d this proclamation which spoke of mercy in terms that expressed it
so poorly. Events which were a cruel satire on Garibaldi's words, and
which he had not foreseen, caused his bands to fall into the power of the
Pontifical troops, so that it was they who sued for pardon and obtained
it. It can even be said that on this occasion the generosity of the
soldiers of the Pope was excessive, for the vanquished enemy had been
guilty of many other crimes besides that of rising in arms against the
legitimate government. They had pillaged the Cathedral of Bagnorea, broken
the tabernacle, stolen the sacred vessels, defiled the image of the
Madonna, pierced the crucifix with their bayonets, decapitated the statues
of the saints, and enacting an infernal parody, shot an inoffensive man,
in order that human blood might be shed on the altar of sacrifice.

At Subiaco, the governor, who was a priest, fell, together with the town,
into the hands of the banditti. They were preparing to sack the place and
put the governor to death, when a Pontifical troop appeared. The struggle
was short. The Garibaldian chief was slain, and the rest fled. They who
guarded the prisoner threw themselves at his knees, imploring mercy. "Have
pity on us, my Lord; do not give us up to the Zouaves; they would kill
us." The governor made them go into his oratory and closed the door.
Meanwhile the commandant of the Zouaves arrived, gave him the details of
the battle, and spoke of the prisoners he had taken. "Everybody makes
prisoners," said the governor, smiling. "I have some also, although not,
like you, a man of the sword." "Where are they?" "Ah! they are mine and
not yours. Promise that you will respect my absolute right of conqueror;
if not, I will not show them." The commandant made the desired promise,
and the governor opened the door of his oratory and made the Garibaldians
come out. These prisoners were greatly amazed. Having asked and obtained
the governor's priestly blessing, they freely recrossed the Italian
frontier.

The action at Monte-Libretti, which took place on the 14th October, was of
a more serious character. Eighty Zouaves contended from half-past five in
the evening till eight o'clock against twelve hundred Garibaldians. Arthur
Guillemin, their captain, and Urbain de Quelen, their second lieutenant,
fell gloriously. When night came, the Zouaves being unable to fight any
longer, and not venturing to establish themselves in the first houses
whic