as you like, where are they now?” Again, of his own accord, M asserts, as a self-evident fact, that “morality and justice have no better sanctuary and no purer inspirations than are to be found in the Court of the Vatican.”  What slight difficulties he still entertains are removed at once.  He asks X candidly to tell him whether the Papal government is really a bad one or not, and is satisfied with the quotation “Sunt bona mixta malis;” he then inquires, in all simplicity, why there are so many complaints and outbreaks against the Papal rule? and is told, in explanation, that the Pope is persecuted because he is weak.  X, emboldened by his easy triumph, ridicules the notion of any reforms being granted by the Papacy, states that what is wanted is a reform in the Papal subjects, not in the Papal rulers, and finally falls foul of poor M, in such language as this:—­“What good can we ever expect from this race of Moderates, who in all revolutions are sent out as pioneers, who have ruined every state in turn by shutting their eyes to every danger, and parleying with every revolution, and who would propose a compromise even with fire or fever, or plague itself.”  After this, X repeats the old fable of the horse and the man, and then launches into a tirade against France:  “You refused to believe that Italy replaced foreign influence by foreign dominion on the day on which France crossed the Alps.  Do you still disbelieve in the treason which is plotting against Italy, by depriving her of her natural bulwarks, Savoy, Nice, and the maritime Alps?  Do you not see, that while you are lulled to sleep by the syren song of Italian independence, Italy is weakened, dismembered and enslaved?” A last suggestion of M, that possibly the language of the encyclical letter was a little too strong, brings forth the following retort:  “It was strong, and tasted bitter to diseased and vitiated palates, but to the lips of justice the taste was sweet and satisfying.  Poor nations!  What have politics become?  What filth we are obliged to swallow!  What scandal to the people; what a lesson of immorality is this fashion of outraging every principle of right, with sword, tongue and pen!  In this chaos, blessed be Providence, there is one free voice left, the voice of St Peter, which is raised in defence of justice, despised and disregarded.”  Hereupon M confesses, “on the faith of a Moderate,” that the refusal of the Pope to accept the advice of the Emperor was “an act worthy of him, both as Pope and Italian sovereign,” and then retires in shame and confusion.

S, the sincere opponent, then enters and announces with foolish pride, that “Italy shall be free, and the gates of hell shall prevail.”  Pride cometh before a fall, and S is shortly convinced that his remark was profane, and that, by his own shewing, liberty was a gift of hell.  S then repeats a number of common-places about the rights of men, the voice of the people, and the will of the majority;