CHAPTER I. CLELIA
A celebrated writer has called Rome "the City of the dead", but how canthere be death in the heart of Italy? The ruins of Rome, the ashes ofher unhappy sons, have, indeed, been entombed, but these remains are soimpregnate with life that they may yet accomplish the regeneration ofthe world. Rome is still capable of arousing the populations, as thetempest raises the waves of the sea; for is she not the mistress ofancient empire, and is not her whole history that of giants? Those whocan visit her wonderful monuments in their present desolation, andnot feel their souls kindle with love of the beautiful, and ardorfor generous designs, will only restore at death base hearts to theiroriginal clay. As with the city, so with its people. No degradationshave been able to impair the beauty of her daughters--a lovelinessoften, alas! fatal to themselves--and in the youthful Clelia, theartist's daughter of the Trastevere, Raphael himself would have foundthe graces of his lofty and pure ideal, united with that force ofcharacter which distinguished her illustrious namesake of ancient times.Even at sixteen years of age her carriage possessed a dignity majesticas of a matron of old, albeit youthful; her hair was of a luxurious richbrown; her dark eyes, generally conveying repose and gentleness, could,nevertheless, repress the slightest affront with flashes like lightning.Her father was a sculptor, named Manlio, who had reached his fiftiethyear, and possessed a robust constitution, owing to a laborious andsober life. This profession enabled him to support his family incomfort, if not luxury, and he was altogether as independent as it waspossible for a citizen to be in a priest-ridden country. Manlio's wife,though naturally healthy, had become delicate from early privation andconfinement to the house; she had, however, the disposition of an angel,and besides forming the happiness and pride of her husband, was belovedby the entire neighborhood.
Clelia was their only child, and was entitled by the people, "The Pearlof Trastevere." She inherited, in addition to her beauty, the angelicheart of her mother, with that firmness and strength of character whichdistinguished her father.
This happy family resided in the street that ascends from Lungarato Monte Gianicolo, not far from the fountain of Montono, and,unfortunately for them, they lived there in this, the nineteenthcentury, when the power of the Papacy is, for the time, supreme.
Now, the Pope professes to regard the Bible as the word of God, yet thePapal throne is surrounded by cardinals, to whom marriage is forbidden,notwithstanding the Scriptural declaration that "it is not good for manto dwell alone," and that "woman was formed to be a helpmeet for him."
Matrimony being thus interdicted, contrary to the law of God and man,the enormous wealth, the irresponsible power, and the state of languidluxury in which, as Princes of the Church, they are compelled to live,have ever combined, in the case of these cardinals, every temptation tocorruption and libertinism of the very worst kinds (see Note 2). As thespirit of the master always pervades the household, plenty of willingtools are to be found in these large establishments ready to pander totheir employers' vices.
The beauty of Clelia had unhappily attracted the eye of CardinalProcopio, the most powerful of these prelates, and the favorite of hisHoliness, whom he flattered to his face, and laughed at as an old dotardbehind his back.
One day, feeling jaded by his enforced attendance at the Vatican, hesummoned Gianni, one of his creatures, to his presence, and informed himof the passion he had conceived for Clelia, ordering him, at whatevercost, and by any means, to obtain possession of the girl, and conducther to his palace.
It was in furtherance of the nefarious plot thereupon concocted that theagent of his Eminence on the evening of the 8th of February, 1866,presented himself at the studio of Signor Manlio, but not without sometrepidation, for, like most of his class, he was an arrant coward, andalready in fancy trembled at the terrific blows which the strong arm ofthe sculptor would certainly bestow should the real object of the visitbe suspected. He was, however, somewhat reassured by the calm expressionof the Roman's face, and, plucking up courage, he entered the studio.
"Good-evening, Signor Manlio," he commenced, with a smooth andflattering voice.
"Good-evening," replied the artist, not looking up, but continuingan examination of his chisels, for he cared little to encourage thepresence of an individual whom he recognized as belonging to thehousehold of the Cardinal, the character of that establishment beingwell known to him.
"Good-evening, Signor," repeated Gianni, in a timid voice;and, observing that at last the other raised his head, he thuscontinued--"his Eminence, the Cardinal Procopio, desires me to tell youhe wishes to have two small statues of saints to adorn the entrance tohis oratory."
"And of what size does the Cardinal require them?" asked Manlio.
"I think it would be better for you, Signor, to call on his Eminence atthe palace, to see the position in which he wishes them to be placed,and then consult with him respecting their design."
A compression of the sculptor's lips showed that this proposal was butlittle to his taste; but how can an artist exist in Rome, and maintainhis family in comfort, without ecclesiastical protection and employment?One of the most subtle weapons used by the Roman Church has always beenits patronage of the fine arts. It has ever employed the time and talentof the first Italian masters to model statues, and execute paintingsfrom subjects calculated to impress upon the people the doctrinesinculcated by its teaching (see Note 3), receiving demurely the homageof Christendom for its "protection of genius," and the encouragement itthereby afforded to artists from all nations to settle in Rome.
Manlio, therefore, who would have sacrificed his life a hundred timesover for his two beloved ones, after a few moments' reflection, bluntlyanswered, "I will go." Gianni, with a profound salutation, retired. "Thefirst step is taken," he murmured; "and now I must endeavor to find asafe place of observation for Cencio." This fellow was a subordinate ofGianni's, to whom the Cardinal had intrusted the second section of theenterprise; and for whom it was now necessary to hire a room in sightof the studio. This was not difficult to achieve in that quarter, for inRome, where the priests occupy themselves with the spiritual concerns ofthe people, and but little with their temporal prosperity (though theynever neglect their own), poverty abounds. Were it not for the enforcedneglect of its commerce, the ancient activity of Rome might be restored,and might rival even its former palmiest days.
After engaging a room suitable for the purpose, Gianni returnedhome, humming a song, and with a conscience any thing but oppressed,comprehending well that all ruffianism is absolved by the priests whencommitted for the benefit of mother Church.