pital of
a great state, a hope which the Romans know not how to renounce."

Under these circumstances, Count Aldini goes on to recommend that hopes
should be held out of an early resumption of payments on the national
debt, and that a provisional air should be given to the proposed
arrangement, so as to keep alive the prospect of a great kingdom, of
which Rome should be the centre. He deprecates enforcing an oath of
allegiance on the clergy, on the ground that "all priests will consent to
obey the civil government; but all will not consent to swear allegiance
to it, because they consider obedience an involuntary act, and an oath a
voluntary act which might compromise their conscience." He finally
recommends delay, under present circumstances, till some decisive victory
has crushed the hopes of the priest party. This delay was fatal to the
scheme. After the battle of Wagram, Napoleon resumed the project, and
resolved to encrease the Pope's income to two millions of francs. Then,
however, there came unfortunately the protests of Pius VII. the bull of
excommunication hurled against the Emperor, and a whole series of petty
insults and annoyances on the part of the Pope; such, for instance, as
walling up the doors of his palace, and declaring, like his successor and
namesake, his anxiety to be made a martyr. Passion seems to have
prevailed over Napoleon's cooler and better judgment. The Pope was
carried off to Savona, Rome was made part of the French empire, and
Aldini's project slumbered till, in after years, it has been revived,
though without acknowledgement, by M. Guerroniere, in his pamphlet of _Le
Pape et le Congres_.

Now this project I have quoted not for its intrinsic value, but because I
think it one likely to be realized. Napoleon III. (the fact both for
good and bad is worth minding) and not the Italians has to decide on
Rome's future, and any one who has watched the Emperor's career will be
aware how carefully he follows out the cooler and wiser ideas of his
great predecessor. The Papal question is not one to be settled by the
sword, and I know not whether amongst all the plans that I have seen, the
solution of Napoleon I. does not present the fewest difficulties.

CHAPTER XVIII. TWO PICTURES.

Within the space of a few days, some three weeks in all, it was my
fortune to be present at two demonstrations forming two pictures of
Italian story, or rather two aspects of one picture. In both