1832.] Dungeons of the Inquisition of Rome, in 1818. 



" Well/' replied the pope, " I will soon know it/' and having rang, 

 ordered, to Monsignor Riario, who was his lord in waiting, that Cardi- 

 nal Gonzalvi should be immediately sent for, and, dispensing with the 

 papal etiquette, desired the prince to take a seat. During the time they 

 were waiting for the secretary of state, Pius VII. spoke very favourably 

 of me ; assured Prince Kounitz that he had found in me a true friend 

 while he was confined at Fontainebleau, and that I had often endangered 

 my own welfare to bring him some comfort ; the good pope added that 

 he knew me from my infancy, that I was intrinsically good, but that he 

 had always found that I often acted very imprudently. 



In a short time Gonzalvi was announced, and when, on entering, the 

 cardinal saw Prince Kounitz sitting by the pope, he soon guessed why 

 he had been called. Pius VII. was a very excellent man, and truly 

 pious, he was also a profound divine, and extremely erudite. Of all the 

 successors of St. Peter, since they have obtained temporal power, he is 

 the only pontiff who has not enriched his family ; and although he 

 reigned more than twenty-four years, he died very poor, for his charity 

 knew no bounds. The only fault he had, was, that he cared very little 

 about worldly affairs ; and it may be said that, though Pius VII. was 

 the nominal pope, it was Cardinal Gonzalvi that reigned uncontrolled. 



However, when Pius VII. was determined that any thing should be 

 done, or that any abuse should be abolished, he was the most firm, and 

 the most obstinate man in the world. In the present circumstance he 

 proved his authority, and, without any observation, demanded from his 

 secretary of state " What has happened to the Hungarian gentleman, 

 who the other day performed the mask of Cicero, and since that period 

 is missing ?" Gonzalvi seeing that the pope knew that it was almost 

 certain that Cicero had been arrested, replied " Your holiness is well 

 aware that those who sacrilegiously blaspheme against our holy religion 

 are immediately given into the hands of the holy inquisition, and that 

 their apprehension must be kept secret until they are examined and tried. 

 It is for this reason that I could not give a satisfactory answer to the 

 Austrian ambassador. But since your holiness commands me to dis- 

 close the secrets of the holy office, I will briefly relate what has been 

 done with the Hungarian gentleman, or rather with the Neapolitan 

 nobleman." Here the cardinal reported all that has already been 

 exposed, and particularly insisted on the instances of the Marquis of 

 Fuscaldo. As soon as Gonzalvi ended his information, the pope said 

 " Cardinal, it is our will that the prisoner should be directly restored to 

 liberty ; and as the Austrian ambassador is so generous as to offer to go 

 to deliver his subject, you will accompany his excellency, and see that 

 my commands are fulfilled without further delay." 



It was nearly three o'clock when I heard the footsteps of several per- 

 sons in the corridor of my prison. I felt a strange sensation, but soon 

 was relieved from my anxiety by my door being opened, and by the 

 appearance of my excellent friend, Prince Kounitz, who, with a smile 

 on his face, requested me to go with him. 



To pass from the abode of tyranny, torture, and despair, to the mag- 

 nificent palace of a generous prince to escape from the furious hands 

 of the inquisitors to be again restored to my best friends, was but an 

 instant. A few days after this, having taken my leave of all those who 

 had known and assisted me, I bade adieu to Rome and to Italy pro- 

 bably for ever ! 



