y in
Rome they were feted to their hearts' content.

At Naples, which was their next stopping-place, Wolfgang played at the
Conservatorio alla Pieta before a brilliant gathering, and excited so
much astonishment that several of the audience openly declared that
his powers were derived from a ring which he wore upon his finger. 'He
wears a charm!' they cried; and when Mozart, hearing their remarks,
smilingly laid aside the supposed magic ring, and played even more
brilliantly than before, the enthusiasm was redoubled. After this the
Neapolitans vied with one another to show them honour and attention. A
carriage was provided for their use, in which they drove about amongst
the fashionable crowds on the Strada Nuova and the quay, on which
occasions Leopold wore a maroon-coloured coat of watered silk, with
sky-blue facings, and Wolfgang one of apple-green, with rose-coloured
facings and silver buttons.

We have not space, however, in which to describe all the events of
Mozart's wonderful tour, and so we may only mention how they returned
to Rome at the instance of the Pope, who not only granted Wolfgang a
private audience, but bestowed upon him the Order of the Golden Spur,
thus entitling him to be styled 'Signor Cavaliere Amadeo'; how, when
next he wrote to Marianne, he jokingly concluded his letter as
follows: 'Mademoiselle, j'ai l'honneur d'etre votre tres-humble
serviteur et frere, Chevalier de Mozart'; and how his portrait was
once more painted in Rome by Battoni. A still greater distinction was
conferred upon him on his arrival at Bologna, for the Accademia
Filarmonica admitted him to their ranks as 'compositore,'
notwithstanding that their statutes required that members should be at
least twenty years of age. To test his qualifications for election he
was given an antiphon to set in four parts, and locked up in a room to
fulfil his task. At the expiration of half an hour he asked to be let
out, to the astonishment of the officials, who could scarcely credit
that he had completed the work in so short a time. The composition was
then examined by the professors, who next voted upon it, and finally,
amidst clapping of hands, it was declared that Mozart had been duly
elected.

After some further intercourse with Padre Martini, who, before
leaving, presented Mozart with a testimonial, the travellers proceeded
to Milan, where Wolfgang set to work at once on the opera which he had
been commissioned to write. It was a gre