Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-07-24

papll states, huA elVea AA-H e"iNNe -
Old Italian republics OF feudalities for
lis painters and men Of gifts. This re
zion. generally called UmbriA, pro
duced the highest triumphs Of art In
Raphael. In Perugia and its province
the archbishop was as distinctly the
foremost citizen or subject as the late
Phillips Brooks undoubtedly was In
Boston or Henry Ward Beecher In
Brooklyn.
He was born at mountain town In |
the Apennines, not far from Rome,
called Carpineti. on March 2, 1910. To
this little place Of about 5000 people
his ancestors had been expelled from
siena about $50 years before. They
were mobiles in Siena, but had taken
part against their countrymen when
the Medici Of Florence resolved to
conquer and annex Siena. This indie
pendent republic. inspired with pas
sionate hatred against Florence, made
a memorable defense, but the odds
were too strong.
Retiring into the state Of the church.
the pope's family, named Pecci pro-
nounced PechD, formed new friend
ships, and the pope's father was a count
who either volunteered or was drafted
into Napoleon's service when he over
ran Italy. The pope's mother was a
countess, who brought property to her
husband.
They lived In what Is called palace
in Italy, a large building rising from
the rocks, two stories and an attic high,
with flowers and terraces about Its
base. 1t appears that the pope during
all his life has known no want, but has
enjoyed a private revenue such as
gentleman of noble descent would be
apt to have In any country who had
kept his estates.
He was born after the French repub-
leans had overrun Italy and been ev-
erywhere victorious and the greatest
change had taken place not only In the
Italian people, but even In the priest
hood.
The pope himself, Plus VII, had been
taken captive from Rome to France
and was only returned to Rome at the
fall of Napoleon in 1914 He restored
the Jesuits, who were the secular school
masters within the church, but they
had fallen under the hostility of several
of the kings and been for some time
suppressed. Upon their return they
opened schools and gave the city Of
Rome something Of its old clerical and
literary character.
In 1917 the late pope's mother took
her sons to Rome and the next year
put them at school at Viterbo, city on
hill but few hours carriage ride
from Rome. This lady belonged to one
of the orders Of the Franciscans and
when she died was buried in their
brown cloak and cord. Her death was
nearly at the same time with that of
Plus VII.
The next pope, Leo XII, branched
out as an educator. The Jesuits' college
was opened in Rome in 1924 with 1,4W
students, and among these were the
two Pecci boys, Of whom Joseph was
Jesuit. He was three years older thar
his brother. These boys went home tt
their mountain town on holidays, and
the pope was an active hunter anC
fowler in the mountains. Rome was t
them like any American city to fami
ly which lived in the neighboring cOun
try and spent the winters in the city.
The name of the pope was Joachim
. Vincent Raphael Lodovico Pecci HI
always went by the name Of Nincen
Pecci until at certain period after hi
mothers death, when he became gen
orally known as Joachim Pecci.
He became fluent in the Latin ant
wrote verses and orations in 1t ant
gained prizes. After his mothers dealt
he lived with his uncle in the Nut
palace In Rome. He somewhat knew
Pope Leo XII. and chose his papa
. name with reference to that prelate.
He matriculated in 1880, graduated
doctor of theology in 1882, which wa
. the time that he adopted the name O
Joachim, and he entered the diplomat
class in the university called Sapienza
, or Wisdom, in Rome. Among hi
friends and classmates were such nc
, bles as Duke Sforza Of the old Mia
, lords.
, He was acquainted with Leo, as we
, as with Plus VIII, who lived but
short time, and then came Gregor
: XVI, in whose household he was on
: Of the prelates.
He first attracted special attentio
D turing the cholera in Rome in 1888
4 when he was twenty-seven years OLE
8 He had nerve in an unusual degree
: and his int epid services among til
: cholera stricken people marked hill
4 among the more timid ecclesiastics {
4 man who ould be of use to them
n tie dangerous condition Of the country
q Made a full priest In the Church
v st. Stanislaus, in Rome, Joachim Pee
r was made a. the age Of twenty-eigl
l. governor of Renevento, small state
; Naples abou seven miles square ar
v ,nly days journey from that cit
n Benevento had given the title of Prin,
o If Benevento to Talleyrand, the Gel
II JIdtcu NIcutu ulploIudtlSt, Wuo III IL
& .arly life had been Catholic bishop.
The little state was full of reactio
? Try guerrillas and brigands. The your
n uler went there under the general e
4 ,ectation that he would be the victi
r Of violence. Fortunately for him,
r. was almost Immediately taken Ill wi
> the typhoid fever, and his death W
n supposed to be certain. Tsis calam
"a softened the nature Of the people, a
n they began to talk about this intellec
al young priest who had exposed
"a life in Rome to the pestilence. Inste
l. Of antagonizing him they formed p
4 cessions and went to public prayers