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ot' fiery indignation against it. Yet according to his own confession after peace was made, he had suffered much from this State of things, and it was an immense joy to him to be reconciled to those enemies whom he had never been able to forget were still his relations.

In the November of this year the king was in his Villa San Rossore, near Pisa, when he was seized by a malignant fever — the same which had twice before threatened his life, It was confidently believed that his constitution must succumb to this third attack ; and he was reduced to such a low State that he gave himself up, and made ail arrangements in expectation of a speedy dissolution.

It was on this occasion that Victor Emmanuel, doubtless imder clérical pressure, went through the religious ceremony of marriage with Rosina, Countess Mirafiore, by whom he had two children, then grown up. The popular version of the transaction which is generally recounted to foreigners is as follows.

The king feeling death approaching called a priest, who having heard the confession of the royal penitent, refused him absolution till he would promise to restore the property robbed from the Church. Whereupon the king replied that he had not sent for his reverence to discuss political questions, which were the work of the Parliament and nation, but to administer ghostly advice to a dying man. Then the baffled priest attacked the monarch in his vulnérable point. You hâve here with you a woman who is not your wife.

MARRIAGE WITH COUNTESS MIRAFIORE. 163

‘ Peccavi,’ said the king ; ‘ in that you hâve a right to dictate to me ; what ought I to do ? ’

‘ Marry her,’ said the priest.

‘ Bring her here/ was the penitent’s prompt reply. And the matrimony was accordingly solemnised at the bedside of the dying king by the priest, whose malicious object it was to create dissensions in the royal family.

Like most popular stories, this dramatic version of the transaction is not strictly correct ; nor is it to be supposed probable that the public could be exactly informed as to the words that passed between a priest and penitent on a matter so entirely personal as the one in question. We will now quote the account of the scene given by Massari, whom we consider the most trustworthy writer on ail matters relating to Victor Emmanuel’s private life. He was intimate with the king, his ministers, and the officers of his court, and would naturally hâve informed himself of ail that had passed — or, at least, ail that concerned the public to know : —

Conscious of his great danger, he with perfect calmness manifested his last wishes, and made ail the arrangements which he considered suitable. He celebrated in religions form his marriage with the Countess Mirafiore ; and wishing to receive the comforts of religion, desired exprcssly that a priest should be called. He, having received the confession of the dying king,said : — ‘I cannot give your majesty absolution if you do not first make a solemn rétractation of ail the acts effected

IÔ4 LIFE OF VICTOR EMMANUEL n.

during your reîgn against the rights of Holy Church.’ And he presented a paper with the formula made out, ready for the king’s signature. In that suprême and terrible moment, Victor Emmanuel’s fortitude and sense of dignity did not fail him. He replied serenely and resolutely : — ‘ I am a Christian and Catholic, and I die such. If I hâve done wrong to anyone I repent of it sincerely, and I ask pardon of God. But the signature you ask of me is a political act, and in my quality of constitutional sovereign I cannot execute such an act without the consent of my responsible advisers. Go then into the next room ; there y'ou w’ill find the president of the council of ministers ; talk to him, — he will answer you.’

The priest went out, and found in the next room General Menabrea, to whom he related what had passed,— excusing himself for his conduct by saying that he was acting in accordance with orders received from Cardinal Corsi, of Pisa. The general did not hesitate a moment about his reply. The absolution must be given immediately ; any further insistance to obtain a rétractation would be an act of violence to the conscience of the dying ; and he reminded the priest that violence of that sort — especially when exercised towards the sovereign — was punishable by law, The priest had already committed a crime, which if he did not repair, he, the minister, would immediately give orders to the carabinieri to arrest him, to the end that justice should be donc for the patent offence to the majesty of the sovereign and the