dispute; but, practically, the remonstrants triumphed. The students
kept away from the classes, and after a short time the Sapienza college
had to be closed, in order, if possible, to weed out the liberal faction
amongst the pupils. Numbers of the students were arrested or exiled. As
instances of Papal notions of justice and law, I may mention two
instances connected with the government inquiry, which came to my
knowledge. One student was sent for to the police-office and asked if he
was one of those who presented the address; on his replying in the
negative, he was asked further, whether, if he had been on the spot, he
would have joined in the presentation. To this question, he replied,
that the police had no right to question him as to a matter of
hypothesis, but only as to facts. The magistrate's sole answer to this
objection consisted in an order to leave Rome within twenty-four hours.
Another student was arrested by a gendarme in the street, and brought to
the police-office; it was past five o'clock, and the magistrate informed
him it was too late to enter on the charge that day, and therefore he
must remain in the custody of the police for the night. In vain the
student requested to be informed of the charge against him, and protested
against the illegality of detaining a person in custody without there
being any charge even alleged; but to all this the magistrate remained
obdurate, and the student was sent home under the care of the gendarme.
Happily for himself, he managed to give his guardian the slip in the
streets, and left the Papal States that night without awaiting the result
of an inquiry which had commenced under such auspices.

It is true that the political opinions of a parcel of boys may have very
little intrinsic value; but straws shew which way the wind blows, and so
this exhibition of the students' sentiments shews how deep-rooted is the
disaffection to the Papacy throughout Roman society, and also how strong
the conviction is, that the days of priest-rule are numbered.

CHAPTER X. A PAPAL PAGEANT.

The Papacy is too old and too feeble even to die with dignity. Of itself
the sight of a falling power, of a dynasy _in extremis_, commands
something of respect if not of regret; but the conduct of the Papacy
deprives it of the sympathy that is due to its misfortunes. There is a
kind of silliness, I know of no better word to use, about the whole Papal
policy at the present day, which