X. had been, as yet, betrayed and abandoned by
Napoleon III. The Grand Duke of Tuscany and all his family, together with
the Dukes of Parma and Modena, came to pay their homage at Bologna. The
Holy Father accepted their pressing invitation to visit Tuscany and
Modena, the sovereigns showing publicly, in presence of their people, such
reverence and devotedness as recalled the faith and loyalty of the Middle
Ages. The Pope himself bears witness to the truly noble and chivalrous
conduct of these provinces. "He introduced us himself into Florence," says
Pius IX., in speaking of the Grand Duke Leopold, "walking by our side, and
accompanied us to every Tuscan city which we visited. All the archbishops
and bishops of his States, all the clergy, the corporate bodies, the
magistrates and the nobles showed their delight by testifying their
devotion to us in a thousand ways. Not only at Florence, but wherever we
went in Tuscany, the people from town and country, far and near, came
forth to greet us, acclaiming the Chief Pontiff of the church with such
ardent affection, showing such an intense desire to see him, to do him
reverence, to receive his benediction, that our fatherly heart was moved
to its inmost depths." On the Holy Father's return to Rome there was high
jubilee among all classes of the people a fact which the traducers of Pius
IX. would do well to note, as it proves beyond a doubt how idle and
ill-founded was all their clamor, to the effect that in the holy city his
popularity had departed.

(M60) A case in itself comparatively unimportant now became a _cause
celebre_, and agitated all Europe. One Mortara, a Jew of Bologna, had, in
violation of the laws of the country, taken into his service a Christian
maid. Meantime, one of his children, a boy about seven years of age,
became dangerously ill. The Christian girl, unadvisedly, and also in
opposition to the law, baptized him. Her act could not be undone, and the
law required that every baptized person should be educated as a Christian.
Pius IX. refused to interfere with the action of this law. Hence the
torrents of abuse that were poured upon him by the infidel _liberal_ press
of Europe, as well as by the ultra-Protestant organs of England. He had
ignored liberty of conscience, abused his authority, &c. Now, let us
suppose that he had acted otherwise, and prevented the execution of a
well-known law, what would have been the result? He would have been
denounced as a despo