CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY DG 562 Z26 ^" ""''"'*"^ '-'""'y Margherita of Savov, first queen of Ital 924 028 308 264 Cornell University Library The original of tinis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028308264 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY A SELECTION FROM MILLS AND BOON'S LATEST GENERAL LITERATURE THE PHILIPPINES. By the Hon. Dean C. Worcester. With 128 full-page Illustrations. Two vols. 30s. net. EIGHT YEARS IN GERMANY. By I. A. R. Wylie, Author of " My German Year." With 12 Illustrations. Demy 8vo, los. 6d. net. MY ITALIAN YEAR. By Richard Bagot. With 25 Illus- trations. Demy Svo, Second Edition, los. 6d. net. IN CHEYNE WALK AND THEREABOUT. Containing short accounts of some ingenious people and famous places that were by the riverside at Chelsea. By Reginald Blunt, Author of "Paradise Row." With 22 Illustrations. Demy Svo, los. 6d. net. MARCH ERITA OF SAVOY. By Madame Zampini Salazar. With a Preface by Richard Bagot. With 24 Illus- trations. Demy Svo, los. 6d. net. A HERO OF BRITTANY. ARMAND de CHATEAU- BRIAND. By E. Herpin. Translated by Mrs. Colquhoun Grant. With 8 Illustrations. Demy Svo, los. 6d. net. FORTY YEARS IN BRAZIL. By Frank Bennett. With 24 Illustrations. Demy Svo, los. 6d. net. ROMAN MEMORIES IN THE LANDSCAPE SEEN FROM CAPRI. Narrated by Thomas Spencer Jerome. Illustrated by Morgan Heiskell. With 3 Maps. Demy Svo, 7s. 6d. net. RAMBLES IN ROME. By G. E. Troutbeck, Author of " Rambles in Florence." With 8 Illustrations in Colour by Rose McAndrew and 33 from Photographs. Crown Svo, 6s. THE ROMANCE OF THE CAMBRIDGE COLLEGES. By Francis Gribble. With 16 Illustrations. Crown Svo, 6s. THE ITALIANS OF TO-DAY. By Richard Bagot. Crown Svo, Third Edition, 2s. 6d. net. MAKGHEKITA OF SAVOY, FIRST QIEEN OF ITALY. MARGHERITA OF SAVOY FIRST QUEEN OF ITALY HER LIFE AND TIMES BY FANNY ZAMPINI SALAZAR WITH A PREFACE BY RICHARD BAGOT WITH 24 ILLUSTRATIONS MILLS AND BOON, LIMITED 49 RUPERT STREET LONDON, W Published igi-f- THIS BOOK IS BY KIND PERMISSION RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED TO H, E. THE MARCHESA DI VILLAMARINA LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Margherita of SavoYj First Queen of Italy Frontispiece FACING PAGE VlTTORIO EmANUELE II AND MaRIA ADELAIDE OF AUSTRIA 1 The Castle of Stupinigi in Piedmont . . .18 Entrance Hall of the Castle of Stupinigi in Piedmont 29 Margherita of Savoy at the Age of Nineteen . . 39 Pope Pius IX . ... 50 Umberto I, King of Italy . . . . 74 Pope Leo XIII . . ... 86 The Marchesa Paola Pes di Villamarina . . .106 The Marchese Emanuele Pes di Villamarina . .155 The Sitting-room of Queen Margherita in her Castle of Stupinigi in Piedmont . . . . l62 Monsignore Don Oderisio Piscicelli - Taeggi, Grand Prior of St. Nicholas in Bari . . .181 The Altar in the Church of St. Nicholas in Bari, WHERE Eleanor of Montenegro was Received into the Roman Catholic Church , . .191 King Umberto and Queen Margherita as seen to- gether the last time in Naples . . . 193 Eleanor of MontenegrOj Queen of Italy . . 229 Father W. Whitmee . . ... 234 King Umberto I. From an Etching by Charlotte Popert 237 ix X MARGHERITA OF SAVOY FACING PAGE Queen Margherita's Dining-room in Rome. Her Chair OPPOSITE her King and Son's Portrait . . 238 Sitting-room of Queen Margherita in her Palace in Rome . . . ... 242 Pius X in Pontifical Robes . ... 257 Villa Savoia in Gressoney . ... 269 Entrance Hall at Villa Savoia in Gressoney . . 270 King Vittorio Emanuele, Queen Eleanor and their Children — Princess Yolanda, Princess Mafalda, Princess Giovanna, and the Crown Prince Umberto of Piedmont . ... 272 Latest Portrait of Queen Margherita. From an Etching by Charlotte Popert . . . 284 PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION THAT the authoress of this latest Itahan contribution to the history of the hfe and times of the first Queen of United Italy should have wished for any observations from me in the form of an introductory preface to an English edition of her work, is not a little flattering to one who has for many years striven to place the aims — political, social, and economic — of the modern Italians before his compatriots in a somewhat different light from that in which these matters have, as a rule, been regarded by English people. At the same time, it is by no means an easy task for a foreigner to comment upon a volume dealing with the personal character and influence of a Sovereign of another State ; especially when, as is happily the case in the present instance, that Sovereign is still alive and, though no longer reigning as a Queen Consort, is still reigning in the hearts of a grateful people ever mindful of her devotion to the aims of national unity and progress in the past, and of her un- ceasing efforts to promote the dignity and the social and economic well-being of Italian home- life in the present. Fortunately, however, com- paratively few comments of my own are neces- sary to introduce this volume to English readers. xi xii MARGHERITA OF SAVOY These last will speedily become aware that, to its authoress, the Queen Mother of Italy — the title has a double significance — represents not only a beloved and revered Sovereign, but an ideal of the womanhood of her country : a womanhood which, with no noisy clamour, with no theatrical display of contempt for the law of the land, or vulgar outrages against public decency and order, has during the past thirty years been quietly liberating itself from racial traditions that for centuries had relegated the position of Latin women to being that of a mere appanage to the male section of the community. Those who are acquainted with the general attitude towards women which obtained in Italy, as in every southern country, will be able to form some idea of the magnitude of the task which confronted the wives and daughters of the makers of modern Italy, and the mothers of the modern Italians, who were determined that woman should have her proper place and exercise her legitimate influence in the moulding and consolidation of modern Italian national life. How far this determination would have borne fruit had it not found a ready sympathizer and supporter in the first lady in the land, it would be difficult to say. In the present volume the part played by Margherita di Savoia in en- couraging every legitimate and practical effort to enlarge the sphere of feminine action in her country, and to employ feminine influence as an intellectual and civilizing influence instead of confining it entirely within the walls of palaces and cottages, is largely dwelt upon. This feature of the authoress's work needs no intro- PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION xiii ductory remarks from me. The attitude of Queen Margherita towards all questions relating to what I may term the traditional disabilities of woman as a factor in the national life and national progress is described by Signora Zam- pini Salazar both accurately and faithfully. If the English reader of a volume primarily written for Italians and translated into English by the authoress herself should find in it passages of a somewhat more directly laudatory nature than is, perhaps, customary in English works dealing with living personages, royal or other- wise, it must be remembered that the writer has devoted the best part of her life to the advance- ment of those high ideals of womanhood as a great factor in national progress which received their impetus from the sympathy and from the encouragement of the illustrious lady who is the subject of her pen. The Signora Salazar is the writer of a large number of works dealing with almost every question connected with the amaz- ing progress made by her country in the com- paratively short period since it emancipated itself from foreign dominion, and from the political and social intrigues of a great internal power having the spiritual influences of the centuries behind it which, for many years, was the bitter opponent to that emancipation. Among these questions, that of the liberation of the women of Italy and their entry into a more active and useful participation in the national life has been ably and profoundly discussed by her in a number of works, and in articles in reviews both Italian and foreign ; while on numerous occasions she has lectured on such subjects both in England and in the United xiv MARGHERITA OF SAVOY States. It need scarcely be said, perhaps, that in so far departing from the recognized sphere of feminine activity as to champion her cause on pubhc platforms both in her own country and abroad, the Signora Zampini Salazar has at various times exposed herself to unjust and unfriendly criticism on the part of those of her compatriots who were unable to understand that such a championship by no means implied any carelessness of domestic and family duties which form the most sacred of ties to one in her position. But such criticisms never deterred the Signora Salazar from doing what she regarded as being her duty towards her sex ; and, in spite of her critics, she surrendered neither her pen, nor her right to speak in public when and where- soever she considered that her lectures might bring converts to her cause. She can scarcely be blamed, therefore, if, as she frankly confesses, she has found her ideal Italian woman in the person of Margherita di Savoia, who has herself done so much to encourage a larger sphere of action on the part of the women of Italy, and in demonstrating that such a sphere is not in- compatible with the due performance of those domestic duties which are woman's peculiar province. I must not, however, convey the impression that the present volume deals solely, or even primarily, with that phase of Queen Margherita's work which was devoted to the questions to which I have alluded. As the Consort of a constitutional monarch, in a country which is probably the most genuinely democratic of any in Europe, Margherita di Savoia could not depart from those hard-and-fast lines regulating PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION xv the political actions of one in her position. How difficult a position this was, may be gathered from Signora Salazar's pages : and that portion of her book which deals with Queen Margherita's personal attitude towards the Church of her country during a period when the Roman Curia and, with a very few exceptions, the higher ecclesiastical dignitaries were bitterly hostile both to the monarchy and to the nation, is by no means the least interesting and instructive. Like all the princesses of her House, Margherita di Savoia is a sincere Catholic ; and a sincere Catholic she remained even during the long years when the Vatican was the mortal foe to the Italian State ; when the " Blacks " refused to recognize the presence of the Italian Sovereigns in Rome, or in any city which had formerly been comprised in the temporal dominions of the Papacy ; when in every civilized country in the world the political machinery of the Vatican was working day and night to bring about the fall of Italian Unity and the re- establishment of the temporal sovereignty of the Popes — that sovereignty which had for so long owed its existence to foreign bayonets. In those days the hearts of millions of devout Italian Catholics turned to the Queen. Her devotion to the Faith was known to all ; and those who found themselves exposed to spiritual pains and penalties by the Vatican for being Italians and patriots looked to Margherita di Savoia for an example which should guide them. What that example was, and how the Queen showed to the Italian nation that religion and patriotism were not only not incompatible, but complements the one of the other, the authoress xvi MARGHERITA OF SAVOY of this volume ably demonstrates in her pages. None can doubt that the spirit of materialism, and of hatred towards the Church generally, which was the inevitable result of the purely temporal policy of the Vatican, must have been a source of the deepest pain, and the deepest anxiety, to Queen Margherita. It may, too, be supposed that she viewed with aversion and with profound regret many of the measures which the Italian Government felt itself bound to take by way of reprisals against an insidious enemy employing spiritual weapons in order to destroy Italian unity. But among the mass of the clergy, both high and low, which was pro- foundly antagonistic to the new Kingdom of Italy, there were a certain number of patriots whom sincere devotion to Catholicism and their sacred calling did not prevent from being able clearly to distinguish between their religious faith and duty, and the purely political and mundane creed which in those years dominated the actions of the Vatican. It was from this group of clergy, loyal alike to God and country, that Margherita di Savoia sought her counsel- lors. The writer of this volume shows herself to be in complete sympathy with that true Latin Catholicism which has ever regarded ultra- montane Vaticanism as a fungoid growth of mediaeval origin — a distinction, I may here observe, which would appear to be grasped only by the Latin races which have been born and bred in the CathoUc faith, but which seems to be beyond the mental or spiritual understanding of what I may term Anglo-Roman Catholicism. This last would seem to be too deeply tainted PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION, xvii with the convert element of Anghcan Ritualism to be capable of realizing the Latin indifference to outward forms and ceremonies, as such ; or that the average Latin, and more especially the average Italian, regards these as mere matters of detail forming part of the stock-in-trade of the priests, and of interest only to students of theology and the more emotional of the com- munity. In other works the authoress of this volume has demonstrated with no little courage the attitude of the majority of her compatriots towards the Church, and she has shown how the average Italian who is sincerely Catholic is at the same time entirely free from the blighting and reactionary spirit of ultramontanism. Her frankness on this subject has, I believe, exposed her to the usual accusations of anti-Catholicism and anti-clericalism on the part of ultramontane critics which are levelled at any writer on Italian matters who truthfully depicts Italian sentiments on such things. They are accusations, moreover, which, strangely enough, do not proceed from ultramontane Catholics only; they proceed also from Protestant critics, who, ignorant of the Latin attitude towards Latin Catholicism, and unable to understand the supreme indiffer- ence of Italians towards what I may term the mise en scene of their religion and towards the subtleties of dogma, are as ready as their ultra- montane brethren to condemn as disloyal to his or her Church any writer who shares the views and opinions of all but a very small section of the Italian Catholics on these subjects. The thinking reader, it is true, and especially the reader who has had opportunities of studying the real position be- xviii MARGHERITA OF SAVOY tween Church and State in Italy, and the inestim- able benefits which have resulted /from the liberation of the latter from the illegitimate interference of the former in civil and social departments, discounts such charges at what they are worth ; but there still remain the greater number of readers who, more ignorant of Latin psychology, are easily persuaded that the hostility to any form of ultramontane Catholic- ism on the part of a writer dealing with Italy means that the said writer is animated by an anti-Catholic or anti-clerical bias, and that, if Catholic, he is disloyal to his Church. If any such charge should be brought against our authoress by her English readers, she can call the first Queen of United Italy as a witness to the truth that the sincerest and most loyal Catholics in the land which is the cradle of Latin Catholic- ism have ever sought to free their country from the yoke of what was formerly known as Vaticanism, and from the foreign forces upon which that political organization ever relied to support its influence and pretensions. It may be thought that in venturing to allude to the important part played by Queen Margherita in paving the way towards a modus vivendi between Church and State I am attributing to Her Majesty a political role. To attribute any such character to Margherita di Savoia would be entirely to misrepresent her. So great, indeed, was her aversion from identifying herself with any political action that I believe Her Majesty was wont to quote Marie Antoinette as an example of the disastrous results to a State of the interference in political questions on the part of a Queen Consort. It is, perhaps, not generally PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION xix known that during the entire period of her residence at the Quirinal no Minister of State, and no senator or deputy of Parhament pro- minently allied to any particular political group was ever invited to her private receptions. It is unnecessary to dwell further upon this point, since it speaks for itself. Nevertheless, it may fairly be taken as the key-note of Queen Mar- gherita's conception of her position, so far as political affairs were concerned, and as an instance of her unfailing tact, and, it may be added, of her sound common sense. The authoress of this volume has been in the foremost ranks of those Italian writers who have championed the cause of popular education and of the diffusion among the people of the human- izing influences of literature and art. Her profound conviction that any form of popular education from which the religious faith of her country is eliminated, or relegated to a secondary position, must prove to be a curse rather than a blessing will become evident to readers of this volume. She lays deep stress on the necessity for the schools and educational establishments in Italy being institutions in which the youth of the nation may be taught that Catholicism is not, as both clericals and anti-clericals have, although from very different points of view, contended, inimical to true patriotism and national loyalty ; but that due knowledge of the doctrines of the Church, and due respect for that religious faith which forms the first article in the constitution of the Italian Monarchy, represent the only solid and practical basis on whi<;h the patriotism of Italian youth, and therefore the future strength of Italy to maintain her newly XX MARGHERITA OF SAVOY acquired position among the great nations of the world, can be founded. She regrets that in her account of the hfe and times of Margherita di Savoia she has been unable to describe at any length the great part played by that Sovereign in the encouragement of every branch of Art. She has told us enough, however, to make us reahze that Queen Margherita has ever regarded Art as being one of the leading influences in the education of a people. That the Queen's personal influence carried weight even with the chief artists of her times, and that her judgment and taste are recognized by them as carrying with them something far more convincing than the mere individual ideas of a crowned head con- cerning artistic matters, is undoubted. Giosue Carducci, modern Italy's greatest poet, and perhaps the greatest poet of his time, is an example of the consideration in which Mar- gherita di Savoia's artistic judgment has been held by the literary and other artists of her country. It is also an example of the unpreju- diced and broad-minded attitude she has always assumed towards all genuine and sincere Art that Queen Margherita was able to appreciate the genius and sincerity of a republican poet whose political and religious views were certainly very far removed from her own. Carducci was not a man to allow his principles and his inspira- tion to be influenced by the glamour of royalty. It was in all probability as largely due to her example of how deep an influence for good in the national life may be exerted by a Sovereign, as to the tribute of friendship and admiration Queen Margherita paid to him as a great artist, if, in his later years, the poet's republican PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION xxi principles were replaced by a generous recogni- tion of the advantages to his country of the monarchical system. Herself a skilled musician, Margherita di Savoia has never failed to encourage workers in the field of Music ; and both at the Quirinal in the past, as at the Palazzo Margherita in the present, the chamber-music performed at her intimate evening receptions represents the highest standard of the art. The Queen's interest, too, in the marvellous progress made in the various fields of Natural and Applied Sciences by Italian scientists has been constant. In fact, both as first Queen of Italy at the Quirinal, and during her widowhood in the comparative retirement of the Palazzo Margherita, the workers in every field of Science, of Art, and of every movement, in short, tending to national progress and the amelioration of the social and economic con- ditions of the Italian people, never sought an audience of Margherita di Savoia without finding in her a ready sympathizer, and at the same time a practical and judicious critic and adviser. The authoress of this volume tells us that she hopes at a future date to be able to describe the lives and times of the present Sovereigns of Italy. The task will be no small one. The example of Queen Margherita has been worthily followed by her son. King Vittorio Emanuele III, and by the gracious princess who so nobly fills the position of second Queen of Italy. King Victor is not only one of the best statesmen in Europe, but also one of the kindliest of individuals and one of the most approachable of monarchs. Under his wise and genuinely liberal guidance, the monarchy has become more deeply rooted xxii MARGHERITA OF SAVOY in the affections of the nation than it ever was before : while the home-life of the Sovereigns forms a constant object-lesson which penetrates to the homes of the most humble of their subjects. The present King and Queen of Italy have earned the love and respect of all sections of their people, and this not alone as Sovereigns, but yet more by the many acts of sympathy and practical assistance which they have side by side performed whenever any portion of their kingdom has been visited by disaster. These acts have not seldom been accompanied by a contempt for personal dangers and hardships — ^by a moral and physical courage — which has appealed to all classes of Italians in a way that no mere official demonstration of royal concern or generosity would have effected. The contents of this Life of Margherita di Savoia have a claim upon the attention of English readers interested in Italy, not only on account of the description they give of the life and work of a noble woman who has used her great position for the good of her country, but also on account of the side-issues dealt with by the authoress. The instructive, yet, at the same time, unpre- tentious way in which she treats of the political and social contemporary history of modern Italy adds to the value of the book. Of cut-and-dried histories of the Unification of Italy we have enough and to spare. It will, perhaps, be refreshing to many to read a volume which presents the history of that subject in a somewhat different manner; treat- ing it from the more intimate point of view of an Italian writer deeply conscious of the social needs of her country, and recognizing that the PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION xxiii ultimate scope of that Unification was to supply those needs, and gradually, but steadily, to raise the national moral and social standard, as well as elevate the Italian Kingdom to take its place among the great European Powers. This point of view enables Signora Salazar to introduce into her pages a note of true sympathy with and understanding of the effects of Unification upon the social as well as the political conditions of her country. It is a note that is lacking, and, perhaps, must always lack in the descriptions written by foreigners of the greatest National movement of modern times. The readers of this book too will, I would fain hope, share with me in congratulating its authoress on her proficiency in the English tongue, and on the fact that she has been able herself to compile an English translation of her work, in which she has suc- ceeded in preserving the freshness of the original Italian, while conforming to the literary exi- gencies of a foreign language. We may share the Signora Zampini Salazar's regret that her present volume does not deal with Italian events subsequent to the year 1907 ; for between that date and the year in which we are living, Italy has witnessed a second and even more remarkable unification than that first leap towards its national existence with which the authoress is so deeply attached by ties of a family nature. Italy, too, has undergone in these last years more than one national disaster due to natural causes, scarcely equalled in their magnitude by any similar catastrophes known to history. It has been in such circumstances as these that the House of Savoy, following the example of Mar- xxiv MARGHERITA OF SAVOY ^ gherita di Savoia and its present representatives, has shown that personal sympathy and courage, that simple and unassuming devotion to the well- being of the Italian people, which has established it ineradicably in the respect and in the ajffections of the Italian nation. Richard Bagot. Tripalle, Crespina, Tuscany, October, 1913. AUTHOR'S PREFACE " Look upwards ; let God, your country, your King, be above all your thoughts ; never lend an ear to those who tell you that to love God you must forget your country, or that to love your country you must forget God." — Ruggero Bonghi. THE life of Margherita of Savoy, begun in troubled times, continued through years and events momentous for Italy, should be of interest to readers other than Italian ; for it is the life, not only of a great Queen, but of a woman who in every relation of life has afforded an example of what a woman should be. It is not my intention to write an ordinary biography, not desiring to compete with those writers who have already treated the subject ; my aim is rather to show the first Queen of Italy on her own historical background, with especial regard to the protection and incentive she has afforded to movements in Italy affecting the condition of women in social, economic, and educational fields, and to notice in detail the various organized undertakings which owe their existence and prosperity to the initiative and patronage of the Sovereign. I desire in the first place to show how by her personal example Margherita of Savoy has pointed out to Italian women the path leading not to political ambitions, but to the life and interests of the family, repeating untiringly that the home is the sanctuary to which women XXV xxvi MARGHERITA OF SAVOY are consecrated, however much engrossed they may be in work for their own or the public interest. It is right to be interested in the welfare of those around us, in Science, in Art, and in every department of intellectual and social work. Feminine power and influence is to-day more than ever needed and felt, for it is now at last recognized that the most perfect production of social evolution is the life of the home. To women, wise, good, affectionate, intelligent, the task of shaping and perfecting this life is entrusted ; and through the realization of this ideal they acquire an influence hardly to be estimated over generations yet unborn. It is not through progressive or reactionary forms of Government that the great social fabric advances and rises ; it is through the integrity, the magnanimity, the culture of the individual that society moves onward towards the loftiest heights of civilization. Hence the solution of the woman question is far more important for the future of the nations than any legislative reform, for the education of the people of every social condition depends principally on women. The first Queen of Italy has given to the women of Italy a noble example, evincing a kindly and active interest in ail initiatives for the welfare of the people, but at the same time mindful always of her duties as a mother, superintending personally the education of her son, and so forming his mind and character that the young King has been enabled to fulfil his difficult task in a manner which demands and receives universal admiration. Not less exemplary is the life of the young Consort he chose to share his lot ; and Elena of Montenegro has consequently conquered all hearts, interesting AUTHOR'S PREFACE xxvii herself in all that concerns the welfare of the people, appearing always, with the King, wher- ever there are tears to be dried, help to be given in pubhc calamities, or comfort and thanks to the brave wounded soldiers in the late war. Political men of all parties in Italy, foreign statesmen and the foreign press alike acknow- ledge that under the rule of Vittorio Emanuele III, the most democratic of living Sovereigns, the way is cleared and smoothed for every forward movement of the people, and that our last war has consolidated in a remarkable manner the national unity of Italians all over the world. The late war has aroused and stimulated the consciousness of nationality not only throughout Italy, but in the Italian colonies, especially in the East, where Italians have shown their patriot- ism by sacrificing to the great ideal their economic interests. We need no longer doubt that a nation with such glorious traditions in the past is destined to go far in the future, when the daily example of the two highest ladies in the land shows us the beneficent and far-reaching influence of women who comprehend and magnify their divine office of motherhood, as a mission of physical and moral creation. But the bringing up of children on strict hygienic principles, their education on the newest lines of infantine development, will not suffice if there is not at the same time awakened and nurtured in their hearts the twofold sentiment of devotion to God and to their country. The necessity for this is, unfortunately, owing to unfounded prejudices, not always understood in Italy. The tendency of the present day is to attach sole importance to physical and intellectual development, both of xxviii MARGHERITA OF SAVOY which were formerly too often neglected. But if it was an error and an exaggeration to attend only to the needs of the soul, that is no reason why its culture should be entirely neglected. If, on the one hand, the opposition to religious instruction becomes in Italy an inflexible de- termination, on the other hand reaction means only too often the suppression of all education in patriotism. It cannot be called good poHcy to insist on the suppression of all religious teaching in modern education, laying the entire stress on the physical and intellectual development of the rising generation. If in northern countries, practical and unprejudiced, religious instruction is considered an objective element of education, civilization, and progress, we must consider it in Italy as a subjective element of tradition, an element which being eminently good must be preserved, cherished, strengthened, and made to prevail. Italy is essentially Catholic ; and the great majority of her people cannot and will not approve or encourage opposition to the faith of their fathers. If we desire to educate the coming generation in love of their country, their schools must be openly and frankly Catholic schools. Otherwise the majority of Italian families of the better classes will continue to entrust their children to the many flourishing religious institutions of foreign nation- alities, where no love of Italy is or can be in- culcated, because, apart from other reasons, the history of Italy is very rarely well known or understood, especially the Italian ecclesiastical policy. This branch of the history of Italy is indeed usually little known to the majority of Italians themselves, and still less to foreigners ; AUTHOR'S PREFACE xxix and this was one of the reasons which prompted me to endeavour to set forth and explain in the present work the relations between Church and State in Italy from 1870 to the first decade of the twentieth century. To do this effectually would mean the clearing up of many misunderstandings, the eliminating of much friction and discord, which estrange from their country a large number of devout Catholics and are the source of much misapprehension regarding Italy in the Catholic world in general. It is a subtle political aim which forms the undercurrent of the opposi- tion to national unity. We should therefore employ all means in our power to clear up all misunderstandings, in order that the people, especially now that the suffrage has been so largely extended, may know the exact relation of the conflicting forces. We fully allow, on the other hand, that the patriotic element in educa- tion is a powerful stimulus, fostering and developing that psychical energy which has characterized the noblest men of every age and clime. The officers and soldiers who fell on the fields of Lybia have given brave proof of this, offering with enthusiasm their young lives for the greatness of Italy. ~ My apology for adding one more to the many books treating of the new Italy must be that I have endeavoured to show how religion and patriotism may be combined and harmonized as they have ever been and are in the personality of the Queen who, called to the throne in such difficult critical times for religion and for the Church, has yet remained always a most sincere and devout Catholic. My aim being to write a condensed account of XXX MARGHERITA OF SAVOY the renaissance of modern Italy, to serve as an historic background for the figure of its first Queen, I have not been able to treat at length of the development and progress of literature, science, and art in Italy, but this work has already been done by abler hands. My work closes with the year 1907 ; in this year died Giosue Carducci, and Queen Margherita pre- sented to the city of Bologna his house and library, to be a temple dedicated to the memory of the greatest poet of her times. I have been unable to make any mention of three important events of late years, the earthquake of 1908 in Calabria and Sicily, the eruption of Vesuvius, and the late war in Lybia ; or to show how on all these occasions Queen Margherita gave renewed proof of generosity and tender womanly kindness. But as these events are more intimately associated with King Vittorio Emanuele and Queen Elena, I have deferred treating of them until a later work, which I trust to be able to write in commemora- tion of the silver wedding of the present Sove- reigns. Wlioever may write that book, should I not be privileged to do so, it cannot be written with more single-hearted devotion to my country and to the House of Savoy than has inspired the present work. To the cause of United Italy my father consecrated his life and fortune. I can recall the deep emotion of my childish heart when I saw on September 7th, 1860, Garibaldi entering Naples, greeted by cheering crowds in a state of wild enthusiasm ; I was the more impressed as I saw my father in the same carriage, holding our tri-colour flag unfurled. On that glorious morning my father with a few Liberal friends had gone through the streets of AUTHOR'S PREFACE xxxi Naples, passing with youthful boldness even in front of the Bourbon sentinel, carrying the Italian flag to meet Garibaldi. The hero un- covered his head to salute the flag ; he bowed reverently to kiss it, and noted the symbolic emblem of another recent liberation in the Lion of St. Mark that was embroidered on it.^ Garibaldi clasped my father's hand and those of his brave young friends and drove with them to the Angri Palace in the Piazza Spirito Santo. In the autumn of 1869, in Naples, I have a vivid recollection of Margherita of Savoy, a delightful vision, glorified indeed when a few months later I saw her, radiant with maternal happiness, sur- rounded by women of the people, on her way to meet King Vittorio Emanuele II and present to him the little prince, her son, who bore his grandfather's name. Since those youthful days I have followed with devoted interest the life of Queen Margherita, proud to observe her noble example. I have found in Margherita of Savoy the ideal of womanliness for which I had so long sighed ; wise, cultured, religious, kind, and good, modest in glory, strong in griefs, " a perfect woman, nobly plann'd." . . . Fanny Zampini Salazae. Rome, December, 1913. ^ This flag was made and embroidered by my mother, the sister of Francis Calcutt Macnamara, M.P. for Clare, who took O'Connell's seat in the House of Commons. The fiag is now preserved in the Museum of St. Martino in Naples, with other records of the time. W'- OS H V3 < Si. o Q Q Q Z < o ^^-C^S#*'*5 ' -'^ ■_r>^.. c:aia MAEGHEKITA OF SAVOY CHAPTER I A sketch of the historical origins of the unity and independence of Italy — Tlie mission of Piedmont in the national movement — Giuseppe Mazzini — -Vittorio Emanuele II and Ferdinando of Savoy — The marriage of Ferdinando with Mary Elizabeth of Saxony — Birth and baptism of Margherita of Savoy — Dangerous illness of her father — His last injunctions to his wife, the Duchess of Genoa, and his death on February 10th, 1855 — The different Governments of the small Italian States following the politics of Austria — The Eastern question — Piedmont in the Crimean War — Cavour at the Diplomatic Congress of Paris in 1856. IF we should ever have a true history of the independence and unity of Italy, accom- plished by the strong will and untiring efforts of a small group of ardent patriots, helped and supported by the little Piedmontese State, by its King, Vittorio Emanuele II, and by General Garibaldi, future generations will look upon it as an heroic poem, the creation of a fervid fancy, rather than a simple narrative of facts. Those marvellous events, while they astonished the world, demonstrated the irresistible force of an idea, when the ideal is pursued with unswerving faith and steadfast will. The unity and independence of Italy had been for centuries the dream and aspiration of great Italian souls, but it was not until the period of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars 2 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY that these dreams began to take form and shape and to be shared in some measure by the people. The smaller Italian States had each their own group of brave and noble patriots, united under the banner of liberty, opposed and oppressed by powerful foreign and local Governments, daimt- less spirits untiring in their efforts to free their country from the yoke and tyranny of ambitious, selfish, and overbearing foreign rulers. From the Alps to the Apennines, from the Adriatic to the Tyrrhenian Sea, the sacred fire of patriotism and liberty was kept burning in the hearts of Italians, gentle and simple, alike and equal in sacrificing all individual interest to the one noble aim of redeeming Italy. Many of these patriots died on the scaffold or were deprived of their liberty and shut into terrible dungeons, others were exiled, some quitted their unhappy country to work for her redemption in foreign lands, but their death, their sacrifices, their hardships, did not discourage their brave brothers ; their ardour was the enthusiasm of martyrs, who meet even death for the triumph of their ideal, for the glory of the faith which inspires them. Its geographical position, the strong and cheerful temper of its inhabitants, made the little country of Piedmont in the Middle Ages, as in modern times, a powerful rampart against the torrent of foreign invaders. As vigilant Alpine sentinels, the Princes of the House of Savoy, who ruled during the last eight centuries, had striven to make their country an armed and warlike one, and to foster in their subjects the spirit of independence in addition to that of loyalty to their Royal House. Swept away by the victorious arms of Bonaparte, they UNITY OF ITALY 3 returned to their country after his fall, but, being persuaded that revolution was unhallowed in its origin and ruinous in its consequences, Vittorio Emanuele I and Carlo Felice maintained the rights and privileges of feudal autocracy. While the one chose rather to renounce his sovereignty than to yield to the desire of the Carbonari and Federali, who in 1821 demanded a Constitution, the other even appealed to the soldiers of Vienna to help him in subduing the rebels. The younger branch of the Savoy family, the Princes of Carignano, were sufficiently enlightened to under- stand better what were the temperament and aspirations of modern times, and they entered on the new way which was to lead Italy to the fulness of its political resurrection. Instead of opposing the revolutionary currents as other Sovereigns had done, they took the lead in the movement, associating their fortunes with those of the people, who, in their turn, broke up the seven crowns of Italy and fused them into one, which they offered in gratitude to the King who had won for them liberty and unity. Carlo Alberto of Savoy, having passed beyond the first hesitations and fears, gave evidence of his good will towards the people and their cause by his continued resistance to the unjust demands of Austria, by his impulse given to the civil and military reorganization of the kingdom, and finally by his boldness in daring to provoke to war the Danubian giant. The sad disappointments which led this unfortunate monarch to abdicate, and finally to die a voluntary exile in a foreign land, are well known to all. His son, Vittorio Emanuele II, then a young man, having been born on March 14th, 1820, felt all the weight of the 4 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY great responsibility imposed on him in accepting the crown which his father, striving to repress his tears, transferred to him at Novara in March, 1849. Vittorio Emanuele swore on that day to dedicate his whole life to the avenging of the crushing defeat which had compelled his father to abandon his throne. The young King was endowed with all the qualities needed for the accomplishment of the regeneration of Italy. The first public act of Vittorio Emanuele showed the strength of his character and the rare qualities of intuition and foresight which he possessed. He had to meet at Vignale the triumphant Austrian Marshal Radetsky, in order to arrange the conditions of the truce which followed the cruel defeat of Novara. The old warrior desired to profit by the occasion to compel the young King of Piedmont to revoke the statute by which Carlo Alberto had granted the benefit of a con- stitutional Government to his people. Radetsky tried every means to induce the young King to resume absolute power, and for such a price Austria would have granted favourable condi- tions of peace ; but Vittorio Emanuele answered that he would rather continue the war till one sword and one soldier only were left to him, for he held the acceptance of such a proposal to be an act of cowardice. He was thus compelled to sign a treaty of peace with Austria on very hard conditions, but the tricolour flag was not lowered ; it was unfurled to the wind as an emblem of peace and hope for the land of a free people ; thus was the Constitution saved. The circumstances in which Vittorio Emanuele mounted the throne were of a most difficult nature, but he showed himself equal to the THE MISSION OF PIEDMONT 5 position, and was destined to astonish the world by the exercise of the supreme wisdom which guided him to accomphsh the greatest poHtical event of the nineteenth century in Europe, the unity of Italy. The mission of Piedmont in the movement towards Italian unity was easy to discern. While the provinces of Lombardy and Venice, fallen again under a foreign yoke after the heroic efforts of 1848, saw their citizens return to exile and to prisons, the hospitable Piedmont opened her doors to the fugitives, pro- tecting and defending them against the arbitrary persecution of Austria, which even went the length of confiscating the property of emigrants, who in consequence found themselves penniless in a strange land. Their dominions having been restored to them by foreign violence, the petty Dukes of Modena and Parma, having learned nothing and forgotten nothing during their absence, grew more and more reactionary in their policy, taking no ac- count of the inevitable progress of the liberal idea. The Grand Duke Leopold, who owed his safety to Austria, became her humble dependent, but, mindful of the family tradition of modera- tion, he granted to Tuscany a strictly supervised liberty of thought. The States of the Church, protected by the short-lived Republic of France, which had overthrown the Roman Republic, were in an unsettled condition owing to methods of the Papal Government, some members of which were, or seemed to be, hostile to the national cause. Gioberti's scheme of an Italic confeder- ation of Sovereigns under the Presidency of the Pope, though favourably regarded by Pius IX, was destroyed by the allocution in which Pius IX, 6 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY though condemning the war of independence begun in his name, declared he could not asso- ciate himself with the scheme, he being the spiritual father of all faithful sons of the Church. The severest form of autocracy, consolidated by the bombs of May 15th, 1848, and the in- surrection in Calabria, again weighed upon Naples, fighting her painful way through the fires and massacres of Messina, Taormina, and Catania, and threw on Southern Italy a lurid and ominous light. In the kingdom of Sardinia alone the tricolour raised by the revolution was everywhere held on high, and to it were turned the looks and hopes of all who had not lost faith in the resur- rection of their country. The misfortunes of past years had revealed to Italians many bitter truths and many errors, and they dressed their ranks, having learnt caution and prudence from sad experiences of sorrow and bloodshed. If the patriots of 1820 in the two Sicilies and in Pied- mont had succeeded in giving so severe a shock to absolutism as to render it necessary to support it by foreign assistance, and if, on the other hand, the great revolt of 1848, though deeper and more widely spread, did not attain a like result, it can be explained by the difference between the two revolutions as regards their directive energies and the methods they had adopted. In 1820 the Napoleonic memories, so full of vivid and bright promise, were still fresh in men's minds, and the revolutionary impulse came from the strongly organized association of the so-called Carbonari, men of great intelligence, who assumed the direction of government and of a public opinion easily led, enforcing their views not infrequently by menaces. The Carbonari trusted to the ambi- GIUSEPPE MAZZINI 7 tion and loyal consent of the ruler, but the succeeding ten years destroyed their illusions ; the rulers betrayed them, appealing to foreign assistance, instigating against them ignorant and fanatic mobs, responding with the scaffold and the dungeon to every appeal for law and order. The hope of an amicable settlement between the authorities and the people being lost, the re- publican ideals of Mazzini began to find adherents. He had been, if not the very first, one of the first, who, with the ardent faith and courage of an Apostle, had tried to bring into the domain of fact the simple poetical aspirations of patriots, convinced of the possibility and the need of fusing into one strong national organism the different regions of Italy. But the first essay, aided by the powerful association Giovine Italia (young Italy), was a miserable failure. Those ardent patriots had the enthusiasm and eagerness, but they were unprepared and inexperienced, and over-estimated their powers. The conspiracies against the lives of Ferdinando II in Naples and Carlo Alberto, the disturbances in the Neapolitan and Sicilian provinces, in Romagna, the Abruzzi, the Calabrian insurrec- tion in 1844, and the successive expeditions of the brothers Bandiera, well intentioned, but most unfortunate, while revealing how strong and deeply felt was the desire for liberty in the Italian people, made prudent persons nervous, and inspired them with horror of the Mazzinian ideal. The scheme of Gioberti was then re- considered, and acquired greater favour ; his book on the Primacy of Italians had been widely distributed and read. Federation, not unity, reforms originating with the ruler, not the people. 8 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY seemed more natural and feasible. Italy was thus divided ; on the one side united republicans with Mazzini, federalistic republicans with Cat- taneo and Ferrari ; on the other side federalistic monarchists with Gioberti, Balbo, D'Azeglio, and united monarchists with Giusti, Nicolini, and Manzoni. A contest of ideas, resulting in un- certain and divided action, prevailed ; the foreigner triumphed, the Pope had fled. Carlo Alberto had fallen, crushed in the overwhelming struggle, Vittorio Emanuele had gathered on the battlefield of Novara the torn and bloody flag. Two ways were open to him ; he could follow the example of the other Italian sovereigns, abolish the constitution, lean on the powerful Austrian Empire, defy public opinion and revolution ; or he could put himself at the head of the national movement, risk his crown, fall perhaps as his father had done, but he would preserve his honour unblemished. He did not hesitate in the choice ; under his rule Piedmont became the asylum of liberty, the beacon-light in the dark night of Italian politics. Not inferior in patriotism and military valour was his younger brother Fer- dinando, Duke of Genoa. With their father, in the wars of independence, Ferdinando had highly distinguished himself in the siege of Peschiera, investing that fortress and compelling it to capitulate on May 30th, 1848. His name was dear to all Italians, and they gave proof of this when they elected him King of Sicily. That island, proud and jealous of its own autonomy until called upon to sacrifice it on the altar of united Italy, had, with heroic struggles, shaken off the sovereignty of the Bourbons and established a special government, adapted to FERDINANDO OF SAVOY 9 new needs, but modelled on the Constitution of 1812. In September, 1847, the movement was sternly repressed in Messina and Reggio, but it broke out again in Palermo on January 12th, and in a few weeks all the island, with the exception of Messina, was cleared of Bourbon garrisons. On March 25th the Sicihan Parliament was solemnly con- voked, the executive power being entrusted to the Admiral Ruggiero Settimo ; and in April the dynasty of the Bourbons was declared to have fallen from the throne of Sicily. Great Britain and France openly showed their sympathy for the brave Sicilians ; but there was a fear that Sicily, become her own mistress, would constitute herself a republic, and the republican title given to Ruggiero Settimo confirmed these apprehen- sions. It was, however, finally announced that Sicily would be governed by a constitutional monarchy. As they desired a king and an Italian king, on whom could the choice fall if not on the House of Savoy, alone in resisting the ever-increasing tyranny of Austria ? On July 11th the Parliament elected Prince Ferdinand©, Duke of Genoa, King of Sicily, under the name of Alberto Amedeo, their hatred of the Bourbons extending even to the name of their late King. Unfortunately the Sicilian delegates arrived in Piedmont to offer the crown to their elected King at the moment when Carlo Alberto, defeated at Custozza, was compelled to return to defend his own country. The Duke of Genoa could not in such circumstances accept the crown of Sicily, but the fact was no less significant as a token of the confidence and esteem that Sicily entertained for the House of Savoy. The same year Ferdinando 10 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY of Savoy was betrothed to the Princess Mary Elisabeth, daughter of John Nepomucene, King of Saxony, a good and learned Sovereign, who had abolished, in his dominions, feudal laws and capital punishment, and had translated into Ger- man Dante's "Divine Comedy," with the signa- ture of " Filalete." Prince Ferdinando was young and handsome, intelligent and highly cultivated, and the Princess Mary Elisabeth of Saxony was passionately in love with him. They were to be married in the spring of 1848, but the Prince had to defer the long-desired marriage, having to join his father and brother on the battlefield. The Princess was very proud of her intended husband, and wrote to him with great satisfaction that even the Emperor of Austria, Francis Joseph, had spoken with praise and esteem of the courage and exceptional valour of the young Prince of Savoy. Mary Elisabeth had to wait two years for her betrothed, who met adversity and prosperity with an equal mind, ever jealous for the honour of his army, and ready to shed his blood for his country. In April, 1850, he arrived in Dresden under the name of Count of Bairo to marry his beloved Princess ; a year later she became the mother of Margherita of Savoy, who was one day to be the first Queen of Italy. It is not difficult to trace, in the circumstances that preceded and accompanied her birth, the rare moral and intellectual qualities which distinguish Queen Margherita. In addition to being most carefully brought up, she possessed instinctive natural gifts, derived from two noble races united by a true and ardent love, in heroic times, and in social conditions, which are not always blessed by the most precious thing in life, love in marriage. BIRTH OF MARGHERITA 11 Vittorio Emanuele II had also been guided by affection in choosing as his own wife Maria Adelaide of Austria, to whom he had been married in 1842 ; she was the daughter of the Viceroy of Lombardy and Venice and a sister of Carlo Alberto. In 1848 Vittorio Emanuele II had already five children : Princess Clotilde, Umberto, Prince of Piedmont, Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, Oddone, Prince of Monferrato, and Princess Maria Pia. The baptism of the eldest daughter of Ferdinando of Savoy was celebrated with Royal pomp ; the name of Margherita was given by her father, who hoped to see her follow one day the example of Margaret of France. The little Princess was a beautiful child, with golden hair and deep blue eyes. Her maternal grandfather and grandmother, the sorrowing widow of Carlo Alberto, were her sponsors. Among the great dignitaries present at her baptism were Cavour, D'Azeglio, Lamarmora, Durando, Morozzo della Rocca, Nicolis of Robilant ; many of these knew her later as Queen of Italy. Margherita of Savoy was born in Turin in the Royal Palace, the right wing of which Vittorio Emanuele had given to his brother's family. They could thus meet every day and discuss such political questions as most in- terested them. Vittorio Emanuele thought highly of his brother's judgment, and always consulted him on important matters. The Royal Princes were then from three to seven years old, and they were very happy to have as a playfellow such a pretty little cousin. Princess Margherita grew up in a serene atmosphere of domestic affections, beloved by all who surrounded her. Her parents would not trust her to the care of the nurse, and had her to sleep in their own room, and Prince 12 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY Ferdinando would often rise in the night to see if she was sleeping quietly and was properly covered. Her parents watched for her first smile and for the awakening of that rare intelligence which, combined with her great love for study, was to make her one of the most cultivated women of her time. In February, 1855, Prince Ferdinando became very ill. The King, his brother, was reviewing the Piedmontese troops before their departure for the Crimea ; the drums were beating, the band was playing. Prince Ferdinando rose, trembling with fever, from his bed to see from the window, for the last time, the brave soldiers that a fatal illness forbade him to lead to the battlefield and to victory. That same evening the Prince called his wife to his bedside and spoke of their two children Margherita and Tommaso ; he committed them to her watchful keeping, enjoining on her to see that they were good to all about them ; generous to the poor, kind to their servants, faithful to their Church. Then taking from under his pillow "a, prayer-book, he gave it to his wife, as a precious memorial to be kept for Margherita, who he ardently desired should become " good, pious, and the friend of all who suffer." These were the last words of Ferdinando of Savoy, Duke of Genoa. The Prince was loth to die, not only because he must leave his beloved family, but because he would have desired to go on the cam- paign in the Crimea at the head of the Pied- montese troops. He told his physicians that if going to the Crimea with his soldiers would have injured his health, and perhaps been fatal to him, he died broken-hearted that he could not go. The alliance of Piedmont with the Western THE DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTS 13 Powers for the war in the East and the Crimean expedition was certainly one of the greatest poHtical acts of Count Cavour. Austria did not fail to recognize that although she had won the army of the King of Sardinia, Vittorio Emanuele II, a free press and a tricolour flag still remained to excite and increase the difficulties of her dominion in Italy ; and, indeed, the working of the Liberal element soon began to be felt, notwithstanding its apparent defeat through the withdrawal of the army. The idea for which Carlo Alberto had fought was more openly supported by his son, who consecrated to it all his energies in spite of the potent Austrian influence. He succeeded in attracting and securing the confidence of Italians from all parts of the peninsula, especially from Lombardy and Venice. Austria felt herself every day more humihated by the little State that she had twice subdued, but whose ardent liberal as- pirations she had never succeeded in crushing by force of arms. Austria endeavoured through diplomacy to discredit Piedmont with other nations, trying even the effect of ridicule to diminish its importance, and exerting all her great influence to exclude the kingdom of Sardinia from any consideration, representing it as a small, insignificant State, with which it was not necessary to reckon. These intrigues pre- vailed for a certain time, because a sort of re- action was spreading over Europe. The French enterprise against the Roman Republic, which had gained for the President, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, the support of the clerical party, as the memory of his uncle had approved him to soldiers, had cleared the way for a change of government, which was accomplished in Paris, 14 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY not without bloodshed, on December 2nd, 1851. The new Emph-e risen from a coup d'etat, though by tradition and interest opposed to an increase of the Austrian power, was uneasy in the know- ledge that the flame of the revolutionary idea still burned brightly under the protection of the Government in Turin and in all Sardinian provinces. Nor less ambiguous, after 1848, was the attitude of England, owing to the lack of unanimity between the Throne and the Cabinet ; the personal opposition to Italian independence evinced by Queen Victoria was counterbalanced by the favourable action of Lord Palmerston and by the benevolence of the English people, who showed deep sympathy with the struggles of Italians ; fortunate indeed was it for Italy that in England public opinion can outweigh the personal inclinations of the ruler. The Holy Alliance of the Northern potentates was not yet formally dissolved : it had weighed on and retarded the civilization of Europe for forty years, and it was in the name of that terrible league that Russia had sent her Cossacks to crush victorious Hungary in her gallant resistance to Austria, and Prussia, not yet prepared to break the power of Vienna over the German Confedera- tion, though openly jealous of it, maintained a prudent silence, and followed as a faithful friend the Imperial policy. In Italy the different Governments of the various small States did the same, trying in every way to isolate Piedmont and its liberal King, diffusing even among their own people ultra- conservative ideas, creating dissensions between the apathetic elements always opposed to any idea of progress and the ardent spirits eager to THE EASTERN QUESTION 15 co-operate in the triumph of liberty. Austria, as we have already said, pushed her tyranny to the point of confiscating the estates of Lombards who adopted the Piedmontese nationality in order to become Italians. The Government in Turin protested loudly against such monstrous injustice, appealing to the judgment of civilized Europe ; but Europe was then represented by a weak and narrow-minded group of diplomatists and did not care to support a just cause, when justice was trodden underfoot by a powerful State and claimed by a young and isolated one. While the King of Sardinia was breaking off all diplomatic relations with Austria and the two Governments were about to reopen hostilities, the Eastern question again claimed the attention of the world. The Czar Nicholas I, having in 1853 assumed the protection of the Danubian States against the domination of the Turks, believed that the moment was come for the assertion of his power over the Black Sea and the Dardanelles; but his well-trained soldiers found on the Balkans an unexpected and tenacious resistance. While, however, the Turks were defending the Balkan passes, their fleet was destroyed by the Russian fleet in the Sinope waters, off the coast of Asia Minor. It then appeared advisable for England and France to give armed resistance to the Otto- man Empire for the sake of guarding their own interests in the Dardanelles ; diplomacy having failed in 1855, the allied armies invaded the Crimea. With manifest ingratitude, the source of future divergences, Austria left Russia to carry on the conflict alone, and confined herself to proclaiming an armed neutrality. War broke out evervwhere, in the Black Sea, the Baltic, 16 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY the Pacific, but the war concentrated itself around the fortress of Sebastopol, besieged and bom- barded by land and sea. Count Cavour, with his marvellous political insight and intuition, saw at once how Piedmont could profit by the state of European affairs, by showing Europe that the small Italian States, so despised by Austria, not only existed, but possessed elements of life superior to those of which more considerable States could boast. Piedmont felt the power of youth, of courage, of valour, of a well- organized army, of peace at home, of an unbroken harmony between her King and his people ; she might confidently look forward to a glorious future. But a bold step must be risked, a sacrifice must be made, if Piedmont was to draw the attention of foreign powers to her existence and to win their consideration for her army, her flag, and the lofty principles championed by a State still so young. It was also desirable to efface the record of the defeat of Novara, and restore the self-respect of the army, by making it fight in company with those of the Great Powers. A joint victory with the French and English armies would encourage the Piedmontese soldiers to believe possible future victories, and would show Italians, so anxiously awaiting help to shake off the yoke of foreign tyranny, that there was a brave and efficient champion ready to fight for liberty in Italy. Vittorio Emanuele saw the wisdom of this policy, and willingly signed the treaty of alliance, and he in person presented to the troops starting for the Crimea the tricolour flag with the white cross on a red field, to be unfurled on the battlefield as a symbol of the traditional valour of Italians. The victories in the Crimea were celebrated by CAVOUR AT CONGRESS OF PARIS 17 rejoicings throughout Italy as a national triumph, foreshadowing more profitable victories to come. When a truce was concluded by the surrender of Sebastopol, a Russian officer said to an Italian General, warmly shaking hands with him : " With your expedition to the Crimea you have taken the shortest road to Lombardy." Thus, while Austria had seriously damaged her own interests by making an enemy of Russia, Piedmont had conquered the esteem, friendship, and admiration of the great State which had hitherto been her enemy. At the Diplomatic Congress in Paris, in 1856, where Piedmont was represented by Count Cavour, the Italian ques- tion was for the first time publicly discussed and the rights of Italy were finally recognized. In vain did Austria show her animosity and Prussia preserve a discreet silence. France and England lent a kind ear to the just claims of the great Piedmontese statesman, Camillo Benso di Cavour, who will have the lasting glory of having been the first to win from foreign nations respect and consideration for his country. CHAPTER II Education of Margherita and Tommaso of Savoy — The Prayer-book of the Duke of Genoa — Politics of Vittorio Emanuele II and Cavour — Daniele Manin — The National Society — Vittorio Emanuele's speecli at the opening of Parliament on January 7th, 1857 — The Emperor of Austria in Venice and in Lombardy — Public rupture of diplomatic relations between Austria and Piedmont — Orsini attempts in Paris the life of Napoleon III, on January 14th, 1858 — Letter of Vittorio Emanuele II to Napoleon III — Cavoiu- at Plombieres — -The King's speech on January 10th, 1859, at the Parhament in Turin. A FTER the death of the Duke of Genoa, /-\ the education of their children, Mar- •^ -*- gherita and Tommaso, became the con- stant care of the sorrowing widow, the Duchess of Genoa. The task was not a difficult one, because the young Prince and Princess were remarkably obedient, intelligent, and devoted to their mother. Elisabeth of Saxony did not care for pomp, formalities, and ostentation ; she wished her children to learn to understand life in its simpler and severer aspects, and to interest themselves in the needs of the people, so as to be able to help with intelligence all those who deserved it. The Tvirinese were well pleased to see Princess Margherita and Prince Tommaso walking every day with their mother, the Duchess, under the arcades of the Po, or along the avenues of the Piazza d'Armi. They soon became popular, for the children followed their father's traditions by visiting the poor and the sick, helping those in misfortune and responding with smiles to all 18 o Q w o H EDUCATION OF MARGHERITA 19 those who saluted them on their way. The Turinese have been always devoted to the House of Savoy, and they were proud of their little Princess, considering that she had not her equal in the world ! The Prayer-book that the Duke of Genoa had left as a precious and sacred memory to his daughter had certainly a remarkable power in forming her character, and inspiring her with that pure and ardent faith which springs only from the true love of God and of his creatures. Naturally good and gentle, Margherita of Savoy soon began to take an affectionate interest in the unfortunate who turned to her as to a true little friend always ready to ask help for them. It is very rare to find such a tender heart associated with a remarkable intelligence, as was the case in Margherita of Savoy, who from her childhood onwards was always equally good and clever. She soon began to love study, and from an early age she could speak fluently several foreign languages. Her governesses never had to com- plain of the Princess ; they praised instead her naturally good disposition, her perfect sincerity and loftiness of thought. From her earliest years all who had the direction of her studies acknowledged that it was a pleasure to teach such a rarely gifted child, on account of the keen interest she felt in everything she learned, and for the perfect harmony between her mental and moral endowments. Meanwhile Vittorio Emanuele and Cavour had neglected no opportunity of asserting the rights of Italy, and were accomplishing much to hasten her liberation from the oppressive results of tyranny, prejudice, and ignorance. The contrast 20 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY between the condition of things in Piedmont and that of other small Italian States became every day more evident, but though all aspired to the one end, the liberation of their country, it was not yet possible to arrive at uniformity of methods for the attainment of that end, nor agreement as to the organization of the State of the future. What had suffered most from the misfortunes of 1848 was the Federative idea, which now reckoned very few supporters, mostly republi- cans ; even its originator, Gioberti, changed his views before he died, abandoning his former scheme as Utopian ; he formally abjured it in his book, " Rinnovamento d'ltalia." The in- transigent Mazzinians, seeing that the recent republics of Rome and Venice had fallen, not through any intrinsic defect, but through the brutal violence of foreign arms, were firm in their opposition to the monarchical principle ; they were responsible for the ill-considered movements in Milan in 1853, and in Genoa in 1857, their period of action closed with the unfortunate sacrifice of Carlo Pisacane, forerunner of the famous thousand volunteers. After the Congress of Paris, the idea of a Republic of United Italy could no longer be entertained, as it would have involved the aboli- tion of the Piedmontese Monarchy, which alone had maintained its ground against the Austrian domination, given hospitality to exiled patriots, and prepared the way for the great struggle of the future. The Dictator of the Venetian Republic, Daniele Manin, was the first to formulate the programme of the great movement : he issued from Paris the memorable appeal to Italians, exhorting them to lower the banner of their own THE NATIONAL SOCIETY 21 party before the supreme and urgent needs of their common country, and rally round the House of Savoy. Then was constituted the National Union, joined by men of every shade of liberal opinions, by theorists, and by men of action. Even the republican Garibaldi, who at all times and on all occasions considered the welfare of Italy before the democratic idea, a civic virtue which outshone even his military capacity, set an example of generous unselfish- ness, by disregarding his private convictions and merging his individual conscience in the collective conscience of the Italian nation. The importance of this new political movement did not escape the sharp eye of Cavour, and he lost no time in grasping the reins, keeping at bay with great ability the suspicious diplo- matists who could not contemplate with approval the spectacle of a constitutional Government protecting and favouring a revolutionary agita- tion, whose basis was by no means acknowledged by all to be judicial, historical, ethnographical, for moral. As is well known, the great Austrian Chancellor Metternich asked once : " Does an Italian question exist ? " replying to his own ; question — " Italy is nothing but a geo- J^ graphical expression." In strict language of diplomacy Italy could only be thus defined, if the intrigues of Cabinets and the strength of arms were the only elements of history ; but if the powerful men of the time feigned to forget it, the people did not forget that unity of race, of language, of tradition, of glory, of misfortune, of hope, that across the centuries had kept alive the name and the soul of Italy. For the Holy Alliance there was nothing in 22 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY common between the kingdom of the two Sicilies and the Grand-duchy of Tuscany, between the papal States and the kingdom of Sardinia, but the Italian people felt their common inherit- ance in the poetry of Dante, the art of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo, the philosophical wisdom of G. B. Vico, and the daring of Christo- pher Columbus. They felt themselves one in arms, language, faith, memories, blood, and heart. The daily example of peace and liberty afforded by Piedmont was in too great contrast with the confusion and servility characterizing the other Italian States not to awaken the revolutionary spirit, which becomes irresistible when separate groups of men who have the courage of their convictions resolve to shake themselves free from oppression and injustice and unite their efforts to attain a great and noble end. Thus all over Italy sparks showed themselves, and from them was very soon to rise a pure and ardent flame which should become a burning fire. In Vittorio Emanuele's speech, delivered at the opening of Parliament on January 7th, 1857, he boldly asserted the ultimate aim of his politics, recalling to those present that when he had opened the preceding session, war was going on in the East. Sardinia had disinterestedly accomplished her assumed task in that war, and had shown by the valour of her soldiers that the Piedmontese army could stand a comparison with those of foreign nations. He was glad to be able to praise his soldiers and to repeat that they fully deserved the respect and gratitude of their country. The Congress in Paris had put an end to that war, strengthening for Piedmont the Alliance with VITTORIO EMANUELE'S SPEECH 23 France and England, and establishing friendly- relations with Russia. His Government, there- fore, trusting in the co-operation of Senators and Deputies all equally inspired by the sentiment of nationality, which was largely diffused and found continual expression in great and spontaneous demonstrations, would continue to pursue the same policy. The return of peace, the progressive development of national resources, had improved the conditions of the Treasury, and for the first time the Government had the satisfaction of submitting to Parliament a Budget which had no deficit. The King called the attention of Parliament, during the following session, to the reforms in provincial administration, in juridical matters, in public instruction, and in other important branches of administration affecting the civil development of the nation. He con- cluded his speech by recalling to all present that with the help of Providence great difficulties had been overcome, and great tasks accom- plished, notwithstanding economical difficulties, while the part taken by Piedmont in European politics had proved the efficiency of the liberal institutions that his large-minded father had granted to his people. Encouraged and fortified by the intimate union between the Throne and the nation, he felt that he could not doubt of the final triumph, securing a glorious future prosperity to the country. Nor did Vittorio Emanuele II promise in vain : and events were speedily to show that he intended to keep his promise. In 1857 dissensions with Austria were in an acute phase, and the relations between the two Governments were so strained that the possibility of a complete rupture had to be con- 24 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY sidered. The friendship of England and France for the Sardinian kingdom was naturally very unfavourably viewed by Austria. But neither the rupture of diplomatic relations, nor the journey of the Emperor Francis Joseph to Venice and Lombardy could induce Europe to believe that the aversion from the Austrian rule felt by those States was the insincere assertion of an ambitious Sovereign or the result of the intrigues of a few revolutionaries. The Emperor of Austria was very coldly received in Venice and in Lombardy, and on the day he arrived in Milan the official " Piedmontese Gazette " announced that the Milanese had decided to offer to the Piedmontese army an expression of their admira- tion and gratitude. The Austrian official press was speedily filled with accusations against the Piedmontese Government, which replied with calm dignity through its official organs. From the Press, the discussion passed into the field of dip- lomacy. Every kind of intimidation and menace was used by Austria to bring to submission the proud spirit of the little State which held firmly to the rights of liberty, and won the approbation and support of Europe. The formal rupture of diplomatic relations when it did come did not surprise anyone, because all were prepared for it. Vittorio Emanuele and Cavour did not fail to recognize the increasing difficulties and great risks of the situation, but they remained calm and serene, because the line of conduct they followed might have led to defeat, but never to dishonour. The example of such rare moral courage com- pelled the respect and admiration of all, especially of independent Sovereigns such as the Emperor of Russia — Alexander II — who gave expression to LETTER OF VITTORIO EMANUELE II 25 his opinion at his Court, in the presence of the Austrian Envoy. On January 14th, 1858, an ItaHan fanatic, Orsini, attempted in Paris the Hfe of Napoleon III : the enemies of Italy naturally took occasion to publish every kind of abuse of Italian patriots and to endeavour to dissuade Napoleon III from taking any interest in the cause of Italian independence. Cavour advised the sending by Vittorio Emanuele II of an autograph letter to the Emperor of the French. The King wrote a long, cordial, but dignified letter to Louis Napoleon, employing the diplomacy of truth, which is sometimes the best and most efficient ; he recalled their constant friendship, expressed his indignation at the attempt on the life of his friend, and assured the Emperor that his Government would adopt the strictest measures to prevent any recurrence of the crime. Vittorio Emanuele concluded his long letter by declaring that during the last eight centuries the Princes of the House of Savoy had always preferred exile to dishonour ; his crown should continue to be void of offence, while he allowed full liberty of action to his Government. General Morozzo Delia Rocca was chosen to deliver this autograph letter to Napoleon III. The Emperor received him most cordially, assuring him of his complete confidence in the loyalty of the King and of his pleasure in receiving a letter which belied whatever accusation the enemies of Pied- mont could make against that friendly State ; adding that no doubts could now remain against the perfect understanding and alliance between their respective Sovereigns. To give still stronger proof of the indignation felt by Piedmont at Orsini's crime, Cavour laid 26 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY before the Parliament projects for severe legisla- tion against political murders, conspiracies, or attempts on the lives of reigning Sovereigns. The law was passed and obtained at once the Royal sanction, and the speeches made during the discussion of these laws and especially Cavour's discourse did much to raise the character and dignity of Piedmontese legislation. The effects of this prompt and prudent action on the part of the Piedmontese Government showed themselves when Napoleon at the baths of Plombieres invited Cavour to a secret inter- view. A complete scheme of future arrangements was drawn up. France was to assist Piedmont in extending her dominions to the Adriatic and Julian Alps (into the Napoleonic conception the unity of Italy did not enter, for it would have neutralized the Pope's power and created a strong State at the frontier of France) ; the States of the Church were to remain to the Pope, and for the kingdom of the two Sicilies much might be hoped by a restoration of the Murats, cousins of the Emperor. No word was said of Tuscany, but future events revealed that Napoleon had in- tended to give it to his cousin Jerome, whose marriage with Princess Clotilde, eldest daughter of Vittorio Emanuele II, was to cement the alliance between the two countries and the two dynasties. As a reward for all this the King of Sardinia was to yield to France the department of Nice and the duchy of Savoy. The King, as all true Italians, felt deeply grieved in having to yield the two fair Italian provinces, one the birthplace of Garibaldi, the other the cradle of the House of Savoy ! THE KING'S SPEECH 27 The speech of the Crown on January 10th at the opening of the Parhamentary session of 1859 foreshadowed the forthcoming crisis, and a burst of applause broke out at the concluding words. The King said : " The dawn of this new year is not entirely serene, but I doubt not you will do your work as you have always done it. Fortified by the experiences of the past, we look boldly to the future. This future will be a happy one, because our policy is inspired by a deep sense of justice, love of liberty, and by patriotism. Small as a territory, our country has acquired credit in European councils, because it is great by virtue of the ideas it represents and the sympathy it inspires. But this condition of things is not free from danger : while we re- spect our treaties we are not insensible to the cry of distress which rises towards us from so many parts of Italy. Strong in our united effort, trusting in our good right, we may con- fidently await the fulfilment of the decrees of Divine Providence, determined always to do our best." Senators, Deputies, the listening crowds, all rose to their feet intoxicated with enthusi- asm and wildly cheered the King. The French, British, Russian, and Prussian Ambassadors who were present, were deeply impressed by this demonstration and touched by the unanimity of the applause. The Neapolitan charge d'affaires became so very pale that all noticed it. Many exiled patriots from different parts of Italy, who had come to live in Turin, could not restrain their tears, and warmly applauded the King who so well understood their heart's desire and held out to them a hope of national independence. Thus before approaching victories, annexations 28 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY and the will of the people had crowned Vittorio Emanuele King of Italy, he already reigned in the hearts of Italians, and was regarded by them as their King, the liberator of all who were longing to become free citizens of a free country. ENTRAXCE-HALL OF THE CASTLE OF STUPINIGI IN PIEDMONT. CHAPTER III The war of 1859-60 — Tiiscany — Romagna — Lombardy — Sicily — Cala- bria — Naples — The first Italian Parliament in Turin in March, 1861 — Modest and simple life at the Court^Education of Margherita of Savoy — Vittorio Emanuele and Cavotir — A free Church in a free State — Death of Cavoiu: on June 6th, 1861 — Grief of Napoleon III — He officially recognizes the kingdom of Italy — The grief of Elizabeth Barrett Browning for the death of Cavour — The foreign Ambassadors in Turin — The party of " Action " — Garibaldi — Aspromonte — The capital of Italy transferred from Turin to Florence — The speech of Vittorio Emanuele at Palazzo Vecchio, the new seat of the Italian Parliament — The war of 1866 with Austria — The ladies of the House of Savoy and of all Italy work for the wounded and nurse them — The grief of all Italians for the sad news of Custozza and Lissa — The valour of the army, of the King, and of the Princes of the House of Savoy — The Treaty of Prague — The cession and plebiscito of the Venetian provinces and the duchy of Mantova — The peace with Italy and the Iron Crown restored to Italy by the Emperor of Austria — Vittorio Emanuele at Venice on November 7th, 1866. THE cold reception by the Emperor Napoleon of the Austrian Ambassador at the New Year's Day reception, and the words of Vittorio Emanuele in his speech of January 10th, were as a trumpet-blast announc- ing war. Italy was moved by vigorous impulses, Austria sent down from the Alps armies and guns ; Garibaldi on the Ticino, with his ten thousand volunteers, was impatient for the fray. And war broke out — a sacred war, a war of good omen, the resurrection of a people in the Easter of a nobler and greater civilization. French and Piedmontese soldiers led by their own Sovereigns drove out from invaded lands the hundred thousand Germans of Gyulai with the victories of 29 30 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY Montebello and Palestro, and routed them utterly at Magenta. The faded colours of the five days in Milan waved bright in the sun when, on May 8th, Vittorio Emanuele, riding by the side of his powerful ally, entered Milan, greeted with wild enthusiasm by a people who had suffered so long and had fought with smiles on their faces blackened by the fire of Palestro ; and Vittorio Emanuele saluted that people no longer in hope, but in the fruition of reconquered liberty. But Austria was not conquered, and the Emperor Francis Joseph, having taken the field, massed his battalions on the Mincio and crowned with artillery the hills of Cavriana, Solferino, and San Martino. On those hills on June 24th the fate of Italy was decided ; fearful was the struggle, blood flowed in torrents, but Italy was made. The unexpected Treaty of Villafranca, stipu- lated for by the Emperor of the French, inter- rupted the course of the war ; it left Venice under the foreign yoke, but this was understood to be only a question of time. The progress of Italian regeneration could no longer be arrested, and triumphant proof of this was given by the rapid, resolute, unanimous plebiscito of Tuscany, the smaller dukedoms, and Romagna, which pro- claimed their immediate annexation to the king- dom of Sardinia. Europe looked on in admira- tion, the free peoples applauded, the oppressed saw a good omen for their speedy liberation. Such solemn moments are rare in the life of humanity ; in them history is an epic truth, a legend. The " geographical expression " of Metternich revealed itself accomplished in full, as the foreshadowing of Dante and the conception of Machiavelli. After a few months of breathing THE WAR OF 1859-60 31 space, on April 4th, 1860, the bells of the Gancia, ringing loudly, awake Palermo, awake all Sicily : like a flame on straw revolution spreads, in- creasing, devouring. Strong ranks of Bourbon soldiers stand ready to stifle it, when at Marsala two boats land, boats that at Quarto, led by Garibaldi and Bixio, had embarked the brave volunteers, the thousand heroes of the red shirt. A thousand men are a small number, but that thousand was worth a whole army, and their leader, Garibaldi, embodied the national soul. The victory on May 15th at Calatafimi is a hard one, the subduing of Palermo on the 27th is a miracle, Sicily pours forth bands of volunteers like lava from her volcanoes. Surrounded on all sides, pursued by popular fury, defeated by the Garibaldian swords, the Royal troops take refuge in Milazzo, but on July 20th Milazzo falls. Messina, excepting the strong fortress, spon- taneously unfurls the tricolour. On August 19th Garibaldi lands in Calabria, conquers Reggio, rides through the insurgent provinces, every- where greeted with acclamations, the Bourbon soldiers are disarmed, he wins without a fight an army at Soveria, and, meeting no resistance, on September 7th passes triumphantly through the crowded streets of Naples, proclaimed the libera- tor of the people. The Bourbon King returns from his refuge at Gaeta to Capua, where forty thousand troops are gathered, and he tries to defend his throne, but on October 1st, on the Volturno, Garibaldi compels him to return to Gaeta. The wonder is accomplished, eight millions of Italians vote, with a solemn plebiscito, their union with the Italians already united under one flag. 32 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY Cavour could not officially favour the Gari- baldian enterprise which exposed Piedmont to the suspicions of foreign diplomacy, but privately he permitted and supported it in every possible way. ^ When Sicily was freed and revolution had spread over the mainland, Vittorio Emanuele entered the pontifical provinces, the Marche and Umbria, dispersing the papal soldiers at Castel- fidardo, Perugia, and Spoleto. General Cialdini, having crossed the Neapolitan frontier and dis- persed the Bourbon troops at the Garigliano, was about to invest Gaeta, when loud protests were made by the Governments of the Holy Alliance and especially by Austria ; but France and England, in the name of the non-intervention which had been agreed upon, made active inter- ference impossible. Thus on October 26th, near Teano, Vittorio Emanuele could grasp the hand of Garibaldi, who hailed him King of Italy. That hand-clasp united the past and the present, tradition and revolution, dynastic right and national will, Dante and Mazzini. The plebisciio in Sicily and Naples strengthened the unity of the country, though the unity was not complete, for Rome and Venice were not yet freed. The last Bourbon garrisons surrendered, and in March, 1861, the first Italian Parliament met in Turin to proclaim the kingdom of Italy, constituted with twenty- two millions of inhabitants. We can imagine how the news of these glorious events affected the Piedmontese people, and filled with just pride the Princes of the Royal Family of Savoy. A new heroic age had begun, daily examples of courage and daring, of self-sacrifice 1 Seepages 180-7, "Lady John Riissell." A memoir with selec- tions from her diaries and correspondence. Edited by Desmond MacCarthy and Agatha Russell. — Methuen & Co., Ltd., 1910. MODEST LIFE AT COURT 33 and abnegation, were afforded to the young Princes, educated in the simple habits of a Court which was then often criticized as being too democratic for monarchical principles. Vittorio Emanuele on the one hand and the Duchess of Genoa on the other were too generous and right- minded to tolerate luxury in their families, when so much money was needed to provide for public needs, for war, and for the poor, who were never forgotten by the inexhaustible charity of the House of Savoy. The portraits of Margherita of Savoy, from her earliest years to the time she was married, represent her as simply dressed, without any ornaments, and with her beautiful fair hair crowning her pure forehead, so singularly ex- pressive of candour and dignity. The sweetness of her look and her smile reveal the simple, affectionate disposition of a poetic, harmonious character, inclined to dreaming, and it may be unconsciously foreboding a great destiny mingled with the mysterious presentiment of a cruel grief. There is certainly in the aspect of Margherita of Savoy, as she grew from infancy to girlhood, a tinge of sadness that renders only more charming the expression of her sweet face. Her life was quiet, almost solitary, secluded from society ; she had friends and schoolmates, among whom were the clever daughters of General Morozzo Delia Rocca and Irene di Castiglione, one of the first Italian women writers and a lady of honour to Queen Maria Adelaide. Meanwhile, after the annexation of the southern provinces to the kingdom of Italy, two great problems remained to be solved before the national unity could be considered as accom- 34 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY plished. These questions, of vital importance, regarded Venice and Rome, and it required all the able diplomacy of Vittorio Emanuele and Cavour to solve them. While Austria opposed Venice and France kept her troops in Rome, the inde- pendence of Italy was in danger and a cause of permanent discord troubled the peace of Europe. By some foreign politicians Vittorio Emanuele was accused of ambition and Cavour of morbid restlessness. But these critics were compelled to acknowledge later that if the King and his Minister were bent on accomplishing the unity of Italy, they served at the same time the cause of civilization, by maintaining the political balance which was then essential to the peace of Europe. It was not personal ambition or a rest- less disposition which prompted Vittorio Emanuele and Cavour to their political enterprises, but the earnest desire to provide for the vital needs of the country and so contribute to the peace and order of Europe. Cavour had accepted and given importance to the new conception of a free Church in a free State, proposing that the greatest liberty should be allowed to the Church in all religious matters, while the State should respect her sacred mission. But few understood this lofty conception in its double political and religious aspect : the times were not yet ripe for the modern idea of the spiritual nature of religion which should be kept pure from any political or worldly ambition. Before the two great questions of Rome and Venice could be solved Cavour became ill and died in a few days, on June 6th, 1861, thus depriving Italy and Vittorio Emanuele of their best friend and wisest counsellor. Cavour was DEATH OF CAVOUR 85 deeply mourned and universally honoured by his own and foreign countries. Whoever remembers the history of that time cannot doubt that England took a keen interest in the struggles of Italy for her independence. The diary and correspondence of Queen Victoria reveal her personal hostility to liberal aspirations, but an uncrowned queen of poetry, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, has left in her " Poems before Con- gress " and in her letters strong evidence of her enthusiasm and love for the Italy of her time. Vittorio Emanuele wished Cavour to be buried at Superga, where only the Princes of the House of Savoy are buried, but the great statesman had expressed in his will his wish to be buried in his own family tomb at Santena, and so his will had to be respected. Napoleon III was deeply grieved at the death of Cavour, understanding the grief of Vittorio Emanuele and the difficulties that would follow. So in expressing his sympathy to the King he took occasion to give him a pledge of his friendly interest, announcing that he was resolved to recognize officially the kingdom of Italy " in the moment in which Your Majesty loses the man who more than any other has contributed to the regeneration of Italy." A short time afterwards a diplomatic repre- sentative was sent by France to Turin ; England had a few months before done the same, and the good example was followed later by Russia and Prussia, Portugal, Denmark, and Sweden. Cavour was succeeded by Ricasoh, who occupied himself with administrative and financial arrangements, hoping to solve in time the Roman and Venetian questions by methods of peace and diplomacy ; 36 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY but this solution appeared impossible to the democrats who under the name of " The Party of Action " surrounded Garibaldi. Mysterious agreements took place at that time between the King, his Cabinet, and Garibaldi, but history has not yet thrown light on them. At length Gari- baldi, having ceased to hope for any direct action on the part of the Government and trusting that the new Rattazzi Cabinet would at least leave his hands free, if it did not secretly help him, as Cavour had done in 1860, landed in Sicily ; he gathered a legion of volunteers and crossed the island with the war-cry of " Rome or death." Crossing from Catania to Reggio in Calabria, and wishing to avoid civil war, he ascended through fatiguing paths to the heights ; but on Aspro- monte he was assailed and wounded by the troops sent by the Italian Government to cut off his path. Great indignation was felt all over Italy against Rattazzi and Napoleon III, who refused to give up Rome. In April, 1866, a secret treaty was signed, by which Italy and Prussia engaged themselves in an offensive and defensive alliance against Austria. Austria, perceiving the danger arising on either side of her frontier, turned to Napoleon III asking him to induce Italy to accept Venice in exchange for the Italian alliance with Prussia, but Vittorio Emanuele would not consent to the proposal. Two months later, on June 20th, war with Austria was declared in Italy. The King of Italy placed himself at the head of his army with General Alfonso Lamarmora as the Chief of the Staff. Garibaldi was soon surrounded by a group of brave volunteers from all parts of Italy, especially from the oppressed Venetian provinces. THE VALOUR OF THE ARMY 37 impatient to be freed from the Austrian yoke. The Austrian army, one hundred and fifty thousand men, was inferior in numbers and mot ale to the Itahan army, which with the Gari- baldian volunteers numbered over two hundred and twenty thousand men, ah enthusiasts, on fire with patriotism. For the first time Vittorio Emanuele was accompanied by his two elder sons, the Princes Umberto and Amedeo, who in this campaign received their baptism of fire. The other members of the family of Savoy, the Duchess of Genoa with Princess Margherita, who was then fifteen years old, and the young Duke of Genoa, followed the Princes and army with their prayers and good wishes. Throughout Italy, from the ladies of the House of Savoy to the humblest women of the people, all were busy preparing soft linen and charpie for the wounded. There were then no antiseptic preparations, no Red Cross organizations, no certificated nurses ; only patriotic women inspired by pure love and pity followed the army, and looked after the wounded in camp -hospitals arranged as well as the circumstances permitted. I cannot recall without tears the grief, the cruel disappointment which that war inflicted on Italy, the anguish of all true Italians, when the news of the defeat at Custozza and the still severer one of Lissa was made known. The individual valour of the Italian army and fleet, the personal courage of the King and his sons, the daring of Garibaldi and his brave volunteers availed nothing, for the war lacked unity of direction ; after terrible sacrifices the Italian army had to retire. Victorious in Italy, Austria was defeated in Bohemia, and the result of the battle of Sadowa 38 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY for ever deprived her of her power over the Germans. By the Treaty of Prague Austria yielded Venice to the Emperor Napoleon III, who ceded it to the kingdom of Italy ; the cession was confirmed by the plebiscito in the Venetian provinces and the duchy of Mantova. Peace with Italy was afterwards signed in Vienna ; the Emperor Francis Joseph restored on that occasion the Iron Crown of the Longobard Sovereigns, which in 1859 he had taken from Monza, and on November 7th, 1866, Vittorio Emanuele was received with acclamations and rejoicings in Venice. MARGHERITA OF SAVOY AT THE AGE OF SIXTEEN. CHAPTER IV Prince Umberto visits Milan — A deputation of the Milanese clergy presents him with an address — Major Busetto on the valour of Umberto of Savoy — Margherita of Savoy studies the glorious records of her forefathers and the history of Italy — Marriage of Prince Amedeo in Turin, in May, 1867 — Prince Umberto in Paris — Berlin — Petersburg — Again in Paris — Betrothal of Margherita of Savoy to Prince Umberto — Visit to Superga — Signature of the marriage contract on April 21st, 1868 — Religious and civil marriage — Popular enthusiasm — Wedding gifts — The crown presented by the Roman ladies — Ananesty obtained by Margherita of Savoy from the King on her wedding-day. IF victory did not smile on Italian naval and military forces, owing to the lack of organization of the campaign of 1866, the combatants of every class and rank had displayed such courage and self-abnegation as to change a crushing defeat into an apotheosis of the brave men who had died or suffered long from the wounds received in defence of their country. Among the bravest were the Crown Prince and his brother Amedeo, who were universally praised and acknowledged to deserve all the honours of the war. Before starting to take the command of the 16th Division, Prince Umberto had visited Milan, where he had been warmly received by the people, the burgomaster and a deputation of the clergy, who presented him with an Address, declaring that they were all " deeply convinced that only through the accom- 39 40 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY plishment of the unity of Italy could Catholic principles obtain their complete triumph." The question of Rome as the capital of united Italy was discussed, and the idea met with much more favour than opposition. In 1866 Prince Umberto twice exposed his life at the head of his regiment which he led in the front of the battle, showing a courage which astonished even the oldest generals. Attacked near Villafranca by a squadron of Austrian soldiers, he was saved by the fourth company of the 49th Regiment of Infantry which, forming itself into a square, five times repelled the attack, while Prince Umberto in the centre of the square fought as collectedly as if on the drill - ground. Major Busetto, who witnessed this, declared that Um- berto of Savoy had revealed an heroic tempera- ment, worthy of the ancient race of soldiers from which he was descended. A great soldier and famous leader. General Nino Bixio, who never praised even his friend and brother-in-arms. Garibaldi, meeting the Crown Prince where the battle was raging most furiously, held out his hand, exclaiming with unfeigned enthusiasm : " Sir, allow me to shake your hand." And he praised to those near him the modesty and courage of the Prince, while Major Busetto thought of Bayard and Francis I. Another chronicler has told us that Prince Umberto was always among his soldiers, encouraging them by voice and example. The brave conduct of the young Prince was naturally greeted with emotion and enthusiasm throughout Italy, but especially in Turin, where enthusiasm reached its climax on hearing that their Prince had received the gold medal for military valour. PRINCE UMBERTO IN PARIS 41 Princess Margherita had prayed fervently for the success of the Itahan arms and that House of Savoy to which she was so proud to belong. The young Princess, endowed with uncommon intelligence, was deeply interested in the glorious history of her forefathers and of Italy. Nor was she less attracted by poetry, romances, and stories of the days of chivalry. To her maiden fancy these brave old days had returned ; her brave young cousins were ancient knights of old for whom lovely maidens em- broidered scarves and banners with the colours of their houses to carry to the battle. Besides the old chronicles and ancient histories, Princess Margherita read with enthusiasm, studied and meditated upon the great Italian poets, and first among them Dante, whose poem was always the principal sustenance of her pure and noble nature. In May, 1867, Prince Amedeo married in Turin the Princess Maria Vittoria, daughter of a very wealthy Italian patriot whose memory is still cherished by the Piedmontese. Soon after this marriage, Prince Umberto went to Paris, where he was the guest of Napoleon III for three days. In July he went to Berlin, where he was cordially received by the King, the Crown Prince, and Bismarck. A few days later the Prince was received on arriving at Petersburg by the Emperor himself, accompanied by several Grand Dukes and the famous Gortschakow, who at that time exercised a great political influence in Europe. The Czar was so much impressed by the graceful modesty of the brave young Prince, so serious and reserved, that he at once conferred on him all the decorations of the Russian Empire, even the Grand Cross of St. Andrew. The 42 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY Emperor himself accompanied Prince Umberto to the Zarskoe Selo, where they watched together the exercises of the Imperial Guard. On August 1st Prince Umberto was for the second time the guest of Napoleon III at Chalons, and on the 15th, which was then the French National Day, he was present at the military review and at the " Te Deum," sung on the field in the presence of the troops. The French newspapers of that time are full of praises of the young Italian Prince, who, free from any kind of personal vanity, considered such tributes as honours bestowed on his country. On his return to Italy, about the middle of October, the King, his father, expressed his wish that he should marry. As friendly relations between the House of Savoy and the House of Hapsburg had been renewed after the campaign of 1866, Vittorio Emanuele proposed to his son to marry Princess Mathilde, daughter of the Arch- duke Albert. Prince Umberto had not yet seen her, when she unexpectedly died from the result of an accident. She was smoking a cigarette and hid it behind her, without thinking that her light dress might catch fire ; this happened and she died as a result. Meanwhile Prince Charles of Rumania had proposed for Princess Margherita, but she had begged her mother not to think of her leaving Italy. She said she would never consent to marry a foreign Prince nor to leave her beautiful Italy ; she even went the length of averring that she would rather remain unmarried in her own country than accept a foreign crown. Vittorio Emanuele was one day discussing with his aide- de-camp, General Menabrea, his desire for the marriage of the Crown Prince, and asked him if BETROTHAL OF MARGHERITA 43 he could suggest a suitable young lady. The General smiled, and expressed his surprise that His Majesty had not discovered for himself the most beautiful and suitable Princess for the Crown Prince, in his own niece, Princess Mar- gherita. " But she is a child ! " . . . answered the King. " She is no longer a child," replied the General, " but a good, charming, and cultivated young woman." Prince Umberto was then twenty-three years old and Princess Margherita only seventeen. Vittorio Emanuele was struck by the suggestion, and did not at all dislike the idea that the first Queen of Italy should be a Princess of the House of Savoy. For the last four years Vittorio Eman- uele had lived away from Turin, having made a morganatic marriage with Rosa Vercellana, on whom he had conferred the title of Contessa di Mirafiori, and by whom he had several children. He had seen little during this time of the Duchess of Genoa and her children, so he decided to go and see for himself if General Menabrea had not exaggerated the merits of Princess Margherita. The King arrived in Turin unexpectedly, went at once to call on his brother's widow and asked to see his niece. Princess Margherita was then very slender, fair, with a lily-like complexion, that enhanced the brightness of her deep blue eyes : her smile was charming, and the King, her uncle, was deeply struck by the modest reserve of the lovely young girl. The Princess had hitherto lived very quietly, studying much, and going very little into society. Vittorio Emanuele talked to her, 44 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY and was pleased to find her not only charming and cultivated, but also of such sound and mature judgment as to persuade him that she would make an excellent Queen. Prince Umberto, in common with all the members of the Savoy family, greatly admired the young Princess, so that when his father proposed her to him as a wife, he was quite ready to fulfil the King's wishes. In February, 1867, the Duchess of Genoa sent one morning for her daughter, saying that the King wished to see her. Princess Margherita found in her mother's boudoir not the King, but her cousin, the Crown Prince. The Duchess of Genoa had permitted the Prince to propose himself to her daughter as her husband, desiring that the Princess should be quite unbiased in her choice. No promptings of ambition, nor indeed any motive, could have induced this daughter of the Royal House of Savoy to accept a husband if she could not consecrate her entire affection and devote to him her every thought. Prince Umberto had begged her mother to allow him to plead his own cause with Princess Margherita. The Duchess, her heart filled with unspoken blessings and prayers for their future happiness, had left them alone to decide their own fate. Prince Umberto, with military directness, turned to his cousin with the simple words : " Margherita, will you be my wife . . . ? " The free and pure heart of the girl responded to the brave young Prince and Margherita of Savoy answered, smiling and blushing : " You know I am proud to belong to the House of Savoy — I should belong to it twice if I became your wife." Prince Umberto bent to kiss the BETROTHAL OF MARGHERITA 45 fair little hand, knowing that to him had been granted God's greatest gift to man, a wife who in the flower of her youth gives herself with tender devotion to her chosen mate. When the Princess returned to her apartments she embraced her governess. Baroness d'Arbesser, saying simply : " I am engaged to Prince Umberto." Deeply moved by her great happiness, she felt the need of some quiet occupation to calm her mind, so she set herself to copy some ancient autograph letters of Carlo Emanuele III, which had been entrusted to her by the Court librarian. This occupation restored her usual serenity. When the news of this marriage became known in the country and the people heard that the destiny of Margherita of Savoy was to consolidate the union of the people with the Throne, a beam of light seemed to brighten the sky of Italy. Vittorio Emanuele, who had always loved and admired his young niece, wrote to her a few days before her marriage : " You will always find in me a devoted father, and may God bless you, as I pray Him always to bless the memory of the brother I so dearly loved." The Court learned with great pleasure that Princess Margherita was not to leave them, as she must have done, had she married a foreign Prince. An old and devoted friend of the King who had known Princess Margherita since her birth, and had often seen her, offered her his congratula- tions, adding jestingly that he feared her new position of Crown Princess would take her away 46 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY from Turin and perhaps make her forget her old friends. The Princess protested, and when the gentleman went on to observe that people in high places, at the beginning of a great change in their position, often do not disdain the counsel of old friends, but after some time keep them at a distance, the future Queen rose, took one of her photographs, and signing it with her name, " Margherita of Savoy," gave it to him, saying, " If you ever see me changed towards my old friends, return this portrait to me." Needless to say, the photograph always re- mained in the old friend's possession. All who have approached Margherita of Savoy acknow- ledge that she is sincere and true ; she can forget those only who lose her esteem and even these she is ever ready to pity and forgive. In the first days of her engagement, the people of Turin were greatly touched by hearing that the Duchess of Genoa, Prince Tommaso and the betrothed pair had visited together the mausoleum of the Royal Family at Superga, to implore from the pious Maria Adelaide and the good Duke Ferdinando the affectionate blessing they had been ever ready to bestow in their life- time. As Vittorio Emanuele wished to have no delay, the wedding was fixed for April 22nd of that same year, 1868. On April 21st the marriage contract was signed in the great ballroom of the Royal Palace in Turin, transformed for the occasion into a rich conservatory ; here were assembled the Piedmontese aristocracy, the official representatives of government and diplo- macy, with their wives, and the delegates charged by foreign Sovereigns with their con- RELIGIOUS AND CIVIL MARRIAGE 47 gratulations on the happy event. An unchecked murmur of admiration arose when, enveloped in a cloud of precious lace, appeared on the arm of the Crown Prince the young bride, radiant with joy and beauty. Flowers decked her long train and her breast ; her golden hair was adorned with one fresh rose and two diamond stars ; around her neck she wore the magnificent pearl necklace that Queen Maria Adelaide had in her will bequeathed to the future Crown Princess. Prince Umberto, slight and dark, in his military uniform, wearing the splendid decorations con- ferred on him by different European Sovereigns, had round his neck a precious ancient collar of the Order of the Annunciation.^ After the bridal pair came the members of the Royal Family, the King giving his arm to his eldest daughter, Maria Pia, Queen of Portugal, who wore a long Royal mantle of red brocade ; she looked young and happy, and no foreboding of her sad destiny had as yet darkened her days. There followed the Duchess of Genoa with the King of Portugal, Princess Clotilde with Prince Amedeo, her husband. Prince Jerome Bonaparte, giving his arm to the young Duchess of Aosta. Prince Tommaso, who though he was then only fifteen was permitted to be present at his sister's wedding, wore the simple uniform of a soldier in the artillery. In the same magnificent room was celebrated the next day at ten o'clock the • This order, to which is attached a stipend, entitles its recipient to the style and title of cousin of the King ; the wives of those decorated with it take precedence at Court over the Queen's ladies-in-waiting and they have the right, in common with their husbands, to the title of Excellency. Becoming widows, these ladies enjoy a very good pension. 48 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY civil marriage, in the presence of the same company. Before proceeding to the Church of St. John for the rehgious function, Princess Margherita asked the King's permission to respond to the greetings and cheers of the crowd gathered on the square before the Royal Palace by going out on to the wide balcony to express her gratitude to their good Turinese for so cordially sharing in the family rejoicings. The King was much pleased that the Crown Princess, even in such a solemn moment, could think of their people, and the bridal pair passed together on to the balcony ; they were so enthusiastically received, that very few of those present could restrain their tears. The streets were crowded with people, from the Royal Palace to the Metropolitan Church of St. John, where the Archbishop of Turin, assisted by the Archbishops of Milan and Udine, and by the Bishops of Mantua and Savona, celebrated the nuptial Mass. All - those present at the imposing function remember Princess Margherita as a vision of girlish grace, in her splendid wedding dress, embroidered in silver and covered with fresh orange blossom. The Archbishop of Turin solemnly blessed the young pair kneeling before the altar, under the canopy. Of the splendid wedding gifts sent to the august bride none touched her so deeply as the beautiful crown offered by a group of Roman ladies, earnestly desirous of seeing Rome become part of the kingdom of Italy, under the sceptre of Vittorio Emanuele. The Crown Princess had asked from the King as a wedding gift a wide amnesty ; with her singular and individual AMNESTY OBTAINED 49 grace, she said to him : " While the Court and the people are so happy with us, why should not those poor prisoners have their liberty, when perhaps they were far more unfortunate than guilty ? " CHAPTER V Popular rejoicings — The wedding tour of the Crown Prince and Princess through Italy — The tournaments in Turin and Florence — En- thusiastic reception in Naples, in the autumn of 1869 — Birth of Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, on November 11th, 1869 — Mar- gherita of Savoy a mother at eighteen — Baptism of the Prince of Naples — Arrival of the King — The Roman question — The Franco- Prussian War in 1870 — Capitulation of Sedan — Proclamation of the republic in France — The King sends Senator Ponza of San Martino, with an autograph letter, to Pius IX — The Italian troops enter Rome on September 20th, 1870 — Manifesto of the Italian Minister to the foreign Powers — The plehiscito in Rome on October 2nd, 1870 — Vittorio Emanuele receives on October 9th at Palazzo Pitti in Florence the Roman Deputation, headed by Michelangelo Caetani, Duke of Sermoneta — The King's speech. THE Royal wedding was followed by popular rejoicings, and the Crown Prince and Princess visited the principal Italian provinces, greeted everywhere with en- thusiasm, natural enough when one considers the times, and the youth and beauty of the fair Princess. At each halt were assembled the local authorities, crowds of people, and children from the schools and orphanages ; for each and all Margherita of Savoy had a friendly glance and a kind word. On April 27th, 1868, on the way from Turin to Florence, which was then the capital, the train stopped for a few minutes at Bologna, where near the station were assembled all the children of the orphanages, their white aprons full of flowers. Having greeted and thanked the local authorities and the applauding 60 POPE PIUS IX. POPULAR REJOICINGS 51 people, the young Princess, touched by the sight of so many children offering her their flowers, went among them and with simple kindness bent to kiss them and caress as many as she could. The tournaments organized in honour of the wedding recalled the picturesque Middle Ages so dear to the poetic nature of the Princess, who, like most pure-minded girls, knew only the romantic side of the age of chivalry, so well calculated to excite a youthful fancy, prone to ideal dreams. More than a volume could be filled with the description of the festivities, balls, and receptions offered by the new Court to Italian society, and the visits paid by the Crown Prince and Princess to the benevolent institutions in each city, where they were always enthusiastically received. These events may be read of in the contemporary chronicles, and the record lives in the hearts of all Italians who remember that time. In Genoa Princess Margherita visited the popular quarter of Portoria ; for this visit she wore a dark woollen gown and the pezzotto or veil of white muslin usually worn on the head by the Genoese women of the people. It can easily be imagined how the Princess was beloved by the poor and the simple ; she interested herself in their children, the aged, the infirm, the unhappy, and seemed to knpw instinctively who needed helping and comforting. Among the demonstrations of enthusiasm which made so brilliant the early part of her married life, Margherita of Savoy never forgot the poor, the sick, and the needy, whom she sought out, consoled and helped with never- failing kindness ; Prince Umberto encouraged and co-operated with her in every possible way. 52 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY meriting even in those days the name of " good " with which future history will designate him. In the autumn of 1869 the Crown Prince and Princess visited Naples, where they were greeted with that warm southern enthusiasm which knows no bounds. I well remember the deep impression made on me by the sight of the fair young Princess, her look and smile, so radiant as to appear luminous. I can hear the rejoicing shouts of the Neapolitans, so sensitive and generous and so little understood by more sober- minded races ; they cried in their expressive dialect : " Evviva u figlio du Re nuosto e chillo sciore da mugliera " (Long live the son of our King and his flower of a wife). In no part of Italy had Margherita of Savoy been so enthu- siastically greeted as she was in the city whose beauty no pen can adequately describe nor any brush reproduce. Wlien the young Princess found herself on the long terrace of the Royal Palace, whence the eye can embrace with one glance Vesuvius, the little towns which from Portici, Torre, Castellamare stretch themselves in voluptuous lines to Capo di Sorrento, while the enchanted isle of Capri between the two gulfs of Naples and Salerno seems so near as to be touched by the hand, her young and enthusiastic nature felt all the divine enchantment of that wonderful outlook. For reasons of State the King desired the heir to the throne should be born in Naples, and when Margherita of Savoy knew that maternal happi- ness was to be hers, she was fully satisfied that her woman's destiny should be accomplished in such a terrestrial paradise, where every sensation is intensified, elevated, glorified. On the evening BIRTH OF VITTORIO EMANUELE 53 of November 11th, from a box in the great theatre of San Carlo, it was announced that the Crown Princess had given birth to an heir to the dynasty of Savoy and that he would receive the title of Prince of Naples, and be named after his grand- father, Vittorio Emanuele. From the floor of the house to the galleries arose such a burst of joy and cheering as would have satisfied the greatest of singers ; the orchestra played the Italian Royal March, and the deep emotion of that moment drew tears from many present. But who could ever describe the joy of the eighteen-year-old mother, so proud and happy in the consciousness that she had given a son to her adored husband, and at the same time an heir to the throne of their beloved Italy ? In moments when joy is so intensified as to border on pain, no one can analyse the depth of emotions which elevate the creature to the glory of the Creator ; when young parents bend over the cradle of their first-born, the fragile, delicate, tender human flower, be he the heir to poverty or to a throne, there is in their inmost hearts the proud con- sciousness of having accomplished the greatest and most sacred of all natural duties. A young mother is possessed by a supreme sense of responsibility, which would be too heavy were it not lightened by the truest and strongest love that a woman can give. Margherita of Savoy felt all the tender emotions which glorify mother- hood, and the joy which she felt in clasping her baby to her breast was shadowed only by being forbidden to give it the natural maternal nourish- ment. But she succeeded by constant watchful- ness in winning her baby's first smile and first look, and the fine strong peasant-nurse still 54 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY remembers the loving young mother who used to keep in her arms and take into her room the baby Prince, amuse him, sing to him, hush him to sleep, and tenderly watch his slumbers. Margherita of Savoy has always been known in Italy as a devoted mother, which all true women must be who recognize that love can transform the duties of a mother into the sweetest joys of life. On November 14th, 1869, in the private chapel of the Royal Palace in Naples, Prince Vittorio Emanuele was baptised ; his godfather was the Sindaco of Naples, then Count Guglielmo Capitelli, a highly esteemed Neapolitan gentle- man. The city of Naples presented the Crown Princess with a splendid cradle of tortoise-shell, mother-of-pearl, and coral, made from a design of the painter Domenico Morelli, and immortalized by the description written of it by the well-known patriot and writer Luigi Settembrini. The King had lately been dangerously ill, but as soon as he recovered he went to Naples to see the little heir to the throne, his grandchild. The Princess went to meet him with the baby at the railway station, desiring herself to place the child in his grandfather's arms ; cheering crowds accompanied and followed the Royal carriage from the palace to the station and applauded that family meeting ; their enthusiasm showed not only their devotion to the ruling house, but that strong feeling for the family tie and its obligations which is one of the great character- istics of the Neapolitan people, often ignorant, but of healthy instincts, respecting nothing so much as the domestic sanctuary and its presiding genius, the mother. This quality has been THE ROMAN QUESTION 55 remarked as existing especially among Italian colonists, and justly appreciated as a mark of the kindly nature of those Southerners whose hearts are warm if their passions are violent. Neapolitans are much attached to the present King, and consider him, as he is, their country- man. About the end of 1869 great political events were preparing the solution of the Roman question. After 1867, seeing that the Itahan Government adhered to the September conven- tion, while France openly violated it by sending soldiers to Rome under the pretence that they were volunteers. Garibaldi himself assumed, as usual, the risk and responsibility of the difficult enterprise. He invaded the papal territory, repulsing the hired troops in several encounters ; but the French, landing at Civitavecchia armed with guns, attacked and defeated him at Men- tana, under the eyes of Italian bersaglieri, who were on guard at the frontier. These proceedings brought upon Napoleon III the anger and reproaches of the civilized world, and made impossible a new alliance between France and Italy, if the latter did not take possession of Rome. Thus the design of a triple alliance between France, Austria, and Italy, which cer- tainly would have given a different direction to European politics, failed when almost concluded. Napoleon III refused to withdraw the French troops from Rome, while Vittorio Emanuele had made of the withdrawal a sine qua non condition of agreement to the proposed alliance. The succession to the throne of Spain then gave rise to discussions, and it was said to have been offered to the young Duke of Genoa. But a like 56 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY offer having been made later to a Hohenzollern, Napoleon III was greatly incensed, and his anger led to the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 and to the fall of the French Empire. Vittorio Emanuele hoped to prevent the war by allowing his son Amedeo to accept the crown of Spain, it having been refused by Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern, but the war was inevitable. Two different opinions as to the proper course of conduct prevailed at that time in Italy. Vittorio Emanuele, faithful to his sentiments of friendship and gratitude towards Napoleon III, was dis- posed to set out at the head of his troops to help France ; but the councillors of the Crown and the majority of Italian politicians, though enter- taining a like regard for the Emperor, believed that the future of Italy might be compromised by a war with Prussia. Many Italians, on the other hand, thought and desired that Italy should take advantage of such a favourable occasion to accomplish her unity by occupying Rome. All agreed on the necessity of profiting by the opportunity to give Italy the long-wished-for natural capital which was her right. Opinions were divided as to the best means of attaining this much-desired end, but it was the general wish to avoid vising arms for the conquest of Rome unless it should be necessary for the Italian army to help the Romans. The position of a Crown Prince in a constitu- tional kingdom is a very difficult one when political questions of importance arise, as he must not express any personal opinion. It might be opposed to that of the prevalent majority of the nation, or to that of the head of the State, if the King and the majority were not in accord- THE ROMAN QUESTION 57 ance. The heir to the throne is thus compelled by his position to maintain the most scrupulous reserve. The Crown Prince and Princess were deeply interested in the question, though it occasioned a painful antagonism between their religious and patriotic sentiments. Prince Um- berto, who was a friend of the Prussian Crown Prince and knew what an excellent soldier he was, did not share that absolute certainty of confidence in the invincible nature of the French army which inspired the forecast and arguments of the Italian Ministers and of the King himself. The Crown Prince had a strong presentiment of the ultimate triumph of the Prussian arms, and General Lamarmora was of the same opinion. In the first days of September, 1870, the news of the capitulation of Sedan and of the surrender of Napoleon reached Florence. Vittorio Emanuele was deeply grieved by the disaster which had overwhelmed his friend, but when the mob of Paris rose to proclaim the republic, the Italian Government recognized that the Roman question was then mature for a final solution. After much deliberation the Ministers' advice was to delay no longer to do for Rome and her provinces what ten years before Vittorio Emanuele, Cavour, and Garibaldi had done for the other countries of Italy. The same motives, public order and national needs, impelled them to follow the same course of action. The King agreed with the Ministers and the march to Rome was decided on. But while General Cadorna was receiving his instructions from the Minister of War, General Ricotti, the King sent by the hand of Senator Ponza di San Martino an autograph letter to Pius IX. Vittorio Emanuele, who had been edu- 58 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY cated by a very devout mother, and whose wife was noted for her piety, was faithful to the tradition of loyalty to the Catholic Church which had always prevailed in his house ; his letter to the head of the Church was inspired by the affection of a son, the veneration of a believer, and the heart of an Italian King. He made a long statement of the condition of affairs, he entreated His Holiness to open his understanding to the needs of modern times, enumerating the many grave reasons which compelled him to follow the decision of his Government, and assuring the Holy Father that his supreme spiritual authority would ever be loyally re- spected and defended. This letter, which was an official communication, discussed in a Council of Ministers, was not the only one which the King of Italy sent to the Pope. Vittorio Emanuele wrote another letter, more expressive of personal devo- tion, which he sent to Pius IX by a private hand ; this explained with more details the grave reasons of State which obliged him to occupy Rome as the capital of united Italy. The King implored the Pope not to prolong by useless resistance a condition of things which might become equally dangerous to religion and to Italy. He described the state of public opinion throughout Italy, which made it his inevitable duty to satisfy the national aspirations of his people, not only for the love of order, but for the greater interests of the Church as of the State. The King trusted that his own earnest conviction might induce the Pope to believe that the sacred cause would be furthered, not injured, if the Pope accepted the protection of the Italian army. He gave sincere expression to his own grief at the necessity for THE ROMAN QUESTION 59 offending the Pope and embittering his last years ; he declared that he would even have been ready to abdicate were he not assured that no successor on the throne of Italy could have acted differently. If Pius IX could have followed his own im- pulses he would probably have avoided those painful struggles which did more to injure the Church than to protect his political interests. If in the political field reason and good sense soon prevailed, it was not so, unfortunately, in the religious one, where an invincible obstinacy refused in any way to accept the fatality of events, to acknowledge a resistless tide which could neither be arrested nor turned, the evolu- tion of a nation. On September 20th, 1870, Rome was con- quered. This solemn event, by which the unity of Italy was finally accomplished and the tem- poral power of the Popes abolished, was of such importance to the history of the world that it should everywhere be known and studied in detail, bearing in mind the significant fact that it did not occasion any protest or remonstrance from foreign nations. The announcement made to the Powers by the Foreign Minister, Visconti Venosta, was expressed with clearness and dig- nity ; it was received in silence, but there could be no doubt that the opinion of the whole of the civilized world was favourable to Italy. The difficult problem which had proved in- soluble by force and violence was now solved by a wise and well-considered policy, inspired by a desire to satisfy the national aspirations of Itahans, without offending their consciences nor wounding the susceptibilities of the Catholic 60 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY world. So treated, a great patriotic enterprise became also a great factor in civilization. On October 2nd, 1870, the people in Rome were summoned to a plebiscito ; this gave a result of forty-six votes against the union of Rome with Italy, while the rest of the population accepted it, electing by acclamation Vittorio Emanuele II as King of Italy, with Rome as his capital. A week later, on October 9th, Vittorio Emanuele received at the Palazzo Pitti in Florence a deputation sent from Rome to make official communication of the result of the plebiscito. The deputation was headed by the Duke of Sermoneta, who addressed the King in a dignified speech. Vittorio Emanuele, hardly able to control his emotion, answered : " The great work is accomplished ; our country is one. The name of Rome, the greatest name that human lips can pronounce, is to-day united to that of Italy, the name dearest to my heart. The voice of the people giving marvellous proof of the unanimity of the Romans has been greeted with acclamation in all parts of the kingdom. It once more con- secrates the basis of our national union, and once more proves that if we owe much to good fortune, we owe more to the justice of our cause. The free consent of public opinion, the loyal exchange of faithfully kept promises, are the forces which have made Italy and, as I foresaw, have led to the actuation of her unity. The people of Italy are now the masters of their fate. Italians meet, after the sufferings of many centuries, in the city which was once the metropolis of the world. They will see in the monuments of past greatness the promise of a new greatness, of their own ; they will treat with due veneration THE KING'S SPEECH 61 the home of that spiritual power which has raised the standard of peace where the pagan eagles never flew. As a King, as a Catholic, in proclaim- ing the unity of Italy, I remain firm in my deter- mination to ensure full and perfect liberty to the Church and absolute independence to her supreme pontiff. With this solemn declaration I accept from your hands the plebiscito of Rome, and I present it to the Italian people, trusting that they may show themselves worthy of the glory of their great forefathers and of our present good fortune." I have quoted the exact words of Vittorio Emanuele II because, though it is hardly credible, there are still, even in Italy, ignorant people who in all good faith deny these facts and repeat that the Church was sacrificed by the Italian Govern- ment. I. have heard the same thing asserted by people who did not themselves believe it, but thought to serve a faith which incorporates the divine expression of antagonism to lies ! CHAPTER VI Prince Amedeo accepts the crown of Spain — His departure from Spezia in December, 1870 — The inmidation of the Tiber — Arrival of Vittorio Emanuele in Rome — His letter to Pius IX — Prince Um- berto receives the command of the First Division in Rome — The law of guarantees — Arrival in Rome of Umberto and Margherita on January 23rd, 1871 — The announcement of Prince Doria, Sindaco of Rome, to the Romans — Margherita of Savoy conquers the admiration of all classes in Rome — Opening of Parliament in Rome on November 7th, 1871 — Vittorio Emanuele holds in 1872 an official New Year's Day reception in Rome — His respectful congratulations to Pius IX — Letter of Pius IX to Vittorio Emanuele — The King receives a request of the Pope and discusses its fulfihnent with his Ministers — The receptions of Princess Margherita. MEANWHILE political events in France had reacted on the situation in Spain, where all were desirous of putting an end to an unsettled state of affairs. The negotia- tions with Italy were resumed, and this time led to a happy conclusion ; Vittorio Emanuele induced his son Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, to accept the Crown of Spain. The Cortes pro- claimed him King in Madrid, and at once sent to Italy a Spanish deputation, headed by the President of the Cortes, Sefior Ruy Torilla. This deputation was solemnly received at the Royal Palace in Florence, where all the Princes of the House of Savoy were assembled, with the Ministers, Senators, and Deputies. The Presi- dent of the Senate, Marchese di Torrearsa, one of the most eminent Deputies of that time, was deeply impressed by the happy change 62 INUNDATION OF THE TIBER 63 in the fortunes of Italy, in that she had been invited by a foreign and a CathoHc nation to give her as a ruler a Prince of the reigning Royal House. At the end of December, 1870, Amedeo of Savoy, who had so valiantly fought for the cause of Italy, sailed from Spezia for his Spanish king- dom. Prince Umberto, always devoted to his brother, accompanied him to the Royal Spanish steamer, and saw him depart, surrounded by the other Spanish vessels : Prince Umberto, for dynastic reasons and for his love to the House of Savoy, could not but rejoice that his brother should be called to occupy the throne of Charles V, but he was not without fears for the future, remembering the dangers of such an exalted position. Prince Amedeo had accepted the sovereignty of a chivalrous nation, whose lofty sentiments Prince Umberto could not doubt ; but he could likewise entertain no illusions as to the prejudices and fickleness always shown by the Spaniards in the conduct of their political affairs. In December of that year there was a terrible inundation of the Tiber which rose to an un- precedented height ; in the lower parts of the city whole quarters were flooded and the people driven from their homes. The Council of Ministers proposed that the King should make this calamity the occasion of his first visit to Rome. On his arrival Vittorio Emanuele sent Marchese Spinola, one of his aides-de-camp, to the Vatican to offer the Holy Father the expression of his regard and personal attachment. This act of respect and courtesy, inspired also by a sense of political expediency, received no official response, for 64 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY those who surrounded Pius IX advised him not to receive the King's envoy. Cardinal Antonelh, however, assured the Marchese Spinola that the Pope desired to express his personal sense of the King's courtesy. Before being transferred from Florence to Rome, the Italian Parliament had approved a law, known as the "Law of Guaran- tees," which assured the Pope all the preroga- tives and honours due to Sovereigns. Should he meet the King or any other member of the Royal Family he would have precedence before every one, as the head of the Church and as a Sovereign, the guest of Italy : the Vatican and Lateran palaces and the villa at Castel Gandolfo were left to the Pope free of taxes, and in addition a yearly allowance of three million two hundred and twenty-five Italian francs (£120,000) was assigned to him. But the Pope refused to recognize the Law of Guarantees or to accept any allowance, so as to maintain his attitude of protest against the Italian Government. Prince Umberto had been present when the Roman deputation had presented to the King the result of the plebiscito and had signed, after his father, the Act of Acceptation. A few days later the same deputation went to Milan, and waited on the Crown Prince and Princess, who were in Monza, with the request that they would fulfil the ardent wish of the Romans, by visiting the capital. As the Crown Prince and Princess had received like requests from other sources, the Ministers to encourage them to gratify the desire of the Romans appointed Prince Umberto Com- mander of the First Division of the army ; which was stationed in Rome. It was then that Margherita of Savoy gave THE LAW OF GUARANTEES 65 evidence of the force and rectitude of her character, in recognizing the duty incumbent on her through the new order of things ; but the conflict between rehgion and patriotism must have been painful indeed. The condition of things which had made it necessary to put an end to the temporal power of the Popes was such as to make this momentous change an absolute historical necessity ; but it was not designed in any way to deprive the chief of the Catholic Church of that spiritual omnipotence which is at liberty to extend its power over all the world. All that had been possible to do to obtain the Pope's consent to the accomplishment of the unity of Italy, and to show him that such was the will of the people even in Rome itself, had been loyally done. The young Princess, like all good Catholics in Italy and beyond, understood that if reasons of State had compelled Italy to accomplish her unity by occupying Rome as her capital, political motives of a less exalted nature had inspired the narrow-minded clergy to do all in their power to hinder Pius IX in following the impulse of his benign nature, an impulse the beneficent effect of which on that faith of which he was the supreme representative would have been felt far beyond the borders of Italy. It was clear that the Crown Prince should go to Rome, and the Princess felt it her duty to accompany him ; she trusted in the Divine help in this as in all other difficulties, she thought also that an example of virtuous life and of religious devotion might prove to the Romans that the House of Savoy could remain faithful to the rehgion of their ancestors, even if political 66 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY events had compelled them to occupy the ancient seat of that religion. Such an example was needed in order to give practical proof that modern Italy afforded the Pope in Rome the consideration and protection which showed that the idea of a free Church in a free State needed only time to accomplish its full evolution and prove itself worthy of the great statesman who had conceived it. On January 23rd, 1871, at 4 p.m. the Crown Prince and Princess with Prince Vittorio Emanuele and their Court arrived in Rome. They were greeted with great joy, and the surroundings of the railway station and the streets that lead thence to the Royal Palace were thronged by applauding crowds. It was raining, and the Royal carriages were closed, but the Princess, divining the great desire of the people to see the Royal Family, ordered the carriages to be opened. This graceful act was greeted with loud acclama- tions, while the Princess, smiling, bowed her thanks to the people for their enthusiastic reception. On that first day of her arrival in Rome, Margherita of Savoy conquered the Romans, who were and are devoted to her, and are most grateful for all the benefits on every occasion bestowed on them. While Prince Umberto attended to his military duties, visiting the barracks, organizing reforms to improve the health and welfare of the army, the Princess, accompanied by her Lady of Honour Marchesa di Villamarina, began to visit the hospitals, schools, benevolent or educational institutions, promoting in every possible way the advance- ment of popular education. No Lady of Honour could have better understood or more completely ANNOUNCEMENT OF PRINCE DORIA 67 shared the noble aspirations and generous senti- ments of her Queen than the Marchesa di Villa- marina. The tender human feelings of the Princess found ready response in the generous nature of this lady, whose cultivated mind and sound judgment admirably adapted her for the high post she has held since 1868. The rare example of devoted friendship afforded by these two ladies is in itself a remarkable evidence of their superiority ; it is rare indeed to find two women who, living in such constant intimacy, have maintained an unbroken harmony of thought and feeling. The families of the Roman nobility soon began to ask for audiences and were cordially wel- comed ; the severest of the aristocratic ladies were charmed with the easy grace with which the Crown Princess received them ; they were attracted by the absence of any pretence or formality and by the sweet, dignified simplicity of Margherita of Savoy, in whom they admired not only her appearance and manner, but her womanly qualities of tender wife and mother. The Prince also became popular because the Romans, accustomed to see public authority represented by priests, were pleased and inter- ested by the Princess' grace and charm, and were proud of the Prince, who neglected no opportunity of showing his kindly interest in their welfare. Even people the most obstinate and prejudiced against the new reign were com- pelled to acknowledge that the Crown Prince had conquered the affection and admiration of all classes of citizens. Prince Doria, the Sindaco of Rome, in announcing to the people the advent of the Crown Prince and Princess, had said that 68 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY "their presence was the dearest pledge that the King could give them " ; the Romans were grate- ful, and speedily recognized the sterling qualities of their future ruler and his consort. A small party of zealous advocates of the Pope's temporal power began to express their enmity in a manner ill adapted for the encouragement of the rever- ence due to religion and its votaries ; but Umberto and Margherita showed their superiority by never failing in respect for ecclesiastical authority, with quiet dignity leaving unnoticed and unreproved such ebullitions of petty spite. The Prince knew that time alone could change the point of view of that section of Roman society whose veneration for the head of the Church made them almost enemies of their country. They looked upon the temporal power as only nominally destroyed on September 20th, because those who had exercised that power were still in Rome. If Rome was henceforth united to Italy, the great palace of the Vatican and its inhabitants remained in the new capital, protected by the laws decreed in the Italian Parliament and signed by Vittorio Emanuele. Within those massive walls the struggle for the reconquest of temporal power never ceased ; the Pope himself was passive, but the conflict was maintained by his adherents, who tried in every possible way to create difficulties and cause annoyances to the members of the Royal Family, since it was not possible to injure Italy. The great majority of the Romans had shown the sincerity of their enthusiasm for the new order of things by the plebiscito, but this was not enough to neutralize and react against the hostility of an anti-national party carried on OPENING OF PARLIAMENT 69 under the pretence of defending the right of a rehgion which no one desired to violate. The task of affirming and consohdating the position would have been too difficult for a politician, even for the King himself, but Umberto and Margherita of Savoy had all the qualities neces- sary for success in such an arduous enterprise. All who can remember those days will recall the grace, the charming maternal affection, and sweet ways of the Crown Princess, which did much to neutralize and render harmless the designs and actions of petty spite, which in fact ceased when it became evident that they were disregarded. On November 7th the Italian Parhament met in Rome for the first time, at Montecitorio ; in the speech from the throne Vittorio Emanuele expressed the loftiest sentiments, inspired by deep conviction. All were impressed by the results of a policy which had for its aim the wel- fare and progress of the people, hitherto totally uncared for and treated more as a herd of cattle than like men having the rights of beings endowed with reason. The King's speech evoked that unanimity of sentiment among those present which creates the great force of cohesion, vital to legislators who aspire to attain the highest aims of civilization. Vittorio Emanuele, apart from the force of conviction, possessed also the personal magnetism of a strong voice, vibrating with emotion when he spoke of Italy, of his people, of all he wished to accomplish for their welfare. The 1st of January, 1872, Vittorio Emanuele celebrated officially the first New Year's Day in Rome. He gave on this occasion further proof of his desire to show his regard and veneration for 70 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY Pius IX, charging one of his aides-de-camp, General Palorno, to present to the Holy Father his best wishes for the new year. Once more the King's envoy was not admitted to the presence of the Pope, but was received by Cardinal Antonelli, who told him that His Holiness had charged him to offer his thanks to the King, reciprocating his best wishes for the new year. The Pope evidently intended to adhere to the line of conduct already laid down. Vittorio Emanuele, impelled by his earnest religious con- victions and at the same time loyal to the policy which had opened to Italy and to him the gates of Rome, seized every occasion to show the great distinction he made between the Pope and the dis- possessed Sovereign, between the head of the Church and the aspirant to temporal power. The Vatican, on the contrary, persisted in refusing to establish any relations between the Pope and the Pied- montese usurper. On several occasions the King, talking to members of the diplomatic body, called their attention to the difference between the respectful attitude of his Government and the hostile conduct of the Vatican towards him. He was also often heard to say that the conduct of the Vatican would never make him show any resentment, it being enough for him that Europe and the Catholic world should recognize his loyalty to religion, and the correct policy of his Government. The King often smiled on hearing that fanatics in foreign countries represented the Pope as his captive, lying on straw ! On one occa- sion the King, driving outside the walls, stopped to admire the magnificent ruins of the Campagna ; seeing the distant Vatican and also the Quirinal, he exclaimed, smiUng : " There is a prisoner free, LETTER OF PIUS IX TO THE KING 71 and there a freed prisoner ! " Although no official relations existed between the Vatican and Quiri- nal, and though the courteous acts of the King were not responded to by the Pope, the personal relations between Pius IX and Vittorio Emanuele were of a different character. If the Pope lacked the strength of will needed to oppose those who surrounded him and used their power so as to make it impossible for him to deviate from his established hne of conduct, Pius IX did not personally share their sentiments ; he would sometimes even have confidential communica- tions with Vittorio Emanuele. On these occasions Pius IX was far from being inspired by wrath and resentment against Vittorio Emanuele ; he treated him with fatherly indulgence, oblivious of all inimical relations, speaking affectionately of " his good son," of the King descended from a family who had given to the Church pious Princes and even saints for its altars. On one occasion, without asking anyone's advice, Pius IX wrote to Vittorio Emanuele a private and confidential letter, asking him to obtain from his Government the ejection of some very undesirable people from a house near a church and a convent where young girls were being educated. Having sealed this letter, the Pope called one of his guards, ordering him to take it at once to the Quirinal and give it into the King's own hands. No one at the Vatican, not even Cardinal Antonelli, knew of this action of Pius IX. The guard in obedience to the order received went to the Quirinal and asked to see the King, in order to deliver into his own hands the autograph letter of the Pope. The King ordered that he should be at once intro- duced, and receiving the letter, read it without 72 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY delay. The Pope explained all the circumstances which made it a scandalous thing to leave such people near young girls, and he added : " I am more and more persuaded that Rome cannot at the same time be the seat of the Vicar of Christ and of Behal." The letter concluded with these words : " With paternal affection, I pray God for Your Majesty, I pray for Italy and for the Church." In passing over to his Ministers this letter, the King laughed much at the word " Belial," which Pius IX often used in a Miltonic sense. The letter contained another peculiarity : Pius IX, asking a favour from Vittorio Emanuele, begged him to "do what he could with his Ministers." One of the members of the Government jestingly remarked : " Your Majesty will perceive by his letter that Pius IX has become quite constitu- tional." The King obtained the gratification of the Pope's desire, and did not doubt that any just request made by His Holiness would always be granted by his Ministers. When the first official receptions were held at the Quirinal, the devotees of the Vatican did not fail to do all they could to prevent the Roman nobility from going to the Palace " usurped by force of arms," averring that none of the noble families of Rome would go there ; those who had been privately presented to the Crown Princess would never go to an official reception ; but this assertion was not borne out by the facts. Not only all those who had been presented to the Crown Prince and Princess, but many others who wished to be presented to them in order to be invited to Court attended the official receptions ; elegant crowds filled the large halls of the Royal Palace of the Quirinal, and no official or private RECEPTIONS AT THE QUIRINAL 73 reception given by Princess Margherita ever failed to be a brilliant success. Immense numbers of Catholics came to Rome from all parts of the world to visit the " poor old Pope, a captive, lying on straw." As they found the pontiff in his own splendid palace, surrounded by his Court, and perfectly free to do all he wished, these devout persons returned to their respective countries with more correct opinions and ideas about modern Italy than they had brought with them. Truth was destined to prevail and to assert itself by the sheer force of facts ; in time the whole world was to bear witness to the loyal behaviour of Italy in all her relations with the Church, as those can testify who have witnessed, as we have done, the elections of two Popes in Rome. CHAPTER VII TJmberto and Margherita of Savoy travel incognito, under the title of Count and Countess of Monza — Their friendship with Frederick, Crown Prince of Prussia— Margherita is godmother to the daughter of Frederick of Prussia — Gregoroviua and Prince TJmberto in January, 1874 — The Torre di Astura — General Moltke — The Carnival in Rome — Abdication of Amedeo of Savoy — Death of the Duchess of Aosta, at San Remo, at the close of the year 1876 — The first national exhibition of modern and ancient art in Naples, April, 1877, organized by Demetrio Salazar — Serious illness of Pius IX- — The King sends to enquire after the Pope's health — Official receptions in Rome at the end of 1877 and first days of 1878 — Death of General Lamarraora — Last telegram of Vittorio Emanuele — His sudden ill- ness — He asks for the consolations of religion — The Crown Princess tends him with filial devotion — Death of the King on January 9th, 1878 — The judgment of Vittorio Emanuele II, pronounced by Pius IX — Margherita of Savoy decorates with flowers the King's bier — The wreath sent by the ladies of Florence — Solemn funeral of the fijst King of Italy — His interment in the Pantheon — Mani- festo of King Umberto I to Italians — The King swears to the Constitution on January 19th, 1878 — The Crown Prince of Germany remains in Rome to attend the first opening of Parliament — Speech from the Throne — The diplomatic body — Deputies and Senators cheer the new King — Deep emotion of Margherita of Savoy, first Queen of Italy — The Crown Prince of Germany presents to the people, crowded on the square before the Royal Palace, Vittorio Emanuele, Princo of Naples — Opinion of Marshal Canrobert. THE Crown Princess was always fond of travelling, a taste which she has not lost. Her great intelligence and wide culture made her interested in all she saw, and Prince Umberto greatly enjoyed her keen ob- servations and charming company ; they often travelled incognito, under the name of Conte and 74 UMBERTO I, KING OF ITALY. GREGOROVIUS 75 Contessa di Monza. At all foreign Courts they visited they were most cordially received, and they formed friendships with the members of Royal families, in the first place with those of Germany and Russia. Since their marriage in 1868 they had been intimate friends with the Crown Prince of Prussia and his wife, a Princess of the Royal House of Great Britain, who were both much attached to the Italian Crown Prince and Princess ; they had called their eldest daughter Margaret, in honour of the Crown Princess, who was her godmother. The senti- ments of esteem and friendship entertained by the principal rulers of Europe for the King of Italy were thus extended by them to the Crown Prince and Princess. They were justly and highly appreciated also by the uncrowned Princes in the domain of Literature and Art, who have for many centuries sought inspiration in Rome. Gregoro- vius, who, since 1852, spent the greater part of the year in Rome, found the field of his investiga- tions entirely changed when he arrived in Rome from Munich in 1873. His archaeological and artistic susceptibilities were naturally offended by such changes, for, as he wrote of himself, his nature was like that of a shy horse who runs away if anything frightens him. Though Gregorovius was most liberal-minded and entirely favourable to the unity of Italy, he had not asked to be received at Court. He knew some Liberal families and was a friend of Keudell, of the Prefect Gadda, and of the Minister of Public Instruction, Cesare Correnti, who invited him to be a member of a committee which had to prepare some scientific plans. At a dinner at Baron Keudell's, the 76 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY German Ambassador in Rome, he met the Marchese di Villamarina and asked for an audi- ence of the Crown Prince. He was received on January 21st, 1874 ; the great German historian was deeply impressed by the conversation of Umberto of Savoy regarding the future of Rome, and mentions it in his famous " Roman Diaries." The conversation took place without any view to publication, and was therefore worth recording. The Prince said, among other things, that the attitude of the Vatican, so irreconcilable to the new order of things, was rather an advantage to Italy, because it left to time the natural solution of the question. Gregorovius took the oppor- tunity to recommend the Prince to preserve to Italy, as a precious historical record, the Torre di Astura, where the young Conradin of Suabia landed to escape from his enemies after his defeat at Tagliacozzo ; he was hospitably re- ceived by the Count Frangipani, who then most basely betrayed him to the Guelph party. It had been said that the Tower of Astura was to be sold, and it was preserved to Italy through the inter- cession of a foreign archaeologist. General Moltke, whom the Crown Prince and Princess had met in Berlin, was frequently their guest at dinner ; notwithstanding his dislike of official entertainments, he always spoke of Umberto and Margherita with the greatest ad- miration. During the Carnival, which was then a time of much diversion in Rome, the Prince and Princess gave balls, which were always crowded, and viewed, from a balcony of a palace on the Corso, the masquerades and the famous " Corsa DEATH OF DUCHESS OF AOSTA 77 de' Barberi," the race of riderless horses. The Princess was interested and amused by the popular historic festivities, the throwing of flowers and confetti between the people on the balconies and in the street. It was on one of the days of Carnival that the news reached Rome of the abdication of Amedeo of Savoy, King of Spain. In a fine speech addressed to the Cortes, Amedeo declared the impossibility of recon- ciling the different political parties which threat- ened the safety and honour of the kingdom. The presentiment of Prince Umberto was thus realized. The Roman people, with their keen intuition, felt that this abdication did honour to the Italian Prince, and they determined to prove, by a public demonstration, their devotion to Vittorio Emanuele, Umberto, and Margherita of Savoy. On this occasion the title of " Regina del popolo " was conferred on the Crown Princess, so great was the popular enthusiasm for the geniality with which she responded to their demonstrations . At the end of 1876, the Duchess of Aosta died at San Remo, leaving three sons, the present Duke of Aosta, the Count of Turin, and the Duke of the Abruzzi. The Crown Prince himself went to San Remo to console his bereaved brother and his children. At this time the first national exhibition of ancient and modern art was organized in Naples, by Demetrio Salazar ; he was encouraged and supported in the undertaking by a group of eminent men, who, later, presented to him a gold medal, especially struck for him, with an address setting forth his merit in so well organizing the exhibition, of which he had been the initiator 78 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY and constant promoter.^ At the opening of this exhibition, in April, 1877, were present the King, Prince Umberto, Princess Margherita, radiant in graceful beauty, with her little son in a sailor suit, wearing on his breast the medal of the committee of the exhibition. Two children only wore that medal, struck expressly for them, H.R.H. the Prince of Naples and Mario Zampini, the eldest grandson of Demetrio Salazar. The exhibition was very successful, and certain treasures of ancient art, of great interest to stu- dents, were shown for the first time by their owners. Vittorio Emanuele, who had often recovered from serious illnesses, took very little care of his health, trusting to his fine constitution ; but near the end of 1877 he had a foreboding of his approach- ing end. He once said to his aide-de-camp that although he was not a religious man, still he should not like to die without the last offices of the Church : " She who has gone up above would never have permitted it." This touching allusion was to his wife, the pious Maria Adelaide, whose memory he held ever sacred ; he doubted not that she remembered and prayed for him, for their children, and for Italy. Vittorio Emanuele returned as usual to Rome for the opening of Parliament ; he heard on arriving that Pius IX was not well, and that the fact of his advanced age caused much anxiety as to his health. The King sent at once one of his aides-de-camp to the Vatican to ask news of the Pope's health, and 1 The Neapolitan newspapers of that date have long accounts of the event, which is also renfiembered on page 24 of the work by F. Zampini Salazar, " Old struggles, new hopes," Naples, Tocco, 31 S. Pietro a Maiella, 1890. DEATH OF GENERAL LAMARMORA 79 to offer his sincere wishes for his recovery and for a prolonged hfe ; thus again the King proved his respectful devotion to the head of the Catholic Church. In the last days of 1877 the King received as usual the representatives of foreign powers at the Quirinal, speaking kindly to each one and especially to the Austro-Hun- garian Ambassador, to whom he expressed his satisfaction with the friendly relations resumed by their respective Governments. On the suc- ceeding days there were dinners and official receptions at the Quirinal and the King felt much fatigued ; he decided to leave Rome for Turin on January 6th, but on the 4th he was compelled to take to his bed. On the following day he received the sad tidings of the death of General Lamarmora in Florence. He addressed his last telegram to that bereaved family and wished that the Crown Prince should go to Florence to represent him at the funeral of his old friend and brother-in-arms ; but the Crown Prince was prevented from fulfilling this pious duty by the increasing illness of the King. Still Vittorio Emanuele did not consider himself to be in danger, until the morning of the fatal 9th of January, nor did he realize that his brave life had come to a close. Professor Bruno, the physician in attendance, had the sad task of communicating the fatal truth to his august patient. The King showed no surprise or dejection, and without any sign of emotion asked for the last Sacraments ; he wished to see his children and the members of his Court, to give them all his last farewell. In their presence, his weeping children surrounding his bed, with perfect calm, as if about to sleep, Vittorio Emanuele turned his head on his pillow 80 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY and breathed his last sigh. The Crown Princess, who had tended her uncle and father-in-law during his brief illness, and seen him receive the last Sacraments, had now the task of comforting her King and husband in his deep grief for the death of his good and glorious father. She herself brought the sad tidings to her sonVittorio Emanuele Prince of Naples. The child was too young to understand the great mystery of death, and being a sensitive boy and very fond of his grandfather, his mother felt that great care should be exercised in making him understand that he had lost the grandfather whose favourite grandson he had been. When Pius IX heard that the first King of Italy was dead, he said that Vittorio Emanuele had died like a Christian, a King, and a gentleman ; he sincerely regretted him, and he himself prayed and had Masses said for the repose of his soul. Margherita of Savoy herself arranged the flowers in the chamber of death where the corpse of Vittorio Emanuele lay in state ; in the presence of all the Royal Family and of the Court, Umberto and Margherita gave their father a last greeting before the coffin was closed. Margherita, shaken by sobs, could not leave the cold hand she covered with kisses and tears, remembering how her uncle had loved and protected her since her childhood. The Florentine ladies had sent her a wreath, with the request that she would herself place it on the King's coffin ; before doing so Margherita broke off two bay-leaves and preserved them in her Prayer - book, the precious memorial of her father. The news of the death of Vittorio Emanuele greatly grieved Italians and was received with DEATH OF THE KING 81 much regret abroad. The funeral was a solemn expression of the respect and regret felt, not only in Italy but throughout the world, for the memory and the passing of a King who had accomplished the greatest political event of the century. When he was born, only fifty-eight years before, there were in Italy seven small States, mostly governed by foreign Princes ; when he died he left one State, constitutionally united, at its head a glorious dynasty bent on the furthering of pro- gress and economic welfare. All foreign nations were represented at the King's funeral ; at their head was the German Crown Prince Frederick, who had so long shared the intimate joys and sorrows of his friends, Umberto and Margherita of Savoy. On January 16th, 1878, Italy paid the last tribute of respect and devotion to her founder. Vittorio Emanuele was buried in the great Temple of all the Gods, the Pantheon, the best-preserved monument of ancient Rome ; on his tomb are written in gold letters the words : " Al Padre della Patria." \ATien the funeral was over and the Royal Family with their foreign guests had returned to the Quirinal, crowds of people thronged the streets and the square before the Palace, shouting : " Long live the King and Queen," until Umberto and Margherita, in their deep mourning, appeared on the balcony to express their gratitude for the share taken in the grief by the Romans and for the cordial greeting on their accession to the throne. On the day of Vittorio Emanuele's death Umberto issued a mani- festo to the Italian people : " Kings die," he said, " but institutions live on " ; with all his power he would endeavour to show himself a worthy successor of his great father, and he had no 82 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY higher ambition than that of deserving, in his turn, the love which his father won from his people. A few hours later the King issued another manifesto to the army : " Having shared your dangers and proved your valour I know I can trust you. Never forget that where our flag is, there is my heart as a King and as a soldier." These utterances were of much comfort to the sorrowing people, and a few days later when the King and Queen received the deputations from Parliament and the Senate, the Vice-President of the Parliament was able to assure the King of the devotion of the Italians, who, although deeply grieved, were consoled by their trust in their new Sovereign. One of the first thoughts of Umberto I in those days, so eventful for himself and for the nation, was for the poor and the unfortunate. He sent at once fifty thousand francs to the Sindaco of Rome, and the same sum to the Cardinal- Vicar, with the request that it should be given for dis- tribution to the parish priests of the city, with especial mention of the church of SS. Vincent and Anastasius, which is the Parish Church of the Quirinal. Another fifty thousand francs was sent by the King's order for the poor in Turin. January 19th was the day fixed by the King for taking the oath of fidelity to the Constitution. The Crown Prince of Germany had expressed his intention of leaving Rome on the evening of the 18th, as he had to attend some military function in Berlin, but King Umberto begged him to delay his departure if only for two days : " Telegraph to the Emperor," said the King, " that I have begged you to stay for the ceremony. It is the first favour I ask of him. Stay, for your presence THE CONSTITUTION 83 will bring me good fortune." The German Emperor was pleased to gratify the young King's wish and the Crown Prince was present at the solemn ceremony in Rome. The large hall of Montecitorio was crowded with deputies and Senators, the galleries and corridors were filled with ladies and gentlemen in deep mourning. In the Diplomatic Gallery, in addition to the usual figures, were all the Envoys Extraordinary sent by foreign powers to represent them at the funeral ; among them was Marshal Canrobert. In the Royal box was Queen Margherita, whose deep mourning enhanced the beauty of her golden hair and fair complexion. With her were the Queen of Portugal, the Crown Prince Vittorio Emanuele, the Duke of Braganza, the German Crown Prince, the Archduke Rainer, and their suites. The entrance of King Umberto was greeted with loud applause, to which he responded by bowing low to the assembly, show- ing himself evidently moved by the imposing nature of the demonstration of affection. Stand- ing before the throne between the Duke of Aosta and the Prince of Carignano, with a rapid glance at the Royal box, in a clear and strong voice, the King said : "I swear before God faithfully to maintain the Constitution and to exercise my Royal authority in accordance with the laws and in their spirit ; it is my desire that all, according to their rights, should have full and absolute justice, and I swear to act in all things with the one aim of prosperity and honour of the nation." The speech from the throne was short and simple, but full of patriotic feeling ; it was warmly applauded, especially when, after thanking the Italians, who mourned as one great family the 84 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY loss of their father and protector, the King said : " Your unanimous affectionate sympathy has been of the greatest comfort to my beloved wife, Queen Margherita, who is bringing up our son to follow the glorious example of his grandfather." The King then turned to the Diplomatic Gallery and added : " Italy one and free is the best guarantee for peace and progress," The foreign diplomats rose to their feet and warml}^ applauded. From Montecitorio to the Royal Palace the people crowded the streets and squares, loudly cheering their King and Queen, who appeared later on the balcony to express their thanks. The German Crown Prince, who accompanied them, took up in his arms the nine- year-old heir to the throne of Italy and showed him to the people. A crash of loud applause echoed through the square, an outburst of loyal devotion to the new King and the good and beautiful young Queen, and a tribute to the nation represented by the noble and kindly Prince Frederick. The Royal Speech made a favourable impression in Italy and abroad, where the most authoritative and impartial newspapers highly commended it. Particular mention was made of those parts of the speech which had referred to the Queen, the Crown Prince, and the relations of Italy with foreign Powers, and of the passage in which the King had asserted that " the genuine respect for free institutions was the best guarantee of security." The foreign Princes and diplomatists, who had come to Rome on that occasion, carried away with them the sincere conviction that the fate of Italy could not have been entrusted to better hands than those of Umberto of Savoy. This conviction was fully OPINION OF MARSHAL CANROBERT 85 shared by the German Crown Prince and by Marshal Canrobert ; although their views on other subjects differed so widely, they both alike thought highly of the King of Italy and always spoke of him in the most cordial terms. The old Marshal Canrobert was often heard to say : " The Italians are indeed a very fortunate people." CHAPTER VIII Death of Pius IX on February 7th, 1878 — The conclave — Election of Cardinal Pecci, who assumes the name of Leo XIII — Departure of the King and Queen from Rome to Spezia, July 9th, 1878 — Launch- ing of the Dandolo — The King and Queen arrive in Turin on July 11th, 1878 — A deputation of Turinese working-men invite the King — Visits of Queen Margherita and the Marchesa di Villamarina to educational and philanthropic institutions in Turin — Arrival in Milan — Warm greetings of the Milanese — Visits to Venice, Brescia, Mantua, Verona — Arrival in Monza — Inauguration in Monza of the first statue of Vittorio Emanuele II — Departure from Monza to Bologna on November 4th, 1878 — Four thousand working-men invite the King and Queen to the Brunetti Theatre — Enrico Panzacchi recites his poem before the King and Queen at the Brunetti Theatre — Giosu6 Carducci — His " Ode to the Queen." LESS than a month after the death of Vittorio Emanuele II died Pius IX, on ■' February 7th, 1878. The most in- veterate enemies of Itahan unity desired to profit by this opportunity of making a protest in favour of the lost temporal power, and proposed that the conclave for the election of the new Pope should be held in a foreign country. But the resolution of the Italian Government, of which Francesco Crispi was at that time the President, and the good sense of the more reasonable members of the College of Cardinals prevailed, and the conclave was held in Rome, in the Vatican. This conclave was characterized by its spirit of freedom, and it will remain memorable in the history of the Church for this reason, and because it happened to be the 8« POPE LEO xni. ELECTION OF CARDINAL PECCI 87 most numerous ever held, there being sixty-one Cardinals present and only three absent. At the end of thirty-six hours, with marvellous unanim- ity Cardinal Gioacchino Pecci, sixty-eight years of age, was chosen as the man best adapted to rule the Church of Christ : he chose the title of Leo XIII. Elevated to the pontificate so short a time after the fall of the temporal power, he could not have followed a policy differing from that of his predecessor, who, at least personally, had shown a liberal kindness towards Italy in 1848, and a constant friendship for Vittorio Emanuele. Although Leo XIII appeared strict and unyielding in his relations with the new kingdom, it was his endeavour not to create difficulties for it and to favour it as much as possible ; this was evident in the question of foreign influences at Jerusalem, and in that of Italian prisoners in Africa. Leo XIII also encouraged the performance of their religious duties by the Royal Family, by permitting that in the Quirinal Palace the ancient privileges granted by his predecessors to the House of Savoy should still hold good. At the same time, many Catholics of tender conscience suffered in the conflict of the worldly interests of the Papacy with their religious convictions. The most pain- ful consequence of this struggle was that Catho- lics were compelled to refrain from taking any part in political action; Liberals, on the other hand, neglected or ceased entirely to perform their religious duties, thus encouraging throughout Italy the separation of the two great sentiments of religion and patriotism, which when united had led to such magnificent results. It would 88 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY lead us too far to enlarge on this subject, which with every day is passing more rapidly into the history of the past, as will be evident later, in the record of the reign following that of Leo XIII and of his successor the saintly and beloved Pius X, to whom Religion and Italy have alike cause to be grateful. After six months of mourning for the late King, the Royal Family decided to visit the principal cities of Italy, anxious to see and acclaim their new King and their first Queen. The Sovereigns left Rome on July 9th, 1878, the next morning arriving at Spezia for the launching of the warship Dandolo and for the inauguration of a monument to General Chiodo. On the 11th they arrived in Turin, where they were greeted with the loyal affection of the good Piedmontese for their Royal compatriots. The King appeared still pale and worn, showing what anxiety and sorrow for his father's death had oppressed him ; but all agreed how well the Queen looked in her new character. There was a great demonstration by the artisans of Turin in the piazza before the Royal Palace, and a deputation asked to be received by the King, as they wished to invite him to a reception given by the General Associa- tion of Operatives. The King accepted the invitation, rejoicing to hear that they " were associated in work and mutual affection, and would shrink from no sacrifice in the service of their King and country." The King was touched by such an expression of loyalty, and shook hands with the members of the deputation, showing much interest in their work, their wages, and in their general conditions. VISITS OF QUEEN MARGHERITA 89 Queen Margherita, always accompanied by the Marchesa di Villamarina, visited in every city the educational and charitable institutions, taking an affectionate interest in the progress and needs of each establishment, generously helping those which most needed assistance and speaking with everyone everywhere in such a kindly way as to leave an indelible impression of her goodness. In Turin she took a particular interest in the flourish- ing educational institute for the daughters of officers, which is indeed singularly well organized in the villa bestowed for the purpose by Queen Maria Adelaide. After eighteen days spent in Turin, the King and Queen went on to Milan. The enemies of the monarchy had foretold that the reception of the Royal Family in Milan would be a cold if not a hostile one. But their reception by the Milanese was spontaneously enthusiastic ; from their arrival to the Royal Palace crowds on both sides strewed flowers on their road cheering the young Sovereigns, who had to come out on to the balcony to thank them. The Conservative Party were rather uneasy on the following days ; they saw the democratic Minister, Benedetto Cairoli, driving with the King in an open carriage, unattended by the body-guard, but the great majority of loyal democrats were much pleased to have such evidence of the confidence felt by the King and Cairoli in the people of Milan. Having visited Venice, Brescia, Mantua, and Verona, being everywhere enthusiastically re- ceived, the King and Queen arrived in Monza for the inauguration of the first statue erected in Italy to the memory of Vittorio Emanuele II. They were deeply touched and gratified by that 90 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY first token of national gratitude erected in a city particularly dear to them ; they were far indeed from imagining it the tragic scene of a terrible crime, which it was one day to be. King Umberto did not conceal his conception of the grave and serious nature of the duties imposed by the Crown ; in conversation with a great writer, he one day exclaimed : " King of Italy ! This is indeed a thought which makes me feel how old I am growing ! " In those days there was certainly cause for anxiety ; democracy was already infected by subversive ideas, which gave rise to disputes and painful conflicts of opinion. Military expenses were publicly criticized as unproductive, un- profitable to the State, and these and like reasons induced the Minister for Foreign Affairs, for War and the Marine to resign. A new Cabinet having been formed, the King resumed his tour to the other cities he had promised to visit. On November 4th he left Monza, with the Queen, the Crown Prince, and their court, for Piacenza and Parma, finally arriving in Bologna. They found the piazza of the station filled by forty associa- tions of working-men drawn up in battle array, their banners unfurled. The King reviewed this great army of Labour while the Queen was surrounded by women of the people, who offered her flowers. Margherita of Savoy had, as always, for these good creatures warm words of thanks and sweet smiles, being deeply touched by their simple cordial reception. Bologna had plucked on that day all the flowers of her fine gardens to adorn the railway station and to make garlands for the triumphal KING AND QUEEN AT BOLOGNA 91 arches over the streets through which the Royal procession had to pass. The carriage in which were the King and Queen and the Crown Prince, with the Sindaco of Bologna, could scarcely proceed between the two compact walls of men and women ; so great was the enthusiasm that the Royal carriage was almost lifted up and carried away by the cheering crowds ; it was separated from the others and from the body- guard and arrived before any other at the town hall, escorted and surrounded by working- men and by young students, proud to welcome the Royal guests to the seat of the oldest uni- versity of Italy. Four thousand working-men invited the King and Queen to the Brunetti Theatre, wishing their families to see the soldier of Villafranca, the son of the liberator of Italy, and the King and Queen accepted the invitation. The poet, Enrico Pan- zacchi, recited a poem addressed to the King, in which he said that " the people would always share with his trials, triumphs, joys, and griefs, until the cross of Savoy should shine in the light of Justice and Liberty, and for Umberto of Savoy the passing shadows of hatred would disappear in the dawn of love." On the following days the popular demonstra- tions continued, proving that the devotion of Bologna was not confined to the lower classes, but was felt also in the highest, among men who had openly avowed their enmity to the monarchi- cal idea, but who now desired to pay their homage to the Sovereigns. First among these was the great republican poet, Giosue Carducci ; inspired by the sweetness, beauty, and idealism of Margherita of Savoy, he celebrated her in 92 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY an immortal poem, the famous " Ode to the Queen."! 1 A very inadequate translation is here appended : — To the Queen of Italy. November 20th, 1878. Whence hast thou come, gentle lady ? what centuries Bestowed thee on us, so gracious, so beautiful ? Was it in song of heaven-bom poets That one day, O, my Queen, I beheld thee ? In the grim fortresses where blue-eyed Northerners Browned in the sun of the Latins their golden locks, While in new contest flash'd their bright armour, Flash'd and clash'd amid lightnings of love-storm ? Followed processions of fair virgins, pallid-cheek'd Moving to rhythms sorrowful, monotonous, Raising their dark eyes to heaven, imploring Requital divine for violence suffer'd. Or in the too brief days when all our Italy Was one May, and every man a cavalier. In the brave days when Love in his triumph Swept through the streets of battlemented houses, Through open spaces white with marbles glittering. Golden with sunlight, all with flowers carpeted — " Cloud that passes into shadow of love-light, Smile on us ! " — so sang Ahghieri. As in new April over Alpine solitudes Rises the star of Venus, white and beautiful. Shining on the hill-tops, gilding snows eternal. All her calm rays breaking into glory. Smiles on the lonely cottage of the shepherd-lad, Smiles on the valley florid in luxuriance. In the shade of the poplars awakens Song of nightingales, whisp'rings of lovers ; So thou passest in thy golden locks resplendent In the radiance of thy crown of diamonds ; And the people look with pride upon thee. As on a daughter passing to the altar ; While tears and smiles are striving for the mastery, The fair young maiden beholds thee and timidly Calls, her soft arras towards thee extending As to an older sister, "Margherita ! " GIOSUE CARDUCCrS POEM 93 Flying towards thee on Alcaic pinions — Measure free-born amid contests tumultuous — Thrice my verse- wreath encircles thy temples With the plumage that braves the fierce tempests. And "Hail ! " I go singing, " O lady imperial, Thou whom the fair Graces crowned with all ornament. Whose gentle voice so sweetly discourses Words of love and heavenly compassion. Hail, Madonna ! while mystic dreams of Raphael Hover in serenest vesper-hours of Italy, Translucent, pure — and the Muse of Petrarch Sighs through the groves of Italy's latu'el." CHAPTER IX The Royal Family go from Bologna to Florence, Pisa and Leghorn, returning to Florence for the Crown Prince's birthday — The greet- ing of the children in the Palazzo Vecchio — The Royal Family visit Ancona, Chieti, Bari, and arrive in Naples November 17th, 1878 — Enthusiastic reception — The bronze vase of flowers offered by Neapolitan women to the Queen — The carpet of flowers — Passanante's attempt on the King's life — Popular indignation — The courage of the Queen — Popular demonstrations in Naples and throughout Italy — Queen Margherita's birthday in Naples on November 20th, 1878 — The procession of children carrying flowers in the piazza before the Royal Palace — The Queen keeps as a souvenir some of the flowers — The retiu'n of the Royal Family to Rome^Trial and condemnation of Passanante — The Queen's compassion for his mother, to whom the King gives an allowance — The Royal Family go to Sicily — Returning to Rome, they land from Messina at Reggio in Calabria — Glorious traditions and kind-heartedness of the Calabrian people — The Royal Family arrive in Rome on January 27th. FROM Bologna the Royal Family went to Florence, Pisa, and Leghorn, returning to Florence for the birthday of the Crown Prince. Eleven thousand children from the public schools were gathered in the great hall of the Palazzo Vecchio to celebrate the birthday ; and the Queen led through their ranks the hero of the day and made them happy with books, toys, and cakes. On November 12th the Royal Family left Florence for Ancona, Chieti, and Bari. All along, the Adriatic coast was lined with men and women who had descended from their remote mountain villages to catch a glimpse of their King and their beautiful young Queen, of whose goodness they had heard so 94 ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION 95 much. In the setting of sea and hill, extra- ordinarily picturesque was the effect of those groups of hardy mountain-folk, whose stately bearing and fine features, enhanced by their antique garb, showed their ancient and unmixed descent from the hill tribes of Picenum and Samnium. Happy in their simple, frugal exist- ence, braced by the constant aspect of the everlasting hills, and brightened by strong family affection, the people of the mountain feel no need of further civilization. These peasants live in small villages on the edge of precipices, on mountain - tops, or in narrow fertile valleys ; among their rough dwellings is always found an ancient church, where no breath of political contest ever sullies their simple faith, profanes their child-like prayers, or hinders their devotion to their King and country. The hill-folk had come on foot from remote mountain villages, over rough and precipitous bridle-paths to see the King and Queen, and wherever the train stopped, even for a few minutes, Umberto and Margherita went among the people to thank them for having come so far to greet them. On November 17th the Royal Family visited Naples for the first time as Sovereigns. The preparations made to receive them deserve notice, as they were organized with the taste which characterizes the great southern city, which still preserves a certain Spanish dignity and grandeur. The writer has a vivid recollection of those days, as occasioning one of the most characteristic demonstrations of the generous and enthusiastic nature of the Neapolitans. Few indeed were the inhabitants of Naples who slept on the night before 96 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY the arrival of the Royal Family, and the windows and balconies of the houses on both sides of the streets through which the Royal carriages were to pass, were crowded from the earliest hours of the morning. In the poorest quarters of the city subscriptions of a halfpenny per head had been collected in order to purchase a fine bronze vase of artistic value, to be filled with flowers and offered to the Queen on her arrival, so that she might keep it as a souvenir of the poorest Neapolitans. With triumphant joy a group of the handsomest girls of that quarter were chosen to offer the vase to the Queen, who was deeply touched and has always preserved it. From the interior of the railway station to the place where the Royal carriages were waiting, a wide carpet of flowers arranged by the first Neapolitan artists had been laid. On arriving, the Queen at once noticed and admired it, observing that it would be a profanation to tread on such an exquisite work of art, but the authorities assured her that the carpet was so arranged as to be trodden on and not spoiled. The Queen hailed this as a good omen for the artistic future of Italy, remembering that in mediaeval and Renaissance times the greatest artists had not disdained to lend their genius for the embellishment of public or domestic life. When, after the official reception, the Royal cortege started on its way, it was almost impossible to proceed through the crowds of people that thronged the streets. The carriages proceeded slowly ; in the first were the aides-de-camp in their splendid uniforms, glittering with gold or silver embroideries, their feathered helmets, and ATTEMPT ON THE KING'S LIFE 97 their decorations. In the second carriage were the King and Queen, with the Crown Prince and the President of the Council of Ministers, Bene- detto Cairoli, who had accompanied the Sove- reigns on their Royal progress through Italy. But the crowd was so tremendous and so strong that it broke the cordon of soldiers, surrounding the Royal carriage and separating i% not only from the others, but from the body-guard who feared to trample on the ov^r-excited people who were careless of danger, provided they could demonstrate their joy. The procession reached the piazza called " Carriera grande " ; here an insignificant-looking man approached the Royal carriage, holding up a paper to give to the King, as happened often on these occasions ; but in the other hand he had a knife hidden in a red hand- kerchief ; jumping on to the step of the carriage, he tried to stab the King ; Umberto jumped up and defended himself with the hilt of his sword, not having time to draw it. The Queen turned pale, and cried : " Cairoli, save the King ! " — and threw her own arms about her husband to defend him. The Prince of Naples cast a look of horror and indignation on the assassin, while preserving, young as he was, the sang-froid which has always characterized the House of Savoy. Cairoli caught the assassin by his hair, himself receiving a wound in the side, the officer com- manding the guard coming up struck the man on the head with the flat of his sword, throwing him down ; he was seized by a young student and a gendarme threw him into a cab to save him from the fury of the crowd. But the people cursed him loudly and deeply for having brought shame on the Neapolitans by attempting the H 98 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY life of the good King whom they so loved. All this happened so quickly that not even the authorities following the Royal carriage saw what had happened. The King and Queen quietly resumed their seats and went on their way, smiling and bowing to calm the excitement of the crowds which surrounded their carriage, growing ever denser as they neared the Royal Palace. There the attempt on the King's life was already known ; the news had spread through the city, and an impetuous torrent of humanity poured from the Toledo into the large square before the Royal Palace, loudly denounc- ing the vile assassin who had dishonoured the faithful city. In less than an hour the popular unions of Naples, with their banners, associations of every shade of politics, people of all classes, old and young, even children, formed an imposing procession which with difficulty defiled beneath the balconies of the Royal Palace. The King and Queen appeared on the balcony with the Sindaco of Naples, Count Girolamo Giusso, one of the best and most highly esteemed municipal rulers Naples ever had. On seeing them the shout of joy at their appearance seemed the utterance of the six hundred thousand inhabitants of Naples ; the Royal march was repeated seven times before the people would begin to disperse and allow the Royal Family to retire and take rest after the exhausting emotions of the day. The King was sorry for the miscreant, whose punishment he would willingly have mitigated ; the Queen was calm, but the brightness of her glance was obscured as by a veil of sadness. " The glory of the House of Savoy is departed ! " she said, scarcely able to restrain her tears. The proud POPULAR INDIGNATION 99 boast of her ancestors, the unswerving faith and loyalty of their subjects, could indeed be made no more. Universal indignation at the iniquitous act was felt and expressed everywhere. Many telegrams of sympathy were received ; the newspapers contained long articles expressing their horror at the attempted crime, which had not the slightest excuse, for since his accession to the throne King Umberto had given his people no cause for reproach or resentment. The King and Queen had always shown a kindly and active interest in the needs of the people, and their generosity had never been appealed to in vain : not only from the civil list, but from their private purse, the Sovereigns had been always ready to help their subjects in distress, and their bounty was not infrequently extended to those who did not merit it. There had been no pretext of any kind for the crime, which could only be explained by mental disturbance or political fanaticism. The following day in Rome the people crowded the streets, and held popular demonstrations. On their way to the piazza before the Quirinal Palace, the crowd passed the house of one of the Ministers. In common with many of the houses in Rome, on that night, the Minister's house was illuminated in token of rejoicing for the King's safety. On hearing the shouts of the crowd the Minister supposed that they were cheering him, and he showed himself at the window to acknow- ledge their applause. He was greeted by bowlings and hisses, and speedily understood that the people were showing their anger at the inefficiency of the Ministers who had not been able to prevent the attempted assassination. 100 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY Italians, like all lovers of liberty, hold that political opinions may be expressed, encouraged, developed in every way, but that human life must ever be held sacred, be it the life of a good and beloved King or that of the commonest malefactor. All sections of political opinion are now convinced of the all-powerful influence of thought, idea, and will, which alone can change or modify laws and governments, for better or for worse. It is not to be doubted, that with time, when civilization shall have accomplished its full evolution and the divine law of love and brotherhood shall everywhere prevail, men will be more and more bound by the moral ties that unite them in the short struggle for existence which is our earthly life. They will then disdain to employ their short span of life in injuring each other, and in stifling the noblest impulses of the soul. We are certainly bound not to hate, but to love each other, since in doing good and hoping for nothing again we feel satisfaction. From the 17th to the 20th November, from dawn to dark of each day the Neapolitans never ceased to assemble for popular demonstrations in the square before the Royal Palace. On Novem- ber 20th, the twenty-seventh birthday of Queen Margherita, from midday to two o'clock in the morning, the people gave proof of their passionate devotion to their young Queen. A procession consisting of thousands of children, from five to twelve years of age, was organized to march beneath the windows of the Royal Palace. From all quarters of the city and the suburbs they came, dressed in white and carrying flowers, which they lifted up to the Queen and then placed on the ground before her balcony. With RETURN OF THE ROYAL FAMILY 101 the King and Queen and Crown Prince were the Duke of Aosta, Prince Amedeo, who had come to congratulate his brother, and the Marchese and the Marchesa di Villamarina. The Queen could hardly restrain her tears, smiling at the children and repeating that no official or popular demonstration could have moved her as did this of the children, the little ones of the queen of sea-cities. It became known later that not all the flowers laid under the balcony had been allowed to fade there ; not a few were and are still preserved in memory of the children who offered them in innocent devotion which they were one day to consecrate to Italy. When the Royal Family returned to Rome the popular demonstrations were renewed, and the representatives of the Parliament and Senate presented addresses on the King's escape. The Sovereigns while declaring themselves deeply touched by all the tokens of devotion they received, expressed their grief for the sad events in Florence, where a bomb had been thrown in Via Guelfa, while a procession of people was on its way to present to the Prefect an address of devotion to the King ; three persons were killed, and ten more or less dangerously wounded. Outrages of a similar kind took place elsewhere. The Home Minister was reproached with his negligence, in that he had failed to take energetic measures for defence and vigilance to prevent such excesses, maintain public order, and assure the safety of the people. When Parliament opened there were clamours and protests, and notwithstanding the popu- larity of Benedetto Cairoli and the gratitude owed by Italians to his patriotic family, held in honour 102 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY for the part taken in accomplishing the high destinies of Italy, the adverse majority compelled him to give in his resignation. Meanwhile the trial of Passanante was pro- ceeding. On March 7th he appeared before the Tribunal, his advocate having failed in establish- ing a plea of insanity ; the greatest mental specialists of Italy, after a careful examination, had declared him to be of sound mind. Brutal and arrogant, he seemed satisfied to pose as a political victim, though he was lacking in the most elementary understanding of what was meant by politics, or what were the political errors for which he would have killed a good King, who had besides a son, a brother, and three nephews to succeed to the sacred inheritance of the Throne. The judges unanimously declared Passanante to be the vilest of murderers, and would not admit any extenuating circumstances. This verdict meant a capital sentence ; his lawyer tried to oppose it, and failed. Then the heart of Margherita of Savoy was moved with compassion for the unhappy mother of the criminal, and she begged from the generosity of her husband the exercise of the King's pardon ; he, that kindest of men, had already in his heart pardoned the villain who would have killed him. On March 20th, on hearing that the Supreme Court had not accepted any plea of defence, the King availed himself of his Royal privilege and changed into imprisonment for life the capital punishment to which his would-be murderer had been condemned. The King's generosity did not stop here ; he granted a life annuity to the mother of Passanante. Sicily had long claimed a visit from the Royal THE ROYAL FAMILY GO TO SICILY 103 Family, and the King and Queen much wished to visit the island. Noble memories and family traditions associated themselves for the Royal pair with Sicily ; Victor Amadeus II had been King of Sicily from 1716 to 1729, and some of those men who in 1848, in the name of the Sicilian Parliament, had offered their throne to the Duke of Genoa, were still living. In the earliest days of 1881 the Royal Family left Rome for Palermo. People from all over Sicily had arrived in Palermo to see and greet the Royal Family. Triumphal arches spanned the streets twined with laurel branches and strongly per- fumed flowers of brilliant colours : in that ardent land of the southern sun all is rich, intense, exuberant. The Queen expressed a desire to stop at the cathedral to offer thanks for their safe arrival and beg the Almighty to bless her family and Italy. This visit was quite unexpected, but the Archbishop hurried to the cathedral, followed by his clergy, and a solemn Te Deum was sung. The thanksgiving concluded, the Royal Family drove to the ancient Royal Palace of Palermo, a splendid memorial of the Norman King Roger. The Royal Family and their suite had to remain more than a quarter of an hour on the balcony of the Palace, so insistent and unbroken were the acclamations of the crowd. The Marchese di Torrearsa was one of the few surviving Deputies of the Sicilian Parlia- ment of 1848 ; he was one of the first to be re- ceived by the Sovereigns. The Queen had much pleasure in conversing with this old friend and admirer of her ever-lamented father, the Duke of Genoa. Another of the Sicilian Deputies of 1848 living 104 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY at this time was the great scientist Stanislaus Cannizzaro, of European fame. His ardent patriotism belonged to a period in which to be a patriot was to risk one's hfe.^ The Royal Family spent a week in Palermo, much gratified by the affectionate greeting of all classes of SiciHans. Returning to Rome, they passed Girgenti and Caltanissetta, were in Catania the guests of the Marchese and Marchesa di San Giuliano, and went on through Syracuse and Messina, crossing the Straits to Reggio in Cala- bria, where they landed. A pretty episode occurred at the station in Messina, where a young peasant-woman in pic- turesque costume approached the Queen, and asked in a voice full of affectionate interest : " Where is the boy ? " The Queen was delighted to gratify the desire of the pretty peasant-gir], and calling the Prince of Naples, showed him to her. Proud and pleased at such an honour, clapping her hands for joy she cried : " Viva Santa Margherita ! " With nothing lower than a saint could the simple girl compare the young Queen and mother. Landing at Reggio, the Royal Family found that the city had been greatly damaged by an inundation. The Commune had spent much money in decorating and embellishing the Pro- vincial Palace, but the King deplored the needless expense, being grieved by the sad condition of the people in their flooded houses. The loyal Calabrian ladies and the simple, kindly people, ignorant sometimes of their glorious historical traditions, unknowing that their country was 1 See " Nuova Antologia " (Cannizzaro in science and in private life), June 1st, 1911. Rome, 3 Piazza di Spagna. IN ROME 105 once a part of the renowned Magna Graecia, gave the warmest greetings to the Royal Family, who were also visited by the Archbishop and clergy, whom the King and Queen received with every token of respect. The Calabrian mountains were covered with snow, but this was no obstacle to the strong and loyal hill-folk who in their best clothes crowded the railway stations all along the line to Salerno, and greeted their Sovereigns, even when the Royal train stopped for one minute only or ran past without stopping at all. The King and Queen, deeply touched by the proofs of affectionate loyalty received in Sicily and Calabria, arrived in Rome on the night of January 27th ; they found even at that late hour, on the piazza of the station, a crowd of people with torches and banners, who escorted them to the Quirinal, breaking with acclamations the silence of the night. CHAPTER X The Royal Family goes to Vienna — Cordial welcome from the Imperial Family — Military review — The Triple Alliance signed on May 20th, 1883 — Telegram to Rome from the Italian Ambassador in Vienna — The great sorrow of Italians for the death of Garibaldi on June 2nd, 1882 — Grief of Margherita of Savoy — Letter of the King to Garibaldi's eldest son — Speech of Giosue Carducci — Visit to Rome of the German Crown Prince in 1883 — Imposing military re- view — Railways and roads in Southern Italy and Sardinia — Wedding of Prince Tommaso of Savoy, Duke of Genoa, with Princess Isabella of Bavaria on April 14th, 1883 — Margherita of Savoy in her family circle — Her views on the education of children — The three moral elements which should form the basis of the Crown Prince's education — Fragment of a letter from the Queen to her son — The importance of kindness — To be, not to seem — Colonel Egidio Osio — Professor Luigi Morandi — Giulia Ceresole di Cou- sandier — The cholera in Naples in 1884 — The King and the Duke of Aosta in Naples — Visit to the cholera-stricken quarters of the city and to the hospitals — Cardinal Sanfelice — The Contessa Giulia Sanseverino Tarsie and the " Ecce Homo " Home for the children left orphans by the cholera — Felice Cavallotti and the young men of Lonibardy — Return of the King and Queen to Rome — The Queen's views as to social duties. DURING the later years of his life Vittorio Emanuele II had renewed the ties of friendship with his relatives of the House of Austria, and with the Emperor Francis Joseph, whom he had visited in Vienna. This visit was never officially returned by the Emperor, who went to see the King of Italy when he was in Venice. But after the death of Vittorio Emanuele Italians began to entertain hostile sentiments towards Austria, sentiments which have since increased and intensified. The national longing 106 THE MARCHESA PAOLA PES DI VILLAMARINA. THE "EASTERN QUESTION" 107 for Italian territory, still " unredeemed" often occasions much friction between Italians and the Austrian political authorities. These patriotic Italians receive the moral support of their com- patriots throughout Italy ; new patriotic associa- tions are continually being organized, with the object of helping and encouraging in every way the Italian population of the " unredeemed " country. Italy cannot officially encourage such aspira- tions, in view of her treaties and of that alliance she must maintain in the interests of the peace of Europe. The hostilities resumed twenty years after the Crimean War, the " Eastern question " again became active ; Russia, already at the gates of Constantinople, was imposing hard con- ditions on the Sultan, when the jealousy of the other Powers, and especially of England and Germany, arrested a victorious career. The Con- gress in Berlin of 1878 readjusted European politics, taking into account the colonial expan- sion of the different nations and their com- mercial interests. Prince Bismarck, the great German Chancellor and President of the Congress, was disturbed by the agitation of France and her persistent hope of revenge, the French people bitterly resenting the German domination of Alsace and Lorraine. The isolation of France was therefore the constant aim of Bismarck's policy, and he now desired to deprive her of the Italian friendship, the only one that remained to her. Despoiling in great part the Ottoman Empire by way of compensation for permitting its continued existence, he made the Government in Rome understand that Germany would not oppose an occupation of Tunis on the part of 108 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY Italy. Tunis borders on the French Algeria, a most advantageous position on that Mediter- ranean where France would suffer no rival ; the occupation of Tunis was therefore equivalent to a declaration of war with the French Republic ; Cairoli so understood it, and refused the flattering offer. Then Bismarck made the same proposal to the French Ambassador ; he did not care which State had the dominion of Biserta ; his aim was to create the possibility of a breach between the two friendly Powers. Less cautious than the Italian, the French Government ac- cepted the offer of Tunis. In 1881, with the excuse of repressing some incursions of hypo- thetical Krumirs, the French Government invaded Tunis and compelled the Bey to sign a treaty by which France assumed the Protectorate of Tunis and concentrated armed forces on the Italian frontier and at the foot of the Alps. Italy protested, but she was not prepared to support her protestations, and fearing to be attacked, she threw herself into the arms of Austria and Germany, already united by an alliance. And notwithstanding the unreturned official visit, the Ministers considered it necessary that the King should go to Vienna and Berlin, accom- panied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, P. S. Mancini. The Italian Ambassador in Vienna announced to the Emperor the visit of the King and Queen of Italy. Francis Joseph received the intimation with pleasure and prepared to receive the Royal visitors in Vienna, saying he could there give " a more worthy reception to his august relatives.^' The Emperor told the Italian Am- bassador that the Empress also would be in Vienna on this occasion. In 1873 and in 1876, MILITARY REVIEW 109 for the visit of Vittorio Emanuele and for that of the Crown Prince and Princess she had not appeared. The King and Queen of Italy arrived in Vienna on October 27th, 1881, and remained there four days. The Imperial Family and the Austrian people received their Royal visitors very cordially, and those of the Archdukes and Archduchesses of the House of Austria, who reside far from the capital, arrived at the Hofburg to greet Umberto and Margherita, and remained until the Royal guests left the city. All were pleased with the King and Queen of Italy, and the Austrian Press praised the brave and good King Umberto and the grace and beauty of Queen Margherita. When the Imperial Family, with the King and Queen of Italy, attended the military review, a vast crowd lined the long road of three miles and greeted with loud applause the Royal guests from Italy. On that occasion the Emperor created King Um- berto Colonel of the 20th Regiment of infantry and the King appeared at the official dinner wearing the uniform and the order of the Golden Fleece. These honours did not please the Radicals and the republicans of Italy, and demonstrations were organized against the " Austrian Colonel,'''' by people who did not or would not understand that the King could not have refused an honorary distinction which it is customary to confer on foreign Sovereigns, as had been done by the German Emperor in 1876, when Umberto of Savoy was Crown Prince. But the reason was easy to understand ; the Italians in general, and the extreme parties in particular, are averse from any friendship with Austria, but at this time the Government felt the need not only of 110 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY avoiding conflicts, but of encouraging instead a friendly understanding with the Austro-Hun- garian Monarchy. The poHtical object of the King and Queen's visit to Vienna was fully realized, when on May 20th, 1888, notwith- standing Bismarck's reluctance, a Triple Alliance was signed between Italy, Germany, and Austro- Hungary. The Triple Alliance, renewed and consolidated until the present time, has been useful in influencing the politics of Europe in the direction of peace and thus avoiding san- guinary wars that would have retarded the civil progress of the world. The fears of the Italian Ambassador as to the visits of the King and Queen to Vienna proved unfounded ; neither the Emperor nor his Government asked any favour from Italy, preserving the most absolute silence on any and every delicate question. The Ambassador, after the departure of the King and Queen from Vienna, telegraphed to Rome : " Their Majesties have won all hearts ; they have accomplished the important political act of which their journey to Vienna was the expression ; I do not hesitate to assert that the visit has proved most successful." The Empress Elizabeth was much pleased by the visit of the King and Queen of Italy ; and she felt the charm of Queen Margherita, and appreciated her rare qualities of heart and mind. On June 2nd, 1882, a great sorrow fell upon Italy and Italians throughout the world ; on the remote and lonely island of Caprera, the greatest spirit of the nineteenth century, Giu- seppe Garibaldi, breathed his last sigh. Mar- gherita of Savoy was deeply grieved by this DEATH OF GARIBALDI 111 event. In 1875 Garibaldi asked for the honour of presentation to her, and she remembered the impression made on her by his simplicity and the magnetic force of his blue eyes. The Queen had always had an admiration for the singular bravery, sincere patriotism, and singleness of purpose of the great Italian. In 1875 he came to Rome, received as the glorious Cincinnatus of Caprera, with all the honours due to a liberator, and the Crown Prince was the first to visit him. Garibaldi then gave expression to his long- cherished wish to be presented to the Crown Princess, whom he greatly admired for her high moral and intellectual endowments. His desire was fulfilled, and from that time he told everyone how much he had been impressed by that rare grace and modesty, having expected to find a woman more than conscious of her high position and of the fact that she was by nature peculiarly qualified to fill it. He felt the charm of Mar- gherita's tender womanliness, and he held her the most precious possession of his country ; could he have known how deeply she would mourn his death, he would have loved and revered her yet more. She sent a wreath to Caprera to be laid on his coffin with that of the King, who wrote to Garibaldi's eldest son : " My father taught me, from my earliest years, to honour in Garibaldi the virtues of a citizen and of a soldier. Having been myself a witness of his glorious deeds, I felt for him the deepest affection and the greatest gratitude and admiration. These memories increase for me the gravity of such an irreparable loss. I share the grief of the nation, and I ask you to convey to your sorrowing family the deep sympathy of the King and of 112 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY the Italian people." It was Garibaldi's wish that his remains should be cremated and the ashes thrown to the winds, over the sea. He had himself prepared the place of the funeral pile, which was to be built under a pine tree. But Italy desired to preserve the remains of her glorious son, and the funeral of Garibaldi was a Royal one. From all Italian provinces, even the " unredeemed " ones, came crowds of country people to pay the last honours to the great patriot, who had done so much for the unity of Italy, steadfastly refusing always any sort of reward, title, decoration, fortune, content to have devoted his life to his country. Garibaldi was commemorated not only in Italy, but wherever Italians are found throughout the world his memory was blessed and glorified. In Bologna, Carducci made a noble oration ; its fine periods are characteristic of Italian eloquence.^ Near the end of 1883 the German Crown Prince Frederick came to Italy from Spain, to pass a few days with his friends, the Sovereigns of Italy. The old Emperor had telegraphed to him : " You will kiss the hand of Queen Margherita, and I envy you." No Prince was a more devoted friend to the King and Queen of Italy than Frederick of Germany, who proved it by sharing to the full the joys and sorrows of the House of Savoy. The Crown Princess and Queen Mar- gherita were also friends, and this visit showed how much stronger and sincerer than a political alliance was the union of friendship between Germany and Italy. Since 1870 there had not been in Rome a military review of such import- 1 See Giosud Carducci, "Prose," pages 926 to 939 — Bologna — Zanichelli — third edition, 1907. IMPOSING MILITARY REVIEW 113 ance as the one which was held in the autumn of 1883. The German Crown Prince was much pleased, and congratulated the King on the per- fect organization" and discipline of his brave soldiers and officers. The brilliant success of the review was due not only to the presence of the Royal Family with the Duke of Aosta and their Royal guests, but also to that of the most elegant society, the Diplomatic body, the Ministers and all the official world of Rome. A great crowd filled the streets and squares, cheering the Royal cortege. Prince Frederick rejoiced to note the satisfactory condition of things in Rome ; he did not foresee that was to be his last visit to the Italy he loved so well. His earnest wishes for the progress and prosperity of Italy had been realized ; Italy being united, she received her due meed of respect from other nations, and could consecrate all her other energies to the develop- ment of her internal affairs. In the south, in Sicily, and in Sardinia much remained to be done. Fertile lands, productive mines, a healthy, hard- working population had to be developed on rational lines, while combating ancient and harmful prejudice. But this could not be done in a few years ; indeed it was said that in some places complete civilization would be attainable only in the course of centuries. There were bad systems of government to reform, systems which had never in any way provided for the welfare of the poorer population, who lived like brutes, ignorant of the most elementary laws of hygiene and civilization, often cut off from their kind owing to the abso- lute lack of means of communication. There 114 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY were a few poor local industries, but trade could hardly be said to exist ; as for education, women and poor people were not even allowed to read and write. The work of raising the level of those southern provinces to the average level of European nations seemed almost impossible to the generation then living. Yet so much has been and is being done, that it seems marvellous ; remembering a recent past, witnessing the con- tinual development of public works, of trade, of industries, the progress of social and educational institutions, the ever - increasing number of schools and children's recreative and educational establishments, we can no longer doubt the complete renaissance of Italy. On April 14th, 1883, was celebrated the marriage of Queen Margherita's only brother, Prince Tommaso, with Princess Isabella of Bavaria. Queen Margherita welcomed her as a sister and was present at the wedding with the King, her mother, the Duchess of Genoa, and all the Princes of the House of Savoy. Margherita of Savoy was always looked upon by her family as their patron saint and guardian angel ; in her various domestic relations of daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend, the most bitter enemies of the monarchy could find no flaw ; each showed in a different way the rare perfection of her character, loving, devoted, sincere, and wise. The qualities with which nature had so richly endowed her had been developed by the fostering care of a good mother ; the Duchess of Genoa neglected nothing that could contribute to the moral and intellectual growth of her children. In her turn. Queen Margherita was most careful of her son's educa- VIEWS ON EDUCATION 115 tion ; she chose the best teachers in every branch of learning, but reserved to herself the precious task of training his judgment and his affections. Only a good mother can form her children's character ; from their earliest years she jealously watches over them, giving them by her personal example good counsel, well-chosen books, play- mates, teachers, that moral training which will enable them to look beyond the form to the spirit, and to be strong in the courage of their opinions. Margherita of Savoy desired that her son should be specially trained for the great mission the future had in store for him, and conscious of the great power of religion, patriot- ism, and of the beautiful in Nature and in Art, she exerted herself to develop in him a love of these things, essential as they are to the formation of character, and indispensable as the basis of education. To inspire faith in, and respect for the Church in which we are born, to use religion not as a formality, but as the essence of spiritual life, as the source from which we draw courage in grief, and patience in difficulties, is to create and foster in the human soul the elements of perfection. To educate the child from his earliest years to love his country next to his God, to instil into his young mind the pride of belonging to the land which once ruled the world and which through the efforts of great Italians has recon- quered her unity, is to develop that spirit of nationalism which becomes later so potent a factor in arousing the ardour of youth to labour and contend for the progress and greatness of their country. To show children the beautiful things in Nature and Art, even at an age in which 116 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY aesthetic sense is not yet apparent, is to encourage and develop this, and to give children an element which, with years and culture, will grow into a sentiment most valuable for the formation of character and for the beautifying of the individual life, to its latest years. It is not enough to have eyes to see ; they must be opened and taught to enjoy the infinite beauties which in no country are so lavishly distributed as they are throughout Italy, where Nature so stimulates the aesthetic faculty as to produce the great artists who have illustrated in history the splendour of Italian art. Margherita of Savoy, supremely conscious of the destiny of her son, knew that she must educate not a man only, but a King ; the thought sometimes weighed upon her, but she did not fear, strong in her unswerving devotion to her task. She sought and obtained the advice of those who were best qualified to give it, so that the Prince might enter upon his high mission fully prepared to accomplish it, trained in the noble traditions of the past, familiar with all aspects and aims of modern thought. Margherita of Savoy desired above all that her son should cultivate his natural kindness, and in 1887 she wrote to him : " Remember, my son, that before winning honours or fame, or such good things as may fall to the lot of one so highly placed as you are, I wish you to be kind and good. Follow your father's example, be always ready to help your fellow-men, as a man, as a Prince, as a Christian." She enjoined upon all who were called to aid the Queen in her maternal task to cultivate in the Prince the virtue of sincerity, a quality which she rightly held to be the first and best in a man. The diaries of General Oslo, tutor of the Prince CHOLERA IN NAPLES 117 of Naples, and Luigi Morandi are full of praise of Queen Margherita for her constant care for the education and training of her son.^ Signora Cere- sole de Cousandier, music teacher to the Prince, remembers how Queen Margherita used often to be present at his lessons, coming in unexpectedly, begging her to consider the Prince as an ordinary pupil without any special regard. Signora de Cousandier never had to complain of the Prince, who practised diligently, having been taught by his mother to put application and energy into all he learned and all he did. To be and not to seem, was the maxim which guided Margherita of Savoy throughout her life, and if all mothers were to educate their children with such fine intelligence the world would be rich in honest, straightforward men, rather than abounding as now in those who do not hesitate to commit vile actions, if there is no danger of the perpetrators being discovered. When the King, called by his civil or military duties, left home to visit other parts of Italy, frequently those struck by calamity, the Queen wished always to accompany him, but the King, considering her too delicate and sensitive for such scenes, would not permit it, and she quietly acquiesced, as she was accustomed to do in his every wish. In 1884 an epidemic of cholera broke out in Naples and, though there was great risk of infec- tion, the King went to comfort with his presence his good Neapolitans, suffering through the invasion of the terrible pestilence. The King was at that » See " II Generale Osio." Volume pubblicato a ciira della vedova ; Contessa Maria Osio Scaiizi dall' Editore Ulrico Hoepli, Milano. Come fu educate Vittorio Emanuele III — Ricordi di Luigi Morandi. Casa Editrice Paravia, Roma. 118 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY time in Monza, enjoying perfect domestic happi- ness in his favourite Royal abode, when he was invited, at the same time, to honour by his presence a festival at Pordenone and to visit Naples, swept by cholera. Without a moment's hesitation, the King left the Queen and the Crown Prince with their Court, saying : "At Pordenone people are enjoying themselves, and in Naples they are suffering ; I go at once to Naples." On his way he was joined by the Duke of Aosta, who, having heard in Turin of the King's departure, was anxious to share his dangers and his self-sacrifice. The simple alacrity with which the King and his brother arrived in Naples, in that emergency, made a great impression through- out Italy and also in foreign countries, where the international Press was loud in their praise. There had been seven thousand cases of cholera, with the death of three thousand five hundred persons, in those first days, and the authorities in Naples entreated the Royal brothers to retire to the palace of Capodimonte, which, surrounded by thick woods, was far from the infected atmosphere of the city. But the King and Duke of Aosta, at their own risk, remained in the Royal Palace in Naples, wishing to be near the people and able to visit more easily the sick in the hospitals and see that they were well cared for. They visited the most crowded popular quarters and the hospitals ; they provided, from their own purses, all that might help the sick to recover, food, drugs, medicines, and they ordered the decent burial of the dead, not allowing them to be thrown into pits filled up with quicklime. On the third day which the King passed among THE KING IN NAPLES 119 the cholera-stricken people, one of the authorities in Naples ventured to beg him to avoid further dangers to his health, as he could now well leave Naples, having given such a demonstration of his sympathy for his suffering people. " Your Majesty has fully proved ..." The King did not allow him to finish, but answered quietly : " I did not come to prove anything, I am only doing my duty, as I am sure everyone else will do theirs." All who had the means to do so left Naples, to avoid infection by the terrible epi- demic ; but on hearing that the King and the Duke of Aosta had visited the poor in the lowest quarters of the city and the sick in the hospitals, many Neapolitans returned, and companies of volunteers were organized to help the poor and sick, in emulation of the noble example given by the King. Contessa Giulia Tarsis, wife of the Prefect of Naples, Alfonso Sanseverino Vimercati, a woman of great intelligence and kindly dis- position, was very active on this occasion in co-operating with other ladies to help not only the cholera-stricken people, but also to provide for many orphans who had remained with no support or means of livelihood. Queen Mar- gherita contributed her generous help in many of these sad cases, but it became necessary to found and organize special homes for the orphans. Contessa Sanseverino gave to this good work time, influence, and money, and the force of her good example induced other ladies such as the well- known Duchessa Teresa Ravaschieri, Contessa Mezzacapo, and others to help in this under- taking. The newspapers of the time record the timely assistance given by these ladies and by 120 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY other private persons to the children left orphans by the cholera ; foremost among these charitable ladies was Anna Capozzi, who herself took charge of forty-five young girls. ^ Not only from the suburbs of Naples, but from different Italian provinces, squadrons of volun- teers arrived in Naples with doctors, nurses, linen, medicines, and money to help the poorest of the sick. Neapolitans have never forgotten how on that occasion the Lombard poet, Felice Cavallotti, arrived with two bands of volunteers, young men, whom brotherly affection had moved to come to the help of their suffering fellow- countrymen. Heroic deeds were done in the name of a common humanity, a common father- land ; Italians showed then and since that the union of Italy is not only geographical and political, but is deeply and genuinely felt among her people. Cardinal Sanfelice, Archbishop of Naples, who recalled the noble figure of S. Carlo Borromeo, for his humility and charity, accom- panied the King almost every day on his errands of mercy. There was not then, as to-day, an inter- provincial telephone, and the Queen telegraphed several times in the day to the King, who sent her in reply the latest news, calming her anxieties, and assuring her that he and the Duke of Aosta were well and that the people were greatly pleased with their visit. On his return to Rome, one of the first to clasp the King's hand was a young priest, who exclaimed with enthusiasm : " Long live the father of the people ! " 1 See the notices of these charities in the newspapers of Naples during the summer of 1884, and the report of Count Giro- lamo Giusso to the Sindaco of Naples. SOCIAL DUTIES 121 The King and the Duke of Aosta were almost carried off their feet by the cheering crowds who accompanied them until they reached their carriage. The Sindaco of Rome hardly succeeded in maintaining his place near the King, in order to express the gratitude of the people in the capital. Nothing so much impresses the people as affectionate personal interest shown by the Sovereign at a time of public calamity, and the more because in the past this rarely happened. The great popularity of the House of Savoy is derived from the constant personal interest that King and Princes, Queen and Princesses have always shown and continue to show in the joys and sorrows of their people ; it is an interest which has nothing in common with those official visits, fine speeches, and rich money gifts that in the past Sovereigns and the great ones of the land considered amply sufficient for the welfare and consolation of their subjects. Margherita of Savoy is the first Sovereign in Italy who has shown a complete comprehension of the social duties of a modern Sovereign in a time in which democratic ideas are spreading in an ever- widening circle. The Queen felt intuitively that the old-fashioned conception of charity to the poor could no longer hold good, and she has succeeded in giving to it an elevated philan- thropic character by the transformation of purely benevolent institutions into social and educational ones, which offer to those who benefit by them the means of learning some art or trade that may help the poor to help them- selves. A volume would not suffice to describe in detail the various educational and philan- thropical institutions which have arisen under 122 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY the auspices of Umberto and Margherita of Savoy, who, inspired by lofty conception of modern social obligations, have assisted and personally superintended the organization and development of modern benevolence. CHAPTER XI The progress of woman in Italy — The conversation in Queen Mar- gherita's drawing-room — A change in high social circles of the ancient conception of charity — Social work for the elevation of the people — The woman question in Italy in 1885-6 — Ruggero Bonghi — The Society for the Promotion of the Scientific, Literary, and Moral Progress of Women — The " Rassegna Femminile " — An overplus of women teachers — The " Scuola Professionale Margherita di Savoia " — The institute " Margherita di Savoia " in Anagni for the orphan daughters of teachers — The institutes for the blind — The Institute " Principe di Napoli " for the blind in Naples — Professor MartusceUi — The institute of St. Aleasio — The institute " Mar- gherita di Savoia " for the blind at the Baths of Diocletian in Rome — Orphanage of Sta. Maria degli Angeli in Rome — The fountain in the ancient sarcophagus — Carlo Tenerani. WHEN Margherita of Savoy arrived in Rome as Crown Princess and began to visit the charitable institutions then existing, and at the same time to meet the aristocratic society of Rome, she felt how frivolous and vain was this society, bent only on amusement and not troubling itself in the least about the needs of its poorer fellow-citizens. Rather than dictate reforms and impose new methods, she used her modest womanly charms to awaken in cultivated and serious women the desire to associate themselves for the study of useful reforms, with the object of raising, to- gether with the moral tone of society, that of the country in general. Those only who remember the noise and thoughtless revelry of the Carnival in Rome, and can compare those diversions with 123 124 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY the present serious and interesting intellectual recreations of the capital, can realize what the good influence of a Queen of large heart and wide culture has achieved for the moral and civil progress of Italy. The Queen's discernment was shown above all in the initiation and encourage- ment she gave to the movement for the solution of the all-important but till then entirely neglected woman question. Throughout Italy the education of women had been purposely kept at a lower level than that of men ; in the southern provinces and in the pontifical States it was not even tolerated. In those parts of Italy women, as a rule, were not allowed to learn to read or write. Not only among the lower classes did this degrading usage prevail, but in higher orders of society, where it was very rare indeed to meet with a cultivated woman. Italy had, even in those dark times, women remarkable for their mental gifts and their patriotism whose names find an honoured place in the literary and political history of that time ; but as a rule women were kept in the most absolute ignorance. Margherita of Savoy saw that laws for com- pulsory education would be powerless against the ancient prejudices, habits, and opinions deeply rooted in Southern and Central Italy, unless a vigorous impulse was given to the diffusion of more reasonable views and to the enlightenment of people who sincerely believed that it would injure women to raise their intellectual level to that of men. It seems well-nigh incredible to us that in those times no one had perceived that society is a whole consisting of two parts ; if man is called to public functions of the highest importance for the nation, woman need not THE WOMAN QUESTION 125 compete with him in those offices, but she cannot remain a stranger to his intellectual life if it is her lot to share his existence, not only as a means for the reproduction of mankind, but as a companion in the noblest and highest sense of the word. To hinder any kind of culture in woman is to increase her natural inferiority to man, who in consequence sinks to her lower level, it being undisputed that mothers, wives, daughters, sisters exert an incalculable influence over their sons, husbands, fathers, brothers, and friends. In Italy especially, owing to the ultra- sensibility of the Latin race, man is much more in the power of woman than in Northern countries, where the sentiment of family is more sober in expression, and men have their passions more under control. The generous blood of the Latin, in no way degenerate, draws him with powerful impulse to his mate, and it is therefore most desirable that she should be able to respond to his nobler emotions. The woman question was therefore all im- portant to Italy, and the well-balanced mind of Margherita of Savoy had a high but reasonable conception of it. If that conception had been fully realized, Italian women would not have gone astray into the vicious paths where they dissipate their forces in the pursuit of different aims and lack the union which makes for strength. Some, in all good faith doubtless, are endeavour- ing with inopportune political aspirations to lead woman on the way, ending in those outrages which the suffragettes of England have shown to be akin to madness. The truth is that in England, as in the United States and elsewhere. 126 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY the well-balanced and reasonable part of society is anything but favourable to the political ambi- tion of these unsexed women, who, for the clamour they make in their unremitting search for the unattainable, do not obtain the approval and help of the majority for their illusory political rights, and are covered with ridicule by the Press. They give an evil example to the rest of Europe, where not everyone knows that they are utterly condemned by the great majority of society in their own country. Queen Margherita was always averse from exaggerated aspirations in women, knowing, as she does, that the part assigned to them by nature in the great social drama is a very high and noble one ; she therefore en- couraged those who, in good faith and in a reasonable spirit, after much study of the important question as manifesting itself through- out the world and in ordinary life and local needs in Italy, began in all seriousness to co-operate for the progress of woman in Italy. If a phonograph had recorded the daily conversation in Mar- gherita of Savoy's drawing-room it would now be curious to note how quickly she could pass from the most learned discussions to converse with keen interest on the family affairs of her visitors. The gracious kindliness with which the Queen receives anyone who has the honour to be admitted to her presence encourages the most timid persons ; while her very courtesy, though inspiring confidence, imposes the greatest re- spect. Her intuition is so rapid, her human sympathy so real, that everyone leaves her comforted and encouraged and almost reconciled to their often hard and undeserved lot. It is then HOME INDUSTRIES 127 easy to realize how in such a pure, genial at- mosphere the noblest and most generous ideals have blossomed. Italy owes to Queen Mar- gherita the change accomplished in the highest social spheres from the old-fashioned conception of charity, to that humanitarian spirit which animates the highest form of modern social action, and has nothing in common with the charitable work of the philanthropists of the past. From Queen Margherita's salon emanates every good and useful inspiration which could raise the dignity of the people and have a beneficial and elevating effect on the contemporary life of the nation. Margherita of Savoy has always in- terested herself in the unfortunate, who appeal to her in her inexhaustible generosity. And her noble example is followed more or less spontane- ously in form by a large number of ladies who have not her delicate sensibility. It is not sur- prising that to many poor and unfortunate people whom she has aided and comforted in their moral or economic distress the Queen should almost be a religion ; and hardly less dear to them is the Marchesa di Villamarina, who, with infinite kindness, recommends and intro- duces them to her Royal mistress. The principal object of the aid given by the Queen is to help those who need it to find employment. Women especially owe much to Queen Margherita, who has always encouraged and promoted all social initiative which is calculated to improve in any way the position of women and open new branches of activity to thousands of good and patient creatures, and encourage them especially in the pursuit of home industries. 128 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY In 1874, under the patronage of the Queen, who accepted the honorary presidentship, was founded a " Society for the Scientific, Literary, and Moral Culture of Women," which is still existing. It has offered every year important courses of lectures, given by the most eminent men of Italy. By the statutes of this society, women were not permitted to give their personal aid as lecturers. The society was founded to promote the culture of women, not to encourage them to give public proof of their progress ; not even those who later manifested their oratorial gifts would have ventured at that time to face a public audience ; prejudiced and old-fashioned notions of propriety which have now entirely disappeared still prevailed. Contessa Irene della Rocca di Castiglione, who had started and edited in Turin a magazine for young girls, was, with her daughters, among the principal promoters of the society. Contessa della Rocca was one of the most beautiful and gifted women of her time ; she had been the faithful, devoted lady-in- waiting of Queen Maria Adelaide, had tended her in her last illness, and watched beside her bier. Her two daughters, as has already been mentioned, had been brought up with Margherita of Savoy, who has never ceased to take an affec- tionate interest in the companions of her studies. Besides the above-mentioned society there was organized a course of lectures or rather readings from Dante's " Divina Commedia," also under the special patronage of Queen Margherita. These readings were given by the best Dante scholars and were inaugurated by an intro- CULTURE OF WOMEN 129 ductory discourse by the well-known commenta- tor of Dante, Isidoro del Lungo. Organized in harmony with the Society for the Promotion of the Culture of Women, the two associations together formed an effectual means of raising the intellectual standard of Roman society. The Queen constantly attended the readings and lectures, and the public crowded the halls, often only to see her, or to be considered fashionable ; but they ended by taking an interest in the different and important subjects treated of by men of high culture and indisputable reputation. After twenty years of exclusion from the lecturer's chair, the ladies of the presidential committee decided to make an exception in favour of poetesses, and Vittoria Aganoor, Contessa Pom- pily, and Grazia Pierantoni-Mancini were invited to read their poetry in public. The gentle, much- lamented Vittoria Aganoor had written only verses, but Grazia Pierantoni-Mancini had pub- lished novels, tales, and articles on various subjects ; she was, however, invited to read only her verses, and neither she nor anyone else could understand why prose should be excluded from encouragement by the learned society. We have in Italy several women novelists of acknowledged talent, such as Matilde Serao and Neera, whose novels have been translated into many European languages ; to these ladies belongs the merit of showing what women were capable of accom- plishing in the literary field, at a time in which old-world prejudices still prevailed as to the place due to women in the family and in society. In Southern Italy, as in the Roman provinces, that place was a very low one until a group of 130 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY advanced Liberals, headed by Salvatore Morelli, proclaimed the equality of rights for women as for men, including even the political vote. The idea of enfranchisement of women thus suddenly and violently advocated became repugnant to the majority of people, who went so far in the natural reaction as to desire that woman should remain ignorant and unconscious of her due rights, rather than be raised, by education, to become a worthier mate for man in the sanctuary of the home, her life no longer limited to mere animal functions. The example of a good and highly cultivated Queen Avas indeed necessary to break down the prejudices of centuries and clear the horizon of the Italian woman's life, revealing its highest moral and civil aims. It was then that a group of cultivated women, including thoughtful writers, united their efforts with those of Ruggero Bonghi and men of like views for the consideration and solution of the problem, perhaps the gravest of the second half of the nineteenth century. At this time, in 1886, appeared the first number of a periodical for women, " Rassegna Femminile," but this pub- lication, although approved of and supported by Queen Margherita, had a short life. The time was not yet ripe for its advanced though well- reasoned ideas and schemes, and it did not find the circulation and general support necessary for its continued existence. Signor Bonghi had written an introduction which set forth the views and aims of the review : " Woman in Italy needs two things : a better education than families and schools can give her at present, and a greater facility for spending her life more usefully ; but she must remain a woman. The strange notions WOMEN TEACHERS 131 which come from other countries have no attrac- tion for her, the emancipation ensured to her by her womanly graces and the tender care of the family, in whom she places her trust and who trusts in her, seem to her, and rightly, all- sufficient. But the better to accomplish her domestic duties, she begins to feel the two needs above mentioned ; if she is not entirely destitute of these things she certainly has not enough of them. On the virtue and the work of the Italian woman depends in great part the safety of our social fabric, so full of promise, so brilliant, and yet so menaced by darkness." In the next number an article " Woman in Italy " set forth the programme of the periodical.^ There had been for several years so great a number of women teachers for elementary schools that for every vacant place hundreds of poor women competed, and the greater number re- mained with no sort of occupation. The reason was that the principal resource for women in past times, manual labour, had begun to be considered derogatory by these daughters of the people, ambitious of raising themselves to a higher social level. Democracy has seen such phases of opinion in our people ; the lower classes, not troubling themselves about their own culture, have entertained a sort of contempt for the more educated and civilized classes, though at the same time aspiring to reach them. We have thus had and have the children of servants, artisans, and labourers going to lyceums, institutes, universities, the result often showing the beneficial effect of culture, 1 See " Rassegna degli interessi femminili." 15 Gennaio, 1887, Roma. Tipografia della R. Accademia dei Lincei. 132 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY which can raise to a higher level anyone seriously bent on acquiring it, were it not that when not combined with the necessary bringing up, it results in the production of vulgar teachers and professional men lacking entirely in those prin- ciples of correctness and morality which are the outcome of a refined education and of good hereditary instincts and moral qualities. With the progress of cultivation and the accompanying refinement of taste the needs of the richer social classes had increased ; not finding in Italy what had come to be considered the essentials of a lady's toilette, such things were imported from Paris or from other foreign countries. It was then thought that to teach young girls of any social order the art of sewing and embroidery might make them capable of providing for their own wants and possibly those of their families. It occurred to Signora Prandi Ribighini, a woman of strong and sensible character, to start in Rome a professional school for girls. She would hardly have succeeded in this enterprise had she not received the cordial and efficient help of Queen Margherita, who at once understood the importance and value of such an institution. The Queen spoke of the undertaking to the ladies of the Court, who mentioned it in society, and they succeeded in organizing a promoting com- mittee, of which the Queen herself was honorary president. This induced the Government and municipal authorities to take a practical interest in the matter, and a first fund was collected to start the school, which was later always gener- ously supported and was praised by the Press. In addition to embroidery, plain sewing, and artificial flowers. Queen Margherita suggested DOMESTIC ECONOMY 133 that classes for cookery and domestic economy should be started, so as to train the future working- women in the art of good housekeeping, which alone can make the home a pleasant and comfortable place to men, and a healthy and happy atmosphere for children. For the Christ- mas and Easter hoHdays the Queen wished those pupils themselves to prepare the cakes that she offered always to them, as to orphanages and other benevolent institutions, so that homeless children might feel themselves remembered at such festive times. After long years of intelligent and constant care Signora Prandi Ribighini can boast of having achieved a complete moral and economic success with the professional school bearing the name of Queen Margherita. For some time past it has not been necessary to order from Paris the trousseaux of the most wealthy brides, for outfits, remarkable for excellent taste and exquisite work, are supplied by the profes- sional school in Rome or by its numerous pupils who have opened branch establishments all over Italy. The institution has become a training- school for good workers in every social class, and has completely destroyed the old idea of deroga- tion through the work of the hands ; and Signora Prandi Ribighini has succeeded not only in teaching, but in educating thoroughly and well, thousands of girls who have attended her ex- cellent school. Queen Margherita has always, during winter, given plenty of warm meals to the poorer pupils of the school, helping them in addition with gifts of warm clothing, woollen blankets, and food tickets for the public soup- kitchens. At that time no young woman was allowed to 134 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY follow any course at the University and Institutes of Fine Arts. There were in Italy only two institutes for the higher education of women, one annexed to the University in Rome and the other to the institute for young men in Florence. Francesco de Sanctis, who was not only an ardent patriot, a genial and eminent professor of literature, a critic and aesthete, but a convinced advocate and promoter of the progress of women as the basis of popular culture, felt that to cultivate and educate woman meant to provide in the best manner for the fate of the family and for the greatness of the nation. This patriotic ideal inspired also Tenca, Villari, Baccelli, Bonghi, Boselli, Mancini, Crispi, Mamiani, etc., then and later sharing de Sanctis's interest in the higher education of women. Italian families, especially in the south, are not all disposed to send their daughters for a classical education to the lyceums and universities. De Sanctis, con- sidering it desirable to offer women the means of acquiring a university education, organized for the sole use of women two " Istituti Superiori Femminili di Magistero." To be admitted to these schools young women must have their certificate from a normal school and must pass a special examination ; they then enter the institute for four years of the higher education, which includes the English, French, German languages and literatures. At the end of four years they obtain a degree in Italian and foreign languages, philosophy, geography, and pedagogy. In competitions for the posts of teachers, in the normal schools, the students of the " Istituti Superiori " always get the highest places, and they have, during the last thirty years, fully "ISTITUTO SUPERIORE" 135 proved the value of their mental training. At the present time a radical reform is projected by the most active promoters of the higher education of women ; it is desired to change the character of the " Istituti Superiori Femminih," restoring to them their original character of universities for women attached to the Uni- versity of Rome and the " Istituto Superiore Maschile " in Florence. This reform is desired by parents averse from co-education in the uni- versities, considering the separation of the sexes to be desirable and even necessary in a country such as Italy. It is only to be expected that young men in their exuberant life will not remain blind to the attractions of young girls, because they happen to be fellow-students, although it would certainly be for the advantage of their studies could they do so. The " Istituto Superiore " in Rome owes much to its late director, G. A. Costanzo, who consecrated to it over forty years of strenuous life and warm enthusiasm.i In 1889 the Minister of PubUc Instruction, Paolo Boselli, finding that women were not admitted to study at the Institutes of Fine Art, thought it would be well to open to 1 Giuseppe Avirelio Costanzo, one of the finest of modern poets, drew his inspiration from his love for his country and from family affection. His writings, and especially " Gli eroi della Soffitta " (The Heroes of the Garret), which was published long before realistic and naturalistic novelists took up the subject, won the warm approval of the greatest writers of the time. In November, 1869, Costanzo was invited by the professors of the University in Naples to write an ode on the birth of the Crown Prince. This poem was highly praised, and it deeply touched the heart of the young mother. In this ode the author divined, with rare intuition, the glorious future of Italy ; the closing lines apostrophize the baby Prince, " Thou shalt fulfil the desire of Italy, following in thy father's steps." 136 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY them the way to acquire an artistic training ; besides being adapted to the nature and capacity of women, the study of decorative and industrial art may lead to profitable occupations, which may be pursued at home. A warm advocate of the cause of women was inspired to write a pamphlet which should be mentioned here, as Queen Margherita kindly accepted a copy and con- sidered it worthy of praise to the author. ^ The college in Anagni for the orphan children of teachers, patronized and aided by the Queen and by Ruggero Bonghi, deserves more than a passing mention. In February, 1875, when Ruggero Bonghi was Minister of Public Instruc- tion, a college was opened in Assisi for the orphan sons of teachers in the elementary schools. A great desire was manifested to obtain the same advantages for the orphan daughters of the same teachers, and Bonghi wished to gratify, if possible, the reasonable request of a class which was then in economic conditions much worse than those of the present time. To speak of the matter to Queen Margherita was for her to take it up with all her energy ; she accepted the presidentship of the committee of ladies, who represented the best society in Rome, in order to promote the foundation of the new institution. The committee met at the Royal Palace, and the Queen, fully conscious of the importance of the/ good and useful institution, made some observa- tions inspired with such lofty sentiments and large-minded views that some words may well be quoted here. On January 26th, 1889, the Queen 1 See " Uno sguardo all' awenire della donna in Italia," by Fanny Zampini Salazar, Enrico Detken, Editore. Piazza Plebiscite. Naples, 1885. ORPHAN GIRLS' INSTITUTE 137 opened a meeting by addressing words of thanks to the noble ladies of the committee for their promptness in promoting the work in Anagni ; she proceeded : " This work greatly interests me, because I believe it to be really good and efficient, and for this reason I recommend it warmly to you. Our elementary teachers, both men and women, so necessary to us and so deserving, find themselves often in straitened circumstances, and the struggle is the more painful as the sense of their personal dignity often induces them to conceal their sufferings by unheard-of efforts. One of the most pressing anxieties, when attacked by illness, often due to the fulfilment of their arduous duties, is the thought of leaving their children unprovided for, and with no prospect of education ; they have spent their lives in teaching the children of others, and they must leave their own untaught. There can be no better or more useful work than to provide against such calamities, to soothe, in part at least, those sufferings and calm those anxieties by giving to teachers the security that society, for which they have done so much, will take care of their orphan children. The institute in Assisi provides for the boys, this one in Anagni will be devoted to the girls. It will begin with a limited number, but I earnestly hope that in a few years, and by the earnest efforts of everyone concerned in the undertaking, we may be able to fulfil the desire of all who appeal to us, and in so doing we shall comfort the last moments of many whose anxiety for the children's future does not permit them to quit this world in peace and resignation." The Queen enlarged on the noble aim of the 138 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY undertaking, saying that she felt compelled to appeal once more to the ladies present to use all their efforts to forward this good work, promising to help them to the utmost of her power. She concluded by saying that the King's paternal heart was much interested in the lot of teachers and their families, and he would help the two colleges in Assisi and in Anagni. The institute in Anagni was founded, and it would have been difficult to find in Italy an establishment for the education of women where instruction was im- parted with better methods ; the training has always had the object of enabling girls to become good house-wives or to earn their own living, (either by teaching or by taking up some kind of hand-work. It would be interesting to speak more in detail of the college in Anagni, and of other interesting institutions due to Margherita of Savoy, but a few words must suffice to set forth the great work accomplished by the first Queen of Italy. Educational institutions for the blind had no existence in past times ; it had not occurred to philanthropists to endeavour to render less tragic their hard fate. The question was now taken up by men of authority and influence, one of Avhom, Domenico Martuscelli, spoke on the subject to Queen Margherita ; the result was the founda- tion in Naples, in 1874, of an institute for blind boys, the Queen's permission being obtained to name it after the Prince of Naples. Margherita of Savoy recognized the importance of this humane undertaking, and she thanked its founder for having associated, with a work of such true benevolence, the name of the Prince her son. The Queen has always shown an affectionate INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND 139 interest in the blind, and has often visited their schools. In the second congress for the education of the blind, which met in Padua in 1888, there was founded a general Italian society for the succour and protection of the blind, and Queen Margherita, always ready to encourage any work for promoting the welfare of those who suffer, consented that it should bear her name. One of the life-members of the society was Paolo Boselli, Minister of Public Instruction. Under the patronage of the Queen, assisted by a group of Italian and foreign ladies, most active and efficient among these being Miss Dora Bulwer, there was created in Rome a library for the blind, to which Queen Margherita presented a large number of books printed in Braille type, for the special use of the blind. In 1868 there had been founded in Rome the Institute of St. Alessio on the Aventine, which receives the blind of both sexes for education and training, principally in music. But in the course of years this institute no longer svifficed for the needs of the capital, and the Queen was grieved to see so many blind men and women begging in the streets or on the doorsteps of the churches in Rome. She was so moved by the constant sight of such affliction that she determined to found and maintain, at her own expense, a second institute, which had its home in the Baths of Diocletian ; this asylum is not only an abode for the few it can contain, but a school for the many blind men and women in all parts of Rome ; it bears the Queen's name. She presented the school with a fine harmonium and a good piano, and was often present at the musical examina- tions ; she would linger among the pupils, 140 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY rejoicing in their progress ; they were taught the latest methods of reading and writing, they learned music and different kinds of hand-work and the smaller crafts. These afflicted people hear celestial harmonies in the voice of Mar- gherita of Savoy, an angel of goodness, who consoles and cheers them with kind words and gifts. Another of the institutions patronized and generously helped by Queen Margherita is the Orphanage of Sta. Maria degli Angeli, founded in 1816 by Pope Pius VII; it is divided into two sections, one for boys, the other for girls. This institute receives the orphans from the province of Rome for education and instruction in various branches of industry, so as to enable them to earn their own living when old enough. Its president, Carlo Tenerani, is a man of great activity and kind heart, though very modest and reserved. Two marble tablets in the reception hall and in the garden will recall to posterity the kindly interest of Queen Margherita. In the large entrance garden, among trees and flowering plants, is a pretty fountain of ancient marble placed there by order of the Queen, fully con- scious of the potent influence of beauty, in Nature and Art, on the young. The murmur of the little fountain calls the attention to the ancient marble sarcophagus which receives the water ; in the centre are two figures embracing, a happy married pair, or perhaps a mother who could not survive the loss of a beloved child, and rested by its side till they should both awaken to the full hfe of the spirit to which our earthly journey leads. Such suggestions and surroundings, with reproductions of the great works of Italian art, WELL-GROUNDED FAITH 141 awaken in these, as in all children and young people, that aesthetic sense which, combined with religious sentiment and derived from a well- grounded faith, encourage and foster the growth of the spirit, while strictly secular education deadens and stifles it, depriving it of that aureole of mysticism so full of beauty and of charm. CHAPTER XII The King and Queen return to Bologna in May, 1888 — Eighth centenary of the University of Bologna — Foreign scientists and Margherita of Savoy — Inauguration of the Exhibition of National Art — The salons of Bolognese ladies— The " Emilia Ars " — St. Petronio — The town hall — The procession of the Madonna di S. Luca — Popular enthusiasm — Arrigo Boito accompanies the Queen to the Exhibition of Music — The King and Queen at the Palace of Agricul- ture — Enrico Panzacchi receives the King and Queen at the Art Exhibition at S. Michele in Bosco — The visit of the King to Ro- magna is decided on — Aurelio Saffl and Georgina Saffi Crawford — The telegram of the Queen of Portugal — Death of Frederick III of Germany in Jime, 1888 — Great grief of Umberto and Margherita of Savoy — The telegram of the Queen of Italy to the Empress of Germany — Letter of the Emperor Wilhelm II to Umberto I — The King and Crown Prince arrive in Forli on August 28th, 1888 — Alessandro Fortis — Popular demonstrations — The King visits the Home of the Poor founded in memory of Vittorio Emanuele II — Working people's homes — The King in Rimini — The Queen joins the King and Crown Prince in Forli — Francesco Crispi visits Bismarck — Crispi's telegram to the King — Social problems steril- ized by commissions and committees organized with the view of solving them. IN May, 1888, the King and Queen went again to Bologna for the inauguration of a national art exhibition, in which were largely represented the various industries of the provinces. The districts of the province of Emilia abound in industrious, active, well- educated, and liberal people. Bologna boasts the most ancient university of Italy ; in 1888 occurred its eighth centenary, for the celebration of which men of learning and science arrived in Bologna from all parts of the world. Gaston 142 "EMILIA ARS" . 143 Boissier^ recalls the enthusiasm of these learned men for the wide culture of Margherita of Savoy, who spoke with them in four different languages ; they were astonished at the facility with which the Queen passed from one language to another and her perfect pronunciation of each. It is well known that many learned women occupied, in mediaeval and later times, chairs at the University of Bologna, while in other parts of Italy women received little or no education at all. Bologna is distinguished by a society strong in intellectual element ; people meet for the interchange of ideas in the drawing-rooms of highly cultivated women, who are still capable of enjoying the refined delight of good conversation. These salons recall those of the Renaissance, of which, as of the ladies who adorned them, Marco Minghetti has written a very interesting descrip- tion. ^ The homes of these cultivated ladies, not now in Bologna only, but in Rome as in other cities of Italy, are a centre of inspiration, and of the development and promotion of practical social work. To the ladies of Bologna is due the re- markable revival of local artistic industries, which to-day are prospering exceedingly and have spread throughout Italy and many foreign countries, under the auspices of the association called " Emilia Ars." To this society are affiliated several establishments, where young women of different social conditions are taught to revive embroideries on linen, laces, and objets d'art in leather or in iron, adapted to domestic 1 See " RevTie des deux mondes." Paris, August, 1888. 2 See Marco Minghetti, " Le donne italiane nelle belle Arti al Secolo XV, XVI ; dal volume degli scritti varii raccolti e pubblicati da A. Dallolio." Bologna, 1896. 144 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY needs ; the enterprise has always enjoyed the patronage of Queen Margherita, who assists the association by purchasing its productions, especially the embroidered household linen, for her own different residences. The city of Bologna has a peculiar charm because it still preserves its ancient character and appearance, and does not permit the centre of the town to be disfigured by huge and vulgar modern constructions. The principal piazza preserves inviolate its ancient beauty ; one of its sides is entirely occupied by the church of St, Petronio, and near it remains untouched the beautiful fountain of Gian di Bologna. Those who have not seen the procession of the Madonna di S. Luca, an image which every year is brought down into the city, from Monte della Guardia, on the Saturday before Ascension Day, cannot imagine the originality and the picturesqueness of this spectacle. In 1888 the Royal Family, being in Bologna at the time of the procession, witnessed it from the balcony of the city hall with the local authorities and Francesco Crispi, then president of the Council. The immense square seemed covered by a thick carpet of human heads, above which appeared in one corner the ancient gold-embroidered canopy, beneath which was carried the Byzantine picture representing the Madonna. Queen Margherita wore that day a white dress, and the good people of Bologna remember her as an angehc vision ; when the picture passed under the canopy, before the balcony of the city hall, they beheld the Queen kneel and bow her head, while the King, the Crown Prince, and the authorities present also saluted the Patroness of GLORIES OF ITALY'S PAST 145 Bologna. The next day the King and Queen went to the solemn inauguration of the Emilian Exhibition, in the Palace of Music. It was one of those enchanting mornings of spring which only Italy knows ; they seem enveloped in transparent veils of pure blue, lighted with golden rays by the warm sun. The beauty of the day was enhanced by the gay colours of the fluttering flags, by the expression of general happiness on all faces, young and old, by the light summer dresses of the ladies and by the glittering gold and silver of the uniforms, decorations, and helmets of officers. But the distinctive feature of this assembly was the presence of the repre- sentatives of the provinces in their gorgeous old- world costumes, each man standing by his own bright-coloured banner. Margherita of Savoy, arriving with the King, the Crown Prince, and the authorities, embraced, in a rapid glance, the imposing spectacle, which recalled the ancient, brilliant days of Emilia and Romagna. For the poetic and enthusiastic spirit of Queen Mar- gherita such brilliant spectacles have a peculiar attraction ; she rejoices in the splendours of the present, because they recall the glories of Italy's past ; to her are ever present great historic memories and stirring scenes enacted beneath the serene blue heavens, in a setting of natural beauty unequalled in the world. After the speeches of the Sindaco, Gaetano Tacconi, and the president of the exhibition. Count Codronchi Argeli, the Queen, escorted by the first of modern composers, Arrigo Boito, visited the musical exhibition, while the King went to greet the representatives of the provinces, who had cheered him on his appearance and 146 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY were now waiting to see-him again. As soon as the picturesque crowd saw the King, they gathered around him; the King shook hands cordially with those who were near him and responded to their eager greeting with that simplicity and avoidance of pretence which characterized him, and even occasionally made him appear timid and almost ashamed to show his feelings. The Queen, who has a fine musical culture and taste, much interested by her visit to the Palace of Music, went to meet the King and took his arm to go together to the Palace of Agriculture. But, surrounded and pressed on all sides by the cheering crowd, the Sovereigns became separated from their Court and the local authorities, even from the Princes, and were swallowed up by their loyal people. Some Garibaldians, in their red flannel shirts, helped the stewards to open a way to the King and Queen, who, smiHng happily, were touched by the enthusiastic greeting of the people. In the afternoon the King and Queen went to the National Exhibition in St. Michele in Bosco, the old convent where Vittorio Emanuele II had passed a few days, with Cavour, in 1860, when it had been decided not to oppose the expedition of Garibaldi in the south. While the poet Panzacchi was receiving the Sovereigns in the hall of the Exhibition of Art, Crispi suggested to Count Codronchi that the great military manoeuvres might take place that year in Romagna, so as to give the King an opportunity of visiting that region. Count Codronchi, who had already suggested such a visit, highly approved Crispi's suggestion, and Crispi, having already spoken to the King on the subject, POPULAR ENTHUSIASM 147 telegraphed to the Minister of War to make arrangements for the manoeuvres in Romagna. No efforts were wanting to make the King's visit a successful one, and it may be recorded that a great friend and follower of Mazzini, Aurelio Saflfi, with his wife, Georgina Crawford, a refined and highly cultivated Englishwoman, gave on the occasion a fine example of patriotism. Aurelio Safii, a convinced republican of great authority, especially in Romagna, severely reproved those who wished to organize a hostile demonstration against the King, uniting the many republican associations in reaction against the enthusiasm of the monarchists. Aurelio Saffi did not hesitate to declare publicly that such a demonstration would be unworthy of the party and very unwise, as giving proof of petty intolerance and a lack of courtesy due to political opponents. True patriots, such as Mazzini and Saffi, were always ready to sacrifice their own political opinions to the welfare of the people and to the will of the majority ; and he well knew that no President of a republic could ever be more truly demo- cratic in principle than the Kings of the House of Savoy, whose traditions fully authorized them to adopt as their motto : " All for the people, nothing for ourselves." The Queen of Portugal, the devoted sister of King Umberto, telegraphed to him that she had heard of conspiracies being organized in Romagna and entreated him not to visit those republican regions where his life might be endangered. The King did not mention to anyone this warning and remained firm in his purpose of visiting Romagna as he had promised to do, feeling confident in the loyalty of his brave ItaUans. They admired the courage of Umberto 148 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY of Savoy, looking upon him not only as the King of Italy, but as the brave soldier who had risked his life on battlefields, and on those of sorrow and danger, visiting and comforting the cholera- stricken people in Naples. They had invited him to visit the province and he had given his word that he would go, notwithstanding the strong prejudices which then separated, almost entirely, the Romagna from the rest of Italy. The King was aware of the enmity to monarchy which prevailed in those regions, but he wished to show his appreciation of the loyalty of those who had so earnestly desired his visit. At this time a great sorrow came upon Um- berto and Margherita of Savoy for the death of Frederick III of Germany. The Emperor had expressed in his will the wish to have a very simple funeral, and King Umberto was thus unable to give his friend the last tribute of affection, by seeing him laid in his grave. Queen Margherita telegraphed to the Empress : " When all are weeping, the soul of each one is consoled," and she encouraged her friend to bear up under her great grief, sure as she could be that " the world wept with her." The Count de Launay placed on Frederick Ill's coffin a splendid wreath, sent from that Italy which the Emperor had so loved ; it bore the inscription, " The King of Italy to his best friend." On William II's accession to the throne, he desired to show that his sentiments towards Italy and its Royal Family were not less cordial than those of his lamented father ; he wrote to King Umberto an affectionate letter, promising to visit him in Rome in October of that year. The King, having decided to visit the VISIT TO ROMAGNA 149 Romagna, wished to give its people a proof of his confidence by taking with him the Crown Prince, his only son, in whom were concentrated all the love of his parents and all the hopes of the dynasty. This steadfastness of pm'pose greatly pleased the loyal people of Romagna. They saw, with joy and admiration, how the King and the Prince went through the streets of the small town, interesting themselves in the local needs, eager for every form of improvement of the condition of the people, shaking hands with all who approached them, so that even the fiercest republicans joined in the general en- thusiasm. They had heard that the King was to visit the Romagna at the head of forty thou- sand soldiers and Umberto of Savoy gave the lie to this assertion, by visiting each city after the troops were gone. Ugo Pesci^ asserts that he met on that occasion men who boasted for half a century strong republican principles, for which they had suffered imprisonment and exile, and often risked their lives ; they had now a hard struggle between their political faith and their wish to salute such a King as Umberto ; on this occasion, at least, impulse prevailed over prin- ciple. Thus all the sectarian prejudices were disowned, and the majority became convinced that a monarchy, such as this, is the best of repubhcs. " The women," writes Ugo Pesci, " the proud and handsome Romagnoles, who had always kept aloof from any political contest, which in their country means conspiracy, felt on this occasion impelled to participate in the cordial welcome given to the King by their 1 See Ugo Pesci, "II Re Martire "—La vita e il Regno di Umberto I. Bologna, Zanichelli, 1901. 150 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY country. The ice was broken, no town would be behind another in enthusiasm ; the entire province reputed so full of disaffection and con- spiracy, showed itself in those days as loyal and faithful to King Umberto as his own Pied- mont." The King arrived in Forli on August 28th, with the Crown Prince and his aides-de-camp. All the Senators of the region had gone to meet him at the station, accompanied by three Radical deputies — ^Fortis, Ferrari, and Aventi. Alessandro Fortis, one of the glories of the Italian Parlia- ment, a politician of unusual cultivation, was above suspicion ; he was respected and esteemed by men of all parties, even when he rose to the Presidentship of the Council of Ministers, a position which, although coveted by all, makes its occupier a mark for calumny and absurd suspicions. But at that time Fortis did not aspire to such high place ; he did not then know that his only daughter, the beautiful and culti- vated Maria Fortis, would marry Aurelio Safft's only son, thus uniting two of the most ancient and historical families of the Romagna, of known and proved liberal opinions. When the King's carriage appeared in the piazza of the station, it was immediately surrounded by working-men, warmly cheering the Royal guests. No soldier or policeman prevented the crowd from ap- proaching the Royal carriage, in accordance with the express wish of the King, who had given strict orders to that effect. From the windows and balconies flowers were thrown all along the route ; Forli had never witnessed such a unani- mous popular demonstration. The next morning the King visited first the home for the poor, KING VISITS THE POOR 151 founded by the city in memory of Vittorio Emanuele II. He then went to the new " Case Popolari," going into one of the houses not yet finished ; on the way he stopped to say kind words to a poor man, who had lost both his arms in an accident while at work ; the King ordered that provision should be made for him. Umberto then asked if he could see one of the houses already inhabited. One of them was inhabited by a Socialist, who at that moment was absent, but his wife stood near the door. The King asked her permission to enter, saying with a smile that he would never violate other people's dwellings. The good woman answered in her dialect that she would never refuse a gentleman like him to step in. And she accompanied the King into the poor but clean rooms, showing him every corner of the house and innocently calling his attention to the portraits, on the wall, of some rebels lately condemned. In another little home which the King entered he found the small staircase and entrance prettily decorated with flowers, and the women assembled there greeted him cordially, while the men clapped their hands. Umberto was greatly touched by such demonstrations of affection ; he visited factories and hospitals, interesting himself in everyone and everything, taking and having notes taken of the most varied requests and urgent needs. He went one day to Rimini, the beautiful sea-city which still keeps the memory of Francesca and her tragic story. The fisher- men, having had no notice of the King's visit, had not yet returned from their night on the sea, but the women hurriedly sought and found the banner of the Fishermen's Guild, and arranging 152 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY themselves in ranks of four, from the oldest to the youngest, went in procession to receive the King, loudly expressing their disappointment that the Queen was not with him. A pretty girl, a fisherman's daughter, with great simphcity, approached the King and, encouraged by his kind looks, touched his arm, saying in dialect, " We all want to see the Queen ! " Everyone, everywhere, had expressed the same wish, be- cause everywhere Queen Margherita is beloved by the people. To satisfy his good RomagnoH, the King asked the Queen to join him at Forh, after he had gone with the Crown Prince to visit Dante's tomb at Ravenna, and to inaugurate the monument to the martyrs of liberty on the piazza named Anita Garibaldi, in honour of the beloved wife of the great General. Queen Mar- gherita was received with fanatic adoration by the strong Romagnoles ; escorted by Alessandro Fortis, she visited with the King the most important local institutions. Francesco Crispi had gone during this time to visit Prince Bismarck at Friedrichsruhe, and on hearing of the triumphant success of the King's visit to Romagna he telegraphed his congratula- tions. The King in going to the province of Romagna had no intention of making a bid for popularity ; he wished to visit that part of Italy in order to know it, and to see for himself its most urgent needs, his one object being the wel- fare of the people ; he replied accordingly to the President of the Council with the following telegram, valuable documentary evidence of the character and sentiments of Umberto of Savoy : " Each new proof of your friendship gives me fresh satisfaction. You well know how I always WORKING-PEOPLE'S HOMES 153 had perfect confidence in the loyalty and generosity of the people of Romagna. It was always my firm belief that liberty must be the invariable basis of our national life, but the joy with which all these simple-hearted people have greeted me conveys to me something more than mere gratitude for the law of freedom under which they live ; it speaks of the poverty against which they struggle and which calls upon my Government to solve some vital problems. I will soon let you have the requests of munici- palities and associations which have been placed in my hands, and to which I have promised my best attention. I fully understand the difficulties which will hinder the satisfaction of several of these requests. But you will study them, with your colleagues, and refer to me about them. Your energy, experience, and love for our country will lighten for you this difficult task. Let us set about this work in good heart and with the firm will to succeed, and we shall succeed. With feelings of true friendship, Affectionately, Umberto." If many of these problems which interested the King were not solved as they might have been, it was not his fault, but the fault of the successive Cabinets who, requested to examine questions of the greatest importance and urgency and to find ways and means to actuate reforms and to establish civil institutions of practical utility, made the mistake of entrusting such examination to commissions and committees, named for that purpose ; the result was always the same, viz. to lower ideals, dissipate schemes, paralyse initia- tives, and generally render useless the energy and labour which, properly applied, might have done 154 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY so much for the welfare and progress of the nation. It is the sole ambition of some men to be members of commissions and. committees ; they have neither the time nor the will to examine with due care the questions to be studied, and it too often happens that important undertakings and urgent reforms are put on one side instead of being studied and in due course carried out. I'HE MAKCHESE EMANUEI.E PES Dl VILLA.MARIN'A. CHAPTER XIII Second marriage of Amedeo of Savoy with Lsetitia Bonaparte in 1888— Death of Amedeo of Savoy in 1890 — Grief of Umberto and Margherita of Savoy — Their journey to Turin — Death of Marchese Emanuele Pes di Villamarina — Grief of the Marchesa Paola di ViUamarina shared by Queen Margherita — The roses in the death-chamber — The wreath of daisies and the Latin inscrip- tion — Twenty-fifth anniversary of the marriage of Umberto and Margherita of Savoy — Letter of the King to Prince Doria, Sindaco of Rome — The King's words to Senator Levi — Institute founded in Rome in honour of the Royal silver wedding, for the orphans of working people — Umberto and Margherita of Savoy give fifty thousand francs to the institute called by their name — The repre- sentatives of foreign Royal FamiUes in Rome — The Princes of the House of Savoy — The tournament in Villa Borghese on April 22nd, 1893 — The flowers and gifts sent to Queen Margheritei — Royal and Imperial excursions in Naples — Pompeii — Spezia — Queen Margherita honom-ed at the Chicago International Exhibition on July 20th, 1893 — Margherita of Savoy praised as a mother by the President of the International Council of Women, May Wright SewaU — Institutions fovinded in Naples by the Duchessa Teresa Filangieri Ravaschieri Fieschi — Interest of the Queen for these institutions. IN 1888 Amedeo of Savoy married, as his second wife, Princess Laetitia, daughter of Prince Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte and of Maria Clotilde of Savoy. In 1890 Prince Ame- deo died, leaving the Princess Laetitia a widow with one son, the Count of Salemi. The Princess, who is highly cultivated and very enterprising, became the moving spirit of every intellectual and social movement in Turin. The death of Prince Amedeo was a great sorrow to the King and Queen ; they went to Turin to visit him and to receive his last wishes. 166 156 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY The next year Prince Jerome Napoleon died, and the Queen herself went to comfort his bereaved widow. Princess Clotilde, after her loss, devoted herself to the exercise of religion and charity on her estate of Moncalieri. On May 11th, 1891, the Queen had a great grief in the death of Marchese Emanuele di Villa- marina, her gentleman-in-waiting and the hus- band of Marchesa Paola. Margherita of Savoy herself brought a quantity of flowers to strew around the bed on which reposed the corpse of her good and trusted friend, whose happy and useful life had been so prematurely cut short. In addition to the wreath which the Queen sent for the funeral, another wreath of more durable nature was given by her, to be placed and to remain on his tomb ; this was made of silver daisies with a gold ribbon, on which was a Latin inscription : " AMICO FIDELI, NULLA EST COMPARATIO : QUI INVENIT ILLUM, INVENIT THESAURUM." In her inconsolable grief, which was a real and not a formal one, for she had been devoted to her excellent husband, the Marchesa di Villa- marina could have had no better comfort and support than the loving sympathy of the Queen, who, with tender affection, did all in her power to console and cheer her friend. The memory of the Marchese di Villamarina is still cherished ; he lives in spirit in the faithful heart of his wife and in the affectionate remembrance of Mar- gherita of Savoy. In April, 1893, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the marriage of Umberto and Margherita of LETTER TO PRINCE DORIA 157 Savoy was celebrated throughout Italy with rejoicings. In the preceding year had been organized a Celebration Committee, with Prince Doria as president. The King and Queen having heard that subscriptions and schemes for various festivities were in contemplation, begged Prince Doria not to accept money, or any donations, nor to encourage any disbursements for the occasion. Umberto and Margherita of Savoy rejoiced in doing good, this being more a neces- sity of their generous disposition than an acquired virtue or with any idea of ostentation. The King wrote to Prince Doria : "If the celebration of this happy anniversary in our family were to give occasion for beneficence instead of a useless outlay for festivities, we should be most ready to encourage it ; such charity will be to us a most welcome manifestation of loyalty and affection." This generous desire to commemorate the silver wedding by helping the poor and the unfortunate, received confirmation when Senator Levi presented to the King and Queen the addresses of several provincial councils and associations of Reggio Emilia ; the Sovereigns desired Senator Levi to express their thanks to the Italians of that province, and the King said : " I am deeply touched by the demonstrations of loyalty and attachment which reach us from all parts of Italy, and the more because these acts of public institutions or private persons take the benevolent form which I have desired for them ; to lessen in some degree the cares and trials of the poor and the suffering is the duty of every civilized being. It is impossible to reheve every- one, to undo much evil, or to satisfy all claims, 158 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY but this is no reason for not endeavouring to do the greatest possible amount of good ; inaction in such matters is a crime." When Prince Doria found that the committee had collected much money, which, in accordance with the wish of the Sovereigns, was to be used for the pubhc good, instead of for festivities, it was decided to found in Rome an institute for the orphans of working-people, called " The Umberto and Margherita Asylum." The King and Queen, as a mark of their pleasure and satis- faction, offered a donation of five hundred thousand francs, so that the asylum might begin its beneficent work ; they also presented to it seventy-four thousand francs, the net result of a tournament held in the Villa Borghese under the direction of the young Princes of Savoy. For the Royal silver wedding, representatives of all the reigning families of Europe arrived in Rome ; the Duke of York for the King of Great Britain, the Archduke Rainer for the Emperor of Austria, Prince George of Greece, the Queen of Portugal, with her son the Duke of Oporto, Prince Danilo of Montenegro, the Grand-duke Wladimir, with the Grand-duchess Paulowna, for the Czar Alexander III, then reigning in Russia, besides all the Princes and Princesses of the House of Savoy, the Duchess of Genoa, the Queen's mother, and her brother, Prince Tommaso, with his wife, the Princess Isabella. The Em- peror and Empress of Germany came in person, and were most cordially greeted on April 20th, as guests of the Royal Family, at the Quirinal Palace. The chronicles of the House of Savoy may record, with just pride, the gorgeous spectacle of the tournament, already referred to, which THE TOURNAMENT 159 took place in Rome on April 22nd, 1893, in the large Piazza di Siena, in the Villa Borghese. Thousands of persons occupied the seats and stands around and crowded the steps of the large amphitheatre, while the Royal Family, with their Imperial and Royal guests, viewed from flower- decorated stands the revival of a splendid pageant of the Middle Ages. It was a bright spring day, such as Rome alone can give us, when the sky is so intensely blue, and the air so transparent, that we feel raised above every human misery into the ethereal regions of absolute beauty and un- troubled calm. The chief herald declared the lists open and the trumpeters saluted with gay calls the entrance into the field of the procession of knights, who in well-ordered companies defiled before the Royal boxes. The King of Saxony rode slowly by, recalling perhaps to Margherita of Savoy the origin of her mother's family ; he was followed by a brilliant company of Italian knights in their eleventh- century armour, with the Imperial eagle embroidered on their surcoats, surrounded by pages, halberdiers, banner-bearers, and men- at-arms. After these, passed thirty-two knights in thirteenth- century armour, having on their breasts the white cross on a red field, while as many were arrayed in armour of the fifteenth century with the cross fleury on their breast, the badge of the ancient knightly order of St. Maurice. Queen Margherita and the Royal Family, with their guests, followed with great interest the brilliant procession. Arquebusiers, halberdiers, men-at-arms of every sort marched proudly past, followed by grenadiers riding, pages, and those who bore the banners of Savoy, 160 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY Piedmont, and Sardinia, in the gorgeous cos- tumes in use from 1450 to 1750. The knights of the sixteenth century wore, as a badge, a daisy, in memory of the wedding of Margaret of Valois with Emanuele Fihberto of Savoy ; they had a special salute and smile from Margherita of Savoy. But the heart of the Queen of Italy must have thrilled Avith pride and joy when she beheld her son, the Prince of Naples, appear on the field, wearing the robes of Grand Master of the Supreme Order of the Holy Annunciation, with a splendid mantle of dark red velvet. The Crown Prince was then twenty-four years of age, and he looked very well in his magnificent costume ; he bowed as he passed the Royal box and exchanged glances and smiles with his august mother. The bright- ness of her eyes was for a moment dimmed, and she could not conceal her affectionate emotion, when she saw her nephews, the Duke of Aosta, the Count of Turin, and the Duke of the Abruzzi, representing respectively Umberto Biancamano, Vittorio Amedeo II, and Vittorio Amedeo VIII ; once more were recalled to the mind of Mar- gherita the glories of the House of Savoy ; the Queen had a momentary pang of regret when she recalled how, only twenty-five years before, her cousin. Prince Amedeo, had arranged so well a like tournament in Turin and Florence. In the course of this pageant for the Royal wedding, there was symbolically represented the unity of Italy, accomplished by the dynasty of Savoy. Two halberdiers carried two ensigns, the she- wolf of Rome and the Roman eagle, while one hundred men in splendid mediaeval costumes unfurled high in the glory of the sun the banners of the one hundred cities of Italy. GIFTS TO THE QUEEN 161 The quantity of flowers sent on that occasion from all parts of Italy to Queen Margherita was something marvellous. The city of Vienna also sent her a large picture made of flowers, repre- senting the banner of Italy, with a dove in each corner, having in its beak a daisy. The King gave the Queen a brooch with twenty-five diamonds, in memory of the happy twenty- five years of their marriage. The ladies and gentlemen-in-waiting, together with those of Princess Lsetitia, and of the two Duchesses of Genoa, offered Queen Margherita an exquisite reproduction of the celebrated Aurea-pace of Benvenuto Cellini, which is in the treasury of Milan Cathedral. The ladies in Rome presented the Queen with a beautiful album with their autograph signatures and a dedication. The King and Queen arranged for their guests interesting excursions and representations be- tween April 21st and 30th in Rome, Naples, Pompeii, and Spezia. The Emperor Wilhelm II, with the Empress Victoria, remained in Italy during this time, taking a cordial interest in everything they saw and much pleased by the greeting offered them by the people wherever they went with the Royal Family. In Rome Verdi's opera " Falstaff " was given at the Argentina Theatre ; races were organized at the Capannelle ; there was a military review ; and the Duchess of Sermoneta gave a splendid ball in her ancient palace in Rome. At the Quirinal there were garden-parties, at which the municipal band played the best music of Rossini, Saint- Saens, and Wagner. In Naples, the city of beauty and popular music, a serenade of one hundred and sixty M 162 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY musicians was organized, heard and applauded by over fifty thousand persons. A splendid gala representation took place in the S. Carlo Theatre, which from the pit to the topmost galleries was all decorated with flowers. The Royal and the Imperial Family enjoyed together in Naples one of those sights that no brush or pen can repro- duce, the sunset seen from the sea ; they made the tour of the Bay on board the Lepanto, man-of-war, and were enchanted by the in- describable beauty of the scene. The city is flooded over with the golden light of the sun, which paints mountains, hills, islands, and sea with a glory of rose and blue, blending the whole to such a splendour of colour as to seem a vision, the dream of a passionate poet. An excavation in Pompeii was organized ; here Queen Margherita and the Empress Victoria were carried round in Sedan-chairs, recalling the litters of the ancient city and their beautiful occupants in rich and graceful garb. In that year Italy took part in the international exhibition of Chicago, where, on July 20th, to celebrate Queen Margherita's fete, was organized a splendid reception in the Palace of Woman's Works. A large picture of the Queen was hung between Italian and American flags, and after the speeches of the Italian Consul, and of Fanny Zampini Salazar, the President of the Inter- national Council of Women, Mrs. May Wright Sewall, spoke of Margherita of Savoy. She enlarged upon the domestic virtues of the Queen and the wide culture which makes her an example, not only to the women of Italy, but to the world, and said that in the poorest dwellings of Italian immigrants, in the United H o w 0* H X a I Oi H S < w a o o- z EXCURSIONS IN NAPLES 163 States, she had always seen the Queen's por- trait accompanying that of the King. Mrs. Sewall declared that Italians are thought the best immigrants who enter the United States ; they are highly appreciated and are most in request as workmen, because they work harder than others, never get drunk, and almost always live with their mother, wife, and children. The degeneration of poor immigrants, from other countries, in the most crowded popular centres, has brought into notice that only in Italy are men so devoted to their families, mothers, wives, and children. In other countries a son considers himself a son till he takes a wife ; among our large-hearted Italians the older a mother be- comes, the more she is looked upon as the sacred symbol of the home. The daughters are kept like flowers, tenderly and jealously guarded, until they can be confided, in their immaculate purity, to husbands who have to guarantee their happi- ness to the father, who, in giving them away, has parted with the most sacred treasure of the household, kept since their birth under scrupu- lous vigilance. The great devotion and respect of the Italian people for the Royal Family has its origin in the example they give of a pure and affectionate family life. Margherita of Savoy showed her tender maternal instinct by her particular interest in the welfare of children. She held very dear Teresa Filangieri, Duchess Ravaschieri-Fieschi, and understood and sympathized with her in- consolable grief for the death of her only daughter. The Duchess, later, found consolation in the dedication of her life to the helping and saving of neglected, abandoned, and sick children, 164 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY and since May, 1885, the Queen, on her visits to Naples, never failed to visit that admirable children's hospital " Lina," the first institution of the kind, founded by the Duchess Ravaschieri, in memory of her daughter Lina, whose short life is there held in loving remembrance. The Duchess Ravaschieri lavished on this establish- ment her exquisite artistic feeling, aided by the well-known sculptor Francesco Jerace, who also embellished with his art the Orthopaedic Insti- tute. Dr. A. Curcio, a young scientist, devotes all his time and work to the two institutions, completing them by a well-organized marine hospital at the Bagnoli, for weak or deformed children, due entirely to his untiring activity. Different in its aims, but equally admirable in its conception and organization, is the " Casa Paterna Ravaschieri," also founded by the Duchess, to withdraw from vicious surroundings and educate to an honest life the numberless children, called in Naples " Scugnizzi," who have no family and no sort of home. No one visiting Naples should fail to visit the social institutions started by the Duchessa Rava- schieri, who consecrated to them the whole of her large fortune, receiving in addition much help from the Italian Government, from the province, and from generous members of Neapolitan society. It is no wonder that Naples maintains a devotion to the memory of that great benefactress of childhood, who was consecrated by the sweetest name that can distinguish a woman ; Teresa Filangieri Ravaschieri-Fieschi was always called " Mamma Duchessa."^ • See " Teresa Ravaschieri e la sua opera sociale in Napoli." Discorso del Senators Raffaele de Cesare. Napoli, Giannini. Cisterna dell' Olio, NAPLES PROVERB 165 None of the institutions founded by her will ever cease to exist, for they were the outcome of a woman's tender est affection, and they were entrusted to the city which fully understands and values such a love ; Naples has a popular proverb : " Who has a mother need not weep," and it reverences the innocent victims of brutal desertion, calling " Children of the Madonna " the denizens of the foundling hospitals. Teresa Filangieri Ravaschieri-Fieschi possessed in a rare degree the power of persuasion ; and she succeeded in winning over the better part of Neapolitan society to her benevolent ideals, and she saw them perfectly realized ; we cannot doubt that though her guiding hand is removed, the " Mamma Duchessa " looks down upon and blesses those who continue her good work in the spirit in which it was begun. CHAPTER XIV Italy drawn into the Colonial enterprise in Africa — Saati — Dogali — Fall of Crispi's Cabinet — The Marchese Antonio di Rudini President of the Council of Ministers — Agordat — Crispi's return to power — Rupture between Italy and Abyssinia — The telegrams of General Baratieri — Victory of Coatit and SenafS — General Baldissera arrives too late — Indignation of the Italian people — Grief for the catastrophe and generous offerings of Umberto and Margherita of Savoy for the wounded and prisoners in Africa — Italy collects money, provisions, and clothing for the soldiers in Africa — Monu- ments to those fallen in the African campaign — Affectionate interest of Umberto and Margherita of Savoy for the families of the soldiers in Africa — The Duke of Aosta marries in England the Princess Helena of Orleans on June 20th, 1895 — Death of Ruggero Bonghi — Address of Queen Margherita to the ladies of the Committee for the Girls' College in Anagni. SEVERAL prominent Italian politicians disapproved entirely of the African colonial enterprise, but they did not venture to speak about it frankly to the King, because the die was cast and the expedition decided on. The question of an Italian colony in Africa had never been seriously studied. Italy was drawn into the enterprise by a complex series of events, originating in the cession made to the Italian Government of a coaling-station in the Bay of Assab by the Rubattino Navigation Company, which had occupied the station for its steamers since 1870. When the Italian Government took it over, in 1880, they had no intention of making any annexation of territory in that region. But in 166 SAATI 167 1885 Italy was driven to consider a scheme of colonization by the need of finding colonies for the settlement of her many emigrants, and she entered into an agreement with England, who was at that time preparing for the conquest of the Soudan. Italian soldiers were sent to occupy Massahuah. The plan of helping the English expedition was rendered void by the surrender of Khartoum and the defeat of the Mahdi ; the Italian contingent then tried to establish friendly relations with John, the Negus of Abyssinia, hoping to attract trade from districts in the interior to the port of Massahuah, but they did not succeed in propitiating the suspicious Prince. So long as the Italians remained in the neigh- bourhood of Massahuah, in the Egyptian terri- tory yielded by Turkey for the British occupa- tion, the Negus showed no hostility, but when they occupied Saati, on Abyssinian territory, Ras Alula, Governor of the Tigre, summoned them to retire. He was drawing nearer and nearer to Saati, in order to have his forces ready for action when the time came, when he heard that an Italian battalion was marching that way to strengthen the garrison of Saati. He attacked and surrounded it in the pass of Dogali, whence there was no escape. Ras Alula had a large army, the Italians were only five hundred ; they fought heroically during eight hours, but their ammunition being at length exhausted, they were massacred.^ It was then incumbent on Italy to avenge her dead and to defend the rights already acquired ; but the majority of 1 See " Modern Italy," by Pietro Orsi. 168 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY Italians, incapable of judging the value of modern enterprises for the young nation, shrank from the sacrifice of other lives and the great expense attendant on the transport of troops and pro- visions to so great a distance ; preparations for war were, however, made on both sides. After some delay, occasioned by unfavourable weather, in January, 1888, the Negus appeared with a large army before the fortresses occupied by Italians, but seeing their strength he retired. Being threatened in his rear by the doubtful attitude of Menelik, King of Scioa, and by an invasion of Dervishes, who had crossed the confines of Ethiopia, he thought it more prudent to retreat and to turn his arms against the Dervishes for the defence of the country, putting off to a later time the punishment of the un- faithful Menelik ; but he was mortally wounded in a battle in March, 1889. As there were several pretenders to the Abyssinian crown, the country was for some time the scene of civil war, Depretis had died in 1887, and Crispi had succeeded to the Presidentship of the Council of Ministers. No one has ever doubted the sincere patriotism of the great Sicilian, and the name of Francesco Crispi will ever be remembered in the history of the unity of Italy. He was a learned man, one of the cleverest and most eloquent of Italian lawyers, but he was impulsive and passionate, having the defects of the best quali- ties of the warm-blooded Southerner. He was a powerful orator, and the Chamber was almost under his control ; few could stand against his personal magnetism and the irresistible fascina- FALL OF CRISPI'S CABINET 169 tion of his eloquence. He was, however, at this time sincerely convinced that for the sake of the prestige of Italy it was necessary to profit by the state of affairs in Abyssinia by extending the dominion of Italy on the tableland of Keren and Asmara. He also believed in the possibility of an alliance with Menelik, who in his own interest and in the hope of triumphing more easily over his rivals made Italy the most flattering prom- ises. Crispi gave the name of " Eritrea " to the new Italian colony, hoping and believing that an era of prosperity would arise from it ; at the same time an Italian Protectorate was established over a large part of the Somalian Peninsula. Crispi used his marvellous oratorical power and exuberant fancy to induce others to be- lieve, as he himself really believed, that he was laying the foundation of a glorious future for the colonial aspirations of Italy. But un- fortunately the heavy disbursements required ever since 1860 to provide for the needs of the army and navy, for the administration of the kingdom, for railways, roads, and other public works had almost exhausted the finances of the State. In 1889 the balance closed with a deficit of over two hundred million francs, but the economic strength of Italy was to show itself by repairing these losses in less than two years. On account of the German tendency of Crispi's policy, France would not renew her commercial treaties with Italy, and thus was closed a source of prosperity for the trade which exported to France a great number of Italian productions. New taxes were voted, emigration consequently ITO MARGHERITA OF SAVOY increased, and Italy had to pass through an economic crisis, which, however, she was able in a few years to overcome. This economic crisis caused and encouraged those strikes and popular disturbances already mentioned, which gave so much pain to the kind heart of King Umberto. He never ceased to remind his Government to improve in the first place the economic conditions of working-people, seeing in this amelioration an important element for the welfare and the great- ness of the nation. But Francesco Crispi was absorbed in his great political ambitions, and trusting in his personal friendship for Bismarck, he hoped much for the future. The country meanwhile was beginning to be alarmed as to the ultimate outcome of so many grave events, and the Conservative party, more prudent and less convinced of the wisdom of the African enterprise, provoked a crisis, which resulted in the fall of Crispi, in 1901, and the elevation of the Marchese di Rudini to the Presidentship of the Council of Ministers. The Marchese di Rudini was also a Sicilian, and he belonged to that ancient aristocracy which has given to Italy men and women of rare intellectual vigour. He had travelled much, in Italy and abroad, and had made special study of the civil needs of our times. He also possessed one of the greatest advantages that can promote the success of a man in a political as in any career, he had the intelligent and wise help of a good wife who was devoted to him. Remarkable for her good- ness of heart, she was and still is highly esteemed and very popular, owing to the many successful educational philanthropic undertakings she en- AGORDAT 171 courages and assists, and for the quiet dignity, entirely devoid of self-assertion, which brings her always to the front when there is any good to be done. The Marchese di Rudini considered him- self most fortunate, for he knew how many politicians are led into error by the lack of under- standing and refinement in their home-life. With great tact and prudence Rudim, and Giolitti following him, succeeded in reducing the great deficit in the Italian finance. Meanwhile the news from Africa was not satisfactory. As soon as he was assured of the submission of Abyssinia, Menelik declared that he did not intend to recognize the Italian Protectorate. The Dervishes were also another cause of dis- turbance for Italy. Resenting the advance of the Italians, in December, 1893, they attacked the fort of Agordat, but were repulsed, leaving about one thousand dead and seventy - two banners on the field. At this moment Crispi returned to power, and he encouraged General Baratieri, Governor of Eritrea, to begin hostile operations in Abyssinia. In July, 1894, General Baratieri succeeded in ejecting the Dervishes from Cassala, and occupying that important position he secured the safety of the Italian colony on that side. Meanwhile an open rupture had taken place between Italy and Abyssinia. The cold diplo- matic relations that had for some time prevailed between the two countries should have made the Government foresee the threatened danger so as to send in time troops, ammunition, and supplies ; as it was, neither politicians in Italy, nor General Baratieri in Africa, had any pre- vision of what might and did happen. Baratieri, 172 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY encouraged by success, anticipating by forced marches the plans of the Abyssinian leader, who had intended to occupy all the Tigre, did not perceive that this was only the beginning of the war that followed. He sent telegrams which made all Italians exult for the victories of Coatit and Senafe. January, 1905, was only a prelude to the war which broke out openly when the Negus advanced with an army of over one hundred thousand well-armed men to find that the Governor of Eritrea, insufficiently prepared, could oppose only a few thousand Italian soldiers. Ras Mangascia had invoked the help of Menelik, who had succeeded in arousing all Abyssinia against Italy. The totally inadequate defence was principally due to the negligence of the Minister, who, being misinformed as to the true state of affairs in Africa, followed a bold policy of expansion without even asking Parliament for the necessary funds for such a hazardous design. Baratieri, acclaimed as a hero for the victories of Coatit and Senafe, became so childishly vain and satisfied with himself that, although not lacking in courage or military talent, he lost his head, and did not even perceive that his position was menaced with serious danger. A true hero was Major Toselli, who, at the head of only two thousand men, was attacked at Amba Alagi, on December 7th, 1895, by the vanguard of the enemy's numerous army, but after a long and brave resistance he was killed with the greater part of his soldiers. The Abyssinians went on, and surrounded the fort of Macalle, where a small garrison commanded by Major Galliano main- tained a courageous defence for about a month. General Baratieri finding it impossible to go to GENERAL BARATIERI 173 their assistance. The besieged, reduced to ex- tremities, lacking even water, because the enemy had destroyed the nearest conduits, had heroic- ally determined to blow up the fort and to march out to death, fighting as they went ; but Menelik, either impressed by their brave defence, or rendered apprehensive by the great losses his army had suffered, informed Baratieri he would willingly permit the garrison of Macalle to march out with all the honours of war and join the Italian troops concentrated at Adigrat ; thus the Fort of Macalle capitulated with honour on January 26th, 1896. Meanwhile, reinforcements arrived from Italy, but the faulty organization of the commissariat increased the difficulty of providing supplies for the troops, among those barren mountains, so far from any coast. General Baratieri continued to act on the defensive and contented himself with keeping a vigilant eye on the Abyssinians, who, leaving Adigrat, marched towards Adua. Crispi, anxious for the approval of public opinion and its sanction for the rash enterprise, had so impressed on General Baratieri the necessity for energetic action that he, hoping to induce the enemy either to attack the Italians in their entrenched position or else to retire, led his fourteen thousand men into action on March 1st, 1896. ^ The Abyssinians were encamped in the sur- roundings of Adua. The Italians were not familiar with the ground, and the first column arrived with an impetuosity which aggravated the confusion due to insufficient preparation and training for such a campaign ; consequently 1 Crispi after his fall told one of his political friends that Baratieri had wrongly interpreted his instructions. 174 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY the army became separated, and the vanguard, instead of taking up a position to await the attack of the enemy, advanced to the assault. The Abyssinian troops, greatly exceeding in number their adversaries, easily defeated the first column before the second could come up, the second column shared the fate of the first, and this was repeated, until the whole Italian army had advanced, attacked, and been anni- hilated. Nearly one-third of the Italian forces perished on this disastrous day. Brave Generals, brilliant young officers, and soldiers lay in thou- sands on that field of blood ; Italy wept for the brave lives wantonly sacrificed, and the voice of lamentation and great mourning was heard through all the land, from city and village, from palace and cottage. The heroic defender of the Fort of Macalle, Major Galliano, who had fought with the well- known dash and spirit of Italian soldiers, re- calling the daring deeds of warriors of old, fell in the Adua massacre, for whom and for many nameless heroes Italy has never ceased to mourn. Notwithstanding this victory Menelik did not venture to follow it up. General Baldissera, arriving too late, was in time only to avoid greater disasters ; he took the place of Baratieri in the supreme command, proving himself capable of reorganizing the army and thus lessening the advantage of their victory to the enemy. It is impossible to recall without renewed grief the outburst of indignation of the Italian people hearing the terrible news of the disaster of Adua. Francesco Crispi had many bitter moments in those days, when the people understood too late GRIEF OF THE QUEEN 175 that the Government had been too bold and quite unprepared for such a hazardous enterprise. But no tears were more genuine than those shed by Margherita of Savoy over the defeat of Adua ; her warm woman's heart felt and shared the grief of mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, all the women who mourned those heroic officers and soldiers whose lives had been so vainly sacrificed for a dream of overweening ambition. In those sad days of heavy sorrow Queen Margherita said with tears : "If the people could only know how much we are suffering ! And yet many will take advantage of this defeat, to blame us for it!" When supplies and comforts of every kind had to be sent out to Africa, Queen Margherita offered the sum she had set aside that year for her own private charities. When she was respectfully told that the money was insufficient to serve also for the relief of the poor in Italy, the Queen could hardly control her tears as she answered : "I would rather have all my jewels sold, than to allow our poor prisoners of war, so far away and in need of everything, perhaps even of the bare necessaries of life, to think that we neglect them. Fortune was against them on the battlefield, so they are doubly unfortunate, and we must provide for their wants at the cost of any sacrifice." King Umberto offered at once half a million francs, and throughout Italy the example given by him and by the Queen was so generously followed that provisions, clothing, wine, and all kinds of supplies were sent out to Africa in such quantities that the Italian soldiers declared that 176 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY they had never been so well provided for. Mean- while, without any formal outvoting by the Opposition, the Crispi Cabinet fell, through the outburst of pubhc opinion, on March 5th, 1896. The Marchese di Rudini, who had always been opposed to the scheme for colonization, was again invited to assume the Presidentship of the Council. He proposed to Parliament to abandon the colonial pohcy of Crispi and to open negotia- tions for peace in order to release the Itahan prisoners of war. As the result of much and painful discussion a treaty of peace was finally concluded. Italy withdrew from the Tigre and limited her territory to the southern frontier of Mareb-Belesa-Muna ; she resigned her Pro- tectorate over Ethiopia, thus annulling the Treaty of Uccialli. The Fortress of Kassala was ceded later by the Italian Government to the English, who required it for the Soudan expedi- tion. Marble and bronze tablets were erected in many places to commemorate and recall to posterity the heroism of the brave officers and soldiers who had fallen in the African campaign. In the piazza of the railway station in Rome, in memory of the fallen at Dogali, a small ancient obelisk was erected on June 5th, 1887. A few days before, the King and Queen received at the Quirinal the few survivors of that battle. Umberto and Margherita of Savoy wished to hear for themselves the story of that sad day, and a corporal, who had remained to the last near Colonel de Cristoforis, recounted the various episodes of the battle. Recalling the brave officers of the battalion which had so cruelly perished, he could not restrain his tears, saying : GENEROSITY OF KING AND QUEEN 177 " They showed us how to die fighting ! " The King repKed, as he shook hands with him, " Remember them always with pride, you have all been worthy of them." A captain in the Royal Artillery, Michelini, was telling the King how he owed his life to Rocco Colombo, a young soldier there present, when this young man interrupted him, asserting that had it not been for Captain Michelini he would never have found his way to Moncullo and would have perished with hunger and thirst in that desert. The King smiled and said : " You were both brave fellows." On the day of the festival of the Constitution in 1894, returning from the review, the King and Queen stopped to lay a bronze laurel wreath at the foot of the obelisk in the piazza of the railway station. For the victory of Agordat, the King himself sent a telegram to Colonel Arimondi announcing to him his promotion to Major- General. The families of officers and soldiers who had perished in Africa had received more aid from the personal generosity of the King and Queen than from the Government. The law which determines the pensions and assistance to be given to the families of officers and soldiers fallen in war is based on the time of service in the army, and the relative department of the Treasury cannot confirm grants for contingencies not provided for by that law. Hence in the frequent occurrence of cases not covered by the law, when the Government can give no assistance, the generosity of the King and Queen never fails ; at this time, as always, Umberto and Margherita of Savoy were blessed for their inexhaustible N 178 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY kindness to those in need of help, who never appealed to them in vain. The King and Queen had received with affection- ate interest the news of the betrothal of Emanuele Filiberto, Duke of Aosta, to the beautiful daughter of the Count of Paris, who had been educated in England. The Sovereigns knew and appreciated the rare qualities of Princess Helena of Orleans, and were much pleased with the marriage, which took place on June 20th, 1895, at Kingston-on-Thames. At this time the Queen was grieved by the serious illness of Ruggero Bonghi. His strenuous and noble life, consecrated to the advancement of civilization, the welfare of his country, and to family affection, closed on October 22nd, 1895. If he had enemies, they were only those who envied his undisputed superiority, and even these acknowledged his great merits and noble character. His great spirit would have seen the compensation for all its past bitterness and struggles could he have known that Margherita of Savoy would never cease to take a deep interest in and largely forward his favourite enterprises. She mentioned him in the address which she delivered to the patronesses of the girls' school at Anagni, whom she had invited to the Quirinal with Luigi, Bonghi's eldest son. Having set forth the reasons for the meeting, the Queen proceeded, her voice full of emotion : " Let us, in the first place, recall with affectionate remembrance and regret the man who so illuminated our Italy with the light of his high intelligence, the last rays of which, as also his last heart-beats, he dedicated to the institute in Anagni ; he showed thus how truly ADDRESS OF MARGHERITA 179 he loved his country, for he knew that through the education of future mothers a generation of strong and virtuous men was secured to Italy. Worthily to follow the bright example given us by Ruggero Bonghi, and to increase as much as possible the usefulness of the institution, I would advise the ladies present to name among them- selves an executive committee, which would suggest to the administration the adoption of such measures as seem best calculated for the attainment of the aim I have mentioned. One of the most important questions, indeed the most important, is the disposal of young girls when they have finished their studies in the institute. More than any others, ladies are in a position to exert their influence in favour of those young girls by helping to place them and extend- ing to them their kind protection, at least for the first steps which they have to make alone in life, a life which for many will in the beginning be very hard and in which the support of a friendly hand will be a great comfort to them. One of the noble sayings which Ruggero Bonghi had engraved in the halls at Anagni for his girls, and which a friendship enduring beyond the grave has collected into a book, says : ' To educate is to love.'^ Let us, ladies, take as our guide this maxim, which in its simplicity con- tains so much truth ; let us help the education and the succeeding life of the girls at Anagni with all our strength and with that maternal love which God has placed in the heart of every woman. I now invite Signor Luigi Bonghi, who 1 See " Sentenze di Ruggero Bonghi," scritte per le sue fig- liuole di Anagni raccolte dalla Contessa Maria Pasolini Ponti. Tipografia Landi. Firenze. 180 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY so worthily continues his father's work, to give us details of the financial and educational measures he considers desirable for the insti- tute."! * This fine speech, written in pencil by Queen Mai'gherita, is jealously preserved by Paolo Boselli, who was and is an efficient co-operator in the work of the college in Anagni, as in all edu- cational enterprises in Italy. MONSIGNOKK IKIN (IDHRISlci PISCICEI.l.I-TAKGGl, ST. XICHdLAS IN BAkl. GRAND PRIOR OF CHAPTER XV Ideals of the Prince of Naples — His sea excursions — The Princess Elena of Montenegro — Meeting in Venice, April, 1896, of Princess Milena of Montenegro and her daughters Elena and Anna, with Umberto and Margherita of Savoy — -The International Art Ex- hibitions and Antonio Fradelletto — News of the betrothal of the Crown Prince to Princess Elena of Montenegro on August 18th, 1896 — ^Montenegro from 1389 to 1896 — Physical and moral charac- teristics of the Montenegrins — Simple and exemplary life of the Princes of Montenegro — Princess Elena's love for children — Greetings of the people of Antivari and Cettigne to Prince Vittorio Emanuele — Family banquet — Affectionate telegrams of the King and Queen of Italy and of the Emperor and Empress of Russia — Prince Nikita announces the betrothal of his daughter Elena — Enthusiasm of the Montenegrins — Exchange of letters and telegrams between the Prince and Princess of Montenegro and the Queen of Italy — Telegram of Leo XIII to Prince Nikita and gift to Princess Elena — The Princess, accompanied by her family, lands at Bari — The Grand Prior of St. Nicholas in Bari, Monsignore Don Oderisio PisciceUi-Taeggi, receives Princess Elena into the Catholic Church — Marriage in Rome on October 24th, 1896, of the Crown Prince Vittorio Emanuele to Princess Elena of Montenegro — Popular en- thusiasm. THE most intimate friends of the Royal Family of Savoy had always foretold that when he should be of age to choose a wife, the Crown Prince would follow the impulse of his heart, though respecting the rights of the dynasty. Vittorio Emanuele certainly felt that love must be the basis and support of marriage, understood in its highest human and social aims. Care- fully and tenderly nurtured by his mother, he felt that even higher than the throne is the royalty of love in the family. He accordingly disregarded the proposals of Ministers and 181 182 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY diplomatists, hoping always one day to meet the woman capable of awakening in his breast those sentiments without which he would never assume the grave duties of a husband and father. The young Prince, having finished his studies, spent much of his time on the sea. Italians began to notice and be interested in the frequent trips of their Crown Prince on board his yacht Gaiola on the Adriatic and Ionic Seas, landing now at one, now at another of the Dalmatian or Grecian ports. Guided by those mysterious magnetic forces which link the hearts of man and woman, the young Crown Prince had discovered that his happiness depended on the love of the good and beautiful Princess Elena of Montenegro. In the month of April, 1895, the King and Queen had seen Princess Elena in Venice, where they had gone to inaugurate the first of those Art Exhibitions due to the initiative of one of the great modern Venetians, Antonio Fradelletto. Princess Milena and two of her daughters, Elena and Anna, with their suite, had arrived almost at the same time as the King and Queen of Italy. Some official visits were exchanged, but Queen Margherita soon freed Princess Milena and her daughters from the restraints of Court etiquette, so that there was nothing to disturb their inti- mate intercourse. One day King Umberto was seen accompanying the Montenegrin ladies to their gondola, and talking very affectionately with Princess Elena. Besides frequently par- taking of the family dinner the Montenegrin Princesses were invited to the official one on May 2nd, and on the same day they were at the gala performance in the Theatre Fenice, in the Royal box with the King and Queen. BETROTHAL OF CROWN PRINCE 183 This was the first time that the Princess Elena had been seen by the Italian people in the com- pany of Queen Margherita, who talked much to her. Many well-known Italian and foreign artists and the correspondents of national and foreign newspapers were that evening at the Fenice Theatre, and all greatly admired the beauty of the august ladies in the Royal box. It is rare that a beautiful woman can stand comparison with a younger beauty, but the fair beauty of Queen Margherita was in this case enhanced by the splendid black hair and eyes of Princess Elena. Italians that evening divined that their second Queen would be the handsome daughter of Nikita Njegosh, Prince of Monte- negro. On August 18th the official news of the Crown Prince's betrothal was telegraphed. Vittorio Emanuele had chosen the fete of his future bride, St. Elena's Day, for the announcement of the happy tidings to the Italians and to the world. The Italian people, so responsive to any touch of family sentiment, were well satisfied that the heir to the throne had followed the impulse of his heart, choosing a bride descended from a race of heroes in a country freed by them from the oppressor's yoke. The history of M-ontenegro and its brave Princes was soon popular to Italians, appealing as it did to their poetic sense and patriotic sentiment. The enthusiasm at Cettigne knew no bounds, and the popular rejoicings for the betrothal of their young Princess to the future King of Italy will remain memorable in the history of Monte- negro. The origin of the little community of Zette, from which sprang the people of the region now 184 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY called Montenegro, is uncertain, but historians for the most part agree that after the dismember- ment of the Slav Empire the community was founded in 1389. The first ruling family of the Princes of Montenegro was that of the Balsa; when they became extinct, in 1421, Stephen Czernogora succeeded, whose son Iwan was the foimder of Cettigne. The successors of Iwan reigned until 1510. Then when the Metropolitan Vavie rose to the Throne, he united in his own person the religious and the civil power. At the end of 1696 Danilo Petrovitsch Njegosh, founder of the present dynasty, was elected Metropolitan. He took the title of Njegosh from the name of the village above Cattaro, where their adherents, his family, with serfs and cattle, had taken refuge when flying from the Herze- govina. Danilo continued the war against the Turks, which had increased in fury because Denier, Pasha of Scutari, after allowing Christians to build a church and inviting to it the Metro- politan, kept him a prisoner and put him to the torture. Danilo would have perished, but the Pasha gave him his liberty for six hundred ducats. Returning to Cettigne, Danilo aroused the Monte- negrins against the Turks ; on Christmas night of 1702 he emulated the Sicilian Vespers, killing all the Turks who lived in Montenegro. Danilo then made an alliance with the Republic of Venice and with Peter the Great ; but the latter, hav- ing been defeated by the Turks on the Pruth, concluded peace without troubling himself about his ally. Achmet III then determined to destroy the petty folk of the mountains who annoyed him so much ; the Turkish army advanced to Podgoritza, but was defeated MONTENEGRO 185 by the Montenegrin soldiers. The enraged Sultan sent to avenge him his best General, Dummun Pasha, who, having attracted the chiefs of Montenegro to his camp, had them murdered in cold blood, then proceeded to devastate the country and plunder Cettigne. But the brave Danilo succeeded in saving himself and in gathering together the survivors in the mountains ; the next year he defeated the Turks at Bajnaqula, renewed the treaty with Venice, and went on fighting until in 1737 he could die leaving the Montenegrins free and independent. Before he died, Danilo had his nephew Sava consecrated Metropolitan, thus making this dig- nity hereditary in his family. Sava reigned in peace till 1782, and he was able to conclude an advantageous treaty with the Empress Maria Theresa. Peter I, his nephew, succeeded him, and though the country was so poor as to compel him to sell the Metropolitan Mitre to buy powder, he took up arms against the Turks, after the manifesto of Joseph II and the Empress Catherine II. This ended with the Peace of Sistovo in 1791, but it did not bring any advan- tages to Montenegro, on the contrary, it was considered as Turkish territory. In the following year hostilities were renewed, and in 1796 the Montenegrin people defeated the Turks, inflicting on them such losses as to compel the Sultan to end the war and to recognize the right of Monte- negro to an independent existence. After the wars of Napoleon, Cattaro, that had been ceded to France, was reoccupied by Peter I, who died in 1830 ; he is known in folk-songs as the Star of Montenegro. His nephew, Peter II, educated in Russia, was a poet of some note ; 186 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY he made useful reforms, regulated the finances of the State, and, notwithstanding his peaceful temper, he resumed the war with the Turks and defeated them in the mountains. Peter II died in 1851 and Danilo I succeeded him ; he abolished the theocratic form of Government and resumed the traditional war with the Turks, conquering the Fortress of Jablictzr. Austria was opposed to the continuation of the strife, and desired that Danilo should remain neutral during the Crimean war. At that time Danilo raised the number of the army to thirty-six thousand men and acquired the friendship of Napoleon III. In 1858 he resumed the war with the Turks, which ended by the victory of Grahovo. Danilo II was assassinated in 1860, leaving the throne to his nephew Nikita. Popular education is not yet diffused in Montenegro, though Prince Nikita has done much to advance the civilization introduced by Danilo.^ In 1874 the insurrection in the Herze- govina had its echo in Belgrade and Cettigne. The Montenegrin Government, not venturing openly to support the rebels, confined its par- ticipation to closing its eyes to the armed assistance they obtained from the Montenegrin peasants, but it was soon evident that the Govern- ment would be compelled to prepare for war, and in the meantime it received and protected the refugees of the Herzegovina. Turkey then attempted a kind of blockade on the Montenegrin frontier, which justified Prince Nikita's warlike preparations. In June, 1876, Milan, King of Servia, asked the Sultan to commission him to 1 See " Nozze Italia." Montenegro. Casa Editrice Perino. Roma, 1896. MONTENEGRO 187 put an end to the insurrection, and Prince Nikita at once asked for the cession of a part of Herze- govina ; but when, on July 1st, the Servian troops began war, a very large force of Monte- negrins threw themselves into the Herzegovina. The Turks were defeated on July 29th in Albania, near the Lake of Scutari, and in the Herzegovina between Urbitza and Biletz, while Prince Nikita blockaded Muklar Pasha, near Mostr, and as Turkey would not accept the proposals of the Conference in Constantinople, Russia entered the field in February, 1878, and declared war on Turkey. The Treaty of Berlin finally gave to Monte- negro an increase of territory, and the inde- pendence of the State was at length recognized by Turkey and by the Powers who signed the treaty. Public offices and the enjoyment of civil and political rights became accessible to all Montenegrins without any distinction of creed, and liberty of worship was ensured. On July 12th, 1878, the first civil code was formulated in Montenegro. In the ukase published on the occasion of its promulgation. Prince Nikita expressed feelings of affectionate regard for Russia, calling her the Protector of the Slavs, an expression which greatly offended the Govern- ment at Vienna. In the Montenegrin civil code the law re- garding the household preserves its collective character, which is one of the most ancient customs of the Montenegrin people ; the family is a unit, one only head commands those who live under one roof, and at his death his successor is designated by election. The area of Montenegro is calculated at about 3486 square miles, while the 188 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY population numbered in 1895 about 240,000 ; the local religion is that of the Orthodox Greek Church, while there are about seven thousand Catholic Albanians and three thousand Moham- medans. The Montenegrin people are a fine, strong, handsome race, and their national costume is most original and picturesque. The women are beau- tiful, proud, and passionate, but pure and good wives and mothers, exceptionally tender and devoted to their homes. Princess Milena, since the days when she was a fair young bride, has dedicated herself to her family ; she is devoted to her husband, who returns her affection. They have given their people the example of a simple and good life, educating their nine children with the greatest care, living with and for them and for their people, whom they look upon as mem- bers of their family. No pomp, no formality, no sort of etiquette has hitherto fettered the happy simple lives of these rulers of the barren moun- tain region, hemmed in by savage grey rocks with tiny green oases of cultivation, where the limestone has crumbled and become fertilized. There is much of an Emersonian philosophy in the plain-living and high-thinking principles which order the life of the princely family of Montenegro. Since her childhood Princess Elena has shown her large humanity by constant acts of kindness to the poor and the unhappy, especially to children, for she Avas endowed by nature with the maternal instinct, and happy then, as now, in the possession of this gift. When Princess Elena went out with her sisters and their governess, she alone among them used to stop to cheer with a kindly word and timely help the poor they happened to meet on theii: GREETINGS TO VITTORIO EMANUELE 189 way. If the dark beauty of the young Princess was her first attraction for the Crown Prince, the beautiful nature of Elena of Montenegro won his love, for it reminded him of his mother's goodness, and made him feel that no other woman could make him equally happy, and worthily fill the place of Margherita of Savoy. AVhile the joyful news of this engagement was spreading through Italy, Vittorio Emanuele, in strict incognito, had already left Italy for Montenegro. The Crown Prince Danilo went to meet him at Antivari with the Italian Minister and the Russian envoy, Colonel Raki, who greeted him in the name of the Czar, an- nouncing that he was the bearer of an Imperial autograph letter of good wishes and congratula- tions. The people of Montenegro, though the Prince was not arriving officially, gave him the most cordial of welcomes. Antivari and Cettigne were decorated with tricolour flags, and Prince Nikita received him with military honours. In the evening there was a family dinner, at which Princess Elena appeared, radiant with beauty and happiness, in her white dress, and wearing on her wrist the magnificent bracelet which the Prince, her fiance, had presented to her on his arrival. Affectionate telegrams came from the King and Queen of Italy and from the Emperor and Em- press of Russia. Prince Nikita himself announced to his people from the balcony of his residence the betrothal of his favourite daughter in these simple words : " King Umberto has consented that the Prince of Naples should ask for my daughter Elena's hand ; I am rejoiced to bestow it on him. Long live King Umberto ! " 190 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY The crowd which surrounded the house received the announcement with great enthusiasm ; bon- fires blazed on the hills and in the valleys, and cries of " Long live King Umberto, Queen Margherita, Prince Nikita, Princess Elena, and the betrothed pair ! " rent the air all through the night. As a token of rejoicing a Te Deum was sung in the church. The obstacle of the difference of religion was soon overcome; Princess Elena had already that firm faith in God and in His revelation which is the basis and source of true Catholic religion, and she was willing to join that Church of which the House of Savoy had ever been the devoted servants. The Princess wrote a long and affectionate letter in Italian to Queen Margherita, saying that her betrothal to the Prince of Naples fulfilled the fondest wishes of her heart. She cited the Princesses of the House of Savoy, renowned for their goodness of heart and their true womanliness, and declared that she would make it her study to emulate their virtues. She expressed her love and enthusiasm and that of all the Montenegrins for Italy, to which they looked as to a mother-land; Italy had always been for them the land of learning and culture, and her glorious history was their constant study. Margherita rejoiced in the happiness of her son, having already received to her maternal heart his young and beautiful bride. The Queen, much pleased with the letter of the Princess, showed it to friends of the Royal Family, then at Gressoney, and she telegraphed to Prince Nikita : " The happiness of my son is always my greatest joy. I need not assure you and Princess Milena THE ALTAR IX THE CHURCH OF ST. NICHOLAS IN HARI, WHERE ELENA OF MONTENEGRO WAS RECEIVED INTO THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. MARRIAGE OF THE CROWN PRINCE 191 that Princess Elena, whose sojourn in Venice I shall always remember, will find in me an affectionate mother. I rejoice that my son's bride is your daughter, and that she belongs to the brave and loyal people for whom I have always felt the greatest admiration." Pope Leo XIII also sent an affectionate tele- gram to Prince Nikita, congratulating him on the marriage of Princess Elena and promising special facilities for the reception of the Princess into the Catholic Church ; he sent her in addition a valuable present. Emanuele Gianturco, Minister of Public In- struction at that time, had the happy idea of offering to the Royal pair a rich album, containing the autographs of the best Italian writers, both men and women. This original gift much pleased the Prince and Princess, and they requested the Minister to convey their warm thanks to the donors. Princess Elena, accompanied to Italy by all her family, landed at Bari, where, in the ancient Basilica of St. Nicholas, the Grand Prior, Mon- signor Piscicelli-Taeggi, surrounded by the pala- tine clergy, received the future Queen of Italy into the Roman branch of the Catholic Church and imparted to her its Sacraments. The marriage took place in Rome on October 24th in the great Church of Sta. Maria degli Angeli, fashioned by Michael Angelo out of the baths of Diocletian. Everyone who was fortunate enough to witness this imposing ceremony has retained an indelible recollection of it. Each of the reigning families of Europe was represented at the marriage by one of its members. Ambassadors of all nations, in gala uniforms, glittering with orders, ladies of 192 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY the Court and of the highest society, in gorgeous dresses, and covered with jewels, crowded the great church. Instead of soldiers, the cordon was formed by the cadets of the military and naval academies, the future officers of the armed forces of land and sea. But more impressive than the gorgeous spectacle was the evident emotion of the King and Queen, and the tender but passionate affection which illumined the aspect of the young bride and bridegroom. Flowers exhaled their perfume, music elevated the spirit at the solemn moment of the union ; the vast assembly were one in the fervent hope and belief that this pure and true love would be blessed to perpetuate one of the noblest and most ancient dynasties in Europe. Monsignor Piscicelli-Taeggi, surrounded by the palatine clergy,^ besought a blessing on the young pair. When at the conclusion of the nuptial rite, the Prince and Princess appeared, surrounded and followed by that brilliant throng of Royal official personages, a burst of applause echoed through the piazza, and the crowd followed the Royal cortege to the Quirinal Palace. The enthusiasm was characteristic of the country and the time ; to the Italian temperament this gorgeous pageant was a vision, a dream of youth crowned by love, on the throne of the fairest of lands, the first in the making and adorning of the civilized world. ^ Palatine clergy, as palatine churches, are those exclusively used for the Royal Family. < 7. w X H u I U o o f- /^ III H X U cx Q < O H OS W CHAPTER XVI Inauguration at the Capitol of the International Congress of the Press — Umberto and Margherita of Savoy among the representatives of the Press of the world — Enthusiasm of foreign delegates for the Queen, who speaks to each in his own language — Journey of the Royal Family to Sardinia — Conditions of the island — Characteristics of the Sardinians — The Sovereigns arrive in Cagliari April 12th, 1899 — The French squadron — Admiral Fournier presents an autograph letter of President Loubet to the King of Italy — The Sovereigns are present in Sassari at the inauguration of a monument to Vittorio Emanuelo II — Margherita of Savoy admires Sardinian costumes — The British squadron in the Golfo degli Aranci — The Sovereigns visit the tomb of Garibaldi in Caprera — Ricciotti Garibaldi and his wife found a hospital at Maddalena — Returning to Rome, the King calls the attention of the Government to the needs of Sardinia — The Sardinian poets and novelists — The King and Queen visit in May, 1900, the High School for girls, founded in Naples by Princess Pignatelli Strongoli — The King names lady-in-waiting to the Queen, Enrichetta Capecelatro Carafa, Duchessa d'Andria — The two ancient families, Capecelatro and Carafa d'Andria — The 1st of May, 1900, in Rome — The Queen on that day in the Piazza del Popolo — The basis of modern education. THE International Congress of the Press which was held in Rome in 1898 was solemnly inaugurated at the Capitol, in the presence of the King and Queen. When the opening speeches were over, the foreign delegates were introduced to the Sovereigns, and were pleased with their simple cordiality. They were astonished at the unusual facility with which the Queen conversed with each, in turn, in his own language, showing also her intimate know- ledge of his country's history and present condi- tion. The pressmen were warmly greeted in Rome and later in Naples, Pompeii, Venice, and 193 194 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY elsewhere ; they spoke with enthusiasm of Margherita of Savoy's conversation, saying that she would have been a remarkable woman in any station of life. The King and Queen had long desired to visit Sardinia, where devotion to the House of Savoy is traditional since Victor Amadeus II received that island in exchange for Sicily, taking from it his title of King. Sardinia had not been visited by any of the Princes of the House of Savoy since Vittorio Emanuele I left Cagliari in 1814, after a residence of several years in that, the last of his domains. Occasionally Vittorio Emanuele II had landed on those savage shores for shooting, but he had never passed a night on the island. This explains the fervent desire of the Sardinian people to see the King, and especi- ally the Queen, for whom they had almost a cult, having heard so much of her beauty and good- ness. They hoped also that after the King had seen the country for himself, he would urge the Government to do something to improve their condition of life, which was worse than in any other part of Italy. The geological formation and geographical position of the island, and its bad administration, have made the lot of Sardinians always a hard one. Want of water, due to the insignificant height of the mountains and their continued deforestation, is the principal cause of the poverty of agricultural products. The island of Sardinia, lying midway in the Mediterranean, is almost equidistant but far removed from the Italian peninsula, and from France, Spain, and Africa ; it is thus difficult to establish important commerical relations. This geographical position has caused the isolation SARDINIA 195 of her people, who have remained apart and cut off from the Hfe and civil evolution of the continent of Europe. Although European rulers have continually made the unfortunate island the field of their tyranny and exactions, the dawn of the nineteenth century found Sardinia still rich in prehistoric remains, still almost prehistoric in the character and condition of its inhabitants, who, in spite of so many centuries of oppression and neglect, were Italian at heart, though there was nothing to show that the State had awakened in the island any impulse of social and economic development. The condition of things in Sardinia is even at the present day unsatisfactory and almost pain- ful, owing to its scarce population, its poverty, its ignorance, and its savage instincts not always repressed. But Sardinia has given great men to Italy, and it possesses abundant natural resources, which, if developed, would greatly improve its economic conditions. The Sardinian has ex- cellent qualities, the island is full of savage beauty, but it is rarely visited by foreigners, as it lacks, at present, good hotels and the comforts necessary to attract visitors accustomed to the refinements of civilization. When the unity of Italy was accomplished, the deputies from the different parts of Sardinia were unanimous in representing to the Government the necessity for regenerating a region so long deserted and neglected. Laws were made and grants voted for the foundation of schools, the making of roads, aqueducts, and irrigation works for the systematic cultivation of tobacco ; a police force was also organized for the preservation of order. The news of a visit from the King and Queen 196 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY was greeted by the Sardinians with extraordinary enthusiasm ; they trusted to it to inaugurate a new era for their country and themselves. Leaving Civitavecchia on the Royal yacht Savoy, the Sovereigns landed at Caghari on April 12th, 1899, and were saluted by the French and Italian squadrons anchored there. On landing, Admiral Fournier presented to the King an autograph letter of the President of the French Republic, Emile Loubet, and he begged, the King and Queen to honour him by their presence at luncheon on board the Brennus. The invita- tion was cordially accepted, and the Admiral was invited on the following day to luncheon on the Savoy. At Sassari the Sovereigns were present at the inauguration of a monument erected in memory of Vittorio Emanuele II. They were greatly impressed by the extraordinary picturesqueness of the costumes of the people who passed and bowed before them in a long procession. The Queen was so much pleased with the costumes that she ordered one for herself ; she had been photographed in such a garb several years before. On April 14th the King laid the first stone of the new Municipal Palace at Cagliari and after- wards visited Oristano and the suburbs of Samassi, which had recently been greatly damaged by storm. At the mines of Monteponi were thousands of miners, who greeted the King and Queen with great enthusiasm, the more touching as the poverty of the people was so evident, so uncom- promising, so desperate. The generous hearts of the Sovereigns were moved with compassion at the sight of such misery, and they did what TOMB OF GARIBALDI 197 they could to relieve it by gifts of money. At the Golfo degli Aranei was anchored the British squadron, which defiled before the King. The British Admiral, on the Majestic, invited the Sovereigns to luncheon, and complimented the Queen on her perfect English. Before leaving Sardinia the Sovereigns visited the tomb of Garibaldi at Caprera, where the hero spent the last years of his life, surrounded by his family. Queen Margherita was deeply impressed by the reverence with which are preserved in Caprera all the records and rehcs of the life of the immortal liberator. On the heights of the solitary little island is the small one-storied house, painted white, where that modern Cin- cinnatus spent, in frugal simplicity, the last days of his life, until his great soul was ready to leave his worn-out body and to enter into the fuller life of the spirit. In the room hallowed by his death are the small possessions which he left and the different tokens of the veneration of the world for Garibaldi ; wreaths in bronze, silver, and gold, among which shines out the wreath which King Umberto laid on the tomb of the hero of two worlds. At a short distance from the modest little home is the field where Garibaldi sowed and reaped the wheat which he used then to grind in his little flour-mill ; of this he made his bread and baked it in the little oven still in situ. Down below is the small harbour where Garibaldi, when so ill and suffering that he could no longer bathe, liked to be taken ; he would sit there and look at his children and grandchildren, the sons and daughters of Ricciotti and his wife Constance, a good and capable Englishwoman devoted to 198 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY her husband's father, who had for her a special regard and affection. This lady, proud of her name, has dedicated all her energies to the bringing up of her large family and to the founda- tion and maintenance of a hospital on the small island of Maddalena, near Sardinia, where, with the help of her daughters, she does much good work. The Italian Government disregarded the desire of Garibaldi that his ashes should be dispersed to the winds and had caused Parliament to pass a law ordaining that, as a token of national gratitude, the tomb of the hero should be honoured by a perpetual guard of Italian soldiers and sailors, who relieve each other in the pious duty of watching it by night and day. In their visit to Caprera, in April, 1889, King Umberto and Queen Margherita admired the austere dignity of that tomb, erected in accord- ance with Garibaldi's simple tastes without any ornament. The monument is of rough, coarse, hard stone with a railing all round and two low columns on which stand marble urns full of wild flowers, which blossom every spring in strong vivid colours. July 4th, 1907, the first centenary of Garibaldi's birthday, was solemnly commemorated by a great national pilgrimage to the solitary tomb. The Italian people hold in everlasting remembrance and honour the liberator of their country, who gave his whole life for the glory of Italy, one and free. Returning to Rome from Sardinia, the King called the attention of the Government to the pressing needs of the island, which the local deputies since 1888 had been constant in urging. Much since has been done for Sardinia, more remains to be done for the civil progress and the SARDINIAN POETS AND NOVELISTS 199 economic welfare of this remote region of Italy to enable it to recover from the neglect and oppression of so many centuries. Sardinia has her poets and her novelists, who have described with strong, glowing colouring the primitive life and manners of the almost unknown island. The poems of Sebastiano Satta are full of beauty and suggestion; Grazia Deledda, who retains, in spite of her great success as a novelist, her simple, quiet personality, has, in her Sardinian romances and tales, shown us with extraordinary power and picturesque sentiment the impulsive and generous people of her native land, whose energy and power of endurance might well, under more favourable conditions, become a valuable asset for the State. The visit to Sardinia in 1899 was the last official journey made by King Umberto and Queen Margherita in company. They appeared together for the last time in Naples, when they visited the " Istituto Suor Orsola Benin- casa," a High School for girls. This institute, occupying a former convent of the religious community called " Le Sepolte Vive," is to- day one of the best in Italy. Its excellence is due to the energy and perseverance of one of Queen Margherita's ladies-in-waiting, the Prin- cess Pignatelli Strongoli, who had the rare fortune to find an intelligent, highly cultivated, and perfectly trained lady, Antonietta Pagliara, to whom she could trust the direction of the institute. Visiting the fine building with its terraces facing the Bay of Naples, the King and Queen highly compHmented Princess Strongoli and her coadjutrix. As a token of their satis- faction they presented their signed photographs 200 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY to the institute. Its perfect organization is evident to all who visit it, and its exceptional importance has been recognized by Italian and foreign writers. Princess Strongoli and Signorina Pagliari have not limited their efforts to intellectual culture, but they have also complete courses of domestic economy, thus preparing the girls to fulfil their natural mission of good house- wives ; they leave the institute prepared to be good mothers of a family, which should be the prin- cipal aim of modern education. During this visit to Naples the King appointed as lady-in-waiting to the Queen, Enrichetta Capecelatro Carafa, Duchessa d'Andria e di Castel del Monte, who, since her girlhood, has been very dear to Queen Margherita. Enrichetta Capecelatro springs from a patriotic and intellectual family. Her grandfather, a General, Duca Francesco Cape- celatro, was one of the exiles of 1820 ; condemned to death by the Bourbons, he succeeded in escaping in a boat, concealed among sacks of coal. Her father, Antonio Capecelatro, having incurred the suspicion of the Government, was arrested during the last days of the Bourbon dynasty in Naples ; he had been born in exile, as was also his brother Alfonso, the great Cardinal Capecelatro. Antonio Capecelatro married a niece of Antonio Ranieri, the well-known Nea- politan writer, and the friend of Leopardi. Enrichetta Capecelatro, herself of such noble descent, had the good fortune to marry a highly cultivated Neapolitan nobleman, Riccardo Carafa, Duca d'Andria e di Castel del Monte, who also belongs to an ancient and illustrious family, which numbers among its ancestry the famous Pope, Paul IV, several cardinals and great ENRICHETTA CAPECELATRO 201 soldiers. The Carafa fought the Austrian Vice- Royalty in favour of Charles III, who came from Spain to establish the independence of the kingdom of Naples. In the beginning of the eighteenth century Tiberio Carafa fought against the Spanish power and was exiled to Austria ; he there became the friend of Eugenio of Savoy, with whom he made the campaign for the estab- lishment of the House of Lorraine in the kingdom of Naples. Ettore Carafa ended his life on the scaffold, in Naples, 1799. The present head of the family, Riccardo Carafa, belongs to the intimate circle which gathers in Rome around Queen Margherita, who values highly the rare qualities of his cultivated mind and generous heart. In 1904 he was made a Senator ; he was the youngest member of the Italian Senate, where he is highly regarded, not only for his efficient public life, but for his domestic virtues. The character and life of Enrichetta Capecelatro affords an excellent example of the fact that wide culture makes of women better wives and mothers ; the Duchessa, a woman of rarely developed mental gifts and known as a writer of poetry and social subjects, has with her husband's help most carefully educated their four children. The eldest, Antonio, took his University degree in Literature and gives great promise in that field ; three charming daughters, Eleonora, Vittoria, and Brianna, rank amongst the most cultivated yet modest girls in the highest social circles in Naples, where the Palazzo Carafa d'Andria is an intellectual centre, noted for its precious historical records and fine library of ancient and modern books. The news of the distinctions conferred on the representatives of this illustrious 202 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY family was received with great satisfaction in Naples. In 1898 a group of the unemployed, incited by agitators, threatened to repeat the demonstra- tions of February, 1889, when the kind heart of the Queen had been much distressed by the rebellious movement which threatened public peace and order. It should be here observed how, in any social or political crisis. Queen Margherita has always and everywhere been respected. No one has yet forgotten the demon- stration in Rome of May 1st, 1900, when from the thousands of people who crowded the streets the cry of " Evviva la Revoluzione ! " was heard ; there was much alarm and consternation until it became known that stringent measures had been taken for the protection of the lives and goods of the citizens. On May 1st the Queen went out as usual for her drive to the Villa Borghese, which the King had purchased and presented to the city of Rome for the good and enjoyment of the people. The Piazza del Popolo was crowded with the demonstrators, whom the police and troops had not succeeded in dispersing, but as soon as the Queen's carriage appeared, with the Court's red liveries, a burst of applause broke out, to which the Queen responded with her accustomed charming smile, showing how sure she felt of the people's affec- tionate regard. The Italian people have chival- rous instincts, and their gratitude to the August Lady, who shares their sorrows, has always been deep and real. They are aware that Queen Margherita has been always conscious that the greatness and prosperity of the country depend on the organization of labour, its source of national MODERN EDUCATION 203 wealth ; and they know that she has never neglected an opportunity of helping the people, always feeling, understanding, and protecting their rights. The Italians of to-day recognize with just pride how much has been done and is being done to improve the intellectual and economic condi- tions of the labouring classes. Margherita of Savoy has always felt it the duty of the happy to help the unfortunate ; this duty should be impressed on every member of the community, and made the basis of modern education, as the only true source of the general welfare and happi- ness. CHAPTER XVII Indignation of the civilized world for the murder of the Empress of Austria in Geneva, September 10th, 1898 — Grief of Queen Mar- gherita — Diplomatic Conference in Rome — King Umberto goes to Naples to take leave of the troops going to China on July 20th, 1900 — Telegram from Cape Spartivento of the General commanding the troops to the Queen for her fete — Queen Margherita's reply — Happiness of Margherita of Savoy in Monza — A bust of the Queen made in Monza by Giulio Monteverde — The King invited to give away the prizes to the Gymnastic Society in Monza — Forebodings of the Queen — The King determined to go — Four revolver shots fired against Umberto of Savoy — His appeal to the doctors — Courage and moral strength of Margherita of Savoy — She watches that last night by the King's corpse — Paper found in the King's waistcoat-pocket — The telegrams sent by the Queen to the King her son — The news reaches the King and Queen on the sea. ON September 10th, 1898, the assassina- tion of the Empress EHzabeth of Austria, a woman richly endowed by nature with physical and mental gifts, but as unfor- tunate as she was beautiful, aroused the horror and the indignation of the civilized world. Queen Margherita, who had known and loved the Empress, felt most keenly her friend's cruel death, and the more because the assassin was an Italian. The diplomatists representing the different foreign nations in Rome met in that city for a conference, the object of which was to study the best means of restraining anarchy and of pre- venting those crimes which, by depriving Royal personages of life, defeat their own ends and strengthen rather than weaken the monarchic 204 ^ KING UMBERTO IN NAPLES 205 principle, but the conference did not result in any concrete proposals or resolutions. The Marchese di Rudini had prepared, before his resignation, the outline of a scheme for the better preservation of public order ; but unfortunately his successors were content to entrust this im- portant question to one of those committees of a type too well known, which seem organized for the purpose of paralysing any kind of initia- tive. On July 20th, 1900, King Umberto went to the arsenal of Naples to review and to witness the departure of the troops leaving Naples that day for the Far East, where the fanatic agitation of the Boxers, the enemies of all strangers, made it perilous to Europeans to sojourn in several commercial settlements in the Chinese Empire. The King spoke some kind words to each of the officers, especially to those who had been in Africa, and an order of the day was issued addressed to all the members of the Italian contingent about to join the representatives of the different foreign armies in China : " Officers, soldiers, non-commissioned officers, — To all about to sail I bring my greetings and our coun- try's good wishes for the fortune of your arms, not this time assumed for conquest, but for the defence of the sacred rights of nations and of down-trodden humanity. You are going to a far-off land, where our banner has been outraged. You will have as companions in arms the soldiers of the most powerful nations in the world ; be for them good comrades ; hold high the prestige of the Italian army and the honour of our country. Go, and believe that my heart goes with you. May God bless your enterprise." 206 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY The King and his suite watched that afternoon the departure of the troops, who, from the deck of the steamer, saluted him with enthusiasm, httle thinking that they would never again see their good King ; on their arrival in Aden they heard, with horror, of his death by the murderous hand of an Italian. That day of departure, July 20th, being the fete of Queen Margherita, the General command- ing the troops, on arriving at Cape Spartivento, telegraphed to the Queen : " In sight of the utmost end of Italian land, the expedition to the Far East sees a good omen for our flag in the fortunate event of this day being the name- day of Your Majesty." The Queen, always glad to show her interest and pride in the Italian army, replied at once to the General commanding the troops : — " Deeply touched by your kind salutation, I send my affectionate good wishes for the expedi- tion, trusting that our banner may be gloriously unfurled in the Far East, to prove to other nations the valour of our brave Italian soldiers and the honour of our country's name." The troops of the Powers, reinforced by Japanese contingents, repressed in a short time the Boxers' insurrection, which had received from the Chinese Court, especially from the then Empress Dowager, impulse and protection ; the foreign troops remained for some time longer in China, to guard the Consulates and Concessions and to maintain public order. Queen Margherita was never so happy as when she could spend some quiet days in her favourite villa in Monza, which had been given to King Umberto on his marriage. The tenderest FOREBODINGS OF THE QUEEN 207 memories of the Queen's life, as bride and young mother, were associated with the beautiful villa and its surroundings ; she used every year to return thither, and receive old friends and celebrities of the intellectual world as her guests. Giulio Monteverde, while the guest of the Royal Family, modelled at Monza a fine marble bust of Queen Margherita. On the morning of Sunday, July 29th, 1900, the King and Queen heard Mass in their private chapel, to which, by their special desire, the public had been admitted ; it was afterwards found that the assassin, Bresci, had been that morn- ing in the chapel ; not even the sight of the good King and Queen, surrounded, even during their devotions, by their people as they loved to be, could turn him from his fell purpose. The King had graciously consented that evening to give away the prizes at the festal meeting of the Gymnastic Association ; as on such occasions the crowd is very great, the Queen, with a cer- tain foreboding, had begged him to find some excuse for not going, but the King had promised to go and he would keep his word ; no con- siderations of personal safety should make him disappoint his people. Queen Margherita, surrounded by her Court and friends, wore that evening a white dress and her famous pearls about her neck and breast ; at nine o'clock the King saluted her, promising to return very soon, and the Queen awaited his return with her guests. The gymnasium was about half a mile from one of the gates of the villa. A stand had been erected for the King and his suite, on either side of which were the seats of the spectators, who paid 208 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY for entrance ; the space reserved for the non- paying pubhc seemed small, but was easy of access ; the gymnasium was badly lighted by a few electric lamps. Until the last moment none of the local military authorities had been invited, and when the King, accompanied by his two aides-de-camp. General Ponzio Vaglia and General Avogadro di Quinto, arrived, he was received by the Prefect and the local deputies. The Royal March and a burst of applause greeted the King. At twenty minutes past ten the ceremony was over, the prizes had been dis- tributed by the King, who shook hands cordially with all the prize-winners and with the local authorities ; he then descended from the stand to resume his place in the Royal carriage and return to the villa. But at the moment of enter- ing the carriage, the King caught sight of an officer whom he had formerly often seen riding in the park, and had not seen since his return from Naples ; he stopped to shake hands and to ask him why he had not seen him for so long ; and the officer having replied that he still rode every morning in the park, the King said he hoped soon to meet him again. The King then took his seat in the carriage, which the two Generals entered after him ; they were seating themselves opposite to His Majesty, when four revolver shots were heard above the applause of the people for the King, who was still saluting them. The King did not at once perceive that he had been hit, for he ordered the coachman to drive with all speed to the villa, but while the horses fled onwards, he sank towards General Ponzio Vaglia, who was seated near him, ex- claiming : "I think I am wounded ! " COURAGE OF MARGHERITA 209 When the carriage entered the park the King was dead. ... It was ten minutes to eleven when Queen Margherita saw General Avogadro di Quinto enter the room alone ; she knew that something had happened ; pale and trembling, she cried out : " And the King ? . . ." The General had hardly replied that His Majesty did not feel well, when the Queen ran out in her white dress and reached the carriage where her husband lay dead. . . . Such scenes are better undescribed ; what words can express the anguish of the spirit at the sight of the beloved one, cold and still, whose look and smile were an hour before the light and joy of life ? The grief of those who can preserve their reason and their calm is not less acute, it is even more deeply felt than in those who abandon themselves to sobs, and tears, convulsions, and desperate acts. Margherita of Savoy burst into tears, but immediately con- trolled herself with the indomitable heroic spirit and fortitude of a daughter of the House of Savoy. At first she could not and would not believe that there was no hope of reviving that precious life, and she implored that every means should be tried to save the King. The Sub- Prefect with two doctors had arrived and the King was carried to his bed ; the Queen remained to watch the doctors examining him, and stooping to hear if the heart of Umberto II still beat, but that noble life was ended ; he lay cold and still and pale, the light of life for ever quenched. The looks which the doctors exchanged con- firmed the fears of the trembling Queen and of all present that the hand of the assassin had 210 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY killed one of the best men of our time. When the Queen at last realized the cruel truth she fell on her knees by the King's corpse and cried out, no longer controlling her sobs of anguish : " How could they kill you, who loved your people so much ? This is the greatest crime of our century ! " Then rising, she bent to kiss the cold face, on which her tears fell, until her devoted friend, the Marchesa di Villamarina, herself much affected, endeavoured to persuade her to calm herself and to retire, while the doctors prepared the King's corpse for the lying in state. But the Queen promised that she would be calm and strong and bow her head before the will of God, but that night, the last night, she would spend in prayer by the body of her husband ; and she implored that no one should deprive her of this supreme comfort, since none of the Royal Family were there to watch by the august dead. When the King was undressed, there was found, pierced by the fatal bullet, a folded paper which the Marchesa di Villamarina had given him that morning. It was a list of names and addresses of poor people whose wants the King had intended to relieve the next day. The murderous bullet which had extinguished for ever the life of that generous heart had passed first through the paper, the last proof of the inexhaustible goodness, the unceasing thought of the King for his poorer subjects. Without even changing her white dress, only throwing over it a black lace shawl, the Queen watched all the night near the King's corpse. In the early hours of the morning she had telegrams sent to all the signal stations on the Italian and Eastern coasts to call back to his country the NEWS REACHES THE KING 211 young King, her son, who had left Greece with his bride on the afternoon of July 29th on their yacht Yela, their destination unknown. The cruel tidings reached Vittorio Emanuele III on the sea, where his crown came to him veiled with the pall of tragedy. CHAPTER XVIII Evidence of the heroic temper of Margherita of Savoy — Her letter to Monsignor Bonomelli — His reply — The prayer of Queen Margherita — The Church does not approve it as not liturgical — Antonio Fogazzaro — The love and pity of the people for Margherita of Savoy — Giuseppe Saracco — The arrival in Monza of the Dowager Duchess of Genoa — The King and Queen land at Reggio in Calabria — The Duke of Genoa meets the Sovereigns at Battipaglia — All the Princes of the House of Savoy greet the King and Queen and the Duke of Genoa at the railway station in Monza — The Duke of Aosta gives the King a letter from his mother — Arrival at the Royal Villa in Monza — The meeting of the Sovereigns with Queen Margherita — Visit to the hall where the corpse of King Umberto lay in state — Deep emotion of Queen Elena — Margherita of Savoy yields her place to Queen Elena — Transport of King Umberto's coffin frorcbthe Royal ViUa to the railway station — Universal grief of ItaUans and sad journey of the Royal Family — Arrival in Rome on August 9th, 1900. THE greatness of Queen Margherita's character was fully revealed during the night of July 29-30 and on the following days, during which, owing to the absence of the young King, her son, she had to assume the direction of all the urgent business necessitated by the tragic event. There were telegrams to be sent and telegrams to be answered, the Ministers to be received, arrangements to be made, and orders given for the funeral, which was to take place as soon as the King arrived. The in- domitable spirit of Queen Margherita drew all its fortitude, calm, and moral force from her earnest faith in God. She found supreme com- fort in prayer, and her deep grief inspired her with that touching prayer which has been 212 LETTER TO BONOMELLI 213 translated into all languages and which reveals the loftiness of her soul and her unusual poetic faculty. In the solemn silence of the tragic night, spent by the corpse of her adored husband, Queen Margherita wrote a prayer for the soul of the murdered King ; she sent it the next morning, accompanied by the following letter, to the Archbishop of Cremona, Monsignor Geremia Bonomelli : — " MONZA, " August 1st, 1900. " MONSIGNORE, " I am sure that you are with me in heart and thought in this terrible moment which God has sent upon Italy. I am sure also that your thoughts and prayers are for him, for the King who so loved his people and who fell a victim to his love for them, stricken by three bullets, fired by an Italian hand. Oh, shame and horror ! . . . " God in His mercy spared him, what would have been too terrible and painful for him, to know that the parricidal hand was Italian, and the supreme bitterness that the bullets fired at his sacred person were aimed by one of his own subjects. It occurred to me, and I believe God has helped me, to write a prayer in memory of our King, which may be repeated by everyone for the repose of his soul. I have written it, just as I thought it, with my whole heart, and it is so easy that all may understand it. I believe that the permission and the approval of a Bishop are needed for the diffusion, and I thought of you, whom I respect with all my heart, and I hope you will grant my request. I beg you to have this prayer copied, printed, and recom- 214 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY mended in memory of my husband and King, so that all his people may pray for him ; and let it be known that I wrote it, so that perhaps for the love, which not for any merit of mine, the people have for me, it may be willingly recited. " A Rosary is recited with the prayer. " I commend to your own prayers, Mon- signore, the memory of our good King, myself, the reigning King my son, and all our family ; God will hear your prayers. " With the greatest esteem and a true venera- tion, I remain " Your Eminence's " Most devoted " Margherita of Savoy." Count G. O. Tadini, gentleman-in-waiting of Queen Margherita, was charged with delivering this letter to the Archbishop of Cremona, who had it published in all the Italian newspapers, together with the prayer, adding the following words : " How could I not accept the prayer of the august and most pious lady, written with the corpse of the King, her husband, before her eyes ? It would have been cruel, and it would have deprived the people of a luminous example of faith, piety, Christian fortitude as remarkable as it is rare. Having asked the advice of those empowered to give it, and having received a favourable reply, I publish herewith the prayer of the Queen. " ' Devotion : " ' In memory of King Umberto, my lord and most beloved husband. (( I PRAYER OF MARGHERITA 215 Rosary : Credo — Pater — De Profundis. — Because he was merciful to all, according to Thy law, O Lord, be merciful to him and give him peace ! " ' Ten Hail Marys. " ' Pater — De Profundis. — Because he would have only justice, have mercy on him, O Lord! " ' Ten Hail Marys. " ' Pater — De Profundis. — Because he forgave everyone, forgive him, O Lord, the errors of his human nature. " ' Ten Hail Marys. " ' Pater — De Profundis. — Because he loved his people, and had only one thought, the good of his country, receive him into the glorious country, O Lord ! " ' Ten Hail Marys. " ' Pater — De Profundis. — Because he was good to his last breath and fell the victim to his goodness, grant him, O Lord, the eternal crown of martyrs. " ' Ten Hail Marys — Pater — ^De Profundis. " ' Prayer. " ' O Lord my God ! in this world of Thine he did only what was good, he bore no malice, he forgave those who did him wrong, he con- secrated his life to his duty and to his country's good, to his last breath he did the work which Thou, O Lord, gavest him to do. For the red blood, which flowed from three wounds, for his cruel death, which crowned a life of goodness and justice, O merciful and just Lord, receive him 216 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY into Thy kingdom and give him the eternal reward of his goodness. " ' Stabat Mater— De Profundis.' " Cremona, August 3rd, 1900. " Geremia, Bishop." But, though the Archbishop of Cremona, a pious and learned man, had approved and pub- lished this touching prayer, which had flowed from the broken heart of a desolate Queen ; not- withstanding the fact that he had asked and obtained the favourable opinion of " those em- powered to give it,'^ which all well knew meant Leo XIII himself, the prayer was unfortunately not approved by the Church in Rome, because it was not considered in conformity with the liturgy, which demands a different and severer style. But the Italian people from the snowy north to the sunny south had already learned to repeat it, in sumptuous churches as in the rustic country chapels, and pious families of all ranks had appreciated and recited it with tears. The people followed the impulse of their hearts, responding also to the exordium of Antonio Fogazzaro, published in all the newspapers : " More than ever let us incline, in silence, our hearts in devout and reverent blessing of her who weeps, pure pearl of Savoy, love and pride of our coun- try, flower and light of all grace, first Queen of Italy, Margherita." The bonds which unite the people of Italy to their beloved Queen were never stronger and tenderer than in those sad days. The love of the people for Margherita of Savoy rose then to such a height that only those who were witnesses of LOVE AND PITY FOR MARGHERITA 217 the impetuous and touching demonstrations of that time can confidently assert that never was any Queen more dearly loved than the august lady who was the first Queen of Italy. At that time the President of the Council was Giuseppe Saracco, who died a few years ago. The heroic resignation and marvellous moral strength of Queen Margherita much impressed the old patriot, and he often said in those memorable days, " The world does not contain a finer spirit." Queen Margherita herself opened and replied to all the telegrams, which arrived from all parts of Italy and of the world. The telegrams from Rome and from the German Emperor impressed her the most, and to these, as to many others, she replied personally. All those who approached Queen Margherita in those days, which were certainly the most painful of her life, were amazed at her absolute self-control. The pallor of her face alone be- trayed her suffering ; only when the Dowager Duchess of Genoa arrived to comfort her did she bow her fair head on her mother's bosom, bursting into tears too strongly repressed till then. But she soon resumed her marvellous calm, and was able to go on accomplishing the important duties incumbent on her till the King, her son, should arrive. As soon as she heard that Vittorio Emanuele III would land at Reggio, in Calabria, she sent telegrams to be given to him on his arrival, and at the same time she telegraphed to the Duke of Genoa, who was on board the Admiral's flagship at " Porto S. Stefano," begging him to go to meet the King, his nephew, and communicate to him the terrible news of his beloved father's assassination. The 218 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY Duke of Genoa started for Naples, where he found a telegram from the King, announcing his determination to go at once to Monza. The first land which the King and Queen touched on arriving in Italy was Reggio, in Calabria, the beautiful, wild, mountainous region of dense woods, through which impetuous tor- rents rush into the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas. The loyal Calabrians crowded the railway station to greet, in deep silence, their sorrowing King and Queen. The intensity of feeling existing among those simple people, inured as they are to hardship and self-sacrifice, was visible during the passage of the Royal train. Vittorio Emanuele and Elena received and retained, on this occasion, a strong impression of the worth and loyalty of the Calabrians, as was evident at the time of the great earthquake, when Calabria and Sicily expe- rienced the generous goodness of their Sovereigns and benefactors. At Battipaglia, the Duke of Genoa joined the King and Queen and accompanied them to Monza, where all the Princes of the House of Savoy were at the station to receive the King and Queen and the Duke of Genoa. The Duke of Aosta gave his cousin a letter, on which could be read in the clear handwriting of Queen Mar- gherita the words " For my son " ; the King opened and read it at once, hardly controlling his emotion, he then gave it to Queen Elena, who could not restrain her tears. The closed carriages crossed rapidly the silent town to the villa. At the foot of the stairs were the Queen of Portugal, Princess Clotilde Bona- parte, the Duchess Laetitia of Aosta-Bonaparte, and the Duchess Elena of Aosta-Orleans, who VISIT TO CORPSE OF UMBERTO 219 tenderly embraced the young pair. Vittorio Emanuele and Elena met their widowed mother in her own apartment, and a tearful embrace made them one in their sorrow ; only in that moment did the King lose his self-command and give way to his grief. Queen Margherita was the first to regain her self-control, and restraining her deep emotion, she prepared to accompany her son and his wife to the great hall where the body of King Umberto lay in state. The hall was lined with dark red damask and in each corner were palms ; the coffin lay on the base of a Napoleonic throne, brought to Monza from the Royal Palace in Milan, and covered with a drapery of red velvet, in the centre of which was embroidered the arms of the House of Savoy. Round the coffin, on which were laid the Italian flag and the King's sword, were tall candelabra of twelve lights each ; at the foot of the coffin, on a red velvet cushion, was the Iron Crown of Lombardy. Before the coffin was an altar, above which a large white cross shone on a red ground ; on either side of the altar were two kneeling-stools, one for the Queen, the other for the ladies of the Court. Near the altar the Royal Princes and the equerries relieved each other in a guard of honour. The adjoining hall was filled with wreaths and flowers, sent from all parts of Italy and the other countries of Europe. After kneeling beside the coffin, for some moments, in silent prayer and tears. Queen Margherita gave her son the particulars of the tragic event with a calmness which betrayed her deep emotion ; the young Queen was deeply moved, and then, as always, showed her affec- tionate devotion for the mother of her husband. 220 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY When the Royal Family met that day at dinner and Queen Margherita offered the place of honour to her son and his wife, Queen Elena burst into tears and said she could not occupy the place so gracefully yielded to her. Much time indeed was needed before the young and tender-hearted Queen could bring herself to take the place which was now hers, for in those terrible days it seemed to her impossible to take precedence of the heroic woman whose courage and magnanimity filled with admiration even the oldest courtiers. The arrangements for the solemn funeral had been already made by the Government, who had submitted them to Queen Margherita, but she had expressed the wish that nothing should be definitely settled before the King's arrival. It had been decided that nothing should be done in Monza, but that all the ceremonies should take place in Rome, and Vittorio Emanuele approved the scheme which was submitted to him. On Wednesday, August 8th, King Umberto's coffin was taken from the Royal villa in Monza to the railway station on a gun-carriage, drawn by four artillery horses. On the coffin was a pall of red velvet, on which were laid the Cross of Savoy, the Italian flag, the helmet and sword of the King. Notwithstanding the rain, the streets were crowded with people, standing behind the line of soldiers. The bells of the Basilica in Monza began to toll, and were followed by those of all the local churches. The balconies, windows, and stands, erected for the occasion in the streets through which the sad procession passed, were crowded with Italians and foreigners who had arrived in Monza that morning. The UNIVERSAL GRIEF OF ITALIANS 221 places on the stands were sold at a very high price, with the object of devoting the money to the foundation of some benevolent institution, which should bear the name of King Umberto. The procession from the Royal villa to the station was preceded by military bands, playing funeral marches, and long lines of soldiers, headed by Generals ; then followed the Court footmen carrying the splendid wreaths of Queen Mar- gherita, the young King and Queen, the Duchesses of Genoa and Aosta, and all the other members of the House of Savoy. The clergy followed, singing psalms, and then appeared the coffin followed by Monsignor Rossi, carrying, on a yellow velvet cushion, the Iron Crown. Behind the coffin, covered by a long black veil and led by a groom, paced slowly the King's charger, and lastly came the Royal Princes, surrounded and followed by the great dignitaries of the State, a large number of officers, and an inter- minable crowd of people. The coffin was placed in a railway carriage, prepared for the purpose and lined with black velvet, ornamented with gold fringes, mono- grams, and Royal crowns ; around the coffin were placed candelabras with lighted candles. This carriage communicated with the one in which the Royal Family travelled. The re- maining carriages of the funeral train were occupied by the personages of the Court and Government. The most touching silence accom- panied the procession and the departure of the train. All the way down to Rome, at each station, even where the train did not stop, people were waiting in the dark night, uncovering their heads 222 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY in silence as the train passed ; while everywhere, and always, was heard the tolling of the bells of the churches, far and near. But the grief ex- pressed by all Italy had its culminating demon- stration in Rome, where the funeral train arrived in the grey dawn of August 9th. CHAPTER XIX The funeral of King Umberto — The Ravenna labourers from the agricultural colony at Ostia — The parish priest of the Quirinal — The Iron Crown — History of the treasvire of the Crown of Italy — The new King in Parliament — The speech from the throne — Address of the Senate to Vittorio Emanuele III — The disaster of Caatle Giubileo — The immuration of the body of King Umberto at the Pantheon — Senator Pier Desiderio Pasolini — Funeral ceremonies in Italy and abroad — Baron De Renzis, Italian Ambassador in London, commemorates King Umberto — The Italian banner on the Catholic Church in Hatton Garden, London, THE imposing magnificence of the funeral of King Umberto in Rome was rendered far more impressive by the presence of over four hundred thousand persons in the streets and the balconies, their pale and sorrowful countenances expressing their heartfelt grief. The parish priests of S. Vincenzo ed Anastasio, the parish church of the Quirinal, received at the railway station the King's body, and with other members of the Catholic clergy took part in the funeral, walking in the long procession from the station to the Pantheon. From the railway to the gun-carriage the King's coffin was borne by the cuirassiers of the bodyguard. The young King, though preserving his self-control, im- pressed the crowds by his evident emotion ; he walked immediately behind the coffin, which was covered by the banner embroidered by the Roman ladies for the ironclad Roma. On the coffin lay the King's helmet and two wreaths of flowers, bearing the names of " Margherita " 223 224 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY and " Vittorio ed Elena." From the balconies, all along the way, were thrown rose leaves, and the tolling of the great bell of the Capitol alone broke the solemn silence ; the people bowed their heads in reverence as the Royal bier passed along. Senator San Marzano carried, on a cushion, the Iron Crown, and was followed by the King's favourite charger, covered with black crape. The imposing procession, preceded and followed by military music, arrived at the Pan- theon. The great columns of the portico were covered with black crape, among the folds of which, as also inside the temple, wherever any space could be found, were flowers, laurel wreaths, and palms, while the innumerable floral tributes sent from all parts of Italy and from foreign countries lay everywhere around. All the Royal Family, the representatives of the Royal Families of Europe and of the army and navy, priests, monks, delegates from numerous civil and religious associations, with their ban- ners, filled the Pantheon. But if the aspect of the high official world was imposing by the gorgeousness of its uniform and decorations, it was touching indeed to mark the evidence of the deep and true regard ever shown by King Umberto for the welfare of his poorer subjects, many associations of working-men having sent representatives to honour their good and beloved King. Among these were especially remarked the Ravenna labourers belonging to the agri- cultural colony of Ostia, with whom were several women, carrying their babies and weeping for their " good friend " who had so often visited them to assure himself of their well-being. Ostia, owing to the devastations of malaria, THE RAVENNA LABOURERS 225 had been for centuries a neglected region ; the King took great interest in the poor colony of labourers from Ravenna, and encouraged them by his kindly presence, and by gifts of money and of the necessary implements for digging and ploughing. In those sad days in Rome the walls were covered with printed notices, issued by associa- tions of every character, but the colonists of Ostia telegraphed to Queen Margherita that they felt themselves " orphans '' by the death of their King, and their manifesto deserves to be par- ticularly remembered : — " Comrades ! " In this hour of the nation's sorrow, we salute with reverence the bier of our King and benefactor. To him who never disdained to shake our rough hands, who encouraged and helped us in our hard toil and in our fight with the cruel malaria of the Ostia marshes, to his blessed memory we offer our love, and our gratitude for his Royal bounty, which stimu- lated and encouraged the first efforts for internal colonization, and for the noble example with which he pointed out the way to that redemption of our uncultivated lands which will be a regenera- tion of labour. " Companions in toil ! " Our supreme salute to him, who in the his- tory of the Italian proletariat will adorn a page to be written in letters of gold. " The Agricultural Labourers from Ravenna of the Colony of Ostia." The King's coffin was received at the Pantheon Q 226 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY by the Archbishop of Genoa, Senior Bishop of the former kingdom of Sardinia ; for the funeral of Vittorio Emanuele II no Bishop had been allowed to celebrate, episcopally, in the Pantheon.^ In the centre of the temple, which had been prepared by Sacconi, the great sculptor, was the catafalque, on which lay the King's coffin. The Queen, with Queen Margherita, and the Royal Duchesses and Princesses arrived in closed carriages, arousing deep emotion in the crowds through which they passed, who noted their sad faces and their mourning garb. The " Requiem," " Kyrie," and the Mass were conducted by Mascagni ; a choir of one hundred and sixty singers executed the Offertory, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei of Palestrina. The Archbishop of Genoa gave solemn absolu- tion to the dead King ; the supplicating " Libera" arose to heaven and echoed through the great dome of the temple of all the gods. The sacred song, the liturgic severity, the vast throng engaged in silent prayer, imploring peace for the soul of the father, husband, and King so deeply loved, made a fitting farewell to the noble and beneficent spirit of Umberto, second King of Italy. The Royal Family returned to the Quirinal through silent crowds that filled both sides of the streets through which they drove ; the people bowed their heads in voiceless sympathy as the cortege passed. At the entrance to the Pan- theon the Minister of Public Instruction had the touching prayer of Queen Margherita publicly distributed, and the temple remained open from ^ See page 455, etc., " Gli anni secolari." Visions storica, di Pier Desiderio Pasolini, Roma. E. Loescher ^ Co., 1903. THE IRON CROWN 227 that day to August 13th to allow the people to enter and take their last farewell of their good King. On the coffin near the white-plumed helmet had been placed the Iron Crown. Many of those who saw it knew nothing of its great historical interest, nor that the treasure of the Crown of Italy does not consist in costly jewels, as does the treasure of other Royal Houses, but in precious art relics, kept in the treasury of the Cathedral of Monza, where it is most difficult to obtain permission to see them ; of these the Iron Crown is the most precious and most celebrated. Gregory the Great, who was Pope in 590, received it from the Emperor of the East and offered it to the Longobard Queen, Theo- dolinda, who, in her turn, gave it to the Basilica of St. John, in Monza, erected by her order. It is said that Agilulfo, Longobard King of Italy, was crowned with this crown by the hand of Theodolinda ; but this is doubtful, as it is known that the Longobards elected their King in the same manner as the Franks and Germans, of whom they were a branch, by raising on a shield the warrior chosen for a King. If Agilulfo was or was not crowned with the Iron Crown cannot now be ascertained, but it is certain that the only Italian King who was crowned with it until the time of Napoleon was Berengarius, in Milan in 888.1 1 The others were : 1, Rodolph, in Monza in 921 ; 2, Otho III, in Monza in 996 ; 3, Henry III, in Milan in 1046 ; 4, Henry IV, in Milan in 1086 ; 5, Frederick Barbarossa, in Monza in 1157 ; 6, Conrad III, in Monza in 1191 ; 7, Charles IV, in Milan in 1355 ; 8, Sigismund, in Milan in 1431 ; 9, Frederick III, in Rome in 1452 ; 10, Maximilian I, in Germany in 1496 ; 11, Charles V, in Bologna in 1530; 12, Napoleon I, in Milan in 1805; 13, Ferdinand I of Austria, in Milan, in 1836. 228 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY The Iron Crown is the theme of a picturesque legend, narrated by several historians.^ The legend arose out of a funeral oration which St. Ambrose delivered on the death of the Emperor Thedosius I. He said that St. Helena had found the nails with which Christ was crucified and given them to her son Constantine. From one of them she had made a bit for her horse, a work of art finely chiselled and orna- mented with jewels ; this is still preserved in the treasury of the Duomo in Milan. Helena had the other nail made into a diadem for Constantine, to be worn on his helmet. This diadem remained the property of the Roman Emperors of the East until it was given to Gregory the Great, and by him to Theodolinda. The Iron Crown is of inestimable value. It has the form of a diadem, fiat, as were the ancient Byzantine crowns. It is a large circlet of gold in which are precious stones, set in the form of roses, divided by rows of pearls, forming squares. In the interior is visible a narrow circlet of iron, which is said to have been made from one of the nails used at the Crucifixion. The other objects of the national treasure of the Crown of Italy are enamelled in gold and set with jewels and enamel, of silver, set with gems and pearls, carved and with inlaid ivory. In the treasury of Monza are also preserved in frames and vases of ancient Murano glass, linens soaked with the blood of martyrs, relics of the Passion of Christ, the tunic and chasuble of St. Gregory the Great, a letter written by him, * See Gregorovius, " History of Rome," Vol I ; A. Venturi, " Storia dell' Arte," Vol. Ill ; and several other writers. ELENA OF MONTENEGRO, QUEEN OF ITALY. THE NEW KING IN PARLIAMENT 229 md many other relics, taken by the Crusaders n the Holy Land. From Otho to Charles V, those crowned with ;he Iron Crown looked upon themselves as the iirect heirs of the Holy Roman Empire of the East, though they were Germans, and as such lated and fought by the Italians. In 1273 the Corrigianis, lords of Milan, being in need of noney, pawned the Iron Crown with the rest of :he Monza treasure ; it was redeemed in 1319 by 3tho Visconti. In 1324 the Iron Crown was sent ;o Pope Clement IV in Avignon, and in 1345 Pope Clement V returned it to Monza. When Austria had to resign Lombardy to Italy, in 1859, :he Iron Crown was taken away, but was restored DO Italy in 1866, when Venice was given up. On August 11th, 1900, in Rome, the Parliament ivas convoked for the inauguration of the new iingdom. The hall was crowded with senators, ieputies, the diplomatic body, and spectators of ill kinds. Though her deep mourning rendered it neces- sary, all noticed and deplored the absence of Margherita of Savoy. The new Queen of Italy, Elena of Montenegro, inspired affectionate ievotion. Tall, and very pale, under her long black veil, in her dark eyes a deep grief, she stood imong the Princesses of the House of Savoy and bhe Court ladies, in their black garments, and seemed the genius of Italy mourning for its Murdered Sovereign. Greeted by acclamation, the young King mtered the hall, his countenance sad, but his Dearing strong and resolute. Vittorio Emanuele nade a short speech ; but it was recognized as :he spontaneous expression of his own will and 230 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY feeling, and it inspired faith in the modern views and strong character of the new Sovereign. The assembly broke into applause and rose to their feet when Vittorio Emanuele said, with emphasis, " Brought up in the love of religion and of our country, I ask God to witness my promises." Senator Pasolini, who was present, records in his " Anni Secolari " how, " at the word ' God,' pronounced vigorously and loudly, all present felt a certain relief. It was as water to the thirsting, as light to the blind, it responded to moral need, to the desire of all. In their horror for the crime of regicide, men had looked around them for an absolute and central ideal, for a support, strong and immovable, above and beyond humanity." The Italian and the official foreign Press lauded the high-toned speech of the young King, who soon had occasion to prove the reality of his humanitarian sentiments and his conception of the difficult mission of rulers in modern times. In the night following the opening of Parliament a railway disaster happened below Castle Giubileo ; in the train were the Grand-duke Peter of Russia with his wife Militza, sister of Queen Elena, and other representatives of foreign Powers, who had come to Italy for the funeral of King Umberto. The Grand-duke and duchess, save for the terrible shock, were not injured, and at once, before the news of the disaster should become known, reassured the King and Queen by asking an Italian officer to take a note to the King at the Quirinal. The King was aroused at one o'clock in the morning ; without losing a minute, on hearing that there were dead and wounded victims of the disaster, DISASTER OF CASTLE GIUBILEO 231 he set out immediately for the scene of the accident. Before a Royal carriage could be prepared the King and Queen were in the street and entered the first cab they met. Queen Elena thus gave the first evidence of that tender womanly pity which has since always prompted her to be the companion of her husband on all sad occasions of public calamities in Italy. Having been overtaken by the Royal carriages, the King and Queen arrived at Castle Giubileo to find that the disaster was even greater than they had supposed. Their appearance was felt as a relief ; the King dismissed his guard of carabinieri and sent them to help the sufferers, impressing upon them that they should be careful not to raise dust, as it would injure the patients. The King and Queen bent over the most severely injured, giving them to drink and comforting them, having for all the genial kindness which seems their special gift. They conquered all hearts on that sad night, and on the next day all the world praised the way in which Vittorio Emanuele had begun his reign. On the evening of August 13th the Pantheon was closed to the public for the immuring of the body of King Umberto. The Sindaco, Prince Colonna of Sonnino, had asked that the coffin should be placed in its closed niche in the wall by the municipal guard, which had performed the same pious duty for the body of Vittorio Emanuele ; but the masons of the Pantheon begged that the honour might be theirs. The coffin was placed at ten o'clock at night in a niche lined with velvet ; and a lighted lamp was left inside, to burn as long as it had air. " With that lamp burning," writes Senator Pasolini, 232 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY " one felt as if a spirit had been immured, a living person. ..." When the ceremony was over the authorities departed in silence, and at midnight the doors of the Pantheon were closed. Throughout Italy and the Italian colonies King Umberto was solemnly commemorated, and Masses were everywhere said for the repose of his soul. Very imposing was the commemora- tion held in Turin by Paolo Boselli, especially that part of it which related to Queen Margherita. In no foreign capital could King Umberto have been more fitly commemorated than in London, where at that time Baron Francesco de Renzis was the Italian Ambassador. In his youth he had exposed his life in fighting for the independence of Italy, and at an age in which he most needed the sun of his native southern clime, he sacrificed his health in the chill fogs of the north, in order to accomplish, to the last, his duty as an Italian, when called to do so by the confidence of his King and Government that he would worthily represent them at the Court of St. James. He was already suffering from the cold, damp climate and from home-sickness for his sunny land, and was about to leave London when the arrival of the sad news kept him at his post. To be an Italian in those days in London was to be sur- rounded by universal sympathy ; and no Italian who was present, as was the writer, at the solemn commemoration of King Umberto in London can ever forget that most touching scene. The Ambassador, pale, feeble, and broken, supported by his son Rienzo, rose to pronounce the pane- gyric of his murdered King and friend. He had been near his King on the field of battle, had THE ITALIAN BANNER 233 known and loved him well. . . . None present in that large hall could restrain their tears ; they heard, not a speech, but a poem of so much grief and so much love, that it touched even hearts hardened to emotion. Baron de Renzis did not live to reach his country ; he died at Auteuil, near Paris, on October 28th, 1900. His remains were laid to rest in Capua and a fine book was published as a tribute to his memory by his friends in that town.^ On the day of the solemn funeral of the late King, the Italian flag, at half-mast, hung from the dome of the Roman Catholic Church of the Pallottine Fathers in Hatton Garden. Italians, devoted alike to their religion and their coun- try, who hope always for their perfect re- conciliation and harmony, were deeply moved by the sight. The Pallottine Fathers of Hatton Garden hold dear the Italian flag, emblem of their country, and in educating the Italian children of one of the poorest quarters of the great metropolis they do not fail, while instilling into them the pure precepts of the faith, to inspire them also with respect and honour for Italy, thus developing in the rising generation of Italians, in London, a like reverence for religion and patriotism. 1 " Capua a Francesco de Renzis." Napoli. Giannini e figli, 1905. CHAPTER XX The jubilee of the Chui-ch in 1900 — Pilgrimage of the Catholic world to Rome — The Palazzo Margherita presented by the King to his mother — Arrival in Rome of the Queen Dowager — The King and Queen and the Sindaco of Rome at the railway station — Touching reception by the silent and mournful people — Address from the women of the Ludovisi quarter — Retired life of Margherita of Savoy — The House of Providence for abandoned children — Father William Whitmee and the Pallottine Fathers. FOR the opening of the " Porta Santa " (Holy Door) in St. Peter's during the Jubilee of 1900, pilgrims came to Rome from all parts of the world. It was wonderful, and at times a very touching sight to see pro- cessions of very poor men and women, dressed in the picturesque costumes of their different countries ; they marched in rows on leaving the train, singing prayers and hymns through the whole city till they reached the Convent of St. Martha, near St. Peter's, where they were lodged. It has been calculated that during the Jubilee year eighty thousand Italians from all the provinces came to Rome, led by their bishops or parish priests, and three hundred and sixty- five thousand foreigners under like guid- ance. This vast concourse of devotees from all parts of the world could and did see for them- selves what a solemn peace reigns around the splendid abode of the Holy Father, and how the people in Rome respect her guests of every re- ligious and social order. 234 FATHER \V. WHITMEE. PILGRIMAGE OF CATHOLICS 235 The success of the Jubilee was a real political triumph for Itahan Rome ; it contradicted with evidence all those who, especially in foreign countries, would have it believed that the Pope is not free in his relations with Catholic peoples. The " daughters of Mary " from all the countries of the world deputed the head of their association in Turin to present an address to the Holy Father, and the head happened to be the daughter of the General commanding the artillery which opened the breach at Porta Pia on September 20th, 1870. This casual coincidence illustrates the inevitable- ness of an event which was then a matter of history, the occupation of Rome by the Italians ; Italy, though constant as ever in her religion, for political reasons needed Rome as her capital, but even those who forced her gates educated their children in her faith. After the great shock and sorrow which befell her, Margherita of Savoy had retired to her castle of Stupinigi in Piedmont ; here she received from Rome numberless prayers and addresses, from all sorts of people, of different social orders, beseeching her to return to the capital. The King, to encourage her to satisfy the wishes of the people and also to prevent her living alone at a distance from him, presented his mother with a residence which is one of the finest in modern Rome ; it was bought from Prince Boncompagni Ludovisi, for whom it was built, and it had served for several years as the seat of the United States Embassy. The arrival in Rome of Margherita of Savoy, on December 24th, 1900, will never be forgotten by those who witnessed it. The impatient people crowded the piazza before the railway station and the streets 236 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY leading from it to the "Palazzo Margherita," and all the balconies and windows were so crowded as to make it appear that all the in- habitants of Rome had gathered on that one side of the city. The King and Queen, with the Sindaco of Rome, Prince Colonna di Sonnino, were on the platform, and as soon as the train stopped they advanced to greet Queen Mar- gherita, who embraced the King and the young Queen, his wife, who had already saluted her mother-in-law with a graceful reverence. As soon as the Royal carriages moved they were surrounded and followed by the crowd and by all the associations, with their banners, until they reached the palace, since known as the " Palazzo Margherita." At the entrance, repre- sentatives of the women of the Ludovisi quarter under the leadership of Princess Colonna di Sonnino were awaiting Queen Margherita, to greet her and to present a bouquet, offered by two little girls. Queen Margherita was so deeply toviched by these demonstrations of affectionate devotion that she could scarcely express her thanks. The piazza before the palace and all the neighbouring streets were crowded with people, and when Queen Margherita appeared between the King and Queen, on the central balcony, in her long mourning veil, a murmur of respectful sympathy and many tears revealed the deep emotion and grief of the people and their faithful attachment to the House of Savoy. Queen Margherita received that day several deputations, and Pro- fessor Guido Baccelli read in the name of the Roman people a most touching address. Mar- gherita of Savoy came thus to her new home, and '^A KIN'G UMBERTO I. (From an etching by Charlotte Popert.) THE PALAZZO MARGHERITA 237 made of it a truly Royal palace, living there a noble life of good deeds with her faithful friend, the Marchesa di Villamarina, and her daughter Christina, whom the King had appointed lady- in-waiting to the Queen, his mother, giving her the title of Contessa. Any intelligent person visiting the residences of Margherita of Savoy, without knowing to whom they belonged, and observing them in detail, would certainly say that only a woman of great refinement, fine taste, and unusual intel- lectual powers could create such surroundings. In the large salon of the " Palazzo Margherita," among plants, flowers, and ancient silk draperies, is conspicuous a picture of King Umberto which the Queen chooses to have always in view, not a portrait in Royal mantle or gorgeous General's uniform, but one showing him in the simple country suit he used to wear in those happy times when far from all pomp and ceremony the King made her happy with his company in the still, pure surroundings of the snowy Alps. This fine portrait, an impressive and perfect likeness, is an etching by a well-known German artist in Rome, Carlotta Popert ; she is devoted to Queen Margherita, who esteems her highly, and consented to inaugurate her pretty villa on the Tiber. This portrait of King Umberto was never exhibited in Italy, but it had in Germany such a success that several museums begged Queen Margherita to allow them to have a copy of it. Besides this portrait, Queen Margherita owns many others, and in arranging her new home she wished to surround herself with por- traits of her forefathers and of all the present family of Savoy. The King, her devoted son. 238 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY bought and presented to her many old portraits, among others an interesting picture representing Vittorio Emanuele II and the Duke of Genoa, as children, fondly embracing, perhaps in their unconscious minds foreseeing the union of their children, which was to give to Italy the King in whom the world acknowledges rare wisdom and goodness of heart. Also in the ordering of her library. Queen Margherita was greatly helped by her learned son, the King. If Court etiquette, on official occasions, separates the two Royal Families, the bond of their mutual affection is strong in their intimate private relations. When her home in Rome was ready, Margherita of Savoy granted daily private audiences, and received in the evening a restricted circle of statesmen, past and present, ministers, diplo- matists, artists, writers, and poets. The famous " Queen's quintet," conducted by the well-known Roman musician Sgambati, was again invited to the Queen's receptions. Margherita of Savoy is herself a refined musician, so, besides the honour of being invited to play in her presence, good musicians consider it a real test of their artistic merit. Soon after her return to Rome Queen Mar- gherita resumed her visits to philanthropic and educational institutions, always accompanied by the Marchesa di Villamarina. An important social work which should be here noticed is the House of Providence for poor and abandoned children, which, ever since its foundation by Father William Whitmee, in 1898, has been visited with affectionate interest by Queen Margherita. This old house stands in country surroundings a few miles beyond the Porta Salaria. o _^ OS s^ *5 n c n o K OT Tl n ■X n z Q ^ < x: H OJ ir w n. X a o a: V •< u H a y< k> Id S D Oi FATHER WHITMEE 239 Whoever met Father Whitmee can understand something of the mystic power of a true priest and a worthy apostle of Jesus Christ. Averse from any poHtical or human ambition, Father Whit- mee, rector of the church in Rome of St. Silvestro in Capite, had consecrated his whole life, in the humble spirit of religion, to the comforting and helping of his poorer neighbours. Among all the miseries he saw, none touched him more deeply than the fate of children, ill-treated or abandoned by their parents. Being a member of the society " Pro infantia " in Rome, he was grieved to perceive how impossible it was to provide for so many sad cases, and he determined to found an institution which should receive children, even babies, feed and clothe them, and educate them for a special branch of labour, so that when grown up they should be able to pro- vide for their own needs and at the same time contribute to the welfare of the community. Father Whitmee's scheme was eminently prac- tical and simple ; although its aims were far- reaching. He had the boys taught agricultural work and the girls domestic matters, that they might one day become good housewives. He saw, as in a vision, those poor children, strong and healthy, ploughing, sowing, reaping on the desolate Campagna, building on it their huts, peopling it with their young families, tasting the pure joys of domestic life and transforming a barren desert into the smiling garden which in the days of her early greatness surrounded Rome. This was the dream of a poet and a patriot, the regeneration of a country through its people, of the Campagna through the poor, in Rome. We cannot wonder that this scheme, inspired 240 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY by patriotism and by the pure love of humanity, should appeal to the heart of Margherita of Savoy, who had a deep regard and respect for Father Whitmee, and had chosen him as her spiritual director. She was fully acquainted with the history of the religious order of the Pallottine Fathers, of which Father Whitmee was then the Superior. 1 The Pallottines belong to one of the few Catholic congregations in which religion is in full harmony with patriotic and humanitarian sentiments. The Venerable Vincenzo Pallotti, a pious Roman priest, was the favourite con- fessor of Pius IX. Of the rectors who succeeded to Father Pallotti, in the direction of the con- gregation, one of the best was Father Giuseppe Faa di Bruno, a Piedmontese, a pious and good man ; his brother was the brave captain who commanded the battleship Re d'ltalia, and who went down with it at the battle of Lissa. Father Faa di Bruno was inspired by the purely evan- gelical spirit of Pallotti, and he gave a strong impulse to the Order ; he widened its scope of action, associating its work with various emigra- tion centres in both American continents, where several affiliated homes take an active part in every good and useful enterprise. Some benevo- lent Roman ladies interested themselves in the development of the " House of Providence," and the co-operation of Queen Margherita was followed by that of the young King and Queen ^ Father William Whitmee died in Rome, on March 27th, 1909, leaving to the Rector of the Pallottine Fathers' Churcli in London, the care and direction of the " House of Providence " and the Church of St. Silvestro in the capital of Italy. For other notices on the subject see " La Rsissegna Nazionale," May 1st, 1909. Florence, Via Gino Capponi 16. HOUSE OF PROVIDENCE 241 and of His Holiness Pope Pius X, who takes much interest in the work. It is touching and suggestive to notice in the reception-room of the House of Providence the photographs, signed by these august personages, whom the most humanitarian form of philanthropy unites in kindly interest for poor and abandoned children. Under the porch are two large marble tablets on which the names of the benefactors of the enterprise are engraved. The first name will recall to posterity how Queen Margherita, in her happy and glorious days, had loving pity for the little children and gave them the flower of her gracious kindness, and a generous, practical help. CHAPTER XXI Return of the Duke of the Abruzzi to Rome, from the Polar expedition — The ex-voto offered by Margherita of Savoy to "Our Lady of Bonavia" in CagUari and to the "Madonna della Consolata " in Turin — Lecture by the Duke of the Abruzzi, January 13th, 1901 — The Italian Navy League — Gaetano Limo — Homage of Italian women to Margherita of Savoy at the " CoUegio Romano " on January 17th, 1901 — Foundation of the first Chair of History of Art at the University in Rome — Adolfo Venturi — Birth of Princess Jolanda Margherita on June 1st, 1901 — Joy of the Royal Family — Popular rejoicings — The girls of the English Catholic school in Rome — The " Casa Matema Jolanda Margherita " for the children of working-women — Baptism of Princess Jolanda Margherita — Domestic life of the Royal Family — The jubilee of Adelaide Ristori in Rom.e — Birth of Princess Mafalda on November 19th, 1902— The Villa Savoia on the Via Salaria in Rome. yi CCOMPANIED by the affectionate good A\ wishes of his aunt, Queen Margherita, ■^ -^ the Duke of the Abruzzi accompKshed, with safety and success, on the Stella Polare, his expedition to the regions of the North Pole. Queen Margherita redeemed the vow made to Our Lady of Bonavia, in Caghari, and to the " Madonna della Consolata " in Turin, by offering at the altar of each, a facsimile in silver of the Stella Polare in devout thanksgiving for the safe return to Italy of her favourite nephew. The ex-voto, which weighs about ten pounds, repre- sents the vessel surrounded by icebergs ; the banner with the arms of Savoy is at the prow, where can be read the famous name of the Stella Polare. A silver tablet, bearing an inscription, is 242 o w o < < K w H S W X a a o* O O o « 6 z H LECTURE AT THE CAPITOL 243 attached to the vessel by two silver cords. Queen Margherita gave the silver ship for Turin to the Archbishop Agostino Richelmy, who solemnly offered it at the altar of the Madonna, in the presence of all the Princes and Princesses of Savoy. The first important reception at the Palazzo Margherita was given by Queen Margherita in honour of Prince Luigi, Duke of the Abruzzi, on the evening of January 13th, 1901, when the young explorer wished for his aunt's opinion of the illustrated lecture he was to deliver the next day before the Geographical Society of Rome. The splendid saloons of the Queen Dowager's Palace were brilliantly illuminated, adorned with plants and flowers, for the reception of the Royal Family, the Court, and the most important personages of Roman society, and Commander Cagni appeared with his young bride, radiant with happiness and pride in her brave husband. That evening was the first of those intellectual, patriotic, and social gatherings, which always with some special literary or artistic aim or attraction, have made the salon of the Queen Dowager so famous and attractive. On the following day, the great hall of the " Collegio Romano," splendidly decorated for the occasion by the Geographical Society, offered the most imposing spectacle. The first row of seats was occupied by the King and Queen and members of the Royal Family, only Queen Margherita being absent ; all the ladies were in deep mourning, the King and Princes in uniform. Professor Dalla Vedova, the learned President of the Geographical Society, presented Prince Luigi, who was greeted by the imposing assembly with a burst of 244 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY applause. The lecture was illustrated by over four hundred lantern-slides. When the Duke of the Abruzzi recorded the interest of his uncle, King Umberto, in the Polar expedition and the generous aid which he had given it, a wave of emotion seemed to pass over the assembly, which broke into " Evviva e bravo " on hearing that Queen Margherita had sent Christmas gifts for all the passengers, officers, and sailors, and that the bold explorers, even during the time of their greatest danger in the Far North, had faithfully kept the promise made by their leader to the Queen, his aunt, never to omit their prayers. Wniien the Duke, scarcely able to control his emotion, told how the first flag they saw on their return journey was the Italian, and it was at half-mast, and the lantern-slide showed the boat approaching the Stella Polare to take Commander Cagni on board the vessel flying the Italian flag, a thrill ran through the audience, and many wept when they heard the Duke tell in trembling tones how the Captain communicated the tidings of the King's tragic death. " Calling on deck his brother officers and the whole crew, he told them how their King had died, and there burst from the hearts and throats of his hearers a cry of horror and malediction, a cry which echoes for ever over the eternal ice, through the vibrat- ing purity of the Polar air." When the applause had subsided, the Duke re- sumed his lecture, which concluded with some words in praise of the four brave sailors who planted the flag in the highest northern latitudes till then reached, with shouts of " Evviva il Re, Evviva r Italia" ; the slide showed the desert plain, the THE ITALIAN NAVY LEAGUE 245 dark horizon, the hummocks of ice, over which the wind blows at a temperature of many degrees below zero, and there was flying the White Cross of Savoy on its red field. The young Prince concluded with these noble words : " Honour to the banner of our country flying in the Far North, honour to it wherever it flies ! Remember always, O sons of Italy, that we are called to hold it aloft in the vanguard of philanthropy, of justice, of science, of art, everywhere and always ! ' Sempre avanti.' " On the afternoon of January 16th in the hall of the " Orazi e Curiazi " on the Capitol, the Sin- daco. Prince Colonna di Sonnino, presented the Duke of the Abruzzi with an illuminated parch- ment, conferring on him the freedom of the City of Rome. The Duke responded in his own name and in that of Captain Cagni, who had received from the Sindaco a gold medal struck expressly for him. From the Capitol, the Duke of the Abruzzi went to take leave of Queen Margherita, before going to Spezia, where the Italian Navy League had begged him to repeat his lecture and had prepared for him an enthusiastic reception. That most important institution, the Italian Navy League, is due to the initiative of Com- mander Gaetano Limo, an ofRcer in the Italian navy. Only the British Navy League existed, when Commander Limo, with pen and speech inspired by conviction and true patriotism, succeeded in founding the Italian Navy League. The large and powerful British League is com- posed of personages most eminent in politics, science, trade, and industries. This fact, instead of inspiring Italians to do likewise, rather dis- couraged them, for men of power and influence 246 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY in the official world did not believe it possible to form a similar association in Italy. Commander Limo had to overcome almost insurmountable difficulties before he could succeed, as he did at last, in his most laudable enterprise, encouraged and supported by his strong will and firm conviction of the benefit to the nation. In June, 1899, was founded the Italian Navy League, and since then, though at first opposed by narrow-minded or indifferent people, it has prospered and expanded. If the noble and patriotic aims of the Italian Navy League are attained, the world will see revived the ancient glories of Venice, Genoa, Pisa, and Amalfi. Italy, there is no doubt, must become a sea power to take her proper place among modern nations. On January 17th, 1901, a demonstration in honour of Margherita of Savoy, organized by the women of Italy, took place in the hall of the " Collegio Romano " ; Domenico Oliva, a well- known deputy and writer, was invited to pro- nounce a panegyric on the first Queen of Italy, as President of the Association for the Promotion of Culture in Women, which on that day began the lectures of the season. Domenico Oliva, a fine orator, inspired by learning, by earnest patriotism, and by devotion to the House of Savoy, spoke for an hour, and was heard with rapt attention by a full audience, composed of the most important members of the Society in Rome. The moral and intellectual progress of modern Italy, he said, was in great part due to the ideal personality, high intelligence, and wide culture of its first Queen, who had aroused in every heart a devotion for the House DOMENICO OLIVA 247 of Savoy. The orator greatly impressed his audience, when without exaggeration or courtly flattery he recalled the sweet womanly presence of the August Lady, whom everyone remembered in the place she had so constantly occupied in that hall for so many years, attracting to those lectures the most intellectual public in Rome. Domenico Oliva never had a greater oratorical success than on that afternoon ; his theme had pleased and touched his audience, and he was warmly praised and Congratulated. Meanwhile, Margherita of Savoy was sharing, with tender affection, the great joy of the young King and Queen, who after five years of happy wedded life were hoping for the birth of a long- desired child. The expectant mother and grand- mother prepared with loving diligence for the blossoming of the first flower of happiness long denied to the House of Savoy. But in their joy for the coming child their tender hearts remem- bered the many innocent creatures for whom no loving preparations are made, and who are perforce deprived of their natural nourishment by the stern necessity for daily bread for the family. Therefore for every child that should be born of poor parents in Rome, on the same day as her own child, the young Queen had an outfit prepared. Queen Margherita had one of the excellent and practical ideas for which she has always been remarkable ; she proposed to found at her own expense, in honour of this first grandchild, a home to receive the babies of women working by the day, during the time these have to leave their infants. The August Lady, helped by the Marchesa di Villamarina, herself supervised and 248 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY directed the entire organization of this pious institution, begun in a house near the Palazzo Margherita, from which it can be reached by a passage under the street. On June 1st a daughter was born to the King and Queen, and named Jolanda Margherita ; although a Crown Prince had been hoped for, there were rejoicings throughout Italy for the birth of the first-born child of the Royal pair. In Rome there were many demonstrations of satisfaction, proving the attachment of the people to the House of Savoy. The pupils of an English Catholic girls' school in Rome, hearing the newspaper-boys calling out the birth of a little Princess at the Quirinal, asked the Sisters in charge of them to put out the Italian flag for their King's little girl, and they were much disappointed when they were told that the Sisters had no Italian flag. A girl of thirteen, however, who belonged to a very religious and patriotic family had a felicitous idea ; during the hour of recreation she unfastened the white, red, and green ribbons which she and her com- panions happened to be wearing in their hair, and fastening them to the top of a stick, began to run through the class-rooms, followed by all the children, acclaiming the House of Savoy, the King, Queen, and the baby Princess. No news- paper reported this innocent demonstration of joy, which shows the sincere enthusiasm, even of children, for the Royal Family. Queen Margherita offered her first grand- daughter the beautiful tortoise-shell cradle which the City of Naples had presented to her at the birth of her son, Vittorio Emanuele. On the day on which the little Princess was "CASA JOLANDA MARGHERITA" 249 christened, Margherita of Savoy laid aside her deep mourning garments, and wore a white lace dress, with her famous pearls on her head and neck. On that day the " Casa Jolanda Mar- gherita " for the children of women working by the day was opened ; it receives many infants, whom the mothers leave there early every morning, after they themselves have received a good warm breakfast. The babies are washed, fed, and nicely kept all day by good Sisters, and Queen Margherita never fails to visit them daily, passing by the underground passage from the Palazzo Margherita. The large dormitories are well ventilated and have white cots for the babies. In the evening, after a hard day's work, but undisturbed by anxiety for their little ones, the mothers go to fetch their babies, calling down blessings on the head of their Royal benefactress. It is not surprising that crowds of people stand for long hours in the street before the Palazzo Mar- gherita, to see, if only for an instant, and salute Queen Margherita, when she goes out to drive in the afternoon. Until Queen Elena left her room. Queen Margherita was not satisfied to have news of her and of the baby by telephone, but went every day to visit them, and to enjoy the sight of the domestic happiness reigning in the Quirinal. Nothing has so much impressed the Italian people as the sight of the young King in his character of exemplary, affectionate husband and father. By his desire, the apartment in which the Royal infant was to be born was enamelled in white, walls and floor alike ; ventilation, heating, light, water, all were ac- cording to the last dictates of modern hygiene. 250 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY While the King fulfils, with severe conscientious- ness, the duties of a Constitutional monarch, though at the same time the most democratic and highly humanitarian of European Sovereigns, his domestic life is a poem of pure and true love. Never has the slightest breath of scandal tar- nished his reputation, even the slanderous tongues of the enemies of order have been silent regarding him. Vittorio Emanuele III and Elena of Mon- tenegro afford the Court and the people a really rare example of perfect happiness in marriage, and they supervise personally the health and education of their family. As Queen Margherita had done for the Crown Prince, her son, so the young King and Queen did also for their child, entrusting to an Englishwoman the care of the Royal nursery, though having a nurse from the country, near Rome, for Princess Jolanda Mar- gherita. The English nursery governess regu- lated the hours for food and sleep of the little Princess, and her daily bath, at which very often her Royal parents would be present, rejoicing in the healthy development of the beautiful child, who has the fine dark eyes of her handsome mother. January 29th, 1902, was a day memorable in the artistic annals of Rome for the triumph of a woman, the great actress, Adelaide Ristori. If art had made her great for the world, she had won esteem and affection, greater even than her artistic glory, by her own personal qualities and fine character. She was always the friend and protector of women, who, appealing to her, found in her always that tender kindliness which is characteristic of the maternal heart. Margherita ADELAIDE RISTORI 251 of Savoy had a deep and true regard for Adelaide Ristori, Marchesa Capranica del Grille, who, as a mother, rejoiced when her only son, Giorgio, was appointed by the King equerry to Queen Margherita. The eightieth birthday of Ristori in January, 1902, was made the occasion of extraordinary demonstrations of respect and admiration for the great artist. From the first hours of the morning till late at night, a stream of presents, flowers, letters, and telegrams arrived from all parts of the world, especially from Paris and London ; an entire nation bowed in respectful admiration before the woman who, more than half a century before, had received from the world the crown of artistic glory. Adelaide Ristori never had to resort to any kind of advertisement to secure success and applause ; these were assured to her by her incomparable art, the outcome of an exceptionally superior mind, great in conception, great in realization ; she charmed by her vivid intelligence, and by her womanly tenderness ; her classic art was sublime in its purity. She appeared indeed great on her jubilee day in Rome, in her happy serenity and modest grace, and all felt that she was fully deserving of such a universal expression of love and respect. Her house filled with flowers, Adelaide Ristori, surrounded by her children, Giorgio and Bianca, her daughter-in-law, Mar- chesa de Luca Resta, and her beloved grandson, Giuliano, sat near a little table on which lay the gift of Prince Colonna di Sonnino, Sindaco of Rome, a bunch of roses, in each of which was a burning electric light ; the rosy colour enhanced the radiant expression of the great artist's fine face, while she greeted all who came, with a smile 252 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY and a gracious word ; ladies of the highest aristocracy bent to kiss her hand, while she opened her arms to embrace them. At half-past two the King, accompanied by Admiral de Libero, arrived to do homage to the queen of art. The King offered his congratulations and those of the Queen for her jubilee ; he trusted she might still live for many years encompassed by the love of her children and the pure glories of art. The King remained about twenty minutes, and on his departure expressed his pleasure in seeing the tokens of honour and regard bestowed by lovers of art in all the world on the great Italian artist. When the King was gone Ristori received a deputation of fifty ladies, belonging to the Society for the Superior Culture of Women, of which she was working-President, while Queen Margherita, who had sent her a splendid gold bracelet, with an inscription within, was the honorary President. The ladies presented Ristori with a fine bronze statue accompanied by an address. The presidents of different literary and philanthropic institutions, in which Ristori was interested, also offered their con- gratulations and good wishes. Giuseppe Zarnardelli, who was then President of the Council, the ministers, eminent politicians, writers, artists, left their cards, with their compliments and congratulations, and the Presi- dent of the Italian Press Association in Rome sent her the following telegram : " The Press, which for so many years has faithfully recorded the triumphs of the greatest Italian dramatic artist, sends its respectful greeting, proud that the world celebrates in you one of the brightest, FERDINANDO MARTINI 253 purest glories of that great Italian art, which, in sad as in happy days, has so greatly contributed to the honour and the consolation of our country. " LUIGI LUZZATTI." That day of tender and sweet emotion for Adelaide Ristori and for all who love art was concluded at the theatre " Casa di Goldoni," where Ermete Novelli had organized a repre- sentation in honour of Ristori's jubilee. An imposing public crowded the theatre, blazing with lights and gay with flowers. Though the price of seats had been raised, not one place was vacant, and Ristori insisted that the returns of this, as of all the performances which would take place anywhere in her honour, should be given to increase the fund for the assistance of old or poor dramatic artists. In the box of the Sindaco of Rome was Ferdinando M^tini, who, as a politician and patriot, never fails to aid any enterprise in the interests of art. Ristori entered her box, wearing on her breast the decoration of the Academy of France, which the French Ambassador had that morning presented to her ; as soon as she ap- peared the public rose to their feet, and a thunder of applause broke out. Adelaide Ristori seemed transfigured by her deep emotion ; her large dark eyes were full of uncontrollable tears, and her smile had once more the fascination of her youth ; it was an ideal moment, that none of those who were present can ever forget. When quiet was restored, the curtain rose on another great Italian artist, Virginia Marini, who, when the public wished to applaud her, turned with a graceful gesture towards Ristori's box, signifying 254 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY that the only applause of that evening should befall her glorious sister in art. But Ristori, who had never known any feeling of rivalry or jealousy, always honouring and praising anyone who attained to excellence on the dramatic stage, rose and herself applauded Virginia Marini. The public then applauded both artists together. Between the acts of Giacinto Gallina's comedy, the Minister of Public Instruction and the Sin- daco of Rome went to Ristori's box, to present her with a gold medal, which had been struck expressly for her jubilee. She received it with much pleasure, and placed it at once near the palm of the Academy of France. When the comedy was over and the curtain again rose, it revealed all the presents which Ristori had that day received, arranged and exhibited by her companions in art dressed in eighteenth-century costumes. Salvini advanced to the footlights, and with the deep feeling of a great artist recited a poem in praise of his glorious companion ; he concluded by turning to her and saying in his beautiful, passionate voice : " You are a queen of art, but also a great example of civil and domestic virtues, and it is for that you reign in our hearts." The public, electrified, broke into a last thunder of applause. It is impossible to convey any idea of the day and the night of Ristori's jubilee to anyone who has not lived long in Italy ; one must have witnessed such scenes to understand how fiery-spirits, born in the land of love and beauty and fervour, can forget all restraint and give way to outbursts of fanatic enthusiasm, unknown in colder cHmates. Adelaide Ristori was so great an artist, because she remained true to the glorious traditions of Italian art, but she won BIRTH OF PRINCESS MAFALDA 255 and retained the hearts of her compatriots by embracing what is dearest to them and the highest womanly mission, love consecrated to the life of the family. In the same year, 1902, was founded at the University of Rome the first chair of Art History, filled by the distinguished writer and art critic Professor Adolfo Venturi. In Italy this nomina- tion was looked upon as a rare example of true merit rewarded and encouraged by the Govern- ment, which was lauded not only in Italy, but in foreign countries, where Professor Venturi was and is justly appreciated for the important contributions made to the history and criticism of art, for which he obtained the membership of the Institute of France, a place left vacant by the death of Verdi. On November 19th of that year there were new rejoicings at the Royal Palace and throughout Italy, for the birth of a second daughter, Princess Mafalda, though again general disappointment was felt that an heir to the throne should not yet have appeared. Queen Margherita once more laid aside her mourning garments and donned her white lace and pearls for the baptism of this second granddaughter. During the winter the English nursery gover- ness often drove out with the children and their attendants, and as soon as spring arrived she had them taken to the villa which the King had bought for his young family, out on the Via Salaria. This villa, formerly " Ada," is known to-day as the " Villa Savoia " ; and here the Royal children are very happy making hay in the park, driving in small donkey-carriages, or riding on their ponies. The fine air and the 256 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY beautiful view from " Villa Savoia " make it a delightful spring retreat, when the cares of State prevent the King and Queen from taking their children to their summer residences in Racconigi and Sant' Anna di Valdieri. PIUS X IN PONTIFICAL ROBES. CHAPTER XXII The federation of women's social works — The hbrary in Piazza Nicosia — Contessa Maria PeisoUni and Conteasa Antonia Suardi Gianforte — Donna Giacinta Martini Marescotti — The National Council of Women — The two first Presidents — Women's industries — Commemoration in Turin of King Umberto — Paolo Boselli — Royal and Imperial visitors to Rome in the spring of 1903 — Reception given at the Palazzo Margherita to foreign Sovereigns and Guglielmo Marconi — Rome confers the freedom of the city on GugUelmo Marconi, May 8th, 1903 — Death of Leo XIII on July 20th, 1903 — The Conclave in Rome — The Piazza of St. Peter's on the days of the "sfumata" — Election of the new Pope Pius X, August 4th, 1903 — Hopes of the Italian people — Queen Margherita in her viUa at Gressoney, the last gift of King Umberto — Love of Margherita of Savoy for the Alps — Her prayer for the soldiers who perished on the Alps. AFTER much debate and opposition, and misunderstandings and difficulties of ^ all kinds, the woman question in Italy seemed to be solved, without having fallen into any of the unfortunate exaggerations and ex- cesses which elsewhere have sometimes com- promised its importance and delayed its solution. Aided always by the encouragement and help of Queen Margherita, various social institutions, of great practical benefit, have been founded. A federation of works by women was first established, having as President Contessa Lavinia Taverna, Princess Boncompagni-Ludovisi, one of the favourite ladies-in-waiting of Queen Mar- gherita. Beautiful, good, and highly cultivated, esteemed and loved by everyone, the president- ship of this lady attracted the best womanly energies of the capital to the Federation, and s 257 258 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY finally succeeded in organizing the National Council of Women» The first meetings of the Federation were singularly interesting. Contessa Taverna spoke with much seriousness and earnestness of the high aims which should inspire the promoters of the movement for the progress of women. Her hearers were fascinated by the pure, lofty beauty of those ideas, coming from the lips of such a charming personality, which revealed also maternal goodness of heart and womanly simplicity. Contessa Taverna was most successful in uniting the energies of women of very different social conditions, opinions, and characters for the one end of co-operating for the welfare of women ; she succeeded also in having the importance of the question understood and appreciated, which was a great satisfaction to those who had for many years been working for its solution. Being a sister-in-law of the Princess Venosa, whose sister, Donna Giacinta Mares- cotti, wife of the Deputy Ferdinando Martini, was a learned woman and an ardent promoter of political rights for women, Contessa Taverna was also successful in the difficult and delicate task of keeping the balance between the con- servative ideas of some ladies of society and the advanced views of others. To her is due the initiation of reforms and institutions long desired but regarded as unattainable. The combined library and reading-room in Piazza Nicosia in Rome is one of the practical issues of these reforms, for it offers to women the means of cultivating their minds ; they find there books, reviews, pamphlets, and newspapers, which are lent out, and even sent out of Rome. The amount of the annual subscription is so "ANDREA PONTI" LIBRARY 259 modest that women of humble station can afford to pay it. This excellent and practical idea is due to the highly cultivated and energetic sisters Ponti of Milan, Contessa Maria Pasolini, and Contessa Antonia Suardi-Gianforte. Contessa Maria Pasolini had already founded in Ravenna, in honour of her father's memory, the interesting " Andrea Ponti " Library, which has scientific aims, duly set forth in the catalogues of historical, social, and economic works, which are often asked for by experts in these branches of learning. ^ These ladies sacrificed money and time to organize in Rome this " Woman's Library," and co-operated very efficiently with the friends who were at the head of the federation of works by women ; they offered the reading-room of the library for social meetings, lectures, and concerts, making it a real intellectual centre of the first order. They had the good fortune to secure as librarian a woman, as large-minded as she is large-hearted, Signorina Giuseppina Le Maire. Notwithstanding the hesitation and doubt exhibited in our times concerning the initiation and acceptance of any noble and efficient reform, the ladies concerned in this good work had so strong a consciousness of the greatness of their moral mission that they succeeded in a short time in outdoing the activity of their English and American sisters in the initiation of like institu- tions. In fact, during the first three years, only eleven different women's societies were affiliated to the first federation of works by women in the • See " Biblioteca Storica Andrea Ponti." These catalogues are to be found at the ofifice of the " Journal of Economists," Palazzo Orsini, Monte Savello, Rome. 260 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY United States, while in Rome, in the same space of time, sixty were affihated. To quote the numbers is sometimes useful for the confutation of doubters and scoffers, who are fond of repeating that no project affecting the progress of woman can be successfully carried out. Recalling what was only twenty-five years ago the condition of woman in Italy, it is really marvellous to have witnessed how, one after another, barriers which seemed as formidable as the Great Wall of China have been overthrown. It would take too long to enumerate in detail the victories achieved in the different fields of prejudice which opposed itself inexorably to any elementary idea of reform ; and anyone who believed it possible to emulate in Italy the progress attained by English or American women was called a Utopian dreamer. Taking into account the differences of race, climate, the force of tradition and customs, Italian women have initiated, with that common sense which is their most valuable instinct, a movement having a sound, practical, and moral basis, which, if they are not led astray by unreasonable political ambitions or old-world prejudices, can achieve for them in a very short time a great evolution. It is, however, most important not to attribute the moral value of woman, as a social factor, to the social or political position of her husband, but to classify her according to her own indi- vidual moral qualities. If this principle were always borne in mind, we should be the richer for the activity of several women whose best energies are now hampered by the circumstance of having either no husband or one who has no fortune or social position. We have now in Italy WOMEN'S INDUSTRIES 261 a number of women who are resolved that their Hves shall not be wasted, and are really interested in promoting public welfare ; these are precisely the women who can act as powerful moral levers for every social progress. Each of these women makes of her home a centre of beneficent in- fluence on the people and the nation. In one of Contessa Taverna's addresses she expressed very ably the practical aims of the federation of works by women : "At the present time isolated individuals can have little hope of succeeding in their aims ; the spirit of association is pene- trating and leavening more and more, every day, the public consciousness. Our league is emi- nently pacific in its aims, void of any political ambition, representing no party, having for its own end the aggregation of beneficent forces, of useful initiatives and of schemes, having for their one aim the amelioration of the social, economic, and intellectual conditions of women and children. The amelioration of woman's lot and the enlargement of her sphere of social action must depend always and exclusively on herself. The difficulties she meets, especially when she has to earn her own living, arise in great part from the lack of that support which she fails to receive from other women. To succeed in our aims, to create a strong current of solidarity and sympathy among women, we must take ourselves seriously ; if we have not faith in ourselves, if we are not conscious of our re- sponsibilities, we shall not be seriously considered by others, and we shall never attain any practical results." This simple programme contained no taint of emancipation, of political ambition, or of that 262 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY so-called " feminism " which makes so dis- tasteful any discussion having for its subject women and their claims. With unaltered aims, the federation of works by women was in 1900 transformed into the National Council of Women, which was afterwards affiliated to the Inter- national Council, having its seat in the United States. This is an event of the greatest impor- tance, not only for the benefits which may accrue from it to Italy, but for the good opinion of Italy which it may create in foreign countries. At the congress of 1900 it was announced that the International Council of Women then numbered one million ! We shall do well to consider the significance of this, the union of such a large number of cultivated, conscientious women, resolved to help in the work of civilization. The first President of the Italian National Council of Women was and is Contessa Gabriella Spalletti Rasponi, who, owing to her energy and high social position, has been able to forward actively the aims of the institution. She is efficiently aided by the General Secretary, Donna Giorgia Ponzio Vaglia, highly cultivated and modest, notwithstanding that she obtained her degree in literature at the " Istituto Superiore " for girls in Rome. In the year in which the National Council of Women began its labours the " Co- operative Society of Woman's Industries " was founded ; the King and Queen gave it their patronage and encouragement, subscribing at once for the greater part of the shares. All the ladies of the highest society in Rome and Italy took up this enterprise, the object of which was to help women to sell their productions in Italy FOREIGN SOVEREIGNS 263 and foreign countries. It was intended to revive, with artistic knowledge and taste, the local industries of the various provinces, and to raise the character and conditions of women's work by " more just recompense, so that through the sale and export of their productions the emigration of Italian women might be lessened, thus re- viving and preserving the traditions of Italian art in a regenerated race.''^ In the spring of 1903 Rome was visited by King Edward of England, by the German Emperor William II, and by that sovereign genius and glory of Italy Gughelmo Marconi. A magnificent reception was given at the Capitol by the Sindaco of Rome. The great halls of Michelangelo were transformed into a fairy palace glittering with light and colour, a back- ground on which the art treasures of the Museum of Sculpture stood forth in their eternal classic purity of chill marble. The opened windows permitted the guests to behold a sublime vision, the Forum, the Palatine, and the distant Colos- seum, which a powerful searchlight brought forth from the darkness of the night. The foreign Sovereigns, Edward VII and William II, went in turn to present their homage to the Queen Dowager ; for these occasions the August Lady, surrounded by her Court, resumed her official receptions, recalling by the majesty of her bearing, softened and chastened by sorrow, Carducci's lines " In her palace she is Queen." The foreign Sovereigns also visited Leo XIII, accepting the ceremonial imposed by the ponti- fical court. From the Quirinal, where they were 1 See " Le Industrie femminili Italiane." Pilade Rocco e Co. Corso Geneva 9. Milano. 264 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY the guests of the King of Italy, they could not drive to the Vatican, so a polite political fiction was invented to make it possible for them to visit the Pope, and they drove to the Vatican from their respective embassies. Guglielmo Marconi was greeted in Rome in May, 1903, as a conqueror ; although his mar- vellous discoveries had been developed and applied in foreign countries and by foreign help. But Italy, which had not encouraged the bold inventor, desired to share the glory of her great citizen, and decreed for him such honours as recalled the ancient triumphs of poets and warriors at the Capitol. On the morning of May 8th, 1903, the freedom of the city of Rome was conferred on him. The solemn ceremony took place at the Capitol, where Marconi, arriving with his mother and brother, was greeted with applause by the large assembly. The Sindaco, in presenting him with the illumi- nated decree of citizenship, expressed his desire to interpret the universal sentiment by offering congratulations to the most fortunate of women, the mother of Guglielmo Marconi. The audience rose to their feet and applauded enthusiastically a sentiment appealing so intimately to the hearts of the Italians. On that memorable day Signora Marconi may indeed have felt a mother's just pride in her son's honours, which were conferred on him in the presence of the King and Queen, the Duke of Genoa, the Count of Turin, and the most select society of the capital. The next day Queen Margherita received Marconi, with his mother and brother, and conversed some time with them ; she congratu- lated them and herself, as Italian citizens, on DEATH OF POPE LEO XIII 265 this great triumph of Italian science and gain for the world, and she had a special word of kindness for the mother of the great inventor. , On July 20th, 1903, while Italy was cele- brating the fete of Margherita of Savoy, the great Pope Leo XIII died, in extreme old age, after a reign that had surpassed in dura- tion the " years of Peter." Vast crowds of people of every social condition went to visit the body of Leo XIII, which lay in state for some days in St. Peter's. The Conclave again met at the Vatican, but the cardinals did not at once agree on the choice of a successor to Leo XIII. An extraordinary concourse of people waited every day for long hours in the piazza of St. Peter's, hoping for the pro- clamation and benediction of the new Pope. On the piazza Italian soldiers were drawn up, in line, and beyond the bronze gate of the Vatican the Swiss Guards could be seen through the windows in their fantastic red and yellow uniforms, pacing up and down with their hal- berds, sometimes stopping to look out, and exchange a friendly word with the Italian soldiers. . . . Ministers, senators, deputies, diplomatists, artists, ladies of society, writers, special corre- spondents, working-men, idlers, thronged every morning and afternoon the great piazza of St. Peter's, regardless of the August sun ; they waited until from a small stove-pipe on the roof of the Sistine Chapel (the hall of the Conclave) could be seen the " sfumata," that is, the smoke of the burning voting-papers ; the voting takes place twice a day, and if no decision has been arrived at, the papers are consumed in a small stove 266 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY placed for the purpose in the Sistine Chapel. This " sfumata " meant that the work of the Conclave would be resumed the next afternoon or morning, and the crowd streamed away to their homes, to return with undiminished ardour a few hours later. On the morning of August 4th the straining eyes of many thousands watched in vain for the " sfumata," no puff of white smoke flecked the clear blue heaven and there arose a cry of joy and relief — " e fatto ! e fatto ! " . . . On the great balcony of the great church ap- peared a cardinal, and through the piazza and the world rolled the joyful tidings : " Nuntio vobis gaudium magnum ; habemus Papam." The Patriarch of Venice, the humble and gentle shepherd of souls, Giuseppe Sarto of Riesi, had been elected to the chair of St. Peter. He was known to be devoted to the House of Savoy, not in the least ambitious, a sincere and devout believer, and the liberal Catholics in Italy rejoiced in his election, hoping to have in him a Pope who would be the true benefactor of his country by refusing to consider himself a prisoner in the Vatican. . . . From the election of Leo XIII until his death the idea of an arrangement which would reconcile the spiritual interests of the Church Avith the political interests of the State had made much progress in Italy. On the occasion of King Umberto's death the Italian Episcopate had given ample evidence of its horror at the assassin- ation and its respect and devotion to the country and the House of Savoy. It was touching and consoling to see how the Italian Episcopate and the great majority of the clergy, from the Alps ELECTION OF NEW POPE 267 to Cape Spartivento, were unanimous in the expression of their patriotic and rehgious senti- ments. The pastoral letter of the Archbishop of Cremona exhorted his dear brethren and sons to gather around the banner of authority, and proceeded : " The King is dead, but monarchy does not die. Vittorio Emanuele III enters on his father's inheritance, and with it he must receive the affectionate devotion of his people." But the most remarkable synthesis of these patriotic and religious sentiments is found in a speech of the Bishop of Viterbo, Monsignor Grasselli, who thus addressed the young King : " Vittorio ! May it be granted to you, O Vittorio Emanuele, to accomplish that great enterprise which your father had already attempted, to reconcile — respecting ever the sacred rights of our Mother Church — ^to conciliate the Throne with the Altar, the Church with the State. Let this union, for which our Catholic Italy has so long sighed, be your supreme desire and aim. Put forth all your strength to attain it, let all those rare gifts which God has granted you be employed for it. Then it will come to pass that a second venerated father, who loves you, as he loves Italy, will clasp you to his heart in the Vatican, with deep and true affection, and the spirit of Umberto, your father, happy in such a son, will rejoice in Paradise ! "^ By reason of the strong and widespread faith in the combined ideals of religion and patriotism, it was confidently believed that the first bene- diction of the new Pope would be given from the 1 See " L'Episcopato Italiano," in morte di S. M. Umberto I, con Prefazione del Canonico Comm : Luigi Vitali. Milano. Tip. Ed. Cogliati. Corso P. Romana, 1900, 268 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY exterior balcony of St. Peter's, that the Vicar of Christ would once more, as through so many centuries, from that spot, lift his hands in blessing over the city and over the world (Urbi et orbe). The confident hopes of the Italian people, faithful alike to the Church and to united Italy, were doomed to disappointment. The announcement of the Papal election was made from the window of the loggia looking on the piazza, but the first benediction of the new Pope (to which is attached a peculiar virtue) was given immediately afterwards, from the interior bal- cony of the church. One step in advance was, however, made when for his solemn coronation, which took place on August 9th, Pius X desired that the doors of St. Peter's should be left open. Tickets of admission were widely distributed, and the strictest orders given against the acclama- tion of the Pope as king : " Evviva il Papa Re ! " — the Pope himself issuing a formal prohibition. The sight which the interior of the Basilica offered on that day was indeed a most extra- ordinary one ; believers and unbelievers, eager to see and judge of the new Pope, and to witness the august ceremony, crowded to the utmost the great temple of Christianity, All alike were im- pressed and touched by the venerable, sorrowful appearance of Pius X, his pale face wet with tears. It seemed as if the sorrows of the whole world were revealed in all their inexorable cruelty to the paternal heart of him who longed only for everyone to be happy, at peace, and united as brothers in that Christ whom he now represented on earth. No one could, on that day, remain unmoved at the sight of that aged man, the embodiment of gentle goodness, who shrank u z o CO CO W o; CD MARGHERITA AT GRESSONEY 269 from elevation on the shoulders of his fellow- creatures, in the " Sella Gestatoria " ; he had been induced to occupy this exalted seat only by the knowledge that he must comply with ancient customs, and it was a grief to his humble spirit. Since that day the whole Catholic world acknowledges and reverences in Pius X a Pope averse from all pomp and worldly grandeur and with a truly paternal heart. He was the first to abolish the traditional custom of kissing the foot of the Pope when seated on the throne. When he receives those who come to venerate the Vicar of Christ he is gentle and benevolent, finding for all, kind and helpful words which attune the spirit to resignation in the inevitable sorrows of this life and confirm their faith in the better life beyond the grave. While in Rome everyone was speaking, with enthusiasm, of the goodness and kindness of the new Pope, and the Italian and foreign newspapers applauded the choice of the Conclave, Margherita of Savoy was inaugurating in Gressoney the Royal villa, King Umberto's last gift to her. Gressoney, at the foot of Monte Rosa, is, with its two villages " Saint Jean " and " La Trinite," the favourite summer resort of Queen Margherita, who, since her earliest youth, has had a great love for the Alps, for the eternal snows, the great glaciers, the pure keen air, which so invigorates and exhilarates the dwellers in great cities. In no other place could Margherita of Savoy have found such solace, in her unceasing sorrow, as in the beneficent shadow of those white mountains, where she had spent so many happy weeks and months with the King, her husband. The Royal villa at Gressoney is full of memories of those 270 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY happy times, and Margherita of Savoy likes to sojourn there, and to contemplate the marvellous dawns and sunsets in the deep silence of the everlasting snowy hills. Only those who have had to mourn the loss of those very dear to them can know the consolation of memories afforded by revisiting the places once and for ever made dear by the beloved presence of those who have gone from us never to return. Before the vision of the majestic Alps, Mar- gherita of Savoy can regain the natural serenity of her noble spirit, which knows little of doubt or fear, and she can cherish that sure hope which is strength and support in the most bitter grief. To this pure and unswerving faith we owe a prayer which Margherita of Savoy wrote on hearing that some soldiers, on the way to a fort in the Alps, had been overwhelmed and buried by an avalanche : — " Prayer to the Madonna. " O Virgin, blessed Mother of God, whom the bold mountaineer invokes as the Madonna of the eternal snows, O Lady of the high mountains, look towards those white expansions which are as the border of thy pure veil, so white and im- maculate are they. Lessen the perils of the way to those who must cross the dangerous glacier ; preserve them through the dangers of their road ; if one should fall in the way, giving up his soul to God, receive him into thy merciful arms, make soft and warm around him the snowy shroud, and let the soul that has so soon quitted its earthly abode arise as speedily towards the throne of God. > z o w < hi H Z PRAYER FOR THE SOLDIERS 271 " O blessed Virgin, Mother of God, hear my prayers ; search out the good deeds of their lives, the generous thoughts of their inmost hearts, and scatter them like sweet-smelling flowers of the mountains before the throne of God, so when their souls shall come before Him, they shall be received with infinite mercy, and the light which gilds the high mountains, emanation from the Divine and Eternal, shall surround them for ever with ineffable peace." CHAPTER XXIII Birth of the Crown Prince, named Umberto, Prince of Piedmont, c September 15th, 1904 — Joy of the Italian people — The Kii encourages all social enterprises — Honours paid to Guido Baece at the Capitol on April 8th, 1906 — Inauguration of the " Policlinicc — The International Institute of Agriculture — David Lubin r ceived and encouraged by Vittorio Emanuolo III — The Italo-Amei can intellectual alliance — Queen Elena receives at Racconigi < August 1st, 1906, a deputation of the Knights of Malta — TheGrar Cross of the Order of Malta conferred on the first two Queens Italy — Significance of this distinction — The revival of the study teaching as a science in Italy — Luigi Credaro — The training colle; for teachers in Milan — Maria Montessori — The great success her method, encouraged and aided by Margherita of Savoy- Eduardo Talamo and the "Houses for Children" — Interest of t! two Queens for the new scheme — Efficient co-operation of Doni Maria Talamo, Princess Brancaccio, for its development and pr grass — Opinion of Luigi Luzzatti — Death of Carducci on June 16t 1907 — Imposing funeral — Tlie house and library of Carduc bought by Margherita of Savoy and presented to the City of Bologi — A fine painting by Cavaliere Francesco Santoro given by Ms gherita of Savoy to the Carducci Library in Bologna. THE strong and healthy Royal childre were being brought up with great sin plicity and in the strictest principles ( modern education, when the domestic happineji of the Royal Family was completed by the birt of a son, in Racconigi, on September 15th, 190' The King named him Umberto, after his ow father, and gave him the title of Prince of Pie( mont, which is the title always borne by the he to the Crown of Savoy. The Italian peopL devoted to the monarchy, rejoiced exceedingly t the birth of the long-desired Crown Prince ; an they were impressed and touched when the 272 •s; Q .-1 < d, < S CO en M O Z; a Cb H , r- -< o a s z Q < U J o E fc. o o o ^ W S 03 ^ 2; D i) i; W a o 13 Z S 'J &< a z a o a: K H U Q w 'A a: < H •^ Q Z < J a < z z z a »< aj > D o Oi 3 a" en ^ M u w D z o z < S S fc u o 2 o H H »— ( > CS z THE "POLICLINICO" 273 heard that Queen Elena had obtained the King's permission to nurse the child. The wise father knew that the heir to the throne would probably be stronger and healthier if nursed by his own mother, and might, at the same time, acquire something of her admirable qualities of heart and mind. The example of the Queen has done much to popularize these maternal cares from which most women of wealth and position had hitherto shrunk, as incompatible with their social obligations ; they are now beginning to realize the great physical and possibly psychical value for the child, in the first days of its life, in the provision of Nature for its nourishment. The young Queen also succeeded in proving that the exercise of this maternal duty did not prevent her fulfilling the obligations of her exalted station ; she appeared that winter at the usual functions at Court, radiant in healthful beauty and happiness. The King gave tangible proof of his domestic happiness by taking even more active interest than before in the welfare of the families of his people, encouraging and helping any social initiative which tended to improve and elevate the hard condition of their life. One of the greatest and most important works recently achieved in Rome is the erection of the great hospital (Policlinico Umberto Primo), due to the initiative of the greatest medical scientist of modern Italy, Guido Baccelli, who is at once scientist, archaeologist, statesman, and patriot. The name of Guido Baccelli will be remembered in connection with the " Passeggiata Archeo- logica." The judgment of the world acknow- ledges in him the leader of Italian medical science, and he is an active benefactor of the 274 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY people. There is something of the apostle in this remarkable man, who, from the highest summit of scientific ideals, descends to the practice of elementary pedagogics, founding in Rome the first of those popular afternoon recreative schools characterized by the motto which they bear : "Civihze the people, educate them all you can." Guido Baccelli, though advanced in years, is still in the fulness of his physical strength and versatile genius. On April 8th, 1906, a solemn ceremony in Guido Baccelli's honour took place in the hall of the " Horatii and Curatii " at the Capitol, in the presence of the King and many Italian and foreign scientists. Vittorio Emanuele sat between the Ministers Boselli and Bianchi, and near them was Baccelli's family and the other Ministers, among whom was the great scientist's son, Alfredo Baccelli, poet and novelist, politician of note and worth, and a man without reproach in private as in public life. A large audience was present, including foreign delegates, medical celebrities. University professors, a large number of ladies, and, at the end of the hall, a crowd of doctors and students. Guido Baccelli sat near the President of the Special Committee ; at his feet lay a laurel crown of bronze, bearing the inscription : " Italian students to Guido Baccelli." On the table near was a portrait of Margherita of Savoy in a silver frame, surmounted by the Royal armsj and beneath the portrait appeared the following autograph dedication : "To Guido Baccelli on the inauguration of the hospital which he projected and accomplished. The portrait which I send him may serve to show that I associate GUIDO BACCELLI 275 myself with the well-merited tribute of honour and gratitude which Rome to-day bestows on him. " Margherita." Many presents and albums, containing addresses with autograph signatures, lay on the table, with letters and telegrams from all parts of Italy and from foreign lands. After several discourses, Guido Baccelli began his speech of thanks by turning to the King ; he recalled the foundation of the Policlinico in the reign of Vittorio Emanuele II, its continuation under King Umberto, and its inauguration during the bene- ficent rule of His present Majesty. The concluding words of his speech were : " Extreme poverty is the origin of vice, and corrupts from the roots many generations of mankind, laying the foundation of incurable diseases, and these, not seldom, are an incitement to crime. In this temple, where our poorest brothers can recover their health, they will also reconquer, increase, and accumulate the forces necessary for the resuming of their labour, that labour which, in our modern social life, is a highly moralizing influence. What will to-day remain more deeply impressed on your mind. Sire, as on ours, what to you, as to us, is more honourable and more satisfying than any con- crete reward, is the consciousness of a great benefit conferred on our fellow-creatures. If this institution of ours incites continually to higher aims and discoveries, medical science will joyfully turn them to account for the advantage of our brothers saddened by sickness and poverty, exhorting, raising them into that bracing atmo- sphere of reciprocity and mutual goodwill which, 276 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY proclaimed from this immortal rock, will make of all free men one vast family." During and after his admirable speech, Guido Baccelli was applauded by the King and by the imposing audience. Banquets and demonstra- tions continued until the next day, when the Medical School and Hospital were inaugurated and opened to the public. The King was highly satisfied with the honours paid to Baccelli and with the opening of the magnificent hospital, which honours, and is of the greatest benefit to, her people. At this time Mr. David Lubin arrived in Rome, an American citizen, who in the true spirit of propaganda, had elaborated the admirable scheme of an undertaking of world-wide utility and value ; this was the creation of an inter- national institute of agriculture which he thought should have its initiation in Rome, under the patronage of the young King. He desired personally to lay before the King the aim and outline of the scheme. Mr. Lubin asked and obtained a private audience from Vittorio Emanuele III, and the young King, whose wide culture and far-seeing wisdom are well known, at once understood the exceptional importance of the idea ; he promised to give the scheme his patronage and protection, and to take steps for its realization, to make it his own and to have it actuated promptly. The distressing economic conditions of Italian peasants and their painful subjection to unjust speculation, are due to their ignorance of the state of the markets of the world. If agri- culturists knew the real or probable condition INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE 277 of the wheat market at a given period, they would not submit to be so shamelessly robbed by those who abuse their ignorance and simplicity. To bring about a change in this state of things, a great social organization was needed, which should inspire with confidence agricultural pro- ducers and which should give periodically, re- duced to a common denominator, the amount of crop expected all over the world, the amount preserved in silos, the amount in transport, and the amount on the market, at any given time. In England, as in the United States, there were two institutions founded with this aim, but they were isolated, and often gave unworthy speculators the chance of profiting by their notices, and the discussion of other questions, which were separately treated, without any unity of purpose and conception, was the occasion of much loss to land cultivators. To remedy all this, and principally to create an organization, long since proposed by Professor Ruhland, for uniformity in the price of wheat, Mr. David Lubin formed the scheme of an international agricultural institute in Rome. He had the rare good fortune to have as his secretary and interpreter a very cultivated Anglo-Italian lady of unusual intelligence, Signora Olivia Agresti- Rossetti, who has become his principal coadjutor. The King, recognizing, with rapid intuition, the importance of the scheme, consented to make it his own, and with a letter of January 24th, 1905, he himself took the initiative of the enterprise, providing the necessary funds wherewith to start it. The Palace of the Institute for Agriculture was immediately built in the Villa Borghese, and after much and serious preparation, aided by 278 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY learned professors of the University of Rome, it has already given the world full proofs of its utility. Not equally fortunate, though also an import- ant and practical idea, was the proposal which came to Italy from the United States, through Professor Spencer Kennard, of an Italo- American intellectual alliance. It had, as its principal aim, to make Italy better known to the people of North America and that country to the Italians in its great manifestations of advanced civiliza- tion. It was a question of founding Italian lectureships in American Universities and courses of studies for Americans in Italian Universities ; of starting Italian clubs in the different States of North America and American clubs in different Italian provinces. Italian students would have scholarships in the United States and American students would have the same in Italy. An Italo-American review, published in the Eng- lish language in Rome, would have given all news regarding Italy to anyone not reading Italian, diffusing thus in England and her colonies, as in the United States, the views of modern Italians. The review would have been the official organ of the alliance, promoting its development, attending to its interests, render- ing ever more cordial the relations between Italy and the United States, and encouraging a larger interest in Italian emigrants to America. An English illustrated magazine on these lines, devoted to modern Italy, had been greeted with applause in Rome,^ but like the alliance, it was not destined to succeed. The alliance greatly interested the King, the Italian Govern- 1 See " The Italian Review," copyright in London, Rome, 1900-2, started and edited by Fanny Zampini Salazar. THE GRAND CROSS 279 ment, the most highly intellectual society in Rome, and the whole Italian Press, but the Minister of Public Instruction had the un- fortunate idea of entrusting the study of the question to one of the usual committees with the usual result of crushing it. On August 1st, 1906, a commission consisting of Knights of the Order of Malta, was received at Racconigi by Queen Elena, who with the Queen Dowager received the Grand Cross of that Order. To understand the importance and meaning of this circumstance it is necessary to know the original constitution of the Order of the Knights of Malta. Only the Pope can confer on one of the Knights of the Order the dignity of Grand Master. It should be remem- bered that Pius X, elected Pope, had confirmed the election of Count Thun, as Grand Master, well knowing his devotion to the House of Savoy. It was evident that Pius X had permitted, and perhaps even himself suggested, that the two Queens should receive the Grand Cross of the Order of the Knights of Malta, and Cardinal Rampolla, who was in Rome the Grand Prior of that Order, was undoubtedly instrumental in conferring this high honour on the two first ladies in Italy. The Order of the Knights of Malta is never conferred without the sanction of the Council, composed of the Grand Prior, the Commander, and the Bailiff in Rome. Besides, when the Order has to be conferred on Sovereigns, it is necessary that His Holiness the Pope and the Secretary of State at the Vatican, at present Cardinal Merry del Val, should not only not oppose it, but communicate the " nihil obstat " to the Supreme Corporation. The event, for this 280 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY reason, denotes a memorable date in the annals of the Order and is significant of the relations now existing between the Vatican and the Italian Court. A great revival in the study of pedagogical reform was taking place at this time in Italy, and both Queens, as also the more intellectual part of society, encouraged and supported the new movement ; the deputy. Professor Luigi Credaro, gave much intelligent activity to the question, starting an important pedagogical school, interesting in this the best authorities on the subject. New horizons opened for the study of the basis of modern education and the intellectual development of children. A school for scientific pedagogy had been founded in Milan, to prepare teachers for the exercise of the new principles of the science and art of teaching. Professor Sergi had shown that there was an urgent need for renewing the methods of primary education, asserting that : " Whoever worked for such an end might look forward to the regeneration of the human race."^ Methods hitherto untried had suggested them- selves to the calm, reflective spirit of a modern scientist, Maria Montessori, who after theoretical and practical studies of the subject, and visits to foreign educational institutions, saw that it was necessary to follow new lines, if the science of teaching were to be formed and placed upon a new basis. The theory of the Montes- sori method is to study each child separately, and to let each develop its own intel- lectual and moral faculties. Children are no 1 See Dr. Maria Montessori's " Metodo della Pedagogia Scientifica, etc." Citta di Castello. S. Lapi. TEACHING AS A SCIENCE 281 longer to be looked upon as herds of cattle, but as budding human beings ; they are to be led gently, by kindness and persuasion, and by love, so that the child may feel the mother in the teacher. Maria Montessori perceived at once the great difficulties of her method, and that, above all, it was necessary to train a body of teachers to follow those rational principles of modern scientific teaching, as applied to very young children, who have to develop freely their own instinctive qualities and correct their own defects. What the training-schools in Milan and in Rome had done for higher teachers, had now to be done for elementary ones. Such a simple and practical idea was deserving at least of a trial, but where and how could the experiment be made, and how could the teachers, needed to propagate and develop the new ideas, be trained ? A man of great practical intelligence in Rome, Eduardo Talamo, an engineer, who is at the head of the flourishing Roman institution of " Beni Stabili," which he founded and continues on sound economic principles, matured in his mind a complete scheme of social regeneration for the poorer classes. This was the man to understand and generously to aid in practical realization the ideas of Maria Montessori. A philanthropist, an educator in the highest sense of the word, Eduardo Talamo was deeply impressed by the miserable conditions of the poorer classes in Rome, where decent, hygienic, and low-priced dwellings were not to be had ; he determined to supply such an indispensable need by the construction of special houses for the families of working-people and also for the poorer middle- class, which, comparatively neglected and for- 282 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY gotten, carries on, in silence, the hard struggle for existence. These members of the community Eduardo Talamo hoped to raise to a hygienic, moral mode of life. To each settlement was annexed a school to receive the children of all the tenants from three to seven years of age, when they are admitted to the elementary schools. The principal aim of these kindergartens was not only to offer gratuitously to parents, compelled every day to leave their homes for work, the care and attention which they were unable to give their children, but also to educate and civilize children, thus elevating and refining, through the rising generation, the domestic atmosphere of the working-classes. This school at home, to which Talamo gave, with intention, the name of "Homes for Children" ("Case de' bambini"), became the realization of a great idea, which Queen Elena and Queen Margherita alike ap- proved and encouraged, as did the majority of those who realize the importance and scope of the idea. The two august ladies often visit the homes for children and send them useful and pretty gifts, especially for the Befana (Epiphany), which in Rome is essentially a children's day. Eduardo Talamo has also instituted prizes for the best-behaved children and has in each home a directress, a doctor, and a maid. When he had informed himself as to the practical value of Maria Montessori's scheme, he offered her the general direction of all the Homes for Children, that she might there have an opportunity of testing, by experiment, her methods of scientific teaching. A group of the most intelligent and active ladies in Rome, among them the wife of Eduardo Talamo, a daughter of Prince Bran- DEATH OF CARDUCCI 283 caccio di Ruffano, of Naples, Signora Enrichetta Chiaraviglio, daughter of Signor Giolitti, Signora Maraini, and Alice Hallgarten, Baroness Fran- chetti, encouraged and generously helped Maria Montessori to develop her scheme, so that she was soon able to show its practical advantages. Queen Margherita then gave her the means to start a school, at her own home, in Rome, so as to train young teachers in her methods ; this school is flourishing, and Queen Margherita is often present at the children's lessons. Teachers have come to Rome from all parts of the world to learn the Montessori method, and Italians are very proud of the great and undisputed success of their countrywoman. In the Homes for Children are always to be found the portraits of the Royal Family, including those of the fine, healthy Royal children, who are also brought up on the Montessori system. In addition to these portraits, there is always one of Raphael's Madonnas, in its mystic beauty idealizing and consecrating the function of motherhood. On February 16th, 1907, Italy suffered a great loss and grief by the death, in Bologna, of Giosue Carducci, the greatest poet of modern Italy. Throughout the country, in the " unredeemed " provinces, in every centre of Italian immigration, the sad tidings were diffused and heard with deep sorrow, and the great Italian was everywhere honoured by solemn commemorations. He had been always opposed to all that is false, superficial, and conventional, and even in his social relations he avoided ceremony, though thoroughly ap- preciating the company and conversation of really intelligent and cultivated people. He had been in his last years a frequent guest in Contessa 284 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY Ersilia Lovatelli's literary salon. This learned and amiable lady, a member of the Academy of the " Lincei," often invited Carducci to dinner, when she could have intimate friends around him, devoid of vulgar curiosity, who could be inter- ested in the poet, and succeed in interesting him. His native sincerity made him avoid formal receptions, for he was very shy, and felt at ease only among real friends whom he knew well. It was at the house of Contessa Lovatelli that he met the scholarly historian and diplomatist Baron de Bildt,who ^as chiefly instrumental in obtaining for him the Nobel prize from the Swedish Academy. The deep impression made in Rome by Carducci's death was universal. The deputies rose when the President, Marcora, officially announced the death of the great Italian, closing the sitting in respect for his memory, and announcing that the President and representatives of Parliament would attend the funeral, which was to be at the State expense, and that the Minister of Public Instruction would also be represented for the Italian Government. Numberless telegrams were sent to the family of the poet, to the University and to the city of Bologna, from all parts of Italy and from foreign countries. The Queen Dowager telegraphed to the Sindaco of Bologna : " Deeply grieved, I associate myself with the sorrow of Bologna, which is the sorrow of all the nation. Italy has lost a great citizen, but his memory will be ever with us, made immortal by his works." All the intellect of Italy met at Bologna to pay the last sad tribute to the singer of her glories. Margherita of Savoy, who had inspired Car- L^'^- LATEST PORTRAIT OF QUEEN MARGHERITA. (From an etching by Charlotte Popert.) CARDUCCI'S HOUSE AND LIBRARY 285 ducci with such noble poetical conceptions and such deep devotion, had ever been to him during his whole life a sincere and noble friend, helping him in his difficulties with that graceful delicacy which is one of the rare gifts of her generous heart. When Queen Margherita heard that Car- ducci had decided to dispose of his books, collected and preserved with so much care and appreciation, and felt what a grief it would be to him to part with them, she commissioned Conte Nerio Mal- vezzi dei Medici to purchase them for her, at double the price at which they had been valued ; she then presented them to the poet, that he might use them during his life. Becoming her property at his death, the Queen presented the books, sacred to Italians, to the City of Bologna. In the library are also Carducci's manuscripts and his correspondence, documents which a competent commission, named by the Commune, at the request of Queen Margherita, will organize and publish for the advantage of historical and literary studies. To make the gift complete, the Queen wished to purchase the house in which the poet had lived for many years and where he had written many of his works. By a legal contract, signed in January, 1906, by Conte Nerio Malvezzi dei Medici, then Minister, representing Margherita of Savoy, the building was purchased. It is an old house, to which is also joined a fifteenth- century church, dedicated to the " Madonna del Piombo," a name which has reverted to the house ; it is built on the city wall and has a small garden with cypress trees. The windows of the poet's study looked eastwards, towards the plain ; in this room Carducci's body lay in state, 286 MARGHERITA OF SAVOY enclosed in a simple coffin of pine wood in remembrance of one of -Ms sonnets : — "Yet more I honour pine: within four boards A coffin shall enclose at last the dark Of tumults and the vain desires of thought." On February 27th, 1907, the Sindaco of Bologna, Marchese Tanari, received Conte Mal- vezzi dei Medici, who gave him the following autograph letter from Queen Margherita : — " I have the honour to announce to you that I hereby give to the City of Bologna, the house where Giosue Carducci spent his last years and the Hbrary which he himself collected. Bologna, which for so many years had in Giosue Carducci an honoured guest and regarded him with honour and admiration, will know how to preserve, inviolate, this memorial of the greatest poet of modern Italy. With the expression of my esteem and consideration. . Margherita." " Rome, February 27th, 1907." In consigning to the first citizen of Bologna the Royal document, Conte Malvezzi delivered the following address : — " It is with some emotion that I present myself before you. Sir, to accomplish the mission with which Her Majesty, the Queen Dowager, has honoured me. I bring you an autograph letter in which the August Lady expresses her Royal intention of giving to the City of Bologna the library and manuscripts of Giosue Carducci, and the house where he passed so many years, which has become sacred to Italians for his death THE CARDUCCI LIBRARY 287 therein. The books, which he called his com- panions and the solace of his strenuous life, will remain in worthy and safe keeping, under the high auspices of the first Queen of Italy, pre- served for ever by learned Bologna ; and the house, which the people called Carducci's, will remain a monument of affectionate veneration for his memory and the seat of studies which shall give new glory to his imperishable name." To make this truly Royal gift still more complete, Queen Margherita added to it a fine painting by Francesco Santoro, representing the " Sources of the Clitunnus," which will remain in the library in memory of the place in Umbria, where the great poet was inspired to write one of his finest poems. The house with its precious memories, the library with its collection of classics and manuscripts, brought together by the great poet, has become, after his death, a temple sacred to his memory. Among the books is Muratori's great work, " Rerum italicarum scrip- tores," which has been reprinted at the expense of Queen Margherita. To this book Carducci had written a preface, dedicating the magnificent publication : — TO THE MAJESTY ^ OF QUEEN MARGHERITA BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW HISTORY OF ITALY A STAR STEADFAST, PURE, PROPITIOUS. The End PRINTED BY WILLIAM BRENDON AND SON, LTD, PLYMOUTH Ill m ■I'll 't .!* I!