whatever of the relation of the church to the No device was wanting to hamper and to disstate. Why should it? It will be time enough hearten the minority. The hospitalities of to declare war against modern civilization when Rome were administered by the Jesuit fathers. there is a reasonable prospect of success. And The wavering and the uncertain were distribuan infallible pope need not wait on the decrees ted at points remote from one another, and in of a council. He may proclaim the obnoxious companionships whose subtle influence only the principles when and how he will. The dog-wary would recognize, only the strong could rematic constitution was not finally promulgated sist. Consultation with their more resolute till the 26th day of April. It was then pro- brethren was effectually prevented by a papal claimed without a dissenting vote; but careful decree, forbidding the assemblage of more than observers counted the absentees. They num- twenty members of the Council under any prebered over sixty-nearly one-tenth of the en- tense or for any purpose. Those that could tire Council. not be won over were attacked, maligned, backbitten. Did they attempt their own defense in the council chamber? This immense scenic hall was so constructed that not one speaker in a score could make his voice heard above the echoes which rang through the dome in answer to every footfall and every word. Did a Dupanloup or a Strossmayer, with his powerful voice, overcome the acoustic hindrances of a place never designed for an auditory? If he passed a step beyond the line of decorum which Italian priests marked out for him, the stamping and scraping of feet drowned his voice. Did he resort to print? The Roman censor forbade the publication of his letter or his pamphlet. Surmounting all obstacles, did he send the obnoxious utterance to his native state to be printed and returned to him? The post-office was kept under constant espionage, and his document seized and destroyed. Did he essay the custom-house? Meanwhile both parties were preparing for a final-a decisive battle. The original plan had been to procure, by a surprise, the passage of a decree of infallibility by acclamation. But the opposition was too strong to be carried by assault, too astute to be surprised. Other measures were adopted. Petitions were circulated imploring the pope, in the interest of the Catholic religion, to proclaim the dogma. They were circulated in secret; but not so secretly as to escape the observation of the minority. Petitions against the decree followed close after, reached his holiness almost simultaneously, and were returned to the signers without even a reply. The opposition was canvassed. The lobby-for Rome has a lobby-were set to work upon it. Some fathers were cajoled, some bribed, some threatened. A new dress was the price paid for one ecclesiastic; fifteen cardinal hats, looked at wistfully by many a score of ambitious eyes, served as a powerful argument to many others. The personal entreaty of the pope, the very sympathy and atmosphere of Rome, infected many. A few were driven by menace.* *The story of the aged Syrian Patriarch of Babylon is as well authenticated as any story can be which is not publicly vouched for by an eye-witness. He was one of the oldest, as one of the mildest and meekest, of the venerable fathers. Unable to hear, unable to speak in tones at all audible beyond his immediate circle, he handed a written address to one of his colleagues to deliver in his name. It was very short and ⚫very simple. The question before the Council was upon the prerogatives of the bishops. "As to you, my lords," said the aged but still resolute father, "you can do as you please, but we Orientals reserve all our rights, which, moreover, have been recognized by the Council of Florence." The pope sent for the patriarch. He was commanded to come to the Vatican unattended. He Even that was not safe If Pope from the surveillance of the Roman police.* "The time," cried Cardinal Schwarzenberg, "Protestantism is not," cried the eloquent Bishop Strossmayer, "to be held responsible for atheism, pantheism, and materialism, since many eminent Protestants have been among the able combaters of these doctrines. Nor is it thus that we are to reclaim our separated brothers." found the pontiff pale with holy rage. Two papers lay before him on the table; one contained the patriarch's resignation of his office; the other contained a solemn recantation of his position, and a renunciation of the privileges and prerogatives which he had claimed. The pope bade him choose between the two. The patriarch plead the oath he had taken, to defend the very rights he was now required to relinquish. The pope declared the oath a nullity. The patriarch No wonder that each speaker was interruptbegged opportunity for consultation. The pope an-ed by outcries which rendered it impossible for grily refused it. The patriarch asked time for consideration. The pope replied that he should not leave the room till he had put his signature to one paper or the other. The Castle of Saint Angelo was his alternative. There was no government to take up his cause and demand his release. He was old, infirm, decrepit, weak. He signed the recantation, and went back to the Council a broken man. him to continue, and that the session broke up in utter and irremediable confusion. "You are Protestants," cried the enraged Italians to Several of the wealthier ecclesiasts sent all their private correspondence by private heralds to neighboring cities to be mailed. PIO NONO AND HIS COUNCILORS. BISHOP STROSSMAYER. the German prelates. It was false; they are cerning the damnation of unbaptized infants Turning from the past to the present and the The future, they pointed out to the majority the The minority made a brave but ineffectual ominous signs of danger to the church. battle against the fatal decree. They recalled common people, even in Italy, taking up the the personal history of Peter himself, whom obnoxious decree, discussed it in a spirit which Paul "withstood to the face because he was to passed not infrequently from the irreverential be blamed;" they recalled the history of the to the blasphemous. On the day on which the great Apostolical Council at Jerusalem, whose Ecumenical Council was convened in Rome decree was the result of a free and fraternal a convention of laboring men met in Florence conference of the coequal Apostles; they ran- to denounce the Church of Rome, and with it, Pasquinades, more powerful than sacked the writings of the Greek and Latin fa- alas! that Christianity which she assumes to thers, and showed that not a sentence was to represent. be found therein, even by implication, favoring arguments, circulated among the common peothe dogma of papal infallibility; they point-ple. A burlesque petition for the abolition of ed out how impossible would have been the astronomy, as the parent of rationalism, was, theological controversies which rent the church drawn up and distributed throughout the city. in the first centuries of its existence, and which A bitter satirical verse, whose keenness is somewere settled only after years of fierce discus- what dulled in translation, was posted on the sion by successive councils, if a papal bull was very walls of the Vatican itself: "When Eve tasted and gave the fatal fruit, all that was needed for their determination; they reminded the Council that neither the pope nor his legates took part in the First Council of Constantinople in 381; that the declaration of Innocent I. and Gelasius I. con God became man, and to man freedom gave; Pius the Ninth, God's vicar here below, Makes himself God to render man a slave." American bishops declared that the promulgation of a decree of infallibility would band all The distinction between Catholics and papists is parties and all faiths in the United States curiously and unfortunately ignored by too many Prot- against the too subservient church which sufestants, who erroneously imagine that all Catholics are fered it. German and Austrian bishops assertRomanists. This is not true, even in Italy, and stilled that it would expel the Catholic priests less in Germany and France. Since writing this article a friend narrated to us the following incident: "I was in one of the cathedrals of Italy," he said, "not long since, on the occasion of a great church festival. The church was crowded. A priest delivered a sermon in which he undertook to commend the doctrine of papal infallibility. But each time he touched upon the doctrine a hiss arose, so loud and long that he was unable to proceed. Three times he essayed it, and each time was vanquished. I turned to an Italian and said, "I thought you were all good Catholics here.' 'So we are,' said he, but we are not papists."" We misjudge partly because Irish Catholics are, almost without exception, papists, since, in their case, there is no allegiance to their own government to conflict with their allegiance to the church. And yet many Irish Catholics refuse to yield their devotion to Fenianism at the papal decree. The Orifrom the public schools, and take from their hands the education of the young. ental bishops asserted that it would drive their French bishchurches from the see of Rome into the communion of the Eastern church. ops asserted that it would cut the last tie which bound the empire to the pope, and take from his holiness the guards on whose presence he relied for safety from the irruptions of the Italian people. To argument, warning, All was in vain. entreaty, the more astute of the majority seldom vouchsafed a reply. When one was pro duced it was of a character which the Protest- | sixty-two gave but a qualified assent; about ant mind endeavors in vain to comprehend. seventy absented themselves from the council One ecclesiastic soberly declared that the pope hall to avoid voting. The number of affirmawas infallible because Peter was crucified with tive votes is variously reported from four hunhis head downward, "which shows," he said, dred and fifty-one to four hundred and eighty"that the church stands on its head." A sec-eight. The whole number of ecclesiastics sumond asserted, oracularly, that his hearers would find the evidence of infallibility in the inscriptions of the catacombs. A third quoted from Pius IX. himself the conclusive statement: "As plain Abbé Mastai I always believed in infallibility; as Pope Mastai I feel it." Against such arguments what remained to be said? Let us add that a few ignorant bat honest prelates really believed that the day on which the decree of papal infallibility was publicly proclaimed would witness a new descent of the Holy Spirit, a new baptism from on high of the holy father, a new era in the history of the church. moned to the Council was a thousand. Less than half that number recorded their approval of the decree. Over a quarter of the Council, actually convened, signified, more or less directly, their disapproval of it. Among the eightyeight who voted in the negative were three cardinals, two patriarchs, and four archbishops. They included some of the best and purest spirits in the church.* To the last the minority had hoped that the dogma would be put forth as a probable doctrine, not as a necessary belief. But even in this they were doomed to disappointment. This most extraordinary declaration of faith closes with the usual formula by which Rome is accustomed to commend her doctrines to her obedient children: "If any one, which may God forbid, have the temerity to contradict our definition, let him be anathema." Monday, the 18th of July, was appointed for the promulgation of this decree. Spectators could not fail to notice the difference between the pious enthusiasm which greeted the opening of the Council, and the cold indifference with which the consummation of its labors was reNo gay pennants fluttered from house Twice, by the adoption of a modified form of the previous question, the debate on specific portions of the schema was brought to an abrupt close. More than once speakers, too impetuous and unguarded, were stamped or hissed down. Bishop Strossmayer demanded that the relation of church and state should be first determined, that it might be known whether the pope was made by such a decree the political superior of the state. His demand was treated with contempt. He pointed to the fact that no council in the past had ever confirmed a decree except by a nearly unanimous vote, and de-ceived. manded the application of the same principle or store. to the present dogma. His demand was received with open, violent, and unseemly marks of indignation. The almost tropical heats of summer approached. The fathers grew restive under their long confinement. Thirteen died during the first three months in which they were in session. The minority could contest no longer. The arts of Rome could reduce their number no further. On the 13th of July, 1870, a little more than six months from the time of convening, the final vote was taken, the dogma of Papal Infallibility was made a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, and the souls of her two hundred millions of believers were transferred from the custody of their priests and bishops to that of the holy father, vicegerent of God.* The opposition, at the last, proved unexpectedly strong. Eighty-eight voted in the negative; The decree does not declare that the pope is sinless, nor that, as a man and acting unofficially, he is infallible, but that, "when speaking ex cathedra-that is to say, when fulfilling the charge of pastor and doctor of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolical authority-he defines that a doctrine regarding faith or morals ought to be held by the universal church, he enjoys fully, by the divine assistance which has been promised him in the person of the blessed Peter, that infallibility which the Divine Redeemer wished his church to have, in defining his doctrine touching faith or morals; and, consequently, such definitions of the Roman pontiff are unchangeable in themselves, and not in virtue of the approval of the church." In other words, that infallibility which the Roman Catholic Church has always claimed is, by this decree, simply transferred from the council to the pope. It is the tiara, not the mitre, which is infallible. No elaborate decorations clothed the sombre streets of Rome with the habiliments of the carnival. No hurrying carriages, no thronging of pedestrians, proclaimed the advent of an unusual event. The summer heats had driven the strangers from the Holy City. The devout Romans looked with supreme indiffer July 13, according to the London Tablet, represented the following nationalities: The eighty-eight prelates who voted non placet on Germans Dr. Errington Total... 33 24 10 8 8 2 2 1 88 Among the most distinguished of the foreign prelates included in this enumeration were Prince Schwarzenberg, Cardinal Archbishop of Prague; Mathieu, Cardinal Archbishop of Besançon; Rauscher, Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna; Ginoulhiac, Archbishop of Lyons; Darboy, Bishop of Paris; Dupont des Loges, of Metz; Dupanloup, of Orleans; Strossmayer, of Bosnia and Styrmium. The bishops from the United States and British America who voted non placet were Connolly, Archbishop of Halifax, Bishops Rogers, of Chatham, Bourget, of Montreal, Domenec, of Pittsburg, Fitzgerald, of Little Rock, M'Quaid, of Rochester, and Kendrick, Archbishop of St. Louis. The Americans who gave but a qualified assent, by voting placet juxta modum, were Archbishops Blanchet, of Oregon City, and M'Closkey, of New York, and Bishops Arnal, of Monterey, and Verot, of Savannah; also Demers, Bishop of Vancouver. Several other American prelates were earnest opponents of the measure, but left Rome before the vote was taken. This was the case with Archbishop Purcell, of Cincinnati. ence upon the solemn deification of one of their | the decree in a shrill, penetrating voice. As own number by the mother church. A few the reading proceeded a strange darkness sethundred spectators loitered idly beneath the tled over the scene. Even to stout and skepdome of St. Peter's. They were mostly women, tical hearts it seemed almost supernatural. The children, and monks. There was no solemn very air grew thick and murky. The roll-call pageantry, no magnificent procession. The commenced. The ecclesiastics, rising in their ecclesiastics came in singly or in little groups places, responded with their assent to an act of of two or three. When at length the pope ar- blasphemy which has had no parallel since the rived, and the choir took up the opening chant, declining days of the Roman Empire. At the nearly a third of the seats in the council cham- same instant the long-brooding storm broke ber were still vacant. The minority, true to over the Vatican. Sheeted lightning illumined their churchly instincts, yet true also to them- the council chamber with an unearthly glare. selves, had followed their vote with a dignified Continuous peals of thunder drowned the voices but unavailing remonstrance, then had with- and the votes of the ecclesiastics. And still, drawn in a body from a Council whose author- amidst a scene of indescribable and awful subity it is by no means certain they will acknowl- limity, the vote was taken. At length the pope edge. Of the august assemblage which kneeled arose to announce the result of the Council, reverentially before the pope on the 8th of De- and to assume the prerogative which, in the unicember, 1869, five hundred and thirty-five re-versal judgment of mankind, belongs to God mained-two for the purpose of recording their final non placet in the presence of the pope.* One of the secretaries of the Council read One of these courageons bishops is reported to have been Fitzgerald, Bishop of Little Rock. alone. But the darkness had become too great for his failing eyesight. He was unable to decipher the paper which contained the appropriate formula. A servitor was summoned with a lighted taper to his aid. So, amidst a darkness which veiled the unnatural scene, amids thunders which drowned the audacious voices, | uting of their resources to sustain a papal army the Council of the Vatican completed its labors. Completed, we say. It may indeed resume its sessions. But only an Italian remnant is left, and nothing remains to be done. Its mission is completed. An infallible pope has no need of councilors. The immediate effect of this decree is easy to be seen. Henceforth the Roman Catholic Church is the servant of the Jesuit order. Its ultimate effect it is impossible to prophesy. Already, at the time of our writing, the French troops are withdrawn from the Holy City, and that despite the holy father's clamorous appeal for " one frigate." The faithful are contrib in the Papal States. Italy is increasing her armament to protect the pope; and rumors are rife that the pope is preparing to flee from her protection to one of the islands of the Mediterranean. And the air is full of uncontradicted rumors of inchoate schisms, in the Orient, in Germany, in France, and even in the United States. What harvest the future church may gather from this wind-sowing we shall not venture to prophesy; but this much is certain, that, in all the past, the papacy has received no more severe blow than that which it has suffered at the hands of Pope Pius IX. and his pious councilors. LIFE IN BRITTANY. II.-BRETON PEASANTS-THEIR TRADI- OND sowing, and reaping in the fields. The dress of the female peasants is quaint and tasteful. They have pinafores, which are of various and brilliant colors, reaching from the waist halfway to the neck, whence to the neck is a snow or a republic, to the whole population, and there would be no answer; unless one, alarmingly NE who has long lived in Paris, on going inquisitive, should ask, What is an empire? into Brittany, finds himself in the midst of The women are short, thick, sinewy, with dusty a strange language. Should a Welsh rustic, brown hair, which is thin and ill dressed; broad however, find his way there, he would find that faces, with high cheek-bones, dark, almost leathhe had more than "half a notion" of the Bre-er-like skins, large feet and hands, short muscuton tongue. Old Welsh and old Breton are lar limbs, superior, if any thing, to the men in alike modifications of old Celtic. One who strength. It may be that nature has thus protravels, first in rural Wales and then in rural vided them for good reasons, for they perform Brittany, will find a likeness in not a few of the masculine labor quite as much as do the men habits of the two communities, and even in their themselves. Traveling through Brittany, you physique. In passing through a crooked-street-see as many women as men plowing, digging, ed, thatch-roofed, musty-looking old Breton village, one observes, first of all, the women; what a tough, hardy, baked look they have, and the quaint costumes with which they adorn themselves! They are as brown and brawny as the Welsh farmer's lass; not so brisk, how-white frill. Their dresses are not made with ever. Their faces are too often blank expanses of rugged flesh. The expression is essentially animal, hardly a spark of human intelligence lighting them, not even, alas! when they smile. If you, perchance, have a smattering of the Breton patois, and talk to them, you will find that, beyond their immediate work, their excessive superstition, and their blind reverence for the priest, they know absolutely nothing. It is recorded in the histories how Brittany, now the most Catholic of French provinces, was the last to submit to the domination of the Merovingians, and also to that of Roman Christianity. It held to Druidism to the bitter end. When once Catholic, however, it stuck to Catholicism with the same stout vigor. The most Catholic, it is far the most ignorant of French provinces. The ignorance of the common people almost passes credence. Many have never heard of Paris. One village oracle whom I met, a reverend man of vast and varied learning, opined that America was an English colony; and thought I could not possibly be an American, as my skin was white and my hair straight. There are whole villages where they think France to be the world; and you might put the question, whether France were an empire narrow waists; indeed, to look at them, you would imagine their bodies to be built square. Chains of silver, of curious workmanship, extend from their pinafores in front to the shoulder; sometimes are hung about the neck. These are, however, only displayed on Sundays, when they go to church, and walk with their husbands and children through the vineyards and along the shrub-bordered roads. Their feet are deformed by huge wooden shoes, turned up at the end, in Turkish fashion, and are wofully clumsy; but as they cost but ten sous a pair, and wear ten years, they are fain to temper themselves to them. How sharply does the clattering of these sabots over the rough village street break in on the prevailing majesty of rustic stillness! The smallest female children are dressed much like the adult women. They have, like the latter, long white caps, extending horizontally back from the head, waistless long dresses, pinafore and bib, uncouth sabots; and they look like little old women, a race of pigmies, stopping short, full-grown, in infancy. The training of the Breton peasant children is so curious an art that we must dwell upon it before passing to their sires. Schooling is seldom or never thought of. They are inured to the hard realities of life |