Connecticut western news., 1903-07-23

y were nobles in Siena, but had taken part against their cOunlymen when tie Medici of Florence resolved to conquer and annex Siena. This inde rendent republic, inspired with pas s.onate hatred against Florence, made memorable defense, but the odds W ere too strong.
 Retiring into the state of the church. the pope's family, named Pecci Uro- bounced PechD, formed new friend s;sips, and the pope's father was count who either volunteered or was drafted into Napoleon's service when he over ran Italy. The pope's mother was countess. who brought property to her husband.
 They lived in what Is called a palace in Italy, a large building rising from the rocks, two stories and an attic high. with flowers and terraces about its base. It 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 licans had overrun Italy and been ev- anywhere 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 it's old clerical and literary character.
 In 1877 the late pope's mother took Ter sons to Rome and the next year put them at school at Viterbo, city on hill but a 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 pius VII.
 The next pope, Leo XII, branched cut as an educator. The Jesuits' college was opened in Rome In 1924 with 400 students, and among these were the two Pecci boys, of whom Joseph was Jesuit. He was three years older than his brother. These boys went home to their mountain town on holidays, and the pope was an active hunter and fowler in the mountains. Rome was to them like any American city to faml- Iy which lived in the neighboring coun- try and spent the winters in the city.
 The name of the pope was Joachim Vincent Raphael Lodovtco Pecci. He always went by the name of Vincent Pecci until at certain period after his mothers death, when he became gen orally known as Joachim Pecci.
 He became fluent in the Latin and wrote verses and orations in it and gained prizes. After his mothers death he lived with his uncle in the Mutt Pope Leo XII. and chose his papal name with reference to that prelate.
 He matriculated in 1880, graduated doctor of theology in 1882, which was the time that he adopted the name of Joachim, and he entered the diplomatic class in the university called Sapienza, or Wisdom, in Rome. Among his friends and classmates were such no- bles as Duke Sforza of the old Milan lords.
 He was acquainted with Leo, as well x,aAI short time, and then came Gregory XVI, in whose household he was one of the prelates.
 He first attracted special attention during the cholera in Rome in 1887, when he was twenty-seven years old. He had nerve in an unusual degree, and his intrepid services among the cholera stricken people marked him among the more timid ecclesiastics as q man who could be of use to them in the dangerous condition of the country.
 Made a full priest in the Church of St. Stanislaus, in Rome, Joachim Pecci was made at the age of twenty eight governor of Benevento, a small state In Naples about seven miles square and only a days journey from that city. Benevento had given the title of Prince of Benevento to Talleyrand. the cele- brated French diplomatist, who in his early life had been a Catholic bishop.
 The little state was full of reaction ary guerrillas and brigands. The young ruler went there under the general ex pectation that he would be the victim of violence. Fortunately for him, he was almost immediately taken i'll with the typhoid fever and his death was supposed to be certain. This calamity softened the nature of the people, and they began to talk about this intellectu- al young priest who had exposed his life in Rome to the pestilence. Instead of antagonizing him they formed pro- sessions and went to public prayers in his behalf, and when he recovered it was looked upon as in the nature of a miracle.
 They were mistaken, however, as to his worldly force.
 There lived in a mountain fastness in the state celebrated brigand named Pasquale Colletta, who had band of fourteen murderers, and they had com
 
 priest governor laid his plans we'll and one day the people were surprised to see come into the town, manacled and under guard, the chief of the band and every one of his myrmidons. In spite of their threats, promises and penitence they were executed.
 Pecci now turned hss attention to the lawleSS nobles who had countenanced such trespasses, and when one of these undertook to browbeat him and threat ened to go to Rome and have him re- called the governor said, Marquis, be- fore you get to the Vatican you shall pass through the castle of St Angelo" This was the state prison at Rome, and Its name was ominous.
 A feeling grew that this young man had special powers with the pope. Evil doers hastened to get out of his territo- ry or make their peace.
 He searched the law1eSS castles ha-