New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-29

the Noble Guard was perfectly useless ana SUI
perhuous luxury. that the idea of devoFing lafse
sum OF money to furnishing its members WIN an
extremely liberal rate OF pay and allowances ana
with generous pensions retirement was ui'O-
gether wrong. when the Church has so many OIrleE
ana far more useful purposes for the money
Pope takes the ground that II the Noble au@1N
20 be preserved II could be perfectly wen man
tained without pay. in the same way as Is INC
Palatine Guard OF Honor. commanded by General
Count Pecci The Palatine Guard is recruited from
the bourgeoisie OF Rome, its services are lh'o,U
only on state occasions. and its members are 'He
only too glad 20 serve without pay. PluN - -,
that the patricians who are most Of them Weat,'S
men, can AFFORD 70 do az least as much for the
Church, Il not more, than the Roman snopAeepss'
and that there should be no difficulty "ha'9 49,,
about maintai; ing Noble Guard composer g ~.
sfvely OF men OF fortune and rank, who woulu ~
merely be willing 20 serve without pay out "ouu
even defray the expenses of their own equlpliSH'
like fhe Palatlne Guard. Il IS used only Ior 49,
tive purposes on occasions of state and cefenionS
al actual military service within the pFeeIno''
the Vatican being satisfactorily performed " 'a
Swiss Guard. which dates back TO the u"i9S VI
Michael Angelo -.
In pursuance Of these well known views % H''
Plus has not only cut down all the pay anu 49,.
ances OF the Noble Guard. well as the aiuou"s
OF the pensions, but has persistenty lelIai"e,1
from filling I'D any vacancies resulting from deaIn
retirement. This has brought about suCl d ~
dition Of affairs that quite large NUMBER Vi tto
younger members OF the Noble Guard suci "'' Az
instance Prince Lelio Orsini and others nave re-
tired, while Prince Camille Rospigliosi the genera
and commander of the corps has now likewise
rendered mis- resignation. which has been accep.eu
by the Pope. To give idea OF the SAVING "i"C4
the reorganization OF the Noble Guard on l'le us1S
proposed by the Pope viii effect In the Fon.iioa ca
revenues I may mention that the rank ana Ho
have been receiving pay at the rate OF ~ francs
that is TO say, s.. day. while the stipends OF the
officers have been eorrespondingly larger,
The CORDS is Of relatively modern origin lnoeeo'
81 was only instituted May Il. 1901. by Plus VII
70 take the pace Of the so-called Volunteer Caval-
legeteri who were abolished by the FrerIh Re-
public when its army seized Rome IN 1875 inc
Noble Guards of the Pope were destined AT the Uhe
Of the creation of the regiment 10 serve as N'e
mounted escort OF the Pontin when ne ufONe
through the streets OF Rome. Until the overthrow
OF the temporal sovereignty OF the Papacy IN 1s'O
Il was a mounted corps. but since that uHe iD
horses have been done away with anu allhous" ''o
members still wear the breeches, bis Jaekhoots ana
spurs of the cavalryInan. there are many VINO haVo
meyer straddled horse in their lives. In its in
ception Il was decided restrict the membership
OF the Noble Guard exclusively to the scons OF the
patrician families Of Rome-that is TO say OF iahl
lies whose names figure in the Golden BOOK OF
Rome compiled three hundred years ago which
included only those who at the time couiu
show noble ancestry extending back two or more
centuries But this was found impracticable ana
Of late years men have been admitted 70 the noble
Guard whose nobility is Of very recent origin
From the time Of IT'S creation until two or three
wears ago It's command was vested in the hands OF
one or another OF the princes Of the celebrated
House OF Alteri. But since the death OF Don
Paolo, Of that SIX. who left son barely twenty
wears OF age, II has been commanded by Prince
Camille Rospigliosi. Of the senior branch OF that
family. whose mother one OF the best
known figures at Rome. where she virtually ruled
society her salon being for more than half cent
ury the most famous in Italy. Prince Camillo,s
elder brother like several other members Of his
family, is married to an American. She was d.
voreee and owing 70 this. the prince has had q
great deal OF difficulty in securing the recognition
OF his marriage by the Vatican.
MARoUIsE DE FoNTENOY.