From The Spectator.

THE "MILK-WHITE HIND."

the system by which the States of the pope and the city of Rome would constitute, so to speak, property in mainmort, set apart to all Catholicity, and placed in virtue of a right which is inscribed nowhere above the rights which regulate the fate of all other sovereignties. I confine myself to remarking that the oldest, as well as the most recent histori cal, traditions do not appear to sanction that doctrine; and that England, Prussia, Russia, and Sweden, powers separate from the Church, signed at Vienna by the same right as France, Austria, Spain, and Portugal, the treaties which restored to the pope the possessions he had lost.

"I hasten to proclaim that the highest considerations of propriety are in accord with the most important social interests in requiring that the Chief of the Church may maintain himself on the throne which has been occu

SELDOM, even in the Eternal City, has a scene been witnessed such as that now presented to the world in Rome. The pope, worn out with misery and care, doubtful of his own will, doubtful even, it is said, of the righteousness of his cause, is slowly sickening of incessant defeat. Around his bed the cardinals are splitting in factions, intriguing with France, intriguing with Austria, preparing a schism in the Church, and doubting whether even in despair they can find the strength for a last contest with the age. The French emperor hopes to secure a pope who will abandon the "non possumus," and surrender the temporal power. The Sanfedisti are plotting to fly to Verona and there elect a pope of the old stamp, a man who will yield noth-pied by his predecessor for so many centuries. The opinion of the emperor's Government is ing, even to fate. The people are watching very firm on that subject, but it thinks also all with a dull hope that some end to their that the prudent exercise of the supreme aumisery may be attained at last. The foreign- thority, and the consent of the populations, ers have quitted the city, the populace are are in the Roman States, as elsewhere, the starving amidst their ruins, and exile and im- first conditions of the solidity of the Governprisonment are still daily inflicted. The pope is still strong to inflict suffering, and amidst incessant intrigue, the conflict of principles, hopes, and fears, Antonelli still finds time to secure his treasure, and punish his personal

foes.

The passions of all parties, already bitter to a degree, have been envenomed by the despatch in which M. Thouvenel announces to the Catholic powers the recognition of the kingdom of Italy. The French faction see in it the certainty of ultimate triumph, the Austrians the loss of their lingering hope that a Sanfedist might yet be allowed to assume the tiara in Rome. It is not, however, the mere fact of the recognition which so greatly disturbs the Conclave. That was expected, and the purple has not wholly extinguished Italian pride, even in the highest rank of Italian priests. But the despatch lays down the principle on which the right to rule Rome must at last be decided, and that principle is fatal to the sovereignty of the popes. In the midst of expressions, cautious beyond the habitual reserve of diplomacy, M. Thouvenel drops one paragraph which it requires no diplomatic skill to explain:

"I do not, however, consider it useful to discuss here, with the necessary development,

ment."

The temporal power, then, is not a sacred right, is not a mystery which laymen must receive, as they receive hell, in undoubting though horrified respect. It is simply "a sovereignty," subject to the laws which affect all other sovereignties liable to change-to revolution, and even to extinction. The patrimony of St. Peter is not even the property of the Church, but a state, subject, like every other state, to the public law, administered by the representatives of Europe. Those representatives have dealt with it before, and may deal with it again, and their orthodoxy remains without influence on their political right. That doctrine, never yet frankly acknowledged by a Catholic kingdom, is, we need not say, fatal to the last argument in defence of the temporal power. If the content of the people is essential to sovereignty, the pope has no rights in Rome. If the prudent exercise of authority is a first condition of right, the prize has been forfeited by the absence of the condition. If, finally, collective Europe has power to decide on the Roman question, the pope reigns by a sufferance which it needs only the assembling of a congress to exhaust. The principle of papal dominion is surrendered, and the pope

is protected not by a right, not even by This is not, however, the end the enemies an admitted expediency, but solely by the of the papacy have begun to expect. They bayonets of the foreigners who still garrison look to a schism in the Church. It is cerRome. The negotiations for their withdrawal tain that Louis Napoleon will seek for a may be complicated and tedious, but the tem- pope anxious to forward his own views, and poral sovereignty is not among the conditions, amongst the Italian cardinals he may yet and the evacuation of Rome is therefore only discover the man. It is scarcely possible a question of time. This is obviously the that the Conclave, if it remains in Rome, view taken by the Italian premier. Baron should fail to elect the man whom the emRicasoli, when announcing the recognition of peror agrees to support. The withdrawal Italy, announced also that Italy had nothing of the garrison would else upset them and to yield to France, and expressed his confi- their system together. The cardinals, theredent hope that the negotiations for Rome fore, opposed to France, it is said, have re"would arrive at a result which should meet solved to proceed to Verona, and there elect the best wishes of the nation," a phrase well a pope exempt from the influence of Napounderstood to imply the entire surrender of leon. It is possible that at the last moment the secular power. Guarantees for the in- tradition and habit will be too strong. A dependence of the spiritual power are, we pope not elected in Rome would be an anomshould imagine, perfectly possible. It will aly which might offend the hearty faith even only be necessary to tear up concordats, to of Catholic priests. Should they, however, place the income of the pope, by treaty, be- carry out their design, the sway of the payond the reach of Parliament, and to encircle pacy would indeed be near its end. Italy, his person, his residence, and his suite with France, and Poland would acknowledge the the privileges already conceded to the ambas- pontiff elected at Rome, and the Portuguese, sador of a first-class power. He must also, Brazilians, and American Catholics would we fear, be invested with some sort of eccle- follow an example which at once saved their siastical patronage, and it is on this point we faith, and secured their virtual independence. imagine that difference of opinion exists. The pope at Verona would be an Austrian The control of the priesthood in any country pope, acknowledged, perhaps, by men of exis a dangerous jurisdiction to surrender; but treme opinions throughout the world, but Italy once free, the pope will pass, to a de- obeyed by only a single nationality. The gree the Conclave scarcely imagine, under days are past when an anti-pope could be the power of opinion. This is a point to regarded as vicar of Christ; and in the conwhich too little attention has been paid. At fusion the spiritual power would be quespresent the pope lives a monastic life, severed tioned as it has not been by Catholics since from all influences save those which can filter the papacy underwent its last reform. We through the deep ranks of priests, who stand confess this result seems to us to the last between him and public opinion. Surround- degree improbable. The cardinals are too ed by the citizens of a free state, compelled well aware of the charm which lingers by position to take a leading part in politics, around the seat of the old dominion; too to guide his cardinals in the senate, and his priests in every pulpit, the mind even of a pontiff must insensibly receive a tinge from the world with which he contends. The pope is but a priest, and the world may yet witness the elevation of a pontiff as practical as Leo X., and as strictly Italian as Julius the Second.

well aware that throughout Europe the Church, which once claimed to be universal, is now hated or reverenced chiefly as the Catholic Church of Rome. The chair of St. Peter is not an article to be removed like a bale of goods. They will falter at the last hour, perhaps elect a man, who, French in appearance, is still at heart a pope.

"Happily not," answered her cousin, "and shall soon give over dancing altogether." "Don't say happily;' dancing is my delight. It is a sad season that stops it. But I like your admonishing me for idleness-well," out of your easy-chair!"

"Easy-chair, indeed! A Chinese caricature of one. Knotty bamboo, to crumple one's barège, and make dints in one's back. Very different from your divan!"

"You Sybarite! The bamboo knots are noisy partner in the last quadrille, for incrumpled rose-leaves. You know

throw cushions, even at Willie, like a romp- | Willie," Rosa said, submissively, clasping ing tomboy, or I'll tell her excellency."

her hands as she had done when deprecating Florence's playful anger.

"Tiresome! When I am trying to spare your feelings and break it to you by degrees ? "

"Break what?"

"The dreadful tidings, to be sure."

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Tidings of what?"

"Of my departure for Calcutta by dâk to

"Is that all ?"

"Am I?" asked the offender in the cheeriest tone imaginable, dropping his muslin weeper and re-adjusting his disordered mus-morrow morning." tachioes. "Wait till you hear my news, Miss Florence, and tell me whether that is tolerable. Good-morning, Rosey; you're pretty when you pout."

"All, indeed! Now, don't faint or scream, dears!" word now,

66

Upon my of you-”

Willie, it's too bad

"And you're ugly any way," said Rosa, which, on the whole, was true, though the "I know it is. You'll break your hearts, aide-de-camp's ugliness was of the bright, I fear, the pair of you. And then his exmanly, kindly sort. cellency, my poor dear uncle, just as I was "How she admires me!" he said, turn-teaching him his trade of governorship, poor ing to Florence, "and conceals her infatua- man; he will be lost without me. There's tion under a thin disguise of irony. Oh one comfort though, his plans for irrigation dear! oh dear!" might be started now. The tears of the "Now do be sensible, Willie," said Flor-young ladies of Bombay would fill a tank ence, "and if you have any thing to tell us, alone, to say nothing of the general weeptell it, without any more of this." ing population, native and European." "How long shall you be gone, Willie ? "Ah, my poor dears, bear up, I'm going for good and all.".

"What will not female flippancy dare ? " he retorted. "Advise me to be sensible, me, whom the Brahmins consider an Avatar of good sense, whom the very Mussulmans have offered to make a Moollah if I would only dye my turban green! Sensible, indeed, what next?"

"You may well say what next when you turn sensible," said Rosa, springing off the sofa to threaten him at close quarters with the fly-flapper.

"Now, Rosa, sit down again this moment," said Florence, drawing her gently down on the divan beside herself. "Then we shall hear whether he has any thing to say."

"You are a learned lady, Florence," he resumed, gravely producing a couple of little empty medicine bottles from his coat pocket, and handing one to each of his cousins; for he, too, was a nephew of his excellency the governer. "You have a tinge of Latin, and can explain to poor, dear, ignorant little Rosey the use of lachrymatories among the ancients. Tear-bottles, dear child-tearbottles-the only two the sub-inspector of hospitals could spare this morning, though I told him you would want them larger." "Oh, don't be tiresome and absurd, dear

There was a touch of real feeling in the still bantering tone of the last sentence, and both the girls looked grave.

"You don't really mean that, Willie?" asked Florence, now with true concern.

"I do indeed, though. It is felt that the governor-general himself needs leading strings, even more than your dear papa, Miss Rosey. There is but one hand fit to hold them here in India," and he gracefully waved his own. "Wherefore I depart by dâk to-morrow morning before sunrise, obedient to superior orders, though they may lacerate your tender hearts."

"Now, tell us the real truth about it, Willie."

Well, the real truth is, that I belong to the Bengal Presidency by rights, as you know. I was only acting aide-de-camp here to my uncle till my leave was up. But you also know I have been a bit in the Public-Works line as well as the 'right shoulders, march' business; and there's a canal opening immediately, for which I may be of use, and am recalled at once, accordingly."

This was a modest way of stating the fact.