Father then, without showing the least
emotion, said to him: "My dear Count, what do you desire?" "I am come,
your Holiness, in order to ask that you will allow me to introduce to you
the King of Italy." At these words the Pontiff rose from his seat, and,
looking indignantly at the Emperor, said to him with much firmness: "It is
quite useless to hold such language. Let the King of Piedmont abjure his
misdeeds and restore to me my States. I will then consent to receive him.
But not till then."

CREATION OF CARDINALS--AUDIENCES AND ALLOCUTIONS--THE POPE REALLY A
PRISONER--THE PRINCE OF WALES--ENGLAND--IRELAND.

A creation of cardinals was necessary. There were twenty-nine vacant hats.
Towards the close of 1873 Pius IX. resolved on twelve new creations. One
of these became the occasion of protesting anew against the Italian
government. The Society of Jesuits had always been a special object of its
hatred. They were the first whom it expelled from Rome, as has been the
case in more than one persecution. And now they were robbed,
notwithstanding the hopes that the European ambassadors were led to
entertain of the Roman College which was their property. The Holy Father
met this new brigandage by raising a member of the society to the dignity
of cardinal. Tarquini, professor of canon law at the Sapienza (Roman
College), was the favored member. Thus did the despoiled Pontiff condemn
the ignorance and rebuke the robbery of the new rulers of Rome. "I am
aware," said Pius IX. on this occasion, "that the Jesuits do not willingly
accept ecclesiastical dignities. I had not, therefore, thought, until now,
of conferring the purple on any of their members. But the unjust acts from
which your society is suffering at this moment have determined me. It
appeared to me to be necessary that I should make known in this way what I
think of the ignorant calumnies of which you are the victims, and at the
same time give proof to yourself and your brethren of my esteem and
friendship."

If, ever since the violent seizure of Rome, it was customary to speak of
the Pope as "the prisoner of the Vatican," his enemies, on the other hand,
ceased not to insist that he was perfectly free, whilst he obstinately
persisted in remaining within the walls of his palace. It has been noticed
already that every approach to Rome and the Vatican was strictly guarded
by the soldiers of the usurping king. A circumstance which occurred on the
evening of the 20th June,