276 AUSTRALIA AND HOMEWARD. 



however, does he begin to entertain the wrong^than 

 out flashes again, like the lightning at midnight, the 

 revelations of truth, and he cannot long resist them, 

 be the consequences what they may. Curci, like Gari- 

 baldi, is a sign of the times in Italy. 



While we were at Naples, Bovio, one of the mem- 

 bers of the House of Deputies at Rome, denounced in 

 .strong language the influence of the priests in the 

 schools. He was loudly applauded. Bovio and the 

 applause are a sign of the times. 



The Mayor of Rome, who, it seems, has his appoint- 

 ment from the Government, and is, I believe, also a 

 member of the Government, in a very clever and 

 eloquent address congratulated the Pope on the 

 occasion of his jubilee as a priest. In doing so, how- 

 ever, he went a little too far, and said things in refer- 

 ence to the present relationship between the Vatican 

 and the Italians which he should not have said. 



Premier Crispi sent for him, and after showing 

 him that he had very imprudently compromised the 

 Government by his address, urged him to resign. The 

 Mayor refused. Crispi called his colleagues together, 

 conferred with them and then went with them to the 

 King, to whom he explained all that had taken place. 

 The upshot was that his Worship was dismissed from 

 office, because he seemed to think more of his " papa " 



