most skilfully
played, and I anticipate largely from it. The curtain thus
falls upon the first act of the drama; let us set about to
prepare for its rising. I am far from saying that many
errors--some of the gravest kind--have not been committed in
the conduct of this affair. More than one grand opportunity
has gone by without profit; and even my suggestion about the
restoration of the States of the Church to their ancient
limits within the Venetian provinces--a demand which Rome
has formerly renewed every year since the treaty of Campo
Formio, and which might now have been pressed with success--
even this was neglected! But what could be done with a
runaway Pope and a scattered Consistory? Your letter, my
dear Michel, is a perfect catechism--all questions! I must
try a reply to some, at least, of its inquiries. You are
anxious about the endowment of the Ursulines, and so am I;
but unfortunately I can tell you little of my progress in
that direction. Lady Hester Onslow would appear to have
fallen into an entanglement of some sort with Lord Norwood;
and although I have in my possession the means of preventing
a marriage with him, or annulling it, if it should take
place, yet the very exercise of this power, on my part,
would as inevitably destroy all my influence over her, and
be thus a mere piece of profitless malice. This, therefore,
is a matter of some difficulty, increased, too, by his hasty
departure from Florence--they say for England; but I have no
clew to his destination, for he left this on the very day I
last wrote to you--the day of my visit to the Moskova--in
which you seem to be so much interested. Strangely enough,
Michel, both this man and the Russian seemed to feel that
they were in the toils, and broke away, rather than hazard
an encounter with me. And they were right, too! For the deep
game of life, there is no teaching like that of the
cloister; and if we be not omnipotent, it is owing to our
weakness of purpose. Hildebrand knew this--Boniface knew it
also; but we have fallen upon poor successors of these great
men! What might not a great Pope be in the age we live
in!--one whose ambition was commensurate with his mission,
and who had energy and courage for the task before him! Oh!
how I felt this, some ni