Chapter I: Front Matter

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ITALIAN YESTERDAYS

BY
MRS. HUGH FRASER

AUTHOR OF

“ITALIAN YESTERDAYS,” “A DIPLOMATIST’S WIFE IN JAPAN,”
“A DIPLOMATIST’S WIFE IN MANY LANDS,”
“FURTHER REMINISCENCES OF A DIPLOMATIST’S
WIFE,” ETC., ETC.

_WITH SIXTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS IN PHOTOGRAVURE_

LONDON
HUTCHINSON & CO.
PATERNOSTER ROW
1915

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

SAINTS OF THE CHURCH

A Friend in Rome—A story of two ways of loving—Aglaë
and Boniface—Become Christians—A new life—Boniface
endures terrible tortures—Martyrdom—Death of
Aglaë—Church of St. Boniface—Alexis, the pilgrim—His
travels—Return to Rome—A ragged beggar—His death and
burial in St. Boniface’s Church—St. Alexis’
Monastery—Trials of the Church after
Constantine—Rome’s lowest ebb—Growth of the spiritual
city—Benedict the Blessed, and Scholastica pp. 1-15

CHAPTER II

FOUNDER OF MONASTICISM

Norcia in the Sabines—A matrona—The twins, Benedict
and Scholastica—Benedict goes to Rome—Conversion of
Placidus—Benedict’s retirement to La Mentorella—Life
in a cave—Temptations—Visit of St. Francis—Benedict’s
ministering—Real founder of monastic life—Growth of
his order—Placidus and Maurus—St. Benedict’s personality
and conversions—His ideal of the religious life—His greatest
miracles—His sister, Scholastica—The last day together—His
ascension pp. 16-38

CHAPTER III

ST. GREGORY THE GREAT

Birth and lineage of St. Gregory—Path from the world to the
cloister—Prayer, study, and charity—His cat—A prophecy—A
Cardinal Deacon—Mission to Constantinople—Eutyches’
heresy—Rome in pestilence—Gregory elected Pope—His
unbelievable accomplishments—His life as Pope—Championship
of the oppressed—Bond with English-speaking
people—The great procession during the pestilence—Gregory’s
successors pp. 39-54

CHAPTER IV

MEMORIES OF THE PANTHEON

The Pantheon—Hadrian’s best monument—Long idle—Consecrated
as St. Mary of the Martyrs—The Cathedral, the
symbol of the soul—Its purification—Continuity of the
Church—A priest’s visit—The alabaster square—Procession
of the martyr’s relics—Giovanni Borgi, the workman—Italian
Guilds—Giovanni’s selflessness—His rescue of
the forsaken children—Care of them—Crusade in behalf
of all the waifs of Rome—His work of love—Giovanni’s
successor, later Pius IX pp. 55-72

CHAPTER V

EARLY LIFE OF FATHER MASTAI

Birth in 1792—A happy family—His youth—Epilepsy—The
Church at the time of Napoleon—Abduction of Pius to
Avignon—Napoleon’s downfall—Return of the Pope to
Rome—His reception—Prophecies regarding Pius IX—His
journey to Chile—Ocean trip—Across the Andes—Failure
of mission—Rounding Cape Horn—English Settlement
on the Cape—“Love-of-the-Soil”—The Falkland
Islands pp. 73-94

CHAPTER VI

POPE PIUS IX

Director of Ospizio di San Michele—A splendid
record—Archbishop of Spoleto—A turbulent populace—Order
restored—Revolution in Europe—Spoleto saved—The earthquake
in Umbria—New post at Imola—Secret societies—A
Cardinal—Attack upon the three Prelates—The Cardinal’s
bravery—How the Saints forgive—Pope Pius IX—His
charity and justice—Defenders of the poor—Anecdotes
of the Cardinal’s generosity pp. 95-112

CHAPTER VII

CAPTIVITY OF POPE PIUS VII

Lebzeltern, the Ambassador of the Austrian Emperor—Origin
of his mission—Napoleon’s anger against Pius VII—Arrest
of the Pope—Protests from the Church—Napoleon
excommunicated—Vaine efforts to evade the Bull—Instructions
for the mission—“Do all, or else, _do nothing_”—Pius
VII in his sixty-eighth year—The interview—The
Pope’s position—His generosity—Message to Napoleon—Continued
captivity—Return to Rome—Napoleon’s expiation pp. 113-136

CHAPTER VIII

IN SABINA

Castel Gandolfo—Its gardens—The Sabine Hills—The
Reverendo—An expedition into the hills—The Campagna in
the early morning—“Our Lady of Good Counsel”—Ancient
Præneste—Italy’s landscape—Struggles of the
Colonna—Destruction of Palestrina—Boniface’s revenge
and expiation—Olevano, the haunt of artists—“Picturesque
utility”—The wrong train—Romance of a pebble—The
work of the Saints pp. 137-158

CHAPTER IX

PEOPLE OF THE HILLS

The Apennines—View from a peak—Real hospitality—Polenta—Woods
of Sabina—A hill family—The cook—A queer adventure—People
of the South—A night festival in the Abruzzi—The journey—The
old organ—Marion Crawford’s boys—Juvenile
theatricals pp. 159-179

CHAPTER X

A STORY OF VENICE

A follower of the Condottieri—The raw recruit—Division of
the Dukedom of Milan—Carmagnola’s turn—Growth in
wealth and power—Disaffection—Venice acquires his
services—War with Milan—A leisurely campaign—Carmagnola
at the height of his glory—Fortune turns against
the Venetians—Stirrings of suspicion—Reception in Venice—The
Senate Chamber—Growing dusk—The attack—End
of his part in the world—Another story of the North—St.
Raniero, the patron of Pisa—The power of temperance pp. 180-199

CHAPTER XI

QUEEN JOAN OF NAPLES

A conspicuous feminine sinner—Marriage of State—Her
beauty—Her Hungarian husband—Petrarch and the monk—Joan’s
ascent to the throne—The Naples succession—Her
favourites—The churches of Naples—Joan’s lovers—Factions
of Naples—Charles of Durazzo—A bold proposal—Charles’s
ambitious plots—War of the Factions—Disappearance
of Maria—Becomes the wife of Charles—Joan’s
horror pp. 200-217

CHAPTER XII

A MEDIÆVAL NIGHTMARE

Pact between Charles and Andrew of Hungary—Joan’s homage
to the Papal Legate—Andrew ignored—Arrival of Andrew’s
mother—Andrew upheld by the Pope—His reprisals—“The
man must die”—The Queen’s conspiracy—Last
meeting of Charles and Andrew—The hunting expedition—The
banquet in the monastery—The murder—Tempest
breaks over Joan’s head—An evil blow at Charles—Trial
of Andrew’s murderers—A nightmare of cruelty and
fear pp. 218-243

CHAPTER XIII

THE VAMPIRE-MONARCH FROM HUNGARY

Charles’s further acts as dictator—Rise of the favoured Louis
of Taranto—Civil war—A scheme of the Empress of
Constantinople—Interference of the King of Hungary—The
Empress again to the rescue—Hungary’s advance—Death
of the Empress—Flight of the Neapolitan nobles—Joan
and her husband in Provence—Charles’s well-merited fate—The
King of Hungary’s vengeance—Government by
execution pp. 244-257

CHAPTER XIV

END OF JOAN’S CAREER

Joan detained at Aix—Greeted as a Queen—Joan pronounced
innocent—Plans to regain Naples—Sale of a city—Return
to Naples—Indecisive war—Proposal for personal
conflict—Flight of the Royal Family—Maria’s narrow
escape—Hungarians repulsed—Pope Clement as
intermediary—Departure of the King of Hungary—Festivity
in Naples—Death of Louis and Joan’s further marital
adventures—Joan in trouble—Her untimely end pp. 258-275

CHAPTER XV

NAPLES UNDER MURAT

Beauty of Naples—Figures of its history—St. Januarius—Murat,
King of Naples—Achievements as King—The Carbonari—England’s
promises—Napoleonic diplomacy—Rise of the
Bourbons—Alliance with Austria—Murat’s indecision—Distrust
of the Allies—Murat’s statesmanship—Talleyrand’s
diplomacy—Naples the gay—Conspiracy in the
palace—The escape from Elba—Ideal government—War
against Murat—Advance of the Austrians—Murat driven to
Naples—Interview with his wife—Last instructions to his
ministers—Escape pp. 276-312

CHAPTER XVI

MURAT’S LAST DAYS

Naples in anarchy—Entrance of Austrians—Murat’s repulse by
Napoleon and by Louis—His demon of ill-luck—Shipwrecked—Aid
in Corsica—Emperor of Austria’s proposal—Attempt
against Naples—Murat betrayed into Ferdinand’s
hands—Murat’s “trial”—Letter to his wife—Before his
“judges”—A brave death—Ferdinand, the “Butcher
King” pp. 313-328

CHAPTER XVII

ITALIAN SEAS

Our moods and the seas—Memories in landscapes—The healing
of the sea—A vision in the Bay of Naples—Marion Crawford’s
yacht expected—The family together at Leghorn—Lady
Paget—A bathing scene—Hugh Fraser—“Spannocchi”
for dinner—The avenging boatman—Livorno,
an anomaly—Sunset on the Mare Ligure—Bay of Spezia,
a splurge of colour and light—A hail-storm in Venice—The
joy of a gondola—Moods of Venice—A Giorgione
beauty—The nurseries of Venice—Her shops—Saints and
heresies of the thirteenth century pp. 329-353