THE POPE'S RECREATION HOUR
The pope followed his retreating form with a glance of sadness and ashake of the head.
"He is past help," murmured he; "he runs to his ruin, and the voice ofwarning is unheeded. But how, if he should happen to be right? How, ifhe with his worldly wisdom and his theory of earthly happiness, shouldbe more conformable to the will of God than we with our virtue and ourdoctrine of renunciation? Ah, yes, the world is so beautiful, it seemsmade entirely for pleasure and enjoyment, and yet men wander through itwith tearful eyes, disregarding its beauty, and refusing to shareits pleasures. All, except man, is free on earth. He alone lies inconstraining bands, and his heart bleeds while all creation rejoices.No, no, that cannot be; every individual does what he can to rendermankind free and happy, and I also will do my part. God has laid greatpower in my hand, and I will use it so long as it is mine."
Thus speaking, the pope left the garden, and hastened up to his study.
"Signor Galiandro," said he, to his private secretary, "did you notspeak to me to-day of several petitions received, in which people beggedfor dispensations from monk and cloister vows?"
Signor Galiandro smilingly rummaged among a mass of papers that coveredthe pope's writing-table.
"In the last four weeks some fifty such petitions have been received.Since your holiness has released several monks and nuns from their vows,all these pious brides of Christ and these consecrated priests seemto have tired of their cloister life, and long to be out in the worldagain."
"Whoever does not freely and willingly remain in the house of the Lord,we will not retain them," said Ganganelli. "Compelled service of theLord is no service, and the prayer of the lips without the concurrenceof the heart is null! Give me all these petitions that I may grant them!The love of the world is awakened in these monks and nuns, and we willgive back to the world what belongs to the world. With their resistingand struggling hearts they will make but bad priests and nuns; perhapsit will be better for them to become founders of families. And theywho honestly do their duty, equally serve God, whether they are in acloister or in the bosoms of their families."
The pope seated himself at his writing-table, and after having carefullyexamined all the petitions for dispensations, signed his consent, andsmilingly handed them back to his secretary.
"I hope we have here made some people happy," said he, rising, "andtherefore it may, perhaps, be allowed us also to be happy in our own wayfor a quarter of an hour."
He lightly touched the silver bell suspended over his writing-table, andat the immediately opened door appeared the pleasant and well-nourishedface of brother Lorenzo, the Franciscan monk, who performed the wholeservice of the pope.
"Lorenzo," said Ganganelli, with a smile, "let us go down into thepoultry-yard. You must show me the young chickens of which you told meyesterday. And hear, would it be asking too much to beg of you to bringmy dinner into the garden?"
"I would that you could ask too much," said brother Lorenzo, waddlingafter his master, who was descending the stairs leading to thecourt-yard. "I really wish, your holiness, that it were asking toomuch, for then your dinner would be at least a little more desirableand heavier to transport! Was such a thing ever heard of? the father ofChristianity keeps a table like that of the poorest begging monk, and issatisfied with milk, fruit, bread, and vegetables, while the fattest ofcapons and ducks are crammed in vain for him, and his cellar is repletewith the most generous wines."
"Well, well, scold not," said Ganganelli, smiling; "have we not foryears felt ourselves well in the Franciscan cloister, it never onceoccurring to us to wish ourselves better off! Why should I now quit thehabits of years and accustom myself to other usages? When I was yet aFranciscan monk, I always had, thanks to our simple manner of living, avery healthy stomach, and would you have me spoil it now, merely becauseI have become pope? It has always remained the same human body, Lorenzo,and all the rest is only falsehood and fraud! How few years is it sinceyou and I were in the cloister, and you served the poor Franciscan monkas a lay brother! You then called me brother Clement, and they all didthe same, and now you no longer call me brother, but holy father! Howcan your brother of yesterday be your father of to-day? We are herealone, Lorenzo; nobody sees or hears us. We would for once cease to beholy father, and for a quarter of an hour become again brother Clement."
"Ahem! it was not so bad there," simpered Lorenzo. "It was yet verypleasant in our dear cloister, and I often think, brother, that you werefar happier then than now, when every one falls upon his knees to kissyour slipper. It must be very dull to be always holy, always so greatand sublime, and always revered and adored!"
"Therefore let us go to our ducks and hens," said the pope. "The peoplehave made a bugbear of me, before which they fall upon the earth. Butthe good animals, who understand nothing of these things, theycackle and grunt, and gabble at me, as if I were nothing but a commongoose-herd and by no means the sainted father of Christendom! Come, cometo my dear brutes, who are so frank and sincere that they cackle andgabble directly in my face as soon as their beaks and snouts are grown.They are not so humble and devoted, so adoring and cringing, as thesemen who prostrate themselves before me with humble and hypocriticaldevotion, but who secretly curse me and wish my death, that there may bea change in the papacy! Come, come, to our honest geese!"
Brother Lorenzo handed to the pope the willow basket filled with cornand green leaves, and both, with hasty steps and laughing faces, betookthemselves to the poultry-yard; the ducks and geese fluttered tothem with a noisy gabbling as soon as they caught sight of theprovender-basket, and Ganganelli laughingly said: "It seems as if I werehere in the conclave, and listening to the contention of the cardinalsas they quarrel about the choice of a new pope. Lorenzo, I should welllike to know who will succeed me in the sacred chair and hold the keysof St. Peter! That will be a stormy conclave!--Be quiet, my dear ducksand geese! Indeed, you are in the right, I forgot my duty! Well, well, Iwill give you your food now--here it is!"
And the pope with full hands strewed the corn among the impatientlygabbling geese, and heartily laughed at the eagerness with which theythrew themselves upon it.
"And is it not with men as with these dear animals?" said he, laughing;"When one satisfies them with food, they become silent, mild, andgentle. Princes should always remember that, and before all thingssatiate their subjects with food, if they would have a tranquil andunopposed government! Ah, that reminds me of our own poor, Lorenzo! Manypetitions have been received, much misery has been described, and manyheart-rending complaints have been made to me!"
"That is because they know you are always giving and would rather sufferwant yourself than refuse gifts to others," growled Lorenzo. "Hardlyhalf the month is past, and we are already near the end of our means!"
"Already?" exclaimed the pope, with alarm. "And I believe I yet needmuch money. There is a father of fourteen children who has fallen froma scaffolding and broken both legs. We must care for him, Lorenzo; thechildren must not want for bread!"
"That is understood, that is Christian duty," said Lorenzo, eagerly."Give me the address, I will go to him yet to-day! And how much moneyshall I take with me?"
"Well, I thought," timidly responded Ganganelli, "that five scudi wouldnot be too much!"
Lorenzo compassionately shrugged his shoulders. "You can never learnthe value of money," said he; "I am now to take _five_ scudi to these_fourteen_ children."
"Is it not enough?" joyfully asked Ganganelli. "Well, I thank God thatyou are so disposed! I only feared you would refuse me so much, becausemy treasury, as you say, is already empty. But if we have somethingleft, give much, much more! At least a hundred scudi, Lorenzo!"
"That is always the way with you; from extreme to extreme!" grumbledLorenzo. "First too little, then too much! I shall take to them twentyscudi, and that will be sufficient!"
"Give them thirty," begged Ganganelli, "do you hear, thirty, brotherLorenzo. Thirty scudi is yet a very small sum!"
"Ah, what do you know about money?" answered Lorenzo, laughing; "thesegeese here understand the matter better than you, brother Clement."
"Well, it is for that reason I have made you my cashier," laughedGanganelli. "A prince will always be well advised when he choosesa sensible and well-instructed servant for that which he does notunderstand himself. To acknowledge his ignorance on the proper occasiondoes honor to a prince, and procures him more respect than if he soughtto give himself the appearance of knowing and understanding everything.Come, Lorenzo, let us go into the garden; you see that these fowls carenothing for us now; as they are satiated, they despise our provender.Come, let us go farther!"
"Yes, into the garden!" exclaimed Lorenzo, with a mysterious smile."Come, brother Clement, I have prepared a little surprise for you there!Come and see it!"
And the two old men turned their steps toward the garden.
"Follow me," said Lorenzo, preceding the pope, and leading him to a moresolitary and better screened part of the garden. "Now stoop a little andcreep through here, and then we are at the place."
The pope carefully followed the directions of his leader, and worked hisway through the obstruction of the myrtle-bushes until he arrived ata small circular place, in the centre of which, shaded by tallolive-trees, was a turf-seat surrounded by tendrils of ivy, and beforewhich was a small table of wood, yet retaining its natural covering ofbark.
"See, this is my surprise!" said Lorenzo.
Ganganelli stood silent and motionless, with folded hands. A deepemotion was visible in his gentle mien, and tears rolled slowly downover his cheeks.
"Well, is it not well copied, and true to nature?" asked Lorenzo, whoseeyes beamed with satisfaction.
"My favorite spot in the garden of the Franciscan convent!" saidGanganelli in a tone trembling with emotion. "Yes, yes, Lorenzo,you have represented it exactly, you know well enough what gives mepleasure! Accept my thanks, my dear good brother."
And, while giving his hand to the monk, his eye wandered with gentledelight over the place, with its beautiful trees and green reposingbank, and thoughtfully rested upon each individual object.
"So was it," he murmured low, "precisely so; yes, yes, in this placehave I passed my fairest and most precious hours; what have I notthought and dreamed as a youth and as a man, how many wishes, howmany hopes have there thrilled my bosom, and how few of them have beenrealized!"
"But one thing has been realized," said Lorenzo, "greater than all youcould have dreamed or hoped! Who would ever have thought it possiblethat the poor, unknown Franciscan monk would become the greatest andmost sublime prince in the whole world, the father of all Christendom?That is, indeed, a happiness that brother Clement, upon his grass-bankin the Franciscan convent, could never have expected!"
"You, then, consider it a happiness," said Ganganelli, slowly lettinghimself down upon the grass-bank. "Yes, yes, such are you good humanbeings! wherever there is a little bit of show, a little bit of outwardsplendor, you immediately conclude that there is great happiness. Thisproves that you see only the outward form, paying no regard to what isconcealed under that form, and which is often very bitter. Believe me,Lorenzo, in these times there is no very great happiness in being popeand the so-called father of Christendom. The princes have become verytroublesome and disobedient children; they are no longer willing torecognize our paternal authority, and if the holy father does notmanifest a complaisant friendliness toward these refractory princelychildren, and wink at their independence, they will renounce the wholeconnection and quit the paternal mansion. We should then, indeed, be theholy father of Christendom, but no longer have any children under thepaternal authority! For having so expressed myself, I shall never bepardoned by the cardinals and princes of the Church; it has made themmy deadly enemies, and yet it is with these principles alone that I havesucceeded in bringing the refractory Portuguese court again under myparental control!
"But here in this pleasant place let us dismiss such unpleasantthoughts," the pope more cheerfully continued, after a pause. "HereI will forget that I am pope; here I will never be anything more thanbrother Clement of the Franciscan convent, nor shall the cares andtroubles of the pope, nor his holiness or infallibility, accompany himto this dear quiet place. Here I will only be a man, and forgetting mycramping highness and my forced splendor, will here right humanly enjoythe sun and this soft green grass, and in deep draughts inhale thissweet balsamic air. Ah, how happy one may yet be if he can for a momentescape from the envelope of dignity by which he is kept a chrysalis, andfreely exercise the butterfly wings of manhood! And hear me for once,brother Lorenzo, so very human has your pope here become, that he feelsa right fresh human appetite. If all here is as it used to be at theconvent, then must you have something to appease my hunger."
Brother Lorenzo nodded with a sly smile. Stepping to the side of thegrassy bank, and slipping aside a small door concealed by the grass, hedisclosed a walled excavation, filled with fruits and pastry.
"I see you have forgotten nothing!" joyfully exclaimed Ganganelli,taking some of the fragrant fruit which Lorenzo tendered him. "Ah, youmake me very happy, Lorenzo."
Saying this, he threw his arm around Lorenzo's neck, and silentlypressed him to his bosom.
Brother Lorenzo was equally silent, but he no longer laughed;his usually cheerful face assumed a wonderfully clear and pleasedexpression, and two large tears rolled down over his cheek--but theywere tears of joy.