ceding a few paces, and concealing her face, bathed in tears, in her handkerchief. With surprise I addressed her, exclaiming, Why is this? What have I done? Am I not worthy of your affection ?'

"No,' said my father, with tears in his eyes, but with a firm voice, No, you are not worthy of the name of son. You embitter our declining years; you disgrace the good education you have received; you have stifled the good principles that we have instilled into your

"Here interrupting him, I said, 'At least tell me, I entreat, in what I have failed.'

"Have you the effrontery to ask such a question? Are you, then, lost to a sense of remorse? You curse God; you blaspheme Christ.'

"I could hear no more. Roused with indignation at so black a calumny, I exclaimed, in a voice of passion, 'Liars ! deceivers have they proceeded even to such lengths? Do they aim at bursting the bonds of consanguinity? Will they deprive me of the affections of my family? Do not, my dear parents, allow yourselves to be thus deceived. I worship God, I adore Christ; but because I am a Christian, I am hated by those persons, whose only god is their belly.'

"Do you not see that you are condemning yourself?' was the reply,

To speak evil of the Ministers of God is gross impiety; it is offending the Almighty in the apple of his eye. Utter not such sacrilegious words; suffer them not to proceed out of your mouth. Were you indeed a Christian, it is not to be conceived that the Superiors would all declare you impious,-all concur in condemning you, all affirm that you exhibit no tokens of piety. You say you adore Christ, while you trample on the laws of the Church. Are you not sensible that by slighting her you blaspheme Christ?'

"My parents left me, turning away in sorrow and anger; and I went to my chamber, overwhelmed with grief and desolation at being thus abandoned. It was then I felt how consolatory was prayer; how inestimable the privilege of being permitted to address God as 'Our Father, who art in heaven!'"

Thus terminated the fourth year of his residence in the monastery. At the commencement of the fifth he ought, in the usual course, to have been drafted off, with other

young Monks, from the St. Bernard monastery, to another more commodious and magnificent,-that of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem, in Rome; but as he would not sign a declaration of regret at his proceedings for procuring deliverance from his vows, and that a monastic life was voluntarily chosen by him, he was detained among the old Monks, whose severe rules were very irksome to him. Not being a willing prisoner, he made no scruple to violate the regulations; an instance of which we relate, because it refers to two members of the English Royal Family, the mention of whom affords an opportunity of testing the truth of the narrative.

"I was one day with the Prior and several Monks, when a cicerone presented himself, and besought the former to allow the church to be opened for some English ladies, who were waiting below, to view the interior. On hearing that they were English, and no doubt conceiving that they were Protestants, the harsh character of the Prior became annoyed and irritated; and he roughly replied, that he could not permit it to be shown. The cicerone shrugged his shoulders, and went away, murmuring imprecations against the incivility of the Monks. Ignorant that his refusal proceeded from a resolution taken of keeping the church closed at noon, for the quiet and good order of the monastery, I looked upon it as a mere display of ill feeling towards the English; and, having declared myself a Protestant, felt called upon to wage war against this spirit of intolerance. Therefore, hastily arising, I followed the man, determined to open the church for the party.

"Where are you going?' demanded the Monks.

"I am going to open the church.' "You need not trouble yourself; they are Protestants.'

"It is on that account I am going." "At this reply, the Monks and Prior remained fixed with astonishment; and I proceeded to open the door of the church myself, that no blame might be imputed to the sacristan. I was informed that the ladies were, Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge, and her daughter, the Princess Augusta. They were accompanied by two gentlemen, whose names I did not hear. Four years had now elapsed since I had had

any communication with the gentler sex, excepting only my mother and sisters; so that, on finding myself in their presence, I felt troubled, confused, wanting in those gentle manners required in social intercourse; but, after a few minutes, my bashfulness being overcome by their easy and affable deportment, I was able to reply to their questions, and to give them a brief account of the origin and history of the church and Cistercian institution. The Princess Augusta, led, perhaps, to suspect the truth from seeing me dressed with more studied care than became a cloister, inquired if I were satisfied to be shut up in a monastery.

"No, your Highness, this habit is none of my choice, but I am forced,'

was my answer.

"This prompt reply, which revealed all the bitterness and agony of my soul, perhaps raised in the hearts of the two illustrious travellers a feeling of pity for

the speaker; for a long silence ensued, which was at last interrupted by my inviting them to inspect the garden of the monastery. Thus did I again permit my feelings to hurry me into another act of indiscretion. They accepted my invitation, perfectly unconscious that the precincts of the garden were inviolable, no female being allowed to tread its paths; and that the excommunication of the Pope hung over its entrance, ready to fall on the devoted head of the unfortunate Monk who should dare to be the means of breaking the rule.

"The Papal censures, which had at one time appeared to my mind so formidable, no longer filled me with terror. The perusal of the Bible had convinced me of the usurpation and fallacy of pontifical supremacy, and I had become careless of the consequences of wrath from that quarter. Commanding the servant, therefore, to open the entrance to the garden on the side of the Piazza Termini, I hastened to the spot, to await the arrival of the royal visiters, who, having returned to their carriage, were proceeding in that direction. They entered the garden, and expressed themselves much delighted with the beauty of its appearance. The running streams, the shady walks, and the brilliant and odoriferous flowers, called forth their admiration. To me they spoke but little; but, before leaving, they asked my name, and inscribed it on a page of their 'Guide to Rome.'

"No sooner were the visiters gone, than I began to reflect on the imprudent length to which I had been carried by the warmth of my feelings. But, how

In order to cope with his wily tyrants, Ciocci formed the project of imploring the assistance of some Jesuit, well knowing the influence these men possess in Rome, and also how eagerly they seize every opportunity that presents itself of lowering the pride of other ecclesiastical Orders. For this end he made choice of Father Mislei, who was Confessor to many of the Cardinals; and, if he pleased, could

render him service.

Mislei recommended him to go to Cardinal Patrizi, whom he exasperated by speaking against the delusions of the Church of Rome. Mislei then advised him to go to another Cardinal, Castracani, to confess and apologize for his language to Patrizi. Then follow the strange scenes which we shall describe in the words of the narrator :

"He mildly inquired, whether I really did not believe in the doctrine of transubstantiation; and, in short, in all that the Romish Church taught. I frankly answered, 'No.' His Eminence did not at this reply bristle his hair like a wounded bear, nor swell himself like a porcupine, said to dart his quills at an offender; no, he did something worse; he smiled with the smile of a Jesuit, and said, in a gentle tone, My son, I clearly perceive that there is no malice in you; you give too ready an ear to the inventions of heretics, and this is a consequence of your not having received sufficient instruction. I feel assured that when you shall have heard a series of lectures from the good Father-Jesuits, those excellent men, of whom you already know something, your ideas will be cleared, and the darkness with which you are now enveloped will give place to light. Repair, then, immediately, to S. Eusebio for three days: that time will, I think, suffice to set your doubts at rest. Tell my wishes to your Superior, and go without delay; you will there be treated as you merit.'

"The idea of escaping with so easy a penance, of being able to pass three days away from the monastery of San Bernardo, a place odious to me from a thousand remembrances,-and of mixing with persons who, I yet supposed, would echo my complaints against the Monks, awoke in my heart such joy and gladness, that I prepared with alacrity to obey the command. To return to the monastery; to ask the consent of the Superior, which was readily granted; to prepare my portmanteau; was the affair of a moment. As I was getting into the carriage, two persons, of sinister aspect, approached, and signified their intention of accompanying me. Who they were, or what was their profession, I knew not; all that I was acquainted with was their names,-one was Constantino Bontempi, the other Pietro Sordini.

"These men I had often seen talking with the Superior, but without troubling myself to learn anything of their calling; for their appearance was by no means prepossessing. With regard to their profession, I think I may venture to assert that they were men of bad character, ruffians of the monastery,-flesh sold to the Scribes and Pharisees. These persons accompanied me to the gate of S. Eusebio; where, having consigned me into the hands of others, they instantly disappeared, taking with them my servant, and, what afterwards proved to me a still greater misfortune, my portmanteau. Whether this was the effect of inadver tency, or a refinement of cruelty, I can' not determine. My attention being arrested by the two Jesuits who had come out to receive me, and who were profuse in their civilities, I neither heeded the absence of my servant, whom I supposed occupied in his duties, nor the sudden departure of the carriage, but walked at once into the monastery with my two jailers.

"We traversed long corridors, till we arrived at the door of an apartment which they requested me to enter, and they themselves retired. On opening the door, I found myself in a close, dark room, barely large enough for the little furniture it contained, which consisted of a small hard bed,-hard as the conscience of an Inquisitor, a little table cut all over, and a dirty, ill-used chair. The window, which was shut, and barred with iron, resisted all my efforts to open it. My heart sunk within me, and I began to cogitate on the destiny that was in store for me; but, notwithstanding all my misgivings, could not persuade

myself that the word of a Cardinal would be broken. At length the truth burst upon my mind, that possibly his words might be easily verified in a contrary sense, and that there was something sybil-like about them. Had I not made to him an open avowal of my disbelief in the Romish opinions? and yet I had interpreted his words, as you merit,' in the sense which my own conscience dictated, without reflecting that he spoke according to his.

"The Jesuit Giuliani entered at this moment, and found me absorbed in these reflections. Recognising in him one of the two who, but a short time before, had done the honours of the house, and overwhelmed me with civilities, I hoped to be able to obtain, through his means, some enlightenment on the subject that engrossed my thoughts. The profound obscurity which reigned in the apartment prevented me from perceiving that he no longer wore the same hilarity of countenance with which he had received me, otherwise I should probably have abstained from a request which I immediately made, that he would permit the window to be opened, for the admission of light and air. Before the words were finished, he interrupted me, exclaiming, in a voice of thunder,

"How, wretched youth! thou complainest of the dark, whilst thou art living in the clouds of error ! Dost thou desire the light of heaven, while thou rejectest the light of the Catholic faith?"

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Though I perceived remonstrance would be useless, I replied, Know, if you are yet ignorant of it, that I have been sent here by the Cardinal Castracani, for three days, for the purpose of receiving instruction, and not to be treated as a criminal.'

"For three days!' he resumed, counterfeiting my tone of voice,—“ For three days! that would be nothing. The dainty youth will not, forsooth, be roughly treated: it remains to be seen whether he desires to be courteously entertained. Be converted, be converted, condemned soul! fortunate is it for thee that thou art come to this place! Thou wilt never quit it, excepting with the real fruits of penitence! Among these silent shades canst thou meditate, at thy leisure, upon the deplorable state into which thou art fallen. Woe unto thee, if thou refusest to listen to the voice of God, who conducts souls into solitude, that he may speak with them!' So saying, he abruptly left me.

"I remained alone, drooping under

the weight of a misfortune which was the more severe, because totally unexpected. I stood, I know not for how long, like a statue, in the same position in which the Jesuit had left me. On recovering from this lethargy, the first idea that presented itself was flight; but this thought was no sooner conceived than abandoned, there was no possibility of flight. I gave myself up to my reflections, which were of the gloomiest character; not a single one could I find calculated to give me the slightest relief.

"Without giving a long and minute account of the manner in which I passed my wearisome days in this prison, let it suffice to say, that they were spent in such reflections as the foregoing, and in listening to sermons that were preached to me, four times a day, in the private chapel, by the Fathers Giuliani and Rossini. These discourses were directed to the pretended confutation of Protestantism; and I heard them gladly, in the desire of learning the doctrines of the Reformed Church; but I had often occasion to observe how her wholesome principles could be distorted in the hands of the Jesuits. But what scruple can those have in making men speak after their own manner, in order to draw their own advantages, who have not hesitated to make even God speak as suits their peculiar purposes?

"In the mean time, the miseries I endured were aggravated by the heat of the season, the wretchedness of the chamber, scantiness of food, and the rough severity of those by whom I was occasionally visited. Uncertainty as to when this imprisonment would be at an end, almost drove me wild; and the first words I addressed to the Jesuits who approached me were, 'Have the kindness to tell me, if you know, when I shall be permitted to leave this place?' One replied, My son, think of hell.' I interrogated another. The answer was, Think, my son, how terrible is the death of a sinner!' I spoke to a third, to a fourth; and one said to me, 'My son, what will be your feeling, if, on the day of judgment, you find yourself on the left hand of God?'-the other, 'Paradise, my son, Paradise!' No one gave me a direct answer: their object appeared to be, to mystify and confound

me.

After the first few days, I began inost severely to feel the want of a change of clothing. Accustomed to cleanliness, I found myself constrained to wear soiled apparel. The knowledge that this place was frequented by persons of every class,

of every age, of every condition, who retired to it for spiritual exercise, under the guidance of the Jesuits, deterred me from getting into the little bed, where probably many of unsound health had often lain: I therefore slept, when overcome by fatigue, without taking off my clothes.

"After the fourth day my portion of food was diminished, a sign that they were pressing the siege; that it was their intention to adopt both assault and blockade; to conquer me by arms, or induce me to capitulate through hunger. The Father Rossini visited my cell, to learn what had been the effect of his polemical sermons. He questioned me closely concerning my faith; and having convinced himself that I still adhered to what I had protested before the two Cardinals, he resolved to make use of other means to arrive at his ends. In the sermon which followed this examination, he endeavoured to present to me the errors of the Romish Church in a less odious point of view: he armed himself with the shield of unity and of faith, placing the Pope as centre. I looked on the Bible rather as centre. To justify purgatory, he brought forward the usual scholastic distinctions of crime and punishment; and ran over the pages of the book of divine justice, under pretence of making himself defender of the interests of God. I, however, knew that purgatory was a most fruitful field to satiate the avarice, and secure the interest, of the Priests. He spoke of transubstantiation, of confession, of relics, of the adoration of images, of indulgences; but while he made an ostentatious display of subtle arguments, I fixed my mind on the true origin of such erroneous creeds, such superstitious practices; namely, the pride of the priesthood, who would arrogate to themselves a power almost divine, by means of the eucharist, penance, and indulgences; nor could I forget their avarice, which has led them to put consciences to contribution. There is a saying in Italy, that he who speaks to the desert, throws away the sermon.' So was it with the sermons of the Jesuits, so far, at least, as I was concerned.

"One evening, after listening to a discourse filled with dark images of death, I returned to my room, and found the light set upon the ground. I took it up, and approached the table to place it there; but what was my horror and consternation at beholding spread out upon it a whitened skeleton! Before the reader can comprehend my dismay, it is necessary he should reflect for a

moment on the peculiarities of childhood, especially in a Romish country, where children are seldom spoken to, excepting in superstitious language, whether by their parents or teachers; and domestics adopt the same style to answer their own purposes, menacing their disobedient charges with hobgoblins, phantoms, and witches. Such images as these make a profound impression on tender minds, leaving a panic terror which the reasoning of after-years is often unable entirely to efface.

"At the sight of this skeleton, my limbs trembled; a cold perspiration stood on my forehead. Agitated and depressed by the mournful tenor of the sermon, and by the agonizing reflections to which for days past I had been a prey, I regarded this spectre as a certain presage of approaching death. The candle fell from my hands, and was extinguished. The darkness which followed increased my fear; the skeleton seemed to stand erect, and to extend its arms towards me with a grim smile. I rushed towards the door; but as I was making my way out by the light of a lamp that was burning at the extremity of the corridor, I saw before me another spectre not less frightful, the Jesuit Giuliani. Think

ing the occasion favourable, he hasted, without delay, to strike the iron while hot; and, with this skeleton before him, delivered to me a lengthened discourse on death."

Various other projects were contrived, to reduce the afflicted young man to obedience; till at length, in a moment of terror, he was overpowered, and signed a recantation of his principles.

"The Cardinal,' said Mislei, 'proposes to you an easy way of returning to your monastery.'

"What does he propose?'

"Here is the way,' said he, presenting me with a paper: copy this with your own hand, and nothing more will be required of you.'

"I took the paper with "convulsive eagerness. It was a recantation of my faith. Upon reading it, I shuddered; and, starting to my feet, in a solemn attitude, and with a firm voice, exclaimed, 'Kill me, if you please; my life is in your power; but never will I subscribe to that iniquitous formulary !' The Jesuit, after labouring in vain to persuade me to his wishes, went away in anger.

"I now momentarily expected to be conducted to the torture. Whenever I was taken from my room to the chapel, I feared lest some trap-door should open beneath my feet; and therefore took great care to tread in the footsteps of the Jesuit who preceded me. No one, acquainted with the Inquisition, will say that my precaution was needless. My imagination was so filled with the horrors of this place, that even in my short, interrupted, and feverish dreams, I beheld daggers and axes glittering around me; I heard the noise of the wheels; saw burning piles and heated irons; and woke in convulsive terror, only to give myself up to gloomy reflections, inspired by the reality of my situation, and the impressions left by these nocturnal visions. What tears did I shed in those dreary moments! Innumerable were the bitter wounds that lacerated my heart. My prayers seemed to me unworthy to be received by the God of charity; because, notwithstanding all my efforts to banish from my soul every feeling of resentment towards my persecutors, hatred returned with redoubled power. I often repeated the words of Christ: Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do;' but immediately a voice would say, This prayer is not intended for the Jesuits; they resemble not the crucifiers, who were blind instruments of the rage of the Pharisees; these men are fully conscious of what they are doing; they are the modern Pharisees.' The reading of the Bible would have afforded me great consolation; but of that I was deprived.

"The following day, which was the fourteenth of my imprisonment, the Father Giuliani entered my room, and announced to me that the Council was assembled to pronounce judgment upon me, and that it was necessary I should attend. Pale and trembling, like one being dragged to the edge of a rock, to be precipitated therefrom, I unwillingly followed him, stopping at almost every step to free myself, if possible, from the grasp of the hand with which he tightly held my arm. He conducted me to an apartment where the Father Mislei, with three others, was seated at a table. Giu liani joined them. I was made to sit down. They interrogated me at intervals, and urged me to sign the form of recantation sent by Castracani. I persisted in my refusal, and they proceeded to communicate to me the sentence. The Father Rossini spoke :

"You are decided; let it be, then, as you deserve. Rebellious son of the