6 THE KING’ S BUSINESS day will not be until his adversaries will have crushed each other with mutual destruc tion.’ In the last sentence o f this quotation, the Cardinal clearly refers to Protestant England being at war with some other Protestant nation, as he hopes, to their ‘Mutual destruction.’ GERMANY AND THE VATICAN Well the world knows—it has again and again been declared—that the Pope and the Churph have found such a power in Germany, and that in the person of the Kaiser they have found the very man to inspire and lead the nation in the enterprise. Amongst his great and varied talents, his boundless ambition and iself-confidenee which would lead him to undertake almost anything, he possesses, in quite a phenomenal degree, these two qualifications for the task—hatred o f England and love o f the Pope. I believe he stands unique amongst the rulers of the world in this respect; and it is the more strange it should be so, seeing he professes to be a Christian and a Protestant. Yet that h'e possesses, or father, is possessed by, these two passions,' therè can, I think, be no doubt. THE KAISER AND THE POPE The late Pope felt very much at home in the company o f Venetians, and talked freely to them on most subjects. In this way the Kaiser and his strange doings formed not infrequently a topic o f conversation, or at least a subject of passing remark. Indeed, this could hardly be avoided, for his portrait was a prominent object in the Pope’s rooms. Here it stood on table, there it hung on a wall, yonder it was in an album; whilst on the late Pope’s breast,' suspended on a massive gold chain, sparkled a mag nificent cross,. composed entirely o f emeralds, a gift o f the Kaiser. When any one noticed these things and called the Pope’s attention to them, a smile o f amusement, lighted up his face as he came out with his fayorite joke about the Kaiser, ‘Why he is my best European friend!’ The statement was a joke, and yet it was a literal truth. No Catholic fanatic in the world was more punctilious than he is in sending his homage and congratulations, and flattering speeches and presents to the Pope on his ever- recurring personal festivities, such as the anniversaries, the semi-jubilees and jubilees, actual or prospective, o f the day on which he was born, or was christened, or became a priest, or began to climb the ecclesiastical ladder, or reached its summit and vaulted into the chair o f St. Peter. No greater proof o f the Kaiser’s sympathy with the wearer o f the triple crown cad be given than the speech he made at aix-la-Chapelle. Part o f that speech was the following : ‘It was with pride and joy that he was able to tell them that fhe Pope had said to his special Ambassador, who went to Rome on the occasion of the Holy Father’s jubilee, that he (the Pope) had always kept a high opinion o f the piety o f the Germans, and especially o f the German army; and the Ambassador was to tell his Sovereign that the country in Europe where control, order, and discipline still prevailed, with respect for authority, and regard for the Church, and where the latter could live, was the German Empire, and for that the Papal See was indebted to the German Emperor.’ EMPEROR’ S V IS IT TO ROME When the Kaiser was in Rome in May, 1903, and paid a visit to the Pope, his conduct excited the indignation o f the whole Roman population, and was severely commented on by the Italian press. Instead o f going unostentatiously, as a private individual, as King 'Edward did (although, I think, it had been better if neither had gone), thus showing a regard for the feelings o f the King o f Italy and his Government and people, he went in the most ostentatious way possible. The visit was made on the afternoon o f Sunday, May 3rd. Starting from the Palazzo Odessalchi, the seat of the Prussian legation. ' the state carriages, drawn by four and- six horses, all o f which he had brought from Berlin, formed a cavalcade a quarter o f a mile, in length. For the occasion the main streets of Rome, through which he passed, were lined by soldiers o f all kinds, grenadiers, lancers, caribiniers. cuirassiers, bersaglieri, and alpinisti. The route was lined with Roman citizens; but«little cheering was heard until the Emperor reached the Piazza S. Pietro and the Piazza Santa Màrja. when he W 3 s greeted by the plaudits o f crow;ds o f priests and monks and German pilgrims, who were assembled in those places; In the Vatican, members o f the leading families of the ‘Black party’ were there to welcome him and to escort him to their chief. The Kaiser entered the Vatican at 3:15 and ieft it at 4:20; and, as the result o f the visit, instantly all the clerical papers announced with a flourish o f trumpets, that the, Kaiser had assured the Pope that he would take fresh: steps in favor o f Roman Catholic interests through out the Empire, and Monsignors went about Rome saying that ' the Church would not
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