There was a great demonstration in front of the Quirinal Palace.  The Emperor and the King came out on the balcony amid screams of “Eh! viva!” One old man—­a German, I suppose—­who was covered with medals shouted at the top of his lungs. “Hoch!” hoping to make a sensation, but the Emperor made no sign that he heard it.

The next day (Friday), as had been arranged long beforehand, the Emperor made his visit to the Pope; the carriage from the Quirinal brought him to the residence of Herr von Schloezer (the German Minister to the Vatican), where the Emperor lunched and changed his uniform.

Schloezer’s account of the luncheon was very amusing.  His household was apparently not arranged for the reception of emperors.  He and his secretary were in great straits to provide the proper luxuries for their august guest.  Schloezer possessed nothing so frivolous as a mirror, therefore he sent to borrow ours.  We sent him the one we thought best suited to the occasion.  It was so different from Schloezer’s modest belongings that the Emperor’s quick eye guessed instantly that it was a stranger, and said, “Where did this come from?”

I give you Herr von Schloezer’s account in his own language.

“I had no extra toilet things to put into the Emperor’s room, but, fortunately, I had bought a cake of soap in Berlin; this I put on a piece of marble I had picked up in the Forum, which I thought would do for a soap-dish.  The Emperor went into the adjoining room to change his uniform, and suddenly appeared in the doorway, holding out his wet hands, and said, ‘Mein liebe Schloezer, can’t you give me a towel?’ Donnerwetter! said Schloezer, that was the one thing that I had forgotten.”

The luncheon was (excepting the famous wines on which he prides himself) of the simplest kind of Italian repasts, of which macaroni, frittura mista, and cutlets with saffron (a la Milanais) formed the chief feature.  The Emperor was in the best of spirits and enjoyed it all, interlarded as it was with Schloezer’s unique remarks.

The Emperor’s own horses and carriages and piqueurs (brought expressly from Berlin for this one visit to the Pope) were waiting before the German Legation to convey his Majesty and Herr von Schloezer to the Vatican.  The whole route through which they drove was lined with a double row of the national troops to the very steps of the Vatican.  Every window was filled with people anxious to catch a glimpse of the handsome and youthful Emperor as he passed by in his open victoria; Prince Henry and Count Bismarck followed in another of the Emperor’s carriages.