“Now this, gentlemen, His Honour heard on Thursday in last week.  He caused inquiries to be made, and on Friday morning received further intelligence from Dolgorovski that this Pope had summoned to Nazareth a meeting of his cardinals, and certain other officials, from all over the world, to consider what steps should be taken in view of the new Test Act.  This His Honour takes to show an extreme want of statesmanship which seems hard to reconcile with his former action.  These persons are summoned by special messengers to meet on Saturday next, and will begin their deliberations after some Christian ceremonies on the following morning.

“You wish, gentlemen, no doubt, to know Dolgorovski’s motives in making all this known.  His Honour is satisfied that they are genuine.  The man has been losing belief in his religion; in fact, he has come to see that this religion is the supreme obstacle to the consolidation of the race.  He has esteemed it his duty, therefore, to lay this information before His Honour.  It is interesting as an historical parallel to reflect that the same kind of incident marked the rise of Christianity as will mark, it is thought, its final extinction—­namely, the informing on the part of one of the leaders of the place and method by which the principal personage may be best approached.  It is also, surely, very significant that the scene of the extinction of Christianity is identical with that of its inauguration....

“Well, gentlemen, His Honour’s proposal is as follows, carrying out the Declaration to which you all acceded.  It is that a force should proceed during the night of Saturday next to Palestine, and on the Sunday morning, when these men will be all gathered together, that this force should finish as swiftly and mercifully as possible the work to which the Powers have set their hands.  So far, the comment of the Governments which have been consulted has been unanimous, and there is little doubt that the rest will be equally so.  His Honour felt that He could not act in on grave a matter on His own responsibility; it is not merely local; it is a catholic administration of justice, and will have results wider than it is safe minutely to prophesy.

“It is not necessary to enter into His Honour’s reasons.  They are already well known to you; but before asking for your opinion, He desires me to indicate what He thinks, in the event of your approval, should be the method of action.

“Each Government, it is proposed, should take part in the final scene, for it is something of a symbolic action; and for this purpose it is thought well that each of the three Departments of the World should depute volors, to the number of the constituting States, one hundred and twenty-two all told, to set about the business.  These volors should have no common meeting-ground, otherwise the news will surely penetrate to Nazareth, for it is understood that, this new Order of Christ Crucified has a highly organised system of espionage.  The rendezvous, then, should be no other than Nazareth itself; and the time of meeting should be, it is thought, not later than nine o’clock according to Palestine reckoning.  These details, however, can be decided and communicated as soon as a determination has been formed as regards the entire scheme.