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to grow the thorns on which St . Benedict rolled himself to quench the passions of manhood , and wherenow grow the roses into winch St . Fkancis transformed the said thorns , in honour of his brother saint . The monk who showed me the building talked much about the misery of the surroundina : p . o > . rV At the convent foot lies a little wood of dark , green ilexes , of almost unknown age ; , valued on account of some tradition about St . BENEpiCT , andperhaps still more as formingakind of oasis on the desert mountain side . Armed guards have to be placed at night round this wood , to save it from the depredations of the peasantry . Every tree belonging to the convent , and not guarded , was cut down at once . No one—so my informant told me —would believe the sums of money the convent had spent of late on charity , and how , for this purpose , even their supplies of daily food had been curtailed ; but alas ! it was only like pouring-water into a sieve , and the people were poorer than ever . I own that when the old priest pointed out the number of convents and churches you , could see in the valley below * and spoke in regret of the time when there were twelve convents round Suhiaco alone , I felt that the cause of this hopeless n . isery was not far to seek . On my way homewards to the town I beheld the half-dozen skyrockets which composed the display of fire-works , and also the two rows of oil lamps on thepoiitices over the church door which formed the ¦ illuminations . Neither sig-ht seemed to collect much crowd nor create much excitement . ' . As the dusk came on the streets emptied fast , and by nitrht the town was empty , and , except that the wine shops were still filled-with a few inveterate topers , every sign of the fair had vanished . There was not , however ,: even a trace of drunkenness apparent . The next morning the same scone was repeated , with little difference , save that the crowd was rather greater , and a band of music played in the market-place . About noon the holy procession was seen coming down the winding road which , leads from the convent to the town . I had taken my position on a roadside bank , and enjoyed- ' a perfect view . There were a number of shabby flag-s and banners , preceded by a hundred able-bodied : men , dressed in dirty white surplices , rather dirtier than the colour of their 'faces . A number ofra ^ ed choristers followed , swinging incense pots , droning . an xininteiligible chant , and figh . fing with each other . Then came a troop of monks and scholars , with downcast eves and bare heads . All these walked two and two together , and carried one or two crucifixes raised . aloft . The monks were preceded by a pewter-looking -bust , which I suppose represented St . Bkxepict , and the bust Was followed by a mule , on which , in a snuffcoloured coat , black tights , white neckcloth , amlBeefouVr ' s hat , all surmounted by a green umbrella , rode the governor . By his side walked his secretary , the Svndic of Subiaeo , four gensdurnies . . aiid throe broken-down Old livery-clad bcadh'S , who carried the umbrellas of these hiirh dignitaries . ' In truth , had it not . been for the unutterable shabbiness of the whole affair , 1 could have fancied I saw the market scene in " Martha , " and the " last rose of summer " rose unbidden to my ears . Not a score ; of spectators accompanied the procession from ' the convent , and the interest caused by it seemed to be small—the devotion absolutely none . Indeed , the fact which struck me most throughout was the utter apathy of the people . Not a person hi the place I spoke to—and I asked several—had any notion wlio the governor was . The nearest approach that I got to an answer was from one of the old livery bearjles , who . answered-, Chi m ? a una roha da oonla ? io , n \\( X with this explanation , tliat the governor was " a thing that came from a distance , " I was obliged to rest satisfied . When the procession reached the town the band joined in , the governor descended , and so with banners Hying , crosses waving , drums beating , and priests , boys , and choristers chanting , we marched ii * a body into the church , whore a good portion of the crowd and all the beggars followed us . I had now , however , had enough of the " humours of the fair , " and left tho town without trying my luck at tho tombola , which was to come ofF directly nfter in ass .
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April 21 , I 860 ;] The •¦ Leader ' and Sattir'day ' Analyst . % 383
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Tujiin , April II , lfSii . O . None of the great quostions which nro now ngitating Italy seem to havo mnde any marked advance during the jmst . week , The principle of legitimacy is mnking its lost dying effort , but its every not is n defeat . Tho Pofn , tho Grand Duke of Tuscanv , the Duko of Modkna , and tho Duchoss of Parma have issued protests explanatory of tho onuses nnd circumstance's by which they were deprived of their rights . That they should do so is poiTccUy natural , nnd whether those protests appear in Latin , Italian , or French , or assume tho form of excommunication or of memorandum , is of little moment ; they nil ngroo m attributing tho joss of their power and territory to Piodruontoso influence nnd artifice . Piednionteso influence has had undoubtedly a largo share in producing tho recent events of Italy , but has not employed tho menus ascribed to it by the prinefifl , namely , conspiracy jukI corruption . Tha irresistible iulluenco which Piedmont hats exoruised has been that , of her Italian policy , holdly confessed and vnlorously maintained by arms , of tho enlitflitoiiod liberalism by which all her aetn woro iimpirod , nnd by which she gradually disarmed all opposition , and blondod into one the generous but conflicting aspirations nurtured by Italians' during ' the . past twelve years . Those who attribute nny other than moral influence to PiodnVont , nnd talk of corruption and intimidation , forgot tlint their nflouniption must bo iniuulbstly absurd to any ono who considers tho proportion between the eorruptor nnd tho corrupted , tho intimidntor ond tho frightened . It ¦ Npoaks for itself , and is a thing- physically imnprwiblo that four millions of Italians could corrupt ami intjliiiidiito twice their own number . Tho jnrinooa who Imvo ptit forth those protests , and docmrcfl that
they reserved their rights intact , have not taken the smallest trouble to justify their past conduct or abjure a single one of their errors . The people , to whom their honied words are addressed , may judge for themselves what would be the effect of their restoration , now happily become impossible . It ' would be a return to ^ systematic oppression , to foreign domination , and to all the sufferings , injustice , and discontent of the past . Though the princes seem to have wholly forgotten that they joined the ranks of the enemies of their country , they need never expect that their late subjects will become oblivious of the fact ; that , after voluntarily abandoning their thrones , they fought at Sol ferino . Our parliament is now constituted and ready for work , though not much business is likely to be transacted until after the return of the King from his visit to Tuscany and the Romagna . He will be accompanied by so many of the deputies , that it is not probable a sufficient number will remain behind to constitute a legal house * and parliament must consequently be prorogued . Count Cavour accompanies his Majesty , and Chevalier Fakini is to meet him at Bologna . The Chevalier BoNCOMrAGNi has lately . g iven . proof of extraordinary modesty , and freedom from personal ambition He has declined the Presidency of the Chambers ; on the ground of being too much occupied to accept it , nnd lias addressed to Count Tkrestzio Mamiaxi , . the Minister of Public Instruction , the following simple unassuming letter : — 1 " Most illustrious Minister , ^—I am desirous of establishing a pri-| . vote class for instruction in constitutional law . My age and habits j of life render me unwilling to submit to the examination referred to in Arts . 97 , 9 . 8 of the law , relating to public instruction . I / do not 1 know --whether the work which I have written upon legal ' . sciencej the fact that I am a member of the Royal Academy of Scit-nce ^—and my past political career , ' will entitle me to the exceptional permission mentioned in Art . 96 . j "I submit the question to yon , sir , not with the presumption , that | your answer inust be favourable to my wish ; but with the desire to ! attempt an undertaking which may prove advantageous to study i and to the country . . ¦ -. ' . . t " Accept , irio . st illustrious Minister , the assurance of my esteem . j . ¦¦ " C . BONCOSIl'AONI . " Count Mamiani ' s reply was exactly such an Bokcdmvagxi's letter was calculated to call forth . After declaring it to be one of the most flattering events of his life , that a man ( if historic name , conspicuous for every virtue , like the Cowwcndatorc BozncomrAGXT , should write to him for the permission in question ; he declares that no examination whatever will be required , and mi-iely beirs to know when the lectures are to commence , that the rector of the University may make all needful arrangements . " This return to quiet , " he says , " and indulgence in (• ongenial studies , alter ' you . have . maintained a dignity almost regal with the applause of all Europe , is a proof , of modesty , perhaps -unique , in our times , and very rare even in ancient days . " The French ecclesiastic . Father Za cor mi he , has published a , tract bearing the title , JJe In Z / hcr / 6 do VJtaUo ct da VJEijlise . The illustrious preacher devotes pages of eloquence to the defence of Italy . "Italy , " he says , "is a . great and unfortunate country ; great in that it once governed the world , and many times revived it by its radiance ; unfortunate , in that for many ages—and especially during the last fifty years , it has been compelled to subini < v to -a foreign yoke . Tile ' cause of Italy against Austria is just under the aspect of reason , how ' much more just under the ' aspect of Christianity ! It is Christianity which has e ' xnlldd right above force , and tf iven ( o conscience that light riml energy which ifc never possessed before tho time of Jksvh Cjikist . " The writer remarks that tho opposition which tho Italians are now manifesting airainst foreign domination is just , because the latter deprives .. them of their country , without giving . them any other in oxcimnge , which is one of ' the most enormous of crimes . " But if thu cause of Italy against Austria is jus-t , is tho cause of Italy Ji ^ n inst the Papacy equally bo ? " asks tho Father , in a tono which betrays considerable arjx . io ( y . Is Italy against tho Papacy H Is not the Papacy against Italy much rather P Who has excited a struggle between Italy and the Papacy P AVho has made the Court of Rome tlio ally of ' Venice and tho enemy of independence . and national liberty ' ? The acousatioiis mnde by Italy aguinst the Papacy are serious , but lie believes them to he unfounded , because the Papal power exists , and lina been mainluined in the world lor above a thou-Hnnd years . But , if wo thus accept the work of ugos , we may justify , every iniquity Unit ever hns buen or ever will be coininitled . Ii » o dominion of the Sultan over Greoeo was tho work of agon , iinu yet . bur ii-ullior , with seli-contradiotion , praises CaAitrjes X . lor Juiving 1 erected the kingdom of Greece ; because time uii / tj adds duration to injustice , and , fur from tli-minMihir / , increase * f / to deb / . It then ) the work of ' ages is not valid unle «» it is upliHd by justice , how can it be said that the accusations brought against thoXourt of Bomo are uniounded , only because tlio tomponil power m the work of ages ? To aot-M of tho difliculty , tho cluver writer describes the Poimoy ils tlio bulwark of Italian uulepondonco during tho iniddlo ages , and , in opposition to history , Uochuro Dantr was n aiiilwliine , coiisidtrn hint as a partirtiui ol loroignorH . Tlio Papacy had solely in viow tho dofonco of its leinporul pretensions and Hovcroignty in the long struggle , which it malnlaniod with tlio JBinnororfi ol Germany . ' « ' tho obstiriato and Iitociouh war against IIjujiiiv IV . and the Ho « kxhtait « kn . In oj'dor to onsjiro Buecoss , it accepted any alliance which presented itHOlf ; that ol the iGJorinnn princes iiffniuat Hkniiy IV . nnd tho Lowbiinlmii cUiqb agninflt J ?« kwkuio Uak-bakobha . Whilo the only cure of the Papaoy wnu to cause its ( jupreinacy to yrovuil , tjiu Oenmiii princoH tliuuprlvb
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), April 21, 1860, page 383, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2344/page/19/
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