At that meeting I heard some gossip concerning the real significance 

 of the celebration. According to this tale, Bologna was strongly repub- 

 lican and the Italian government was anxious to do something which 

 should take the King and Queen to the place and cause a great demon- 

 stration of loyalty to the house of Savoy. Accordingly, they hit on the 

 device of celebrating the eight hundredth anniversary of the founding 

 of the university, though this famous institution never was founded, 

 but "growed," like Topsy, out of a monastery. It was also said that, while 

 its age was not exactly known, the university was much less than eight 

 hundred years old, though that fictitious age would serve. 



Every morning the authorities issued a bulletin, which contained a 

 list of the delegates, so far arrived, with the institutions which they 

 represented, universities, learned societies, etc., arranged in geographical 

 order. The first copy sent to me contained matter for much mirth. 

 South America (America Meridionale) had, at the head of its list, 

 Universita de Buenos Aires, followed by Universita de Toronto! North 

 America (America Settentrionale) was divided into Canada, Stati Uniti 

 and "RepubHca Neo-Caesarea," my unlucky credentials having proved 

 to be an insoluble problem. One of my English friends jeered at me, 

 with the remark: "I had always supposed that New Jersey was one of 

 the United States." 



The show began on the afternoon of Monday, June ii, with a delight- 

 ful symphony concert; the Bologna orchestra was said to be the best in 

 Italy at that time. Then followed the unveiling of the statue of Victor 

 Emanuel by the King, a very brilliant spectacle. In the evening was a 

 grand torchlight procession, which was a complete revelation to my 

 northern eyes, though the term "torchlight" was entirely inapplicable, 

 for there were no torches. Instead, there were elaborate devices, such 

 as the arms of Italy, of Bologna, of the University, etc., made up of 

 small globes of coloured glass, each globe half full of olive oil, with a 

 little floating wick in it. When these were lighted, they looked like great 

 jewels, emeralds, sapphires, rubies and diamonds. The effect of a long 

 line of these devices, some of which took six men to carry, apparently 

 floating in the darkness, was indescribably beautiful, especially from 

 the elevated position in which I watched it. I dined with a party of 

 friends in an upstairs room of the Cafe Stelloni, on the great piazza 

 opposite the palace; we were all enchanted with the spectacle, the like 

 of which few of us had ever seen. 



Next followed the "court ball," though as there was no dancing it 

 was rather a reception by the King and Queen. It was a desperately hot 



