The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25

way and yet there was an element OF
sadness about il. which served to hush
the voice Of the scoffer. For II was
pitiful to think hat the destin!es OF
so great and glorious a nation as
Italy should depend in any way upon
the belief in a superstition OF this ma
ture. The most remarkable feature
about the flight from the chamber
Mas the fact hat it was headed pre-
cisely by those politicians and states
Men who affected to believe in the
existence OF neither God nor the devil
and who lost no occasion Of deriding
everything pertaining to Christianity
as foolish as fairy tales. suited only
to the intelligence Of old women and
children.
When after the attempt upon the
life of King Humbert by the anarchist
Acciarito the members OF the Senate
and Of the Chamber Of Deputies re-
paired to the Qulrinal Palace in a body
for the purpose OF offering congratula-
tons to the monarch On his escape
from death carriages were placed at
their disposal. In each n Of them
there were four. Ave and even six
legislators, piled one on top OF the
other. One landau alone, and a roomy
m at that, had a solitary occupant.
II was this same Marquis Maurigi,
OF whom the most extraordinary
stories used to be current in the Eter-
nal City.
Thus they were won't to tell Of his
making his appearance one evening
in the card Of the Hunt Club,
whereupon one Of the players imme-
diately lost SO, 900, which was all he
possessed in the world. while the win
ner at the same moment fell back
ward with his chair TO the ground
In such a way as seriously to in1ure
his spine, which moved a third player
to let drop a jewelled cigar holder,
worth thousands Of dollars, which
broke to pieces on the ground. On
another occasion, when the Marquis
appeared at the races, the favorite,
belonging to the we'll known sports
man Olivetti. suffered on the spo,
50 serious an injury that 1t had to be
killed at once.
Small wonder, then, that people
when they met this dark bearded
dark eyed nobleman on the Pncio
or in the gardens Of tho villa Bor-
CHEESE. were wont 10 point their fore
and small fingers at him. either openly
or covertly. while splitting thrice on thu
ground. In the hope OF averting the
baleful effect Of his eye.
1t is because Of the extraordinary
prevalence Of this superstition
throughout southern Europe tha'
whenever q statesman becomes &C
strong that his position Is unassail'
able by ordinary political methods
the story Is started that he Is pos
sessed Of the evil eye, a m cal
culated to cause many Of his friends
and supporters 10 shrink from his side
and to abandon his cause. 1t wal
brought against Crispi, the most mas
terful statesman of Italy during thu
last nifty years. and who used In thu
days OF his prime to be known AZ thu
Italian Bismarck. Yet there was M
one who was SO intensely superstition
about the matter a. this gresA. ovrons
man, who entertained such a dread o
the evil eye that he used always e
carry about II ais pocket a pronget
piece Of red coral for use as a charm
against tettatort.
The charge was likewise brough
against the late Premier Giolitti. an
in this connection attention was drawn
to the strange fate that at n TIM
seemed to dog the steps OF his politica
associates. Thus one Of his Minister,
Il oR Justic> committed Ouloido, onofbo