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When the pillar in the Piazza de' Spagna,
commemorative of his dogma of the Immaculate Conception, was to be
erected, the people of Rome refused to be present, or to have anything to
do with it, unless the pope promised to abstain from interference. His
Holiness did promise, but so far broke his word as to be present one day
while it was being erected, and on that day a man was killed. A little
while ago there was a Lord Clifford, an English Catholic nobleman,
residing in Italy, and, happening to come to Rome, he sent his
compliments to Pio Nono, and requested the favor of an interview. The
pope, as it happened, was indisposed, or for some reason could not see
his lordship, but very kindly sent him his blessing. Those who knew of
it shook their heads, and intimated that it would go ill with his
lordship now that he had been blessed by Pio Nono, and the very next day
poor Lord Clifford was dead! His Holiness had better construe the
scriptural injunction literally, and take to blessing his enemies.


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