306 Marcus Tullins Cictro in the [MARCH, 



vocation. His black, fierce-looking eyes, his large mouth and thick 

 lips, inspired a sort of awe mingled with disgust. Next to him was 

 seated a younger monk, ready to transcribe his questions and my 

 answers. The reverend father stared at me for a minute or two, as if 

 wishing to read into my heart, and then sitting down, began as fol- 

 lows : 



" What is your name, country, profession, and religion ?" 



" I am Arduel Tchocha, a native of Buda, in Hungary, by profession 

 a soldier, and a Catholic by birth." 



" Why have you been arrested ?" 



" I do not know." 



" Have you not spoken in a public theatre against the holy order of 

 cardinals?" 



" I do not remember having committed such an offence." 



" Did you not say, last night, while speaking of the present laws of 

 Rome, that you had seen, in hell, Cardinal Maury ?" 



" Yes, I did, but it was in the warmth of my argumentation ; and I 

 never thought that it would be deemed an offeree to the holy order of 

 cardinals, especially as I there represented Cicero, who was by no means 

 a good Catholic/' 



" Can you assign any other motive which might mitigate the rigour 

 of the holy inquisition for your great crime ?" 



" I do not know of any. Besides," added I, ( ' Cardinal Maury was, 

 during all his life, undoubtedly opposed to the Roman church's infal- 

 libility, and to the last moment of his existence he would not abjure 

 this erroneous opinon." 



" 'Tis true," answered Father Olivieri ; " but you know that the 

 holy pontiff, having sent to the dying cardinal his in articulo mortis abso- 

 lution, it is almost an article of faith that Cardinal Maury has been saved 

 from the torments of hell." 



" I did not know this," replied I ; " and I must confess that, had I 

 been informed of the circumstance, it would not have altered my sen- 

 timents." 



" Are you the same person who has often delivered extemporaneous 

 Latin poetry in the Latin Academy ?" 



" Yes, I am." 



" Well," the Rev. Father Olivieri then observed, "how can a soldier 

 be so well acquainted with ancient literature and history as to deliver 

 extemporaneous Latin poetry, and to represent, as you have done, the 

 character of Cicero ?" 



" Factum infectum Jleri nequit" answered I ; "and if I have done it, 

 it is the best proof of what a soldier can do." 



" But," replied the inquisitor, taking a paper into his hand, " here is 

 a letter which I have just received from the most Rev. Monsignor Pacca, 

 governor of Rome ;* he informs me that strong suspicions are entertained 

 that you are not a Hungarian, but that under such a fictitious name is 



* This famous personage, after having been for more than five years the greatest 

 hypocrite and tyrant of Rome, was at last denounced as being at the head of a party 

 who wished to overthrow the papal government ; and had not Cardinal Pacca, his 

 uncle, obtained his escape from the lloman states, he would have certainly expe- 

 rienced the rigours of the holy office. In his flight, however, he did not forget his 

 interest, and basely took away with him 100,000 lloman scudi from the coffers of 

 the poor, which were deposited in his hands ! 



