I do not know whether I mentioned a kind of poetical correspondence about Mazzini and Rossi.  Rossi was also an exile for liberal principles, but he did not value his birthright; he alienated it, and as a French citizen became peer of France and representative of Louis Philippe in Italy.  When, with the fatuity of those whom the gods have doomed to perish, Pius IX. took the representative of the fallen Guizot policy for his minister, he made him a Roman citizen.  He was proclaimed such on the 14th of November.  On the 15th he perished, before he could enter the parliament he had called.  He fell at the door of the Cancelleria when it was sitting.

Mazzini, in his exile, remained absolutely devoted to his native country.  Because, though feeling as few can that the interests of humanity in all nations are identical, he felt also that, born of a race so suffering, so much needing devotion and energy, his first duty was to that.  The only powers he acknowledged were God and the People, the special scope of his acts the unity and independence of Italy.  Rome was the theme of his thoughts, but, very early exiled, he had never seen that home to which all the orphans of the soul so naturally turn.  Now he entered it as a Roman citizen, elected representative of the people by universal suffrage.  His motto, Dio e Popolo, is put upon the coin with the Roman eagle; unhappily this first-issued coin is of brass, or else of silver, with much alloy. Dii, avertite omen, and may peaceful days turn it all to pure gold!

On his first entrance to the house, Mazzini, received with fervent applause and summoned, to take his place beside the President, spoke as follows:—­

“It is from me, colleagues, that should come these tokens of applause, these tokens of affection, because the little good I have not done, but tried to do, has come to me from Rome.  Rome was always a sort of talisman for me; a youth, I studied the history of Italy, and found, while all the other nations were born, grew up, played their part in the world, then fell to reappear no more in the same power, a single city was privileged by God to die only to rise again greater than before, to fulfil a mission greater than the first.  I saw the Rome of the Empire extend her conquests from the confines of Africa to the confines of Asia.  I saw Rome perish, crushed by the barbarians, by those whom even yet the world, calls barbarians.  I saw her rise again, after having chased away these same barbarians, reviving in its sepulchre the germ of Civilization.  I saw her rise more great for conquest, not with arms, but with words,—­rise in the name of the Popes to repeat her grand mission.  I said in my heart, the city which alone in the world has had two grand lives, one greater than the other, will have a third.  After the Rome which wrought by conquest of arms, the Rome which wrought by conquest of words, must come a third which shall work by virtue of example.