The King retorted "But he was an after-thought." That made Queen Elena laugh. The King continued. "Zanatello, take this money; give a receipt in the name of Italy. The Queen-Regent will issue a royal decree constituting the Household of Christ as a government department: I nominate the Duke of Aosta as the royal trustee: this scheme is just what Italy wants at this moment: give it effect at once."
Zanatello implored His Majesty to become trustee. "No," came the final response. "I will assist most strenuously in an unofficial capacity: when there is room for a thirteenth apostle, I will perpend: meanwhile I engage to double the fund within one year. The King of England will assist."
Hadrian first read about the acceptance of the gift to Italy in the next day's Populo Romano—one of the most respectable papers in the world, He used to say. He felt that He had achieved another step; and instantly proceeded to the next. He summoned the Syndic of Rome, and made over to him, as a free gift to the City, all the moveable sculpture, paintings, tapestry, and archæological specimens then present in the Vatican. Simultaneously, He canonized Dom Bosco and Dante Alighieri and published the Epistle to the Italians. This document was mainly hortatory, and directed against disbelief and secret societies. He bade Italy to consider Herself as the temple of art in Europe; and to set Herself, by the contemplation of masterpieces of human workmanship already in her possession, or to be added to Her possession by future discovery, to produce Herself as a country and a people prepared for The Lord Who is Altogether Lovely. He spoke of the "Mafia" with admiration and with horror. It was a brotherhood rather than a society, He said. It was a brotherhood of individualists each devoted to the service of his brother. Its essential virtues were honesty, mutual help, self-restraint. Nothing could be better. But the Devil had distorted the operation of so excellent a scheme. His Iniquity tempted the "Mafiosi" not only to help each other in good deeds, but in evil—chiefly in evil deeds. They murdered and screened murderers; and forgot "Thou shalt do no murder." They robbed and screened robbers; and forgot "Thou shalt not steal." They alleged that Mazzini had welded them into a corporate body for political purposes; and had given them for a motto "Mazzini Autorizza Furti Incendi Avvelenamenti," from the initials of which phrase they drew their corporate name. In place of that wicked and abominable sentence, He gave them "Madonnina Applaude Fraternità Individualita Amore." Let the Mafia flourish with that motto for its ruling principle.
Italy was seeing the burden of poverty removed from Her children, was seeing Her youth enabled to cultivate talents, was seeing the honest labour of Her manhood and womanhood rewarded, was seeing refuge and provision prepared for old age. Rome set herself nobly to work at housing the treasures of art which Hadrian had given. Immense and splendid palaces were planned for them and began to rise on the Esquiline and Celian Hills; and the gracious forms of the old gods were to stand beneath arcades of marble, white and pure as lilies without, mosaic of bright gold within, amid the groves upon Janiculum. Honest men came by their own. There were no unemployed. Consequently, no hearts were soured while hands were used; and anarchy began to fade away into the obscurity of bad old rubbish rejected. The Epistle to the Italians too! They were in the mood to listen to anything and everything from that dear little piece of omniscient omnipotent omnipresent aloofness whom they called "Papa Inglese." To the strong and simple Italian temper, His words carried conviction by reason of their own essential simplicity and strength.
"He speaks like one's own conscience!" said Caio and Tizio and also Sempronio.
"Hearken and obey Him, then," invected Maria and Elena and also Margherita.
CHAPTER XVII
Italy was not first in the heart of Hadrian. She was third. He served Her, because He saw Her instant need. The second of His loved lands did not know Herself to be in need of Him: hence, He offered Her no more than courtesy. He did not want America to tell Him not to monkey with the buzz-saw. And England was first. And what could He do for England? The thought, that He might do something, alone sustained Him now. Life among the millions of articulately-speaking men had become an ever-present horror to Him. He frequently wondered what prevented Him from hurling Himself from the windows on to the stones of Rome. He actually sent for a case of safety-razors, and banished knives from the pontifical apartments. "O for the wings, for the wings of a dove: then far away, far away, would I fly." There was a boy named Roebuck who sang that, in New College Chapel in Commemoration week five and twenty years before. The golden voice, the incomparable young voice came back to Him in Golden Rome where He was longing to be at rest.