der the Papal
Government, his doubts are removed by the reflection that the Roman
statesmen are no worse off than the French, and that, if Roman soldiers
don't fight, and Roman orators don't speak, it is because the exertion of
their faculties would not prove beneficial to themselves or others. Then
follows one of those ejaculatory paragraphs, which
tract-controversialists generally, and X especially, delight in. "You!
yes, you! applaud that Parisian insult-monger, who after having robbed
Rome of the provinces, that give her power and splendour, and having left
her a city maimed of hands and feet, with a frontier two fingers'-length
from the Vatican, then speaks of Rome thus degraded; he, I say, this
author of yours--this legislator of yours--this Parisian of yours, speaks
in the words of _Le Pape et le Congres_,"--and so on, through a labyrinth
of exclamatory parentheses. "Moderate" is overwhelmed by all this;
becomes convinced and converted; and, after the fashion of Papal
converts, out-Herods Herod in the ardour of his zeal. He volunteers to X
the following original view of French politics: "I can understand the
anger of the (French) journals because France has been so unfortunate in
her Italian enterprise. She promised, she advised, she threatened; and
promises, advice, and threats are alike dispersed in air. She promised
and placarded on all the walls the independence of Italy from the Alps to
the Adriatic. Where is her promise now? She promised and published
through all the Churches the freedom and integrity of the Papal
dominions. Where is her promise now? She advised Piedmont, she advised
the Duchies, she advised the Romagna, and her advice was neither received
nor accepted. Where is her advice now? Then came the threats of the
31st of December last, and, with profound respect, she threatened the
Pope to sacrifice the Romagna; and her prayers or her threats, as you
like, where are they now?" Again, of his own accord, M asserts, as a
self-evident fact, that "morality and justice have no better sanctuary
and no purer inspirations than are to be found in the Court of the
Vatican." What slight difficulties he still entertains are removed at
once. He asks X candidly to tell him whether the Papal government is
really a bad one or not, and is satisfied with the quotation "Sunt bona
mixta malis;" he then inquires, in all simplicity, why there are so many
complaints and outbreaks against the Papal rule? and