object  from  that  with  which  a  guide-book  is  compiled, 
still  it  might  seem  to  many  readers  an  unpardonable 
omission,  if  a  work  in  any  way  referring  to  Rome  did 
not  contain  some  allusion  to  the  Queen  of  Churches — 
St.  Peter's. 

This  sublimest  of  temples  was  perhaps  never  better 
described  than  by  the  most  majestic  of  modern  prose 
writers,  and  the  greatest  of  poets — Gibbon  and  Byron. 
The  former  describes  St.  Peter's  as—"  the  most  glori- 
ous structure  that  ever  has  been  applied  to  the  use  of 
religion."  And  in  this  noble  apostrophe  does  the  Childe 
pour  forth  his  admiration  : — 

"  But  thou,  of  temples  old,  or  altars  new, 
Standest  alone — with  nothing  like  to  thee — 
Worthies}  of  God,  the  holy  and  the  true. 
Since  Zion's  desolation,  when  that  He 
Forsook  his  former  city,  what  could  be, 
Of  earthly  structures,  in  his  honour  piled, 


331 


Of  a  sublimer  aspect  ?    Majesty, 

Power,  glory,  strength,  and  beauty — all  are  aisled 

In  this  eternal  ark  of  worship  undefiled. 

Enter  :  its  grandeur  overwhelms  thee  not ; 

And  why  ?     It  is  not  lessened ;  but  thy  mind, 

Expanded  by  the  glories  of  the  spot, 

Has  grown  colossal,  and  can  only  find 

A  fit  abode  wherein  appear  enshrined 

Thy  hopes  of  immortality ;  and  thou 

Shalt  one  day,  if  found  worthy,  so  defined, 

See  thy  God  face  to  face,  as  thou  dost  now 

His  Holy  of  Holies,  nor  be  blasted  by  His  brow." 

An  extract  from  a  diary  which  I  kept  while  in  Rome, 
and  in  which  I  hurriedly  jotted  down  the  impressions 
of  each  day,  will  best  convey  the  feelings  with  which  I 
for  the  first  time  approached  and  quitted  St.  Peter's : — 

"  The  Church  of  Churches,  the  great  Christian  Tem- 
ple, was  first  to  be  seen — seen  before  the  eye  rested  on 
any  other  object,  whose  interest  was  of  the  present  or 
of  the  past.  St.  Peter's — the  true  type  of  Christian 
Rome — of  its  greatest  glory  and  widest  sovereignty — 
of  its  piety  and  its  splendour,  its  religion  and  art — St. 
Peter's,  to  which  the  longing  of  the  Catholic  heart  is 
instinctively  directed. 

"As  I  approached  this  glorious  fabric — across  the 
wide  area  half-enclosed  within  the  outstretching  arms 
of  the  magnificent  double  colonnade,  which  adds  to  its 
external  splendour,  and  which  of  itself  is  unrivalled  by 
any  similar  construction — my  eye  grasped  it  in  too 
eagerly,  with  too  great  a  desire  to  be  astonished — rto 
feel  amazed  at  its  stupendous  proportions ;  and,  I  must 
confess  it,  I  at  first  felt  disappointed.  In  vain  I  was 


382  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

told  that  the  figures  which  surmount  the  attic  of  the 
front  were  nearly  twenty  feet  high,  and  that  they  stood 
150  feet  from  the  ground.  Still  I  experienced  a  sense 
of  disappointment,  because,  as  I  approached  the  build- 
ing, the  dome  gradually  sank  from  my  view,  and  the 
facade,  though  vast  in  extent,  being  368  feet  wide,  is 
more  heavy  and  monotonous  than  striking.  But  as  I 
crossed  the  threshold,  and  stood  within  a  vast  hall, 
stretching  nearly  200  feet  on  either  side,  and  saw  that 
this  was  only  the  vestibule  of  the  temple — and  yet 
larger  than  many  great  churches — the  true  idea  of  St. 
Peter's  began  first  to  break  upon  me.  With  a  slower 
step  and  a  deeper  reverence,  I  entered  the  church  itself. 
Again,  though  but  for  a  moment,  a  sense  of  disappoint- 
ment came  across  my  mind.  My  eye  glanced  so  rap- 
idly to  the  tribune,  which  bounds  the  view,  that  I  lost 
all  idea  of  distance,  although  the  bronze  figures  which 
support  the  chair  of  Peter  were  about  600  feet  from  the 
place  where  I  then  stood.  I  was  involuntarily  thinking 
of  the  limited  nature  of  the  works  of  man,  however  vast 
his  conceptions  or  mighty  his  means  of  realizing  them ; 
but  man  himself  assisted  in  dispelling  a  thought  injuri- 
ous to  the  sublime  genius  of  Michael  Angelo.  A  few 
French  soldiers  were  scattered  over  the  church,  and  the 
vastness  of  the  majestic  structure  dwarfed  them  into 
mere  atoms.  The  fact  is,  the  very  perfection  of  its 
proportions,  the  harmony  of  all  its  parts,  the  freshness 
and  beauty  of  its  colouring,  and  the  bright  clear  atmos- 
phere, so  different  from  the  religious  gloom  which 


333 

forms  one  of  the  leading  characteristics  of  Gothic  tem- 
ples— prevent  St.  Peter's  from  producing  on  the  mind 
that  immediate  impression  of  its  vastness,  which  its 
enormous  length  and  its  noble  height  might  be  sup- 
posed to  do.  Gigantic  as  it  4s,  it  is  too  beautiful  to  as- 
tound, and  too  bright  to  awe,  the  mind  of  the  beholder. 
But  as  you  walk  up  the  glorious  nave,  spanned  over  by 
its  lofty  arched  roof,  rich  in  carving  and  blazing  with 
gold,  and  approach  the  wide  circle  of  the  uplifted  dome, 
and  your  eye  springs  giddily  into  its  sublime  elevation, 
— then  do  you  really  comprehend  the  glory  of  St.  Pe- 
ter's, and  then  do  you  bow  in  homage  before  the  grand- 
eur of  human  genius.  With  a  sense  of  relief,  I  dropped 
my  gaze  upon  the  marble  pavement  beneath  my  feet ; 
but  a  glance  at  the  wide-spreading  transepts  did  not  do 
much  to  weaken  the  impression  which  the  unrivalled 
splendour  of  the  dome  had  produced.  I  quitted  the 
temple  with  even  greater  reverence  than  I  entered  it." 
That  first  visit,  which  I  thus  faintly  attempted  to  de- 
scribe, I  followed  up  by  at  least  ten  more ;  and  each 
time  that  I  walked  through  the  building,  the  more  was 
my  admiration  increased — more  by  the  grandeur  of  its 
dimensions  and  the  harmony  of  its  proportions,  than 
by  its  beauty  of  detail.  It  would  require  a  volume  to 
do  justice  to  the  works  of  art  that  enrich  this  temple; 
the  monuments,  the  bas-reliefs,  the  groups  of  statuary, 
and  the  mosaics — from  the  striking  figures  which  adorn 
the  dome,  to  the  copies,  of  some  of  the  finest  works  of 
the  great  masters,  which  overhang  the  various  altars. 


334  EOME   AND   ITS  RULER. 

Raphael's  Transfiguration  glows  in  the  enduring  bril- 
liancy and  vivid  colouring  which  the  finest  mosaic 
could  impart  to  the  greatest  and  last  work  of  that  most 
illustrious  of  Italian  painters. 

Few  have  ever  stood  beneath  the  dome  of  St.  Peter's 
without  having-  felt  the  enthusiasm  which  the  place  in- 
spires. Eustace  visited  Rome  more  than  half  a  century 
since,  and,  in  his  Classical  Tour,  he  thus  describes  the 
impression  which  it  made  upon  his  mind  :— 

"  As  you  enter  you  behold  the  most  extensive  hall  ever 
constructed  by  human  art,  expanded  in  magnificent  perspec- 
tive before  you;  advancing  up  the  nave,  you  are  delighted 
with  the  beauty  of  the  variegated  marble  under  your  feet,  and 
with  the  splendour  of  the  golden  vault  over  your  head.  The 
lofty  Corinthian  pilasters  with  their  bold  entablature,  the  in- 
termediate niches  with  their  statues,  the  arcades  with  the 
graceful  figures  that  recline  on  the  curves  of  their  arches, 
charm  your  eye  in  succession  as  you  pass  along.  But  how 
great  your  astonishment  when  you  reach  the  foot  of  the  altar, 
and,  standing  in  the  centre  of  the  church,  contemplate  the  four 
superb  vistas  that  open  around  you ;  and  then  raise  your  eyes 
to  the  dome,  at  the  prodigious  elevation  of  400  feet,  extend- 
ing like  a  firmament  over  your  head,  and  presenting,  in  glow- 
ing mosaic,  the  companies  of  the  just,  the  choirs  of  celestial 
spirits,  and  the  whole  hierarchy  of  heaven  arrayed  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Eternal,  whose  '  throne,  raised  above  all  height,' 
crowns  the  awful  scene." 

A  far  severer  critic,  the  accomplished  but  cynical 
Forsyth,  who  made  his  Italian  tour  somewhat  about 
the  same  time,  indulges  in  a  burst  of  enthusiasm,  as 
rare  as,  in  this  instance,  it  was  fully  justified  by  its 
object: — 


THE   DOME   OF   ST.    PETEK'S.  335 

"  The  cupola  is  glorious.  Viewed  in  its  design,  its  altitude, 
or  even  its  decorations ;  viewed  either  as  a  whole  or  as  a 
part,  it  enchants  the  eye,  it  satisfies  the  taste,  it  exhausts  the 
soul.  The  very  air  seems  to  eat  up  all  that  is  harsh  or  colos- 
sal, and  leaves  us  nothing  but  the  sublime  to  feast  on : — a 
sublime  peculiar  as  the  genius  of  the  immortal  architect,  and 
comprehensible  only  on  the  spot.  The  four  surrounding  cu- 
polas, though  but  satellites  to  the  majesty  of  this,  might  have 
crowned  four  elegant  churches." 

And  Hilliard,  whose  Six  Months  in  Italy*  I  regretted 
not  having  seen  till  after  my  return  from  Rome,  writes 
with  no  less  enthusiasm  than  his  predecessor  Forsyth, 
whom  he  fully  equals  in  his  appreciation  of  art  and  his 
grace  of  description,  without  being  in  any  way  marred 
by  the  repelling  harshness  of  his  unsparing  censure. 
The  elegant  and  fair-minded  American  writer  thus 
treats  of  this  matchless  work  of  human  art : — 

"  The  pilgrim  is  now  beneath  the  dome.  The  spirit  of 
criticism,  which  has  hitherto  attended  him  with  whispers  of 
doubt,  goes  no  further.  Astonishment  and  admiration  break 
upon  the  mind  and  carry  it  away.  To  say  that  the  dome  of 
St.  Peter's  is  sublime,  is  a  cold  commonplace.  In  sublimity 
it  is  so  much  beyond  all  other  architectural  creations,  that 
it  demands  epithets  of  its  own.  There  is  no  work  of  man's 
hand  that  is  similar  or  second  to  it.  Vast  as  it  is,  it  rests 
upon  its  supporting  piers  in  such  serene  tranquillity,  that 
it  seems  to  have  been  lifted  and  expanded  by  the  elas- 
tic force  of  the  air  which  it  clasps.  Under  its  majestic 
vault  the  soul  dilates.  To  act  like  the  hero — to  endure 
like  the  martyr — seems  no  more  than  the  natural  state  of 
man." 

*  John  Murray,  London. 


336  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

So  majestic,  so  holy,  did  St.  Peter's  appear  to  Ma- 
dame de  Stael,  that  she  represents  Corinne  and  Oswald 
hushed  into  silence  as  they  enter  the  temple,  and  first 
comprehend  its  sublimity.* 

I  had  an  excellent  opportunity  of  appreciating  the 
vastness  of  St.  Peter's,  on  the  18th  of  November,  when 
the  Pope  attended  at  High  Mass  in  the  Canon's  Chapel. 
The  knowledge  of  the  intended  presence  of  the  Holy 
Father  had  drawn  together  a  considerable  number  of 
persons — many  of  them  mere  spectators,  but  more  of 
them  devout  and  earnest  worshippers — sufficient  in  all 
to  form  an  average  congregation  for  an  ordinary  church. 
And  yet  they  seemed  a  mere  handful  in  that  enormous 
structure,  as,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  Holy  Sacrifice, 
they  divided  at  each  side  of  the  nave,  to  make  way  for 
his  Holiness,  who,  heading  a  long  and  splendid  proces- 
sion of  ecclesiastics,  proceeded  to  offer  up  his  prayers 
before  the  tomb  of  the  Apostles.  In  fact,  the  many 
hundreds  of  persons  then  present  only  fringed  the  mar- 
ble pavement  of  the  mighty  nave.  How  beautiful  the 
piety  of  the  Pope !  What  an  expression  of  devotion — 
of  sublime,  prayerful  devotion — lit  up  his  whole  face, 
as  he  thus  knelt  before  the  tomb  of  the  Prince  of  the 
Apostles,  in  "  the  most  glorious  church  that  has  ever 
been  applied  to  the  use  of  religion !"  Not  the  marble 
figure  of  his  saintly  predecessor,  Pius  VI.,  which  the 

*  "  La  tout  commande  le  silence :  le  moindre  bruit  retentit  si  loin, 
qu'aucune  parole  ne  semble  digne  d'etre  ainsi  repet6e  dans  une  de- 
meure  presque  6ternelle." — Corinne,  ou  L'ltalie. 


ASCENT   OF   THE   DOME.  337 

chisel  of  Canova  has  represented  in  a  kneeling  posture 
before  the  entrance  to  the  tomb,  was  more  replete  with 
the  sentiment  of  holiness,  than  were  the  unconscious 
attitude  and  absorbed  air  of  the  living  Pope. 

In  company  with  seven  other  visitors,  I  made  the  as- 
cent of  the  dome,  even  to  the  ball  of  the  cross  which 
surmounts  it.  I  thought  the  view  down  into  the  church 
from  the  lower  gallery,  by  which  the  interior  of  the 
dome  is  encircled,  sufficiently  trying  to  the  nerves ;  but 
that  from  the  upper  gallery,  into  which  a  little  door 
opened  from  the  winding  stair,  was  literally  enough  to 
take  away  the  breath.  The  eye  dived  down  into  a  fear- 
ful depth,  comprehending  with  difficulty  that  the  mite- 
like  things  that  crept  over  the  floor  were  full-grown 
men  and  women ;  and  that  the  toy-like  decoration,  be- 
neath the  centre  of  the  dome,  was  the  baldachino  which 
rose  above  the  high  altar  to  the  height  of  100  feet! 
~No  building  in  the  world  could  convey  an  idea  of  such 
gigantic  altitude  as  St.  Peter's,  when  seen  from  the 
upper  gallery  in  the  interior  of  the  dome.  I  confess  I 
was  happy  to  exchange  this  position  for  the  still  loftier 
but  far  more  agreeable  one  afforded  by  the  balcony  at 
the  base  of  the  tower  from  which  the  cross  springs  into 
the  air.  And,  save  from  the  summit  of  a  mountain, 
where  can  one  behold  so  glorious  a  prospect  as  is  here 
spread  out  on  every  side  ?  Koine,  living  and  dead,  lies 
beneath,  expanded  like  a  map,  with  every  line,  marked 
by  nature  or  by  man  upon  its  seven  hills,  distinct  and 

legible  to  the  eye — its  Christian  temples  and  its  Pagan 
15 


338  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

ruins — its  venerable  walls,  traceable  for  many  miles 
over  the  varying  surface  of  the  soil — the  grand  old 
Tiber,  sweeping  majestically  by  the  base  of  the  Castle 
of  St.  Angelo,  and  gleaming  like  silver  beneath  the 
noon-day  sun,  as  it  winds  through  the  purple  brown 
of  the  desolate  Campagna — desolate  for  more  than  a 
thousand  years,  since  the  villas  and  temples  of  the  He- 
public  and  the  Empire  were  made  the  prey  of  the  fero- 
cious Hun,  the  brutal  Yandal,  and  the  scarcely  less 
savage  and  ruthless  Lombard.*  The  eye  leaps  across 
this  barrier  of  desolation,  which  encircles  Kome  with 
its  girdle  of  ruin,  and  dwells  with  delight  upon  the  dis- 
tant Apennines,  upon  whose  wooded  sides  or  naked 
cliffs  beautiful  shadows  chase  each  other,  as  if  in  sport 
• — upon  the  picturesque  outlines  of  the  Alban  and  the 
Sabine  hills,  famous  in  Eoman  story — and  is  caught 
by  the  bright  line  of  light  where  dance  and  sparkle  the 
waters  of  the  Mediterranean. 

A  dapper  little  French  soldier  amused  me  much  by 
the  eagerness  with  which,  at  every  stage  of  our  ascent, 
he  scribbled  his  name  in  pencil  upon  various  parts  of 
the  building.  His  labours  for  the  benefit  of  an  admir- 
ing posterity  only  terminated  in  the  ball ! 

To  other  works  I  must  refer  the  reader  for  a  descrip- 

*  Nothing  can  be  more  unjust,  or  more  untrue  to  history,  than  to 
charge  upon  the  Popes  that  which  was  completed  more  than  a  thou- 
sand years  since.  Even  in  the  sixth  century  its  ruin  was  consummated. 
Gibbon  says  of  that  time : — "  The  Campagna  of  Rome  was  speedily  re- 
duced to  the  state  of  a  dreary  wilderness,  in  which  the  land  is  barren,  the 
waters  are  impure,  and  the  air  is  infectious." 


TIME  AND  COST  OF  CONSTRUCTION.  339 

tion  of  this  great  monument  of  human  genius,  which, 
begun  by  Constantine  in  the  fourth  century,  and  re- 
commenced in  the  fifteenth,  employed  the  genius  of 
the  greatest  architects,  and  the  energies  and  resources 
of  the  most  vigorous  Popes,  and  consumed,  in  its  erec- 
tion, nearly  three  hundred  years,  and  twelve  millions 
of  money. 


340  ROME   AND   ITS  KULER. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

The  Fine  Arts — Why  they  are  specially  fostered  in  Rome — The  Church 
their  uniform  Friend. — Pius  IX.  a  liberal  Patron. — Discoveries  of 
Ancient  Painting. — Valuable  Restorations  of  Works  of  Modern  Art. 
— Churches  restored. — Church  of  St.  Agnes,  and  Church  of  St.  Paul 

IN  Home,  the  Fine  Arts  possess  a  special  importance ; 
and  the  question  of  their  encouragement  is  not  to  be 
determined  on  data  similar  to  those  on  which  it  is 
founded  in  other  countries.  Many  thoughtful  men 
have  of  late  inquired,  whether  some  governments  have 
not  devoted  too  much  attention  to  Arts,  which,  being 
but  the  ornaments  of  life,  have  a  tendency  to  distract 
the  mind  from  the  more  earnest  duties  and  the  more 
evident  realities  of  citizenship.  On  the  other  hand,  it 
has  been  urged  that,  in  an  age  evidently  utilitarian,  and 
when  mankind  seems  to  be  devoted  to  material  inter- 
ests, almost  to  the  exclusion  of  other  considerations — 
in  an  age  when  faith  has  waned,  and  reason  has  not 
grown — it  is  the  duty  of  the  State,  by  its  fostering  care, 
to  cherish  Art,  as  the  power  which,  next  to  Religion, 
has  the  greatest  tendency  to  elevate  the  human  mind, 
and  preserve  men  from  being  made  the  mere  tools  of 
an  unresting  industry,  or  the  mere  slaves  of  an  insatia- 
ble greed  of  gain. 

But  whatever  may  be  thought  of  the  abstract  ques- 


THE  FINE   ARTS.  34J 

tion,  it  must  be  admitted  that  in  Rome  there  are  special 
circumstances  which  make  the  cultivation  of  the  Fine 
Arts  there  a  matter  of  peculiar  importance ;  whether 
we  examine  the  question  from  a  higher  point  of  view, 
or  descend  to  the  level  of  the  most  vulgar  and  merely 
commercial  considerations. 

So  far  as  we  can  jiidge  from  what  monuments  remain 
to  us,  the  Plastic  Arts  have  had  two  great  develop- 
ments; the  age  of  Phidias,  and  the  age  of  Raphael. 
By  a  coincidence,  remarkable,  but  not  difficult  to  ac- 
count for,  Rome  is  especially  associated  with  both  eras. 
It  was  the  sepulchre  of  the  ancient,  it  was  the  cradle 
of  modern  art.  Thither  were  carried,  amidst  the  spoils 
of  Greece,  those  marbles  which,  even  by  the  compara- 
tively rude  conqueror,  were  estimated  beyond  their 
weight  in  gold ;  and  thither  strayed,  probably,  the  last 
students  of  an  art  which  had  in  their  native  land  at- 
tained a  perfection  never  before  approached,  never 
since  reached ;  and  which,  by  a  kind  of  inspiration, 
seems,  in  its  ideal  of  the  human  form,  to  have  sur- 
passed the  beauty  of  Nature  herself.  In  Rome  espe- 
cially, these  masterpieces,  hidden  beneath  the  debris 
of  the  imperial  city,  rested  only  to  be  disinterred,  and 
to  prove  the  existence  of  a  perfection  which,  but  for 
their  evidence,  would  be  as  little  conceived  as  the  pro- 
portions of  a  Megatherium.  By  an  accident,  fortunate 
but  not  singular,  these  relics  were  discovered  princi- 
pally in  the  age  which  possessed,  of  all  others,  the  men 
best  calculated  not  only  to  feel  their  beauty,  but  to 
rival  it.  Here,  then,  grew  up  Modern  Art — here  was 


342  EOME  AND  ITS  KULER. 

formed  the  greatest  of  its  schools,  and  here  its  greatest 
triumphs  were  attained. 

To  Rome  there  had  been  transplanted  whatever  of 
most  value  ancient  art  possessed — in  Rome  had  grown 
up  modern  art,  there  to  attain  its  highest  perfection ; 
and,  therefore,  for  centuries,  the  student  has  turned  his 
steps  to  the  banks  of  the  Tiber,  if  he  sought  to  draw 
some  kindred  inspiration  from  the  greatest  works  of 
painting  or  of  sculpture.  And  not  alone  the  profes- 
sional student,  but  the  scholar  and  the  man  of  taste, 
sought  in  Rome  the  highest  types  of  that  ideal  perfec- 
tion to  which  the  schools  of  Greece  and  Italy  attained. 

Again,  Rome  was  the  Queen  City  of  the  Church, 
which  hact  always  reckoned  the  arts  amongst  her  hand- 
maids. A  religion  which  recognized  sentiment,  as  well 
as  reason,  could  never  be  content  with  a  bald  ritual,  or 
a  bare  temple;  and  the  same  principle  which  intro- 
duced music  into  the  ceremonies  of  the  Church,  ad- 
mitted with  welcome  within  her  portals  sculpture  and 
painting.  The  principle  which  gave  to  the  Sistine 
Chapel  the  "Miserere,"  gave  also  the  "Last  Judg- 
ment"— that  principle  of  sacrifice  which  bids  man  to 
dedicate  to  the  temple  of  his  Creator  whatsoever  is 
most  precious,  not  merely  gold  and  jewels,  but  those 
gems  beyond  price,  in  which  the  loftiest  inspirations 
of  the  noblest  minds  have  been  stamped  in  an  endur- 
ing form,  to  communicate  their  refining  and  elevating 
influence,  not  to  a  day,  but  to  generations. 

Thus  Rome,  from  several  causes,  has  become  especi- 
ally the  great  art-capital  of  the  world.  Thousands  of 


ROME   THE   ART-CAPITAL   OF   THE   WORLD.         343 

pilgrims  flock  thither  with  that  object  alone  ;  and  even 
the  bitterest  enemies  of  the  Church  must  visit  her 
Cathedral  City,  if  they  wish  to  see  or  to  study  the 
greatest  monuments  of  the  plastic  arts.  For  these  rea- 
sons, the  Fine  Arts  in  Rome  should  command  the  at- 
tention of  the  State,  and  their  encouragement  becomes 
in  its  way  a  matter  of  industrial  importance.  Out  of 
the  crowds  of  pilgrims  who  come  to  the  Tiber,  few 
leave  its  shores  without  some  memento  of  their  visit, 
memorials  on  which  Artists  are  always  engaged ;  and 
hence  there  is  a  larger  proportion  of  the  population  of 
Rome  dependent  upon  the  exercise  of  art,  as  a  profes- 
sion, than  in  any  city  of  the  world.  In  whatever  way, 
therefore,  we  view  the  abstract  question  of  government 
endowment  of  the  Fine  Arts  in  other  countries,  it  must 
be  confessed  that  in  Rome,  at  least,  it  is  founded  on 
sound  economical  principles. 

And  indeed  in  almost  all  ages  of  the  Church  the 
same  principle  prevailed ;  as  well  when  great  wealth 
and  power  enabled  it  to  be  a  munificent  patron — the 
only  patron  which  the  true  Artist  should  condescend 
to  acknowledge — as  when  its  limited  resources  allowed 
it  to  do  little  more  than  manifest  its  feelings  of  pater- 
nal care. 

The  present  Pope  has  been  eminently  remarkable 
for  the  zealous  care  which  he  has  devoted  to  the  pres- 
ervation of  objects  of  Antique  Art,  and  for  the  en- 
couragement which  he  has  given  to  artists  of  the  pres- 
ent day.  It  would  be  far  too  long  to  enter  upon  a 
detail  of  the  many  services  which  he  has  thus  render- 


344  ROME  AND   ITS   RULER. 

ed.  It  will  be  sufficient  if  we  take  as  an  example  the 
year  1854,  and  point  to  some  of  the  objects  to  which 
attention  was  devoted  in  that  year.  We  select  them 
from  the  official  report  of  the  Minister  to  whom  such 
subjects  were  referred. 

In  this  year  the  Pope  established  in  the  Academy  of 
Bologna  a  new  professorship  of  Elementary  Architec- 
ture, including  the  study  of  Ornament  and  Decoration  ; 
and  granted  to  the  Roman  Academy  of  St.  Luke  ten 
medals  of  gold,  each  of  the  value  of  25  scudi,  to  be 
distributed  amongst  the  professors  who,  besides  the 
stated  instruction  in  the  schools,  should  devote  the 
greatest  attention  to  the  progress  of  the  students  in  the 
study  of  the  figure  and  of  drapery.  He  also  presented 
to  the  Academy  a  series  of  casts  from  the  Egina  sculp- 
tures and  the  marbles  of  the  Parthenon.  These  were 
probably  obtained  from  the  British  Museum,  and  were 
necessary  to  complete  the  illustrations  of  ancient  art. 

To  antiquities,  the  Pope  has  devoted  special  atten- 
tion ;  and  some  fortunate  discoveries,  which  have  re- 
cently taken  place  in  Home,  have  enabled  him  to  make 
most  valuable  additions  to  museums  already  so  rich. 
Amongst  the  most  valuable  and  the  rarest  of  the  relics 
of  the  classical  art,  are  the  remains  of  the  ancient  paint- 
ing. The  nature  of  the  art  itself  has  necessarily  made 
its  works  less  stable  than  those  of  sculpture ;  but,  even 
making  due  allowance  for  this,  it  is  still  remarkable 
how  very  few  of  the  classic  paintings  have  escaped  de- 
struction. The  Egyptian  paintings,  or  picture-writings, 
can  claim  a  much  earlier  antiquity  than  the  times  of 


DISCOVERY  OF  ANCIENT  PAINTINGS.  345 

the  Homan  Empire,  and  yet  many  of  them  have  been 
discovered  in  a  state  of  almost  marvellous  preservation ; 
whilst  the  Greek  and  Roman  paintings  that  have  been 
rescued  are  singularly  rare.  Indeed,  if  we  were  to  ex- 
cept those  found  in  Pompeii,  they  might  almost  be  enu- 
merated from  recollection.  Rome  itself  contained  only 
those  called  "  the  Aldobrandini  Nuptials,"  the  frescoes 
of  the  Baths  of  Titus,  of  the  Pyramid  of  Caius  Cestius, 
•and  those  discovered  in  the  Columbaria  of  the  Appian 
Way.  But  Pius  IX.  disinterred  from  the  Yia  Graziosa 
a  series  of  ancient  paintings,  which  are  certainly  the 
most  valuable  that  have  ever  been  discovered.  They 
are  seven  in  number,  arid  represent  several  scenes  in 
the  adventures  of  Ulysses,  described  in  the  10th  and 
llth  books  of  the  Odyssey.  They  are  especially  in- 
teresting for  the  reason,  that  some  of  the  scenes  are 
identical  with  those  represented  in  a  celebrated  paint- 
ing by  Polygnotus  at  Delphi,  which  has  been  described 
by  Pausanias;  and  it  is  conjectured  that  the  paintings 
may  have  been  copies  from  some  greater  original. 
They  have  followed  the  tradition  of  probably  the  ear- 
liest artists,  by  having,  like  those  also  of  the  Byzantine 
and  early  Christian  schools,  the  names  of  the  several 
actors  in  the  scene  attached  to  the  figures.  The  per- 
spective, the  colours,  and  the  composition,  are  all  very 
remarkable,  and  the  paintings  have  been  greatly  im- 
proved by  careful  and  judicious  restorations.  When 
first  discovered,  they  were  almost  hidden  by  a  thick 
coat  of  mould,  and  also  much  injured  by  scratches 
caused  by  the  demolition  of  the  walls  above  them. 
15* 


346  ROME  AND  ITS  EULER. 

This  mould  was  completely  removed,  and  all  the 
scratches  carefully  filled  up  with  colour,  accurately 
matched  with  the  ancient  portion  of  the  pictures.  Two 
out  of  the  number  having  been  found  in  much  better 
condition  than  the  rest,  these  greatly  assisted  the  artists 
in  their  work,  which  stopped  short  at  the  barest  resto- 
ration, and  avoided  that  point  where  a  vicious  effort  at 
renovation  is  attempted,  which  always  detracts  from 
the  value  and  authority  of  ancient  monuments.  The 
work  was  one  of  great  difficulty,  and  was  conducted  to 
the  most  complete  success,  as  the  pictures  can  now  be 
easily  seen  and  studied.  They  have  been  placed  in  the 
library  of  the  Vatican,  which  can  boast,  in  addition  to 
its  other  treasures,  of  possessing  the  most  perfect  and 
the  most  interesting  relics  of  the  painting  of  the  classic 


The  works  of  the  great  masters  of  Modern  Art  have 
likewise  been  the  objects  of  the  Pope's  solicitude,  and 
especially  those  earlier  works  over  which  centuries 
have  not  passed  without  leaving  traces  behind. 

In  the  magnificent  Duomo  of  Orvieto.  important 
restorations  have  been  made,  although  only  the  most 
urgent  of  these  works  were  undertaken.  The  paintings 
which  adorn  the  Chapel  of  the  Santissimo  Corporale, 
representing  the  miracle  of  Bolsena,  and  subjects  con- 
nected with  it,  and  which  are  so  remarkable  from  being 
representations,  in  a  great  part,  of  contemporary  scenes, 
giving  the  costumes  of  the  period,  and  even  portraits 
of  those  who  took  part  in  the  ceremonies  when  Urban 
IV.  translated  the  relics  from  Bolsena  to  Orvieto,  have 


RESTORATIONS   OF   MODERN   PAINTINGS.  347 

been  carefully  and  delicately  restored.  These  paintings 
carry  us  back  to  the  time  when  the  Feast  of  the  Corpus 
Domini  was  instituted,  and  the  Office  for  it  composed 
by  Saint  Thomas  of  Aquin,  who  was  then  Professor  of 
Theology  at  Orvieto. 

One  of  the  chapels  of  the  Church  of  Santa  Maria 
sopra  Minerva  possesses  some  characteristic  pictures  of 
Filippino  Lippi,  which  were  threatened  with  destruc- 
tion by  damp,  caused  by  the  bad  state  of  the  roof  of 
the  church.  At  a  considerable  expense,  however,  the 
necessary  repairs  and  restorations  were  made,  and  some 
of  the  most  precious  works  of  one  of  the  founders  of 
modern  art  thus  preserved  for  posterity. 

In  the  Church  of  the  Convent  of  Monte  Falco,  in 
like  manner,  the  paintings  by  Benozzo  Gozzoli,  repre- 
senting scenes  in  the  life  of  St.  Francis,  were  in  danger 
of  being  utterly  destroyed.  The  apse  of  the  church, 
which  contained  these  precious  relics  of  early  art,  had 
been  shaken  by  an  earthquake,  and  it  was  feared  would 
soon  crumble  into  ruin.  But  the  liberality  of  Pius  IX. 
was  exercised  in  its  restoration,  and  the  works  of  Goz- 
zoli are  saved. 

Another  early  work  is  to  be  found  in  the  Church  of 
Santa  Maria  de  Toscanella,  namely,  "  the  Last  Judg- 
ment," which  is  supposed  to  have  suggested  to  Michael 
Angelo  the  picture  in  the  Sistine  Chapel ;  and  this,  too, 
has  been  the  object  of  similar  care. 

The  celebrated  mosaics  in  the  churches  were  in  many 
places  loosened  from  the  walls,  and  would  have  suffered 
serious  injury  if  steps  had  not  been  taken  for  their  pres- 


348  ROME   AND   ITS  RULES. 

ervation.  Perhaps,  of  all  works  of  art,  there  are  no 
others  which  can  be  so  perfectly  restored  as  mosaics. 
The  mode  in  which  they  are  put  together  makes  it 
comparatively  easy,  although  expensive,  to  replace  any 
portions  that  are  lost,  unless  the  damage  extends  over  a 
large  area  of  surface.  The  churches  of  Ravenna  have 
now  those  rare  and  brilliant  works  restored  to  all  their 
pristine  beauty. 

The  Church  of  St.  Bernard,  at  the  Baths  of  Dio- 
cletian, that  of  Santa  Maria  degli  Angeli,  and  that  of 
Saint  Mark,  at  Eome,  as  well  as  that  of  San  Girolamo 
at  Forli,  have  also  undergone  extensive  repairs ;  and, 
in  a  word,  there  has  been  no  notable  work  of  sculpture, 
or  painting,  or  architecture,  in  the  Roman  States, 
which  has  not  had  extended  towards  it  a  saving  hand, 
whenever  the  lapse  of  time  and  the  wear  of  centuries 
has  threatened  to  deface  the  characters  in  which  the 
genius  of  past  ages  strove  to  perpetuate  its  inspiration 
for  posterity. 

It  would  be  an  unpardonable  omission  not  to  include 
the  restoration  of  the  Church  of  St.  Agnes,  and  the 
greater  work  of  the  completion  of  St.  Paul's,  which 
is  second  only  to  St.  Peter's,  and,  therefore,  one  of 
the  noblest  existing  Christian  temples. 

The  former  work  was  undertaken  by  Pius  IX.,  in 
gratitude  to  God  for  his  marvellous  escape,  in  April, 
1855,  when  the  floor  of  the  hall  in  the  adjoining  con- 
vent gave  way  beneath  him  and  his  court.  This 
church,  which  now  exhibits  a  fine  specimen  of  the 


ST.   AGNES  AND   ST.   PAUL'S.  349 

richest  type  of  modern  decorative  art,  was  reopened 
for  public  worship  in  the  January  of  the  present  year. 
The  latter  work — the  completion  of  St.  Paul's — may 
be  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  efforts 
of  modern  times,  when  the  vastness  of  the  undertaking 
is  considered,  together  with  the  short  time  in  which  it 
has  been  accomplished,  and  the  interruptions  caused 
alike  by  political  convulsions  and  financial  difficulties. 
To  this  grateful  duty  Pius  IX.  has  devoted  immense 
sums,  and  an  energy  which  piety  alone  could  inspire. 
The  magnitude  of  this  glorious  edifice  may  be  in  some 
degree  appreciated  by  its  measurement ;  but  no  figures, 
no  language,  can  convey  an  idea  of  the  majestic  effect 
produced  by  the  four  rows  of  lofty  granite  columns 
which  divide  the  aisles  from  the  nave.  These  rows  of 
magnificent  columns  stretch  along  the  marble  pavement 
for  more  than  300  feet — the  length  of  the  nave — arid, 
in  spite  of  their  regularity,  impress  upon  the  mind  of 
the  beholder  the  idea  of  a  forest  of  pillars.  The  length 
of  this  grand  church  exceeds  400  feet,  while  the  width 
of  the  transepts  is  not  less  than  250  feet.  Had  I  space 
at  my  command,  I  might  well  devote  more  than  one 
chapter  to  this  glorious  basilica ;  but  necessity  compels 
me  to  confine  myself  to  this  simple  allusion  to  it,  and 
merely  to  add  that,  by  his  munificence  and  his  energy, 
Pius  IX.  has  completely  identified  his  pontificate  with 
its  splendid  restoration. 


350  ROME   AND   ITS  RULER. 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 

Pius  IX.  a  Preserver  of  the  Pagan  Antiquities  of  Rome. — The  Coliseum 
and  the  Popes. — Great  Repairs  effected  by  Piua  VII.  and  Pius  IX. — 
Devotions  of  Friday  and  Sunday. — Visit  to  the  Coliseum  by  Moon- 
light. 

No  one  who  has  visited  Rome,  and  looked  around 
him  even  with  the  most  careless  glance,  but  must  have 
admitted  that  Pius  IX.  has  done  much  for  the  preser- 
vation of  those  Pagan  remains  which  form  one  of  the 
great  attractions  of  the  Eternal  City.  Deprived  of  the 
care  and  protection  of  the  Popes,  the  monuments  of 
Pagan  Rome  would  soon  cease  to  exist.  The  law  of 
decay  is  as  inexorable  as  it  is  universal ;  and  the  very 
most  that  we  can  do,  is  to  awest  its  progress  for  a  time. 
To  this  universal  law  the  most  sublime  creations  of  the 
strength,  the  skill,  and  the  genius  of  man  must  alike 
submit.  Its  ceaseless  tooth  eats  into  the  hardest  bronze, 
and  crushes  the  densest  marble.  But  while  the  wisest 
precaution  can  only  delay  for  a  time  a  fate  which  is 
inevitable,  neglect  precipitates  ruin,  and  ensures  the 
destruction  of  even  the  most  gigantic  monuments  of 
human  pride  and  power. 

Perhaps  man  never  reared  a  more  stupendous  struc- 
ture than  the  Coliseum — stupendous,  not  merely  in  its 


THE   COLISEUM  AND  THE  POPES.  351 

size,  but  in  its  materials ;  and  yet,  were  it  not  for  the 
taste  of  successive  Popes — Pius  YIL,  Leo.  XII.,  Greg- 
ory XYL,  and  Pius  IX. — that  most  striking,  most  in- 
teresting, and  most  impressive  of  all  the  monuments 
of  Pagan  Rome  would  now  be  a  mass  of  shapeless 
ruin  ;  indicating,  perhaps,  by  a  solitary  arch,  that  here, 
some  seventeen  hundred  years  before,  stood  the  Flavian 
Amphitheatre,  on  whose  sands  the  Church  of  God  was 
baptized  in  the  blood  of  its  apostles,  its  confessors,  and 
its  martyrs.  To  the  Christian,  not  even  the  Catacombs, 
in  which  the  faithful  prayed  and  preached,  is  more 
replete  with  interesting  associations,  than  the  arena 
whereon  the  persecuted  of  centuries  confronted  their 
tyrants,  and  died  amidst  the  open  mockery  or  silent 
sympathy  of  the  Roman  people,  still  masters  of  the 
world.  Even  before  a  wise  and  pious  policy  had  con- 
secrated the  Colissium  to  the  purposes  of  religion — an 
act  for  which  posterity  is  indebted  to  the  piety  of  Ben- 
edict XIV.,  in  1750 — its  soil  was  sacred  in  the  estima- 
tion of  every  human  being  who  believed  in  the  Gospel, 
and  knew  that  within  the  encircling  walls  of  this 
mighty  structure  was  written  the  grandest  page  of  the 
history  of  the  Christian  Church.  Approach  it  how  you 
may,  and  enter  it  at  either  end  of  its  vast  ellipse,  you 
cannot  fail  to  understand  your  obligation  to  the  Popes, 
for  the  preservation  of  this  noble  monument,  so  replete 
with  real  and  living  associations.  In  other  times,  and 
it  might  be,  in  some  instances,  under  the  pressure  of 
urgent  necessity,  the  Coliseum  was  treated  as  a  vast 
quarry,  from  which  the  warlike  and  quarrelsome  baron 


352  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

drew  the  means  of  maintaining  his  power,  or  of  over- 
awing his  neighbours ;  and  from  which,  in  less  remote 
periods,  princely  families  borrowed  ready  materials  for 
their  sumptuous  palaces.  So  that,  from  actual  pillage, 
as  well  as  from  the  ceaseless  action  of  time,  a  great 
portion  of  the  mighty  structure  has  been  destroyed ; 
and  at  one  side  it  has  been  reduced  by  more  than  a 
third  of  its  original  height.  On  the  other  side  the 
original  line  is  still  almost  unbroken. 

If  you  enter  at  one  end,  you  perceive  that  Pius  VII. 
has  reared  a  barrier  against  further  ruin,  in  the  shape 
of  an  enormous  mass  of  splendid  masonry,  which  rises 
from  the  base  to  the  top  of  the  outer  wall.  Look  again, 
and  you  will  at  once  perceive  that,  had  he  not  done  so, 
that  rent  which,  some  twenty  feet  from  it,  extends  from 
the  very  top  to  the  third  arch,  would  have  been  cer- 
tainly fatal  to  an  immense  portion  of  the  building,  and 
probably  brought  down,  or  materially  endangered,  a 
vast  mass  of  the  majestic  outer  wall,  with  all  its  wealth 
of  pillar  and  of  arch.  Such  was  the  imminent  peril  in 
which  this  end  of  the  outer  frame,  or  shell,  of  the 
building  was  placed,  that  several  arches  had  to  be  built 
up  with  brick,  in  order  to  afford  it  sufficient  support, 
notwithstanding  the  enormous  buttress  to  which  I  have 
referred.  Then,  at  the  other  end,  Pius  IX.  reared 
another  gigantic  buttress,  thus  placing  a  limit  to  fur- 
ther decay — it  may  be  for  centuries  to  come.  Besides 
this  most  important  undertaking,  he  has  effected  many 
beautiful  restorations — namely,  reproducing  in  traver- 
tine, or  in  brick,  the  same  colour  as  the  old  material, 


THE   COLISEUM.  353 

several  arches,  with  their  simple  and  chaste  but  most 
beautiful  decorations — so  that  you  may  examine  here, 
in  its  primitive  perfection,  in  its  clear  lines  and  fine  de- 
tail, what,  just  next  to  it,  you  behold  worn  and  almost 
indistinct  from  the  tooth  of  the  destroyer.  Pius  IX. 
has  done  much  more  than  this, — he  has  improved  on 
the  example  of  his  illustrious  predecessors,  and  enabled 
the  visitor  to  ascend  the  better  preserved  or  loftier  side 
of  the  building,  to  within  some  20  or  30  feet  of  the  top, 
or  about  125  feet  above  the  present  level  of  the  arena. 
The  ascent  is  easy  and  perfectly  safe,  and  the  view  from 
the  platform,  or  terrace,  to  which  it  leads,  is  superb. 
The  galleries,  the  many  flights  of  steps,  as  well  as  all 
other  parts  of  the  building,  are  maintained  in  a  state 
of  scrupulous  cleanliness,  worthy  no  less  of  the  dignity 
of  the  sublime  structure,  than  of  the  purposes  to  which 
it  has  been  dedicated  for  more  than  a  century. 

On  the  very  spot  upon  which  many  a  martyr  stood 
in  the  days  of  the  more  cruel  of  the  Caesars,  the  Cross  is 
now  reared  aloft,  and,  following  the  beautiful  outline 
of  the  arena,  are  placed  in  niche-like  altars,  representa- 
tions, in  fresco,  of  the  various  stages  of  the  Passion.  At 
half-past  three  o'clock,  on  Fridays  and  Sundays,  a  pro- 
cession may  be  seen  winding  its  way  beneath  the  en- 
trance arches,  preceded  by  a  cross-bearer  and  two  aco- 
lytes. A  Franciscan  Friar,  clad  in  the  coarse  brown 
habit  of  his  order,  with  sandalled  feet,  and  the  white 
cord  encircling  his  waist,  walks  in  front,  supported  at 
each  side  by  two  members  of  a  religious  confraternity, 
whose  ordinary  dress  is  completely  shrouded  in  a  gown 


354  ROME  AND   ITS  RULER. 

and  cowl,  which  leave  nothing  visible  save  the  feet  and 
the  eyes.  Other  members  of  the  confraternity  follow. 
They  are  succeeded  by  a  procession  of  women,  many 
of  whom  are  ladies  of  high  position.  Three  go  in 
front,  with  a  cross-bearer  in  the  centre — and,  as  they 
walk,  they  chant,  in  simple  but  not  unmelodious  tones, 
the  hymns  belonging  to  the  particular  devotion  which 
they  perform.  The  Franciscan  then  ascends  the  plat- 
form, from  which  he  delivers  a  short  but  most  impres- 
sive discourse,  which  is  listened  to  with  the  greatest 
attention  by  the  congregation,  usually  consisting  of 
about  one  hundred  persons  of  both  sexes — the  men 
standing  on  the  one  side,  and  the  women  on  the  other. 
Beside  the  preacher,  is  placed  the  large  crucifix,  with 
which  he  is  enabled  to  produce  a  powerful  effect,  in 
addition  to  that  created  by  his  own  earnestness  and  el- 
oquence. The  concluding  appeal  is  invariably  heard 
and  responded  to  by  a  kneeling  audience.  The  ser- 
mon concluded,  the  procession  is  again  formed,  and 
goes  the  circuit  of  the  arena,  chanting  sacred  hymns 
while  in  motion,  and  stopping  at  every  altar,  in  order 
to  recite  the  appropriate  prayers  belonging  to  each  Sta- 
tion of  the  Cross.  Even  the  most  indifferent  cannot 
hear  those  pious  strains,  echoing  between  the  arches 
and  along  the  corridors  of  this  great  monument  of  Pa- 
gan pride  and  cruelty,  without  emotion,  certainly  not 
without  some  association  of  the  past.  The  gorgeous 
rites  and  solemn  sacrifices  to  false  gods — the  heaving 
multitude,  thirsting  for  innocent  blood — the  cruel  or  the 
cowardly  emperor,  the  author  of  relentless  persecution, 


VISIT  BY  MOONLIGHT.  355 

or  tlie  slave  of  a  wicked  priesthood  or  a  base  apprehen- 
sion— the  fearless  and  holy  martyr,  sustained  alike  by 
the  example  of  those  who  died  before  him,  and  his  hope 
in  that  immortality  which  awaits  the  just ; — these  vis- 
ions of  the  past  acquire  a  momentary  shape  and  form, 
as,  to  the  excited  imagination,  the  ruined  arches  are 
restored  to  their  pristine  beauty,  and  the  myriad 
benches,  which  they  once  supported,  again  rise,  tier 
above  tier,  from  the  reddened  sand  of  the  arena,  to 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  lofty  cornice.  That  mind  must 
be  barren  indeed  which  may  not  realize  some  picture 
of  the  past,  in  such  a  place,  and  under  such  influences. 

I  had  frequently  indulged  a  ramble  through  the 
building  by  day,  and  had  spent  hours  in  the  enjoyment 
of  the  delicious  pictures — of  ruin,  convent,  and  vine- 
yard, of  dark  cypress  and  tall  pine — framed  in  by  some 
one  of  the  open  arches  of  the  building ;  and  also  of  the 
wide-spreading  landscape  beheld  from  the  highest  plat- 
form to  which  the  visitor  can  ascend ;  but,  like  every 
stranger,  I  was  anxious  to  afford  myself  a  still  greater 
treat — a  view  of  the  Coliseum  by  moonlight.  To  this 
I  was  by  no  means  impelled  by  a  romantic  yearning, 
but  simply  because  the  grand  old  ruin  presents  a  pecu- 
liarly beautiful  and  impressive  aspect  when  beheld  by 
that  solemn  and  mysterious  light. 

At  length,  a  more  than  usually  favourable  night  af- 
forded the  desired  opportunity,  when  two  friends  and 
myself  started  on  our  appointed  pilgrimage.  As  we 
walked  through  the  silent  and  almost  deserted  streets 
of  the  city,  the  moon  began  to  make  her  wished-for  ap- 


356  ROME  AND  ITS  EULEE. 

pearance,  flooding  a  solitary  piazza  with  light,  or  turn- 
ing into  a  shower  of  silver  the  spray  of  some  ceaseless 
fountain,  and  brightening  up  house-top,  turret,  and 
dome — every  thing  beyond  a  strongly-marked  line  of 
deep,  dark  shadow.  Even  our  harvest  moon  shows  but 
a  feeble  splendour  when  compared  with  the  full  radi- 
ance of  an  Italian  moon,  as  she  slowly  climbs  up  the 
dark  blue  vault  of  an  Italian  heaven.  "We  passed  by 
the  Forum  Trajanum,  upon  whose  lofty  pillar  the  moon- 
light fell  with  grand  effect;  and  in  whose  well- enclosed 
space,  at  a  depth  of  some  twenty  feet  beneath  the  level 
of  the  modern  highway,  the  outlines  of  long  extinct 
temples  are  marked  by  unequal  fragments  of  columns, 
resting  on  marble  pedestals.  To  this  work  the  present 
Pope  mainly  contributed.  Proceeding  through  the  Yia 
Alessandrina,  we  passed  into  one  of  the  vast  halls  of  the 
Basilica  of  Constantine,  or  Temple  of  Peace,  which, 
without  the  support  of  a  single  pillar,  lift  on  high  their 
enormous  arches;  and  on  whose  sides  and  roof,  like 
flakes  of  snow  on  a  dark  mountain,  fragments  of  mar- 
ble still  gleam,  giving  evidence  of  a  once  costly  incrust- 
ation. We  passed  through  the  three  silent  halls  of 
this  vast  ruin,  and  thus  came  out  on  the  Forum  Ro- 
manum,  in  which  much  of  what  is  yet  left  of  Pagan 
Rome  is  fast  mouldering  into  dust.  The  moon  lit  up 
this  vast  burial  place  of  the  past,  shedding  a  mournful 
splendour  over  shattered  porticos  and  lonely  columns, 
mutilated  fragments  of  what  were  once  proud  temples 
— casting  a  veil  of  brightness  upon  ugly  mounds  and 
hideous  chaos,  that  marked  the  spot  on  which  a  palace 


VISIT  BY  MOONLIGHT.  357 

once  lifted  its  superb  front  to  the  heavens  —  and 
making  plain  to  the  eye  where  the  modern  so-called 
Capitol  was  joined  to  the  remnant  of  the  venerable 
pile,  which,  in  the  hour  of  Rome's  greatness,  looked 
down  upon  many  a  glorious  structure,  then  gleaming 
in  all  the  pride  of  its  marble  beauty.  We  passed 
beneath  the  Arch  of  Titus,  abhorred  by  Jews,  and  so 
on  to  the  Coliseum  —  the  increasing  light  showing 
clearly  what  portions  of  the  Forum  had  been  excavated 
by  the  Pope — what  had  been  railed  off — what  pillars 
had  been  propped  or  supported — what  monuments  were 
still  afforded  a  lingering  existence,  for  the  delight  of  the 
artist,  the  speculation  of  the  antiquary,  or  the  theme 
of  the  moralist. 

As  we  approached  the  entrance  of  the  Coliseum,  the 
clash  of  arms,  and  the  sharp  "  Qui  Vive"  of  the  sentry, 
were  a  guarantee  for  the  safety  of  a  spot  which,  with- 
out such  protection,  might  have  furnished  unpleasant 
materials  for  an  Italian  adventure.  The  moon  was 
slowly  pursuing  her  way  up  the  blue  sky,  and  gradually 
rising,  foot  by  foot,  to  the  height  of  the  unbroken  wall 
of  the  building,  now  and  then  peeping  in  through  arch 
or  window,  and,  while  leaving  most  of  the  vast  interior 
in  sublime  shadow,  making  all  she  shone  upon  nearly 
as  bright  and  distinct  as  if  beheld  at  mid-day.  The 
massive  stone,  the  broken  pillar,  the  jagged  column  of 
masonry,  which  had  formerly  supported  the  platform 
of  the  seats — the  frayed  brickwork,  which  time  had 
worn  away  till  one  could  almost  imagine  it  transparent 
— the  uneven  line  of  the  lesser  wall — the  bush  gently 


358  HOME  AND   ITS  RULEK. 

waving  in  the  night  wind — the  deep  arch  and  its  noble 
outline,  —  every  object  at  which  the  moon  peeped, 
through  opening  after  opening  in  the  vast  side  on  which 
she  shone,  was  traced  out  with  exquisite  distinctness, 
decay  thus  clothing  itself  in  transitory  beauty.  Patient- 
ly we  awaited  the  higher  elevation  and  full  splendour 
of  the  chaste  Dian,  enjoying  each  new  effect,  as  she 
sported  with  the  venerable  ruin,  and  imparted  to  its 
grim  antiquity  a  youthful  flush — mocking  but  delight- 
ful illusion.  Higher  and  higher  she  soared,  flinging  a 
fuller  light,  extending  her  bright  conquest  over  a  wider 
domain ;  when,  as  she  topped  the  giant  wall,  and  ex- 
hibited herself  to  us,  prosaic  mortals,  with  somewhat 
of  the  splendour  which  shed  its  radiance  on  the  sleep- 
ing Endymion,  a  troop  of  envious  clouds,  evidently  en- 
amoured of  her  beauty,  and  that  lay  as  it  were  in  am- 
bush, closed  in  on  her,  shrouded  her,  and  took  her 
captive, — at  any  rate,  she  was  snatched  from  our  long- 
ing gaze  ;  and  so  we  made  the  best  of -our  melancholy 
way  back,  considering  the  clouds  to  be  "  no  better  than 
they  should  be." 

I  have  only  incidentally  hinted  at  some  of  the  other 
services  which  the  Pope  has  rendered  to  the  antiquities 
of  Pagan  Home;  and  indeed  it  would  occupy  more 
space  than  I  can  venture  to  devote  to  the  subject,  to 
give  even  a  mere  enumeration  of  the  monuments  which 
he  has  preserved  by  various  means.  For  instance,  it  is 
a  private  house  which  obstructs  the  view  of  an  ancient 
temple,  or  hides  a  beautiful  frieze,  rich  with  bas-reliefs ; 
and  the  house  is  purchased  and  taken  down. 


PKESEKVATION  OF  PAGAN  ANTIQUITIES.          359 

In  the  town  of  Cori,  there  still  exist  valuable  remains 
of  a  temple  erected  to  Castor  and  Pollux ;  but  the  frieze 
and  a  portion  of  the  columns  were  partly  concealed  by 
a  house.  The  house  has  been  taken  down,  and  these 
fine  specimens  of  ancient  art  restored  to  view.  At  Tiv- 
oli,  the  temple  of  Yesta  and  the  House  of  the  Sybil  are 
now  partly  hidden  by  a  portion  of  the  Church  of  St. 
Martin  ;  but  the  ground  is  being  purchased  for  a  paro 
chial  church,  in  order  to  have  the  old  church  taken 
down,  and  these  precious  remains  seen  on  every  side. 

It  had  long  been  regretted  that  the  beautiful  Arch 
of  Trajan  at  Beneventum,  a  Papal  town  in  the  midst  of 
the  Neapolitan  dominions,  was  partly  hidden  by  some 
mean  houses  which  were  built  up  against  its  sides,  and 
concealed  part  of  the  architecture.  For  several  years  the 
intention  had  been  expressed  of  removing  these  incum- 
brancee  from,  perhaps,  the  finest  specimens  of  the  later 
classic  art.  It  was,  however,  reserved  for  the  present 
Pope  to  carry  out  this  improvement,  so  long  proposed. 
The  adjoining  houses  were  purchased  and  taken  down, 
and  a  portion  of  the  arch,  which  had  hitherto  been  hid- 
den, was  discovered  to  contain  some  choice  bas-reliefs, 
which  were  as  fresh  and  sharp  as  they  were  in  the  day 
when  they  received  the  last  touches  of  the  sculptor's 
chisel.  Thus  was  not  only  a  beautiful  example  of  ar- 
chitecture freed  from  the  mean  objects  which  con- 
cealed it,  but  the  operation  disclosed  some  sculptures 
which  have  not  been  exceeded  by  any  belonging  to 
the  second  epoch  of  classic  art  at  Rome. 

The  ancient  gate  of  Perugia  and  the  Theatre  of 


360  ROME  AND   ITS  RULEK. 

Ferentum  have  also  had  considerable  sums  expended 
on  their  restoration. 

The  Pantheon,  which  owes  its  almost  miraculous 
state  of  preservation  to  its  fortunate  conversion  into  a 
Christian  temple  nearly  a  thousand  years  since,  has 
been  freed,  in  a  great  measure  by  the  present  Pop£, 
from  the  vulgar  incrustation  of  mean  buildings  which 
had  been  built  up  against  its  eastern  side.  It  has  been 
carefully  protected  from  further  encroachment,  by  a 
wall  and  iron  palisade ;  the  old  level  has  been  also  ex- 
posed by  excavation ; .  and  the  whole  building  is  kept 
in  excellent  condition. 

Several  of  the  great  arches  which  form  so  striking  a 
feature  in  the  antiquities  of  Rome,  including  those  of 
Constantine  and  Septimus  Severus,  have  been  protected 
from  a  most  formidable  danger,  which  menaced  their 
safety — namely,  the  accumulation  of  water  flowing 
down  from  the  Celian  and  Esquiline  hills.  The  water 
has  been  carefully  diverted  into  safe  channels,  and  the 
foundations  of  those  grand  and  striking  monuments 
have  been  thus  effectually  rescued  from  injury. 

Then  every  foot  of  the  Forum  Romanum  speaks  of 
the  solicitude  of  His  Holiness  for  the  preservation  of  its 
precious  relics.  He  has  undertaken  and  completed 
many  costly  excavations ;  brought  to  light  the  base  of 
several  beautiful  pillars  ;  adopted  precautionary  meas- 
ures to  uphold  tottering  walls  and  ruined  porticos ;  and, 
perhaps  most  valuable  work  of  all,  has  had  collected, 
and  perfectly  restored,  splendid  pieces  of  the  frieze  and 
cornice  that  once  adorned  the  front  of  the  temple  of 


PRESERVATION   OF   PAGAN  ANTIQUITIES.          361 

Castor  and  Pollux.  For  greater  safety,  as  well  as  for 
the  convenience  of  modern  artists,  these  fragments  have 
been  taken  to  the  tdbularium  of  the  Capitol,  there 
cleaned  up,  adjusted,  and  re-arranged — so  that  the 
visitor  might  easily  imagine  that  the  whole  was  the 
work  of  yesterday,  and  intended  for  a  building  then  in 
actual  process  of  erection.  No  monument,  or  fragment, 
that  I  have  seen,  presents  to  the  mind  so  vivid  an  idea 
of  the  splendour  as  well  as  the  exquisite  beauty  of  the 
great  Pagan  temples,  or  of  the  genius  and  wealth  lav- 
ished on  their  decoration.  One  actually  beholds  them 
again  gleaming  in  the  sunlight,  in  all  their  freshness, 
in  all  their  rich  yet  chaste  and  elegant  ornament,  with 
their  smallest  detail  visible  to  the  eye.  These  restora- 
tions are  a  noble  benevolence  to  the  arts,  and  far  out- 
weigh the  value  of  the  more  commonplace  improve- 
ments which  the  Pope  has  made  in  the  Forum,  by  the 
planting  of  four  rows  of  trees  leading  from  the  Arch  of 
Titus  to  the  Arch  of  Septimus  Severus. 

The  Pope  has  also  lately  unveiled  the  long-hidden 
mystery  of  the  Appian  Way,  which  stretches  for  miles 
beyond  the  walls  of  Rome,  and  was  the  famous  prom- 
enade of  the  ancients,  who  beheld,  on  either  side,  the 
proud  tombs  of  their  ancestors.  In  the  process  of  this 
great  work  of  excavation,  many  rare  and  beautiful 
things  have  been  discovered,  all  of  which  have  been 
carefully  placed  in  the  public  museums,  to  enrich  still 
further  collections  unrivalled  in  interest,  and  almost  in- 
appreciable in  value.  There,  as  in  other  places  where 

it  exists,  the  old  Roman  way  has  been  carefully  guard- 
16 


362  KOME   Alft)   ITS   RULER. 

ed  from  destruction.  I  cannot  say  much  for  the  per- 
sonal comfort  to  be  derived  from  passing  over  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  or  so  of  this  particular  monument  of  Roman 
greatness.  It  may  have  been  all  smooth  and  pleasant 
enough  to  the  chariots  that  bore  the  great,  the  wealthy, 
and  the  beautiful,  in  the  days  of  the  Caesars ;  but  as  I 
am  no  fanatical  stickler  for  mere  antiquity,  I  should 
prefer  a  jaunt  on  a  moderately  well-repaired  county 
high-way  in  Ireland.  At  any  rate,  credit  must  be 
given  to  the  Pope  for  the  preservation  of  those  inter- 
esting relics  of  the  past. 

The  Consular  Way,  which  conducted  to  the  Temple 
of  Jupiter  on  Monte  Cave,  and  was  known  as  the  Via 
Numinis,  has  been  saved  from  destruction;  so  have 
the  ancient  ways  in  the  district  of  Grotta  Ferrata ;  and 
express  orders  have  been  given  to  the  Presidents  of  the 
Provinces  to  watch  over  their  preservation,  and  protect 
them  from  injury  by  every  available  means  in  their 
power. 

The  grand  circular  tomb  of  Cecilia  Metella,  which  is 
about  twice  the  size  of  one  of  the  Martello  Towers 
in  Ireland,  is  now  fully  exposed  to  view,  sufficient  of  its 
marble  ornaments  and  incrustations  being  left  to  show 
what  it  was  in  the  days  of  its  pride. 

For  miles  along  the  Appian  Way,  each  side  is  strown 
with  disinterred  ruins ;  a  very  few  still  exhibiting  indi- 
cations of  past  magnificence,  but  the  greater  number 
being  only  remarkable  for  their  shapeless  deformity,  or 
melancholy  decay. 

I  should  exhaust  my  remaining  space,  did  I  give  a 


PKESEKVATION  OF  PAGAN  ANTIQUITIES.          363 

list  of  the  excavations  undertaken — of  the  precautions 
adopted  in  the  shape  of  wall  and  buttress — of  the  valu- 
able ruins  actually  purchased  from  private  persons — of 
the  restorations  accomplished — of  the  additions  made 
to  the  collections  of  Greek  and  Roman  medals — of 
bronzes  and  marbles  placed  in  the  Vatican  and  the 
Capitol;  all  the  work  of  Pius  IX. 

The  Etruscan  Museum  was  lately  enriched  with  some 
valuable  bronzes,  amongst  the  rest  with  a  colossal  torso, 
which  is  believed  to  have  been  the  statue  of  an  athlete. 
Some  of  the  smaller  works  are  a  good  deal  in  the  Egyp- 
tian manner,  and  are  very  valuable  contributions  to  an 
historical  gallery  of  art. 

Water  is  a  dreadful  enemy  to  the  old  monuments — 
it  saps  the  foundations  of  arch,  and  wall,  and  pillar ; 
and  destroys,  by  the  damp  which  it  creates,  every  trace 
of  painting  in  fresco.  The  tomb  of  Tarquin  has  been 
recently  saved  from  the  destroyer,  the  waters  being  pre- 
vented from  penetrating  the  interior,  and  injuring  the 
old  Etruscan  figures  which  adorn  its  walls.  The  gate 
and  the  steps  by  which  to  descend  have  also  been  re- 
stored. 

Much  has  been  likewise  done  for  the  Baths  of  Dio- 
cletian, to  preserve  portions  of  them  from  the  utter  ruin 
which  has  overwhelmed  so  many  of  the  once  famous 
palaces  and  temples  of  the  Caesars. 

Amongst  the  excavations  and  discoveries  lately  made, 
might  be  mentioned  those  on  the  Palatine  Hill,  where, 
in  the  Palatine  Garden,  other  traces  of  the  Imperial 
Palace  have  been  made  visible,  together  with  fragments 


364:  ROME  ANI)  ITS  RULER- 

of  richly  sculptured  friezes,  as  well  as  part  of  the  old 
walls  of  Romulus  brought  to  light.     In  the  Vineyan 
of  the  Jesuits,  on  the  Aventine,  there  has  been  dis- 
covered and  disinterred  a  fine  portion  of  the  old  walls 
of  Eome,  built  by  Servius  Tullius,  and  constructed  of 
massive  square  blocks  of  tufa.     To  preserve  this  most 
singular  relic  of  a  remote  age  from  destruction,  the  area 
on  which  it  stands  has  been  purchased  from  the  Jesuits, 
who  have  been  compensated  for  the  expense  incurred 
in  the  excavation. 

Amongst  the  other  discoveries,  the  result  of  recent 
excavations,  may  be  likewise  noticed  the  subterranean 
passage  by  which  the  emperors  went  from  the  Celian 
Hill  to  the  Flavian  Amphitheatre,  more  generally 
known  as  the  Coliseum. 

The  Columbaria  of  the  Codini  Vineyard  are  well 
known.  They  now  present  the  most  perfect  examples 
of  the  urn-burial  of  the  ancient  Eomans.  They  have, 
as  far  as- possible,  been  restored  to  the  condition  in 
which  it  is  supposed  they  might  have  been  seen  in  the 
time  of  the  Csesars.  The  vaults,  which  were  ruinous, 
have  been  rebuilt,  the  Pope  having  expended  a  con- 
siderable sum  for  these  works.  The  cinerary  urns  have 
been  replaced  in  their  niches,  the  paintings  judiciously 
restored,  the  marbles  and  epigraphs  again  put  in  their 
original  places,  and  the  three  vaults  opened  to  the  vis- 
itors, who  can  now  see,  at  a  glance,  the  mode  in  which 
the  ancient  Eomans  cared  for  the  ashes  of  their  dead. 

In  fact,  on  the  mere  antiquities  alone,  not  at  all  in- 
cluding purchases  for  the  galleries,  no  less  a  sum  than 


PRESEKVATION  OF  PAGAN  ANTIQUITIES.          365 

14,000  scudi  was  expended  in  the  year  1855.  The 
gross  expenditure  of  the  year  1856  on  works  connected 
with  ancient  and  modern  art,  including  renovations  of 
various  kinds,  amounted  to  244,000  scudi.  For  the 
year  1857,  a  much  smaller  sum  is  proposed,  because  of 
the  pressure  resulting  from  the  general  failure  of  the 
harvests ;  but  so  dear  to  the  Holy  Father  is  the  work 
of  restoring  and  preserving  the  monuments  of  Pagan 
antiquity,  as  well  as  of  Christian  art,  that  60,000  scudi 
have  been  demanded  for  the  present  year. 

I  feel  I  have  by  no  means  done  justice  to  the  sub- 
ject ;  but  I  venture  to  think  I  have  stated  sufficient  to 
show  that  Pius  IX.  has,  in  his  respect  for  the  moulder- 
ing but  still  beauteous  remains  of  ancient  art,  and  for 
those  monuments  which  help  to  illustrate  one  of  the 
most  interesting  and  important  pages  in  the  annals  of 
the  human  race,  displayed  the  enlightened  liberality  of 
a  princely  disposition,  and  the  refinement  of  a  scholar 
and  a  man  of  taste. 


366  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 

The  Catacombs. — Institution  of  the  Commission  of  Sacred  Archaeology 
by  the  Pope. — The  Catacombs  proved  to  be  the  Burying-places  of 
the  early  Christians. — Cardinal  Wiseman's  "  Fabiola." 

IT  would  be  an  unpardonable  omission  not  to  allude 
to  the  eminent  service  which  Pius  IX.  has  rendered  to 
the-  Church,  through  the  successful  labours  of  the  Com- 
mission of  Sacred.  Archaeology ;  by  which  a  flood  of 
light  has  been  flung  into  the  inmost  recesses  of  the 
Catacombs,  to  the  confusion  of  the  scoffer,  and  the 
more  profound  conviction  of  the  conscientious  inquirer. 
This  Commission  has  been  established  by  the  present 
Pope,  by  whom  all  its  expenses  are  defrayed. 

Their  success  has  realized  the  most  sanguine  antici- 
pations ;  for  not  only  have  they  discovered,  and  opened 
for  inspection,  new  and  extensive  catacombs,  but  their 
investigations  have  established,  by  a  variety  of  the  most 
conclusive  proofs,  the  identity  of  the  Catholic  Church 
of  this  day,  with  the  Church  of  the  early  Christians— 
the  Church  of  the  Catacombs.  The  paintings,  carv- 
ings, and  inscriptions  found  in  these  burial-places  of 
the  early  Christians,  and  which  bear  date  as  well  du- 
ring as  after  the  persecutions  of  the  Emperors,  afford 
the  most  eloquent  testimony  to  the  Sacraments  of  the 
Church,  and  to  its  fundamental  doctrines, — the  Heal 


THE  CATACOMBS.  367 

Presence  in  the  Eucharist — the  doctrine  of  the  Holy 
Trinity — of  Prayers  for  the  Dead — the  Invocation  of 
Saints — as  well  as  proofs  of  the  honours  paid  through- 
out all  ages  to  the  Blessed  Mother  of  God. 

The  correct  maps  and  plans  of  these  subterranean 
cemeteries  demonstrate  the  utter  absurdity  of  the  no- 
tion of  their  ever  having  been  intended  for  any  other 
purpose  than  that  of  affording  a  place  of  sepulture,  and 
equally  of  prayer  and  sacrifice,  to  the  persecuted  Chris- 
tians. To  divest  the  Catacombs  of  a  dangerous  im- 
portance, it  has  been  the  fashion  to  represent  them  as 
sand-pits,  opened  for  the  obtainment  of  a  valuable  in- 
gredient  for  the  manufacture  of  cement.  But  the  plan 
of  the  sand-pit  and  the  plan  of  the  catacomb — as 
shown,  for  instance,  in  the  splendid  work  of  M.  Perret, 
for  which  the  world  is  indebted  to  the  imperial  liber- 
ality of  the  French  Government — are  as  different  as 
two  things  could  possibly  be.  The  plates  in  these 
noble  volumes  exactly  represent  what  I  have  myself 
remarked ;  for  while  nothing  can  be  more  unequal,  ir- 
regular, and  capricious,  than  the  excavations  of  the 
sand-pit — nothing,  on  the  contrary,  can  be  more  regu- 
lar, mtJre  precise,  and  more  mathematically  correct, 
than  the  arrangement  of  the  catacomb.  Besides,  the 
catacomb  is  hewed  out  of  a  material  too  hard  for  ce- 
ment, and  too  soft  for  building  purposes — sufficiently 
soft  to  admit  of  its  being  worked  with  facility — suffi- 
ciently hard  and  consistent  not  to  require  the  aid  of 
props  for  the  sustainment  of  the  roof,  and  the  preser- 
vation of  the  sides.  It  is  quite  true,  that  the  persecut- 


368  ROME    AND   ITS   RULER. 

ed  Christians  frequently  made  the  entrance  to  their 
cemeteries  and  places  of  worship  in  some  remote  recess 
of  a  deserted  sand-pit;  by  which  two  objects  were  ob- 
tained— seclusion  from  the  eyes  of  their  enemies,  and 
the  facility  of  disposing  of  the  produce  of  their  exca- 
vations, without  the  liability  of  exciting  suspicion. 

The  thousands  of  inscriptions  already  brought  to 
light,  many  of  which  now  enrich  the  Christian  Museum 
of  the  Lateran,  and  also  the  Vatican,  would  of  them- 
selves be  conclusive  testimony  to  prove  that  the  cata- 
combs were  places  of  Christian  sepulture.  But  if  any 
evidence  were  required  beyond  the  well-known  hatred 
and  contempt  in  which  the  Pagan  Roman  held  the 
Christians,  who,  according  to  Tacitus,  "  were  branded 
with  deserved  infamy,"  to  prove  that  no  Pagan  would 
suffer  a  member  of  his  family  to  be  buried  in  the  same 
place  with  members  of  an  "  abominable  and  impious 
sect,"  who  were  convicted  "  for  their  hatred  of  human 
kind,"  it  is  had  in  sufficient  abundance  in  the  columba- 
ria— which  were,  beyond  question,  devoted  to  Pagan 
sepulture, — that  is,  to  the  reception  of  the  ashes  of  those 
whose  bodies  had  been  previously  burned.  One  of 
these  latter  burying-places,  certainly  not  much  more 
than  twenty  feet  square,  might  contain  the  ashes  of  a 
thousand  persons ;  for  not  only  are  the  urns  disposed  in 
small  niches,  placed  in  rows  over  the  entire  face  of  each 
side,  but,  through  the  means  of  a  solid  block  of  mason- 
ry, occupying  the  greater  part  of  the  centre  of  the 
chamber,  and  rising  to  the  level  of  the^main  walls, 
four  additional  faces  are  presented — each  of  which  con- 


369 

tains  an  allotted  number  of  niches,  or  pigeon-holes,  for 
the  reception  of  the  urns,  with  a  marble  or  other  slab 
inserted  into  the  wall,  either  beside  or  above  it,  on 
which  are  cut  the  name  or  names  of  the  person  or  per- 
sons whose  ashes  there  rest. 

I  shall  not  pursue  this  subject  farther,  but  merely 
say,  that  the  recent  discoveries,  for  which  the  world  is 
indebted  to  the  piety  and  liberality  of  the  present  Pope, 
have  been  of  inestimable  service  to  the  cause  of  truth. 
Indeed,  these  irresistible  voices,  issuing  from  the  tombs 
of  the  saints  and  martyrs  of  the  Church  of  God,  have 
recently  brought  many  good  and  pious  Christians  of  • 
other  communions  to  her  fold. 

With  the  permission  of  the  distinguished  author,  I 
have  added  to  the  Appendix  of  this  volume  a  valuable 
chapter  on  this  subject,  taken  from  a  work  of  far  less 
pretensions  than  that  of  M.  Ferret,  to  which  I  have 
alluded,  but  one  which  has  done  more  than  could  be 
well  described,  to  awaken  interest  in  those  silent  rest- 
ing-places of  the  dead.  I  allude  to  that  admirable 
work  from  the  eloquent  pen  of  Cardinal  Wiseman — 
Fabiola — a  work  which,  to  the  most  admirable  portrait- 
ure of  the  faithful  of  the  early  Christian  Church — the 
holiness  and  heroism  of  its  martyrs  and  confessors — the 
purity  of  their  lives,  and  their  fortitude  in  facing  death 
—has  superadded  to  it  the  interest  of  a  romance,  and 
the  fascination  of  a  poem.  With  the  impressions  of 
this  charming  volume  fresh  in  his  memory,  the  visitor 
to  the  Catacombs  needs  no  guide-book,  no  chattering 
cicerone, — his  imagination  fills  the  void,  and  lights  up 
16* 


370  HOME  ANi)  ITS  RULER. 

the  darkness.  He  beholds  those  little  chapels  crowded 
with  hushed  worshippers,  and  the  pastor — perhaps  one 
of  the  martyr-Popes — offering  up  the  Holy  Sacrifice 
of  the  Eucharist  on  the  tomb  of  a  predecessor  who  has 
already  sealed  his  fidelity  with  his  blood  ;  or  he  hears 
the  flying  feet  of  the  betrayed  congregation,  and  the 
shouts  of  the  pursuing  soldiery.  I  certainly  confess 
my  obligations  to  the  author  of  Fdbiola,  for  emotions 
of  solemnity  and  awe  which  otherwise  I  could  not  have 
experienced,  although  the  Catacombs  are  necessarily 
replete  with  associations  of  a  nature  at  once  tender  and 
sublime.  But  this  volume  imparts,  as  it  were,  a  living 
interest — the  interest  of  awakened  human  sympathy— 
to  their  galleries,  their  crypts,  and  their  altars.* 

The  extent  of  the  Catacombs  already  known  to  exist, 
may  be  estimated  from  the  calculation,  based  upon  the 
measurement  of  some  of  the  more  important  ones,  that 
there  are  about  nine  hundred  miles  of  galleries  in  all 
these  burial-places;  and  that  they  "may  be  believed  to 
contain  almost  seven  millions  of  graves."f 

*  Perhaps  no  work  in  modern  literature  has  had  such  a  world-wide 
circulation  as  Cardinal  Wiseman's  Fabiola.  It  has  been  reproduced  in 
almost  every  European  language,  and  has  been  published  in  various 
parts  of  America.  There  are  no  less  than  five  different  Italian  transla- 
tions of  it — two  French — two  German — three  Spanish — one  Dutch — 
one  Polish — one  Hungarian — one  Flemish — and  one  Swedish.  In  Milan 
alone  there  have  been  17,000  copies  sold,  and  in  England  somewhere 
about  20,000.  Of  all  versions  of  this  beautiful  book,  100,000  copies 
must  have  been  sold  up  to  this  moment. 

•j-  For  a  most  satisfactory  account  of  the  Roman  Catacombs,  I  would 
refer  the  reader  to  an  admirable  little  volume,  by  the  Rev.  J.  Spencer 
Northcote,  M.  A.,  and  published  by  Dolman.  The  writer  has  himself 
devoted  the  most  patient  attention  to  the  subject,  and  also  uses  such 
materials  as  are  supplied  from  the  very  best  sources. 


NOT   OPPOSED   TO   MATERIAL   PROGRESS.  371 


CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

The  Papal  Government  not  opposed  to  Material  Progress. — Railways. — 
Reasons  why  they  have  not  hitherto  existed. — Four  Principal  Lines 
in  progress,  or  projected. — Gas. — The  Roman  Works. — Gas  first 
started  in  Rome. — Electric  Telegraph,  its  Use  and  Success. — Great 
Public  Works  inexpensively  constructed. 

IT  has  been  too  much  the  fashion  to  attribute  to  the 
Papal  Government  systematic  hostility  to  material  as 
well  as  to  intellectual  progress.  England,  with  her 
network  of  railways,  points  contemptuously  to  the  prim- 
itive modes  of  travelling  still  the  rule  in  the  Papal 
States,  and  cries  out — "  Lo !  the  result  of  priestly  gov- 
ernment !"  ISTow  nothing  can  be  more  unfair  or  unjust 
than  the  inference  sought  to  be  drawn  from  the  admit- 
ted fact,  that,  as  yet,  railway  communication  does  not 
exist  to  any  extent  in  the  States  of  the  Church.  Not 
many  years  since,  railways  were  a  novelty  in  England,* 

*  At  a  time  like  the  present,  when  a  railway  speed  of  30  miles  an 
hour  is  considered  rather  "  slow,"  and  50  miles  an  hour  is  "  nothing 
wonderful,"  it  is  rather  amusing  to  read  of  the  horror  with  which  no 
less  an  authority  than  a  writer  in  the  "  Quarterly"  contemplates  any 
rate  of  progression  greater  than  nine  miles  an  hour ;  beyond  which 
maximum  speed;  safety,  according  to  the  oracle,  was  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. This  remonstrance,  which,  however  laughable  it  reads  at  the 
present  time,  must  have  had  great  effect  in  its  day,  is  quoted  in  the 
Life  of  George  Stephenson,  by  S.  Smiles : — 

"  What  (said  the  reviewer)  can  be  more  palpably  absurd  and  ridicu- 


372  KOME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

the  country  of  the  largest  capital  and  most  resolute  en- 
terprise of  any  in  the  world  ;  and  she  must  not  be  sur- 
prised if  it  require  a  very  great  effort  on  the  part  of 
countries  with  small  means  and  but  moderate  enter- 
prise to  obtain  them.  The  resources  of  the  Papal  States 
are  not  of  themselves  sufficient  to  the  construction  of 
extensive  lines  of  railway ;  nor,  as  yet,  is  the  specula- 
tive enterprise  of  the  people  equal  to  the  risk  of  so  great 
an  undertaking.  So  that  railways  have  to  be  construct- 
ed for  Koine,  by  foreign  speculators,  and  with  foreign 
capital.  And  in  this  very  fact  lies  the  explanation  of 
that  seeming  want  of  energy,  and  that  imaginary  oppo- 
sition to  improvement,  of  which  we  have  heard  so 
much.  Now  what  is  the  real  state  of  things  ?  That 
railway  projects  in  the  States  have  been  made  matters 
of  the  merest  speculation,  as  a  means  of  raising  sums 
of  money  for  their  projectors.  Thus,  companies  have 
been  established — on  paper  ;  and  concessions  have  been 
granted  to  their  originators.  But,  while  many  of  these 
schemes  have  broken  down,  from  the  inability  of  the 
parties  to  carry  them  out ;  in  other  instances,  those  who 
have  obtained  concession,  have  sold  it — and  thus  the 
project  has  been  handed  from  one  set  of  speculators  to 

lous  than  the  prospect  held  out  of  locomotives  travelling  twice  as  fast 
as  stage-coaches  ?  We  should  as  soon  expect  the  people  of  Woolwich 
to  sutt'er  themselves  to  be  fired  off  upon  one  of  Congreve's  ricochet 
rockets,  as  trust  themselves  to  the  mercy  of  such  a  machine  going  at 
such  a  rate.  We  will  back  old  Father  Thames  against  the  Woolwich 
railway  for  any  sum.  We  trust  that  Parliament  will,  in  all  railways  it 
may  sanction,  limit  the  speed  to  eight  or  nine  miles  an  hour,  which,  we 
entirely  agree  with  Mr.  Sylvester,  is  as  great  as  can  be  ventured  on  with 
safety." 


WHY  KAIL  WAYS  DID  NOT  PREVIOUSLY  EXIST.      373 

another,  to  the  indignation  of  the  Government,  and  the 
disgust  of  the  people.  I  have  proofs  before  me  of  this 
being  the  fact;  but  it  is  not  my  duty  to  introduce  names 
in  such  a  case.  There  is,  besides,  another  and  sufficient 
reason  why  railways  have  not  been  established  before 
this — namely,  the  Revolution  of  1848,  and  the  long 
time  which  elapsed  before  confidence  was  restored  to 
the  public  mind,  or  before  speculators  of  other  coun- 
tries could  rely  upon  the  continuance  of  that  tranquillity 
which  is  essential  to  the  success  of  such  undertakings. 
From  the  first  hour  of  his  reign,  Pius  IX.  was  desirous 
of  encouraging  the  introduction  of  railways,  and  he 
adopted  such  means  as  were  alone  in  his  power,  in  or- 
der to  carry  his  wishes  into  effect.  And,  ere  long, 
he  will  have  the  satisfaction  of  beholding  important 
lines  of  communication  connecting  his  capital  with  Na- 
ples and  with  Tuscany,  with  the  Mediterranean  and 
the  Adriatic.  Railways  are  projected  northward,  to 
the  Tuscan  frontier;  southward,  to  the  Neapolitan 
kingdom ;  westward,  to  Civita  Vecchia,  connecting 
Rome  with  the  Mediterranean ;  and  eastward,  to  An- 
cona,  and  along  the  coast  of  the  Adriatic.  The  railway 
from  Rome  to  Ceprano,  on  the  Neapolitan  frontier,  is 
already  finished  as  far  as  Frascati ;  and  the  Neapoli- 
tans are  at  work  on  their  end  of  the  line,  from  Capua  to 
Ceprano.  The  line  to  the  Tuscan  frontier  is  to  join  that 
from  Sienna  to  Florence.  A  considerable  number  of 
the  shares  in  the  line  to  Ancona  have  been  reserved, 
by  the  Pope's  desire,  for  his  people ;  and,  stimulated 
by  the  example  of  the  Holy  Father,  whose  name  heads 


374  ROME   AND   ITS  RULER. 

the  list  of  contributors,  prelates,  princes,  religious  or- 
ders— in  fact,  all  classes — have  entered  into  this  na- 
tional undertaking  with  an  ardour  amounting  to  enthu- 
siasm. The  same  applies  to  the  other  lines.  Then  the 
works  on  the  line  to  Civita  Yecchia  are  being  vigor- 
ously proceeded  with ;  so  that  in  a  short  time  that  port 
is  likely  to  become  one  of  considerable  importance. 
Between  Ancona  and  Bologna  the  line  of  railway  is 
also  being  constructed.  It  is  definitely  traced  between 
Case  Bruciate  and  Ancona,  as  well  as  between  Faenza 
and  Bologna.  And,  indeed,  the  Holy  Father  has  had 
the  satisfaction  of  witnessing  the  progress  of  these  latter 
works,  during  his  recent  tour  through  his  dominions. 
The  severity  of  the  weather  did  not  prevent  him  from 
quitting  his  carriage,  inspecting  the  operations,  and 
addressing  words  of  kindness  and  encouragement  to  the 
people  employed. 

Gas  being  a  dangerous  "  innovation"  upon  oil,  tallow, 
and  wax,  of  course  the  Pope,  to  be  consistent,  must  have 
been  vehemently  opposed  to  its  introduction.  But 
the  fact  is  quite  the  other  way  ;  and  though  there  have 
been  many  and  grave  difficulties  in  the  path  of  the 
intelligent  and  energetic  representative  of  the  English 
company  by  which  Rome  is  now  lighted,  that  gentle- 
man has,  to  my  knowledge,  ever  found  his  best  resource 
in  the  practical  good  sense  and  genuine  kindness  of  the 
Holy  Father. 

I  well  remember  my  first  visit  to  the  Eoman  gas- 
works. In  company  with  a  friend,  I  crossed  the  Tiber 
for  the  purpose  of  seeing  some  remarkable  ruins,  not  far 


THE  ROMAN  GAS  WORKS.          375 

from  the  Trastevere  side  of  the  Ponte  Rotto,  including 
the  beautiful  little  circular  Temple  of  Vesta,  with  its 
graceful  peristyle  of  pillars,  but  most  abominable  roof 
of  red  tiles ;  the  temple  of  Fortuna  Yirilis ;  the  Arch  of 
Janus  Quadrifrons;  and  the  Palace  of  the  Caesars. 
We  had  clambered  up,  through  tangled  pathways  and 
shattered  steps,  to  an  extensive  platform,  or  floor,  formed 
by  the  roofs  of  a  series  of  arched  halls,  then  stuffed  with 
hay  and  straw,  but  once  belonging  to  the  palace  of  the 
Caesars.  From  this  lofty  elevation — perhaps  a  hundred 
feet  above  the  main  road  below — a  splendid  view  was 
obtained ;  but  on  nothing  more  strange  and  curious  did 
the  eye  rest,  than  upon  what  lay  almost  immediately 
beneath.  It  was  an  immense  oblong  space,  half  of 
which  was  occupied  by  a, thriving  and  well-stocked 
cabbage-garden,  and  the  other  by  the  buildings  and 
premises  of  a  gas-works.  At  the  former  end  was  dis- 
tinctly traced  the  semi-circular  termination  of  a  circus, 
with  its  slanting  bank,  on  which  rows  of  seats  had  once 
been  constructed.  The  top  appeared  to  be  about  six 
feet  above  the  soil ;  but  originally,  it  might  have  been 
as  high  as  forty.  Indeed,  Mr.  Shepherd,  the  manager 
of  the  gas-works,  told  me  that,  when  sinking  a  founda- 
tion for  the  gas-tank,  he  had  to  go  down  a  depth  of 
thirty-five  feet,  and  that  it  was  only  at  tha,t  depth  that 
he  came  upon  the  original  soil — in  fact,  to  the  very  sand 
of  the  arena.  Here,  then,  were  cabbages  growing,  and 
a  gas-chimney  smoking,  many  feet  above  the  ancient 
level  of  the  Circus  Maximus ;  and  vines,  fig-trees,  and 
pot-herbs  flourishing  in  luxuriant  vigour  above  the 


376  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

broken  arches  and  ruined  halls  of  the  Palace  of  the 
Caesars ! 

All  was  activity  in  the  works,  which  appeared  to  be 
admirably  constructed.  Amidst  the  gloom,  and  vapour, 
and  flame  of  the  retort-house,  a  number  of  half-naked 
figures,  swarthy  and  bearded,  were  seen  hard  at  work, 
charging  the  retorts — drawing  out  the  red  coke,  and 
inserting  great  long  scoops,  full  of  fresh  coal.  These 
men  were  all  Italians ;  not  more  than  one  foreigner — 
an  Englishman  of  experience — being  employed  on  the 
premises.  This  visit  led  to  an  introduction  to  Mr. 
Shepherd,  who  may  be  said  to  be  the  founder  of  gas  in 
Rome ;  and  from  conversations  with  that  gentleman,  I 
learned  many  interesting  particulars  with  respect  to 
the  origin  and  progress  of  the  undertaking. 

Mr.  Shepherd  obtained  the  "  concession"  in  1847,  but 
under  disadvantageous  circumstances,  the  result  of  com- 
petition, and  of  a  prevailing  idea  that  gas  could  be  made 
for  something  "  next  to  nothing."  The  Revolution  of 
1848,  however,  put  an  end  to  all  undertakings  in  Rome, 
as  indeed  to  every  description  of  continental  enterprise. 
Some  difficulties  occurred,  after  the  restoration  of  order, 
with  respect  to  an  arrangement  of  terms  on  a  new 
basis ;  but  a  personal  appeal  to  the  Pope  put  an  end  to 
opposition,  notwithstanding  that  learned  men  had  pro- 
nounced against  the  noxious  vapours  of  the  manufac- 
ture, and  prophesied  all  manner  of  frightful  results  to 
the  health  of  the  city.  Even  the  procurement  of  a  site 
was  a  matter  of  time  and  trouble — such  were  the  appre- 
hensions entertained  of  the  deleterious  and  poisonous 


377 

nature  of  the  foul  breath  hereafter  to  be  vomited  forth 
into  the  mild  air  of  Rome,  by  that  modern  monster,  a 
gas-house  chimney.  At  length  he  succeeded  in  pur- 
chasing the  Circus  Maximus — or  rather  the  soil  that 
exists  some  thirty-five  feet  above  the  sand  on  which, 
some  fifteen  hundred  years  ago,  the  swift  chariot  was 
whirled  to  the  goal.  This  site  of  ancient  magnificence 
had  been  for  centuries  the  receptacle  of  the  sweepings 
and  rubbish  of  Rome  ;  and  for  years  past,  its  dedication 
to  the  more  profitable  purpose  of  a  market  garden  had 
clothed  it  with  a  grateful  though  humble  verdure. 
After  undergoing  many  difficulties,  and  conquering 
many  obstacles,  Mr.  Shepherd  ultimately  obtained  a 
modified  contract,  and  manfully  set  to  work — being 
bound  to  light  certain  streets  within  a  period  of  eigh- 
teen months.  I  remember  asking  him  if  the  Pope  were 
at  any  time  opposed  to  the  introduction  of  gas ;  and  his 
answer  was  in  these  words  : — "  No ;  on  the  contrary,  I 
found  in  His  Holiness  not  only  a  friend  to  progress,  but 
a  patron  to  the  judicious  innovator." 

The  difficulties  of  the  undertaking  were  greatly  en- 
hanced by  the  immense  distance  from  which  a  large 
proportion  of  the  "plant"  had  to  be  obtained.  However, 
the  purifying  apparatus,  the  lamp -posts,  brackets,  and 
such  matters,  were  all  cast  in  Rome.  At  length,  the 
hour  of  triumph  arrived ;  and  on  the  night  of  the  6th 
of  January,  1854,  the  Corso  blazed  with  unusual  light, 
not  to  say  to  the  rapture,  but  the  actual  frenzy  of  the 
Roman  populace.  Fortunately  for  the  Signor  Shepherd, 
he  was  not  in  the  way,  or  he  would  certainly  have 


378  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

received  the  unwelcome  honours  of  a  popular  ovation. 
But  enthusiasm  found  a  safe  vent  in  several  poetic  effu- 
sions, in  which  the  author  of  this  nocturnal  splendour 
was  compared  with  a  considerable  number  of  the  he- 
roes of  mythology.  Still,  there  were  those  who  enter- 
tained the  firm  conviction  that  Rome  was  to  be  scourged 
by  the  deadly  vapours  emanating  from  the  gas-chimney, 
and  who  regarded  poor  Signor  Shepherd  as  a  very  dan- 
gerous person.  The  fact  is,  the  Romans  are  peculiarly 
susceptible  in  this  respect :  and  such  is  the  rarity  of  the 
atmosphere,  that  even  perfumes  are  not  tolerated  in  a 
ball-room.  However,  all  apprehensions  were  soon  set 
at  rest  by  the  moral  courage  of  Prince  Doria,  who  de- 
termined on  preparing  a  surprise  for  the  numerous 
company  expected  to  attend  the  annual  ball  in  favour 
of  an  institution  for  the  education  of  poor  children,  of 
which  Princess  Doria  is  one  of  the  directresses.  The 
Prince  consulted  with  Mr.  Shepherd  as  to  the  possibili- 
ty of  having  the  riding-school  of  the  palace  lit  with  gas 
for  the  occasion ;  'and,  although  gas  was  only  "  started" 
for  the  first  time  on  the  night  of  the  6th  of  January, 
there  sparkled,  on  the  night  of  the  14th  of  February, 
amidst  the  brightest  foliage  and  the  loveliest  statuary, 
some  1,200  jets  of  the  dreaded  light?  Of  course,  the 
spectacle  of  these  lights  suddenly  bursting  into  bright 
and  pure  flame,  was  hailed  with  a  simultaneous  out- 
burst of  applause ;  and  as  for  the  savans — why  they  had 
to  give  in.  Mr.  Shepherd  was  in  ecstasy,  for  there  was 
not  the  slightest  unpleasantness  of  smell,  although  the 


PROGRESS  OF   CONSUMPTION".  379 

heat  was  very  great.     To  use  his  own  words — "  I  felt 
that  evening  that  gas  was  a  reality  in  Rome." 

From  that  moment  success  was  certain :  orders 
steadily  coming  in  from  all  classes,  from  the  noble  to 
the  seller  of  lemonade  in  the  street.  The  hotels  and  the 
cafes  at  once  adopted  this  brilliant  innovation,  and  the 
shops  gradually  abandoned  the  candle  and  the  oil-lamp. 
The  following  figures  exhibit  the  progress  which  the 
consumption  has  made  up  to  the  present  time : — 

Public  Lights.  Private. 

Commenced  January  1854  with  200  525 

January  1855     "     247  1,510 

January  1856     "     280         -  2,379 

January  1857     "     393         -  4,227 

May  31,  1857     "     456         -  4,642 

This  progress  is  in  the  highest  degree  satisfactory, 
and  promises  speedily  to  reward  the  enterprising  pro- 
jectors by  a  far  greater  dividend  then  the  five  per  cent, 
which  they  now  receive. 

Immediately  after  the  first  lighting  of  the  Corso,  Mr. 
Shepherd  had  an  audience  of  the  Holy  Father,  who  re- 
ceived him  with  marked  kindness,  and  instituted  the 
most  minute  inquiries  with  respect  to  the  undertaking, 
and  promised  to  visit  the  works;  but  without  notice 
and  without  ceremony.  This  the  Holy  Father  did  in  a 
few  days  after,  when  his  stay  was  protracted  far  beyond 
the  ordinary  limits.  His  inquiries  were  numerous,  and 
much  to  the  point ;  he  examined  every  part  of  the  ap- 
paratus minutely,  and  expressed  himself  pleased  to  find 
that,  with  the  exception  of  the  head  workman,  all  the 


380  ROME   AND  ITS  RULER. 

people  employed  were  natives.  He  asked  Mr.  Shep- 
herd how  he  had  managed  to  make  workmen  of  them 
in  so  short  a  time — if  he  found  them  willing  and  in- 
telligent— and  whether  he  thought  he  could  depend 
upon  them  permanently?  The  Pope  listened  attentive- 
ly to  the  characteristic  reply — "  Your  Holiness,  I  pay 
them  well,  and  expect  a  day's  work  in  proportion. 
Having  served  my  time  to  my  profession,  I  am  fully 
capable  of  directing  others;  and,  lastly,  I  invariably 
adopt  a  policy  which  I  consider  indispensable  in  the 
management  of  workmen — I  unite  firmness  with  kind- 
ness ;  and  if  a  man  do  not  appreciate  these,  I  discharge 
him  irrevocably."  "Ah!"  said  the  Pope,  "unfortu- 
nately these  two  qualities  are  too  seldom  united." 

The  next  day,  Monsignor  de  Merode,  the  Pope's 
principal  Chamberlain,  called  upon  Mr.  Shepherd,  and, 
in  the  name  of  His  Holiness,  presented  him  with  a 
splendid  gold  medal,  and  his  son  with  one  of  silver. 
He  also  gave  to  each  of  the  workmen  a  golden  scudo. 

But  the  Pope  was  not  satisfied  with  exhibiting  per- 
sonal kindness  to  the  representative  of  the  company ; 
he  gave  orders  to  have  the  Quirinal  and  the  Vatican 
lit  with  gas ;  which  was  done  as  speedily  as  the  requi- 
site fittings  could  be  prepared.  Some  of  these  are  posi- 
tive works  of  art,  for  which  special  designs  were  made, 
and  models  taken.  The  lamps  on  the  principal  stair- 
case of  the  Yatican  are  very  beautiful — in  fact,  worthy 
of  the  place ;  and,  considering  their  great  beauty,  the 
cost  of  each — £75 — is  rather  moderate.  The  consump- 


LIGHTS  FOR  THE   "MADONNA."  381 

tion  of  gas  in  the  Yatican  for  a  single  month,  in  win- 
ter, is  somewhat  about  £40. 

As  yet,  the  price  is  rather  high  to  the  consumer ;  but 
English  coal  has  not  cost  much  under  £3  per  ton,  when 
laid  down  in  Rome.  Fortunately  Mr.  Shepherd  is  en- 
abled to  use  a  certain  proportion  of  Tuscan  with  Eng- 
lish coal ;  by  which  arrangement  much  expense  of  pro- 
duction is  saved,  and  the  consumer  is  enabled  to  have 
his  gas  even  at  11s.  6d.  per  thousand  feet. 

I  have  introduced  this  subject  merely  to  show  the 
absurdity  of  the  charges  made  against  the  Holy  Father, 
as  the  alleged  foe  to  progress ;  and  I  may  conclude  with 
the  mention  of  two  facts — the  one  most  creditable  to 
the  honourable  character  of  the  people — the  other  full 
of  significance  to  those  who  entertain  vague  notions  of 
"  converting"  the  Italians.  When  I  was  in  Rome,  the 
"  bad  debts"  of  the  gas  company  amounted  to  five 
pence! — and  at  this  moment  I  doubt  if  they  exceed 
that  amount.  The  other  is,  that  in  the  books  of  the 
company,  there  appears  a  very  considerable  item  set 
down  to  lights  "for  the  Madonna."  In  every  house, in 
every  shop,  at  every  street  corner,  is  to  be  seen  a  pic- 
ture or  figure  of  the  Yirgin  Mother ;  and  in  place  of 
the  taper,  or  the  oil-lamp,  that  formerly  burned  before 
these  most  suggestive  representations,  may  now  be  seen 
the  pretty  bracket,  with  its  trinity  of  brilliant  lights. 

The  great  invention  of  the  present  age  is  the  Electric 
Telegraph;  and  its  use,  either  by  a  government  or  a 
people,  is  taken  as  an  indication  of  progress,  while  its 
non-use  is  as  freely  set  down  to  a  blind  enmity  to  all 


382  ROME  AND  ITS  KULEB. 

improvement  whatever.  It  has  therefore  been  alleged 
that  the  Pope  would  not  consent  to  its  introduction  into 
his  States ;  he  being,  according  to  the  stupid  slander  of 
the  day,  necessarily  opposed  to  all  modern  "innova- 
tions." But  this  allegation  is  as  true  as  many  more ; 
for  not  only  has  his  Holiness  established  this  mode  of 
communication  throughout  many  parts  of  his  domin- 
ions, but  he  has  set  an  example  to  all  other  govern- 
ments, by  rendering  it  the  medium  of  promoting  scien- 
tific investigation. 

To  procure  meteorological  data,  an  active  correspon- 
dence has  been  carried  on  by  telegraph.  At  Ancona, 
the  Commune  gave  funds  to  Professor  Zazzini  to  im- 
prove his  observatory ;  and  the  Government  added  the 
necessary  means  to  erect  two  magnetic  observatories, 
one  at  Ancona,  the  othe,r  at  Civita  Vecchia.  Similar 
works  have  been  undertaken,  or  improved  upon,  in  Ur- 
bino  and  Pesaro ;  in  which  latter  city  Signor  Guidi  has 
constructed  a  complete  meteorological  observatory  in 
his  own  house.  Professor  Respighi  at  Bologna,  Profes- 
sor Botter  at  Ferrara,  and  other  scientific  men  through- 
out the  States,  have  actively  concurred ;  so  that,  in  a 
late  statistical  work,  the  Government  of  the  Pope  have 
been  enabled  to  publish  the  meteorological  observations 
of  the  previous  six  months,  with  plans  indicating  the 
barometrical  changes,  and  the  currents  of  the  wind. 
VQYJ  few  of  the  great  states  of  Europe  or  America 
have  directed  government  effort  to  these  subjects;  yet 
through  the  whole  of  Italy — from  the  Two  Sicilies,  the 
Roman  States,  Tuscany,  and  Lombardy,  to  Turin — 


THE   MAGNETIC  TELEGRAPH.  383 

every  important  town  has  its  meteorological  observa- 
tory. 

By  the  latest  returns,  it  appears  that  four  hundred 
miles  of  telegraph  have  been  laid  down;  but  since 
these  were  published,  several  hundred  miles  in  addition 
have  been  projected,  or  are  in  course  of  actual  con- 
struction. The  expense  of  the  four  hundred  miles  then 
completed  had  been  estimated  at  15,000£. ;  but  the 
work  was  completed  for  considerably  less — a  result 
from  which  English  engineers  might  derive  a  valuable 
hint.  As  a  commercial  speculation,  the  result  has  been 
eminently  successful ;  as  the  revenue  obtained  from 
22,383  messages,  sent  during  the  year  1856,  produced 
to  the  Government  a  net  revenue  of  18,780  scudi.  De- 
crees have  been  issued  this  year,  authorising  the  erec- 
tion of  lines  of  telegraph  from  Rome  to  various  new 
districts ;  and  the  Pope  has  given  orders  for  the  con- 
struction of  telegraphic  stations  in  all  the  principal 
places  through  which  he  has  passed  in  his  tour,  and 
which  had  not  already  had  the  advantage  of  this  valu- 
able means  of  communication.  So  that,  in  a  very  short 
time  hence,  the  subjects  of  his  Holiness  are  certain  to 
be  as  well  off  in  this  respect  as  those  of  any  European 
monarch. 

I  shall  content  myself  with  a  very  brief  allusion  to 
other  important  works  which  the  Pope  has  undertaken, 
as  well  with  a  view  to  the  material  improvement  of  his 
kingdom,  as  with  the  immediate  object  of  affording 
employment  to  his  people. 

In  the  Roman  States  several  of  the  great  roads  are 


384  EOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

not  charged  immediately  on  the  locality  through  which 
they  pass,  but  are  classed  as  National  Roads,  and  are 
maintained  at  the  expense  of  the  State.  Amongst 
these,  the  Appian  Way  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable ; 
being  the  main  entrance  from  the  south  into  the  ancient 
city.  Much  of  this  great  highway,  which  has  been 
dignified  with  the  title  of  Regina  Viarum,  had  fallen 
into  disuse,  and  become  in  many  places  almost  impas- 
sable. The  present  Pope  determined  to  restore  it  to  its, 
ancient  usefulness,  and  even  to  improve  upon  what  had 
been  considered  the  grandest  highway  ever  made  by 
that  dominant  nation  of  antiquity,  which  has  left  in  all 
the  countries  it  conquered,  enduring  memorials  of  great 
public  works,  and,  above  all,  of  roads  which,  for  the 
grandeur  of  their  design,  have  never  been  surpassed. 

Amongst  the  improvements  which  Pius  IX.  made 
on  the  Appian  Way,  the  most  remarkable  is  the  great 
viaduct  which  he  has  raised  across  the  deep  valley 
which  lies  between  Albano  and  Ariccia.  This  great 
bridge,  which  is  nearly  a  thousand  feet  long,  and  near- 
ly two  hundreci  feet  in  height,  is  composed  of  three 
rows  of  arches — the  upper  range  comprising  eighteen, 
the  centre  twelve,  and  the  lowest,  which  is  in  the  val- 
ley, but  six  arches,  of  an  average  span  of  about  thirty 
feet.  The  lower  piers  are  about  twenty-five  feet  thick, 
with  a  depth  of  nearly  sixty  feet,  and  the  roadway  on 
the  summit  is  thirty  feet  in  the  clear. 

But  a  most  remarkable  fact  with  respect  to  this  bridge 
is  the  very  low  cost  at  which  it  was  executed;  the 
economy  of  its  construction  being  altogether  unparal- 


PUBLIC   WORKS  ECONOMICALLY   EXECUTED.        385 

leled  by  any  similar  construction  in  England,  notwith- 
standing all  the  mechanical  aids  for  diminishing  labour 
which  our  engineers  have  at  their  disposal.  This  enor- 
mous structure,  containing  over  100,000  cubic  yards 
of  masonry,  was  executed  at  a  cost  of  35,0002.,  or  about 
7s.  the  cubic  yard — a  price  which,  if  compared  with 
the  cost  of  any  similar  work  in  this  country,  will  be 
found  wonderfully  below  our  standard. 

Other  viaducts,  on  a  smaller  scale,  were  also  con- 
structed on  the  Appian  Way,  beyond  Ariccia.  On  the 
Aurelian  "Way  and  Flaminian  Way,  works  of  a  simi- 
lar character  were  also  executed ;  being  in  all  cases 
the  completion  of  works  which  even  the  great  engineer- 
ing genius  of  ancient  Rome  had  left  possibly  unde- 
signed, but  at  all  events  unaccomplished.  We  may 
instance,  as  one  of  these  works,  a  bridge  over  the 
river  Metaurus,  which  was  contracted  for  at  some- 
where about  20,000  scudi. 

Throughout  the  Roman  States,  hydraulic  engineer- 
ing is  a  matter  of  great  importance.  In  many  places 
the  lands  are  subject  to  being  flooded,  unless  the  banks 
and  beds  of  the  rivers  are  carefully  attended  to ;  and, 
accordingly,  very  large  sums  are  devoted  to  such  pur- 
poses, as  well  as  to  securing  an  efficient  system  of  ir- 
rigation of  the  low  lands.  If  these  works  be  added  to 
the  operations  necessary  for  the  partial  drainage  of  the 
Pontine  Marshes,  it  will  be  perceived  that  the  public 
works  of  this  class  form  an  important  item  in  the  ex- 
penditure of  the  State.  For  many  centuries  the  ques 

tion  of  the  drainage  of  the  Pontine  Marshes  has  occu- 
17 


886  HOME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

pied  the  attention  more  or  less  of  the  governors  of 
Rome.  And  we  have  often  wondered  that,  among  the 
numerous  projects  proposed  to  capitalists  by  English 
engineers,  one  so  near  home  has  been  neglected.  If 
practicable,  and  it  is  hard  to  say  what  is  impossible  for 
modern  engineering  skill  and  capital  to  effect,  it  would 
restore  to  cultivation  what  would  become  perhaps  one 
of  the  richest  district  in  the  world.  Of  course,  the 
difficulty  of  the  unwholesome  climate  will  present 
itself  to  every  mind ;  but  it  seems  not  unlikely  that, 
by  selecting  a  proper  season  of  the  year,  and  other  safe- 
guards, this  great  tract  may  be  won  from  the  waste. 
The  question  seems  worthy  of  examination  by  those 
who  are  competent  to  pronounce  on  such  matters ;  and 
the  works  already  in  existence  would  contribute  much 
to  facilitate  the  undertaking.  It  is  surely  not  more 
removed  from  probability  than  the  project  now  so  suc- 
cessfully accomplished,  of  pumping  out  the  lake  of 
Haarleem,  and  converting  its  large  expanse  into  dry 
land — a  work  which  would  have  been  impossible  with- 
out the  aid  of  the  steam-engine. 

Some  of  the  navigable  canals  of  the  Roman  States 
are  also  maintained  by  the  Government ;  and  to  works 
undertaken  by  the  Communal  and  Provincial  author- 
ities, we  find  that  the  Roman  Pontiff  is  ever  ready  to 
lend  a  helping  hand,  his  contributions  being  in  many 
cases  of  very  large  amount. 

Were  it  necessary,  I  might  give  a  long  list  of  works 
undertaken  by  the  Pope  mainly  with  a  view  of  afford- 
ing employment  to  the  inhabitants  of  districts  which 


UTILITY  COMBINED  WITH  CHAEITY.  387 

have  suffered  distress  from  the  failure  of  the  vine  or  the 
olive.  But  two  instances  in  point  will  suffice  to  exhibit 
the  paternal  solicitude  of  the  Holy  Father.  He  has 
lately  given  a  sum  of  50,000  scudi,  out  of  means  at  his 
own  disposal,  for  the  formation  of  a  new  road  from 
Castel  Grandolfo  to  Marino.  Such  a  mode  of  expendi- 
ture combines  several  advantages  ;  it  affords  relief  to  a 
distressed  population— it  diminishes  crime,  including 
brigandage,  which  is  principally  caused  by  poverty— 
and  it  improves  the  country,  by  adding  to  the  means 
of  its  internal  communication.  The  Holy  Father  has 
granted  a  lesser  sum,  and  with  similar  objects,  for  con- 
structing a  road  from  Ponte  Lucano  to  Tivoli.  He  has 
likewise  placed  considerable  sums  at  the  disposal  of 
the  local  authorities,  with  the  purpose  of  employing 
the  labourers  of  the  poorer  villages  in  some  work  of 
public  utility.  Thus,  while  manifesting  the  sympathy 
of  a  father,  Pius  IX.  also  exhibits  the  practical  wisdom 
of  a  ruler. 


338  HOME  AND  ITS  KULER. 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

The  Pope  a  Commercial  Reformer. — Steady  Progress  towards  Free 
Trade. — We  should  not  judge  a  small  and  feeble  State  by  the  Stand- 
ard of  a  great  and  powerful  Empire. — Singular  Minuteness  and  Accu- 
racy of  Roman  Statistics. — Material  Progress  stimulated  by  Rewards. 
— Proportion  of  Priests  to  Laymen. — The  former  preferred  to  the 
latter. — The  Smallness  of  the  Salaries  of  Public  Officials. 

EVEN  in  the  first  year  of  his  pontificate,  the  present 
Pope  exhibited  his  anxiety,  not  alone  for  political  re- 
forms compatible  with  public  safety,  but  for  the  relax- 
ation of  those  laws  by  which  trade  and  commerce  had 
been  hitherto  restricted.  Accordingly,  he  then  effected 
considerable  changes  in  the  customs  tariff,  by  which 
the  duties  payable  on  a  variety  of  articles  were  greatly 
diminished.  The  results  of  these  wise  changes  having 
been  sufficiently  tested,  more  extensive  alterations  were 
carried  into  effect  last  year ;  and  this  year,  the  duties 
on  silk,  linen,  cotton,  and  woollen  goods,  have  been 
considerably  reduced.  For  instance,  the  100  Roman 
pounds'  weight  of  silk  textile  fabrics,  which  used  to 
pay  by  the  late  tariff  an  import  duty  of  269f.,  will  now 
pay  but  161f.  The  duties  on  the  same  weight  of  wool- 
lens have  been  reduced  from  lOTf.  to  80f. ;  and  the 
duties  on  cotton  cloths,  lately  at  64f.,  are  now  reduced 


PROGRESS  TOWARDS  FREE  TRADE.  389 

to  32f. ;  and  on  articles  of  fashionable  attire,  of  which 
France  possesses  nearly  the  entire  trade,  the  duty  has 
been  lowered  from  400f.  to  200f. 

The  Pontifical  Government  have  been  induced  to 
make  these  further  changes  in  the  right  direction  by 
the  striking  results  of  the  alterations  effected  in  the 
duties  on  imports,  by  the  new  tariff  which  came  into 
operation  on  the  1st  of  June,  1856.  The  results  of  the 
new  and  old  systems  were  exhibited  by  returns  show- 
ing the  imports  for  the  last  six  months  of  1855  under 
the  old  tariff,  and  for  the  corresponding  six  months  of 
1856  under  the  new  tariff.  As  in  all  countries  in  which 
a  wise  and  liberal  system  has  been  adopted,  the  increase 
in  the  amount  of  the  imports  has  been  great  in  propor- 
tion to  the  extent  to  which  the  duty  has  been  dimin- 
ished. Thus,  the  duties  on  colonial  produce  were 
dimished  by  one-half;  and  the  imports  of  sugar  show 
an  increase  from  12,000,000  Ibs.  in  1855,  to  26,000,000 
Ibs.  in  1856  ;  while  the  imports  of  coffee  were  doubled 
in  the  same  time — from  2,000,000  Ibs.  in  1855,  to 
4,000,000  Ibs.  in  1856.  And  in  many  other  articles, 
including  machinery,  paper-hangings,  carpets,  &c.,  a 
similar  improvement  is  evident. 

If  we,  in  these  countries,  will  only  look  back  but  a 
very  few  years,  and  remember  with  what  difficulty  the 
friends  of  Free  Trade  succeeded  in  forcing  their  views 
even  upon  the  popular  branch  of  the  legislature,  and 
what  a  long  and  severe  struggle  it  cost  them  before 
their  efforts  were  crowned  with  final  success,  we  must 
give  credit  to  the  Pope's  government  for  its  marked 


390  ROME  AND  ITS  EULER. 

progress  in  the  same  direction ;  the  more  marked  and 
the  more  creditable,  inasmuch  as  there  was  in  the 
.Roman  States  no  popular  element  to  set  in  motion, 
and  no  powerful  press  to  advocate,  to  excite,  or  indeed 
to  overawe. 

Much  has  been  said  and  written  of  the  misery  and 
wretchedness  of  the  population  of  the  Papal  States; 
but  any  one  who  will  honestly  inquire  .into  the  true 
state  of  the  case,  will  find  that  industry  is  making 
steady  progress,  and  that  the  material  condition  of  the 
people  is  decidedly  improving.  The  increase  in  the 
consumption  of  the  two  articles  just  referred  to — sugar 
and  coffee — would  alone  afford  an  indication  of  in- 
creased comfort.  But  it  is  idle  for  the  people  of  Eng- 
gland  to  contrast  the  condition  of  their  country  with 
that  of  a  small  and  feeble  state,  which,  moreover,  has 
been  terribly  scourged,  by  war  and  revolution,  several 
times  within  the  present  century.  They  should  re- 
member that  they  inhabit  an  island  on  whose  free  soil 
no  foreign  foe  has  set  his  foot  for  many  centuries — that 
for  nearly  two  hundred  years  they  have  not  heard  the 
voice  of  civil  strife-1— that  the  wars  in  which  they  have 
been  engaged,  have  never  brought  fire  to  their  roof- 
trees,  or  steel  to  their  breasts — nay,  that  not  even  the 
boom  of  a  hostile  gun  has  echoed  along  their  shores. 
Therefore,  when 'they  see  a  government  contending 
against  great  difficulties,  some  even  chronic  in  their 
character,  and  struggling  to  bring  about  social  and  ma- 
terial reforms,  they  should  not  regard  such  efforts  with 
derision,  or  thwart  them  by  a  reckless  sympathy  with 


PROGRESS  ENCOURAGED  BY  THE  POPE.     391 

those  whose  object  is  not  reform,  whether  political  or 
social — but  the  overthrow  of  all  established  order,  and 
the  substitution  of  anarchy  for  civil  government. 

I  might  exhibit  the  anxiety  of  the  Pope's  govern- 
ment to  promote  industry,  to  foster  manufactures,  to 
stimulate  invention,  to  direct  the  energies  of  the  people 
to  useful  and  profitable  enterprises;  but  my  allotted 
space  has  been  already  exceeded,  and  there  are  yet  a 
few  matters  which  imperatively  claim  some  notice, 
however  brief.  I  shall  therefore  merely  say,  that,  in 
statistical  works  before  me,  I  have  ample  proofs  of  the 
creditable  anxiety  of  the  Pope  and  his  ministers  to  de- 
velope  the  material  resources  of  the  Papal  States ;  and 
also  of  the  wonderful  accuracy  and  minuteness  of  detail 
by  which  the  annual  official  reports  issuing  from  the 
various  public  departments,  into  which  the  administra- 
tion is  divided,  are  characterized.*  By  these  I  perceive 
that  useful  inventions  are  rewarded  with  honorary  dis- 
tinctions and  substantial  advantages,  and  that  energetic 
measures  are  being  taken  to  promote  the  manufacture 
of  certain  staple  articles  of  consumption.  For  instance, 
to  encourage  the  manufacture  of  woollen  cloths,  premi- 
ums to  the  value  of  between  800Z.  and  900Z.  were  be- 
stowed in  the  year  1854.  This  system  may  be  open  to 


*  Take  an  instance  in  point — the  agricultural  statistics — which  are 
given  with  extraordinary  precision.  The  production  for  every  province 
is  given  of  every  kind  of  agricultural  product.  They  are  almost  con- 
fusing from  their  minuteness;  and,  assuming  the  details  to  be  correct, 
they  exceed  in  accuracy  the  statistical  returns  of  any  kingdom.  There 
seems  to  be  scarcely  a  tree  planted  of  which  there  is  not  an  account 
taken.  The  number  of  Olives  and  Mulberries  planted  have  gone  on  in- 


392  HOME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

objection  on  some  grounds ;  but,  at  any  rate,  its  exist- 
ence is  a  proof  that  there  is  no  lack  of  interest  in  such 
purely  mundane  matters  on  the  part  of  this  "  Priestly 
government." 

And  here,  properly,  may  be  said  a  word  as  to  the 
real  character  of  a  government  which  is  made  the  theme 
of  such  unsparing  animadversion,  and  on  account  of 
which  the  population  of  the  Papal  States  are  assumed 
to  be  entitled  to  the  compassionate  sympathy  of  the  rest 
of  the  world.  A  general  idea  prevails  that  the  Priests 
absorb  all  the  offices  in  the  State,  and  that,  in  a  word, 
they  have  the  entire  administration  o^the  country  in 
in  their  own  hands.  But  what  is  the  real  fact  ?  One 
which  unthinking  revilers  of  the  Papal  Government 
will  hardly  consent  to  credit, — namely,  that  the  propor- 
tion of  ecclesiastics  to  laymen,  taking  into  account 
every  department  of  the  public  administration,  is  not 
greater  than  one  ecclesiastic  to  eighty  laymen!  It 
would  be  quite  unnecessary  for  me  to  repeat  here  the 
figures  which  will  be  found  in  detail  in  the  Dispatch  of 

creasing,  and  the  planting  of  several  kinds  of  trees  is  stimulated  by  a 
bounty.     The  total  number  of  trees  planted,  from  1850  to  1854,  was 

674,880.     In  1854  the  following  are  the  numbers  of  trees  planted : 

Pines,  Firs,  and  Larch 6?079 

Olives 27/7 20 

Mulberries. 35,279 

Chestnuts 18,341 

Elms 5)079 

Alders,  Poplars,  &c 79  0*73 

Oranges '200 

Almonds 100 

162,871 


ECCLESIASTICS  PREFERRED  TO  LAYMEN.          393 

the  French  Ambassador,  given  in  the  Appendix ;  and 
I  shall  therefore  content  myself  with  asking  the  atten- 
tion of  the  candid  reader  to  the  valuable  explanation 
afforded  by  M.  de  Rayneval  on  this  head ;  and  quoting 
the  following  most  significant  statement,  which  effectu- 
ally disposes  of  those  fine  declamations  in  which  it  is 
the  custom  to  indulge  with  respect  to  this  "  monstrous 
feature"  in  the  government  of  the  Pope.  M.  de  Ray- 
neval says : — 

"  But  here  a  curious  fact  presents  itself  to  our  considera- 
tion. The  provinces  administered  by  laymen,  amongst  others 
those  of  Ferrara  and  Camerino,  are  sending  deputation  upon 
deputation  to  the  government  for  permission  to  have  a  PRELATE 
appointed.  The  people  are  not  accustomed  to  lay  delegates. 
They  refuse  obedience  and  respect  to  these  latter.  They  ace > me 
them  of  confining  their  interest  to  their  own  families ;  and 
there  is  nothing,  even  to  their  wives,  which  does  not  give  rise 
to  questions  of  precedence  and  etiquette.  In  a  word,  the  gov- 
ernment which,  to  satisfy  this  pretended  desire  of  the  popu- 
lation to  be  presided  over  by  laymen,  reserved  a  certain  num- 
ber of  places  for  them,  finds  this  disposition  opposed  by  the 
population  themselves." 

It  is  all  well  to  assert  that  the  layman  necessarily 
feels  a  profounder  sympathy  with  his  fellow-man  than 
the  ecclesiastic,  whose  mind  is  bent  in  one  particular 
direction ;  and  that  therefore  a  churchman  is  unfitted 
for  the  administration  of  public  affairs.  Without  enter- 
ing into  the  abstract  question,  whether  the  practice  of 
piety  is  not  rather  calculated  to  stimulate  than  destroy 
the  best  and  holiest  sympathies  of  man's  nature,  let  us 
take,  for  instance,  the  administration  of  his  diocese  of 
17* 


394  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

Imola,  or  his  archdiocese  of  Spoleto,  by  Cardinal  Mas- 
tai  Ferretti  (now  Pius  IX.,)  in  which  he  combined  tem- 
poral with  spiritual  authority  ;  and  how  was  it  possible 
I  ask,  that  any  mere  layman  could  excel  him  in  his  de- 
sire to  promote  the  welfare  and  happiness  of  his  people, 
or  could  vie  with  him  in  his  all-sacrificing  generosity  ? 
He  founded  hospitals,  orphanages,  schools,  asylums  for 
the  penitent ;  he  built  churches,  promoted  public  works, 
and  encouraged  a  spirit  of  industry  in  the  young  of  both 
sexes  ;  and  most  of  these  works  were  accomplished  by 
the  cheerful  sacrifice  of  his  own  personal  income,  and  the 
willing  surrender  of  his  private  means.  However  be- 
nevolent or  munificent  a  layman  may  be,  he  cannot,  if 
he  have  a  family  to  provide  for,  attempt  to  follow  such 
an  example  as  that  of  Cardinal  Mastai  Ferretti,  while 
but  yet  a  Prince  of  the  Church.  Therefore,  the  fact 
stated  by  M.  de  Eayneval  does  no  discredit  to  the 
shrewdness  and  good  sense  of  those  who  so  urgently  pe- 
tition to  have  an  ecclesiastic  substituted  for  a  layman. 

Independently,  however,  of  the  alleged  desire  of  the 
people  to  be  ruled  over  by  ecclesiastics,  it  is  absolutely 
necessary,  for  the  government  of  the  church,  that  its 
bishops  arid  cardinals  should  be  versed  in  public  affairs. 
Besides,  it  is  notorious  that  ecclesiastics,  by  choice  and 
from  necessity,  by  training  and  cultivation,  are  far  in 
advance  of  other  Italians  in  education  and  general 
knowledge. 

If,  indeed,  it  be  true,  that  the  priests  "  have  it  all  in 
their  own  hands,"  it  is  rather  remarkable  how  very 
moderately  they  contrive  to  pay  themselves,  even  when 


SALARIES   OF   PUBLIC   OFFICIALS.  395 

they  fill  the  highest  offices  of  the  State.  Thus,  for 
instance,  the  Cardinal-Secretary  of  Foreign  Affairs  has 
the  magnificent  salary  of  2S2£. !  Seven  Nuncios,  or 
ambassadors  to  foreign  courts,  have  each,  for  the  sup- 
port of  their  respective  establishments  and  their  own 
income  and  expenses,  but  1,480^.  The  Minister  and 
Secretary  of  the  Interior  each  receive  214/.  The  Pres- 
ident of  Borne  and  the  Comarcha,  266£.  The  Minister 
of  Public  Instruction  (a  Cardinal)  has  no  salary ;  but 
the  Minister  of  Grace  and  Justice  receives  one  of  222£. 
The  Prefect  of  the  tribunal  of  the  Segnatura  enjoys 
what,  in  Rome,  is  a  considerable  income,  468Z.  Twelve 
Auditors  of  the  Rota,  a  tribunal  of  great  importance 
and  the  highest  character,  have  each  254Z.  The  Presi- 
dent of  the  Civil  Tribunal,  266/.  President  of  the  Con- 
sulta,  4:001.  Eighteen  criminal  judges,  each  128Z. 
The  Cardinal-Yicar  (Patrizzi),  and  wljo,  in  fact,  is 
the  Pope's  alter  ego — 466Z.  The  Minister  of  Com- 
merce, 44:4:1.  The  Minister  of  Public  Works  (a  Car- 
dinal) has  no  salary.  The  Minister  of  Arms  (a  secu- 
lar), 4:001.  Minister  of  Police,  874Z. — of  Finance,  888Z. 
Cardinal  Secretary  of  Briefs,  494Z. — Cardinal  Peniten- 
tiary, 4:4:01. — Revisor  of  Marriages  (a  secular)  6001.  I 
must  not  forget  the  128  Prison  Chaplains,  ecclesiastics 
of  course,  who  receive  salaries  ranging  from  SI.  to  101. 
a  year !  That  there  is  no  attempt  on  the  part  of  eccle- 
siastics to  monopolise  the  offices  in  the  State,  is  tolera- 
bly well  proved  by  the  proportion  of  one  ecclesiastic  to 
eighty  laymen,  as  stated  by  M.  de  Rayneval;  but  if 
further  proof  be  required,  it  is  had  in  the  statistics  of 


396  ROME  AND   ITS   RULER. 

the  Ecclesiastical  Offices,  which,  without  a  charge  of 
unfairness,  might  belong  exclusively  to  ecclesiastics. 
Thus,  while  there  are  but  161  ecclesiastics  employed 
in  these  offices,  at  salaries  amounting  to  36,120  scudi, 
there  are  316  laymen  employed,  with  salaries  amount- 
ing to  61,836  scudi.  It  may  also  be  seen,  by  referring 
to  M.  de  Rayneval's  despatch,  that  the  term  "  Prelate" 
does  not  necessarily  imply  a  person  in  holy  orders ;  but 
that,  on  the  contrary,  in  many  instances,  the  Prelate  is 
in  no  respect  distinct  from  the  layman,  save  in  the 
mere  assumption  of  a  certain  ecclesiastical  costume. 


LIBERAL  INTENTIONS  FRUSTRATED.  397 


CONCLUDING    CHAPTER. 

Summary  of  the  foregoing  Chapters. — The  Pope  ever  merciful. — • 
Not  a  single  Execution  for  a  purely  political  Offence. — England 
ought  not  to  encourage  Anarchists.  —  Recent  Attempts  of  the 
Mazzini  Party. — England  imitates  Russia  when  she  interferes  with 
the  Independence  of  small  States. — The  Pope's  recent  Tour  through 
his  Dominions. — Its  Character  and  Object  misrepresented. — Its  real 
Purpose. — Liberality,  Charity,  and  Clemency  of  the  Holy  Father. — 
The  temporal  Sovereignty  of  the  Popee. — Its  Importance  to  the 
Dignity  of  the  Papacy,  and  Independence  of  the  Church. 

I  FEEL  but  too  conscious  that  I  have  not  done  any- 
thing like  justice  to  the  subject  which  I  proposed  to 
myself  in  this  volume,  and  that  I  have  every  reason  to 
claim  the  indulgence  of  the  reader  for  the  manner  in 
which  I  have  performed  my  task.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  I  feel  perfectly  satisfied  that  I  have  done  suffi- 
cient to  convince  the  honest  and  the  fair-minded,  that 
calumny  and  misrepresentation  have  been  busy  with 
the  affairs  of  the  Papal  States;  arud  that  there  is  no 
justification  whatever  for  that  fierce  outcry  which  has 
been  raised  in  these  countries  against  the  temporal 
government  of  the  Pope. 

We  have  seen,  by  the  history  of  the  first  years  of  the 
pontificate  of  Pius  IX.,  how  the  liberal  intentions  of  the 
Holy  Father  were  frustrated  by  the  machinations  of 


398  ROME  AND  ITS  RULER. 

wicked  men,  whom  no  kindness  could  propitiate,  no 
concessions  could  satisfy ;  but  whose  sole  object  was 
the  overthrow  of  all  existing  institutions,  and  the  estab- 
lishing of  a  state  of  things  incompatible  with  the  good 
government  of  the  People,  the  dignity  and  even  safety 
of  the  Sovereign,  and  the  independence  of  the  Church. 
We  have  seen  how  the  chalice  of  bounty,  presented  to 
his  subjects  by  the  Pope,  was  dashed  to  the  ground  by 
the  hands  of  assassins ;  and  what  miseries  and  horrors, 
what  anarchy  and  abomination,  followed  fast  upon  the 
short-lived  triumph  of  the  enemies  of  true  liberty.  We 
have  also  seen  how  sedulously  the  Pope  has  endea- 
voured to  heal  the  wounds  which  those  evil  days  have 
inflicted,  and  with  what  paternal  care  he  has  been  em- 
ployed in  promoting  the  material  and  moral  well-being 
of  his  people.  And,  unless  we  wilfully  shut  our  eyes 
to  the  truth,  we  must  admit  that  the  future  of  that 
people  is  safe  in  the  hands  of  a  ruler  so  merciful,  so 
benevolent,  and  so  just. 

It  is  true,  the  assassin  was  rightly  made  to  pay,  with 
his  guilty  life,  the  penalty  of  his  atrocities ;  but,  save 
for  the  violation  of  those  sacred  laws  of  God,  which  all 
communities  reverence,  no  man's  blood  reddened  a  scaf- 
fold in  the  Pope's  dominions.*  And  since  the  date  of 

*  M.  Thiers  declared,  in  his  report  to  the  French  National  Assembly 
13th  Oct.,  1849,  "France  has  not  found  the  Holy  Father  less  generous 
or  less  liberal  than  he  was  in  1847  ;  but  circumstances  are  unhappily 
changed." 

And  on  the  18th,  Thuriot  de  la  Rosiere  spoke  the  whole  truth  in  these 
eloquent  words — "  To  my  thinking,  the  mind  of  Pius  IX.  is  by  nature 
so  full  of  clemency,  and,  if  I  may  say  so,  so  in  love  with  pardoning, 


THE  ENGLISH  PEESS.  399 

the  Revolution,  so  deeply  damning  to  the  personal 
honour  of  the  amnestied  of  1846,  the  Pope  has  re- 
peatedly indulged  his  clement  disposition,  by  restoring 
to  the  country  which  they  afflicted,  and  the  position 
which  they  forfeited,  those  who  were  the  prime  movers 
and  instigators  of  rebellion.  The  fear  is  not,  that  Pius 
IX.  will  not  prove  sufficiently  merciful  and  compas- 
sionate to  those  who  have  raised  their  armed  hands 
against  his  authority,  but  that  he  may,  from  an  exces- 
sive generosity,  permit  the  return  of  men  who  are  the 
sworn  enemies  of  rational  liberty,  and  the  deadly  foes 
of  the  Church — who  would  overthrow  the  throne  and 
the  altar,  and  substitute  in  their  place  a  Red  Republic, 
and  a  Goddess  of  Reason. 

With  these  enemies  of  social  order  the  people  of  this 
empire  ought  to  exhibit  no  sympathy  whatever ;  for,  to 
them,  sympathy  is  encouragement,  and  encouragement 
is  justification.  Yet  the  English  Press  indulges  in  the 
coarsest  attacks  upon  the  character  and  rule  of  certain 
Italian  monarchs — the  Pope  and  the  King  of  Naples 
affording  a  never-failing  inspiration  to  its  writers.  Thus, 
by  the  most  culpable  misrepresentations  and  distortions 
of  fact,  the  public  mind  of  this  country  is  unjustly  in- 
flamed against  these  governments,  and  an  outcry  is  con- 
stantly raised  from  hustings  and  from  platform.  Even 
the  House  of  Commons  is  not  free  from  the  frenzy  of 


that  he  needed  the  example,  the  experience  of  the  abominable  abuse 
made  of  it,  ever  to  be  able  to  bring  into  a  soul  so  nurtured  in  sweet- 
ness and  clemency,  some  sense  of  rigour." 

See  also  the  Dispatch  of  M.  de  Rayneval,  in  Appendix. 


400  EOME  AND   ITS  RULER. 

the  hour ;  and  statesmen  are  found  wanton  and  reckless 
enough  to  lend  themselves  to  the  unworthy  task,  not 
alone  of  exciting  the  prejudices  of  their  own  country- 
men against  friendly  and  inoffensive  states,  but  of  lash- 
ing into  active  fury  the  vindictive  passions  and  deadly 
hatred  of  the  lurking  conspirator.  To  the  heated  imagi- 
nation and  perverted  vision  of  the  Italian  refugee,  the 
hour  of  fancied  emancipation  is  ever  at  hand ;  and,  from 
time  to  time  he  sharpens  with  eager  haste  the  dagger 
consecrated  "to  the  downfall  of  tyrants"— meaning 
thereby  all  who  are  opposed  to  his  views,  and  who  de- 
test his  principles.  Scarcely  has  magnanimous  Eng- 
land hurled  her  denunciation  against  u  Italian  despots" 
— scarcely  has  some  disappointed  politician,  no  longer 
minister,  vented  his  malice  from  a  back  bench — scarce- 
ly has  a  Minister  of  the  Crown  given  strength  to  cal- 
umny, and  force  to  falsehood,  by  their  reckless  repeti- 
tion— than  we  hear  of  new  conspiracies,  new  plots,  new 
attempts  at  assassination. 

It  has  been  too  much  the  custom  to  slur  over  the 
crime  of  the  assassin,  and  to  palliate  attempts  at  mur- 
der, by  blackening  the  character  of  the  intended  vic- 
tim. For  instance,  a  knife  or  a  bayonet  is  levelled 
against  the  breast  of  the  King  of  Naples— one  of  the 
most  foully  libelled  of  living  men* — and  we  are  at  once 
favoured  with  thrilling  narratives  of  his  judicial  atroci- 
ties ;  yes,  and  by  the  very  press  which  calls  upon  Eng- 
land to  crush  in  blood  and  ashes  the  flames  of  Indian 

*  See  Appendix. 


401 

rebellion,  and  by  which  every  resistance  to  the  authori- 
ty of  its  own  country  is  characterized  as  an  inexpiable 
offence.  When  the  dagger  gleams  in  Naples  or  in 
Rome,  it  is  the  sovereign  or  his  government  that  is  in 
fault.  What,  then,  shall  be  said  of  the  late  insane  and 
infamous  attempt,  not  alone  upon  the  peace  of  the  Nea- 
politan dominions,  but  upon  the  tranquillity  of  the  do- 
minions of  the  King  of  Sardinia !  Remember,  here  was 
a  Model  King  and  a  Model  Government — here  was  a 
Representative  Constitution — here  was  a  bold  out- 
spoken Parliament — here,  in  fact,  was  an  Italian  Great 
Britain !  Well,  I  assume,  for  argument's  sake,  all  this 
to  be  true — that  the  king,  the  government,  and  the  in- 
stitutions of  Sardinia,  are  all  which  they  are  represent- 
ed to  be.  But  being  so,  how  can  the  recent  attempt  at 
Genoa  be  accounted  for,  save  on  this  reasonable  assump- 
tion— that  the  party  which  recognizes  Mazzini  as  its 
leader  are  the  enemies  of  all  governments  and  of  all  in- 
stitutions ;  and  that  the  aegis  of  a  free  constitution  is  no 
protection  against  the  torch  of  the  incendiary,  and  the 
dagger  of  the  anarchist.  This  late  evidence  of  their 
revolutionary  impartiality  should  open  the  eyes  of  peo- 
ple whose  prejudices  have  hitherto  led  them  blindfold, 
and  teach  them  the  folly  of  encouraging,  whether  by 
palliation  or  approval,  these  pestilent  enemies  of  true 
freedom.  Reason  seems,  at  length,  about  dawning  on 
the  public  mind  of  England ;  and  we  now  behold  the 
sublime  figure  of  the  Triumvir  of  the  Roman  Republic 
dwarfed  to  very  mean  proportions  indeed.  It  is  by 


402  ROME  AND   ITS   RULER. 

the  Times  of  July  23d,  1857,  that  Mazzini  is  thus  de- 
scribed : — 

"  We  regard  him  as  an  incendiary,  whose  murderous 
designs  expand  in  proportion  to  his  own  sense  of  securi- 
ty, but  who  has  no  such  regard  for  the  safety  of  his 
dupes" 

But,  let  me  suppose  the  Papal  Government,  or  the 
Government  of  the  King  of  Naples,  to  be  as  bad  as  the 
most  reckless  assertion  describes  it  as  being — by  what 
right,  I  ask,  could  we  attempt  to  interfere  in  the  affairs 
of  either  country  ?  Especially  since  we  have  laid  down 
the  rule  of  non-interference  so  strictly  in  the  case  of 
Russia,  which  sought  to  meddle  in  the  affairs  of  Turkey. 
Turkey  was  a  weak  and  a  semi-barbarous  government, 
whose  existence  in  the  midst  of  Christian  states  was 
somewhat  of  an  anomaly ;  nor  was  its  internal  admin- 
istration entitled  to  peculiar  respect  from  European  na- 
tions. But,  said  we,  of  this  weak,  decrepid,  and  not 
well-administered  state,  "  Here  is  a  member  of  the  great 
family  of  nations — an  independent  state — attempted  to 
be  bullied  arid  overborne  by  a  great  power,  which 
assumes  the  right  of  interfering  with  its  internal  ad- 
ministration, and  dictating  to  the  Sultan  what  he  shall 
do,  or  shall  not  do,  with  his  subjects.  This  gross  vio- 
lation of  the  independence  of  a  friendly  sovereign  we 
cannot  permit :  and,  rather  than  endure  it,  we  are  pre- 
pared to  encounter  all  the  horrors  and  calamities  of 
war."  And  England  did  go  to  war,  and  did  sacrifice 
the  lives  of  thousands  of  her  people,  and  millions  of 
her  treasure,  in  vindication  of  this  principle — the  su- 


ENGLAND  IMITATING  RUSSIA.  403 

preme  authority  of  Turkey  over  its  own  subjects,  and 
its  independence  of  all  external  control.  This  principle 
was  denned  by  protocols,  vindicated  by  steel,  and  sealed 
with  the  best  blood  of  the  bravest  European  nations. 
"Why,  then,  is  it  to  be  abandoned  in  the  case  of  an 
Italian  state  ?  "What  is  there  peculiarly  sacred  in  the 
Turk  that  does  not  exist  in  the  Italian  ? — what  should 
excite  our  sympathy  for  the  Mahometan  that  should 
not  also  command  our  respect  for  the  Christian  ?  When 
we  revile,  traduce,  and  outrage  an  Italian  monarch  or 
government,  are  we  not  doing  that  which  we  repre- 
hended in  Russia?  When  we  interfere  between  a 
Catholic  sovereign  and  his  subjects,  and  when  we  at- 
tempt to  bully  and  browbeat  a  small  state,  are  we  not 
committing  that  very  offence  against  the  law  of  nations 
for  which  we  punished  Russia  with  fire  and  sword? 

Or,  is  it  because  the  Pope,  or  the  King  of  Naples,  is 
the  sovereign  of  a  small  state,  that  we  therefore  violate 
our  own  rule,  to  the  injury  of  either?  Now  Russia  is 
a  pure  despotism,  and  so  is  Austria  ;  and  certainly  the 
existing  institutions  of  France  do  not  meet  with  our 
approval.  But  do  we  attempt  to  interfere  with  the 
free  action  of  the  sovereigns  of  either  of  these  great 
empires  ?  Nay,  let  them  rain  down  all  manner  of  per- 
secutions on  the  heads  of  their  devoted  subjects ;  let 
them  imprison,  scourge,  strangle,  if  they  so  please ;  let 
them  inflict  any  and  every  atrocity  which  it  has  entered 
into  the  mind  of  man  to  conceive — and  yet  will  we 
venture  to  interfere  ?  No ;  we  do  not  usually  violate 
our  principles  in  opposition  to  the  whisperings  of  our 


404  ROME   AND  ITS  BULEK. 

prudence.  But  where  we  have  little  to  fear,  our  for- 
getfulness  is  as  extraordinary,  as  our  meddling  is  rash, 
insolent,  and  unwarranted. 

Again,  do  we  lash  the  misdeeds  of  Protestant  Kulers, 
or  continually  denounce  the  misgovernment  of  Pr.otest- 
ant  States  ?  The  King  of  Naples  is  guilty  of  one  griev- 
ous sin  in  the  eyes  of  many  in  these  countries — he  is 
devoted  to  the  Church  of  his  fathers,  which  is  also  the 
Church  of  his  people.  And  the  Pope  is  the  Head  of 
that  Church.  Now  if  either  happened  to  be  other  than 
he  is — were  he  a  Lutheran  or  a  Calvanist — anything 
but  a  Catholic — is  it  not  probable  that  we  should  com- 
mence to  recognize  virtues  where  we  hitherto  beheld 
defects,  and  even  hold  up  to  public  respect  the  very 
government  which  we  now  so  recklessly  condemn? 
Does  not  the  conduct  of  England,  in  reference  to  these 
two  Italian  governments,  lay  her  open  to  the  double 
charge  of  cowardice  and  bigotry  ?  And  should  a  great 
and  mighty  state  risk  her  honour  even  by  the  sem- 
blance of  a  policy  which  cannot  entitle  her  to  the 
respect  of  other  nations  ? 

No  matter  what  course  the  Holy  Father  may  adopt, 
with  a  view  of  improving  the  condition  of  his  people, 
it  is  certain  to  be  made  the  subject  of  misrepresenta- 
tion. 

As  an  instance  in  point,  the  Pope  this  year  resolved 
on  making  the  tour  of  his  dominions,  for  the  purpose 
of  seeing  with  his  own  eyes,  and  hearing  with  his  own 
ears,  what  were  his  people's  wants.  And  yet  the  Holy 
Father  is  described,  by  certain  writers,  as  a  mere  pup- 


405 

pet  or  tool,  whose  natural  good  qualities  are  rendered 
pitiable  by  his  weakness,  and  who  is  compelled  to  do 
just  what  his  cunning  advisers  require  of  him,  and 
that  alone.  Nothing  can  be  more  unjust  or  untrue 
than  what  has  been  written  on  this  head.  The  journey 
of  his  Holiness  is  no  pleasure  excursion,  no  mere  holi- 
day trip,  no  piece  of  state  pageantry,  to  dazzle  by  its 
splendour  and  distract  by  its  excitement ;  it  is  a  grave 
act,  deliberately  resolved  upon,  and  undertaken  with  a 
grave  and  solemn  purpose.  Pius  IX.  has  seen  too 
much,  experienced  too  much,  suffered  too  much,  to 
love  mere  idle  display,  or  to  encourage,  much  less  take 
delight  in,  fetes  and  popular  ovations.  He  has  too 
vivid  a  recollection  of  the  flowers  and  felicitations  of 
his  early  Pontificate,  not  to  estimate  at  their  just  value 
the  shouts  and  rejoicings  of  an  excitable  population. 

It  is  true  the  Pope  has  offered  up  his  prayers  in 
the  cathedrals  of  the  cities  through  which  he  has  passed 
— that  he  has  knelt  at  altars  beneath  which  moulder 
the  bones  of  the  saints  and  martyrs  of  the  Church — 
that  he  has  visited  holy  shrines,  and  walked  through 
historic  cloisters — that  he  has  inspected  pictures  of 
world-wide  celebrity,  and  admired  sculptures  that  recall 
the  grace  and  grandeur  of  the  antique ;  it  is  true  that 
he  has  left  a  chalice  of  gold  on  one  altar,  and  a  precious 
reliquary  on  another — that  he  has  given  so  many 
hundred  scudi  for  the  poor  in  one  place,  and  so  many  in 
another ;  it  is  true  that  he  has  here  founded  a  school, 
there  a  convent,  and  there  an  hospital ;  it  is  true  that 
he  has  given  orders  for  the  completion  or  restoration 


406  ROME  AND  ITS  KULER. 

of  shrines,  churches,  and  even  cathedrals.  But  it  is 
also  true  that  he  has  left,  or  ordered  to  be  given,  large 
sums  of  money  for  building  or  improving  a  prison,  for 
constructing  a  main  road,  for  defending  or  deepening  a 
harbour,  for  erecting  a  telegraphic  station,  or  for  the 
promotion  of  some  other  material  object,  the  utility  of 
which  every  one  must  equally  appreciate.  Thus,  for 
instance,  he  has  given  20,000  scudi  towards  a  new 
prison  in  Perugia.  At  Ancona,  he  has  promised 
348,000  towards  the  arsenal,  and  the  extension  of  the 
walls  of  that  city.  At  Pesaro,  he  laid  the  first  stone  of 
a  new  fort,  and  promised  80,000  dollars  for  the  work. 
Towards  the  improvement  of  the  prisons  of  Faro,  Forli, 
and  Pesaro,  he  promised  a  grant  of  60,000  dollars.  He 
has  given  orders  for  the  construction  of  telegraphic 
stations  at  Terni,  Spoleto,  Sinigaglia,  and  a  great  num- 
ber of  other  places.  These  items  are  quoted  at  random, 
and  merely  with  a  view  to  illustrate  the  manner  in 
which  the  Pope  has  prosecuted  his  journey,  and  the 
nature  of  some  few  of  the  many  public  works  which  he 
has  encouraged  by  his  liberality. 

There  is  not  a  prison,  an  hospital,  or  a  school,  which 
has  not  been  inspected,  either  by  himself  personally,  or 
by  his  orders ;  and  it  was  the  first  duty  of  Monsignor  de 
Merode,  on  his  arrival  in  every  city  or  town,  to  visit 
its  prison,  thoroughly  examine  into  all  its  details,  and 
specially  report  upon  it  to  the  Pope.  Monsignor 
Talbot  is  also  with  the  Holy  Father,  and,  by  inquiry 
and  suggestion,  aids  in  the  good  work  of  laying  the 


HE  GRANTS  ADDITIONAL  PARDONS.  407 

foundation  of  speedy  reforms  in  the  charitable,  educa- 
tional, and  industrial  institutions  of  the  Papal  States. 

Prince  Hohenlohe  and  Monsignor  Borromeo  also 
share  in  the  duty  of  inquiring  into  and  making  reports 
upon  every  subject  which  it  is  of  importance  to  have 
thoroughly  understood  by  the  Holy  Father — to  whom 
personally  these  reports  are  given. 

Monsignor  Berardi  is  represented  as  a  kind  of  spy 
upon  the  actions  of  the  Holy  Father;  but  this  able 
public  servant  is  one  of  the  most  faithful  and  de- 
voted of  the  subjects  of  his  illustrious  Sovereign,  and 
one  of  the  most  zealous  of  reformers,  whose  ability  and 
whose  intelligence  are  only  excelled  by  his  anxiety  to 
promote  the  material  prosperity,  as  well  as  the  moral 
welfare,  of  his  countrymen.  The  progress  of  the  Holy 
Father  through  his  dominions  has  been  no  holiday 
work  to  this  most  laborious  of  officials,  whose  presence 
and  services  are  besides  essential  to  the  due  transaction 
of  the  public  business. 

Up  to  the  month  of  June,  no  less  than  30,000  peti- 
tions had  been  received  by  the  Pope,  in  the  course  of 
his  tour ;  and  how  many  more  he  will  have  received  be- 
fore he  returns  to  Rome,  it  would  be  impossible  to  say. 
But  certainly  there  has  been  nothing  hidden  by  the 
people  from  the  eyes  of  their  Sovereign. 

To  those  in  prison  the  Pope  has  exhibited  his  charac- 
teristic clemency,  by  granting  six  months'  "  grace"  to 
all  save  the  worst  characters,  whose  speedy  liberation 
would  be  a  great  evil  to  the  community.  To  political 
prisoners  he  has  been  equally  compassionate.  To  the 


408  ROME   AND   ITS  RULEK. 

middle  of  June,  he  had  liberated,  or  "  graced,"  twenty- 
four  of  this  class  of  offenders.  To  four,  who  were  exiles, 
he  granted  permission  to  return  to  Kome ;  to  three  he 
has  remitted  part  of  their  punishment;  and  seventeen 
he  has  entirely  liberated.  Previous  to  his  leaving  Rome, 
the  Holy  Father  had  given  freedom  to  two  men,  who 
were,  to  say  the  least,  among  the  most  prominent  of  the 
Republican  party, — namely,  Sturbinetti  and  Galeotti. 
Well  might  my  honourable  friend  the  member  for 
Dundalk,  when  writing  in  answer  to  some  of  the  many 
misrepresentations  of  this  remarkable  journey,  say— 

"  That  progress  has  indeed  been  a  glorious  triumph,  not 
like  those  of  the  ancient  Romans,  accompanied  by  the  tears, 
the  slavery,  and  the  blood  of  the  vanquished ;  but  a  triumph 
befitting  the  Vicar  of  Christ,  adorned  by  universal,  unalloyed 
rejoicing,  unbounded  munificence,  true  Christian  charity  and 
devotion,  and  the  warmest  paternal  and  filial  affection." 

One  other  point,  and  I  have  done. 

There  are  those  who,  with  the  utmost  coolness,  pro- 
pose the  separation  of  the  temporal  from  the  spiritual 
authority  of  the  Pope — who,  in  fact,  ask  the  Pope  to 
be  content  with  being  Head  of  the  Church,  and  to 
relinquish  his  dominion  as  a  temporal  sovereign.  They 
say  the  two  characters  are  incompatible,  the  one  with 
the  other ;  and  that  the  spiritual  authority  being  that 
which  he  is  alone  bourfd  to  maintain,  he  should  abandon 
the  temporal. 

In  whose  hands  is  the  temporal  sovereignty  to  rest  ?— 
or  by  what  possible  arrangement  is  the  independence  of 


THE  POPE'S  TEMPORAL  SOVEREIGNTY.  409 

the  Holy  See  to  be  maintained,  supposing  the  Pope 
willing  to  abdicate  his  authority  and  functions  as  a 
temporal  ruler?  Is  there  to  be  an  authority  superior 
to  his  in  the  Papal  States  ?  If  so,  his  freedom  is  lost, 
and  the  action  of  the  Church  is  more  or  less  interfered 
with.  "When  the  Revolutionary  Government  reigned 
in  Rome,  the  Pope  was  a  prisoner  in  his  own  palace  of 
the  Quirinal.  Or,  would  it  be  for  the  advantage  of  the 
Church — meaning  thereby  the  Catholic  Church  through- 
out the  world,  whether  in  Protestant  or  in  Catholic 
States — that  its  Head  should  be  the  dependant  of  any 
European  Sovereign,  whether  of  Naples  or  of  Spain,  of 
Austria,  or  of  France  ?  Would  his  removal  to  Yienna 
or  to  Paris  promote  his  independence,  and  enhance  his 
authority?  No,  no;  it  is  for  the  advantage  of  the 
Church,  that  the  Pope  should  remain  what  he  is,  and 
what  his  predecessors  have  been  for  a  thousand  years 
— a  temporal  sovereign,  recognized  as  such,  acting  as 
such,  and  dealing  with  other  sovereigns  as  such.  Be- 
ing such,  his  ambassadors  represent  him,  in  his  double 
capacity,  in  the  principal  Courts,  and  protect  and  pro- 
mote the  interests  of  the  Church  in  all  those  countries 
to  which  they  are  accredited.  The  Bishop  of  Rome 
would  have  as  little  right  to  send  his  representative  to 
Madrid  or  Yienna,  as  would  the  Archbishop  of  Paris  ; 
but,  as  a  temporal  sovereign,  the  Pope  deals  with  all 
other  sovereigns  as  an  equal ;  and  as  temporal  sove- 
reign and  Supreme  Pontiff,  he  combines  a  two-fold  au- 
thority, the  one  supporting  and  enhancing  the  dignity 
of  the  other. 
18 


410  ROME   AND   ITS   RULER. 

It  is  true,  the  Church  may  be  momentarily  affected 
by  convulsions  in  Rome ;  bu£  it  would  be  permanently 
endangered  by  any  state  of  things  which  would  place 
its  Supreme  Head  as  a  dependant  on  any  sovereign,  or 
on  any  state,  Catholic  or  otherwise.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  quote  instances  in  point ;  but  not  only  was  it 
the  fact,  that  the  action  of  the  Church  was  well-nigh 
paralyzed  while  Pius  VII.  was  held  in  captivity  by  Na- 
poleon, but  it  was  insinuated  that  certain  acts  of  Pius 
IX.,  in  his  spiritual  capacity,  were  influenced  by  his 
residence  at  Gaeta,  -although  he  was  there  the  honoured 
guest  of  the  most  delicate  of  hosts.  It  is  quite  a  differ- 
ent state  of  things  where  certain  Catholic  Powers  unite 
in  the  common  object  of  guaranteeing  the  Pope's  tem- 
poral independence ;  for,  in  doing  so,  they  assist  in  se- 
curing his  spiritual  authority,  and  thus  preserving  the 
freedom  of  the  universal  Church. 

What  was  said  of  the  temporal  power  of  the  Papacy, 
at  the  Council  of  Basle,  in  the  15th  century,  applies 
equally  well  in  the  19th: — "Virtue  without  force  is 
but  slightly  respected ;  and  the  Pope,  without  the  pat- 
rimony of  the  Church,  would  be  merely  the  servant  of 
Icings  and  princes" 

But,  after  all,  what  proposition  is  more  absurd,  than 
this  of  the  Pope  abandoning  his  sovereignty  as  a  tem- 
poral ruler !  To  abandon  that  which  has  been  trans- 
mitted through  thirteen  hundred  years,  from  the  foun- 
dation of  the  Western  Empire ;  that  which  has  passed 
through  the  barbarism  of  the  dark,  and  the  strife  of 
the  middle  ages  ;  that  which  has  outlived  the  storms 


THE  TEMPORAL  SOVEREIGNTY.  411 

and  convulsions  which  have  shattered  so  many  thrones, 
uprooted  so  many  dynasties,  and  even  scattered  so 
many  races  of  men !  Nations  and  empires  have  risen 
into  existence,  flourished,  and  passed  away,  since  there 
reigned  in  Rome  that  Leo  whom  Gibbon  so  magnilo- 
quently  describes  ;*  or  even  since  Pepin's  mailed  hand 
tore  the  Exarchate  from  the  clutch  of  the  Lombard, 
Astolphus ;  and  the  ambassador  of  the  French  ruler,  in 
his  master's  name,  presented  the  keys  of  the  liberated 
cities  before  the  tomb  of  St.  Peter.  "  Their  temporal 
power,"  says  Gibbon,  "  is  now  confirmed  by  the  rever- 
ence of  a  thousand  years ;  and  their  noblest  title  is  the 
free  choice  of  a  people,  whom  they  had  redeemed  from 
slavery."  To  maintain  their  power,  and  preserve  their 
independence — an  independence  essential  to  the  sacred 
interests  confided  to  their  charge — the  Popes  have  sus- 
tained a  gallant  struggle  through  long  ages  of  difficulty 
and  of  trial;  and  although  mighty  powers  have  be£n 
repeatedly  arrayed  against  them,  still,  thanks  to  an  all- 
wise  Providence,  they  have  succeeded  in  baffling  all 
their  adversaries,  beating  back  all  their  enemies,  and 
preserving,  whole  and  untouched,  to  the  second  half  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  that  dominion  which  a  Pepin 
and  a  Charlemagne  restored  to  them  in  the  ninth. 
The  trials  and  the  sorrows  of  many  a  sainted  pre- 

*  Of  Loo  IV.,  the  Saviour  of  Rome,  Gibbon  says: — 
"  This  Pontiff  was  born  a  Roman ;  the  courage  of  the  first  ages  of 
the  Republic  glowed  in  his  breast;  and,  amidst  the  ruins  of  his  coun- 
try, lie  stood  erect,  like  one  of  the  firm  and  lofty  columns  that  rear 
their  heads  above  the  fragments  of  the  Roman  Forum." 


412  HOME   AND   ITS   RULEE. 

decessor  have  fallen  to  the  lot  of  the  illustrious  Pope 
who  now  sits  in  the  Chair  of  Peter.  But  though  gen- 
tle as  the  lamb,  and  mild  as  the  dove,  Pius  IX.  is  not 
wanting  in  that  fortitude  which  calmly  endures  adver- 
sity, and  that  quiet  resolution  which  encounters  and 
overcomes  the  greatest  difficulties ;  and  in  his  hands  is 
held,  as  a  sacred  trust,  that  temporal  inheritance  which 
he  well  knows  to  be  essential,  not  so  much  to  the  dig- 
nity of  the  Papacy,  as  to  the  freedom  and  indepen- 
dence of  the  Church  of  God. 


APPENDIX. 


STATE  OF  EDUCATION  IN  GREAT  BRITAIN. 

PERHAPS  it  is  consistent  with  the  imperfection  of  human  nature,  that 
nations  should  depreciate  the  exertions  made  by  other  nations  in  the 
path  of  improvement,  while  they  exaggerate  their  own  efforts  in  the 
same  direction.  If  any  nation  be  more  prone  to  this  weakness  than 
another,  it  is  the  British  nation.  But  the  special  objects  of  its  unwise 
depreciation  are  the  Catholic  nations  of  Italy,  and,  before  and  beyond 
all  others,  the  States  of  the  Church.  That  England  is  a  mighty,  power- 
ful and  progressive  country,  not  her  most  prejudiced  enemy  can  deny. 
But  while  she  supplies  the  world  with  her  manufactures,  and  she  carries 
her  commerce  into  every  sea ;  while  her  railways  form  a  perfect  net- 
work of  intercommunication,  and  the  largest  ship  ever  constructed  is 
now  ready  to  be  launched  into  the  Thames,  she  is  not  progressing 
equally  in  other  respects.  Her  material  progress  is  that  of  a  giant — 
her  intellectual  and  moi'al  progress  is  that  of  a  dwarf.  Education  is  not 
keeping  pace  with  the  manufacturing  or  the  commercial  greatness  of  the 
country.  On  the  contrary — if  the  deliberate  statements,  the  official 
reports,  of  public  officers  are  to  be  relied  upon — education  is  retro- 
grading, not  advancing.  Indeed,  the  case  may  be  put  still  more  strongly 
— namely,  that  unless  some  vigorous  measures  be  adopted,  and  speedily, 
too,  we  shall  behold  the  increase  of  England's  material  prosperity  become 
a  source  of  misery  and  evil  such  as  wise  and  thoughtful  men  regard 
with  the  gloomiest  apprehensions.  The  demand  &r  labour — infant 
labour  — thins  the  school ;  and  the  necessities  or  the  greed  of  the  parent 
render  the  "  education"  which  the  child  receives  rather  nominal  than 
real.  Children  stay  a  shorter  time  in  school,  and  leave  it  at  an  earlier 
age,  than  ever;  and  this  evil  which  is  a  fundamental  one,  is  every 
year  on  the  increase.  No  doubt  the  State  is  not  idle;  neither  are  the 
friends  of  education  less  active  than  before ;  but  the  fact  is,  education 
for  the  mass  of  the  people  is  not  progressing  as  it  ought,  and  bears  not 
the  most  remote  approach  to  the  material  prosperity  of  the  country. 


414  APPENDIX. 

Mr.  Marshall,  one  of  her  Majesty's  Inspectors  of  Schools,  says,  in  his 
General  Report  for  1855,  published  1856:— 

"  It  seems  a  kind  of  unreality  to  vaunt  the  improved  qualifications  of 
teachers,  however  reasonable  the  boast  may  be,  when  we  have  ascer- 
tained the  character  of  their  pupils,  or  to  enumerate  complacently  the 
'  square  feet' — a  considerable  arithmetical  calculation — which  make  up 
the  ever-increasing  'area'  of  school-buildings,  when  we  know  how  fit- 
fully and  vagrantly  they  are  tenanted" 

Such,  in  fact,  is  the  manifest  growth  of  the  evil  referred  to,  that  nearly 
all  the  Inspectors  hint  at — if  they  do  not  suggest — a  compulsory  system 
of  education  for  Great  Britain. 

Mr.  Macaulay,  in  the  House  of  Commons,  called  attention  to  the  fact 
that,  "  from  the  registers  of  marriages,  we  find  that  out  of  130,000 
couples  married  in  the  year  1844,  more  than  40,000  of  the  bridegrooms 
and  more  than  60,000  of  the  brides  could  not  sign  their  names,  but  made 
their  marks.  Therefore,  one-third  of  the  men  and  one-half  of  the 
women  who  are  supposed  to  be  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  who  are  destined 
to  be  the  parents  of  the  next  generation,  cannot  sign  their  names. 
What  does  this  imply  ?  The  most  grievous  want  of  education." 

We  shall  now  see  if  things  have  materially  improved  since  then. 

That  there  seems  to  be  no  national  love  of  education,  the  reports 
concur  in  showing.  Mr.  Marshall  says,  "The  children  themselves 
are  naturally  slow  to  appreciate  the  value  of  education,  and  their 
parents  often  either  profoundly  indifferent,  or  stubbornly  hostile" 

The  Rev.  D.  S.  Stewart,  in  his  report  for  1855,  says:— 

"  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  in  the  counties  which  I  have 
visited  in  the  year  to  which  this  report  refers,  I  have  not  met  any  in- 
stances of  that  laudable  anxiety  for  education  which  is  at  times  so  flatter- 
ingly ascribed  to  our  working  classes.  I  ha ve  found  the  parochial  clergy 
in  many  places  tending  to  relax  their  efforts  to  make  schools  effective, 
on  account  of  their  inability  to  overcome  the  indifference  of  the  labouring 
people.  I  could  also  point  out  examples  of  schools  built  in  anticipation 
of  a  large  attendance  of  children  which  are  almost  deserted." 

Mr.  Marshall  gives  a  striking  instance  in  point  of  the  conflict  carried 
on  between  material  and  educational  progress — between  the  factory 
and  the  school-room : — 

"During  the  last  year  more  than  one  very  painful  example  of  the 
inevitable  triumph  of  factories  over  schools,  whenever  they  come  into 
conflict,  has  fallen  under  my  observation.  Such  cases  appear  to  me 
worthy  of  record.  At  Cheadle,  in  Staffordshire,  where  there  are  very 
beautiful  schools  erected  by  the  munificent  liberality  of  the  late  Earl  of 
Shrewsbury,  and  where  two  years  ago  there  was  a  very  large  attendance 
of  children  attracted  by  teaching  of  an  unusually  high  order,  I  found  at 


STATE   OF   EDUCATION   IN   GREAT  BRITAIN.       415 

my  last  visit  that  the  numbers  had  dwindled  away  to  less  than  one  half. 
The  explanation  will  be  anticipated.  In  the  interval  a,  factory  had  been 
established,  and  the  energetic  proprietor  had  gained  an  easy  victory 
over  the  devoted  but  defenceless  teachers.  Wages  had  made  short 
work  of  education.  The  prospect  of  a  few  shillings  extra  per  week  waa 
an  irresistible  bait,  and  the  young  scholars,  reluctant  victims  of  a 
cheerless  but  inevitable  lot,  had  fled  en  masse  from  the  school  to  the 
mill.  The  parents,  no  doubt,  were  enriched  by  the-  weekly  gains  of 
their  children,  but  the  district  fatally  impoverished  by  the  irremediable  loss 
of  all  that  wise  instruction,  skilful  training,  and  edifying  example  would 
have  conferred  upon  it.  It  is  only  the  disciples  of  a  very  rigid  school 
of  political  economy  who  can  exult  in  such  a  change  as  this.  I  think  it 
may  even  be  doubted  whether,  in  the  long  run,  the  material  well-being 
of  the  population  will  be  promoted  by  it.  Augmentation  of  income  is 
no  benefit  in  itself,  if  coarse,  wasteful,  and  unthrifty  habits  accompany 
it;  and  surely  where  discipline  and  instruction  are  banished,  the  whole 
troop  of  dirce  fades,  inimicaque  numina,  may  be  expected  to  come 
thronging  in  their  place." 

Nor,  if  we  are  to  rely  on  the  authority  of  the  Rev.  W.  J.  Kennedy, 
in  his  report  for  the  same  year,  does  the  system  of  education  appear  to 
be  entitled  to  very  high  praise.  He  says: — 

"  I  confess  I  think  there  is  truth  in  the  statement  that  those  who  leave 
our  National  schools  deteriorate  intellectually  rather  than  improve  ;  and  I 
do  not  think  this  is  satisfactorily  accounted  for  merely  by  the  early  age 
at  which  they  leave.  I  think  there  is  a  serious  defect  both  in  the  end 
(re/lof)  and  means  of  our  schools.  I  incline  to  the  opinion  that  the  aim. 
of  our  National  school  should  be,  to  give  the  boy,  not  knowledge,  but 
power  to  acquire  knowledge;  that  we  should  think  more  how  we  can 
make  him,  not  an  educated  boy,  but  a  self-educator.  We  should  not 
load  him  with  facts  about  common  or  uncommon  things,  but  develope, 
by  some  well-chosen  studies,  his  understanding  and  his  thinking  facul- 
ties. I  fear  that  at  present,  even  in  our  better  schools,  our  National 
school-boy  skims  over  too  many  things,  that  all  is  too  superficial  with 
him,  and  made  too  easy  for  him.  He  is  not  subjected  to  those  exercises, 
those  wrestlings  of  the  intellect,  those  trials  and  struggles  and  fierce 
persevering  battles  of  the  mind  with  intellectual  difficulties,  out  of  which 
combats  alone  issues  that  intellectual  being  who  thenceforward  feels 
that  he  has  attained  a  certain  elevation  from  which  he  can  never  be 
displaced  ;  that  he  had  got  a  power  within  himself  for  coping  with  and 
mastering  almost  any  intellectual  study.  ***** 

"The  result  to  which  I  come  is  this:  that  the  present  course  of  our 
elementary  schools,  being  too  superficial,  embracing  too  many  subjects, 
and  those  not  the  best  subjects,  does  not  so  develop  the  minds,  even  of 
those  children  who  stay  longest  in  school,  as  to  induce  and  enable  them 
generally  to  continue  their  education  at  their  leisure  hours;  but  that, 
in  fact,  they  retrograde  as  intellectual  beings." 

The  Rev.  II.  L.  Jones,  writing  of  the  schools  inspected  in  Wales, 
calls  on  the  four  Bishops  of  the  Established  Church  to  unite  at  once,  if 
they  wish  to  rescue  religious  education  from  utter  extinction : — 


416  APPENDIX. 

"  Before  concluding  my  report.  I  cannot  help  alluding  to  a  more  im- 
portant subject,  which  I  have  touched  on  in  previous  years — the 
religious  education  given  in  parochial  schools.  I  wish  to  allude  to  it 
only  in  a  few  words,  and  as  delicately  as  possible,  and  yet  as  strongly. 
It  is  my  deliberate  conviction — a  conviction  which  I  am  bound  to 
express  to  your  lordships — that,  unless  religion  in  the  parochial  system 
of  Welsh  education  is  to  fall  away,  instead  of  advancing,  the  immediate 
and  united  action  of  the  four  bishops  is  imperatively  necessary.  Anarchy 
and  neglect  and  incapacity  are  not  the  means  whereby  the  righteous 
cause  of  this  all-important  branch  of  instruction  is  to  be  promoted. 
Whether  the  children  come  of  parents  who  belong  to  the  Church,  or  of 
those  who  belong  to  the  different  religious  denominations,  the  result  is 
the  same  for  all.  These  three  sources  of  evil  are  of  more  frequent 
occurrence  than  they  should  be;  and  some  means  of  obviating  them 
must  be  found,  or  religious  instruction  will  suffer  greatly  from  the 
result." 

But  it  appears  that  the  mill,  and  the  factory,  and  the  workshop,  are  not 
to  be  held  accountable  for  empty  schools  and  bad  attendance  beyond  a 
certain  point:  for,  even  in  England,  there  is  a  vast  proportion  of 
children  equally  without  employment  and  without  education.  The  Rev. 
H.  Moseley  states  this  with  great  clearness  in  his  Report  for  1854: — 

"  It  has  been  customary  to  assume  that  the  children  of  the  poor  are 
not  sent  to  school  because  they  are  sent  to  work  ;  and  we  find  an  excuse  for 
this  in  the  poverty  of  the  parents.  There  can  be  no  greater  error  ;  and 
the  census  has  come  very  opportunely  to  disabuse  our  minds  of  it.  It 
tells  us  that,  of  the  children  between  the  ages  of  three  and  fifteen  who 
are  not  at  school,  there  are  978rl79  boys,  and  1,283,840  girls  who  are  not 
at  work,  being  forty  per  cent,  of  the  total  number  between  those  ages  of 
the  former,  and  fifty-three  per  cent,  of  the  latter. 

"  The  number  between  those  ages  not  at  school  because  they  are  at 
work,  is  comparatively  a  small  proportion.  It  is  381,776  boys,  and 
218,055  girls,  being  16  per  cent,  of  the  whole  number  of  the  former, 
and  9  per  cent,  of  the  latter.  It  is  difficult  to  understand  that  the 
children  of  the  poor  who  are  not  at  school,  and  not  at  work,  should  be 
anywhere  else  than  in  the  streets,  where  we  know  that  the  ranks  of 
juvenile  delinquency  are  filled  up.  Out  of  every  100  children  in  this 
country  of  an  age  to  go  to  school  57  remain  without  education,  for  no 
other  assignable  reason  than  that  their  parents  are  indifferent  to  it;  and  16 
per  cent.,  because  the  children  are  required  to  support  themselves  at  a 
time  when  it  was  intended  that  they  should  be  provided  for  by  the 
labour  of  their  parents." 

Alluding  to  the  short  time  during  which  children  remain  at  school, 
the  same  gentleman  says  : — 

"Thus  what  is  gained,  on  the  one  hand,  by  the  improvement  of  the 
schools,  is  lost,  on  the  other,  by  the  earlier  age  at  which  the  children 
are  taken  away  from  them;  and  your  lordships'  efforts  for  the  educa- 
tion of  the  people  are  practically  defeated  ;  there  being  probably  as 
many  people  as  ever  in  this  country,  in  proportion  to  the  whole  popula- 


STATE   OF   EDUCATION   IN   GEE  AT   BRITAIN.       417 

tion,  who  are  growing  up  unable  to  read  and  write.  Every  other  imped- 
iment appears  in  process  of  removal  but  this.  We  seem  to  be  in  the  way 
of  getting  schools,  which  if  they  were  duly  appreciated  by  the  poor 
would,  perhaps,  be  adequately  maintained,  and  we  are  getting  excel- 
lent teachers ;  but  in  this  respect  no  progress  is  being  made." 

In  a  note,  he  thus  qualifies  the  assertion  which  he  makes  in  the  fore- 
going : — 

"  I  do  not  mean  people  who,  when  they  were  little  children,  began  to 
learn  to  read ;  but  who,  as  men  and  women,  were  capable  of  reading 
well  enough  to  be  able  to  derive  profit  and  instruction  from  reading. 
I  doubt  whether  the  number  of  these,  in  proportion  to  the  rest  of  the 
community,  is  increasing." 

The  Rev.  F.  "Watkins  concludes  an  able  and  thoughtful  report,  for 
1855,  in  terms  which,  if  employed  by  any  other  than  a  conscientious 
public  officer,  bound  to  speak  the  truth,  would  be  set  down  as  a  gross 
libel  upon  the  English  people.  Such  a  statement,  coming  from  such  a 
source,  ought,  at  least,  to  make  those  who  read  it  somewhat  more  mer- 
ciful to  the  shortcoming  of  other  nations,  even  though  they  happen  to 
be  Catholic  nations.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Watkins  says: — 

"  But  it  is  impossible  for  any  earnest  man  to  be  satisfied  with  even 
the  most  intelligent  instruction  if  it  produce  no  higher  results,  if  it  have 
merely  an  intellectual  or  commercial  value,  and  bring  forth  no  fruits  in 
the  moral  and  religious  life.  The  operations  of  your  Lordships'  Com- 
miltee  have  now  been  continued  for  fifteen  years.  For  the  last  ten 
years  those  of  your  Minutes  which  have  had  the  most  tendency  to  im- 
prove the  position  of  the  teacher  and  elevate  both  his  character  and 
attainments,  to  form  and  support  a  class  of  efficient  assistance  to  him, 
and  furnish  his  school  with  all  appliances  arid  means  for  its  great  ob- 
jects, to  aid  in  all  those  points  where  assistance  is  most  needful,  have 
been  acting  upon  and  penetrating  into  the  elementary  education  of  the 
country.  In  that  space  of  time  at  least  three  school-generations  have 
passed  away  and  entered  upon  their  work  in  life.  We  are  justified, 
therefore,  in  looking  for  results  not  instructional  only,  but  educational; 
— results  such  as  these,  greater  steadiness  of  conduct  in  young  people, 
more  trttthfalne**  both  of  word  and  action,  more  thoughtful  obedience  to 
parents  and  nil  in  authority,  more  cheerful  contentment  in  the  state  to 
which  God  iias  been  pleased  to  call  t/tem  ;  in  short,  a  more  truly  reti.gious 
life  in  the  humble  but,  hearty  endeavour  to  do  their  duty  towards  God  and 
towards  man.  If  there  be  little  or  none  of  this  higher  life,  then  there  is 
little  or  no  education.  And  if  you  ask  of  those  who  are  best  able  to 
judge  of  the  moral  and  religious  state  of  the  rising  generation,  if  you 
ask  of  the  clergy,  of  magistrates,  of  manufacturers,  of  official  people 
whose  position  gives  them  information  on  this  important  subject,  or  of 
those — now  not  few — earnest  men  who  devote  their  time  and  their 
talents  and  their  wealth  to  the  redress  of  social  evils  and  the  well-being 
of  their  fellow  -countrymen,  the  answer  is  not  often  satisfactory.  You 
hear  of  a  few  isolated  cases  of  improvement,  you  hear  of  many  going 

IS* 


418  APPENDIX. 

on  in  the  old  and  broad  way.  On  all  sides  you  hear  of  the  little  regard 
paid  by  young  people  to  parental  authority,  of  the  great  love  of  dress, 
and  carelessness  about  running  into  debt,  of  pleasure-seeking  at  cost  of 
time,  money,  and  character ;  above  all,  of  the  increase  of  drunkenness, 
that  fruitful  mother  of  all  other  vices.  It  is  impossible,  my  lords,  to 
hear  all  these  constantly  reiterated  statements,  and  to  be  convinced  of 
their  general  accuracy,  without  feeling  that,  whatever  may  have  been 
earnestly  and  rightly  attempted  towards  the  education  of  the  working 
classes,  there  is  but  little  really  yet  done ;  enough,  perhaps,  to  show  us 
the  way  by  which  further  attempts  may  be  successfully  and  more 
speedily  made,  but  altogether  insufficient  to  satisfy  any  one  who  does 
not  wilfully  shut  his  eyes  and  stop  his  ears  to  the  sights  and  sounds  of 
the  every-day  life  of  the  working  classes  of  this  great  country." 

A  few  extracts  from  the  reports  presented  to  Parliament  this  Session 
(1857)  will  enable  the  reader  to  understand  whether  there  has  been 
any  considerable  improvement  within  the  last  year. 

The  Rev.  F.  Cook,  in  his  General  Report  on  the  Schools  inspected  in 
Middlesex,  says: — 

"  It  is,  however,  obvious,  that  in  no  one  district  is  the  attendance 
sufficient,  either  as  regards  the  age  to  which  the  children  remain,  or  the 
time  during  which  they  are  under  instruction  in  the  same  school,  to 
enable  a  fair  proportion  of  them  to  receive  a  systematic  education  in 
the  elementary  subjects,  much  less  in  the  mental  training  and  moral 
discipline  which  are  acknowledged  to  be  indispensable.  This  fact  ia 
the  more  painful,  inasmuch  as  the  returns  represent  the  condition  of  the 
BEST  schools  in  every  part  of  England. 


"  In  London,  moreover,  as  I  have  before  remarked,  a  vast  stratum  of 
ignorance,  misery,  and  vice,  underlies  that  portion  of  the  population 
from  which  our  National  Schools  are  recruited.  The  evil  is  enormous ; 
so  far  from  diminishing,  it  increases  steadily.  Every  year  witnesses  the 
absorption  of  a  large  number  of  young  children  into  the  vortex  of  crime; 
or  vice  and  destitution,  which  appals  the  philanthropist,  and  seems  to 
present  hopeless  embarrassment  to  statesmen. 


"  It  cannot  be  doubted,  looking  at  the  returns  for  the  last  six  years, 
that  the  number  of  boys  and  girls  under  instruction  to  the  age  of  13  or 
14,  is  far  below  a  fair  standard.  It  shows  no  tendency  to  increase." 

Rev.  H.  W.  Bell  airs,  reporting  on  the  schools  inspected  in  the  coun- 
ties of  Worcester,  Warwick,  Oxford,  Gloucester,  Hereford,  and  Mon- 
mouth,  complains  that  the  early  removal  of  children  from  school  con- 
tinues in  the  same  proportion  as  before ;  and  declares  his  opinion,  that 
no  measures  which  do  not  meet  the  question  of  early  removal  from 
school,  will  produce  a  general  system  of  education  for  the  poor.  He 
adds:— 


STATE   OF   EDUCATION   IN    GREAT   BRITAIN.       419 

"  Juvenile  labour,  or  the  indifference  of  careless  and  dishonest  parents, 
are  the  causes  of  our  schools  being  so  imperfectly  filled  ;  and,  until 
some  remedy  or  mitigation  of  this  evil  be  found,  it  is  hopeless' to  expect 
those  results  for  which  so  many  persons  are  crying  out." 

He  quotes  an  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  the  Rev.  G.  S.  Bull, 
Rector  of  St.  Thomas',  Birmingham,  who  writes : — 

"  One  of  the  chief  hindrances  to  education  is  the  mischievously  early 
removal  of  children — say  of  mere  infants — to  our  workshops,  warehouses 
or  factories.  Many  leave  us  before  they  can  do  more  than  spell  their 
Maker's  name,  and  repeat  His  Ten  Commandments,  or  the  simplest 
truths  of  the  Gospel." 

Rev.  F.  Watkins,  writing  of  the  schools  of  the  County  of  York,  states 
that  the  number  of  children  in  attendance  at  the  schools  has  fallen  off 
within  the  last,  as  compared  with  the  previous  year ;  that  while,  in 
1855,  the  attendance  reached  to  63  per  cent,  of  the  accommodation  pro- 
vided, it  fell  off  to  61  in  1856.  He  also  complains  of  the  increasing 
evil,  of  the  early  age  at  which  the  children  leave,  and  their  short  stay 
in,  the  schools.  "  The  evil,"  he  says,  "  is  not  only  not  arrested,  but  it 
is  increasing"  And  he  adds,  "  It  is  a  radical,  deeply  seated,  and  widely 
spreading  evil,  not  at  all  confined  to  any  district,  but  nearly,  if  not  quite, 
as  mischievous  in  ALL  parts  of  the  country." 

Yorkshire  contains  rather  more  than  one-tenth  of  the  whole  area  of 
England  and  Wales,  and  not  quite  one-tenth  of  the  population. 

Rev.  E.  Douglas  Tinlings,  in  his  report  on  the  schools  in  Dorset, 
Somerset,  Devon,  and  Cornwall,  says,  "  The  greatest  difficulty  which 
we  have  to  combat  in  the  elementary  schools,  is  the  early  age  at  which 
the  children  are  removed  from  school,  an  evil  which  certainly  does  not 
diminish." 

Rev.  W.  I.  Kennedy,  reporting  on  the  schools  of  Lancashire  and  the 
Isle  of  Man,  makes  this  remarkable  statement : — 


"  This  absence  of  real  interest  in  the  education  of  the  people,  appears 
to  me  to  be  one  of  the  most  real  and  important  facts  of  our  time,  and 
yet  one  which  is  not  duly  perceived.  The  truth,  as  I  believe,  is,  that 
comparatively  few  persons  in  Lancashire  feel  any  real  concern  to  see  the 
people  at  large  educated.  A  few  persons  make  a  good  deal  of  noise  on 
the  subject;  and  a  still  fewer  number  carry  on  the  work  liberally  and 
zealously,  though  without  talk  and  noise;  but  the  mass  of  persons  are 
still  hostile,  or  at  best  indifferent  on  the  matter.  A  public  feeling  for 
education  has  yet  to  be  created." 

This  latter  sentence  Mr.  Kennedy  himself  marks  in  italics. 

With  one  more  authority,  the  case  is  concluded.     The  Rev.  T.  Wil- 


420  APPENDIX. 

kinson,  in  his  report  on  the  Episcopal  Schools  of  Scotland,  has  the  fol- 
lowing : — 

"  It  appears  to  be  the  general  impression,  that  this  evil  (the  short 
time  during  which  children  stay  at  school)  is  on  the  increase.  It  is  ag- 
gravated by  every  fresh  demand  for  juvenile  labour,  AND  SEEMS  LIKELY  TO 

GROW  WITH  THE  MATERIAL    PROSPERITY    OF  THE   COUNTRY  ;    Until    parents   in 

general  become  sufficiently  enlightened  to  purchase  education  for  their 
children  at  the  cost  of  some  present  sacrifice." 

The  Educational  Conference,  suggested  by  some  of  Her  Majesty's  In- 
spectors of  Schools  in  their  reports  to  the  Council  of  Education,  was 
formally  opened  on  Monday,  June  23  of  this  year.  It  was  presided 
over  by  His  Royal  Highness  the  Prince  Consort ;  from  whose  address 
the  following  passage  is  taken.  Speaking  from  official  sources — the 
most  recent  which  could  be  had — he  gives  a  gloomy  picture  of  the 
boasted  juvenile  education  of  England.  The  Prince  Consort,  in  fact, 
states  that,  out  of  4,908,696  children  between  the  ages  of  three  and  fif- 
teen, there  are  nearly  three  millions  who  receive  no  instruction  whatever. 
Here  are  his  own  words : — 

"  But  what  must  be  your  feelings  when  you  reflect  upon  the  fact,, 
the  inquiry  into  which  has  brought  us  together,  that  this  great  boon 
thus  obtained  for  the  mass  of  the  people,  and  which  is  freely  offered  to 
them,  should  have  been  only  partially  accepted,  and,  upon  the  whole,  so 
insufficiently  applied  as  to  render  its  use  almost  valueless?  We  are  told 
that  the  total  population  in  England  and  Wales  of  children  between  the 
ages  of  three  and  fifteen  being  estimated  at  4,908,696,  only  2,046,843 
attend  school  at  all,  while  2,861,848  receive  no  instruction  whatever.  At 
the  same  time  an  analysis  of  the  scholars  with  reference  to  the  length 
of  time  allowed  for  their  school  tuition  shows  that  42  per  cent,  of  them 
have  been  at  school  less  than  one  year,  22  per  cent,  during  one  year, 
15  per  cent,  during  two  years,  9  per  cent  during  three  year?,  15  per 
cent,  during  four  years,  and  4  per  cent,  during  five  years.  Therefore, 
out  of  the  two  millions  of  scholars  alluded  to,  more  than  one  million 
and  a  half  remain  only  two  years  at  school.  I  leave  it  to  you  to  judge 
what  the  results  of  such  an  education  can  be.  I  find,  further,  that  of 
these  two  millions  of  children  attending  school  only  about  600,000  are 
above  the  age  of  nine.  Gentlemen,  these  are  startling  facts,  which  ren- 
der it  evident  that  no  extension  of  the  means  of  education  will  be  of  any 
avail,  unless  this  evil,  which  lies  at  the  root  of  the  whole  question,  he 
removed,  and  that  it  is  high  time  that  the  country  should  become  thor- 
oughly awake  to  its  existence  and  prepared  to  meet  it  energetically. 
To  impress  this  upon  the  public  mind  is  the  object  of  our  conference." 

I  shall  only  ask,  in  conclusion,  have  we  no  glass  to  repair  in  our  own 
house,  before  we  venture  to  throw  stones  at  other  people's  houses? 


HOW   LUNATICS  ARE   TREATED  *IN   SCOTLAND.      421 


HOW  LUNATICS  ARE  TREATED  IN  SCOTLAND. 

THE  following  extracts  from  the  "  Report  by  Her  Majesty's  Com- 
missioners appointed  to  inquire  into  the  State  of  Lunatic  Asylums  in 
Scotland,"  which  has  been  presented  to  Parliament  this  Session,  exhibit 
a  state  of  things  that,  if  it  were  told  of  the  Papal  States,  of  Naples, 
or  of  any  Catholic  country,  would  draw  forth  one  universal  outburst  of 
Protestant  execration,  and  be  adduced  as  a  conclusive  proof  of  the 
baleful  effects  of  Popery. 

It  would  be  a  gross  injustice  not  to  state  that  the  Commission,  from 
whose  report  the  extracts  are  taken,  owes  its  origin  to  the  benevolent 
enterprise  of  an  American  lady,  Miss  Dicks,  who  visited  Scotland  in 
1855.  Scotland  may  thank  this  female  Howard  that  so  terrible  a  cause 
of  reproach,  .especially  in  such  an  age  as  this,  is  about  being  put  an  end 
to  by  legislation. 

The  Report  deals  with  chartered  asylums,  licensed  houses,  poor- 
houses,  and  prisons.  It  appears  that  the  licensed  houses  are  the  worst- 
managed  of  all.  That  they  are  so  will  cease  to  be  a  matter  of  astonish- 
ment when  the  following  description  of  the  "  proprietors"  of  such  estab- 
lishments is  considered : — 

"Thus,  at  Musselborough,  we  found  one  proprietor  whose  previous 
occupation  had  been  that  of  a  victual  dealer;  another  had  been  an 
unsuccessful  baker ;  another  had  been  a  gardener  ;  and  the  last  person 
who  had  obtained  the  sheriff's  sanction  for  a  license,  was  a  woman  keeping 
a  public-house,  who  had  taken  a  second  house  for  the  reception  of  lunatics, 
with  the  view,  as  we  were  told  by  her  daughter,  of  keeping  both  for  a 
while,  and  continuing  that  which  should  prove  the  most  successful  specu- 
lation." 

As  a  specimen  of  the  provision  made  for  the  "  sick,  feeble,  and  aged," 
this  passage  will  suffice : — 

"  Few  or  no  arrangements  are  made  for  the  proper  treatment  of  the  sick, 
feeble,  and  arjed  inmates.  They  share  the  very  scanty  and  insufficient 
accommodation  provided  for  the  able-bodied,  and  when,  from  sickness 
or  debility,  they  are  unable  to  sit  up  on  the  forms  without  bucks  that 
are  provided,  they  are  kept  in  bed,  and  ultimately  die  in  the  dormitories 
in  the  midst  of  the  other  patients;  and,  in  some  cases,  after  death  the 
bod  >t  is  carted  to  the  burial-ground,  and  there  interred  without  any  re- 
liyiom  ceremony  whatever" 

Ecclesiastical  management  maybe  a  very  bad  thing:  but  in  what 


422  APPENDIX. 

institution  in  which  monks,  nuns,  or  priests  have  the  smallest  authority, 
would  such  a  state  of  things  as  is  here  described  be  tolerated  ? — 

"  Notwithstanding  any  regulations  to  the  contrary,  we  have  reason 
to  think  that,  in  most  of  the  licensed  houses,  the  attendants  have  the 
power  of  applying  restraint  at  their  discretion.  In  almost  every  house, 
we  found  handcuffs,  leg-locks,  gloves,  straps,  and  strait-waistcoat?,,  and  these 
not  in  thy  custody  of  the  proprietor  or  medical  attendant,  but  hanging 
up  in  the  wards,  or  in  the  rooms  of  the  attendants,  who  were  evidently 
without  any  check  as  to  their  application,  showing  that  the  practice  of 
restraint  is  still  very  prevalent." 

Instrumental  restraint  appears  to  be  the  grand  specific  for  the  treat- 
ment of  the  malady : — 

"  Instrumental  restraint  is  in  very  general  use  in  all  the  pauper-houses, 
and  not  unfrequently  also  in  the  houses  for  private  patients.  There  are 
houses  in  which  some  of  the  paupers  are  constantly  manacled,  either  with 
the  view  to  prevent  their  escape,  or  to  keep  them  from  attacking  the 
attendants  or  patients.  The  strait- waistcoat  is  in  daily  use." 

The  proprietors — for  instance  the  unsuccessful  baker,  the  speculating 
public-house  keeper,  or  the  broken-down  gardener — allow  to  themselves 
the  amplest  discretion  in  the  use  of  the  remedial  agents  : — 

"  In  some  houses,  two  medical  gentlemen  are  in  the  habit  of  attending, 
each  taking  charge  of  a  certain  number  of  patients;  but  generally  the 
proprietor  orders  the  shower  bath,  seclusion,  or  mechanical  restraint,  to  be 
applied  at  his  own  discretion,  without  even  consulting  them.  The  conse- 
quence is,  that  mechanical  coercion  is  applied  and  continued  in  these 
houses  to  a  considerable  and  much  greater  extent  than  is  known  to  the 
medical  officer" 

The  beauty  of  the  modern  treatment  for  mental  alienation  is  further 
exhibited : — 

"  That  a  certain  number  of  the  patients,  male  as  well  as  females,  were 
stripped  naked  at  night,  and  that  in  some  cases  two,  and  in  one  case 
even  three  of  them,  were  placed  to  sleep  in  the  same  bed-frame,  on  loose 
straw,  in  a  state  of  perfect  nudity" 

Delicacy  is  thus  sufficiently  provided  for : — 

"  Frequently,  also,  there  is  no  proper  separation  of  male  and  female 
patients,  who  are  placed  in  adjacent  apartments  approached  by  the  same 
stair  or  passage,  who  use  the  same  airing-courts,  and  are  not  even  provided 
with  separate  water-closets." 

A  kind  of  democratic  impartiality  is  manifested  in  the  treatment  of 
different  classes  of  patients : — 

"  We  have,  in  our  descriptions  of  the  various  houses,  noticed  several 


HOW  LUNATICS  AEE  TREATED  IN  SCOTLAND.      425 

instances  where  the  accommodation  was  inferior  to  what  the  patients 
had  a  right  to  expect  for  the  sums  paid  on  their  account.  As  examples, 
we  may  here  mention  two  of  the  worst  cases  that  came  under  our  cog- 
nizance. Two  male  patients  were  confined  in  Hillend  Asylum,  near 
Greenock ;  both  had  occupied  respectable  positions  in  life,  and  the  pay- 
ments made  for  them  were  respectively  £53  11s.  and  £35  per  annum. 
These  sums  should  have  secured  them  comfortable  accommodation  ;  but 
at  the  time  of  our  visit  they  shared  a  small  bedroom  with  a  third  pa- 
tient, and  for  months  had  slept  together,  entirely  naked,  in  a  miserable 
trough-bed,  upon  a  small  quantity  of  loose  straw." 

The  influence  of  religion  is  not  esteemed  of  very  particular  import- 
ance, even  in  workhouses,  as  a  means  of  assisting  the  cure  of  the  in- 
sane : — 

"There  are  some  houses,  such  as  that  of  the  Abbey  Parish,  Paisley, 
in  which  no  clergyman  ever  visits  the  insane  wards,  and  in  which  the  pa- 
tients never  attend  any  religious  service.  At  Falkirk,  also,  they  have  no 
religious  exercises,  except  when  the  governor  reads  prayers,  which  he 
does,  perhaps,  every  second  Sunday." 

Restraint  appears  to  be  popular  in  the  poor-houses: — 

"  As  a  general  rule,  the  attendants  are  not  in  sufficient  number  to  in- 
sure the  proper  treatment  of  the  patients,  and  the  consequence  is,  that 
personal  restraint  is  habitually  had  recourse  to  in  almost  all  the  houses. 
The  strait-waistcoat  and  leather  muffs  are  generally  left  in  the  keeping 
of  the  attendants,  to  be  applied  at  their  discretion.  The  Burgh  Parish 
Poor-house,  Paisley,  is  the  only  house  in  which  we  did  not  find  instru- 
mental restraint  in  use.  A  practice  prevails  in  some  workhouses,  as  in 
a  few  of  the  licensed  asylums,  of  fastening  the  hands  behind  the  back,  by 
which  much  unnecessary  pain  is  inflicted  on  the  patient." 

Here  is  an  instance  of  rough  treatment  inflicted  on  a  woman,  and  in 
one  of  the  Queen  of  England's  jails,  too : — 

"  As  an  example,  may  be  mentioned  the  case  of  a  woman  who  was 
brought  from  Orkney  to  the  Edinburgh  Asylum,  in  March,  1856,  in 
charge  of  a  sheriff-officer  ;  and  who,  on  her  arrival,  was  found  to  be  in 
a  state  of  great  exhaustion,  having  about  six  ribs  broken  on  each  side  of 
the  sternum.  According  to  the  patient's  declaration  to  the  Procurator 
Fiscal  of  Edinburgh,  the  injuries  were  caused  by  the  attendant  in  the 
jail  at  Kirkwall  putting  his  foot  on  her  breast  to  enable  him  to  secure 
her  with  straps  or  ropes.  It  was  said  that  she  had  then  been  very  vio- 
lent and  destructive." 

The  extracts  from  the  report  may  be  fittingly  concluded  with  the 
following  cases,  which  it  would  be  difficult  to  parallel  in  any  coun- 
try :- 

"  A  case  is  detailed  in  the  last  report  of  the  Perth  Asylum.  <  Pa- 
tients,' it  is  th.ere  said,  '  have  been  brought  to  us  tied  hand  and  foot 
One  young  woman,  who  was  perfectly  quiet  and  affable  on  admission 


424  APPENDIX. 

had  been  tightly  strapped  to  a  window- shutter  for  several  days  prior  there- 
to. Her  wrists,  fingers,  and  ancles  were  cedematmw,  and  covered  with  un- 
healthy ulcerations;  and  she  has  since  lost  the  use  of  a  finger  by  sup- 
puration into,  and  disorganization  of,  the  joint,  induced  by  pressure  of 
the  ropes  with  which  she  was  bound.' 

"The  report  of  the  Montrose  Asylum  for  1855  contains  similar  state- 
ments: 'Several  cases,  as  formerly,'  it  tells  us,  'have  been  brought  to 
the  house,  Bunder  restraint,  all  of  which  have  had  their  liberty  granted 
at  once,  without  difficulty  or  danger.  One  of  them  a  married  female, 
deserves  notice.  A  strong  piece  of  wood  was  inserted  bit-wise  between  the 
teeth,  and  firmly  secured  by  a  strong  cord  tied  behind  the  neck.  The  rea- 
son assigned  was,  that  the  patient  had  severely  bitten  her  tongue. 

' '  The  instrument  of  torture  was  at  once  removed,  with  great  relief 
to  the  sufferer.  On  its  removal,  both  angles  of  the  mouth  were  ascertained 
to  be  in  a  state  of  nlceration,  from  the  pressure  of  the  wood,  and  the 
tongue  presented  a  fetid  and  sloughing  mass  to  the  depth  of  an  inch.  The 
patient  was  in  so  anaemic  and  exhausted  a  condition  as  to  render  re- 
covery almost  hopeless.  She  has,  however,  done  well.  She  still  labours 
under  a  certain  degree  of  mental  depression,  and  some  impediment  of 
speech,  from  the  loss  of  so  large  a  portion  of  the  unruly  member.' " 

It  should  be  added,  as  a  matter  of  justice,  that  the  Report,  from  which 
these  extracts  are  taken,  was  most  ably  used  by  a  Scotch  member  (Mr. 
Ellice),  in  a  speech  of  great  force  and  deserved  effect,  delivered  in  the 
House  of  Commons,  on  the  29th  of  May,  1857. 

The  Times  of  the  30th  thus  concludes  a  stinging  commentary  on  the 
debate  of  the  preceding  night : — 

"  Such  is  the  picture  which  Mr.  Ellice,  relying  on  the  Report,  gives 
of  the  present  treatment  of  Lunatic's  in  Scotland, — a  country  which, 
though  blessed  with  two  Church  Establishments,  a  body  of  stipendiary 
sheriffs,  and  a  judicial  bench  quite  out  of  proportion  to  the  work  it  has  to 
discharge,  seems  to  have  known  nothing  of  these  abominations." 


BRITISH  ADMINISTRATION   IN   INDIA.  425 


BRITISH  ADMINISTRATION  IN  INDIA. 

IF  England  were  to  be  judged  by  her  administration  of  her  Indian  Em- 
pire, it  would  go  hard  with  her;  for,  notwithstanding  that  she  is  an 
eminently  Christian  and  enlightened  nation,  it  were  impossible  that  the 
inhabitants  of  the  different  provinces  into  which  that  vast  empire  is 
divided,  could  be  much  worse  off,  if  at  all  worse  off,  under  their  former 
chiefs  and  princes,  whom  it  is  the  pelicy  of  our  times  to  describe  as 
everything  savage,  barbarous,  ruthless,  and  bloodthirsty.  How  fur  this 
misrule — sufficient  instances  of  which  shall  be  adduced — is  attributable 
to  the  supineness  of  the  British  public,  it  is  now  unnecessary  to  inquire ; 
but  one  thing  is  pretty  certain,  namely,  that  if  they  devoted  the  same, 
or  anything  like  the  same,  attention  to  the  affairs  of  India — for  the 
happiness  and  prosperity  of  whose  inhabitants  they  are  answerable  be- 
fore man  and  God — that  they  do  to  the  internal  affairs  of  other  coun- 
tries, such  as  Naples  or  the  Roman  States,  it  would  be  better  for  the 
millions  of  India,  and  more  creditable  to  themselves. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  grope  back  half  a  century'  for  evidences  of 
wrong  and  oppression — nor  would  it  be  fair  or  just  to  do  so;  the  more 
especially,  if  the  wise  and  vigorous  administration  of  the  present  time 
were  obliterating  the  traces  of  remote  disorder.  But  let  the  reader 
judge  of  the  existing  state  of  things  in  two  presidencies  of  India — Madras 
and  Bengal — as  described,  not  by  tourists  or  romance  writers — not  by 
the  pen  of  hostility  and  prejudice — but  in  authentic  documents,  ema^ 
nating  from  official  sources,  and  published  by  order  of  Parliament. 

The  application  of  torture,  no  .matter  in  what  country  or  for  what 
purpose  it  is  applied,  is  repugnant  to  the  feelings  of  every  humane  and 
enlightened  man ;  but  torture  is  not  one  whit  the  less  odious  and  revolt- 
ing, because  it  is  practised  on  the  person  of  a  wretched  and  defenceless 
Indian  peasant.  Let  us  see  if  this  inhuman  and  barbarous  cruelty  be 
really  practised  upon  British  subjects  I  That  torture  is  applied,  freely  and 
constantly  applied,  as  a  means  of  collecting  revenue,  extorting  bribes, 
and  eliciting  evidence,  is  placed  beyond  question  by  the  following  evi- 
dence taken  from  the  "  Report  of  the  Commission  for  the  Investigation 
of  Alleged  Cases  of  Torture  at  Madras ;"  which  report  was  printed  by 
an  order  of  the  House  of  Commons,  July,  1855. 

This  "  Blue  Book"  extends  to  over  300  pages,  and  teems  with  the 
most  startling  facts;  but  the  following  selections  will  suffice  to  give  an 
idea  of  the  general  character  of  the  entire.  The  evidence  of  two 
Protestant  Clergymen  may  be  quoted,  in  the  first  instance: — 


426  APPENDIX. 

"  The  Rev.  H.  A.  Kaundinya,  missionary  of  Mangalore,  details  in- 
stances in  police  cases  from  his  personal  knowledge : — 

" '  I  lived  formerly  in  the  neighbourhood  of  a  police-office,  and  saw 
daily  that  the  prisoners  were  beaten,  flogged,  and  ill  treated.  I  know  also 
for  certain  that,  for  the  purpose  of  extorting  confessions  from  women,  a 
disgusting  application  of  red  pepper  is  sometimes  employed.' 

The  Rev.  L.  Verdier,  of  Tinnevelley,  heard  flogging  going  on;  he 
writes  as  follows : — 

"Flogging  is  used  in  many  places:  once  I  have  myself  heard  it 
from  inside  my  house  at  Callivoolum,  in  the  talook  of  Vulleyore,  and  it 
was  so  severe  J  could  hardly  take  my  dinner  on  account  of  the  sensation 
it  caused  me.  It  is  about  five  years  since  the  fact  I  relate  now  took 
place." 

Mr.  A.  M.  Simpson,  a  merchant  of  Tripasoor,  mentions  a  cruel 
case,  of  which  he  was  a  personal  witness,  but  which  occurred  "  so  long 
back"  as  the  year  1845  : — 

"I  mentioned  it,  however,  to  justify  my  belief  that  the  practice  does 
exist  It  occurred  in  the  coach-yard  attached  to  the  cutcherry  of  the 
tahsildar  of  Burdwai  (in  the  Cuddapah  district),  in  the  presence  of  the 
tnlisildar  and  curnums  of  the  village:  I  there  saw  at  least  a  dozen  ryots, 
who  were  in  arrears  of  kist,  undergoing  the  ordeal.  They  were  all 
ranged  in  the  court-yard,  under  a  meridian  sun,  in  the  hottest  period  of 
the  year  (if  I  recollect  rightly,  in  the  month  of  May).  They  all  had 
heavy  stones  placed  either  on  their  heads  or  on  their  backs  between  the 
shoulders.  Their  bodies  were  bent  double,  and  several  of  them  were  kept  in 
that  position  standing  on  one  leg,  the  other  being  raised  from  the  ground 
by  means  of  a  string  going  round  t/te  neck  and  round  the  big  toe.  I  was 
in  the  cutcherry  probably  for  two  hours,  certainly  more  than  one,  and 
none  of  them  were  released  from  this  painful  position  during  that 
time." 

It  is  not  necessary  to  add  more  than  the  following  evidence,  given 
by  eye-witnesses,  in  ordjer  to  prove  to  the  fact  of  torture  being  admin- 
istered to  British  subjects : — 

Mr.  Fischer,  the  mootadar  or  proprietor  of  Salem,  writes  as  fol- 
lows:— 

"  Of  the  habitual  use  of  violent  and  illegal  means  of  more  or  less  se- 
verity by  the  native  revenue  servants  of  Government,  in  the  collection 
of  revenue  in  every  district  of  this  presidency,  with  which  I  have 
become  acquainted,  I  am  constrained  to  make  of  my  own  knowledge 
positive  affirmation.  But  I  am  not  prepared  to  depose  to  specific  acts, 
and  which  can  be  substantiated,  of  violence  or  torture;  for  this  simple 
and  I  submit  sufficient  reason,  that  I  have  not  been  accustomed  to  take 
notes  thereof,  though  accident  has  often  made  me  a  witness  of  such 
doings." 

Lieutenant  Tireman  of  the  Commissariat,  writes  that  he  heard  and 


BRITISH  ADMINISTRATION  IN  INDIA.  427 

saw  a  native  undergoing  torture,  but  when  in  the  Road  Department  he 
was  thrown  much  among  natives,  whom  he  frequently  questioned,  and 
one  and  all  spoke  of  it  as  a  matter  of  course. 
The  Commissioners  sum  up  in  these  words: — 

"  Such  a  body  of  evidence  from  credible,  and  nearly  all  European, 
eye-witnesses,  is  to  our  minds  conclusive.  It  has  been  adduced,  it  will 
be  observed,  from  all  parts  of  the  Madras  territories." 

The  report  contains  the  statements  of  several  natives,  who  had 
personally  suffered  torture,  inflicted  upon  them  either  with  a  view  of 
collecting — rather  extorting — revenue,  or  eliciting  evidence.  Rungial 
Chatty,  states : — 

"  We  are  treated  in  this  way  every  year,  and  occasionally  we  are 
made  to  cross  our  fingers,  when  the  peons  seize  the  tips  and  squeeze 
them  together,  which  gives  great  pain.  Some  of  the  men  were  kept  in 
a  stooping  posture,  by  the  peons  holding  down  by  the  hair  lock,  whilst 
others  are  placed  astride  on  their  backs.  Occasionally  the  peons  twist 
their  ears,  and  make  them  walk  backwards  and  forwards.  In  the 
absence  of  the  male  branch  of  the  family,  they  take  the  female  to  the 
cutcherry." 

The  following  is  taken  from  the  statement  of  Subapathy  Pillay,  in 
which  he  gives  an  account  of  the  cruelties  inflicted  on  his  brother,  in 
his  presence: — 

"  On  his  arrival  at  Doorgum,  instead  of  taking  him  to  the  chavady, 
they  took  him  to  the  traveller's  bungalow,  outside  the  village.  I  was 
taken  there  myself.  There  they  asked  him  where  he  got  the  cloth ; 
he  said  he  purchased  it  at  Sooboo  Chetty's  shop ;  they  then  told  him 
that  if  he  would  confess  that  he  and  Sooboo  Chetty  stole  the  cloth 
they  would  let  him  go;  they  tied  his  legs,  hung  him  up  with  his  head 
dovmwards,  put  powdered  chilly  in  his  nostrils,  and  put  an  iron  wire  in  his 
penis  ;  they  passed  a  strong  tape  round  his  waist,  and  tightened  it.  There 
\\  as  a  crowd  assembled ;  this  was  in  the  daytime ;  the  windows  were 
opened;  many  people  could  see;  he  called  on  two  or  three  persons 
standing  by  to  bear  witness:  he  was  then  taken  to  the  chavady.  At 
night  he  was  again  beaten.  I  was  present/' 

Let  the  Commissioners  now  describe  the  different  modes  of  torture, 
inflicted,  be  it  remembered,  on  British  subjects,  and  in  the  second  half 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  The  milder  system  is  employed  to  "  collect " 
the  public  revenue  : — 

9 

"  The  descriptions  of  violence  commonly  in  vogue  for  revenue  and 
private  extortion  purposes  which  have  been  spoken  of  in  the  course 
of  this  inquiry  are  as  follows:  keeping  a  man  in  the  sun;  preventing 
his  going  to  meals,  or  other  calls  of  nature;  confinement;  preventing 
cattle  from  going  to  pasture  by  shutting  them  up  in  the  house;  quarter- 
ing a  peon  on  the  defaulter,  who  is  obliged  to  pay  him  daily  wages;  the 


428     .  APPENDIX. 

use  of  the  kittee  anundal ;  squeezing  the  crossed  fingers  with  the  hands ; 
pinches  on  the  thighs ;  slaps ;  blows  with  fist  or  whip ;  running  up 
and  down  ;  twisting  the  ears ;  making  a  man  sit  on  the  soles  of  his 
feet  with  brickbats  behind  his  knees;  putting  a  low-caste  man  on 
the  back ;  striking  two  defaulters'  heads  against  each  other,  or  tying 
them  together  by  their  back  hair;  placing  in  the  stocks;  tying  the 
hair  of  the  head  to  a  donkey's  or  buffalo's  tail;  placing  a  necklace 
of  bones  or  other  degrading  or  disgusting  materials,  round  the  neck, 
and  occasionally,  though  very  rarely,  more  severe  discipline  still. 

"That  the  'anundal '(in  Telugu  '  gingeri'),  or  tying  a  man  down 
in  a  bent  position  by  means  of  his  own  cloth,  or  a  rope  of  coir  or 
straw  passed  over  his  neck  and  under  his  toes,  is  generally  common  at 
the  present  day,  is  beyond  dispute;  and  we  see  no  reason  to  doubt 
that  the  kittee  (in  Telugu  '  cheerata  *)  is  also  in  frequent  use.  It  is  a 
very  simple  machine,  consisting  merely  of  two  sticks  tied  together  at 
one  end,  between  which  the  fingers  are  placed  as  in  a  lemon  squeezer; 
but  in  our  judgment  it  is  of  very  little  importance  whether  this  par- 
ticular form  of  compression  be  the  one  in  ordinary  use  or  not,  for  an 
equal  amount  of  bodily  pain  must  be  produced  by  that  which  has 
superseded  the  kittee,  if  anywhere  it  has  gone  out  of  vogue,  the  com- 
pelling a  man  to  interlace  his  fingers,  the  ends  being  squeezed  by  the 
hands  of  peons,  who  occasionally  introduce  the  use  of  sand  to  gain  a 
firmer  gripe ;  or  making  a  man  place  his  hand  flat  upon  the  ground, 
and  then  pressing  downward,  at  either  end,  a  stick  placed  horizontally 
over  the  back  of  the  sufferer's  fingers.* 


But  the  sublime  of  atrocity  is  reserved  to  further  the  ends  of  justice ! 
Such  a  catalogue  is  enough  to  make  the  blood  freeze  with  horror. 
Surely,  such  a  damning  reproach  as  this  ought  to  be  wiped  away  from 
the  British  name,  before  we  venture  to  point  the  finger  at  any  other 
government  or  country : — 

"  Among  the  principal  tortures  in  vogue  in  police  cases,  we  find  the 
following:  twisting  a  rope  tightly  round  the  entire  arm  or  leg  so  as  to 
impede  circulation  ;  lifting  up  by  the  moustache  ;  suspending  by  the  arms 
while  tied  behind  the  back ;  searing  with  hot  irons  ;  placing  scratching 
insects,  such  as  the  carpenter  beetle,  on  the  navel,  scrotum,  and  other 
sensitive  parts  ;  dipping  in  wells  and  rivers,  till  the  party  is  half  suffo- 
cated ;  squeezing  the  testicles ;  beating  with  sticks ;  prevention  of  sleep ; 
nipping  the  flesh  with,  pincers;  putting  pepper  or  red  chillies  in  the 
eyes,  or  introducing  them  into  the  private  parts  of  men  and  women  ; 
these  cruelties  occasionally  persevered  in  until  death  sooner  or  later 
ensues." 

So  much  for  torture ;  which,  according  to  Lord  Dalhousie,  in  a  letter 
dated  the  22d  of  Sept.,  1855,  is  practised  "  in  every  native  state  of 
India,  and  in  every  British  province."  And  now  with  respect  to  th% 
state  of  the  police  and  the  administration  of  justice  in  Bengal. 

On  Thursday,  the  llth  of  June,  1857,  a  debate  took  place  in  the 
House  of  Commons,  on  the  motion  of  the  hon.  member  for  Perth  (Mr. 
Kinnaird),  who  proposed  the  following  resolutions: — 


BRITISH  ADMINISTRATION   IN   INDIA.  429 

"That,  from  representations  made  to  this  House,  there  is  reason 
to  believe  that  the  present  administration  of  the  Lower  Provinces  of 
Bengal  does  not  secure  to  the  population  the  advantages  of  good 
government,  but  that  the  mass  of  the  people  suffer  grievous  oppression 
from  the  police,  and  the  want  of  proper  administration  of  justice  :  that, 
in  the  opinion  of  this  House,  it  is  desirable  that  her  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment should  take  immediate  steps  with  a  view  to  the  institution 
of  special  inquiries  into  the  social  condition  of  the  people ;  and  to 
ascertain  what  measures  have  been  adopted  in  consequence  of  the 
oppression  under  which  a  large  proportion  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Lower  Provinces  are  now  said  to  be  suffering,  more  especially  with 
reference  to  the  system  of  landed  tenures,  the  state  of  the  police,  and 
the  administration  of  justice;  and  also  that  such  report  be  laid  upon  the 
table  of  the  House." 

In  the  course  of  his  statement,  the  hon.  member  laid  down  this  fair 
proposition,  one  that  must  meet  with  general  concurrence : — 

"  This  House  would  agree  with  him  that  a  Government  that  did  its 
duty  should  at  least  secure. to  the  subjects  of  the  Government  these  four 
things: — 1,  the  administration  of  justice;  2,  security  to  life  and  prop- 
erty; 3,  protection  to  all  classes,  poor  as  well  as  rich;  4,  and  lastly, 
exemption  from  excessive  taxation." 

Mr.  Mangles,  Chairman  of  the  East  India  Company,  was  on  this  occa- 
sion the  spokesman  and  organ  of  the  Court  of  Directors ;  and  he  thus 
admitted  the  whole  case : — 

"  Bengal,  which  was  perhaps  the  oldest  British  possession  in  India, 
was,  as  regarded  the  affairs  of  internal  administration,  in  a  very  bad  con- 
dition, and  the  East  India  company  would  spare  no  pains  or  expense  to 
remedy  the  present  state  of  things." 

But  having  admitted  all  that  was  urged  on  the  other  side,  he  gently 
pleaded  in  extenuation  of  the  disgraceful  fact,  by  appealing  to  the 
character  of  the  miserable  race  who  were  to  be  ruled.  In  a  word, 
they  were  some  thirty  millions  of  ".monkeys."  Mr.  Mangles  thus  heaps 
up  evidence  against  the  Bengalees : — 

"  With  respect  to  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Dorin,  he  could  only  say  that  he 
was  perfectly  ready  to  support  the  statement  that  the  inhabitants  of 
Bengal  were  an  extremely  timid  people,  and  that  their  want  of  energy 
was  so  great  that  it  was  very  difficult  to  provide  for  them  any  institu- 
tions likely  to  prove  of  advantage  to  them,  inasmuch  as  they  had  not 
the  spirit  necessary  to  maintain  their  own  rights.  Mr.  Marshman,  who 
knew  Bengal  well,  represented  the  task  of  endeavouring  to  deal  with 
the  people  of  that  province  as  only  to  be  compared  to  carving  in  rotten 
wood,  while  Mr.  Macaulay  described  the  Bengalee  as  being  devoid 
of  courage,  and  his  physical  organization  as  feeble  and  effeminate. 
There  were  very  few  Bengalees  in  the  Indian  army,  and,  indeed,  the 
general  impression  was,  that  one  might  as  well  enlist  a  monkey  as  a 
Bengalee  for  a  soldier.  Such,  then,  was  the  material  upon  which  the 


430  APPENDIX. 

Government  of  Bengal  had  to  work,  and  he  should  appeal  to  the  can- 
dour of  that  House  to  say  whether  the  task  of  providing  a  good  govern- 
ment for  such  a  people  was  not  one  in  which  great  difficulty  was 
involved." 

This  miserable  apology  was  thus  answered  by  Lord  John  Russell, 
who  justly  said: — 

"  Then  comes  Mr.  Dorin,  and  he,  differing  from  Mr.  Halliday,  says  it 
is  a  law  of  nature  in  such  a  population  as  this,  that  there  should  be 
nothing  but  tyrants  and  slaves ;  and  he  seems  very  tranquilly  to  make 
vip  his  mind  that  there  are  tyrants  and  slaves  in  that  community,  and 
that  tyrants  and  slaves  there  must  ever  be.  I  should  say,  no  doubt, 
that  the  timid  and  unwarlike  character  of  the  population  has  been  the 
great  means  by  which  we  hav'e  been  enabled  to  conquer  that  country 
and  establish  over  it  the  government  of  Great  Britain,  and  that  we  have 
no  right  after  that  to  turn  round  on  them  and  reproach  them  with  their 
timidity,  and  say  we  do  not  mean  to  give  you  that  full  protection  which 
is  necessary  andk  desirable." 

It  appears  from  official  documents,  relied  on  in  the  debate,  that  the 
Police  committed  one-fourth  more  murders  and  robberies  than  the  rest  of 
the  population. 

I  have  now  before  me  a  "  minute"  of  the  Hon.  F.  G.  Halliday,  Lieut. 
Governor  of  Bengal,  on  this  subject ;  and  it  fully  corroborates  the 
description  of  the  state  of  things  given  in  the  statement  of  Mr.  Kin- 
naird,  who  mainly  relied  on  the  representations  of  certain  missionaries. 
The  Village  Watchmen  are  thus  represented : — 

"  They  are  all  thieves  or  robbers,  or  leagued  with  thieves  and  robbers, 
insomuch  that  when  any  one  is  robbed  in  a  village,  it  is  most  probable 
that  the  first  person  suspected  will  be  the  village  watchman." 

Mr.  Halliday  quotes  from  the  report  of  the  Commission  of  1837,  and 
then  shows  that  nothing  practical  has  been  done  in  the  way  of  remedy 
for  the  twenty  years  which  have  intervened  since  then : — 

"  '  The  most  urgent  necessity  exists  for  a  thorough  revision  throughout 
the  country.  The  establishment  (of  village  watchmen)  is  described 
not  only  as  utterly  useless  for  police  purposes,  but  as  a  curse  instead 
of  a  blessing  to  the  community.  It  is  even  a  question  whether  an  order 
ismed  throughout  the  country  to  apprehend  and  confine  them  would  not  do 
more  to  put  a  stop  to  theft  and  robbery  than  any  other  measure  that  could 
be  adopted.' " 

"  Various  plans  have  been  proposed  for  amending  this  state  of  things, 
and  a  good  deal  of  paper  has  been  covered  with  written  discussions 
regarding  them,  but  nothing  has  ever  been  done;  so  that  many  persons 
have  come  to  think  it  a  thing  impossible  to  do  any  good  in  that  direc- 
tion, and  have  ceased  from  all  effort  accordingly." 

Mr.  Halliday,  in  the  two  following  paragraphs  of  his  minute,  gives  a 


BKITISH  ADMINISTRATION  IN  INDIA.  431 

pitiable  picture  of  the  manner  in  which  criminal  justice  is  administered 
to  a  population  of  thirty  millions  of  British  subjects,  and  of  the  increase 
of  heinous  crime  in  consequence : — 

"  That  a  very  small  proportion  of  heinous  offenders  are  ever  brought  to 
trial  is  matter  of  notoriety.  It  now  appears  that  half  of  those  brought 
to  trial  are  sure  to  be  acquitted.  Is  it  to  be  expected,  then,  that  the  peo- 
ple should  have  confidence  in  our  system,  or  that  they  should  show  any 
desire  to  assist  the  police,  knowing,  as  they  do,  from  experience,  the 
miserable  results  to  be  obtained  ? 

"  I  must  say  that  this  appears  to  me  the  weakest  point  of  our  whole 
system,  and  that  which  most  loudly  calls  for  an  effectual  remedy.  No 
doubt  the  badness  of  the  police  and  the  inefficiency  of  the  tribunals  act 
and  re-act  on  each  other,  and  both  are  concerned  in  bringing  about  the 
deplorable  existing  consequences.  But  until  the  tribunals  are  reformed, 
I  can  see  no  use  in  reforming  the  police,  and  I  think  it  will  be  money 
thrown  away  to  attempt  the  latter,  unless  we  are  determined  vigor- 
ously to  insist  on  the  former.  We  have  been  hitherto  debating  about 
both  for  many  years  without  much  practical  effect,  and  in  the  meantime, 
to  take  or.ly  one  crime,  and  only  the  seven  districts  round  about  Gov- 
ernment House,  we  have  seen  dacoities  increase  from  82  in  1841,  to  524 
in  1851 !  It  is  true  that  under  a  special  agency  this  has  since  been  re- 
duced to  111  in  1855. .  But  the  operations  of  this  agency  have  shown 
more  than  anything  else  the  utter  inability  of  our  ordinary  institutions 
to  cope  with  the  enormous  social  evil  that  is  ever  rising  up  in  defiance 
before  it." 

Comment  on  the  foregoing  is  unnecessary.  Or  if  it  be  required,  it 
may  be  given  in  one  sentence  from  an  article  in  which  the  Times  of 
Saturday,  June  13th,  Deferred  to  the  debate  of  the  previous  Thurs- 
day : —  j 

"The  solid  fabric  of  British  power  weighs  on  them  (the  people  of 
India),  but  does  not  shelter  them" 


Since  the  foregoing  was  put  into  the  printer's  hands,  the  British 
Public  have  had  a  far  more  startling  commentary  pronounced  upon  the 
administration  of  affairs  in  India — in  the  revolt  of  the  native  troops  at 
Meerut,  where  they  massacred  their  officers;  and  in  the  subsequent 
capture  of  the  ancient  city  of  Delhi  by  the  mutineers,  and  the  barbar- 
ous slaughter  of  Europeans  which  followed.  These  disastrous  events, 
which  certainly  are  not  the  most  conclusive  evidences  of  wise  and  pa- 
ternal government,  occurred  in  the  early  part  of  the  month  of  May  of 
the  present  year. 


432  APPENDIX. 


"  REPORT  FROM  THE  COUNT  DE  RAYNEVAL,  THE  FRENCH 
ENVOY  AT  ROME,  TO  THE  FRENCH  MINISTER  FOR  FOR- 
EIGN AFFAIRS. 

(Copy.) 

"Rome,  Ma\i  14,  1856. 

"  MONSIEUR  LE  COMTE. — At  this  moment  the  situation  of  the  Pontifical 
States  pre-occupies  more  than  ever  the  different  cabinets  of  Europe, 
and  particularly  the  government  of  the  Emperor,  in  the  twofold  point 
of  view  of  the  interests  of  Catholicism,  and  of  the  armed  protection 
with  which  France  and  Austria  surround  the  holy  chair.  This  ques- 
tion is  contemplated  under  so  many  different  aspects,  it  is  so  perverted 
by  the  spirit  of  party,  it  excites  in  one  sense  and  another  such  vehement 
passions,  that  a  truthful  and  impartial  review  of  the  facts  appears  not 
inopportune. 

"  Though  the  accusations  brought  against  the  pontifical  government 
may  be  greatly  exaggerated,  it  is  undoubtedly  vulnerable  on  one  side  ;  its 
territory  is  occupied  by  foreign  troops,  and  it  is  questionable  whether 
it  can  dispense  with  this  support.  Every  independent  state  is  expected 
to  suffice  for  itself,  and  to  be  able  to  maintain  its  internal  security  by 
its  own  forces.  The  Court  of  Rome  is  reproached  with  falling  short  of 
this  reasonable  expectation;  the  cause  of  its  weakness  is  inquired  into, 
and  it  is  generally  believed  to  be  the  discontent  awakened  among  its 
subjects  by  a  defeclive  administration. 

"  The  real  cause  of  the  weakness  of  the  pontifical  government  is  a 
much  more  complicated  one,  and  is,  in  fact,  connected  with  quite  a 
different  class  of  ideas ;  but  it  is  a  much  mor.e  convenient  and  rapid 
mode  of  arriving  at  a  conclusion  to  complain  of  the  administration,  than 
laboriously  to  interrogate  the  history  and  the  tendencies  of  the  Italian 
race.  The  discomfort  and  discontent  of  the  populations  arise  more  es- 
pecially from  the  fact  that  the  part  played  in  the  world  by  Italy  is  not 
that  of  their  visionary  aspirations.  This  sentiment  of  nationality  has 
been  sensitively  alive  at  all  epochs,  and  the  temporal  power  of  the 
Papacy  has  constantly  been  considered  the  main  obstacle  to  its  gratifica.- 
tion.  During  the  last  two  centuries  the  general  prosperity  of  the  pon- 
tifical system,  and  the  abundant  resources  which  flowed  to  Rome  from 
all  parts  of  the  world,  silenced  complaint.  But  the  great  changes  which 
have  taken  place  in  Europe  during  the  last  fifty  years  have  dried  up 
the  sources  of  Rome's  affluence.  The  Church  has  been  compelled  to 
remain  contented  with  the  revenue  derived  exclusively  from  its  own 
territory.  Hence  discomfort,  which,  increasing  from  year  to  year,  leads 
the  minds  of  men  by  an  easy  process  to  discuss  and  attack  the  acts  of 
their  government.  The  Papacy,  protected  till  this  time  by  a  great 
prestige,  begins  to  sink  in  the  estimation  of  the  people.  The  last  traces 
of  the  ancient  ecclesiastical  sovereignties  have  disappeared  from  the  rest 
of  Europe.  Our  fathers,  accustomed  to  the  sight  of  these  sovereignties, 
saw  nothing  singular  in  them.  In  the  eyes  of  the  new  generation  one 
government  of  this  kind,  left  alone  in  the  world,  becomes  an  anomaly. 
Criticisms  on  this  score  multiply.  At  the  same  time  the  constitutional 
system,  which  easily  seduces  the  people,  has  gradually  established  itself 


COUNT  DE  KAYNEVAL'S  KEPOKT.  433 

in  a  majority  of  states.  Men  ask  themselves  whether  it  is  conformable 
to  the  genius  of  the  age,  whether  it  is  respectable  to  obey  a  priest,  and 
perpetuate  a  superannuated  system.  Besides,  how  would  it  be  possible 
to  establish  a  system  of  liberty  and  free  discussion,  in  presence  of  a 
power  which  lays  claim  to  infallibility  in  spiritual  matters,  and  rests 
exclusively  on  the  principle  of  authority  ?  How  create  a  powerful  Italy 
so  long  as  the  peninsula  is  divided  into  two  distinct  parts  by  a  state, 
neutral  from  the  necessity  of  its  nature,  and  isolated  from  all  European 
conflicts  ?  How  play  a  great  part  when  the  centre  of  Italy  is  in  the 
possession  of  a  Sovereign  who  does  not. wear  a  sword?  Other  causes, 
not  less  powerful,  have  encouraged  these  hostile  tendencies,  Italy  had 
always  wielded  the  sceptre,  not,  indeed,  of  war  or  politics,  which  are 
not  exactly  in  its  line,  but  at  least  of  civilization,  science,  and  art.  All 
felt  that  this  sceptre  was  falling  from  her  hands.  The  hundred  voices 
of  the  press  daily  informed  the  Italians  of  the  progress  of  their  neigh- 
bours, and  proved  to  them  that  they  had  been  outstripped  in  many 
points.  If — thanks  to  the  blindness  of  national  self-love — this  sentiment 
has  not  yet  become  universal,  at  least  a  great  part  of  the  population 
feels  itself  threatened  in  the  last  entrenchments  of  its  legitimate  pride — 
a  new  and  terrible  grievance  for  which  to  hold  the  governments  respon- 
sible. In  the  meanwhile  the  loudly  avowed  tolerance  of  several  cab- 
inets for  the  complaints  made  by  the  populations,  was  not,  it  must  be 
confessed,  one  of  their  least  encouragements.  At  present  it  is  the  most 
active  of  all,  and  the  one  to  which  the  hopes  of  all  those  turn  who  wish 
for  .something  different  from  what  they  possess.  On  a  soil  thus  pre- 
pared, insurrections  and  revolutions  could  not  fail  to  germinate  with 
facility.  They  turned  the  country  topsy-turvy,  and  left  deep  traces. 
The  momentary  victory  obtained  over  the  Papacy  completely  stripped 
it  of  its  prestige.  It  was  no  longer  the  sacred  ark  against  which  no 
effort  could  prevail.  In  vain  it  heaped  concessions  upon  concessions ; 
the  very  principle  of  its  existence  was  called  in  question.  The  idea  of 
its  ceasing  to  exist  became  familiar.  Hostile  passions  derived  new 
strength  from  the  consciousness  of  a  probable  success  where,  till  of  late, 
success  would  have  seemed  impossible;  more  than  ever  the  national 
vanity  attributed  its  wounds  to  an  administration  marked  out  for  attack 
by  the  peculiarity  of  its  character.  The  prejudices  against  what  is 
called  a  government  of  priests  reached  their  culminating  point. 

"  It  is  necessary  at  this  stage  to  offer  a  few  remarks  on  the  peculiar 
genius  of  the  Italians.  The  most  prominent  feature  of  the  national 
character  is  its  intelligence,  its  penetration,  its  quick  comprehension  of 
everything.  This  precious  gift,  which  Providence  has  disseminated  over 
Italy  much  more  profusely  than  elsewhere,  and  which  still  shines  with 
all  its  pristine  lustre,  is  dearly  purchased,  except  in  a  few  remarkable 
exceptional  cases,  by  the  utter  want  of  such  qualities  as  energy,  strength 
of  mind,  and  true  civil  courage.  It  is  seldom  that  the  Italians  are  seen 
firmly  united  amongst  themselves.  Always  suspecting  each  other,  they 
are  continually  separating;  no  one  has  any  confidence  but  in  himself; 
they  remain  isolated.  Hence  they  have  no  commercial  or  manufac- 
turing associations ;  no  common  understanding  ;  no  combination  either 
in  private  or  public,  a  Hairs.  With  such  dispositions  they  are  destitute 
of  the  essential  element  of  public  power  ;  they  are  totally  devoid  of  or- 
ganized strength.  Armies — which  are  knit  together  by  the  reciprocal 
confidence  of  the  soldiers,  and  obedience  to  the  general — are  impossible. 
The  ranks  are  complete  on  parade ;  but  in  the  hour  of  danger  the  chiefs 

19 


434  APPENDIX. 

are  accused  of  treason,  and  the  soldiers  have  no  reliance  on  each  other. 
This  defective  equilibrium  of  intellect  and  character  of  the  Italians  is 
the  key  to  their  whole  history,  and  explains  the  state  of  political  in- 
firmity in  which  they  have  remained,  in  comparison  with  the  other 
peoples  of  Europe.  Left  to  themselves,  they  have  never  been  able  to 
do  anything  but  debate  in  public  places;  give  the  victory  ultimately 
to  extreme  parties;  wear  themselves  out  in  fruitless  agitations;  divide 
and  subdivide  themselves  to  infinity;  and  yield  up  their  country  to  the 
first  occupants — Frenchmen,  Spaniards,  or  Germans.  Every  nation 
pays  the  penalty  of  its  own  defects ;  but  how  is  it  possible  to  make  it 
comprehend  that  its  inferiority  is  attributable  to  itself,  and  not  to  its 
government  ? 

"  It  is  the  fashion  to  take  the  Piedmontese  for  Italians,  and  to  quote 
them  as  an  example  of  what  may  be  expected  from  the  Italian  popula- 
tions. 

"  This  is  a  great  error.  The  Piedmontese  are  an  intermediary  popu- 
lation,-containing  much  more  of  the  Swiss  and  French  element  than  the 
Italian.  One  fact  is  sufficient  to  convince  me  of  this..  It  is  that  they 
possess  that  true  military  and  monarchical  spirit  which  is  unknown  to 
the  rest  of  Italy.  The  Italian  mind  with  respect  to  policy  and  admin- 
istration is  by  nature  directed  towards  middle  terms,  accommodations. 
The  interpretation  is  considered  to  be  above  the  law  itself.  Following 
religiously  the  traditions  which  have  been  preserved  of  ancient  Rome, 
jurisprudence  is  a  governing  principle.  This  tendency  is  met  with 
everywhere.  It  has  occasionally  a  very  happy  influence  on  the  pro- 
gress of  great  affairs,  but  in  practice  it  leaves  to  government  a  very 
great  latitude,  and  takes  away  from  the  authority  of  the  law  in  the 
eyes  of  the  governed,  encouraging  them  in  a  singular  manner  in  all 
manoeuvres  which  may  spare  them  from  the  rigorous  application  of 
rules.  An  inflexible  law  would  be  odious  to  them ;  an  administration 
keeping  close  to  the  letter  of  the  law,  without  compromise,  would 
appear  in  their  eyes  insufferably  harsh.  Let  us  examine  the  possible 
wishes  and  tendencies  of  the  population  at  this  moment.  They  formal- 
ize their  complaints  much  more  than  their  plans.  With  respect  to  their 
plans,  it  may  be  said  that  they  are  almost  as  numerous  as  individuals. 
In  the  lower  depths  of  society,  Carbonarism  is  kept  up;  it  still  continues 
to  make  recruits.  The  dagger  here  is  still  held  in  honour.  The  end  to 
be  attained  is  the  upsetting  of  every  social  hierarchy.  The  followers 
of  Mazzini  form  already  a  class  in  some  degree  above  these.  The  uni- 
versal republic,  the  unity  of  Italy,  constitutional  government,  war 
against  Austria,  is  their  programme.  They  say  that  they  are  a  numer- 
ous body,  and  are  ready  to  act,  but  they  never  keep  their  word. 
Directed  by  the  committees  of  London  and  Geneva,  their  watchword 
for  the  present  is  quiet  and  inaction,  until  the  return  of  their  chiefs  by 
means  of  an  amnesty,  and  the  departure  of  the  foreign  troops,  give  them 
an  opportunity  of  operating  with  a  chance  of  success.  This  section  ex- 
tends to  a  certain  portion  of  the  middle  class.  This  class,  and  the  higher 
classes  in  general,  are  tormented  with  the  desire  of  taking  a  part  in 
public  affairs. 

"  The  example  of  Piedmont  is  turning  their  heads.  A  constitution 
a  FAnglaise  is  in  their  eyes  marvellously  adapted  both  to  the  manners 
and  wants  of  the  country.  They  desire  for  themselves  and  for  their 
country  a  great  line  of  action.  They  look  'upon  themselves  as  disin- 
herited. Convinced  that  the  presence  of  the  Pope  is  an  invincible  ol> 


COUNT  DE  RAYNEVAL'S  REPORT.  435 

stacle  to  the  realization  of  their  projects,  they  earnestly  pray  for  the 
annihilation  of  the  pontifical  power.  The  greater  portion  of  the  mem- 
bers of  this  party  have  coalesced  with  the  followers  of  Mazzini,  leaving 
it  to  the  nation  to  decide  between  the  two  parties  after  the  victory 
is  obtained.  Refusing  to  go  as  far  as  the  English  constitution,  there  is 
a  certain  number  of  individuals  who  profess  attachment  to  the  ponti- 
fical government,  and  at  the  same  time  overwhelm  it  with  their  attacks, 
pretending  that  they  limit  their  desires  to  the  obtaining  of  a  better 
administration.  They  are  not  able  to  define  exactly  what  they  mean 
by  this.  In  their  eyes  everything  depends  upon  government,  even  to 
the  proper  maintenance  of  their  own  houses,  and  the  direction  of  their 
own  affairs.  If  enterprises  everywhere  reserved  for  the  efforts  of 
private  industry  are  not  developed  in  the  Roman  territory,  the  reason  is 
that  the  government  places  obstacles  in  the  way.  Attributing  all  the 
acts  of  the  administration  to  motives  exclusively  personal,  and  such  as 
are  founded  on  the  basest  calculations  of  interest,  they  believe  that 
public  affairs  and  the  profit  derived  from  conducting  them,  are  in  the 
hands  of  a  small  number  of  monopolists,  who  exhaust  the  resources  of 
their  country  for  their  own  advantage.  They  dream  of  nothing  but 
dishonesty  and  collusion.  Taxed,  as  they  are,  more  lightly  than  the 
majority  of  European  countries,  they  complain  that  they  are  crushed 
under  the  weight  of  fiscal  imposition.  At  the  same  time,  they  complain 
of  the  State  for  not  undertaking  great  works  which  it  is  their  duty  to 
undertake  themselves.  Ignorant  of  the  first  principles  of  political 
economy  and  administration,  they  enunciate  systems  utterly  opposed  to 
the  lessons  of  experience,  \vhen  they  are  compelled  to  formalize  a  pro- 
ject. Finally,  they  profess  to  have  a  great  fear  of  the  Mazziuians,  and 
at  the  same  time  are  opening  the  door  to  them. 

"  Lastly,  there  is  a  party  which  attributes  every  evil  to  the  abandon- 
ment of  ancient  errors.  If  we  could  return,  they  say,  to  the  ecclesias- 
tical regime  pure  et  simple,  as  it  existed  formerly,  excitement  would  be 
appeased,  and  every  difficulty  would  disappear. 

"  Between  these  parties  there  is  a  numerous  crowd  very  indifferent 
to  everything  else  but  their  own  prosperity,  fond  certainly  of  grumbling, 
but  friends  of  order,  and  living  on  good  terms  with  the  pontifical 
government.  Anywhere  else  such  a  party  would  furnish  the  govern- 
ment with  a  good  point  d'  appui  ;  but  in  a  country  in  which  the  spirit 
of  enterprise,  and  the  energy  necessary  for  any  resistance  whatever,  are 
absolutely  unknown  ;  where  the  only  universal  rule  is  laisser  faire, 
with  the  reservation  of  the  right  of  complaining  when  the  tiling  is 
done,  instead  of  beforehand,  how  can  such  friends  be  trusted,  and  how 
can  the  destinies  of  the  state  be  placed  solely  in  such  hands  ?  Here  is 
the  grand  difficulty.  No  government  can  dispense  with  material  assist- 
ance, and  this  condition  cannot  be  fulfilled  in  the  Roman  States. 
Whichever  of  the  whole  number  of  parties  has  the  luck  to  triumph,  it  is 
an  indubitable  fact  that  it  will  see  forming  around  it,  as  has  already  beeu 
proved,  the  same  assemblage  of  complaints  which  is  directed  against 
the  present  government.  The  same  difficulty  which  the  actual  govern- 
ment experiences  in  finding  points  d'appui  in  a  land  which  is  not  able 
to  furnish  them,  will  be  experienced  by  every  party  which  gains  power. 
The  party  which  limits  its  wishes  to  reforms  when  incapable  of  de- 
fending itself,  on  account  of  no  one  being  willing  to  compromise  him 
self  in  its  defence,  will  give  place  to  the  constitutional  party :  this  will 
in  turn  yield  to  the  Mazzinians,  which,  thanks  to  measures  of  violence 


436  APPENDIX. 

on  their  part,  and  carelessness  on  the  part  of  others,  will  remain  defi- 
nitely masters  of  the  situation.  This  will  represent  accurately  the 
inevitable  march  of  events  whenever  the  present  equilibrium  is  again 
disturbed. 

"  Pius  IX.  showed  himself  full  of  ardour  for  reforms.  He  himself  put 
his  hand  to  the  work.  Every  one  is  acquainted  with  the  catastrophe 
which  ensued.  What  happened  then  would  be  reproduced  exactly  in 
our  days. 

"Here,  then,  we  have  a  nation  deeply  divided,  animated  with  burn 
ing  ambition,  without  any  one  of  those  qualities  which  make  the  great 
ness  and  the  power  of  other  nations,  stripped  of  energy,  devoid  of 
military  spirit,  as  well  as  of  the  spirit  of  association,  knowing  nothing 
of  the  respect  due  to  law  or  to  social  superiorities :  and  this  nation, 
being  discontented  with  its  lot,  accuses  its  rulers,  who  are  in  reality 
bone  of  its  bone  and  flesh  of  its  flesh.  How  can  we  dare  to  hope  that, 
to  meet  the  difficulties  of  so  complicated  a  situation,  it  is  sufficient 
merely  to  introduce  a  few  reforms  into  the  pontifical  administration? 
Verily  such  a  remedy  appears  little  adapted  to  the  disease,  and  it  is  not 
easy  to  see  what  alleviation  even  it  might  produce.  If  the  populations 
h;ui  a  real  cause  of  complaint  against  the  pontifical  administration,  and 
if  their  wrongs  were  founded  upon  the  single  cause,  the  receipt  would 
be  excellent ;  but  I  have  enumerated  at  length  the  true  causes  of  the  sad 
condition  of  the  populations,  and  I  have  not  been  able  to  see  that  any- 
where these  causes  were  in  direct  connection  with  the  mere  mode  of 
administration.  Fundamentally,  the  very  principle  of  government  is 
the  point  in  dispute,  and  not  the  mode  of  putting  it  in  operation. 

"  "What  grave  reproaches  can  be  made  against  the  pontifical  govern- 
ment, and  what  an  idea  is  formed  of  the  men  who  compose  it?  la 
it  possible  that  they  are  devoid  of  that  intelligence  which  is  so  richly 
scattered  over  their  nation  ?  Can  it  be  that  they  have  so  s.mall  a  sense 
of  their  duties  and  interests  as  to  place,  of  their  own  accord,  an 
obstacle  in  the  way  of  the  prosperity  of  their  country  ?  It  surely  would 
not  be  just  to  condemn  them  blindly,  and  without  a  rigid  examination 
of  their  conduct.  It  is  a  general  opinion  that  the  pontifical  adminis- 
tration is  placed  entirely  in  the  hands  of  the  priests.  It  is  asserted 
that  the  priest,  whose  lot  it  is  to  defend  the  interests  of  Heaven,  under- 
stands nothing  of  the  interests  of  earth ;  that,  having  no  family  of  his 
own,  he  is  utterly  indifferent  as  to  the  prosperity  of  the  country  ;  that, 
dwelling  apart  from  society,  he  cannot  understand  the  true  wants  of 
society;  that  the  esprit  de  corps  is  more  powerful  with  him  than  the 
feeling  of  nationality,  and  so  on.  People  are  unwilling  to  believe  that 
the  priest  employed  in  the  civil  service  by  the  Court  of  Rome  has  no 
sacerdotal  character  during  the  greater  portion  of  his  time,  and  that  far 
from  monopolizing  the  whole  of  the  administration,  he  has  but  a  small 
share  in  it — he  is  in  a  minority.  I  have  often  asked  ardent  opposers 
of  the  Roman  rule  what  was  their  valuation  of  the  number  of  priests 
employed  in  the  administration.  In  answer  to  my  question  the  num- 
ber was  generally  stated  to  be  about  3,000.  No  credit  was  given  to  me 
when  I  showed,  with  the  proofs  in  my  hand,  that,  putting  them  alto- 
gether, the  number  did  not  exceed  a  hundred,  and  that  the  half  of  these 
pretended  priests  were  not  in  orders.  It  is  nevertheless  upon  data  of 
such  falsity  that  are  founded  grave  charges  which  are  accepted  by  the 
public  as  undeniable. 

"  At  a  time  when  the  character  of  the  pontifical  government  gave 


COUXT  DE  RAYNEVAL'S  REPORT.  437 

rise  to  no  ground  of  objection,  the  Church  understood  thoroughly  that 
the  part  of  the  priest  destined  for  the  altar,  and  that  of  the  administra- 
tor of  public  affairs,  might  possibly  clash  on  some  occasions.  The 
Church  then  opened  the  door  to  the  lay  element,  by  the  institution  of 
the  Prelature,  and  reserving  for  it  a  certain  number  of  places  even  in 
the  Sacred  College.  The  Prelature  increases  and  receives  continual 
augmentations  from  a  class  of  men  who  are  specially  destined  for  ad- 
ministration. Certain  conditions  of  education  and  fortune  are  imposed 
upon  these  men.  But  lately,  they  have  performed  their  duties  entirely 
at  their  own  expense,  and  thus  lightened  the  weight  of  the  budget. 

"So  important  a  position  as  this  yielded  to  the  incumbent  a  few 
years  back  only  600  scudi  annually.  Since  then,  in  order  to  render 
such  offices  accessible  generally,  the  emolument  has  been  increased  in 
a  moderate  degree.  The  Roman  prelates  are  not  at  all  bound  to  enter 
into  holy  orders.  For  the  most  part  they  dispense  with  them.  Can  w,e 
then  call  by  the  name  of  priests  those  who  have  nothing  of  the  priest 
but  the  uniform?  Is  Count  Spada,  brother-in-law  of  Pere  Beauveau, 
a  more  zealous  or  a  more  skilful  administrator  now  than  when,  in  the 
costume  of  a  priest,  he  officiated  as  Minister  of  War  ?  Do  Monseig- 
neur  Matteuci  (Minister  of  Police),  Monseigueur  Mertel  (Minister  of  the 
Interior),  Monseigneur  Berardi  (substitute  of  the  Secretary  of  State) 
and  so  many  others  who  have  liberty  to  marry  to-morrow,  constitute  a 
religious  caste,  sacrificing  its  own  interests  to  the  interests  of  the  coun- 
try, and  would  they  become  all  of  a  sudden  irreproachable  if  they  were 
dressed  differently  ?  If  we  examine  the  share  given  the  prelates,  both 
priests  and  non-priests,  in  the  Roman  administration,  we  shall  arrive  at 
some  results  which  it  is  important  to  notice.  Out  of  Rome — that  is, 
throughout  the  whole  extent  of  the  Pontifical  States,  with  the  exception 
of  the  capital  —  in  the  Legations,  the  Marshes,  Umbria,  and  all  the 
provinces,  to  the  number  of  eighteen,  how  many  ecclesiastics  do  you 
think  are  employed  ?  Their  number  does  not  exceed  fifteen — one  for 
each  province,  except  three,  where  there  is  not  one  at  all.  They  are 
delegates,  or,  as  we  should  say,  prefects.  The  councils,  the  tribunals, 
and  offices  of  all  sorts,  are  filled  with  laymen.  The  number  of  these 
latter  amounts  to  2313  in  the  civil  service,  and  620  holding  judicial 
employments — in  the  whole  2933  ;  so  that  for  one  ecclesiastic  in  office 
we  have  195  laymen.  Is  it  possible  for  the  most  prejudiced  intellect 
not  to  recognize  that  an  ecclesiastical  power  which  has  reduced  to  so 
low  a  figure  the  number  of  the  men  of  its  order  who  are  the  depositaries 
of  power  throughout  the  whole  extent  of  its  territory  has  already  reached 
its  lowest  limits  ?  Who  will  believe  that  this  is  an  intolerable  abuse, 
and  that  the  danger  will  .cease  when  this  small  number  of  prelates  shall 
disappear  from  the  scene  ?  But  here  a  curious  fact  presents  itself  to 
our  consideration.  The  provinces  administered  by  laymen,  amongst 
others  those  of  Ferrara  and  Camerina,  are  sending  deputation  upon 
deputation  to  the  government  for  permission  to  have  a  prelate  appointed. 
The  people  are  not  accustomed  to  lay  delegates.  They  refuse  obedience 
and  respect  to  these  latter.  They  accuse  them  of  confining  their 
interests  to  their  own  families,  and  there  is  nothing  even  to  their  wives 
which  does  not  give  rise  to  questions  of  precedence  and  etiquette.  In 
a  word,  the  government  which,  to  satisfy  this  pretended  desire  of  the 
populations  to  be  presided  over  by  laymen,  reserved  a  certain  number 
of  places  for  them,  finds  this  disposition  opposed  by  the  population 
themselves. 


438  APPENDIX. 

"  In  the  city  of  Koine,  the  centre  of  government,  the  number  of  pre- 
lates, whether  priests  or  non-priests,  engaged  in  the  administration,  is 
necessarily  more  considerable  than  in  the  provinces.  Nevertheless,  the 
numerical  superiority  in  favour  of  the  laymen  is  still  striking,  and  leads 
to  the  same  conclusions.  These  are  the  statistics  reckoning  by  ministe- 
rial departments.  The  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign  Af- 
fairs, not  reckoning  those  employed  abroad,  is  comprised  of  5  ecclesias- 
tics, and  19  laymen.  The  principal  of  these  ecclesiastics,  such  as  the 
Cardinal  Secretary  of  State  and  his  substitutes,  are  not  priests  any  more 
than  the  greater  number  of  the  prefects  who  are  marked  here  as  eccle- 
siastics. The  Council  of  State  reckons  8  ecclesiastics  and  5  laymen.  The 
Ministry  of  the  Interior  comprises  22  ecclesiastics,  including  among  them 
the  15  presidents  of  provinces,  of  whom  I  have  already  spoken,  and 
1,411  laymen.  The  Ministry  of  Finance  reckons  3  ecclesiastics  against 
2,017  laymen.  The  Ministry  of  Commerce  and  Public  Works  reckons  2 
ecclesiastics  to  161  laymen.  The  Ministry  of  Police,  2  ecclesiastics  to 
404  layrfien.  The  Ministry  of  War  has  not  a  single  ecclesiastical  func- 
tionary. The  Ministry  of  Justice,  including  the  superior  tribunals, 
which  are  of  a  mixed  nature,  reckons  69  ecclesiastics  to  927  laymen. 
This  number  of  59  ecclesiastics,  is  divided  in  the  following  manner: 

"  In  the  Ministry,  1  ecclesiastic,  18  laymen. 

"  In  the  Tribunal  of  the  Segnatura  (Cour  de  Cassation),  9  ecclesiastics, 
8  laymen. 

"In  the  Tribunal  of  the  Rota  (the  superior  court  of  civil  jurisdic- 
tion), 12  ecclesiastics  and  7  laymen. 

"  In  the  Civil  Tribunal,  3  ecclesiastics  and  116  laymen. 

"  In  the  Tribunal  of  the  Consulta  (the  superior  court  of  criminal  ju- 
risdiction), 14  ecclesiastics  and  37  laymen. 

"  In  the  Criminal  Tribunal,  no  ecclesiastics  and  58  laymen. 

"  In  the  Tribunal  of  the  Bishop,  9  ecclesiastics,  17  laymen. 

"In  the  Tribunal  of  the  Apostolical  Chamber,  9  ecclesiastics,  16 
laymen. 

"  In  the  Provincial  Tribunals  of  the  First  and  Second  Instance,  both 
criminal  and  civil,  620  laymen,  no  ecclesiastics. 

"  In  the  Archives,  Chamber  of  Notaries,  &c.,  16  laymen,  and  no  eccle- 
siastics. 

"  In  different  offices,  1  ecclesiastic,  6  laymen. 

"  Fundamentally,  the  tribunals  are  the  nurseries  of  the  Roman  pre- 
lates. There  it  is  that  they  serve  their  apprenticeship  and  prepare  their 
career. 

"  In  order  both  to  surround  itself  with  administrators  wearing  the 
ecclesiastical  dress,  and  to  introduce  not  only  into  the  administration, 
but  also  into  the  Sacred  College,  and  even  to  the  very  throne  itself, 
those  enlightened  views  gained  in  practice  by  experience  in  business, 
and  at  the  same  time,  as  I'' have  already  said,  to  open  the  door  to  the 
lay  element,  the  Court  of  Rome  has  always  sought  to  group  around  it 
a  certain  number  of  men  chosen  with  care,  who  have  no  desire  to  be 
priests,  and  to  whom  a  career  is  opened.  Twelve  or  fifteen  prefects' 
places  in  the  provinces  would  not  suffice  for  recruiting,  apprenticeship, 
and  recompence  of  services.  The  superior  tribunals  have  been  reserved 
to  satisfy  this  imperious  necessity.  The  total  number  of  ecclesiastics 
employed  in  the  interior  of  the  Pontifical  States  does  not  exceed  the 
number  of  ninety-eight.  Against  this  we  find  there  are  5059  laymen  in 


COUNT  DE  RAYNEVAL'S  REPORT.  439 

office.  This  gives  fifty-two  laymen  to  one  ecclesiastic.*  Leaving  out 
of  consideration  the  superior  tribunals  of  the  capital,  some  of  which, 
like  that  of  the  bishop,  have  exclusively  ecclesiastical  attributes,  we 
find  that  there  are  only  thirty-six  ecclesiastics  employed  for  the  whole 
administration  of  the  Pontifical  States. 

"  The  employments  reserved  for  this  small  number  of  individuals  are 
not  the  merely  secondary  ones.  The  places  which  they  fill  are  the 
most  important,  otherwise  their  influence  would  be  nil.  It  is  right  to 
say,  also,  that  in  spite  of  prejudice  the  ecclesiastical  habit  still  inspires 
a  certain  degree  of  respect,  which  aids  the  action  of  government  The 
people  pay  no  deference  to  the  lay  functionary,  and  do  not  forgive  him 
his  superiority  in  rank  and  office  in  the  same  manner  as  they  forgive  an 
ecclesiastic. 

"  1  have  seen  formerly,  and  I  see  still,  lay  functionaries  exposed  to 
personal  attacks  much  more  violent  than  those  to  which  ecclesiastics  are 
liable.  This  is  no  doubt  a  contradiction,  but  it  is  nevertheless  an  incon- 
testible  fact. 

"  Is  it  possible  to  believe  that  the  happiness  and  the  repose  of  the 
populations  are  powerfully  affected  by  the  presence  of  such  a  small 
number  of  persons,  who,  I  repeat,  have  for  the  most  part  nothing  of  the 
ecclesiastic  but  the  habit?  Evidently  the  question  does  not  lie  in  this 
direction,  because  it  is  not  here  that  we  must  seek  either  for  the  evil  or 
the  remedy.  On  the  side  of  the  opponents,  however  little  they  may 
understand  the  true  situation  of  things,  the  secularization  indicated  as  a 
remedy  is  nothing  more  now  than  a  trap  used  to  introduce  opinion  from 
without,  and  to  attack  the  pontifical  government  in  its  very  principle. 
The  opponents  do  not  at  present  dare  to  say  we  want  no  more  with  the 
Pope;  the  expression  of  such  a  wish  would  occasion  alarm.  They  con- 
tent themselves  with  saying  we  want  no  more  with  the  priests.  This 
mitigated  formula  has  the  double  advantage  of  appealing  to  the  sym- 
pathies which  exist  among  those  populations  which  know  of  no  other 
priests  than  such  as  preach  and  say  mass,  and  at  the  same  time  to  strike 
a  blow  in  the  direction  of  their  end,  and  to  prepare  the  ruin  of  the  tem- 
poral power  of  the  Papacy.  It  is  the  duty  of  those  who  by  conviction 
and  interest  are  the  defenders  of  the  order  of  things  essentially  con- 
nected with  the  maintenance  of  the  Catholic  unity,  and  the  principle  of 
authority  in  the  world,  to  be  on  their  guard  against  appearances,  and 
to  estimate  at  their  just  valuation  the  exaggeration  of  the  numerous  and 
ardent  adversaries  of  the  greatest  and  most  faithful  of  the  institutions 
which  the  ages  have  left  us. 

"After  having  shown  in  what  consists  the  pretended  exclusively 
ecclesiastical  character  of  the  Roman  administration,  it  is  essential  to 
examine  how  it  works ;  and  whether  in  effect  its  action  is  so  contrary 
to  the  interests  of  the  populations  that  they  have  a  legitimate  cause  of 
complaint,  and  of  invoking  the  support  of  other  nations,  to  put  a  ter- 
mination to  the  evils  by  which  they  are  overwhelmed. 

*  Since  the  date  of  the  official  summary  from  which  I  obtained  all 
these  details,  the  development  in  all  the  ministerial  departments  has 
been  such  that  the  number  of  laymen,  either  actively  employed  or  at 
the  disposal  of  the  government,  has  risen  to  about  8560.  The  Consulta 
is  occupied  with  the  task  of  reducing  it  to  6000.  The  number  of  eccle- 
siastics remains  the  same.  The  proportion  in  favour  of  the  laics  is  now 
as  80  to  1. 


440  APPENDIX. 


"Formerly  the  ancient  traditions  of  the  Court  of  Rome  were  faith- 
fully preserved.  Every  modification  of  established  customs,  every 
amelioration,  was  looked  upon  with  an  evil  eye,  and  was  considered  to 
be  full  of  danger.  The  administration  was  confided  exclusively  to  the 
prelates.  The  laity  were  by  law  forbidden  to  hold  the  highest  offices 
in  the  state.  In  actual  practice  the  different  powers  of  the  state  were 
often  confounded.  The  principle  of  pontifical  infallibility  was  applied 
to  questions  of  administration.  Society  saw  the  personal  decision  of 
the  sovereign  overturning  the  verdicts  of  the  tribunals,  even  in  civil 
matters.  The  cardinal  secretary  of  state,  the  premier,  in  the  full  force 
of  the  word,  concentrated  in  his  own  hands  every  power.  Under 
his  supreme  direction  the  different  branches  of  the  administration  were 
confided  to  persons  who  were  clerks  rather  than  ministers.  The  min- 
isters formed  no  council,  and  never  deliberated  together  on  public 
affairs.  The  management  of  the  public  finances  was  carried  on  in 
secret.  No  information  was  given  to  the  nation  as  to  the  expenditure 
of  its  own  money.  The  budget  was  a  mystery,  and  it  was  often  dis- 
covered that  it  was  not  made  out,  and  that  the  accounts  were  not 
closed.  Lastly,  municipal  freedom,  which,  above  everything  else,  is 
appreciated  by  the  populations  of  Italy,  was  restricted  within  the  nar- 
rowest limits. 

"  From  the  very  day  when  the  Pope,  Pius  IX.,  mounted  the  throne, 
he  made,  we  are  entitled  to  assert,  continuous  efforts  to  sweep  away 
every  legitimate  cause  of  complaint  against  the  public  administration  of 
affairs.  I  will  not  content  myself  with  appealing  to  the  commencement 
of  his  reign.  Betraye'd  by  the  very  men  whom  he  had  recalled  from 
banishment,  deceived  in  the  most  flagrant  manner  by  the  lay  ministers 
who  were  placed  about  him  in  obedience  to  a  principle  of  complete  se- 
cularization, and  who  had  no  hesitation  in  publishing  to  the  world  that 
their  sovereign  had  given  his  assent  to  measures  which  he  had  in  fact 
distinctly  and  formally  rejected ;  carried  rapidly  along  by  a  system  of 
pure  administrative  reform  to  the  establishment  of  a  constitutional 
regime,  which  being  destitute  of  all  real  strength,  and  without  the 
slightest  support  from  the  nation,  gave  way  at  once  to  the  republic ; 
threatened  even  in  the  very  interior  of  his  palace  by  an  armed  insurrec- 
tion, the  Pope  had  no  other  resource  left,  if  he  wished  to  preserve  his 
liberty  and  independence,  than  that  of  leaving  his  dominions.  We  must 
do  him  the  justice  to  allow  that,  in  spite  of  the  unfortunate  termination 
of  his  attempts  at  reforms,  he  never  abandoned  his  projects  of  ameliora- 
tion, and  has  been  unceasingly  occupied  with  endeavours  to  put  them  in 
practice.  I  will  give  a  brief  sketch  of  the  principal  governmental  and 
administrative  acts  which  have  emanated  from  the  Papal  government. 
On  his  return  from  Gaeta,  Pope  Pius  IX.  proclaimed  the  principle  of 
the  right  of  admission  of  the  laity  to  all  offices  save  and  except  one 
only,  that  of  Secretary  of  State.  This  was  the  first  time  that  the  spec- 
tacle was  seen  of  the  pontifical  government  choosing  counsellors  of  the 
highest  dignity,  from  the  ranks  of  the  laity.  This  principle  has  been 
consecrated  by  the  presence  of  a  certain  number  of  laymen  amongst 
the  ministers  and  the  delegates.  Already  had  civil  and  criminal  law 
been  the  object  of  complete  revision.  Different  codes  of  procedure  in 
civil  and  in  criminal  cases,  as  well  as  a  code  relating  to  commerce,  all 
founded  on  our  own,  enriched  by  lessons  derived  from  experience,  had 
been  promulgated.  I  have  studied  these  carefully.  They  are  above 
19* 


COUNT  DE  RAYNEVAL'S  REPORT.  441 

criticism.  The  Code  des  Hypotheques  has  been  examined  by  French 
jurisconsults,  and  has  beeu  cited  by  them  as  a  model  document.  The 
Roman  law,  modified  in  certain  points  by  the  canon  law,  was  held  as  a 
basis  of  civil  legislation. 

"The  different  powers  of  the  state  were  carefully  separated  and  de- 
fined. Distinct  ministerial  boards,  differing  in  authority,  were  created, 
each  operating  within  the  special  circle  of  its  duties.  A  council  of  min- 
isters, under  the  presidency  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  was  appointed, 
and  business  was  always  subjected  to  the  test  of  discussion.  At  the 
same  time,  the  greatest  respect  for  the  independence  of  the  judiciary 
power  was  proclaimed  and  practised.  A  council  of  state,  for  the  pre- 
paration of  laws,  composed  of  men  the  most  intimately  versed  in  admi- 
nistrative matters,  comprising  Prince  Orsini,  Prince  Odescalchi,  the 
Advocate  Stoltz,  and  Professor  Orioli,  was  appointed  for  the  purpose  of 
enlightening  the  government,  by  previously  investigating  all  projects 
prepared  in  the  ministerial  boards.  A  council  of  finance,  composed  of 
members  nominated  by  the  sovereign,  after  a  free  election  by  the  muni- 
cipal bodies,  was  specially  appointed  for  the  supervision  of  the  expen- 
diture of  the  state  revenues.  This  council  is  only  deliberative,  or  con- 
sultative, in  the  discussion  of  primary  budgets.  Unless  this  were  the 
case  it  would  be  a  chamber  of  deputies.  In  respect,  however,  of  past 
accounts,  when  the  matter  is  to  verify  the  exact  application  of  the  re- 
gulations established  beforehand  by  the  budget,  its  decisions  have  the 
force  of  law.  Every  year  the  state  accounts,  and  all  the  projects  which, 
whether  nearly  or  remotely,  are  connected  with  finance,  are  placed  be- 
fore it  by  the  ministers.  For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  Pon- 
tifical States,  we  have  seen  the  head  depositaries  of  power  compelled 
to  give  an  account  of  their  doings  to  the  representatives  of  the  nation. 
For  the  first  time,  the  public  accounts  have  been  properly  published  at 
the  commencement  of  the  time  of  their  application,  and  consequently 
subjected  to  the  control  of  the  nation  itself. 

"  Municipal  organization  has  been,  at  the  same  time,  the  object  of  a 
complete  reform.  Local  interests  occupy  much  of  the  attention  of  the 
Italian  mind,  and  are  the  object  of  marked  predilection.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  respond  more  completely  to  this  want  than  has  been  the  case 
in  the  new  organization. 

"  The  most  highly  taxed  inhabitants  of  the  commune,  together  with 
those  who  have  acquired  high  degrees  in  the  university,  form  together 
an  electoral  body,  which  have  the  direct  nomination  of  the  municipal 
councillors.  The  latter  in  their  turn  prepare,  by  the  mode  of  election, 
a  list  of  candidates,  from  which  the  government  chooses  the  members 
of  the  provincial  council.  The  latter,  in  the  same  way,  make  a  list  of 
persons  from  which  the  Holy  Father  selects  members  of  the  Consulta 
of  State  for  Finance.  A  great  latitude  both  in  the  creation  and  ex- 
penditure of  resources  is  left  both  to  the  communal  and  to  the  provin- 
cial councils. 

"  It  is  not  the  representatives  of  the  government  who  are  charged 
with  the  administration  of  the  funds  of  the  commune  or  of  the  pro- 
vince. This  trust  is  confided  to  an  executive  commission  elected  by 
the  council,  which  it  represents,  and  which  remains  en  permanence 
during  the  whole  of  the  interval  between  one  session  and  another. 
The  delegates  or  prefect  have  only  the  power  of  supervision,  and  take 
no  direct  part  in  the  management  of  provincial  or  communal  business. 


442  APPENDIX. 


This  system  has  already  been  the  occasion  of  many  ameliorations  of  all 
kinds  in  the  Pontifical  States;  many  roads — an  important  benefit — 
have  been  made,  and  many  useful  improvements  instituted.  Neverthe- 
less, in  certain  points  the  equilibrium  between  receipts  and  expenditure 
has  been  disturbed.  The  small  towns  have  taken  to  building  theatres, 
and  a  question  is  now  mooted  whether  it  would  not  be  proper  to  limit 
the  discretion  left  to  the  municipal  power,  and  extend  the  supervision 
exercised  by  government  authority.  At  other  times,  and  in  every  other 
country,  such  reforms  and  institutions  would  have  been  accredited  to 
their  author.  In  the  interior  every  new  concession  has  had  the  effect 
of  creating  greater  wants.  Abroad,  these  essential  changes  introduced 
into  the  older  order  of  things,  these  incessant  efforts  of  the  pontifical 
government  to  ameliorate  the  lot  of  the  populations,  have  passed  un- 
noticed. People  have  had  ears  only  for  the  declamation  of  the  dis- 
contented, and  for  the  permanent  calumnies  of  the  bad  portion  of  the 
Piedmontese  and  Belgian  press.  This  is  the  source  from  which  public 
opinion  has  derived  its  inspiration ;  and  in  spite  of  well-established 
facts,  it  is  believed  in  most  places,  but  particularly  in  England,  that  the 
pontifical  government  has  done  nothing  for  its  subjects  and  has  re- 
stricted itself  to  the  perpetuation  of  the  errors  of  another  age.  1  have 
only  yet  indicated  the  ameliorations  introduced  into  the  organization 
of  the  administration.  I  must  mention  the  acts  of  the  pontifical  gov- 
ernment and  the  results  obtained. 

"  Above  all,  let  us  remember  that  never  has  a  more  exalted  spirit  of 
clemency  been  seen  to  preside  over  a  restoration.  No  vengeance  has 
been  exercised  on  those  who  caused  the  overthrow  of  the  pontifical  gov-. 
ernment,  no  measures  of  rigour  have  been  adopted  against  them.  The 
Pope  has  contented  himself  with  depriving  them  of  the  power  of  doing 
harm  by  banishing  them  from  the  land.  No  imprisonment,  no  trials 
even  have  taken  place,  except  occasionally  in  consequence  of  the  obsti- 
nacy of  certain  individuals  who,  insisting  on  being  tried,  have  been  con- 
demned, and  punished  by  being  presented  with  a  passport.  As  to  the 
flagrant  conspiracies  which  followed  the  return  of  the  Pope,  it  was  his 
bounden  duty  to  take  measures  against  them,  as  well  as  against  the 
assassinations  which  followed  them.  These  measures  were  taken  in  the 
most  regular  manner.  The  Holy  Father  never  failed  to  mitigate  the 
rigour  of  the  sentences.  A  large  number  of  individuals,  the  most  com- 
promised, obtained  their  liberty  after  a  certain  time  without  the  condi- 
tion of  exile.  At  the  present  moment  it  is  difficult  to  ascertain  the 
exact  number  of  persons  who  are  forbidden  to  enter  the  Roman  States 
for  political  reasons  ;  but  with  respect  to  the  number  of  those  who  were 
the  authors  of  the  revolution  of  1849,  it  is  considered  that  it  does  not 
amount  to  a  hundred.  This  extreme  mildness  of  treatment,  however, 
has  not  availed  to  prevent  the  English  Parliament  from  accusing  the 
pontifical  government  of  cruelty, 

"  I  come  now  to  questions  of  administration.  We  know  the  cost  of 
revolutions.  The  Roman  republic  met  its  expenses  by  creating  a  paper 
currency,  which  soon  suffered  considerable  depreciation.  The  pontifical 
government  did  not  hesitate  to  recognize  these  assignats,  and  undertook 
the  task  of  withdrawing  them  from  circulation  by  buying  them  up. 
The  operation  was  successful,  although  the  sum  was  very  large.  It 
amounted  to  7,000,000  scudi,  rather  more  than  the  annual  revenue  of 
the  state.  The  same  proportion  applied  to  France  would  have  given 


COUNT  DE  RAYNEVAL'S  REPORT.  443 

from  800  to  900  millions.  The  assignats  have  now  totally  disappeared 
from  circulation,  and  the  notes  of  the  Bank  of  the  Pontifical  States,  the 
only  notes  now  current,  are  of  equal  value  with  the  metallic  currency, 
and  are  generally  at  par.  This  remarkable  result  goes  for  nothing  with 
the  detractors  of  the  pontifical  administration. 

"The  Roman  bank,  originally  a  French  foundation,  responded  but 
very  imperfectly  to  the  wants  of  commerce.  It  was  remodelled,  and 
became  the  bank  of  the  Pontifical  States.  It  1ms  established  branches 
in  the  provinces,  has  extended  the  circle  of  its  operations,  has  given 
and  still  gives  great  assistance  to  trade  and  to  the  government,  and  has 
shown  that  it  stands  on  a  solid  basis,  by  passing  with  safety  through 
many  great  crises. 

"  The  pontifical  government,  directing  its  attention  with  great  pro- 
priety to  the  means  of  augmenting  the  revenue  derived  from  indirect 
taxation,  has  revised  the  custom-house  duties.  It  has  lowered  the  duties 
on  a  great  number  of  articles,  and  is  at  this  moment  preparing  a  new 
measure  more  complete  and  more  general  in  its  operations. 

"  Postal  and  commercial  treaties  have  been  concluded  with  France 
and  other  states  upon  the  widest  basis,  and  in  conformity  with  those 
principles  which  are  adopted  elsewhere  as  being  in  unison  with  the  idea 
of  progress. 

"  The  system  of  farming  the  indirect  revenues  has  been  abolished. 
The  government  undertakes  the  direct  management  of  the  salt  and 
tobacco  trade.  Important  profits  have  been  realized,  and  the  success  of 
the  management  is  certain. 

"  In  spite  of  considerable  burdens  which  were  occasioned  by  the  re- 
volution, and  left  as  a  legacy  to  the  present  government;  in  spite  of 
extraordinary  expenses  caused  by  the  reorganization  of  the  army ;  in 
spite  of  numerous  contributions  towards  the  encouragement  of  public 
works,  the  state  budget,  which  at  the  commencement  exhibited  a  toler- 
ably large  deficit,  has  been  gradually  tending  towards  equilibrium.  I 
have  had  the  honour  recently  of  pointing  out  to  your  excellency  that 
the  deficit  in  1857  has  been  reduced  to  an  insignificant  sum,  comprised 
for  the  most  part  of  unexpected  expenses  and  of  money  reserved  for 
the  extinction  of  the  debt. 

"  The  taxes  remain  still  much  below  the  mean  rate  of  the  different 
European  states.  A  Roman  pays  the  state  22  francs  annually,  68 
millions  being  levied  on  a  population  of  3  millions.  A  Frenchman  pays 
the  French  government  45  francs,  1600  millions  being  levied  on  a  popu- 
lation of  35  millions.  These  figures  show  demonstratively  that  the 
Pontifical  States  with  regard  to  so  important  a  point  must  be  reckoned 
amongst  the  most  favoured  nations.  The  expenses  are  regulated  on 
principles  of  the  strictest  economy.  One  fact  is  sufficient  to  prove 
this.  The  civil  list,  the  expenses  of  the  cardinals,  of  the  diplomatic 
corps  abroad,  the  maintenance  of  the  pontifical  palaces  and  the  museums, 
cost  the  state  no  more  than  600,000  crowns  (3,200,000  francs).  This 
small  sum  is  the  only  share  of  the  public  revenue  taken  by  the  Papacy 
for  the  support  of  the  pontifical  dignity,  and  for  keeping  up  the  prin- 
cipal establishments  of  the  superior  ecclesiastical  administration.  We 
might  ask  those  persons  so  zealous  in  hunting  down  abuses,  whether 
the  appropriation  of  4,000  crowns  to  the  wants  of  the  princes  of  the 
Church  seems  to  them  to  bear  the  impress  of  a  proper  economy  exer- 
cised with  respect  to  the  public  revenue. 


444  APPENDIX. 


"  The  organization  of  the  army  has  been  the  object  of  assiduous  care. 
Not  only  have  the  native  troops  received  rewards,  and  been  elevated  to 
the  number  of  12,000  men,  but  a  body  of  4,01)0  Swiss  lias  been  raised,  and 
novel  regulations  founded  on  those  in  use  among  ourselves  have  been 
promulgated.  The  principles  of  military  administration  followed  in  the 
management  of  our  forces  have  been  adopted  and  put  in  practice.  The 
appearance  of  the  Roman  soldiers  at  present  elicits  praise  from  all  who 
have  seen  them.  If  the  government  could  give  them  fidelity  and 
energy  with  the  uniform  and  the  musket,  there  would  be  no  need  to 
apply  to  foreigners  for  assistance.  Even  in  this  direction,  however,  the 
government  has  performed  all  that  was  incumbent  upon  it  to  do,  and  if 
its  success  have  not  been  complete,  the  fault  is  not  in  it,  but  in  the  very 
nature  of  the  national  mind.  At  the  same  time  the  state  finances  have 
been  reorganized,  and  in  spite  of  the  limited  resources  of  the  budget, 
numerous  sums  have  been  devoted  to  the  encouragement  of  commerce 
and  arts.  A  great  number  of  roads  have  been  opened  in  various  parts 
of  the  country,  the  port  of  Terracina  has  been  enlarged,  works  of 
drainage  have  been  executed  in  the  Pontine  Marshes.  The  marsh  of 
Ostia  is  now  in  process  of  being  drained,  and  viaducts  of  remarkable 
importance  have  been  constructed  in  several  places.  Steam  navigation 
has  been  introduced  on  the  Tiber;  thanks  to  a  good  system  of  towing, 
the  port  of  Rome  has  been  visited  by  a  larger  number  of  vessels  than 
was  formerly  the  case.  The  city  has  been  lighted  with  gas,  electric 
telegraphs  have  been  introduced,  concessions  of  railways  have  been 
made.  That  of  Frascati,  which  is  to  be  extended  to  Naples,  will  soon 
be  opened.  A  negotiation  is  on  foot  for  an  important  line,  which  is  to 
connect  Rome  with  Ancona  and  Bologna.  The  construction  of  the  rail- 
way to  Civita  Vecchia  has  been  granted  to  a  company  which  will  com- 
mence operations  immediately. 

"  Agriculture  has  been  equally  the  object  of  encouragement  by  the 
government.  Prizes  have  been  established  for  the  encouragement  of 
gardening  and  the  raising  of  stock.  Lastly,  a  commission,  composed  of 
the  principal  landed  proprietors,  is  now  studying  the  hitherto  insoluble 
question  of  draining  the  Campagna  of  Rome,  and  filling  it  with  in- 
habitants. 

"  If  the  Roman  people  were  capable  of  helping  themselves,  or  even 
if  they  were  eager  for  work,  if  their  ambition  was  not  limited  to  the 
attainment  of  a  restricted  income  just  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  primary 
wants  of  nature,  without  the  expenditure  of  much  fatigue,  if  they  were 
to  profit,  as  is  the  case  elsewhere,  by  the  facilities  offered  to  them  for 
the  employment  of  their  energies  and  pecuniary  resources,  the  country 
might  spring  up  rapidly  to  prosperity.  But  they  allow  all  opportunities 
to  escape  them,  and  abandon  to  foreigners  all  useful  undertakings.  To 
make  progress  in  the  direction  alluded  to,  the  government  cannot,  it  is 
clear,  substitute  its  own  action  for  that  of  private  industry.  Neverthe- 
less, there  are  numerous  proofs  of  public  energy  to  be  seen.  New  build- 
ings, for  example,  are  very  numerous;  the  price  of  lodgings  and  food 
of  all  kinds  is  increasing  rapidly.  Commercial  relations  are  extending. 
Important  profits  are  being  realized  in  agricultural  and  financial  opera- 
tions. Considerable  fortunes  are  being  made.  The  condition  of  the 
populations  is  that  of  comparative  ease.  They  rush  together  in  crowds 
at  the  first  signal  of  public  rejoicing  or  pleasure.  On  these  occasions 
their  listlessness,  usually  carried  to  excess,  is  laid  on  one  side.  An  ap- 


COUNT  DE  RAYNEVAL'S  REPORT.  445 

pearance  of  prosperity  strikes  the  eyes  of  the  least  observant.  Gaiety 
of  the  most  expansive  kind  is  to  be  traced  on  the  faces  of  all.  It  may 
be  asked,  whether  this  can  be  the  people  whose  miseries  excite  to  such 
a  degree  the  commiseration  of  Europe  ? 

"  There  is,  in  truth,  misery  here  as  elsewhere,  but  it  is  infinitely  less 
heavy  than  in  less  favoured  climates.  Mere  necessities  are  obtained 
cheaply.  Private  charity  is  lai-gely  exercised.  Establishments  of 
public  charity  are  numerous  and  effective.  Here,  also,  the  action  of 
the  government  is  perceptible.  Important  ameliorations  have  been 
introduced  into  the  administration  of  hospitals  and  prisons.  Some  of 
these  prisons  should  be  visited,  that  the  visitor  may  admire — the  term 
is  not  too  strong — the  persevering  charity  of  the  Holy  Father.  I  will 
not  extend  this  enumeration.  What  I  have  said  ought  to  be  sufficient 
to  prove  that  all  the  measures  adopted  by  the  Pontifical  administration 
bear  marks  of  wisdom,  reason,  and  progress;  that  they  have  already 
produced  happy  results;  in  short,  that  there  is  not  a  single  detail  of 
interest  to  the  well-being,  either  moral  or  material,  of  the  population 
which  has  escaped  the  attention  of  the  government,  or  which  has  not 
been  treated  in  a  favourable  manner. 

"  In  truth,  when  certain  persons  say  to  the  Pontifical  government 
'  Form  an  administration  which  may  have  for  its  aim  the  good  of  the 
people  \-'  the  government  might  reply,  '  Look  at  our  acts,  and  condemn 
us  if  you  dare.'  The  government  might  ask,  not  only  which  of  its 
acts  is  a  subject  for  legitimate  blame,  but  in  which  of  its  duties  it 
has  failed.  Are  we  then  to  be  told,  that  the  Pontifical  government 
is  a  model — that  it  has  no  weaknesses  or  imperfections?  Certainly 
not;  but  its  weaknesses  and  imperfections  are  of  the  same  kind  as  are 
met  with  in  all  governments,  and  even  in  all  men,  with  a  very  few 
exceptions. 

"  The  Pontifical  government  is  a  government  composed  of  Romans, 
acting  after  the  Roman  fashion.  It  mistrusts,  fears,  hesitates  at,  dreads 
responsibility  :  it  is  fonder  of  examining  than  deciding.  It  likes  alter- 
ations and  accommodations.  It  is  deficient  in  energy,  in  activity,  in 
taking  the  initiative,  in  firmness,  as  is  the  case  with  the  nation  itself. 
But  although  we  may  be  permitted  to  attack  any  one  who  neglects  his 
duties,  it  is  unjust  to  impute  it  as  a  crime  to  any  one  that  he  has  not 
the  genius  of  a  Sixtus  V.,  of  a  Colbert,  of  a  Napoleon. 

"  I  am  perpetually  interrogating  those  who  come  to  me  to  denounce 
what  they  call  the  abuses  of  the  Papal  government.  This  expression, 
it  must  be  remembered,  is  now  consecrated,  and  is  above  criticism  or 
objection.  It  is  held  as  gospel.  Now,  in  what  do  these  abuses  consist  ? 
I  have  never  yet  been  able  to  discover.  At  least,  the  facts  which  go  by 
that  name  are  such  as  are  elsewhere  traceable  to  the  imperfections  of 
human  nature,  and  we  need  not  load  the  government  with  the  direct 
responsibility  for  the  irregularities  committed  by  some  of  its  sub- 
ordinate agents.  I  am  generally  told  that  the  custom-houses  ask 
travellers  for  a  pour  boire.  This  is  without  doubt  a  very  blameable 
custom,  but  would  the  secularization  of  the  government  cure  the 
country  of  a  vice  deeply  implanted  in  its  nature — would  it  hinder  the 
people  from  being  always  ready  to  hold  out  the  hand?  If  this  sad 
tendency  was  carried  out  on  a  large  scale,  there  would  be  reason  for 
alarm  ;  but  whatever  may  be  said  of  the  venality  of  the  Pontifical  ad- 
ministration, it  would  be  impossible  to  quote  a  single  autheuticated 


446  APPENDIX. 

and  notorious  fact,  unless  we  accept  as  genuine  the  current  coin  of 
calumny.  In  any  case,  if  we  see  any  one  becoming  rich  it  is  always 
a  layman.  1  have  never  seen  a  prelate  augment  his  property  by  illicit 
means.  The  fortunes  which  are  made,  and  which  may  easily  be  cited, 
originate  in  either  banking  or  agricultural  operations.  Nothing  shows 
that  there  is  any  trading  with  power,  or.  appropriation  of  the  State 
funds. 

"  To  pretend  that  no  act  of  faithlessness  is  committed  would  be  irra- 
tional. No  country  is  beyond  the  reach  of  such  misfortunes  ;  but  what 
may  be  maintained  is  this,  that  if  they  take  place  in  the  Pontifical  states, 
they  do  so  on  a  small  scale,  and  that  the  public  service  and  public  mo- 
rality are  not  affected  by  them  in  a  sensible  manner. 

"  The  imperfections  of  the  judiciary  system  are  often  cited.  I  have 
examined  it  closely,  and  have  found  it  impossible  to  discover  any  se- 
rious cause  of  complaint.  Those  who  lose  their  causes  complain  more 
loudly  and  more  continuously  than  is  the  custom  in  other  places,  but 
without  any  more  reason.  Mo^t  of  the  important  civil  cases  are  decided 
in  the  tribunal  of  the  Rota.  Now,  in  spite  of  the  habitual  license  of 
the  Italian  criticism,  no  one  has  dared  to  express  a  doubt  of  the  pro- 
found knowledge  and  exalted  integrity  of  the  tribunal  of  the  Rota.  If 
the  lawyers  are  incredibly  fertile  in  raising  objections  and  exceptions — 
if  they  lengthen  out  lawsuits — to  what  is  this  fault  to  be  attributed 
except  to  the  peculiarity  of  the  national  genius? 

"  Lastly,  civil  law  is  well  administered.  I  do  not  know  a  single  sen- 
tence the  justice  of  which  would  not  be  recognized  by  the  best  tribunal 
in  .JSurope. 

"  Criminal  justice  is  administered  in  a  manner  equally  unassailable. 
I  have  watched  some  trials  throughout  their  whole  details.  I  was 
obliged  to  confess  that  all  necessary  precautions  for  the  verifications  of 
facts,  all  possible  guarantees  for  the  free  defence  of  the  accused,  includ- 
ing the  publication  of  the  proceedings,  were  taken.  The  sentences  are 
occasionally  delayed,  the  processes  are  prolonged.  These,  however,  are 
inconveniences,  not  unpardonable  crimes. 

"  When  Italian  witnesses  shall  learn  to  give  their  evidence  without 
being  intimidated  by  the  presence  of  the  accused  and  the  fear  of  his  ven- 
geance, the  delays  will  be  less.  Our  French  councils  of  war  have  the 
greatest  difficulty  in  obtaining  depositions,  and  are  often  forced  to 
employ  severity  for  this  purpose.  Against  tendencies  of  this  kind  the 
government  can  do  nothing. 

"  Much  is  said  of  the  brigands  who,  we  are  told,  lay  the  country 
desolate.  It  has  fallen  to  our  lot  to  pass  through  the  country  in  all 
directions  without  seeing  even  the  shadow  of  a  robber.  It  cannot  be 
denied  that  from  time  to  time  we  hear  of  a  diligence  stopped,  of  a  trav- 
eller plundered.  Even  one  accident  of  this  kind  is  too  many  ;  but  we 
must  remember  that  the  administration  has  empk>ved  all  the  means  in 
its  power  to  repress  these  disorders.  Thanks  to'  energetic  measures, 
the  brigands  have  been  arrested  at  all  points  and  punished.  When 
in  France  a  diligence  is  stopped,  when  in  going  from  London  to  Wind- 
sor a  lady  of  the  Queen's  Palace  is  robbed  of  her  luggage  and  jewels, 
such  an  incident  passes  unnoticed,  but  when  on  an  isolated  road  in  the 
Roman  States  the  least  fact  of  this  nature  takes  place,  the  press,  eager 
for  a  pretext,  prints  the  news  in  large  characters,  and  cries  for  ven- 
geance on  the  government.  On  the  side  of  Rome,  the  attacks  which 


COUNT  DE  RAYNEVAL'S  REPORT.  447 

have  taken  place  at  distant  intervals  have  never  assumed  an  appear- 
ance calculated  to  excite  anxiety.  In  the  Romagna  organized  bands 
have  been  formed,  which,  taking  advantage  of  the  neighbouring  Tus- 
can frontier,  easily  escaped  pursuit,  and  were  for  a  time  to  be  dreaded. 
The  government  declared  unceasing  war  against  them,  and  after  sev- 
eral engagements,  in  which  a  certain  number  of  gendarmes  were 
either  killed  or  wounded,  these  bands  have  been  in  a  great  measure 
dispersed. 

"  To  conclude,  we  shall  be  obliged  to  confess,  upon  investigation, 
that  the  Pontifical  government  has  not  failed  in  its  task,  that  it  has 
proceeded  regularly  in  the  road  of  reform  and  amelioration,  and  that 
it  has  realized  a  considerable  progress.  If  agitation  is  still  kept  up 
the  cause  of  it  will  be  found  in  the  character  of  the  nation  itself, 
and  its  ambitious  views  directed  to  unattainable  objects.  We  must 
recognize,  lastly,  that  the  remedy  for  this  sad  situation  of  things  is 
not  to  be  found  in  a  crowd  of  measures  which,  modifying  an  order  of 
things  perfectly  unconnected  with  the  evil,  would  only  make  the  evil 
much  greater  and  more  dangerous  still  by  exalting  its  hopes  and  by  re- 
ducing it,  already  much  shaken,  to  the  last  degree  of  impotence  and 
weakness. 

"  If  the  sovereign  of  the  Pontifical  States  were  not  at  the  same 
time  Head  of  the  Church,  his  preservation  or  his  ruin  would  be  of 
little  importance.  But  the  cause  of  Catholicism  is  at  stake  in  this 
matter.  For  this  reason  it  is  that  so  high  a  degree  of  interest  is 
so  justly  considered  by  the  great  Catholic  Powers  to  attach  to  the 
interior  condition  of  the  Roman  States.  These  powers  have  a  pro- 
found feeling  of  the  dangers  which  would  threaten  themselves  even  in 
the  event  of  a  new  revolution,  and  they  understand  what  a  recon- 
struction of  the  temporal  power  of  the  Papacy  on  a  new  basis  might 
cost  Europe.  Religious  passions  being  unchained  simultaneously  with 
political  passions,  the  gravest,  perhaps  even  the  bloodiest,  conflicts 
might  arise. 

"  The  prudence  of  statesmen  induces  them  to  seek  for  the  means  of 
anticipating  and  preventing  such  fatal  complications. 

"  Attention  is  naturally  directed  towards  the  nature  of  the  coaces- 
sions  necessary  to  satisfy  the  populations.  Unhappily,  these  populations 
are  not  to  be  satisfied.  I  think  I  have  proved  this.  By  destroying  the 
Pontifical  authority,  a  numerous  party,  but  not  the  whole  nation,  is 
sure  to  be  satisfied.  By  the  establishment  of  a  constitutional  regime, 
which  would  appear,  however,  to  be  little  in  harmony  with  the  power 
of  the  Head  of  the  Church,  a  large  number  of  individuals  would  be 
equally  satisfied  ;  but,  as  I  have  said,  the  one  party  as  well  as  the  other 
would  rapidly  allow  public  business  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  most 
violent  section.  M.  Rossi,  who  wanted  neither  the  necessary  talent 
nor  the  good  will,  had  devoted  himself  to  the  task  of  introducing  into 
the  Pontifical  States  a  parliamentary  regime.  It  might  have  been  be- 
lieved that  he  might  have  reckoned  on  some  support.  The  event  teaches 
us  that  he  completely  failed  in  obtaining  this  support.  Nobody  was 
found  in  the  moment  of  danger  to  support  or  defend  him.  No  voice 
was  raised  to  deplore  his  violent  death,  still  less  to  invoke  vengeance 
for  the  deed. 

,  "  It  is  in  the  highest  degree  impossible,  in  the  midst  of  passions 
which  are  dividing  the  minds  of  men,  to  create  a  truly  popular  ad- 


448  APPENDIX. 

ministration.  But  allowing  the  attempt  to  be  successful,  such  an 
administration  would  find  no  more  defenders  at  a  critical  moment 
than  Couat  Rossi  found  when  endeavoring  to  carry  his  undertaking 
to  a  successful  termination.  Simple  reforms  content  no  one.  I  think  I 
have  abundantly  shown  that  this  is  not  the  question,  and  that,  besides 
this,  the  movements  of  the  Pontifical  government  are  far  from  being 
such  as  to  give  occasion  for  the  populations  to  consider  themselves 
damaged  in  their  legitimate  interests.  Reforms  would  be  momentarily 
granted  by  certain  parties  only  on  consideration  of  the  damage  and 
loss  of  the  popularity  which  they  might  inflict  upon  the  Pontifical  gov- 
ern merit. 

"  We  cannot  even  see  to  what  combination  we  could  have  recourse. 
A  profound  investigation  of  the  true  situation  of  things  gives  no  pre- 
cise indications  as  to  the  course  to  be  adopted  in  this  matter.  In  what 
direction  are  modifications  to  be  employed  ?  How  far  are  they  to  be 
carried  ?  With  regard  to  this  point  the  greatest  uncertainty  exists. 
Now  modifications  can  bear  no  good  fruit  unless  they  are  clearly  indi- 
cated by  the  nature  of  things.  This  is  not  the  case  here.  We  conse- 
quently see  the  spectacle  of  the  most  contradictory  views  being  pro- 
mulgated according  to  the  nature  of  individual  opinions. 

"  Certain  persons  who  have  already  succeeded  once  in  depriving  the 
Uoly  Father  of  his  tiara,  not  for  their  own  profit,  but  for  that  of  the 
demagogues,  are  accused  of  entertaining  the  project  of  dividing  the  Pon- 
tifical States  into  two  portions,  one  of  which  is  to  be  governed  by  a 
delegate  of  the  Holy  Father.  Such  a  combination  as  this,  I  confess, 
appears  to  me  to  present  the  greatest  dangers.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
it  would  open  the  door  to  revolution,  and  that  it  would  take  advantage 
of  the  revolution,  attracted  by  the  expectations  founded  upon  certain 
success.  The  population  would  have  less  respect  for  their  lay  governor 
than  for  the  present  delegates.  They  would  not  risk  a  crown  or  a  drop 
of  blood  to  defend  him.  At  the  end  of  a  few  months  the  fall  of  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff  would  be  declared  at  Bologna,  an  Italian  constituent 
assembly  would  be  convoked,  and  war  would  be  declared  against  Aus- 
tria. Allowing  that  the  new  power  would  be  able  to  maintain  its  posi- 
tion, and  should  succeed  in  satisfying  the  populations,  what  answer 
could  be  given  to  the  other  half  of  the  Pontifical  States,  which  will  com- 
plain of  being  abandoned,  and  will  ask  for  their  equal  share  ?  What  is 
to  be  done  if  they  rise  in  insurrection  to  gain  their  ends,  and  how  can 
we  doubt  that  they  will  resort  to  extreme  measures?  Thus,  then,  will 
the  Papacy  be  plundered,  its  enemies  satisfied,  and  Catholic  Europe  be- 
come a  prey  to  the  most  dangerous  agitations.  In  any  case,  we  must 
expect  that  the  Pope  would  meet  such  a  project  with  the  most  desperate 
resistance.  In  reality,  if  he  did  not,  he  would  deserve  to  have  a  brevet 
of  radical  incapacity  decreed  to  him  in  the  presence  of  all  Europe.  He 
will  never  give  his  assent  to  such  a  plan  ;  but  whether  he  were  to  re- 
sist or  yield,  the  Papacy  would  be  struck  with  a  mortal  wound,  and 
this  is  what  the  authors  of  this  combination  understand  very  well. 
There  would  be  but  one  remedy.  The  Italians  always  depend  for  the 
completion  of  their  projects  on  foreign  support.  If  this  support  were 
to  fail  them,  they  would  adopt  a  proper  course  much  more  readily  than 
would  be  imagined,  looking  at  their  actual  situation.  It  would  be 
necessary,  however,  that  in  England  and  Sardinia  the  organs  of  the 
press  should  cease  to  excite  the  passions,  and  that  the  Catholic  power^ 


449 


should  continue  to  give  the  Holy  See  evident  marks  of  sympathy.  But 
how  can  we  hope  that  enemies,  animated  with  such  a  spirit  as  influences 
the  opponents  of  the  Holy  See,  would  put  a  stop  to  their  attacks  when 
they  have  been  made  in  so  remarkable  a  manner? 

"  I  do  not  think  that  all  the  questions  of  this  world  must  necessarily 
have  a  definite  solution.  The  lioman  question,  in  my  opinion  at  least, 
has  none.  We  can  only,  exercising  a  benevolent  and  attentive  protec- 
tion,  avert  the  dangers  of  a  catastrophe,  and  prolong  a  provisional  state 
of  things  which  has  at  least  the  grand  merit  of  preserving  Europe  from 
innumerable  evils. 

"  Any  other  order  of  measures  would  only  precipitate  events.  If  his 
Majesty's  government,  from  motives  easily  comprehended,  should  desire 
to  put  a  stop  to  the  French  occupation  of  the  Roman  States  after  a  de- 
lay of  greater  or  less  duration,  it  would  be  better  at  once  to  abandon 
the  sluices  to  the  impulse  of  the  torrent  than  to  open  them  by  dealing, 
either  by  mea,ns  of  advice  openly  given,  or  by  forced  combinations,  the 
coup  de  grace  to  the  temporal  power  of  the  Popes. 

"In  the  presence  of  the  existing  agitation  of  mind  in  Italy  and  of  the 
very  lively  emotion  caused  by  the  publication  of  the  protocols,  it  is  im- 
possible to  keep  down  a  profound  feeling  of  anxiety  as  to  the  future 
destyiy  of  the  Papacy,  if  care  is  not  taken,  Europe  will  see  the  most 
terrible  of  problems  present  itself — terrible,  in  fact,  because  it  is  con- 
nected with  the  deepest  and  the  most  ardent  passions  of  the  human 
heart. 

"  The  words  pronounced  by  your  Excellency  in  the  Conference,  the 
assurance  you  have  given  of  the  interest  which  the  Emperor's  govern- 
ment will  not  cea.se  to  take  in  the  safety  of  the  Pontifical  power,  are 
certain  proofs  that  the  true  interests  of  the  Church  are  in  no  danger  in 
the  present  crisis.  With  such  a  programme,  the  most  imminent  dangers 
may  be  removed,  and  the  catastrophe  delayed.  This  is  all  that  can  be 
accomplished  at  the  present  moment  by  human  wisdom.  Let  us  con- 
tinue to  give  the  Papacy  the  benefit  of  our  protection.  Let  us  decide 
deliberately  only,  and  after  successive  diminutions,  on  complete  evacua- 
tion, and  only  after  being  well  assured  that  it  is  possible.  Calm  will 
come  by  degrees.  Finally,  if  the  political  and  religious  tranquillity  of 
Italy,  perhaps  even  of  Europe,  should  appear  to  depend  solely  on  the 
presence  at  Civita  Vecchia  and  Ancona  of  a  few  hundred  men,  giving  a 
moral,  rather  than  a  material,  support  to  the  Pontifical  flag  and  estab- 
lishment, but  still  a  support  which  is  sufficient,  is  it  not  a  hundred  times 
better  to  have  recourse  to  this  certain  remedy,  than  to  attempt  to  ob- 
tain similar  ends  by  ways  full  of  peril?  If  in  such  circumstances  the 
temporal  power  of  the  Papacy  should  be  menaced  anew,  and  if,  in  spite 
of  our  efforts,  grave  complications  should  arise,  the  responsibility  would 
then  at  least  rest  wholly  and  entirely  on  events  which  are  often  stronger 
than  man,  and  we  should  not  have  to  reproach  ourselves  with  having 
contributed  to  so  fatal  a  result. 

"  I  thought  that  I  was  performing  a  duty  in  submitting  to  the  high 
appreciation  of  your  Excellency  the  results  of  a  tolerably  long  experi- 
ence and  connected  study.  The  kindness  and  encouragement  with 
which  you  have  met  my  proposal  to  explain  my  opinions,  have  embold- 
ened me  to  do  so  without  reserve. 

"  1  appeal  to  the  indulgence  of  your  Excellency  in  reviewing  my  la- 
bours, and  beg  you  to  accept  the  reiterated  assurance  of  my  high  con- 
sideration." 


450  APPENDIX. 


THE  CHRISTIAN  SCHOOLS. 

THE  system  of  education  adopted  by  the  Brothers  of  the  Christian 
Schools,  is  substantially  the  same  in  all  countries  in  which  they  are 
established ;  and,  therefore,  an  account  of  a  Public  Examination  of 
their  pupils  in  an  Irish  city  affords  a  correct  idea  of  the  character  and 
success  of  their  teaching  in  the  schools  of  France  or  Italy.  The  follow- 
ing is  taken  from  a  newspaper  sketch  of  the  Public  Examinations  of  the 
pupils  of  the  Cork  schools,  held  in  the  month  of  June,  1857.  It  is 
copied  from  the  "  Cork  Examiner"  of  the  26th  of  June : — 

"  To  give  some  idea  of  the  scope  of  these  examinations,  and  the  train- 
ing of  which  they  are  the  evidence,  it  will  be  interesting  to  glance  at 
the  several  subjects  proposed. 

"  The  first  class  brought  forward  was  a  junior  class  of  geometry. 
The  examination  embraced  the  definition  and  the  principal  properties 
of  the  triangle,  parallelogram  and  square.  The  young  fellows  answered 
with  a  briskness  and  accuracy  that  would  put  their  seniors  to  shame. 

"  The  geography  of  America  was  next  introduced.  Its  physical  fea- 
tures, various  climates,  and  colonization  were  described.  A  sketch  of 
the  history  of  each  important  state  was  given ;  and  the  manners  and 
customs  of  its  inhabitants  detailed. 

"A  catechism  class  followed;  and  the  principal  doctrines  of  the 
Church  explained  in  a  way  that  many  a  Catholic  Litterateur  or  mer- 
chant might  be  puzzled  to  equal. 

"  Off  filed  the  young  divines,  and  on  came  another  row  of  youngsters 
with  the  geography  of  Ireland  bursting  from  their  eager  lips.  It  would 
be  well  if  all  our  Secretaries  of  State  had  mastered  the  physique  of  Ire- 
land so  thoroughly. 

"  Subjects  of  composition  were  now  proposed  to  a  group  with  slates 
and  pencils.  Those  subjects  were  chosen  by  the  audience  by  lot.  The 
boys  retired  a  little  and  set  to  work.  While  another  class  was  exam- 
ined, it  was  interesting  to  observe  the  young  heads  bent  over  the  slates 
— the  pauses  of  thought — the  rapid  rush  of  words — again  the  puzzled 
pause — and  once  more  the  vehement  flow  of  ideas.  At  length  the  time 
came  to  read  what  they  had  written  ;  and  as  each  one  mounted  the 
platform,  bowed  to  the  audience,  and  read  his  improvized  essay,  the 
room  rang  with  applause.  The  promptness  of  composition,  the  felicity 
of  illustration,  the  almost  invariable  purity  of  diction,  and  the  occa- 
sional originality  of  thought,  were  rare  proofs  at  once  of  moral  power 
and  intellectual  culture. 

"  A  class  of  '  Christian  Politeness'  closed  the  first  day's  work.  Per- 
haps nothing  could  better  exemplify  the  ingenious  wisdom  of  the  Broth- 
ers than  the  novelty  of  thus  cultivating  even  the  manners  of  these  poor 
boys.  We  looked  at  the  class-book  upon  this  subject  with  some  curi- 


THE   CHRISTIAN   SCHOOLS.  451 

osity.  It  is  a  well-adapted  translation  of  a  work  of  the  Founder  of  the 
Brotherhood — the  Venerable  DE  LA  SALLE.  As  might  be  expected,  it 
is  full  of  good  sense  and  truly  '  Christian'  spirit.  The  boys  had  evi- 
dently more  than  a  technical  knowledge  of  it.  Their  deportment 
throughout  would  almost  suggest  that  they  were  gentlemen ;  while, 
in  fact,  they  were  children  of  poor  labourers  and  the  humblest  class  of 
tradesmen. 

"  Next  day's  Examination  opened  with  a  class  of  Arithmetic.  Here 
were  evinced  the  complete  culture  and  rapid  power  that  make  these 
boys  sought,  and  enable  them  to  rise,  in  almost  every  counting-house 
of  the  city. 

"  A  class  of  Sacred  History  was  now  rigorously  examined,  and  proved 
an  affluence  of  information  on  the  subject. 

"  Other  classes  of  Catechism,  Geometry,  Geography,  and  Compo- 
sition succeeded,  as  on  the  previous  day,  with  results  even  more  grati- 
fy iug- 

"The  Laws  of  Colour  and  Light,  Architecture,  Mechanics,  the  Laws 
of  Motion,  the  Mechanical  Powers,  Mensuration,  were  amongst  the  sub- 
jects of  this  day's  examination.  It  was  evident  that  the  more  difficult 
the  subject  the  more  thorough  was  the  instruction,  and  interesting  to 
observe  how  each  of  these  topics  was  so  handled  as  at  once  to  exercise 
the  highest  reasoning  powers  of  the  boys,  and  to  be  of  practical  use  in 
the  lives  of  the  future  mechanics. 

"  A  class  of  well-trained  Readers  agreeably  terminated  the  Examina- 
tion, which  was  also  varied  at  intervals  during  each  day,  by  the  per- 
formances of  the  well-known  Singing  Class  of  the  Schools." 

It  may  be  added  that  the  Brothers  are  established  in  all  the  cities 
and  in  the  principal  towns  of  Ireland ;  and  also  in  many  of  the  cities 
and  large  towns  of  Great  Britain.  In  Cork  alone,  the  average  attend- 
ance of  pupils  is  1,300.  The  number  of  pupils  in  the  schools  in  the 
United  Kingdom  may  be  set  down  at  30,000.  As  they  never  receive, 
nor  would  accept,  any  assistance  from  the  State,  they  depend  on  the 
voluntary  support  of  the  communities  in  which  they  are  established,  as 
well  as  upon  their  own  private  resources,  which  are  freely  devoted  to 
the  education  of  the  poor. 


452  APPENDIX. 


MEASUREMENT  OF   THE  BASE   LINE  FOR  A  TRIGONOMET- 
RICAL SURVEY,  BY  FATHER  SECCHI. 

IT  is  now  more  than  a  century  ago  since  Benedict  XIV.  entrust- 
ed to  Father  Boscovich  the  important  task  of  measuring  within  the 
Roman  States  an  arc  of  the  meridian.  In  connection  with  this  under- 
taking of  so  much  scientific  importance,  a  trigonometrical  survey 
of  the  States  of  the  Church  was  commenced  by  Boscovich  and  his 
colleague  Maine,  and  continued  at  subsequent  periods  by  other  eminent 
men  of  science. 

In  trigonometrical  surveys  the  operation  which  is  generally  first  in 
order,  us  it  is  always  first  in  importance,  is  the  measurement  of  a  base  line. 
This  line  is  in  every  sense  the  base  of  the  whole  system,  as  from  it  are 
calculated  all  the  other  lines  which  by  their  network  form  the  triangu- 
lation  of  a  country.  Of  the  great  lines  of  a  survey  it  is  the  only  one 
which  is  actually  measured,  except  when,  at  the  termination  of  his 
labours,  the  engineer  tries  the  length  of  another  line,  in  order  to  see 
how  far  the  calculated  differs  from  the  real  length ;  thus  applying  the 
most  severe  test  of  the  accuracy  of  his  work  and  of  his  instruments. 
Everything  therefore  depends  on  the  precision  with  which  this  base  line  is 
measured,  as  any  error  in  its  length  infects  the  whole  of  the  survey ;  and 
no  matter  how  exact  all  the  angular  measurements  may  be,  still  the 
original  and  inherent  vice  of  an  erroneous  base  remains  multiplied  and 
magnified  throughout  the  whole  system.  Science,  therefore,  has  ex- 
hausted every  expedient,  and  provided  every  safeguard  against  error 
which  she  could  devise  in  order  to  insure  what,  at  .the  first  glance, 
may  seem  a  very  simple  task — the  accurate  measurement  of  a  straight 
line  of  considerable  length.  The  trigonometrical  survey  which  had  been 
commenced  by  Boscovich  was  one  which  was  accounted  of  remarkable 
accuracy  for  the  time  when  it  was  executed ;  but  it  must  be  recollected 
that  all  the  scientific  instruments  of  1751  were  very  different  from,  and 
far  inferior  to,  those  which  the  mechanical  skill  of  the  present  day  can 
construct.  And  doubts  were  entertained  whether  the  survey  founded 
on  Boscovich's  original  measurement  was  as  correct  as  might  be  required 
in  the  present  age.  The  first  step  towards  the  rectification  of  the  sur- 
vey was  the  re-measurement  of  the  base.  '  Boscovich  had  measured  his 
line  on  the  Appian  Way.  That  great  highway,  running  for  so  many 
miles  in  a  line  almost  perfectly  straight,  presented  peculiar  facilities  for 


FATHER  SECCHI'S  INVENTION.  453 

the  operation  in  question,  and  it  was  believed  that  both  the  terminal 
points  of  the  line  measured  in  the  last  century  could  again  be  dis- 
covered, as  that  next  to  Rome  was  well  known.  However,  unfortunately, 
all  trace  was  lost  of  the  point  near  Le  Frattocchie.  Many  attempts 
were  made,  by  indirect  methods,  to  determine  again  the  southern  ex- 
tremity of  the  line  which  Father  Boscovich  had  measured. 

Pius  IX.,  not  content  with  opening  again  that  great  Appian  Way 
with  which  so  many  recollections  of  Roman  greatness  are  associated ; 
not  satisfied  with  having  recovered  from  its  great  storehouses  so  many 
monuments  of  classic  art,  determined  that  not  only  Commerce  .and 
Art,  but  also  Science,  should  reap  some  of  the  first-fruits  of  his  work 
of  reclamation ;  and  he  commissioned  Father  Angelo  Secchi,  the  Di- 
rector of  the  Roman  Observatory,  and  a  worthy  successor  of  Boscovich, 
again  to  measure  the  base  line  on  which  the  Roman  survey  was 
founded,  placing  at  his  disposal  all  the  aid  which  mechanical  ingenuity 
and  the  scientific  knowledge  of  modern  times  could  render  him.  And, 
perhaps,  no  similar  operation  was  ever  carried  out  with  so  much  care 
and  accuracy.  The  main  objects  which  it  is  proposed  to  accomplish  are, 
— 1st,  To  rectify  and  check  the  several  trigonometrical  surveys  which 
have  been  made  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Rome,  and  to  complete  the 
triangulation  of  the  Southern  States.  2dly,  To  determine  exactly  the 
length  of  the  ancient  Itinerary  Measures.  3dly,  To  settle  some  im- 
portant questions  which  have  arisen  amongst  men  of  science  relative 
to  the  length  of  the  meridional  degree  in  Italy,  the  figure  of  the  earth, 
and  the  deviation  of  the  pendulum  produced  by  the  attraction  of  the 
mountains. 

It  would  be  uninteresting  to  the  generality  of  readers  to  describe 
the  method  in  which  the  measurement  of  the  base  line  was  conducted. 
Indeed,  it  would  require  some  acquaintance  with  scientific  instruments 
to  understand  the  sources  of  minute  errors,  and  the  methods  employed 
to  prevent  them  from  occurring,  or  to  eliminate  them  from  the  work 
when  they  do  take  place.  It  is  enough  to  say  that  it  is  perhaps  im- 
possible to  lay  down  a  line  mathematically  for  any  considerable  length ; 
and  in  practice,  that  the  man  of  science  has  to  observe  the  deviations 
from  a  true  rectilinear  path  which  must  inevitably  take  place  both  in  a 
horizontal  and  a  vertical  direction,  and  by  the  aid  of  mathematical 
science  calculate,  from  what  may  be  called  the  zig-zag  which  he  has 
really  measured,  the  length  of  the  right  line  that  would  connect  its  two 
extremities. 

The  method  adopted  on  the  present  occasion  may  be  explained  in 
general  terms  as  follows : — 

The  measurement  of  the  line  was  commenced  opposite  the  tomb 
of  Cecilia  Metella,  and  its  initial  point  was  marked  on  a  small  cone 


454  APPENDIX. 

of  brass  fixed  to  a  large  block  of  travertine,  which  was  connected 
by  tt  solid  mass  of  masonry  with  the  subjacent  rock  of  lava.  The 
cone  of  brass  was  placed  beneath  the  surface  of  the  roadway  and 
afterwards  covered  by  a  large  block  of  stone.  The  operation  of 
measurement  was  commenced  by  adjusting  a  vertical  microscope  over 
this  cone  of  brass  until  the  spider  line  bisected  the  initial  point  marked 
on  it. 

A  set  of  five  microscopes  was  then  arranged  along  the  line  to  be 
surveyed,  at  a  distance  from  each  other  of  about  4  metres  (13  feet), 
and  the  distance  from  each  to  the  next  was  noted  by  means  of  a  very 
accurately  graduated  rod,  of  over  4  metres  in  length,  which  was  placed 
beneath  each  two  in  succession,  and  viewed  through  them.  The  system 
was,  in  fact,  to  place  the  microscopes  in  nearly  a  right  line,  and  by 
means  of  the  rod  to  measure  the  distance  between  their  spider  lines.  At 
each  end  of  the  rod  was  a  short  vertical  staff,  and  by  means  of  an  ordinary 
level  the  difference  of  height  between  its  extremities  was  observed. 
Each  microscope  had  attached  to  it  a  small  telescope,  which  served  to 
place  the  succeeding  microscope  in  the  right  line,  or  to  note  its  devia- 
tion from  it.  Thermometers  were  also  attached  to  the  apparatus  in 
order  that  the  correction  made  necessary  by  change  of  temperature 
might  be  noted.  The  conclusion  of  each  day's  labour  was  marked  by 
a  point  connected  by  measuring  into  the  ground,  and  the  termination  of 
the  base  line  at  Le  Frattocchie  was  marked  in  a  similar  way  with  the 
commencement  near  Rome.  So  great  was  the  care  taken,  that  in  a 
whole  day,  at  the  beginning  of  the  operation,  there  were  only  meas- 
ured thirty  or  thirty-five  lengths  of  the  4  metre  rod ;  but  after  some 
time  the  progress  was  more  rapid,  in  some  days  exceeding  400  yards. 
A  very  useful  instrument  was  employed  during  the  progress  of  this 
operation — it  was,  in  fact,  invented  for  the  special  purposes  of  the  sur- 
vey. It  has  been  called  by  the  inventor  the  Meroscope,  and  is  in  fact 
a  telescope  which,  by  the  introduction  of  an  additional  lens  between 
the  object  and  the  eye-piece,  can  be  converted  into  a  microscope.  It 
has  been  employed  in  the  latter  character  in  observing  the  finely  grad- 
uated scales  of  the  measuring  apparatus,  and  is  capable  as  a  telescope, 
according  to  Father  Secchi,  of  showing  the  belts  and  the  satellites  of 
Jupiter.  An  instrument  with  such  an  extraordinary  range  of  focus  is 
quite  a  novelty  amongst  optical  apparatus,  and  is  as  useful  as  it  is  new. 

The  commencement  of  this  great  scientific  undertaking,  which  it 
will  probably  take  years  to  accomplish,  and  which  will  in  all  likelihood 
embrace  the  triangulation  of  all  Southern  Italy,  seems  to  have  been 
carried  on  in  a  manner  worthy  of  the  great  object  in  view.  Indeed,  it 
is  remarkable  that  Italy  has  in  the  last  half-century  produced  so  many 
eminent  men  of  science.  While  the  arts  and  literature  are  far  below 


POVERTY  TREATED  WORSE  THAN  CRIME.    455 

the  level  of  her  classic  eras,  science  can  count  perhaps  more  great  names 
and  important  discoveries  in  Italy  than  at  any  former  period  since  the 
time  of  Galileo. 


POVERTY,  IN   LONDON,  TREATED  WORSE  THAN  CRIME. 

THE  statement  of  Mr.  Alderman  Copeland,  given  in  the  note  at  the 
bottom  of  p.  297,  appeared  to  some  who  heard  it  to  be  a  kind  of  rhetor- 
ical flourish ;  and  yet  he  only  stated  that  "  poverty  was  regarded  as  a 
crime,  and  treated  as  a  crime."  But  had  he  remembered  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  Casual  Ward  of  the  West  London  Union  and  its  occupants, 
as  given  in  the  Times  of  the  20th  of  February,  1857,  he  might  have 
used  far  stronger  language,  without  the  slightest  risk  of  exaggeration. 
Now  here  is  a  picture  of  the  existing  state  of  things  in  London;  that 
proud  capital  of  the  United  Kingdom,  the  seat  of  its  Legislature,  and 
the  residence  of  its  Sovereign — whose  press  and  whose  people  sit  in 
such  stern  judgment  upon  the  failings  and  misfortunes,  the  imperfect  ions 
and  shortcomings,  of  Catholic  peoples,  institutions,  and  governments. 
It  is  the  Times  that  holds  the  pencil,  not  I : — 

"  On  Wednesday  night,  at  ten  o'clock,  the  Lord  Mayor,  the  Recorder, 
Mr.  Under  Sheriff  Anderton  and  Mr.  Bunning,  the  City  Architect,  visited 
the  establishment  for  the  houseless  poor,  where  they  found  nearly  100 
persons,  who,  after  being  supplied  with  food,  were  accommodated  with 
shelter  for  the  night. . 

"  They  afterwards  visited  the  West  London  Union,  near  Smithfield, 
and,  upon  inquiring  for  the  casual  ward,  were  informed  that  this  estab- 
lishment was  at  Battle  Bridge,  a  distance  of  two  and  a  half  miles  off. 

"  They  immediately  repaired  thither,  and  found  the  building  to  con- 
sist of  a  large  stable,  containing  fourteen  horse-stalls,  the  only  provision 
for  the  lodging  of  the  casual  poor,  some  few  men  being  huddled  to- 
gether round  a  fire.  The  place  was  totally  destitute  of  either  straw  or 
bedding  of  any  description  whatever.  The  poor  creatures,  in  answer  to 
inquiries  made  of  them,  stated  that,  upon  entering  the  building,  a  small 
portion  of  bread  had  been  given  them,  but  that  it  was  the  custom  to 
turn  them  out  in  the  morning  without  anything  to  eat,  unless  they  first 
broke  a  certain  quantity  of  stones,  of  which  there  was  a  large  heap  in 
the  yard. 

"The  Lord  Mayor  and  his  friends  next  entered  an  adjoining  cattle- 
shed,  where  they  found  two  destitute  women  huddled  together  in  a  rug, 
lying  on  the  bare  ground,  almost  perished  with  cold,  and  without  either  jire 
or  food. 

"  These  two  persons  were  relieved  by  the  visiting  party  with  a  sum  11 
sum  of  money,  for  ilu-  purpose  of  enabling  them  to  obtain  the  common 
D6C<  -•>.-! rit's  of  life  in  the  morning. 

"The  visiting  party  next  proceeded  to  the  City  Gaol  at  Hollowly, 


456  APPENDIX. 

where  they  found  455  prisoners,  snugly  housed  in  separate  apartments, 
with  an  abundance  of  warm  bedding  and  blankets,  and  other  articles  neces- 
sary for  the  personal  comfort  of  mankind. 

"  The  contrast  between  the  provision  for  the  criminal  and  destitute 
was  beyond  conception." 


ENGLISH  PRISONS  NOT  YET  PERFECT  MODELS. 

IF  the  following  statements,  made  by  two  jail  chaplains,  are  to  be  taken 
for  granted — and  there  seems  no  reason  why  they  should  not — it  must 
be  apparent  that  the  prison  system  of  England  is  far  from  being  in 
that  perfect  state  which  would  warrant  her  to  sit  in  judgment  on  other 
nations. 

At  the  conference  at  Birmingham,  in  December  1851,  the  Rev.  T. 
Carter,  chaplain  of  the  Liverpool  jail,  said : — 

"  Liverpool  has  one  of  the  largest  jails  in  the  kingdom.  The  com- 
mitments during  last  year  were  upwards  of  9,500.  Of  that  number, 
upwards  of  1,100  were  juvenile  offenders  under  16  years  of  age ;  and 
of  these  the  proportion  of  recommitments  amounted  to  more  than  70 
per  cent.  This  one  fact  must  give  you  some  idea  of  the  inefficiency — 
the  utter  uselessness — of  such  institutions  as  the  Liverpool  jail  for  the 
reformation  of  criminals.  Indeed — and  I  say  it  advisedly — if  it  had 
been  the  object  in  Liverpool  to  devise  a  scheme  for  the  promotion, 
rather  than  the  prevention,  of  juvenile  crime,  no  contrivance  could  have 
been  hit  upon  better  calculated  to  accomplish  that  object  than  the 
Liverpool  jail.  And  yet  that  jail  has  been  held  up  as  one  of  the  best  regu- 
lated in  the  kingdom  !" 

Having  described  how  the  several  classes  of  prisoners  are  mingled  to- 
gether ;  how  "  as  many  as  five  persons  are  crammed  into  cells,  which, 
when  designed  and  built  under  the  direction  of  Howard,  were  intended 
to  hold  only  one ;"  and  having  stated,  from  his  own  observation,  what 
the  result  of  the  prison  discipline  is,  he  concluded  by  saying: — 

"  I  think  I  have  established  my  position  that  the  Liverpool  jail,  al- 
though singled  out  for  special  commendation  by  the  Inspector  of  Prisons, 
is  the  most  effectual  institution  that  can  be  devised  for  transmitting  and 
propagating  crime" 

The  Rev.  "W.  C.  Osborn,  Chaplain  of  the  Bath  jail,  having  spoken  of 
the  opportunities  he  has  had  of  knowing  the  condition  and  treatment 
of  the  prisons,  said : — 

"  Although  the  system  adopted  at  Bath  is,  I  believe  as  good,  if  not 


CRIMINAL  STATISTICS   OF   THE   PAPAL   STATES.      457 

better,  than  that  adopted  elsewhere,  yet  I  must  say,  that  our  treatment 
of  these  poor,  destitute  creatures  has  been,  and  is,  most  cruel,  unjust, 
and  unchristian.  ********* 

"  I  cannot  help  feeling  that  our  conduct  towards  them  is  most  unjus- 
tifiable, and  I  trust  that  God  will  not  visit  us  with  His  anger  for  our 
treatment  of  those  poor  creatures.  We  give  them  justice— -justice  with- 
out mercy — -justice  without  scales,  for  there  has  been  no  measurement  of 
the  cruelty  of  our  treatment  of  them" 

The  same  speaker  strongly  condemned  the  practice  of  whipping  the 
prisoners,  and  very  properly  remarks,  "  this  system  of  whipping  in  our 
prisons  is  not  calculated  to  reform,  but  to  harden." 

In  August  1856,  a  paper  was  contributed  by  Lord  Brougham  to  the 
"National  Reformatory  Union,"  which  was  held  in  Bristol.  From 
that  paper,  read  by  the  Dean  of  Bristol,  the  following  passage  is 
extracted : — 

"  It  is  our  highest  duty  to  rescue  the  people  from  ignorance  and  vice 
by  giving  them  the  inestimable  blessing  of  a  sound  moral  and  religious 
education ;  to  prevent  the  growth  of  crime,  while  we  provide  for  re- 
claiming from  their  vicious  courses  those  who  have  been  led  astray — a 
cure  only  to  be  effected  by  making  the  punishment  of  criminals  the  in- 
strument of  their  reformation.  That  duty  we  have  not  discharged.  But 
if  we  h>ave  planted  no  schools  where  habits  of  virtue  may  be  induced, 
stretched  forth  no  hand  to  extirpate  the  germs  of  vice,  we  have  kept 
open  other  schools  where  vice  is  taught  with  never-failing  success,  used 
both  hands  incessantly  to  stifle  the  seeds  of  virtue  ere  yet  they  had  time 
to  sprout,  and  laid  down  many  a  hotbed  where  the  growth  of  crime  in 
all  its  rank  luxuriousness  is  assiduously  forced.  The  infant  school  lan- 
guishes which  a  paternal  Government  would  have  cherished  ;  but  New- 
gate flourishes — Newgate,  with  her  thousand  cells  to  corrupt  their  youthful 
inmates,  seducing  the  guiltless,  confirming  the  depraved." 


CRIMINAL  STATISTICS  OF  THE  PAPAL  STATES. 

THE  following  sketch  of  the  criminal  statistics  of  the  Roman  States  is 
too  necessary  to  a  fair  understanding  of  this  important  subject  to  be 
omitted  from  a  work  of  this  nature.  It  formed  part  of  a  letter  which  I 
sent  from  Rome  towards  the  end  of  November,  1856,  since  when  the 
number  of  political  and  party  offenders  has  been  greatly  diminished 
through  the  clemency  of  the  Pope: — 

"  In  forming  a  fair  estimate  of  the  state  of  crime  in  the  Papal 
States,  as  represented  by  the  number  now  actually  suffering  punish- 
ment for  their  offences,  under  process,  or  awaiting  their  trial,  one  con- 
sideration should  be  held  distinctly  in  view, — that  Rome  has  no  penal 
20 


458  APPENDIX. 

settlements,  such  as  England  and  France  possess,  to  which  she  could 
deport  the  worst  portion,  or  indeed  any  portion,  of  her  criminals. 
Thus,  if  it  be  said  that  Rome  has  so  many  prisoners  in  the  various 
prisons  of  the  Papal  States,  the  number  so  stated  represents  the  entire  ; 
whereas,  if  the  same  be  said  of  France  or  England,  it  would  not  rep- 
resent anything  like  the  truth ;  for  France  has  her  Cayenne,  and 
England  her  Bermuda  and  her  Australian  settlements,  for  the  detention 
of  a  large  class  of  offenders.  The  Pope's  possessions  are  limited  to 
his  own  States,  and  beyond  their  boundai-y  it  is  impossible  for  him  to 
establish  a  prison  or  penal  colony.  The  statistics  now  before  me,  and 
upon  the  exactness  of  which  it  is  impossible  to  entertain  the  smallest 
doubt,  exhibit  a  steady  decrease  in  crime,  so  far  as  that  can  be  evidenced 
by  the  number  in  prison ;  and  in  all  countries  this  is  the  test  and 
criterion  by  which  the  state  of  a  country,  in  this  particular  respect, 
is  judged  of.  In  December,  1854,  the  number  of  prisoners — those 
awaiting  their  trial,  under  process,  or  actually  condemned  and  suffer- 
ing punishment — was  12,140.  The  next  year  showed  a  lesser  amount 
of  crime;  the  number  for  December,  1855,  being  11,656.  In  this  year 
the  diminution  Is  even  still  more  perceptible.  I  take  two  months  of 
the  present  year,  August  and  September ;  and  not  only  do  I  find 
that  there  is  a  less  number  in  August,  1856,  than  in  December,  1855, 
but  I  perceive  that  there  is  a  favourable  difference  between  the  two 
months  of  the  same  year.  In  August,  the  number  was  10,885  ;  and  in 
September,  10,777.  I  can  only  state,  what  I  have  reason  to  know  to 
be  the  fact,  that  the  returns  for  the  months  of  October  and  November 
exhibit  a  still  more  satisfactory  diminution  in  their  numbers.  These 
are  distributed  throughout  the  Pontifical  States ;  the  proportion  in  some 
of  the  chief  places  having  been  as  follows,  in  September  last : — Rome, 
1,186 — Bologna,  1,338 — Ancona,  787 — Civita  Vecchia,  1,591 — Ferrara, 
299. 

"  The  returns  quoted  embrace  all  kinds  of  crimes,  and  all  kinds  of 
accusations;  and,  amongst  the  rest,  they  comprehend  a  class  of  of- 
fenders who,  in  some  countries, — for  instance,  in  France, — are  under  the 
control  as  well  as  sanctioned  by  the  police  authorities,  and  in  others 
defy  almost  all  authority  or  restraint  whatsoever.  I  allude  to  women 
of  depraved  character,  not  one  of  whom  is  to  be  met  with  in  the 
streets  of  Rome,  which  may  accordingly  be  traversed  with  impunity, 
at  any  hour  of  the  evening  or  night,  by  a  modest  female — without 
the  risk  of  having  her  eyes  and  ears  offended,  as  they  are  in  too  many 
cities  of  oar  highly  civilized  empire.  Offenders  of  this  class  are  at 
once  made  amenable  to  the  law,  and  committed  either  to  the  Termini, 
or  to  the  institution  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  where  the  most  effectual 
means  of  reformation  are  adopted,  and  in  very  many  instances  with 


CKIMINAL   STATISTICS   OF   THE   PAPAL   STATES.      459 

successr— both  institutions  being  specially  under  the  care  and  control 
of  religious  communities. 

"  In  the  returns  are  also  necessarily  included  all  those  who,  having 
been  sentenced  to  imprisonment  for  life,  or  for  a  term  of  15  or  20  years, 
before  the  accession  of  Pius  IX.,  have  not  as  yet  been  the  objects  of  his 
clemency.  So  that  the  10,777  prisoners  who,  in  September  last,  were 
confined  in  the  prisons  of  the  Pontifical  States,  give  an  exaggerated 
idea  of  the  actual  state  of  crime;  these  figures  in  reality  representing 
the  crime,  not  of  one  year,  but  of  many  years.  j 

"  There  has  been  a  notion  industriously  propagated,  for  obvious 
reasons,  that  the  prisons  of  the  Papal  States  were  filled  with  political 
offenders,  the  victims  of  arbitrary  power  and  remorseless  tyranny. 
That  there  are  persons  confined  for  political  offences,  there  can  be  no 
question  whatever — I  myself  saw  prisoners  of  this  class  in  the  prison 
of  San  Michele ;  but  that  their  number  has  been  immensely  exagger- 
ated, tibe  real  state  of  the  case  distinctly  demonstrates.  Of  '  purely  po- 
litical offences'  there  were,  two  months  since,  not  more  than  99,  and 
since  that  time  the  number  has  been  reduced  to  70 — that  is,  29  ad- 
ditional pardons  have  since  been  granted  through  the  clemency  of  the 
Pope,  in  many  instances  excited  by  the  appeals  of  those  who  have  since 
been  its  objects.  In  the  early  part  of  October,  the  number  of  persons 
confined  for  political  offences,  and  offences  which  are  described  or  clas- 
sified as  those  '  arising  out  of  party  spirit' — meaning  thereby  injury  1  <> 
the  person,  acts  of  violence,  frequently  stabbing,  the  result  of  quarrels 
arising  from  party  hate  or  political  disputes — did  not  exceed  338 ;  and 
of  that  number,  those  undergoing  sentence,  or  held  in- detention,  for 
'  purely  political  offences'  did  not  exceed  99;  which  number,  as  I  have 
stated,  is  now  i-educed  to  70,  and  will  be  still  reduced  considerably  on 
the  1st  January,  1857.  The  gross  number  has  been  reduced  from  338 
to  292.  The  Pope  has  granted  47  pardons  to  'purely  political'  of- 
fenders, from  the  1st  of  January,  1855,  to  the  15th  of  May,  1856 
— that  is,  either  remitted  the  greater  portion  of  their  punishment, 
or  restored  them  to  full  liberty ;  and  within  the  same  period  he  has 
exhibited  similar  clemency  to  65  whose  offences  arose  out  of  '  party 
spirit' — making,  in  all,  no  less  than  112.  From  May  to  October 
he  has  granted  82  pardons  more,  of  which  29  have  been  granted 
to  'purely  political'  offenders,  and  the  rest  to  persons  coming  under 
the  head  of  offenders  from  'party  motives.'  "When  the  gross  number 
reached  338  political  and  party  offenders,  they  were  distributed  as 
follows: — Ancona,  54 — Forte  Urbano,  21 — Paliano,  208 — San  JVliehele, 
43  suffering  punishment,  and  12  under  process.  Now  that  the  number- 
is  reduced  to  70  '  purely  political'  offenders,  and  222  offenders  from 


460  APPENDIX. 

party  spirit,'  somewhat  of  the  same  proportion  is  maintained  in  the 
prisons  mentioned. 

"  These  statistics  would  not  exhibit  the  whole  truth,  unless  they  also 
embraced  another  class,  who  are  suffering  exile  in  consequence  of  their 
connection  with  the  memorable  revolution  which  compelled  his  Holi- 
ness— himself  the  first  as  well  as  the  most  illustrious  of  reformers — 
to  fly  from  Rome  to  Gaeta.  The  number  of  those  who  were  formally 
excluded  from  the  amnesty  of  September,  1849,  was  283;  and  of  those, 
200  were  members  of  the  Triumvirate,  the  Constituent  Assembly,  and 
the  Provisional  Government;  and  83  were  chiefs  of  the  different 
military  corps.  Of  this  number,  21  were  strangers,  and  not  subjects  of 
the  Pontifical  States.  Of  the  283  mentioned,  59  have  received  pardon 
— that  is,  35  of  the  Constituent  Assembly,  and  24  military  leaders. 
Hence,  the  number  of  the  Pope's  subjects  so  exiled  at  present  is  203. 
Some  of  those  have  since  died ;  others  would  not  appeal  to  the  clemency 
of  their  sovereign ;  and  more  have  exhibited  such  '  perverse  conduct' 
(perversa  condotta)  that  it  is  not  thought  prudent  to  extend  pardon  to 
them. 

"  There  is,  lastly,  another  class,  who  fled  from  Rome  and  the  Papal 
States  after  the  success  of  the  French,  and  whose  return  to  the  States  is 
prohibited.  These  amount  in  all  to  1,273  ;  but,  as  there  were  no  less 
than  629  foreigners  among  them,  not  more  than  644  are  subjects  of  the 
Pope.  Subtracting  from  this  number  those  who  were  then  exiled,  as  a 
commutation  of  a  heavier  sentence,  or  who  demanded  and  obtained 
permission  to  spend  the  remainder  of  their  lives  in  foreign  countries,  in 
order,  amongst  other  reasons,  to  be  free  from  all  surveillance,  and 
amounting  in  all  to  152,  it  appears  that  the  total  number  of  the  Pope's 
subjects  to  whom  return,  without  permission  being  obtained,  is  prohib- 
ited, is  492.  Many  of  these  have  fled  from  punishment  for  offences 
not  political;  but  there  can  be  no  doubt  whatever  that  an  appeal 
made  by  most  of  those  now  in  exile,  and  who  could  be  proved  not  to 
have  been  leagued  in  other  countries  against  the  throne  and  authority 
of  the  Pope,  would  not  be  made  in  vain.  The  whole  career  of  Pius  IX. 
is  in  favour  of  the  belief  that;  could  he  carry  out  his  own  benevolent 
intentions,  and  freely  obey  the  promptings  of  his  noble  and  tender  na- 
ture, there  is  not  a  good  or  honest  subject  of  his  now  in  exile  to  whom 
he  would  not  to-morrow  grant  permission  to  return  to  his  home  and 
country.  One  fact  must  be  mentioned  to  the  honour  of  Pius  IX.,  as  it 
contrasts  so  strongly  with  the  vengeance  which  other  sovereigns  wreak 
on  their  subjects  when  once  rebellion  has  been  crushed, — that  there 
has  not  been,  during  his  reign,  a  single  person  executed  for  a  purely  polit- 
ical offence.  Try  this  fact  by  the  actual  conduct  of  other  European 


THE   CATACOMBS.  461 

monarchs,  and  by  what  that  of  the  English  government  would  have 
been,  had  the  affair  of  1848  in  Ireland  been  like  that  of  the  Hungari- 
ans, the  Venetians,  or  the  Sicilians ;  or  had  an  Irish  Secretary  of  State 
been  shot  in  the  Castle  of  Dublin,  and  Lord  Clarendon  been  compelled 
to  fly  across  the  Channel  to  England  for  personal  safety :  test  it  by  such 
a  standard,  and  then  the  clemency  of  Pius  IX.  will  shine  the  brighter 
by  the  contrast. 

"But  while  clemency  is  a  noble  virtue,  especially  in  sovereigns, 
weakness  is  a  folly,  and  may  be  as  ruinous  as  a  vice ;  and  thus,  though 
one  would  ardently  desire  that  every  native  of  the  Papal  States  now  in 
exile,  on  account  of  the  part  which  he  took  in  the  revolution  of  1848, 
should  be  permitted  to  return  to  his  home  and  kindred,  provided  he  did 
not  come  back  in  the  spirit  of  a  revolutionist  and  an  avenger,  no  ra- 
tional person  could  expect  that  the  Pope  would  be  so  insensible  to  the 
promptings  of  ordinary  caution  and  foresight,  as  to  allow  men  to 
return  to  his  States  who  have  been  openly  declaring  their  determina- 
tion to  accomplish  his  overthrow,  or  have  been  known  to  be  parties 
and  promoters  of  conspiracies  towards  the  same  end.  If  he  did  so, 
he  would  be  more  or  less  than  mortal,  and  would  act  as  no  other 
sovereign  has  acted,  or  is  ever  likely  to  act,  under  •  similar  circum- 


THE  CATACOMBS. 

(From  Cardinal  Wiseman's  " Fabiola" 

"  THE  history  of  the  early  Christian  cemeteries,  the  Catacombs,  as  they 
are  commonly  called,  may  be  divided  into  three  portions :  from  their 
beginning  to  the  period  of  our  narrative,  or  a  few  years  later ;  from 
this  term  to  the  eighth  century ;  then  down  to  our  own  time,  when  we 
have  reason  to  hope  that  a  new  epoch  is  being  commenced. 

"  "We  have  generally  avoided  using  the  name  of  catacombs,  because  it 
might  mislead  our  readers  ink)  an  idea  that  this  was  either  the  original 
or  a  generic  name  of  those  early  Christian  crypts.  It  is  not  so,  how- 
ever :  Rome  might  be  said  to  be  surrounded  by  a  circumvallation  of 
cemeteries,  sixty  or  thereabouts  in  number,  each  of  which  was  general- 
ly known  by  the  name  of  some  saint  or  saints,  whose  bodies  reposed 
there.  •  Thus  we  have  the  cemeteries  of  SS.  Nereus  and  Achilleus,  of  St. 
Agnes,  of  St.  Pancratius,  of  Prsetextatus,  Priscilla,  Hermes,  &c.  Some- 
times these  cemeteries  were  known  by  the  names  of  the  places  where 
they  existed.*  The  cemetery  of  St.  Sebastian,  which  was  called  some- 


*  As  Ad  Nymphas,  Ad  Ursum  pileatum,  Inter  duas  lauros,  Ad  Sea- 
turn  Philippi,  <fec. 


462  APPENDIX. 

times  Camcteriam  ad  Sanctam  Cceciliam*  and  by  other  names,  had 
among  them  that  of  Ad  Catacumbas.\  The  meaning  of  this  word  is 
completely  unknown ;  though  it  may  be  attributed  to  the  circumstance 
of  the  relics  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul  having  been  for  a  time  buried  there, 
in  a  crypt  still  existing  near  the  cemetery.  This  term  became  the 
name  of  that  particular  cemetery,  then  was  generalized,  till  we  famil- 
iarly call  the  whole  system  of  these  underground  excavations — the 
Catacombs. 

"  Their  origin  was,  in  the  last  century,  a  subject  of  controversy. 
Following  two  or  three  vague  and  equivocal  passages,  some  learned 
writers  pronounced  the  catacombs  to  have  been  originally  heathen  ex- 
cavations, made  to  extract  sand,  for  the  building  of  the  city.  These 
sandpits  were  called  arenaria,  and  so  occasionally  are  the  Christian 
cemeteries.  But  a  more  scientific  and  minute  examination,  particularly 
made  by  the  accurate  F.  Marchi,  has  completely  confuted  this  theory 
The  entrance  to  the  catacombs  was  often,  as  can  yet  be  seen,  from  these 
sandpits,  which  are  themselves  underground,  and  no  doubt  were  a 
convenient  cover  for  the  cemetery;  but  several  circumstances  prove 
that  they  were  never  used  for  Christian  burial,  nor  converted  into 
Christian  cemeteries. 

"  The  man  who  wishes  to  get  the  sand  out  of  the  ground  will  keep 
his  excavation  as  near  as  may  be  to  the  surface ;  will  have  it  of  easiest 
possible  access,  for  drawing  out  materials ;  and  will  make  it  as  ample 
as  is  consistent  witli  the  safety  gf  the  roof,  and  the  supply  of  what  he 
is  seeking.  And  all  this  we  find  in  the  arenaria  still  abounding  round 
Rome.  But  the  Catacombs  are  constructed  on  principles  exactly  con- 
trary to  all  these. 

"  The  catacomb  dives  at  once,  generally  by  a  steep  flight  of  steps, 
below  the  stratum  of  loose  and  friable  sand,:}:  into  that  where  it  is  in- 
durated to  the  hardness  of  a  tender  but  consistent  rock ;  on  the  surface 
of  which  every  stroke  of  the  pickaxe  is  yet  distinctly  traceable.  When 
you  have  reached  this  depth  you  are  in  the  first  story  of  the  cemetery, 
for  you  descend  again,  by  stairs,  to  the  second  and  third  below,  all  con- 
structed on  the  same  principle. 

"  A  catacomb  may  be  divided  into  three  parts,  its  passages  or  streets, 
its  chambers  or  squares,  and  its  churches.  The  passages  are  long,  nar- 
row galleries,  cut  with  tolerable  regularity,  so  that  the  roof  and  floor 
are  at  right  angles  with  the  sides,  often  so  narrow  as  scarcely  to  allow 
two  persons  to  go  abreast.  They  sometimes  run  quite  straight  to  a 
great  length  ;  but  they  are  crossed  by  others,  and  these  again  by  others, 
so  as  to  form  a  complete  labyrinth,  or  network,  of  subterranean  corri- 
dors. To  be  lost  among  them  would  easily  be  fatal. 

"  But  these  passages  are  not  constructed,  as  the  name  would  imply, 
merely  to  lead  to  something  else.  They  are  themselves  the  catacomb 
or  cemetery.  Their  walls,  as  well  as  the  sides  of  the  staircases,  are 
honeycombed  with  graves,  that  is,  with  rows  of  excavations,  large  and 
small,  of  sufficient  length  to  admit  a  human  body,  from  a  child  to  a 


*  The  cemetery  at  St.  Concilia's  tomb. 

•j-  Formed  apparently  of  a  Greek  preposition  and  a  Latin  verb. 
\  That  is,  the  red  volcanic  sand  called  puzzolana,  so  much  prized  for 
making  Roman  cement. 


THE   CATACOMBS.  463 


full-grown  man,  laid  with  its  side  to  the  gallery.  Sometimes  there  are 
as  many  as  fourteen,  sometimes  as  few  as  three  or  four,  of  these  rows, 
one  above  the  other.  They  are  evidently  so  made  to  measure,  that  it 
is  probable  the  body  was  lying  by  the  side  of  the  grave  while  this  was 
being  dug. 

"  When  the  corpse,  wrapped  up,  as  we  heard  from  Diogenes,  was 
laid  in  its  narrow  cell,  the  front. was  hermetically  closed,  either  by  a 
marble  slab,  or  more  frequently,  by  several  broad  tiles,  put  edgeways 
in  a  groove  or  mortice,  cut  for  them  in  the  rock,  and  cemented  all 
round.  The  inscription  was  cut  upon  the  marble,  or  scratched  in  the 
wet  mortar.  Thousands  of  the  former  sort  have  been  collected,  and 
may  be  seen  in  museums  and  churches;  many  of  the  latter  have  been 
copied  and  published ;  but  by  far  the  greater  number  of  the  tombs  are 
anonymous,  and  have  no  record  upon  them.  And  now  the  reader  may 
reasonably  ask,  Through  what  period  does  the  interment  in  the  cata- 
combs range,  and  how  are  its  limits  determined  ?  We  will  try  to  con- 
tent him  as  briefly  as  possible. 

"  There  is  no  evidence  of  the  Christians  having  ever  buried  any- 
where, anteriorly  to  the  construction  of  catacombs.  Two  principles  as 
old  as  Christianity  regulate  this  mode  of  burial.  The  first  is,  the  man- 
ner of  Christ's  entombment.  He  was  laid  in  a  grave  in  a  cavern,  wrap- 
ped up  in  linen,  embalmed  with  spices ;  and  a  stone,  sealed  up,  closed 
His  sepulchre.  As  St.  Paul  so  often  proposes  Him  for  the  model  of  our 
resurrection,  and  speaks  of  our  being  buried  with  Him  in  baptism,  it 
was  natural  for  His  disciples  to  wish  to  be  buried  after  His  example,  so 
to  be  ready  to  rise  with  Him. 

"This  lying  in  wait-for  resurrection  was  the  second  thought  that 
guided  the  formation  of  these  cemeteries.  Every  expression  connected 
with  them  alluded  to  the  rising  again.  The  word  to  bury  is  unknown 
in  Christian  inscriptions.  '  Deposited  in  peace,'  '  the  deposition  of — / 
are  the  expressions  used :  that  is,  the  dead  are  but  left  there  for  a  time, 
till  called  for  again,  as  a  pledge,  or  precious  thing,  entrusted  to  faithful, 
but  temporary  keeping.  The  very  name  of  cemetery  suggests  that 
it  is  only  a  place  where  many  lie,  as  in  a  dormitory,  slumbering  for  a 
while ;  till  dawn  come,  and  the  trumpet's  sound  awake  them.  Hence 
the  grave  is  only  called '  the  place,'  or,  more  technically,  '  the  small 
home,'*  of  the  dead  in  Christ. 

"  These  two  ideas,  which  are  combined  ^n  the  planning  of  the  Cata- 
combs, were  not  later  insertions  into  the  Christian  system,  but  must 
have  been  more  vivid  in  its  earlier  times.  They  inspired  abhorrence  of 
the  pagan  custom  of  burning  the  dead ;  nor  have  we  a  hint  that  this 
mode  was,  at  any  time,  adopted  by  Christians. 

"  But  ample  proof  is  to  be  found  in  the  catacombs  themselves,  of 
their  early  origin.  The  style  of  paintings,  yet  remaining,  belongs  to  a 
period  of  still  flourishing  art.  Their  symbols,  and  the  symbolical  taste 
itself,  are  characteristic  of  a  very  ancient  period.  For  this  peculiar 
taste  declined,  as  time  went  on.  Although  inscriptions  with  dates  are 
rare,  yet  out  of  ten  thousand  collected,  and  about  to  be  published,  by 
the  learned  and  sagacious  Cavalier  de  Rossi,  about  three  hundred  are 
found  bearing  consular  dates,  through  every  period,  from  the  early 


Locus,  loculus. 


464  APPENDIX. 


emperors  to  the  middle  of  the  fourth  century  (A.D.  350).  Another 
curious  and  interesting  custom  furnishes  us  with  dates  on  tombs.  At 
the  closing  of  the  grave,  the  relations  or  friends,  to  mark  it,  would  press 
into  its  wet  plaster,  and  leave  there,  a  coin,  a  cameo,  or  engraved  gem, 
sometimes  even  a  shell  or  pebble ;  probably  that  they  might  find  the 
sepulchre  again,  especially  where  no  inscription  was  left.  Many  of 
these  objects  continue  to  be  found,  many  have  been  long  collected.  But 
it  is  not  uncommon,  where  the  coin,  or,  to  speak  scientifically,  the 
medal,  has  fallen  from  its  place,  to  find  a  mould  of  it  left,  distinct  and 
clear  in  the  cement,  which  equally  gives  its  date.  This  is  sometimes 
of  Domitian,  or  other  early  emperors. 

"  It  may  be  asked,  wherefore  this  anxiety  to  rediscover  with  cer- 
tainty the  tomb  ?  Besides  motives  of  natural  piety,  there  is  one  con- 
stantly recorded  en  sepulchral  inscriptions.  In  England,  if  want  of 
space  prevented  the  full  date  of  a  person's  death  being  given,  we  should 
prefer  chronicling  the  year,  to  the  day  of  the  month,  when  it  occurred. 
It  is  more  historical.  No  one  cares  about  remembering  the  day  on 
which  a  person  died,  without  the  year ;  but  the  year,  without  the  day, 
is  an  important  recollection.  Yet  while  so  few  ancient  Christian  in- 
scriptions supply  the  year  of  people's  deaths,  thousands  give  us  the  very 
day  of  it,  on  which  they  died,  whether  in  the  hopefulness  of  believers, 
or  in  the  assurance  of  martyrs.  This  is  easily  explained.  Of  both 
classes  annual  commemoration  had  to  be  made,  on  the  very  day  of  their 
departure ;  and  accurate  knowledge  of  this  was  necessary.  Therefore 
it  alone  was  recorded. 

"  In  a  cemetery  close  to  the  one  in  which  we  have  left  our  three 
youths,  with  Diogenes  and  his  sons*,  were  lately  found  inscriptions 
mingled  together,  belonging  to  both  orders  of  the  dead.  One  in  Greek, 
after  mentioning  the  '  Deposition  of  Augenda  on  the  13th  day  before 
the  Calends,  or  1st  of  June/  adds  this  simple  address, 

ZHCAIC    ENKTTKAl 
EPWTA 


"  •  Live  in  the  Lord,  and  pray  for  us.' 
"  Another  fragment  is  as  follows : — 

.    .     .     .  N.  IVN— 

IVIBAS—    . 

fN   PACE   ET   PETE 
PRO    NOBIS 

"  ' .    .    .  Nones  of  June  .    .    .  Live  in  peace,  and  pray  for  us,' 
"  This  is  a  third  :— 

VICTORIA  .  REFRIGERER  [ET] 
ISSPIRITVS  .  TVS   IN   BONO 

"  '  Victoria,  be  refreshed,  and  may  thy  spirit  be  in  enjoyment ' 

•'  This  last  reminds  us  of  a  most  peculiar  inscription  found  scratched 
in  the  mortar  beside  a  grave  in  the  cemetery  of  Prsetextatus,  not  many 

*  That  of  SS.  Nereus  and  Achilleus. 


THE   CATACOMBS. 


465 


yards  from  that  of  Callistus,  It  is  remarkable,  first,  for  being  in  Latin 
written  with  Greek  letters;  then,  for  containing  a  testimony  of  the 
Divinity  of  our  Lord ;  lastly,  for  expressing  a  prayer  for  the  refresh- 
ment of  the  departed.  We  fill  up  the  portion  of  words  wanting,  from 
the  falling  out  of  part  of  the  plaster. 


BENE     MERENT!  §O  RORl    BON 
VIM     KAL NOB 
AE 

OYC  CH I 

X  P  I  C  PIT  OVp 

T  O  Y  C  TOY  OVfl 

ONN  PE<D(/> 

mo  i  repe 

TEC  INJP 


" '  To  the  well-deserving  sister  Bon  .  .  .  The  eighth  day  before  the  calends  of  Nov. 
Christ  God  Almighty  refresh  thy  spirit  in  Christ.' 

"In  spite  of  this  digression  on  prayers  inscribed  over  tombs,  the 
reader  will  not,  we  trust,  have  forgotten,  that  we  were  establishing  the 
fact,  that  the  Christian  cemeteries  of  Rome  owe  their  origin  to  the 
earliest  ages.  We  have  now  to  state  down  to  what  period  they  were  used. 
After  peace  was  restored  to  the  Church,  the  devotion  of  Christians 
prompted  them  to  desire  burial  near  the  martyrs  and  holy  people  of  an 
earlier  age.  But,  generally  speaking,  they  were  satisfied  to  lie  under 
the  pavement.  Hence  the  sepulchral  stones  which  are  often  found  in 
the  rubbish  of  the  catacombs,  and  sometimes  in  their1  places,  bearing 
consular  dates  of  the  fourth  century,  are  thicker,  larger,  better  carved, 
and  in  a  less  simple  style,  than  those  of  an  earlier  period,  placed  upon 
the  walls.  But  before" the  end  of  that  century,  these  monuments  become 
rarer;  and  interment  in  the  catacombs  ceased  in  the  following,  at  latest. 
Pope  Damasus,  who  died  in  384,  reverently  shrunk,  as  he  tells  us,  in 
his  own  epitaph,  from  intruding  into  the  company  of  the  saints. 

"  Restitutus,  therefore,  whose  sepulchral  tablet  we  gave  for  a  title  to 
our  chapter,  may  well  be  considered  as  speaking  in  the  name  of  the  early 
Christians,  and  claiming  as  their  own  exclusive  work  and  property,  the 
thousand  miles  of  subterranean  city,  with  their  six  millions  of  slumber- 
ing inhabitants,  who  trust  in  the  Lord,  and  await  His  resurrection.* 

"  When  peace  and  liberty  were  restored  to  the  Church,  these  ceme- 
teries became  places  of  devotion,  and  of  great  resort.  Each  of  them 
was  associated  with  the  name  of  one,  or  the  names  of  several,  of  the 
more  eminent  martyrs  buried  in  it ;  and,  on  their  aniversaries,  crowds 
of  citizens  and  of  pilgrims  thronged  to  their  tombs,  where  the  Divine 


*  So  F.  March!  calculates  them,  after  diligent  examination.  We  may 
mention  here  that,  in  the  construction  of  these  cemeteries,  the  sand  ex- 
tracted from  one  gallery  was  removed  into  another  already  excavated. 
Hence  many  are  now  found  completely  filled  up. 

20* 


466  APPENDIX. 

- 

mysteries  were  offered  up,  and  the  homily  delivered  in  their  praise. 
Hence  began  to  be  compiled  the  first  martyrologies,  or  calendars  of 
martyrs'  days,  which  told  the  faithful  whither  to  go.  'At  Rome,  on  the 
Salerian,  or  the  Appian,  or  the  Ardeatine  way,'  such  are  the  indications 
almost  daily  read  in  the  Roman  martyrology,  now  swelled  out,  by  the 
additions  of  later  ages.* 

"  An  ordinary  reader  of  the  book  hardly  knows  the  importance  of 
these  indications;  for  they  have  served  to  verify  several  otherwise  du- 
bious cemeteries.  Another  class  of  valuable  writers  also  comes  to  our 
aid ;  but  before  mentioning  them,  we  will  glance  at  the  changes  which 
this  devotion  produced  in  the  cemeteries.  First,  commodious  entrances, 
with  easy  staircases,  were  made ;  then  walls  were  built  to  support  the 
crumbling  galleries ;  and,  from  time  to  time,  funnel-shaped  apertures 
in  the  vaults  were  opened,  to  admit  light  and  air.  Finally,  basilicas  or 
churches  were  erected  over  their  entrances,  generally  leading  imme- 
diately to  the  principal  tomb,  then  called  the  confession  of  the  church. 
The  pilgrim,  thus,  on  arriving  at  the  holy  city,  visited  each  of  these 
churches, — a  custom  yet  practised, — descended  below,  and  without  hav- 
ing to  grope  his  way  about,  went  direct,  by  well-constructed  passages, 
to  the  principal  martyr's  shrine,  and  so  on  to  others,  perhaps  equally 
objects  of  reverence  and  devotion. 

"  During  this  period,  no  tomb  was  allowed  to  be  opened,  no  body  to 
be  extracted.  Through  apertures  made  into  the  grave,  handkerchiefs 
or  scarfs,  called  brandea,  were  introduced,  to  touch  the  martyr's  relics ; 
and  these  were  carried  to  distant  countries,  to  be  held  in  equal  reverence. 
No  wonder  that  St.  Ambrose,  St.  Gaudentius,  and  other  bishops  should 
have  found  it  so  difficult  to  obtain  bodies,  or  large  relics  of  martyrs  for 
their  churches.  Another  sort  of  relics  consisted  of  what  was  called 
familiarly  the  oil  of  a  martyr,  that  is,  the  oil,  often  mixed  with  balsam, 
which  burned  in  a  lamp  beside  his  tomb.  Often  a  round  stone  pillar, 
three  feet  or  so  in  height,  and  scooped  out  at  the  top,  stands  beside  a 
monument:  probably  to  hold  the  lamp,  or  serve  for  the  distribution  of 
its  contents.  St.  Gregory  the  Great  wrote  to  Queen  Theodelinda,  that 
he  sent  her  a  collection  of  the  oils  of  the  popes  who  were  martyrs.  The 
list  which  accompanied  them  was  copied  by  Mabillon  in  the  treasury  of 


*  One  or  two  entries  from  the  old  Kalendarinm  Romanum  will  illus- 
trate this: 

"  iii.  Non.  Mart.  Lucii  in  Callisti. 

vi.  Id.  Dec.  EuticMam  in  Callisti. 

xiii.  Kal.  Feb.  Fabiani  in  Callisti,  et  Sebastiani  ad  Catacumbas. 
viii.  Id.  Aug.  Systi  in  Callisti." 

We  have  extracted  these  entries  of  depositions  in  the  cemetery  of 
Callistus,  because,  while  actually  writing  this  chapter,  we  have  re- 
ceived news  of  the  discovery  of  the  tombs  and  lapidary  inscriptions 
of  every  one  of  these  Popes,  together  with  those  of  St.  Antherus,  in  one 
chapel  of  the  newly-ascertained  cemetery  of  Callistus,  with  an  inscrip 
tion  in  verse  by  St.  Damasus : 

"  Prid.  Kal.  Jan.  Sylvestri  in  Priscillffl. 
iv.  Id.  (Aug.)  Laurentii  in  Tiburtina. 
iii.  Kal.  Dec.  Saturnini  in  Thrasonia." 
Published  by  Ruinart, — Acta,  torn.  iii. 


THE   CATACOMBS.  467 

Monza,  and  republished  by  Ruinart.*  It  exists  there  yet,  together  with 
the  very  phials  containing  them,  sealed  up  in  metal  tubes. 

"This  jealousy  of  disturbing  the  saints,  is  displayed  most  beautifully 
in  an  incident,  related  by  St.  Gregory  of  Tours.  Among  the  martyrs 
most  honoured  in  the  ancient  Roman  Church  were  St.  Chrysanthus  and 
Dana.  Their  tombs  became  so  celebi'ated  for  cures,  that  their  fellow- 
Christians  built  (that  is,  excavated)  over  them  a  chamber,  with  a  vault 
of  beautiful  workmanship,  where  crowds  of  worshippers  assembled. 
This  was  discovered  by  the  heathens,  and  the  emperor  closed  them  in, 
walled  up  the  entrance,  and  from  above,  probably  through  the  luminare, 
or  ventilating  shaft,  showered  down  earth  and  stones,  and  buried  the 
congregation  alive,  as  the  two  holy  martyrs  had  been  before  them. 
The  place  was  unknown  at  the  peace  of  the  Church,  till  discovered  by 
Divine  manifestation.  But  instead  of  being  permitted  to  enter  again 
into  this  hallowed  spot,  pilgrims  were  merely  allowed  to  look  at  it, 
through  a  window  opened  in  the  wall,  so  as  to  see,  not  only  the  tombs 
of  the  martyrs,  but  ako  the  bodies  of  those  who  had  been  buried  alive 
at  their  shrines.  And  as  the  cruel  massacre  had  taken  place  while  pre- 
parations were  being  made  for  oblation  of  the  holy  Eucharist,  there 
were  still  to  be  seen  lying  about,  the  silver  cruets  in  which  the  wine 
was  brought  for  that  spotless  sacrifice,  f 

"  It  is  clear  that  pilgrims  resorting  to  Rome  would  want  a  hand-book 
to  the  cemeteries,  that  they  might  know  what  they  had  to  visit.  It  is 
likewise  but  natural  that,  on  their  return  home,  they  may  have  sought 
to  edify  their  less  fortunate  neighbours,  by  giving  an  account  of  what 
they  had  seen.  Accordingly  there  exist,  no  less  fortunately  for  us  than 
for  their  untravelled  neighbours,  several  records  of  this  character.  The 
first  place,  among  these,  is  held  by  catalogues  compiled  in  the  fourth 
century;  one,  of  the  places  of  sepulture  of  Roman  Pontiffs,  the  other 
of  Martyrs. £  After  these  came  three  distinct  guides  to  the  catacombs  ; 
the  more  interesting  because  they  take  different  rounds,  yet  agree  mar- 
vellously in  their  account. 

"  To  show  the  value  of  these  documents,  and  describe  the  changes 
which  took  place  in  the  catacombs  during  the  second  period  of  their 
history,  we  will  give  a  brief  account  of  one  discovery,  in  the  cemetery 
where  we  left  our  little  party.  Among  the  rubbish  near  the  entrance 
of  a  catacomb,  the  name  of  which  was  yet  doubtful,  and  which  had 
been  taken  for  that  of  Praelextatus,  was  found  a  fragment  of  a  slab  of 
marble  which  had  been  broken  across  obliquely  from  left  to  right,  with 
the  following  letters: 


NELM    MARTYRIS 


*  Acta  Martyr,  torn.  iii. 

f  S.  Greg.  Turon,  de  Gloria  Mart.  lib.  i.  c.  28.  ap.  Marchi,  p.  81.  One 
would  apply  St.  Damasus's  epigram  on  these  martyrs  to  this  occurrence, 
Carm.  xxviii. 

J  Published  by  Bucheriue  in  1634  §  (Of) .  .  nelius  martyr. 


468  APPENDIX. 

"  The  young  Cavalier  de  Rossi  at  once  declared  that  this  was  part  of 
the  sepulchral  inscription  of  the  holy  Pope  Cornelius ;  that  probably 
his  tomb  would  be  found  below,  in  a  distinguished  form ;  and  that  as 
all  the  itineraries  above  mentioned,  concurred  in  placing  it  in  the  ceme 
tery  of  Callistus,  this,  and  not  the  one  at  St.  Sebastian's  a  few  hundred 
yards  off,  must  claim  the  honour  of  that  name.  He  went  further,  and 
foretold  that  as  these  works  pronounced  St.  Cyprian  to  be  buried  near 
Cornelius,  there  would  be  found  something  at  the  tomb  which  would 
account  for  that  idea ;  for  it  was  known  that  his  body  rested  in  Africa. 
It  was  not  long  before  every  prediction  was  verified.  The  great  stair- 
case discovered*  was  found  to  lead  at  once  to,a  wider  space,  carefully 
secured  by  brick-work  of  the  time  of  peace,  and  provided  with  light 
and  air  from  above.  On  the  left  was  a  tomb,  cut  like  others  in  the  rock, 
without  any  exterior  arch  over  it.  It  was,  however,  large  and  ample ; 
and  except  one,  very  nigh  above  it,  there  were  no  other  graves  below, 
or  over,  or  at  the  sides.  The  remaining  portion  of  the  slab  was  found 
within  it;  the  first  piece  was  brought  from  the  Kincherian  Museum, 
where  it  had  been  deposited,  and  exactly  fitted  to  it;  and  both  covered 
the  tomb,  thus : 


CORNELM    MARTYRIS 
EP 


Below,  reaching  from  the  lower  edge  of  this  stone  to  the  ground,  was 
a  marble  slab  covered  with  an  inscription,  of  which  only  the  leTt-hand 
end  remains,  the  rest  being  broken  oft  and  lost.  Above  the  tomb  was 
another  slab  let  into  the  sand-stone,  of  which  the  right-hand  end  exists, 
and  a  few  more  fragments  have  been  recovered  in  the  rubbish;  not 
enough  to  make  out  the  lines,  but  sufficient  to  show  it  was  an  inscrip- 
tion in  verse,  by  Pope  Damasus.  How  is  this  authorship  traceable  ? 
Very'easily.  Not  only  do  we  know  that  this  holy  Pope,  already  men- 
tioned, took  pleasure  in  putting  verses,  which  he  loved  to  write,  on  the 
tombs  of  martyrs;}:,  but  the  number  of  inscriptions  of  his  yet  extant  ex- 
hibit a  particular  and  very  elegant  form  of  letters,  known  among  anti- 
quarians by  the  name  of  '  Damasian/  The  fragments  of  this  marble 


bear  portions  of  verses,  in  this  character. 
"  To  proceed: 


on  the  wall,  right  of  the  tomb,  and  on  the  same  plane, 
were  painted  two  full-length  figures  in  sacerdotal  garments,  with 
glories  round  their  heads,  evidently  of  Byzantine  work  of  the  seventh 
century.  Down  the  wall,  by  the  left  side  of  each,  letter  below  letter, 
were  their  names  some  letters  were  effaced,  which  we  supply  in 
italics  as  follow : 


*  The  crypt,  we  believe,  was  discovered  before  the  stairs. 

f  Of  Cornelius  Martyr  Bishop. 

t  These  form  f  he  great  bulk  of  his  extant  works  in  verse. 


THE   CATACOMBS.  469 


SCi>J<  COR^ELI  PP        SCI>J<  CIPRUN/.* 

"  We  here  see  how  a  foreigner,  reading  these  two  inscriptions,  with 
the  portraits,  and  knowing  that  the  Church  commemorates  the  two  mar- 
tyrs on  the  same  day,  might  easily  be  led  to  suppose,  that  they  were  here 
deposited  together.  Finally,  at  the  right  hand  of  the  tomb,  stands  a 
truncated  column,  about  three  feet  high,  concave  at  the  top,  as  before 
•described ;  and  as  a  confirmation  of  the  use  to  which  we  said  it  might 
be  put,  St.  Gregory  has,  in  his  list  of  oils  sent  to  the  Lombard  Queen, 
'  Oleum  S.  Cornelii,'  the  oil  of  St.  Cornelius. 

"  We  see,  then,  how,  during  the  second  period,  new  ornaments,  as 
well  as  greater  conveniences,  were*  added  to  the  primitively  simple 
forms  of  the  cemeteries.  But  we  must  not,  on  that  account,  imagine 
that  we  are  in  any  danger  $f  mistaking  these  later  embellishments  for 
the  productions  of  the  early  ages.  The  difference  is  so  immense,  that 
we  might  as  easily  blunder  by  taking  a  Reubens  for  a  Beato  Angelico, 
as  by  considering  a  Byzantine  figure  to  be  a  production  of  the  two  first 
centuries. 

"  We  come  now  to  the  third  period  of  these  holy  cemeteries,  the  sad 
one  of  their  desolation.  When  the  Lombards,  and  later  the  Saracens, 
began  to  devastate  the  neighbourhood  of  Rome,  and  the  catacombs  were 
exposed  to  desecration,  the  Popes  extracted  the  bodies  of  the  most 
illustrious  martyrs,  and  placed  them  in  the  basilicas  of  the  city.  This 
went  on  till  the  eighth  or  ninth  century ;  when  we  still  read  of  repairs 
made  in  the  cemeteries  by  the  sovereign  Pontiffs.  The  catacombs 
ceased  to  be  so  much  places  of  devotion ;  and  the  churches,  which 
stood  over  their  entrances,  were  destroyed,  or  fell  to  decay.  Only 
those  remained  which  were  fortified  and  could  be  defended.  Such  are 
the  extramural  basilicas  of  St.  Paul  on  the  Ostian  way,  of  St.  Sebas- 
tian on  the  Appian,  St.  Laurence  on  the  Tiburtine,  or  in  the  Ager 
Veranus,  St.  Agnes  on  the  Nomentan  road,  St.  Pancratius  on  the 
Aurelian,  and,  greatest  of  all,  St.  Peter's  on  the  Vatican.  The  first 
and  last  had  separate  burghs  or  cities  round  them ;  and  the  traveller 
can  still  trace  remains  of  strong  walls  round  some  of  the  others. 

"  Strange  it  is,  however,  that  the  young  antiquarian,  whom  we  have 
frequently  named  with  honour,  should  have  re-discovered  two  of  the 
basilicas  over  the  entrance  to  the  cemetery  of  Callistus,  almost  entire; 


*  "  (The  picture)  of  St.  Cornelius,  Pope,  of  St  Cyprian."  On  the 
other  side,  on  a  narrow  wall,  projecting  at  a  right  angle,  are  two  more 
similar  portraits;  but  only  one  name  can  be  deciphered,  that  of  St. 
Sixtus,  or,  as  he  is  there  and  elsewhere  called,  Sustus.  On  the  paint- 
ings of  the  principal  saints  may  still  be  read,  scratched  in  the  mortar, 
in  characters  of  the  seventh  century,  the  names  of  visitors  to  the  tomb. 
Those  of  two  priests  are  thus — 

^LEO  PRB  IOANNIS  PRB. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  add  the  entry  in  the  Roman  calendar : 

"xviii.  KaL  Oct.  Cypriani  Africse:  Romae  celebratur  in  Callisti." 
"Sep.  14.  (The  deposition)  of  Cyprian  in  Africa:  at  Rome  it  is  kept  in 
(the  cemetery)  of  Callistus." 


470  APPENDIX. 

the  one  being  a  stable  and  a  bake-house,  the  other  a  wine-store.  One  is, 
most  probably,  that  built  by  Pope  Damasus,  so  often  mentioned.  The 
earth  washed  down,  through  air-holes,  the  spoilation  practised  during 
ages,  by  persons  entering  from  vineyards  through  unguarded  entrances, 
the  mere  wasting  action  of  time  and  weather,  have  left  us  but  a  wreck 
of  the  ancient  catacombs.  Still  there  is  much  to  be  thankful  for. 
Enough  remains  to  verify  the  records  left  us  in  better  times,  and  these 
serve  to  guide  us  to  the  reconstruction  of  our  ruins.  The  present 
Pontiff  has  done  more  in  a  few  years  for  these  sacred  places,  than  has 
been  effected  in  centuries.  The  mixed  commission  which  he  has  ap- 
pointed have  done  wonders.  With  very  limited  means,  they  are  going 
systematically  to  work,  finishing  as  they  advance.  Nothing  is  taken 
from  the  spot  where  it  is  found ;  but  everything  is  restored,  as  far  as 
possible,  to  its  original  state.  Accurate  tracings  are  made  of  all  the 
paintings,  and  plans  of  every  part  explored.  To  secure  these  good 
results,  the  Pope  has,  from  his  own  resources,  bought  vineyards  and 
fields,  especially  at  the  Tor  Marancia,  where  the  cemetery  of  SS.  Nereus 
and  Achilleus  is  situated ;  and  we  'believe  also  over  that  of  Callistus. 
The  French  emperor  too  has  sent  to  Rome,  artists,  who  have  produced 
a  most  magnificent  work,  perhaps  somewhat  overdone,  upon  the  cata- 
combs :  a  truly  imperial  undertaking," 


LETTER  FROM  NAPLES. 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter  lately  appeared  in  the  "  Cork  Consti- 
tution," a  highly  respectable  Protestant  journal,  of  strong  anti-Catholic 
tendencies ;  and  the  Editor  vouches  for  the  high  honour  and  veracity  of 
the  writer,  who  thus  affords  a  glimpse  at  the  true  state  of  tdings : — 

"13th  July,  1857. 

"  We  are  perfectly  tranquil  here  at  present.  The  landing  of  a  party 
of  Mazzinisti  the  other  day  was  repelled  by  the  peasants,  before  the 
Government  could  send  troops — a  proof  that  the  people  here  will  not 
revolt. 

"  Yesterday  a  friend  and  myself  read  a  most  violent  tirade  in  the 
'Morning  Post'  against  the  Government.  Both  of  us,  having  much 
to  do  in  the  country  with  the  people,  know  tolerably  their  sentiments, 
and  we  agreed  that  the  whole  was  absolutely  untrue.  Would  such  a 
newspaper,  uttering  such  virulent  falsehoods,  arid  expressing  itself  so 
unjustifiably,  be  allowed  to  pass  through  the  Post-office  in  Austria  or 
Russia?  No.  English  papers  in  those  countries  are  scissored  or 
blotted.  Here  not  an  English  paper  is  prohibited  or  mutilated,  not  even 
'  Punch.'  Why,  then,  does  Lord  Palmerston's  paper,  the  '  Morning 
Post,'  bully  the  weak  Governments,  and  not  attack  those  powerful 
ones  whose  atrocities  are  a  hundred  times  greater  than  those  of  this 
country  ? 

"Lord  Palmerston  and  the  '  Morning  Post'  know  that  the  state- 
ments they  publish  are  false.  They  have  received  counter- statements,  but 


THE  CATACOMBS.  471 

will  not  publish  them,  excusing  themselves  by  saying  that  the  parties  have 
been  imposed  on,  &c.  ;  but  when  some  infamous  account  is  sent  them,  so 
exaggerated,  that  it  may  be  said  to  surpass  the  bounds  of  probability, 
then  it  suits  them,  and  is  inserted. 

"  This  country  is  undoubtedly  capable  of  great  improvement — the 
people  are  too  uneducated,  but  there  is  material  prosperity.  The  prod- 
uce of  the  country  is  required  abroad,  and  sells  for  more  than  is  re- 
quired in  imports;  therefore  the  precious  metals  come  in  largely  to 
balance  the  account,  and  the  country  people  are  rich. 

"  The  total  debt  is  about  eighteen  millions  sterling,  on  a  five  per  cent, 
stock,  the  price  of  which  is  now  110 — a  tolerable  proof  of  the  feelings 
of  the  country. 

"  If  the  English  Government  wished  really  to  be  informed  of  the 
state  of  this  country,  let  it  send  an  impartial  man ;  and  I  am  sure  that 
prisons  and  every  source  of  information  would  be  open  to  him. 

"  The  King  is  as  different  from  what  he  is  represented  as  possible : 
he  is  mild,  benevolent,  painstaking,  and  a  very  hard-working  man,  ac- 
cessible to  everybody.  But  he  commits  the  great  error  of  thinking 
that  he  alone  knows  how  to  govern  the  country.  He  is  his  own 
minister,  and  governs  by  means  of  heads  of  departments,  called  direc- 
tors, who  will  not  take  on  themselves  the  least  responsibility,  and,  as  a 
consequence,  the  movement  of  the  Government  is  too  slow,  and  every 
unjust  or  unpopular  act  is  attributed  to  the  King." 


THE      END. 


New  York :  Printed  and  Stereotyped  by  BILLIN  A  BROTHER,  20  North  William  St.