THE PRISONER OF THE VATICAN

and many of his witticisms relate to his own peculiar position, as when he remarked on Garibaldi’s arrivai in Rome, ‘ We were two ; now we are three.' These bon mots, and an occasional allocution, were ail that was heard of the Pope after the Italians took possession of the ancient capital. The bitterness of the pastorals and his private gaiety — the contrast between the idéal martyr-pope lying on a bed of straw, and the charming courtly gentleman whose green old âge reposed in a home which the proudest monarch in Europe might envy, had a rather irritating effect on the Italian public mind. l io Nono, however, was not wilfully false or deceptive, but he had a dual character : as Pope he felt it his duty to cry out about the persécutions of the Church, while as a man he was gentle and amiable, and did not feel towards Victor Emmanuel the animosity with which he was accredited. He sometimes, to the king’s friends, spoke kindly of him as a buon figliuolo, and wrote, when occasion required, in a not unfriendly spirit. One instance will serve to show that it was as much from the influence of those around him as from principle, that Pius IX. refused ail intercourse with the King of Italy. In 1872 the Pope, wishing to suppress some scandai of which he had become cognisant, wrote in his own hand, without Consulting Antonelli, a letter to the king, asking him to use his authority for the removal of the said abuse. One of the Noble Guards arrived at the Quirinal, saying he had orders from the Pope to consign the letter into his majesty’s hands. The king was pleased to recognise the Pope’s own characters, and pleased also

with the contents ; for in that letter he acknowledged him as a constitutional sovereign, telling him to use his power as far as it went, and ‘ consult his ministers.’ It concluded with these words, ‘Full of patemal affection, I pray God for your majesty, I pray Him for Italy, and I pray Him for the Church.’

Thus in private Pio Nono’s kind heart sometimes spoke, in spite of the constant guard he kept upon it. His public denunciations were for the édification of the Catholic World, which must also hâve been edified by the Christian humility with which Victor Emmanuel bore these public denunciations and private snubbings from the Vatican, never failing in deferential respect towards the Holy Father. And from a heretic point of view there seems something noble in the meekness with which the proud conqueror bowed before his aged and impotent foe, pleading for his friendship, and saying he Wcis ready to abdicate if that could spare him pain. Pius IX. would hâve been more (or less) than man if he had not been touched by the attitude of Victor Emmanuel towards him personally ; and there is no doubt that he was, though his court was at great pains to conceal the fact.

The libération of Rome by the monarchy had silenced those restless spirits who had so long made it their warcry ; and Garibaldi, after sulking for years, and making common cause with the republicans, was elected deputy to the national Parliament, took a solemn oath of allegiance to the King of Italy, and in a long private audience ail différences were explained away and the heroes reconciled. In presence of the great national