olutely!"

"I must think no more about it?"

"Quite out of the question."

"Well, Monsignore, I'll do without it. Let us have recourse to the
system of voluntary enlistment, but with the condition that you secure
the prospects of the soldier. What bounty do you offer to recruits?"

"Twelve scudi; but for the future we mean to go as high as twenty."

"Twenty scudi is fair enough; still I'm afraid even at one
hundred and seven francs a head you won't get picked men.
Now, you will allow, Monsignore, a peasant must be badly off
indeed when a bounty of twenty scudi tempts him to put on a
uniform which is universally despised? But if you want to
attract more recruits round every barrack than there were
suitors at Penelope's gate, endow the army, offer the Roman
citizens--pardon me, I mean the Pope's _subjects_--such a
bounty as is really likely to tempt them. Pay them down a
small sum for the assistance of their families, and keep the
balance till their period of service has expired. Induce
them to re-engage after their discharge by promises
honourably and faithfully observed; arrange that with every
additional year of service the savings which the soldier has
left in the hands of the state shall increase. Believe me,
when the Romans know that a soldier, without assistance,
without education, without any brilliant action, or any
stroke of good fortune, by the mere faithful performance of
his duty, can, after twenty-five years' service, secure an
income of L20 or L25 a year, they will snatch at the
advantage of entering the ranks; and I warrant you, the
personal interest of each will attach them more firmly to
the Government, as the depository of their savings. When the
house of a notary is on fire you will see the most immovable
and indifferent of shopkeepers running like a cat on the
tiles, to put out the fire and save his own papers. On the
same principle, a Government will always be served with zeal
in proportion to the interest its servants have in its
security."

"Of course," said the Prelate,

"I understand your argument perfectly. Man requires some
object in life. A hundred and twenty scudi a year is not an
unpleasant bed to lie upon after a term of military service.
At this price we should not want candidates. Even the middle
class would so