The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-15

matters is on duty he will call him 10
his side and converse with him about
horses In winter he takes his drive of noon,
never leaving the carriage, and it the weather 10
bad instead of going out he walks in the Loggia
di Raphael. After his promenade he returns TO
his desk and gives audiences to the Sec
retaries of the various congregations already re-
ferred to until o'clock lie then reads until 0
o'clock when he sups as simply as he has break
tasted, always finishing with glass of Bordeaux
and cup of cafe noir AT $50 o'clock he retirea
to his bedroom, and as rule no one is allowed
to enter IL until tbs next morning. 1t must be
something very important, indeed that will in
duce any of his attendants TO disturb him during
the night IL he is sick the only persons who
have right to enter his bedroom are: The
chamberlain of the day, Mons Boccali, the Car
dinsl Secretary of State the major domo of the
palace, his two physicians, his confession and his
valet de chamber. He does not go to bed at
once upou entering his room, often remaining up
reading writing until a late hour, and he has
been known, when engaged on some important
state paper, to arise in the middle of the night
to note down some idea that has occurred TO him.
One day, when an important dispatch was ex
pected, he ordered Cardinal Jacobini to bring 1t
to him, no matter at what hour it might arrive.
The Cardinal brought it at midnight, and gave
it to the chamberlain, who entered the chamber,
and, finding the Pope asleep, laid it ON his table
without awakening him. The next morning. the
Pope as soon as he was up. sent for the same
cudmDerialn ana gave MIN DacK the Q1Sparcn LOT
transmission to the Cardinal Secretary of State,
and with 1t sixteen large pages of paper on
which he had written out his remarks and OBJ
servations concerning it. AS to his learning,
there are few prelates of the church who are his
equal as Latinist, and he knows most of his
fayorite classics-Pliny, Cicero Horace and
Cmsar-by heart. His favorite of all is Virgil,
for whose poems he has unbounded admiration.
The only Italian author he cares
about is Dante, and he has himself
iVln
Comedia, the '.Eneid and the Georges
from beginning to end, and to prove it made me
cite line here and there in each of these au-
thOrs, and at once took up the quotation and
went to the end of the passage. Unlike his
predecessor, who took great pleasure in public
audiences, he avoids them much as possible;
nor does he like those whom he consents to re-
ceive to ask him, as they too often do, for some
trifle as remebrance.
Leo XIII so 1 was informed, has aged very
much during the last two years. His figure has
bent under the load of his responsibilities But
his face has lost nothing of its expressive and
mobile vivacity and although not handsome it
will never be forgotten by any one who has seen
1T even once His transparent complexion and
emaciated features make him look like one of
the Christs that were painted in the early days
OF the church and of which few specimens still
remain in the catacombs. He is nervous man
One eminently mpressionabie. mere trifie
will often make him low spirited and quite as
insignificant a cause will render him all right
again. ms IL Jne reason or the 1ndeclSion
Dnd the seeming contradictions in his policy 1t
leads him to act saddenly-on the inspiration
of the moment. SO to speak-and yet no
one who has studied HIS face can doubt his en-
ergy or the unfailing tenacity of his will. That
he is man of action and born to govern he
abundantly proved at Perouse, when he was
Archbishop of that diocese. When he was
elected Pope he was in such bad health that
everybody though his pontifcate would be a
very short one, and some people say 1T was this
fact which induced certain members of the
Sacred College TO vote for him. His health has
never been better since he entered upon the life
of the Vatican, and all hopes which may have
been based on his feebeness must long since
have been set aside. He is posted On all the
men and things of the day. and has manifested
much tact in reconciling the tradition and policy
of the Holy See with thoee of the other govern
ments of the world. Since his accession there
has been a notable change in the Sacred College.
The foreign element is now so strong that it al
most counterbalanees the Italian So far, his
creations have given satisfaction. While the
creation of cardinals is matter which depends
entirely on his own will, there are certain arch
bishoprics the incumbents of which he cannot
we'll avoid making cardinals.