your hands?" The girls
curtsied respectfully, and told His Holiness that they brought
these sheets of paper in hopes His Holiness would have the
condescension and kindness to give them his autograph. He smiled,
and wrote in Latin the benediction: "Grace, mercy, and peace from
God our Father, and Jesus Christ our Lord," and then kindly gave
them also the pen with which it was written.

Thus ended our interview with Pope Pins IX., of whose unaffected
sincerity, candor, kindness, and good sense, we formed the most
favourable opinion, notwithstanding the system of which he is the
head.

Dr. Ryerson also mentions another interview which he had:--

In addition to my letters of introduction to Cardinal Antonelli, my
Russian friend, Dunjowski, gave me a letter of introduction to
Father Thyner, the keeper of the Archives at Rome, and an intimate
personal friend of the Pope; in which letter he referred to the
school systems of Upper Canada, in reference to Roman Catholics.
Father Thyner wished to see the Canadian school law and
regulations, and shewed and explained them to the Pope, who
afterwards spoke of their fairness and kindness, in my interview
with His Holiness.

Father Thyner was once Librarian to the King of Prussia, and being
a Roman Catholic, he went to Rome, where his varied learning and
high character soon obtained him a high position at the Vatican.
He, as well as the Pope, in his early life was an enemy of the
Jesuits, and was regarded by them as such throughout his whole
life.

I had a severe illness of some weeks at Rome, during which Father
Thyner visited me almost daily, but never said one word to me on
the grounds of difference between Roman Catholics and Protestants.

During my last visit to England in 1876-7, I spent part of a day at
the residence of the Rev. Wm. Arthur, A.M., who showed me the works
in his library from which he had derived the principal materials of
his masterly work on _The Pope and The People_. Among other works
he shewed me some volumes written by Father Thyner, containing an
account of the proceedings of the Council of Trent. "Why," I said,
"I know Father Thyner personally," and related my acquaintance with
him. Mr. Arthur said in reply, "This work is the chief source of my
knowledge of the procee