he Pope himself his name was inscribed in "the Golden Volume of
the Capitol," and he received the title of marquis of Ischia, with an
annual pension of 3000 crowns, about L625.

He now contemplated a great work, a colossal statue of Religion. The
model filled Italy with admiration; the marble was procured, and the
chisel of the sculptor ready to be applied to it, when the jealousy of
churchmen as to the site, or some other cause, deprived the country of
the projected work. The mind of Canova was inspired with the warmest
sense of devotion, and though foiled in this instance he resolved to
consecrate a shrine to the cause. In his native village he began to make
preparations for erecting a temple which was to contain, not only the
above statue, but other works of his own; within its precincts were to
repose also the ashes of the founder. Accordingly he repaired to
Passagno in 1810. At a sumptuous entertainment which he gave to his
workmen, there occurred an incident which marks the kindliness of his
character. When the festivities of the day had terminated, he requested
the shepherdesses and peasantgirls of the adjacent hamlets to pass in
review before him, and to each he made a present, expending on the
occasion about L400. We need not, therefore, be surprised that a few
years afterwards, when the remains of the donor came to be deposited in
their last asylum, the grief which the surrounding peasantry evinced was
in natural expression so intense as to eclipse the studied solemnity of
more pompous mourning.

After the foundation-stone of this edifice had been laid, Canova
returned to Rome; but every succeeding autumn he continued to visit
Passagno, in order to direct the workmen, and encourage them with
pecuniary rewards and medals. In the meantime the vast expenditure
exhausted his resources, and compelled him to labour with unceasing
assiduity notwithstanding age and disease. During the period which
intervened between commencing operations at Passagno and his decease, he
executed or finished some of his most striking works. Amongst these were
the group "Mars and Venus," the colossal figure of Pius VI., the
"Pieta," the "St John," the "recumbent Magdalen." The last performance
which issued from his hand was a colossal bust of his friend, the Count
Cicognara. In May 1822 he paid a visit to Naples, to superintend the
construction of wax moulds for an equestrian statue of the perjured
Bourbon king Ferdinand. This journey m