excommunication had upon the elections, the most contradictory accounts are given by the two parties. The different organs of the Government declare that the number of votes given amounted to 25,000; and on the evening of the 20th, an ordinance was published, declaring that, as it had been impossible to receive all the suffrages in one day, the ballot-box would be kept open for a second day. The papal party declare that the greater part of the 25,000 votes are forgeries, and that the extension of the time of voting was owing to the smallness of the numbers on the first day. To decide on which side the truth lies, is a manifest impossibility. That the revolutionary party is not to be relied on, is evident, among others, from the complete abolition of the liberty of the press; while, on the contrary, the lies vended by the papal party exceed all belief. Among these are accounts of alleged miraculous interpositions of Providence, to give effect to the papal sentence of excommunication. Several individuals, it is asserted, who took a part in the events of the 15th and 16th of November, and in the tearing down of the bull of excommunication on the 7th and 8th of January, have since died a sudden and unnatural death; while others have been driven to the confessional by remorse of conscience, and have even made pilgrimages to Gaeta, in search of pardon. Among the stories of this kind, which were put into circulation, was one concerning the Bishop of Rieti, who had gone to give his vote at the election, to the great scandal of all the faithful, and fell down, so it was reported, in an apoplectic fit on the day following. This was, of course, pronounced an evident judgment of Heaven upon him; but, unfortunately for the conclusiveness of the miracle, another Popish print asserts that the voting paper of the prelate bore the following inscription :-" I vote for the return of the immortal Pius IX. ; I vote for the return of the Pope, our legitimate Sovereign; I vote for His Holiness, the Vicar of Jesus Christ, and the Head of the Catholic Church."

The most impudent of all the lies, however, which have been vended by the papal party in connexion with this business, is the alleged miracle of the handkerchief of Sta. Veronica. The story, as stated on "authority," is this:-The Pope having given orders for public prayers to be made in all the churches, to invoke the Divine mercy on the Pontifical State, the wood of the true cross, and the handkerchief of Sta. Veronica, were exposed on the occasion. On the latter, the alleged impression of the face of our blessed Lord has, it is said, become so faint by the lapse of time, as to be scarcely distinguishable; but, on the third day of the exhibition, the colours on the handkerchief became all at once vivid, and the face of our Lord appeared, as if alive, in the midst of a soft light; nay, some of the canons in attendance at the time depose that they saw the face come out in relief upon the handkerchief, with an expression of life and of sorrow, which left no doubt of the miracle upon their minds. The clergy of the cathedral were all summoned together to witness this miracle; the cathedral bells were tolled, and a great crowd was collected, which stood transfixed with the prodigy.

A notary apostolic was sent for, who drew up an official statement for the information of the Pope and of posterity: his report has been transmitted to the Congregation of Rites, which is expected to certify the miracle to the Catholic Church, as resting on the most incontrovertible evidence. But the miracle does not end here. On the evening of the occurrence, several white silk veils were brought into contact with the handkerchief of Sta. Veronica, and the image of the Saviour's countenance was miraculously transferred to them. These veils, it is added, will be transmitted to France.

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In this conflict between the gross imposture of superstition, and the revolutionary violence of unbelief, the Romish clergy have, for the most part, ranged themselves on the side of the Pope; but not invariably so. There have been, besides that of the Abbé Gioberti, other notable desertions from the Papal camp. The most remarkable of these, is that of the celebrated Father Ventura, once the familiar of Pius IX., who has openly taken part against his former friend and patron, and the Head of his Church. After preaching a fiery sermon in the church of St. Andrea della Valle, in honour of "the martyrs of liberty at Vienna," the eloquent Theatine published it with a preface on the subject of the Pope's flight, in which he mentions that Pius IX. was induced, by the misrepresentations of the diplomatists, to quit Rome, and that he is now nothing more than a tool in the hands of the Austrian and reactionary party. The Austrian Obscurantist party," he writes, labouring to obtain a declaration of anti-Liberal principles. We trust they will not obtain it, and that Pius IX. will not stultify himself. Oh! what confusion, when this terrible intrigue shall become known! Meanwhile the foreign journals incessantly declaim against the captivity to which Pius IX. was subjected at Rome, both as a Prince and as a Pontiff. They are shamelessly deceived by their legitimist, philippist, obscurantist correspondents, who are either rogues or fools. These journals are in complete ignorance of the true state of affairs at Rome. They say the question is between a handful of demagogues, who wish for licence and anarchy, and Pius IX., who is opposed to it; whereas, on the contrary, the question is, whether the constitution granted by Pius IX. is, or is not, to be destroyed: the question is between absolutism and liberty." When subsequently the Papal Bull was published, Father Ventura wrote, at the request, it is said, of Sterbini, a pamphlet, to prove its invalidity on canonical grounds,—an expedient which it seems is resorted to by those of the Roman Clergy who wish to reconcile their adhesion to the democracy with their allegiance to the Church.

While this line is pursued by the more moderate antagonists of Pius IX., a licentious press is assailing the Papacy with a degree of profane ribaldry which surpasses all bounds, and of which the procession formed on the 7th of January was but a coarse counterpart. As a specimen of the prevailing disbelief, not only in the pretensions of the Pope, but in all revealed religion, we have lying before us several numbers of a periodical publication started at Leghorn at the beginning of the present year,

under the horrible title L'Inferno (Hell). It is blasphemously, as well as copiously, illustrated, the very letters of the title being as many devils in different attitudes, and professes to be a giornale politico-diabolicobizzarro-letterario- umoristico-fantastico-ridicolo - critico- satirico-pittoresco-teatralo. The caricature in the first number, admirably executed, as far as composition and graphic power are concerned, represents an auctioneer inviting a number of scowling republicans to bid for the Pope's triple crown, which is mounted on the top of a pole, with a placard by the side of it, bearing the inscription Vendita all' asta pubblica a benefizio d'Italia (sale by public auction for the benefit of Italy). The people shout in reply, Al Diavolo tutto! tutto al Diavolo ! The most expressive figure in the whole scene, however, is the Evil One, who is represented looking in at the window, and saying to Himself, Lo sapeva che non mi rubavano l'Eredità (I knew it, they would not rob me of my inheritance.)

This tone of public feeling,-which such a publication as the one just referred to proves to be by no means confined to the lowest rabble, the whole style of the journal being evidently calculated for educated readers, accounts for the daring with which the Government Junta at Rome has proceeded, first deposing the Pope formally from his temporal sovereignty by its decree of the 9th of February, and afterwards confiscating the whole of the property of the Church. To recount all the scenes of violence and pillage, especially of libraries and archives, of which the Roman correspondents of the French journals in the Papal interest complain, is wholly impossible within our limits. The protest issued in the name of the Pope by Cardinal Antonelli, on the 19th of February, has had no effect in checking the sales of every species of property, moveable and immoveable, belonging to the churches and monasteries, by which the revolutionary Government are replenishing their empty treasury; and if the restoration of the Pope should ever be effected by the Powers to which he has appealed, he will return to a city stripped of its wealth and splendour. Meanwhile it is curious enough to see Pius IX. reduced to the necessity of falling back upon the support of those old and worn-out governments which the Papacy thought, but a year ago, it could do without, on the strength of its new alliance with the democracy.

Encyclic on the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin.-Not less indicative of the rapid approach of the final fall of the Papacy, than the events above recorded, is the step-a step for which we have, on a former occasion, prepared our readers 1-taken by Pius IX. on the late Feast of the Purification, when he issued the following Encyclic, addressed to the Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, and Bishops of the whole Catholic world :

"Pius IX. Pope. Venerable Brethren, greeting, and apostolic benediction:

"When, having been raised, certainly for no merit of Ours, but by

1 English Review, vol, viii, pp. 501-507.

the inscrutable counsel of Divine Providence, to the exalted chair of the Prince of the Apostles, We first took in hand the government of the Universal Church, it afforded Us the greatest comfort, Venerable Brethren, to know, how, in the Pontificate of Gregory XVI., Qur predecessor, of blessed memory, a most ardent desire had been marvellously kindled in the Catholic world, that the Apostolic See should at length, by a solemn judgment, decree that the Most Holy Mother of God, and the most blessed Mother of us all, the Immaculate Virgin Mary, has been conceived without original sin. Which pious desire is openly and plainly attested and demonstrated by the petitions incessantly addressed both to Our predecessor aforesaid, and to Ourselves, in which the most distinguished prelates, illustrious canonical chapters, and religious orders, among them the celebrated Order of Preaching Friars, have vied with each other in asking permission to add, and publicly and openly to use, the word 'Immaculate' in the sacred liturgy, and especially in the preface of the Mass on the Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin; petitions with which the said Our predecessor and Ourselves have most readily complied.

"Furthermore, Venerable Brethren, very many of your Order have not ceased to address, to Our predecessor and Ourselves, letters, in which, with repeated entreaties and redoubled earnestness, they have asked Us to define it as a doctrine of the Catholic Church, that the conception of the most Blessed Virgin has been altogether immaculate, and wholly free from all stain of original guilt. Neither have there been wanting, in this our age, men, eminent for genius, virtue, piety, and learning, who, in their erudite and laborious writings, have cast so clear a light upon this topic, and this most pious opinion, that many persons are astonished that the Church and the Apostolic See should not have already decreed to the most Holy Virgin this honour, which the common piety of the faithful so ardently desires to see attributed to her by the solemn judgment and authority of this same Church and See. Certainly, these wishes have been singularly acceptable and agreeable to Us, who, from Our earliest years, reckoned nothing more dear to Us, or more excellent, than to honour the most Blessed Virgin Mary with singular piety and devotion, and with the inmost affection of Our heart, and to do whatever seemed to Us calculated to contribute to her greater glory and praise, and to the extension of her worship. Wherefore, from the very beginning of Our Pontificate, We earnestly directed, with much alacrity, Our cares and thoughts to an object of such high importance, and We have not failed to address to the most good and most great God, humble and fervent prayers that He may deign to enlighten Our mind with the light of His heavenly grace, that We might know what We ought to do in this matter. For Our chief reliance is the hope that the most Blessed Virgin,-who has been elevated by the greatness of her merit above all the choirs of angels, to the throne of God; who has bruised, under the foot of her virtue, the head of the ancient

2 St. Greg. Pap. De Expositione, in lib. Regum.

serpent; and who, placed between Christ and the Church3, full of meekness, and rich in every grace, has ever delivered the Christian people from the greatest calamities, and from the snares and attacks of their enemies, and saved them from ruin,—will deign, in like manner, to take pity in motherly love, as is her wont, upon Our most sad and lamentable misfortunes, Our cruel anguish, Our troubles and necessities, and by her ever-present and all-powerful intercession with God, both to turn away the discipline of the Divine wrath, with which, for Our sins, We are afflicted, to calm and disperse the raging tempest of evil by which, to the incredible grief of Our soul, the Church is tossed on all sides, and to change Our mourning into joy. For you know perfectly, Venerable Brethren, that all Our ground of confidence rests on the most holy Virgin; forasmuch as God has placed the fulness of all good in Mary, so that if there is in Us any hope, any grace, any salvation, we know that it flows from her, because such is the will of Him who has willed that we should have all things through Mary*.

"In consequence, we have chosen some ecclesiastics of distinguished piety, and well versed in theological studies, and certain of our Venerable Brethren the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, illustrious by their virtue, their religion, their wisdom and prudence, and by their knowledge of divine things; and charge them, according to their prudence and learning, to examine this most important subject accurately in all its bearings, and thereupon to report to Us their opinion with all diligence. Under these circumstances we have thought it right to follow the illustrious steps of Our predecessors, and to emulate their example; wherefore, Venerable Brethren, We address to you this letter, by which We earnestly exhort your distinguished piety and episcopal solicitude, and charge you once and again, each one according to his judgment and discretion, to cause public prayers to be appointed and recited in your several dioceses, that the merciful Father of lights may deign to illuminate Us from above with the light of His Divine Spirit, and to inspire Us with His breath, to the end that, in a matter of so great importance, we may be able to come to that decision which shall most redound to the glory of His holy name, to the praise of the most Blessed Virgin, and to the profit of the Church militant. And We are most anxious that you should signify to Us, as openly as possible, with what devotion your clergy and the faithful laity are animated towards the Conception of the Immaculate Virgin, and how far they are desirous that the Apostolic See should pronounce on this point. Above all, We wish particularly to know, Venerable Brethren, what in your eminent wisdom you think and feel on this subject. And as We have already granted to the clergy of Rome permission to recite the special canonical hours of the Conception of the most Holy Virgin, recently composed and printed, in the place of those which are contained in the common breviary, We now accord to you, Venerable Brethren, by the present letter, power to permit, if you see fit, all the clergy of your dioceses to 3 St. Bernard, Serm. in cap. xii. Apocalyps. 4 St. Bernard, in Nativit. S. Mariæ de Aquæductu.