THE
WITH
NOTICES  OF  EPFFQOR          MADE,
IN
EUROPE AN D AMERICA
IN  THEIR  BEHALF.
COMPILED AND EDITED
BY THE
SECRETAR1IES OF THE
AMERICAN AND FOREIGN  CHRISTIAN  UNION.
NEW-YORK:
OFFICE OF THE SOCIETY,
No. 17 BEER MAN-S T RE E T.
1853.
D. Fanshaw, Printer, 35 Ann-street, corner of Nassau.








I N T R O D UJ C T I O XI
INTRODUCTION.
THIS Volume contains a record of the imprisonment, trial, and condemnation of two
persons, in comparatively humble life, in Italy,
on grounds, which seem to American minds,
most extraordinary. They had come, through
the reading of the Scriptures, and other means,
to the knowledge of what they deemed to be
the true Gospel, and had, as a consequence,
abandoned the Iloman Catholic Church-the
established Church of Tuscany.  Following
their convictions of duty, they endeavored to
impart the knowledge of what they believed to
be the " Truth as it is in Jesus " to their friends
and neighbors, beginning with the members of
their household. For this purpose they read
the Bible, in the Protestant version, that of
Diodati's, which they very naturally preferred
to that of Martini, which is Roman Catholic.
In doing all this, they believed that they were
not violating the laws of their country-much
less those of God. They did no more than what




4            INTRODUCTION.
every man in these United States believes that
he has the right to do, not only from the Constitution and laws of his country, but also from
the duties and responsibilities with which he is,
in his very nature, invested, and from the commands of his Maker.
The intelligence of their imprisonment and
final condemnation to forced labor in a penitentiary for long years, both astonished and grieved
the hearts of millions in the Old World and the
New. Great efforts were made to procure their
pardon and liberation.  The clemency of the
Grand Duke of Tuscany was invoked, by a
Deputation of distinguished Christian gentlemen from England, France, Holland, Germany,
and Switzerland.  The good offices of the
monarchs of Great Britain and Prussia were
interposed, as well as those of the President
of the United States, in a kind and unofficial
way, and therefore not calculated to give reasonable offence.
For a long time all was in vain, and the
conclusion in many minds was that the sufferers bade fair, owing to their feeble health, to
end their days in prison. But when all hope
seemed to fail, the sufferers are suddenly liberated, and hurried out of the country!  The




INTRODUCTION.                         5
pressure from  without was too great for the
Government of Tuscany longer to withstand.*
The Madiai, at the time of this writing, are in
France.   The  Government of Sardinia  has
offered them an asylum in Piedmont. They
have been invited to spend the remainder of
their days in Switzerland, in England, in Prussia, and in these United States. It is not
known what is their determination. It would
seem most natural, and therefore most probable, that they would choose Piedmont as not
only their future home, but the field of their
efforts in behalf of that Gospel for which they
have suffered so much.
* It is said, and we suppose with truth, that the Grand
Duke felt it to be impossible to resist longer the influences
to which reference has been made above; but still he was
unwilling to yield to the earnest remonstrances of England,
as set forth in Lord John Russell's letters to Mr. Bulwer,
the British Ambassador at Florence, and to appeals from
other Protestant countries. In this state of things, the exDuke of Parma, (formerly Duke of Lucca, and himself a
Protestant at heart, if not by profession,) suggested that the
Tuscan Government might yield to France what could not
be conceded to England and other Protestant nations. In
consequence of this, Louis Napoleon was induced to ask, as
a favor, the pardon of the Madiai. This favor was promptly
granted; the prisoners were released, and sent as secretly
and as expeditiously as possible, out of Tuscany, and into
France!




6            INTRODUCTION.
This work embraces three subjects. 1. The
history of the arrest of Francesco Madiai and
his wife, their imprisonment in the Bargello at
Florence, the receptacle of all sorts of criminals,
where they passed many months in the society
of the vilest felons.  This account is extracted
from letters written by English Christians residing in, or then visiting Florence, and addressed to Christian friends in England. We
have good reason for saying that the simple and
minute recital of facts which these letters contain is authentic, for we are well acquainted
with an American gentleman of the strictest
veracity, who informed himself, on the spot, of
its exact truth, and who has confirmed to us
that recital in every important particular. 2.
The Trial of the Madiai, including the speech
of the Prosecuting Attorney, Signor Bicchierai,
the speech of their noble-minded young advocate, Signor Maggiorani, and the decision of
the Court, as presented by Signor Nervini, the
presiding judge.  Thus far the work is the
same as that which appeared in England, some
months ago, under the title of the PRISONERS
OF HOPE. 3. The last part contains a notice of
what was done in Europe, as well as America,
to secure the liberation of the Madiai-the




INTRODUCTION.                7
noble Deputation from England, France, Holland, Germany, and Switzerland, and their proceedings; the public meetings in England and
in the United States; the conduct of the Papal
hierarchy and their journals, among us, etc. etc.
The book closes with an account of the manner in which the Madiai were at length, through
God's good providence, and in answer, we cannot doubt, to the prayers of His people, delivered from what bade fair to be a long, if not
fatal, imprisonment.  We have done Archbishop Hughes the justice to give his letter in
reference to the matter, as well as one or two
of the replies which were made to it.
This Volume we cannot but deem  both
valuable and opportune. It demonstrates, in
an age of great unbelief, as well as material
prosperity in the world, that there is still an
efficacy in true Christianity which can, and
will, through God's abundant grace and blessing, sustain the soul in seasons when called to
endure severest persecution and bitterest trials.
The examples which it exhibits to our view
are most interesting and instructive in this
point of view. An unbelieving age had almost
come to the conclusion that the stories of the
sufferings of the Martyrs partake more of the




8           INTRODUCTION.
fabulous than the true. But we are here made
to see that man, and even feeble woman, can
still suffer for Christ, and be sustained under
those sufferings.
This Volume also shows, what so many
among us have been slow to believe, that
Rome is the same unrelenting enemy to the
true Gospel that she was in the Middle Ages.
The intolerant and persecuting spirit which
she has displayed in the case of the Madiai and
other witnesses for the Truth in Tuscany, is
precisely the same that she displayed against
the Albigenses and the Waldenses of old.
And as she incited the Kings of France to
destroy the former, and the Dukes of Savoy,
(the ancestors of the present King of Sardinia,)
to destroy the latter, so now she is inciting the
Grand Duke of Tuscany to destroy what she
calls "Heresy," but what is in reality the true
Gospel, in his dominions. It is well that the
world should know that Rome is unchanged,
and we may add, inchangeable. Wherever and
whenever she has the power, she will persecute-even unto death! And what a Christianity is that! It is a base dishonor to the
Author of Christianity to call such a religion
by His glorious name,-in whose instructions




INTRODUCTION.                9
not a word, rightly interpreted, can be found
which sanctions or approves persecution.
This Volume demonstrates the falsehood of
the organs and advocates of Rome, in this
land, that have asserted that the Madiai were
condemned for "political offences," that they
were connected with Mazzini and the other
republicans and revolutionists, etc.  Not a
word of this is true. These people had never
meddled with politics; they were quiet, obedient, and loyal subjects of their prince, for
whom  they seem  to have entertained great
respect; and their only crime (to use the language of the Court which condemned them,
three judges against two,) was " impiety, committed by means of proselytism." That was
all. And for that the Roman Catholic Church
teaches the Grand Duke of Tuscany that he
ought to doom his subjects, for long years, to
imprisonment and forced labor! All this is
wrong, and directly contrary to the Gospel of
Christ.  But what cares Rome for that?  She
holds that she has the right to make and
enforce what laws she pleases; that she can
bind the conscience; that the Pope is the
Vice-gerent of Christ; that Christ has, in fact,
abandoned the government of this world, at




10             IN TRODUCTION.
least till the Day of Judgment,-having given
up all power to her as the only Church, and
that she has the right, if not the power, to
make new  laws for the Church and for the
nations, and put down and raise up whom she
pleases!  She has not renounced one of her
ancient claims.  Pio Nono would be another
Hildebrand, if he could.  This he has clearly
intimated in his "bull"  in condemnation of
the writings of Professor Nuytz of Turin, issued
in 1851. It is well,-it is even high time,that our American  people should know  all
this.
It adds to the interest which attaches to the
history of the Madiai, that the events which it
records occurred at FLORENCE, SO dear to the
hearts of the lovers of Literature and Art-to
Florence, so dear to the heart of the Christian
student, who loves to look back to the dark
ages which preceded the glorious Reformation,
and contemplate the heroic conduct of Savonarola,* who preached the Gospel to audiences
i Girolamo Savonarola was born in Ferrara, in the year
1452. From his youth he was of an enthusiastic turn of
mind. He entered a Convent of the Dominicians at Bologna,
and became greatly distinguished both for learning and eloquence. In 1484 he delivered a remarkable course of lectures




INTRODUCTION.                        11
that filled the vast cathedral of that city, and
sealed his testimony against Rome by the martyr's death.  As in the days of Savonarola, so
now, the ancients of Rome cannot endure that
the Holy Scriptures should be known  by the
people.  She dreads the  sacred volume, and
on the book of the Revelation, at Brescia, and with much
effect. Five years later he took up his residence at Florence,
where he was both respected and feared by Lorenzo de
Medici, the destroyer of his country's liberties, and to whom
Savonarola refused to give absolution, when on his dying
bed, because he would not promise to restore the Republic
of Florence, which he had overthrown.
Savonarola's powerful denunciation of luxury, and vice, and
tyranny, led, for a time, to a great reformation of manners
among the Florentines, and the overthrow and banishment of
Pietro, the haughty and luxurious successor of Lorenzo. But
the Franciscans and Augustinians, who were jealous of Savonarola, combining with the faction of the Medici, succeeded in
crushing the distinguished Reformer, who had by his burning eloquence denounced not only the vices of the people,
but also those of the clergy-not even sparing the Pope, the
infamous Alexander VI. The Republic was a second time
overthrown, and Savonarola, with two other monlks, was
brought to the stake on the 23rd of May, 1498. When the
bishop who presided at the ceremony, with a loud voice,
pronounced them separated from the " Church," Savonarola
exclaimed, "From  the Militant,"-intimating that he believed that they were about to enter the " Church Triumphant." Thus died this remarkable man, who has been justly
styled one of the "Reformers before the Reformation."
AMERICAN EDITOR.




12          INTRODUCTION.
all who go to it alone, as the only true source
of divine knowledge.  She persecutes the
Bible-readers of Florence,-imprisons and banishes them,-now-a-days, just as she persecuted
unto death Savonarola and his followers.
It is proper to state that for the last ten or
twelve years some attempts have been made
to introduce the knowledge of the true Gospel
into Florence, and not in vain. Even before
the Revolution of 1848, many copies of the
Word of God and of some excellent tracts and
books, in Italian, had been circulated in and
about Florence. When the Constitution of
1848 was granted, the door was for a time
opened for doing a good work. Several young
Waldensian ministers went down to Florence
for the double purpose, of improving their
knowledge of the Italian language, and to
preach the Gospel to the natives who desired
to hear it. A  faithful minister of the _Free
Church of Scotland was also very useful in the
good work which commenced about this. time
in that city.
For nine months this good work was prosecuted with vigor and success. Several thousand copies of the Bible and religious books
and tracts were disseminated. But soon a sad




IN TRO DUCTION.               13
change took place. The Grand Duke, restored
by Austrian bayonets, revoked the Constitution, and religious liberty was abolished. The
Waldensianl ministers were forced to retire to
their mountain-home.  The converts at Florence were first suspected; next put under the
surveillance of the police, and finally several
of the men of influence among them  were
arrested and thrown into prison. Among them
was Signor Piero Guicciardini, a nobleman of
distinguished family, and universally respected for his excellent character and his great
efforts in behalf of Infant Schools.  Finding
that he was suspected, and hoping that his
withdrawal for a time from  Florence might
lead the government to release its pursuit of
the Evangelici, (Evangelicals,) as the new sect
was called, he prepared to set out on a visit to
England.  WAhen nearly ready to leave, he
prepared a statement of his religious belief,
that his countrymen might know what he professed. This document is dated on the 3rd of
May, 1851. On the evening of the 7th of that
month, calling to bid farewell to a friend, he
spent some time with a few persons, six in
number, in reading the 15th chapter of the
Gospel by John. In the midst of this service




14            INTRODUCTION.
they were broken in upon by the police, and
dragged to prison. WVithout trial, and simply
by  a police-order, he was banished for six
months, to one of the worst prisons in Tuscany-the pestif-erous Maremma.''This sentence was afterwards comnmuted into exile from
Tuscany for a year, we believe.
The admirable document of Count G-uicciarcini was published after he had left Italy,
and created much sensation.  Its sentiments
and  doctrines are entirely  evangelical, and
worthy of the Italian Protestants of the 16th
century.
VWe bring this introductory notice of the
book in hand to a close, with the following
quotations from the English edition:
"Full evidence is here given that the opposition of Romanism to the Word of God continues the same, and that English Christians
are only misinformed when told that "Vulgar
translations of the whole Scripture are upon
sale, and open to every one, in Italy itself, with
the express permission of the Rooman Pontiff."*
Romish authorities may tell us this; but, alas!
the prisons of Italy, and the sufferings of
" End of Religious Controversy," by the R. C. Bp.
Milner. Letter xlvii.




INTRODUCTION.                   15
Christians there confined, bear a different and
incontrovertible testimony.
"It has indeed been said that the priests of
Rome have no more to do with these persecutions, than ministers of the Gospel in England
have with the carrying on of crininal prosecutions!  But what causes the possession of the
Word of God to be regarded as a crimzinal
charge?  The dogmas of Rome, as taught by
the priests (Jesuits probably) to the Tuscan
authorities.  If any Eomanist disclaims persecution, it goes no farther than himself; he is
in that particular a dissenter from his Church.
So long as Rome recoonises the decree of the
Lateran council under Innocent III. requiring
the temporal powers to persecute " heretics,"so long  as she authorizes  "Instructions to
Theological Candidates," hinting not obscurely
(by condemning the contrary as heresy) " that it
is according to the mind of the Spirit to burn
heretics,"-and so long as every Romish Bishop
swears that he will  ersecute and oppose all heretics,-so long shall we be justified in charging
on Romanism  as a system, and on its priests
as the ministers of that system, the persecutions
which are carried out by the secular authorities which profess that religion."




CONTENTS.
Introduction.......                               Page 3
LETTER I.-Search of the house of Francesco Madiai, August 17.Bibles seized.-Francesco and three others arrested.-One, an Englishman, liberated......19
LETTER II.-Two Florentines banished without trial, simply for the
confession of the Gospel.-Arrest of Rosa Madiai, Aug. 27.-Not permitted to see her husband.-Sept. 6, charge of proselyting brought
against the Madiai.-False charges against Signora Madiai... 21
LETTER III.-The prisoners still kept in separate cells —Difficulty
of any lawyer acting for them.-Mtaggiorani undertakes to be their
advocate-Illness of the prisoners.-An arrest through the confessional........24
LETTER IV. —Increase of persecution.-Rosa Madiai very ill; not
allowed to see her own doctor.-A  reader of the Bible imprisoned
through his wife's confession.-Priests employed as spies.-Severity
against Evang-elici. —Sixty said to be in prison for affairs of conscience; not allowed to see their fiiends!-Treated worse than murderers..          26
LETTER V.-Occurrences of the night of November 15. —  -
hears that B -'s house was to be visited, and informs A -; they
go to B -'s, and see him  arrested.-They warn his brothers.A-  finds the police in his own house; Providential deliverance.A -    escapes from Florence.                                     29
LETTER VI.-Details continued.-Courage of Signora A -; her
alarm for her husband; succeeds in warning him.-Anger of the gensdarmes; repeated searches of the house.-Efforts on behalf of Rosa
Madiai in her sufferings......36
LETTER VII.-Improved health of Rosa Madiai.-Her examination
before the magistrates.-Francesco Madiai sent to the Murate prison.Interview between the husband and wife.-Refusal of bail for them.Danger incurred by an advocate in defending prisoners...   38
LETTER VIII.t-Reference to another case of suffering.-Two persons imprisoned through the Priests.-Trial of the Madiai put off till
March........             43




CONTENTS.                              17
LETTER IX.-Prayers for the sufferers.-Continued trials.-The
two arrested on account of the sick man.-Florence a city quite
Catholic, Apostolic and Roman.-Evangelica or Sabina..  45
LETTER X.-Preparations for the trial of the Madiai.-February 26,
Sentence on the two men before mentioned. Acquitted by the tribunals, but sentenced by the police.-Extracts from the decreto.  48
LETTER XI.-Carrying out of the sentence on the two men; the
one banished; the other taken to Piombino to be imprisoned in the
fortress....... 50
LETTER XII.-Witnesses against the Madiai; ingratitude of a
family whom they had aided.-April 15. The trial still postponed.Francesco's Letter......51
From Francesco Mladiai to H. E.
LETTER XTII.-His arrival at Florence when 16.-Conduct of his
Confessor.-Nineteen years of unsatisfactory ideas on religion.Reads the English Prayer Book; goes to America; his first Communion, Trinity Church, Boston.-Returns to Florence; goes to Rome
with the Misses J -; meets Rosa Pulini; she explains the tible to
him. —Marries Rosa Pulini.-His Prayers..... 53
LETTER XIV. Trial again put off.-Annoyance to the Prisoners.Francesco's calmness; Rosa's grief.-They meet for a moment.. 56
LETTER XV. —opes that the trial may come on soon. —Maggiorani's diligence.-Question as to the application of the law.-Rosa's improved health......58
LETTER XVI.-The trial: commences June 5.-The prisoners meet
in the dock.-The Attorney-general proposes that the trial be private.
-Some have permission to stay.-Witnesses for the prosecution prepared by the priests.-Papers and tracts read.-Francesco's answers;
forbidden to quote Scripture.-~Vitnesses for the Madiai.-Rosa's answers. —aagoiorani's speech.-Reply of the Attorney-general; he
suggests the sentence to the judges.-Deliberation of the Judges, June
7 and 8.-Sentence on the Madiai. —How received by them; their separation.....                                  59
LETTER XVII.-Rosa Madiai to her husband....   66
LETTER XVIII.-Rosa iladiai's dejection of spirits; her ill health.Maggiorani's application to the Minister of Justice.-The appeal to the
Court of Cassation.-22d: Contrast between the Florentine rejoicings,
at "the Feast of St. John," and the condition of the imprisoned.. 69




~18               CONTENT S.
LETTER XIX.-Publication of Maggiorani's defence; interest expressed about it.-Bicchierai's speech against the Madiai published.His admissions in favor of the character of the accused...   72
LETTER XX —The case heard before the Court of Appeal.-The
judges apparently favorable.-August 7. The former sentence confirmed.-The Leopoldine laws set aside.-A petition to the Grand
Duke prepared.                                                    73
1. M-y to nV —-  and L.
LETTER XXI.-Rejection of the Petition for grace; Visit to Francesco
Madiai in the Murate prison; his subinission and message to his wife.
-Visit to Rosa in the Bargello; her sufferings; her prayer; Her removal to Lucca.-Her message to her friends.                       77
IH. E- to F. D).
LETTER XXII. Reemenbrances of visits to the Madiai..   80
REPORT oF THE TRIAL.-Speech of the Public Minister, Signor A.
Bicchierai.-Defence of the accused by the Signor Ovardo Maggiorai.i...86
THE SENTENCE......    171
OPINIONS OF THE LAWYERS..              178
ADDITIONAL FACTS RELATING TO THE TRIAL....   179
CONDUCT OF TIE PRISONERS AFTER THE TRIAL... 184
TiHE  EFFECT  OF TIIE TRIAL AND  CONDESIINATION U'ON THE
CHRISTIAN PUBLIC....189
ANSWER OF THE MINISTER........  192
ADDRESS....                                         194
CORREESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE DEPUTATION  AND THE CONVERTS IN TUSCANY.........  197
LoRD RIODEN'S VISIT TO THE IMPnISONED MIADIAI...  2 04
PROCEEDINGS IN AMIERICA.
CIHAPTER I. A Notice of a Meeting in Metropolitan Hall. Statement of
Facts.-RPesolutions tdopted.-Declarations of Principles.-Dr. Bethune's Address.-Popish Opposition. —rMeeti g in Newark. —Meeting
in Baltmlore.-Resoluitions of New-York. Legislature.-Resolutions of
the United States Senate. —Mr. Everett's Ietter..        10
CHAPTER II. Archbishop HugIhes' Let.er.... 233
RIEPLY TO ARCHiiISHIOP BUG I-ES' LETTER.
CIIAPTER TIl. IMr. Phelps' Letter...... 249
Why have the Madiai been treated so cruelly...   290
Their Liberation..........  299




STORY OF THE MADIAL
BEING
LETTERS FROM FLORENCE, &c.
LETTER I.
Search of the house of Francesco Madiai, August 17.-Bibles
seized.-Francesco and three others arrested.-One, an
Englishman, liberated.
FLORENCE, August 20, 1851.
MY DEAR L.,-The persecutions still continue,
Last Sunday, the 17th, a case of gross injustice and
abuse of power occurred in Piazza Santa Maria Novella.  At about half-past seven in the evening a
visit was made by the gensdarmes to the house of
Francesco Madiai, and, although both himself and
his wife were from  home, the house was searched
from the roof to the cellars; and the object of the
search was revealed by the capture of two Bibles
and an English book (Hawker's Morning Portion, I
believe.) An Englishhman had ehanlced to call in to
see Francesco, and was awaiting his return, and
there were also two other individuals waiting for
him; these three were immediately arrested, and




20         STORY  OF -THE  MIADIAI.
their persons searched; and the honest gensdarmes
swore they found them reading the Scripturres.  In
the meantime Francesco Madiai returned home, and
he wvas arrested; and shortly after, all four were
carried off to the Bargello, the common prison of
FlLorence, in spite of warm  remonstrances on the
part of all. Poor dear Rosa, who had also returned
home, behaved with her usual dignity; she encouraged her husband, saying, he had done nothing
wrong, and therefore he need not be ashamed; and
that she hoped he would be liberated after a few
hours' detention:-thus they parted. May her hopes
indeed be realized! The Englishman was kept in
prison twenty-two hours, and was only eventually
released through the exertion of his relations and the
strong remonstances of the legation at Florence. I
will not add more now, as I hope to write again very
shortly, when I may be able to give you an account
of the release of the other three prisoners.
Yours affectionately,
D. K.
* This was about eight o'clock; when on August 17, it is
quite dusk at Florence, so that even if reading God's word
were an offence, they could not have been guilty at that time.




LETTERS  FROM  FLORENCE.                 21
LETTER  II.
Two Florentines banished without trial, simply for the confession of the Gospel.-Arrest of Rosa Madiai, Aug. 27.Not permitted to see her husband.-Mode of procedure
against suspected persons.-Sept. 6, charge of proselyting
brought against the Msadiai.-False charges against Signora Madiai.
FLORENCE, Aug. 29, 1851.
MY DEAR L.,-You will be anxious to hear the
fate of the three poor prisoners for the Gospel's
sake, whom I named to you in my last. Madiai and
the other two, who are also Florentines, were placed
in seperate cells, and no one has been allowed. to see
them. I believe they have had several secret examinations; for justice in this country now is rarely
public. The two men, after being detained in prison
seven days, were ofered their choice either of indefinite imprisonment or indefinite exile; of course, they
chose the latter. And thus are these poor fellows,
the one a shoemaker, the other a valet out of place,
cast forth into the wide world as wanderers, without
means, without friends, but such as our heavenly
Father may raise up to them;-without trial, or any
cause assigned: their crime being that they were
found in the house of the Madiai, and that they both
confessed the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their private
examinations, and also  avowed that they read the
Bible.




22        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
And now comes the most affecting of all my
communications, and one for which we were but little prepared: perhaps, you will scarcely believe my
report, when I tell you that poor dear Rosa Madiai
has been taken into custody and imprisoned! a
woman-a poor sickly woman.  This took place
two days ago, i. e. ten days after her beloved husband's imprisonment.  She also has been carried to
the Bargello, where they remain in separate cells,
not having seen each other since the aftecting evening
of the 17th.  She has been unceasing in her efforts
to obtain permission to see her husband, but has
been invariably refused with the utmost harshness.
Still we never thought it would come to this.  Just
see how that shameful edict of April the 25th *
already works.  If you have read Gladstone's Letters, you have just the manner of arrests here. Persons are taken up upon suspicion, and then they seek
in all directions for witnesses to inculpate them.
Alas, poor Rosa!  How will she bear her narrow
close cell? the vermin-the bugs-so numerous that
they actually drop upon their persons and into their
food    I will write again in a few days.
Sept. 6.  To resume: for I would not send my
letter without more information about poor dear
Rosa. They have had several examinations, (I mean
* The edict which is mentioned in the Introduction, by
which such extensive powers were given to the police, irrespective of the ordinary and legal tribunals.




LETTERS  FROM  FLORENCE.                  23
separately,) but, as usual, hitherto conducted in private; and I understand that in prison they have
boldly and consistently avowed themselves Evangelici.  Under these circumstances fresh charges
have been sought and made out, against the man of
endeavoring to proselytise, (in this country a very
serious accusation,) and against the wife, of immoral
conduct. Now this infamous charge militates against
the whole tenor of her life; and it only shows the
rancor of the feeling against them; for really they
have no offence whatever with which to charge them,
except upon the ground of worshipping God in that
way which they call heresy.
Yours affectionately,    D. K.
LETTER  III.
The prisoners still kept in separate cells.-Difficulty of any
lawyer acting for them.-~Maggiorani undertakes to be their
advocate.-Trial not likely to come on before Christmas.Food sent to the prisoners.-Illness of the prisoners.-An
arrest through the confessional.
FLORENCE, Sept. 15, 1851.
MY DEAR L.-I have no favorable news to communicate. Our two dear prisoners are still confined
in their separate cells, and no one, as I said before, is
allowed to see them.  They have engaged a lawyer
to look after their affairs; but you have no idea of




24        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
the difficulty, in this country, of finding any one
willing to undertake the case of those accused, or
suspected, of holding views contrary to the dogmas
of Rome; they are so afraid of getting involved
themselves; or rather, through the influence of the
Government and the priests, of finding themselves
utterly ruined.  Several who were asked to undertake the case of the Aadiai, absolutely refused, saying they had families, and they could not risk the
ruin it might entail upon them.  Nevertheless one
called Maggiorani, has nobly and kindly undertaken
their cause; he is considered to be a talented young
man; at least, he has an independent spirit.  We
hear there is no hope of anything being decided upon
before Christmas, and then great fears are entertained that some very severe punishment will be
awarded them.
You will be glad to hear that a most attached
and devoted friend of the poor prisoners has undertaken to send them food that they can eat, for the
prison fare is so disgusting that few canc eat it; this
friend of theirs is an admirable little creature, full of
heart and courage. May God reward her for her devoted kindness!  Poor Rosa has been, and still is
very ill; but both she and her husband are full of
faith and Christian courage.  Another poor fellow
has been arrested in consequence of secrets obtained
THROUGH THE CONFESSIONAL by means of a wife and
a son! they have confessed to the dreadful crime




LETTERS  FROM  FLORENCE.                  25
that he reads the Bible;-he too, is in solitary co.nfinement.                          -.             *
Yours affectionately,      D. K.
LETTER IV.
Increase of persecution. —Rosa Madiai very ill; not allowed
to see her own doctor.-A reader of the Bible imprisoned
through his wife's confession.-Priests employed as spies.Severity against Evangelici.-Sixty said to be in prison for
affairs of conscience; not allowed to see their friends!
Treated worse than muurderers.-Their confession of the
Gospel in their exalinations.-Source of the trial to the
Madiai; a servant in the confessional.-Continued desire
for the Bible.
FLORENCE, Sept. 22, 1851.
MY DEAR L.-I should have answered your kind
letter immediately, but I have been so very unwell, not to say ill, that I felt it quite impossible to
use either head or pen, and one needs to be so well
in these trying times and circumstances. I hope that
you received my letter in which I gave an account
of the fresh persecutions; they are so increased in
severity, that it is impossible not to have sad forebodings for those now in bonds. Francesco has now
been in prison more than five weeks, Rosa almost
four; and nothing is as yet decided.  The same
severity continues; and no one is allowed to see
them. Poor Rosa is very ill; she very much wishes
3




STORY  OF  TIE  MADIA.
to be allowed to see her own doctor, but is not per.
mitted to do so. Poor I      is also still in prison,
and nothing is known of him. There is another man
in prison TIHROUGH THE CONFESSION OF I-IS WIFE; she,
poor thing, did not intend to betray her husband, but
it was dragged out of her that he read the Bible; and
though the gensdarmes found nothing, not even his
Bible, they nevertheless carried him off to prison.
This is another instance that the PRIESTS are spies
of the Government.
The severity against the Evangelici is increasing
every day; spies are watching all the suspected
houses.  Were two even found together reading
God's precious Word-for that crime they would
instantly be marched off to jail.  We heard to-day
that sixty are in prison for affairs of conscience;
were they murderers they might be permitted to see
their friends, but in matters of conscience, greater
severity must be used, and they are denied this consolation.  How gladly, alas! would I give your
sympathizing message to the dear prisoners in bonds
for truth's sake, had I any means whatever of doing
so; for truly it would cheer their hearts to know
how many have fellowship with them in their sorrow. In general, all that passes within those gloomy
walls partakes of the stillness of the grave. Still, we
do hear that, in their examinations, they boldly confess their faith, and that really they implicate themselves. Like all the rest, they decidedly declare that




LETTERS  FROM  FLORENCE.              27
they do not belong to the Roman Catholic Church.
When asked-Did they try to convert?  They replied-No one can convert but God. Still, if any one
asked us what we thought of such and sutch a passage,
we simply told our belief. 1Francesco is in a most
spiritual state of mind; he truly glorifies his Master.
When the Government has finished w-ith these,
they will, most probably, lay their hands upon
others.  We have at length found out the source of
all this trial to the M}adiai-a servant, who had lived
with them some time, and whom her mistress thought
to be converted.  T ~  thought the same, but
S  ~  and I did not; in fact, there were very dilberent judgments about her.  When this girl was discharged from  the service of the Madiai she went
home to the neighborhood of Lucca, and her motherin-law found out that she had prohibited books, and
IN THE CONFESSIONAL made this known. The girl
was called up, and either through fear or bribery,
(the latter we rather think,) she has betrayed all
that she could betray: thus you see, the PRIESTS
have an interest in condemning, and the Government
to please them will do their worst.  No one knows
how many witnesses they have contrived to get, nor
of what kind; but all this long time they have been
occupied in trying to get depositions to make out a
case. Are you not tired of these details of sorrow?
Nevertheless, they work the peaceful fruits of righteousness.  The desire for the Bible is more earnest




28          STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
than ever; the desire to understand it more ardent
than ever.
Yours affectionately,       D. K.
LETTER V.
Occurrences of the night of November 15. —D -    hears that
B -'s house was to be visited, and informs A-; they
go to B-'s, and see him  arrested.-They warn his
brothers.-A-         finds the police in his own house;
Providential deliveran ee.-A      escapes from- Florence;
danger of arrest at the gate, and deliverance.-Reaches
Leghorn.-His escape by sea. His wife's trials on that
night: the search; her Bible.-Books seized. —Many arrests on that night.-The condition of the Madciai.
FLORENiCE, Nov. 27, 1851.
MIY DEAR L.-                            1    I now begin
my detail of the occurrences of Saturday night, Nov.
15th, and especially respecting one very dear to
many, whose courage, generosity and devotedness,
cannot be surpassed. May the Lord grant that it
may reach you in safety.
A        is a schoolmaster, and gives lessons in
Italian, Latin, &c. in every case of difficulty he was
always ready to put himself forward for others. He,
as well as his interesting wife, are Christians.  On
Saturday night at about eleven, a friend of his called
D    ~, was in a cafe, and heard that B --  was to
have a perquisition in his house, and that many
others also were to be visited; he rushed with in



LETTERS  FROM  FLORENCE.             29
credible speed to A's house, who was in bed
and told him what he had heard.  A      immediately threw on some clothes, and without stopping
to hide away his own things rushed out of his house,
saying, "Perhaps we shall be in time to save or help
B-." In ten minutes after he had left, six carabinieri were in his own house, and they would
have arrested him in bed. IIe and D      went to
B's house, and in his eagerness, he rang violently at the bell; as he received no answer, he rang
again-no answer: they thought, perhaps, he was
concealing some papers; but D  said, "Do not
ring again, perhaps they are already there; let us
hide ourselves in a corner." They had not concealed
themselves many minutes when the door was opened,
and they saw their friend looking very pale, in the
midst of four carabinieri led off to jail! To finish this
case, not one single thing was found in his house, not
even the Bible; nevertheless he is still in prison, as
they call it, upon suspicion, and there he may remain,
who knows how long?
A-   and D       immediately went to the caf6,
to warn his two brothers, but they found no one
there; they then returned, and soon after met the
two brothers of B-, who were going to their
brother's house; they were told what had occurred,
* The result of this case was, that B-, on other
alleged grounds, was sent to Elba, to be imprisoned in a
fortress for one year.
3*




30        STORY  OF THE  MADIAI.
and advised to go and see if anything was doing at
their own houses. One found, from  the lights in
various apartments, that his house was also invaded
by the gensdarmes; of course he did not go in; or
he, also, would have been marched off to prison.
After this, A    thought he had better return
home, and said, in a kind of careless way, " It would
be singular if they were in my house, too." Again,
a third time, God's protecting hand was over him.
D- -s dog ran forward, and, in order not to lose
him, he ran after him, and in stooping down to catch
him, was in such a position as to observe, to his
great surprise, lights in A's sitting room, at two
in the morning; he, therefore, stopped A-, whose
hand was on the bell, saying, " Do not ring, they are
also in your house; rather make your accustomed
whistle, and your wife will hear you. He did so,
but received no answer; and then he whistled a
second time, and soon after they saw a hand slowly
waving them away; also, in a few minutes, his maidservant opened the door, and said, Fly, fly." When
the door was opened without a ring at the bell,
A —- thought it was one of the gensdarmes to take
him, so he rushed away. D ~-  heard the message,
and ran after him; in the hurry the little dog was
left behind, and began to bark on the stairs. But I
will continue A's story. At the corner of the
street the two friends parted, and D-  was obliged
to go to his own house to arrange his affairs. A



LETTERS FROM  FLORENCE.               31
having no money in his pocket went to a friend and
borrowed a little: as he again passed near his own
house, he met a gensdarme, sent to arrest him, who
stopped close to him. He immediately lifted up his
heart in most earnest supplication to the Lord, to
deliver him, and had the presence of mind to turn
his back to the gensdarme, and calmly light his
cigar; the man, after a few  minute's hesitation,
walked on.
Poor A        then made for the nearest gate, and
again he prayed earnestly, before calling to have the
gate opened, thinking they might arrest him  there.
But the Lord again delivered him. The man said,
"Felice notte;" to which the other most cordially
replied, " Felice notte."  A   says, that once out
of the city, he breathed more freely.  You may
imagine the conflict of thoughts and feelings which
passed through his heart on that sad nightl  his wife,
his three little children! his country, that he loves
so deeply, thrustilng him from her bosom, solely because hlo reads and spreads God's Word and religious books.
He kept on walking between the two gates, outside the walls, for some time, almost frozen with
cold: at la.st, overcome with fatigue, he lost all consciousness, but was aroused by hearing the clock
strike three.  He then thought he would walk on to
the first station; but as we have lately had a flood,
the water and mud prevented him, and so he was




32         STORY  OF THE MADIAI.
obliged to retrace his steps, and atfive he threw himself into the train for Leghorn, where he arrived at
nine on Sunday morning.  About the same time,
my faithful N. N. told me the events of the night,
as far as he knew them.
I felt sure that A  - would go to Leghorn,
*    *   so that N. N. was sent off by the
first train to know what he thought of doing.  We
could get no tidings till Monday morning; you may
imagine our anxiety all the day.  On   AIonday we
learnt that he was safe, and that he wanted some
clothes immediately, for he hoped to get off soon.
A few hours after we heard from  another, that it
was quite impossible to get him  a passport; the
messenger was sent again, and his friends had the
joy to hear that he was on the sea; the how, it is impossible to tell-it would be too dangerous; suffice
it to say, that it was one of those remarkable interpositions which, when they do occur, look more like
romance than truth.  There was not time even for
him to get his clothes.  But our gracious Father,
who has so marvellously delivered him, will still
care for him.  Ml{ay all these sorrows and trials be
blessed to his soul.
His dear wife has had much anxiety.  On that
fatal night, ten minutes after her husband had left,
she heard a loud knocking at the door; being uneasy,
she herself looked out of the window, and asked,
"Chi 6?" The wretches replied, "Amici."  But




LETTERS FROM  FLORENCE.                   33
WHAT friends? "La polizia."  She refused to open,
saying, her husband was out, and she was alone; but
they insisted, and she was obliged to obey.  Six of
them came at once into her room, and searched il
all directions.  She only thought of her nice large
Bible, and, in order to save it, threw it out of the
window, as she thought, into the garden; but, unfortunately, it fell into a cistern of water.  She afterwards rescued it, and tried to dry the leaves, but a
second  visitation  from   the police obliged her to
throw it into the fire, and burn it.  The only things
they  found were, seventy of a second edition of
Count G-'s Confession, six of Gladstone's Letters, and Lucille,' in Italian; but for this, if arrested,
he would probably be sent to the galleys, and hard
labor!!
The gensdarmes have been four different times
to the house, always in the dead of the night-the
last time at two in the morning.  They hunted the
* A work by M. Adolphe Monod, of Paris. There is an
English translation, entitled, " Lucilla, or the Reading of the
Bible."  Whoever is acquainted with this book, must know
how obnoxious it is to those who wish to hinder God's Word
from being read, or wht deny that the Spirit of God can,
and does, teach the individual Christian how to understand
those things which the Scripture contains. One of the most
important points, with regard to " Lucille," is, that the facts
and arguments are strictly true; the only fiction employed
is, the introduction of such names and localities as shall conceal the real parties.




34         STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
roof, garden, and every possible place for her husband.  All this has. of course, made her very unwell, especially as she had hardly recovered from
her last confinement.  That night numbers were
taken from their bed to prison!  Some say sixty;
some, more; but as nothing is made public, who can
tell?  The next day we continually saw men carried to prison.  One of the gensdarmes had a Bible
in his hand, and numbers with little parcels of new
books.  The injustice of the Government, and the
misery of the people, is almost beyond endurance.
La Signora Madiai, about a week since, was supposed to be dying in prison, but she is still alive, and
getting better, though in bed, in prison.  Her husband glorifies God by his sweet Christian spirit.
Yours afhectionately,    D. K.
LETTER VI.
Details continued.-Courage of Signora A-; her alarm
for her husband; succeeds in warning him.-Anger of the
gensdarmes; repeated searches of the house.-Efforts on
behalf of Rosa Madiai in her sufferings; she and her husband seen by a few.-Persecutioi seems to deter none
from reading the Scripture. —Determination of Landucci
to put down the " heresy.'
FLORENCE, Nov. 28, 1851.
MY DEAR L.-I now  give a few  more details
which I was obliged to leave out yesterday; I well




LETTERS  FROM  FLORENCE.             35
know what a deep interest you all take in these sad
persecutions, and how earnestly you bear these dear
sufferers upon your hearts.  How  remarkably in
this history do we see the protecting hand of God
over his servants, probably in answer to the many
prayers so constantly offered.  The dear wife of
A-  showed such courage in her trial; when the
six gensdarmes were making their search, her great
anxiety was about her husband, thinking he would
surely return and be taken; however she listened
most attentively to all they said; they took down
notes of all they thought would criminate A —-,
but, excepting the books I have named, nothing was
found.
They asked with great eagerness when her husband would come home; she replied she could not
tell, that sometimes on Saturday he passed the night
at the villa of some of the friends of his boys, which
is true; these gensdarmes were in the house with
this poor creature alone from  eleven  to three.
Whilst she was sitting with them, she says she
lifted up her heart often to God to protect her husband; at two, when she heard his well-known whis
tie, she was ready to faint, expecting that the next
moment the bell would ring, and that she should have
the agony of seeing him, whom she so much loved,
carried off to the Bargello; still she dared not move,
it seemed as if some invisible force held her down;
at length she heard a second whistle, and as the men




36       STORY  OF THE  M A D I A.
were busy writing and talking together, she arose
and said, "Excuse me, I think my baby wants me;"
and went into another room, where not daring to
open the window, she made the sign which was so
providentially seen by D —; she also said to the
maid, "Creep down stairs quietly and say, fly, fly."
This succeeded, but the dog unfortunately was left
in the passage, and began to bark. The chief officer
immediately called out, " Whose clog is that "
Madame A          -  said, "Oh! the door must have
been left open, and some dog is come in;" then turning to the maid, said,' Go, and shut it, but mind, be
attentive if your master should return;"  the poor
thing did not know what to say, the oificer at once
understood the whole affair; turning quite black,
nero —ero-and stamping with his feet, he said,
"Ah! yes, I dare say he will take pretty good care
not to return."  The gensdarmes soon after went
away.
The whole of that night this poor creature had
to pass in the most cruel anxiety.  They have since
searched the house three different times, and threatened her, and tried to frighten her; she has now, I
am happy to say, gone to her father and mother; as
to the school, it must, I suppose, be given up; but
the Lord will care for them.
Poor dear Rosa Madiai continues so weak and ill
that, perhaps owing to the strenuous efforts made on
all sides in her favor, (for she was well known, and




LETTERS  FROM  FLO RENCE.               37
loved by some of the first families here and in England, they may let her out to die.  Her illness is
entirely occasioned by the severities of her imprisonment, upon a very delicate constitution.  She
may die, but she will never deny her Saviour, or
make one retrograde step; no one but God can know
how very deeply she has felt her trial, and how
greatly she has suffered; it is so cruel not to let
the poor husband and wife meet under these trying
circumstances.
Francesco Madiai loves his wife so very tenderly, that that is his only trial; he says, even if
they burn his body, it is only his body, they cannot
touch his soul. Quite lately the prison doors for
these two have been opened to a very few, I long
to see them, but am not likely to do so.
The question naturally arises, in the midst of
these persecutions, are any deterred from  reading
the Word and following Christ?  We have not
heard of one even; the only difference is, they cannot meet together; but the work being of God, who
can put it down?  It is said that Landucci, the Minister of the Interior, has declared that he will put
down the heresy, even though his fate should be
that of the Duke of Athens.*
Yours affectionately,  ID. K.
* This historical reference would be familiarly understood
at Florence. In 1341, while the Florentines were negociating with Mastino della Scala, Lord of Verona, for the pur4




38          8STORY  OF  THE  MADIAr,
LETTER Vii.
Improved health of Rosa MiadIiai.-Her exarina-tion before
the magistrates.-iFranleslco  AIadiai sent to the Murate
prisaon.-Interview hetween the:husband and wvife. —efiusal of bail for themnl.Danger incurred by an advocate in
defending prisoners.-Case at Pisa.'Prisoners for opinions.-Case of fou  suchh.A ~'s letter to his wife.His voyage.
FLORENCE, Dec. 24, 1851.
MY DEAR L.-    I am  sure
it will be most gratifying  to you to hear that our
iHeavenly Father has heard the many prayers offered, so far as in His wisdonm HIe hath seen right. Both
chase of Lucca (which he then held,) the Pisans seized that
city by force. The Florentines to gain possession of Lucca
had sent to Robert, King of Naples, for aid, and troops accordingly camne, lnFer the command of Walter d e Brielno
Duke of Athens.  He arrived in 1342, just when the Florentines were openly disaffected to those whom they had
set at the head of the affairs of the republic.'he military
commnnand was a.t once given to the Duke, who then executed
many who were obnoxious either to the great nmen, or to the
commnon people; others were exiled, and others heavily
fined. In the then state of discontent at Florence, this rendered the Duke popular with all except the middle class of
citizens.  Having occupied Florence with foreign troops,
he caused (Sept. 8, 1342) a proposition to be made to the
people that the administrative power should be given to him
for one year; the people with acclamation decreed it for
life.  The Duke and his companions abused their power in
every way; no one's life or property was safe. At length




LETTERS  FROM   FLORENCE.                     -39
those within prison, and those without are, I may
say, mercifully sustained, and a shield of protection
seems to be thrown around them which surprises all.
Rosa Madiai, lwho at one time was thought to be
dying in prison, has been wonderfully restored to
health; at the time of her sickness and acute suffering she had an extreme longing to be removed from
prison, but now her patience is restored, and she is
quite willing to wait God's time, and is cheerful and
happy and full of firmness and faith. She has lately
prayed earnestly that her weak body may be strengthened, lest her accusers migoht impute her bodily weakness to a less firm  and determiined resolution, at all
costs, to abide by her confle;ssion of faith.
A few days since she was caain called before her
judges, who asked her if she was the person accused
of impiety and blasphemy.; If," she replied, " to
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as my only Saviour
be this, then I am  the r persoa, but let God judge."
All the prisoners have lately been declared criminals,
he caused the tongue of Bettone Cini to be torn out, for
speaking of him too freely, and this act of cruelty (which
occasioned Bettoee's death) roused all Florence against the
Duke.  (July 26th, 1343.)  The Duke, besieged in the pal
ace, abdicated, basely surrendering his companions to be
put to death, on condition that he should be conducted
safely to Casentino.  (Sept. 6.)
Thus " the fate of the Duke of Athens " expresses the
ignominy of one who is expelled for lawless cruelty, and
purchases his life by sell'ng his associates to be executed!




40        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
and are to have, I am  most happy to say, a public
trial.  In consequence of this the men have been
transferred to another prison," but Rosa, perhaps
because she is so very weak, is left in the Bargello.
Great interest was made that the husband and
wife should meet before he was removed, and they
did meet in the presence  of the jailer; they had not
seen each other since the 17th of August.  It was
sadly affecting, for the husband also has been lately
ill, and is very much bent from sufferiing; he has, I
am sorry to say, a liver complaint, which close confinement greatly increases; they encouraged each
other, and were thanrkful to be counted worthy to
testify for their Lord and Master whom  they love.
The highest interest has been exerted on their behalf
to let them  out on bail, but they are criminals and
cannot be let out of prison. Now they desire to get
the best defence they can, and we think Maggiorani,
though young, will prove as able an advocate as
any. In this country it is difficult, for a man may
ruin himself in defending another. It was only a few
weeks since that a lawyer in defending a case at
Pisa, observed upon the ill conduct of a. gensdarme,
* Francesco Madiai was now sent to the Murate prison,
which is professedly on the plan of that at Pentonville; the
Pentonville prison, however, is for those who have been convicted and sentenced; whereas Francesco Madiai  was subjected to this severe and solitary confinement preparatory'
to trial.




LETTERS  FROM  FLORENCE.               41
and though perfectly true, he has been sent to prison
for twelve months.  HIow then can we expect men
to risk so much? Nevertheless every effort will be
made to get the best pleader. The day of the trial
is not yet fixed, for they like to keep them in prison
as long as possible. It is quite sure that whatever the
skill of the defence may be, the sentence is already
fixed!  But the trial will arouse public opinion.
The report is that the prisons are full, and mostly
with persons put in for opinion1; many are what are
here called Liberals, but what in our country would
almost be called Conservatives; most of these poor
fellows read the Bible, and some of them, through the
grace of God, have become true Christians.
I heard a few days since a touching story of four
of them.  They had been kept in prison for eight
months uunjudged, and were then tried and. found guilty
and sentenced to a year's hard labor; they were reproached for being Evangelici, and for having been
present at a religious meeting; they replied that if they
had been, they would have colnfessed it, for they were
children of the Gospel.  How  manly more such
may still be suffering in bonds, unknown to us.
I will conclude this letter with the sequel of
A —'s story. I related how wonderfilly the Lord
had shielded him from  danger, and hadc put it into
the heart of a Christian Captain to take him with
him.  A-      has written one of the most beautiful
letters I ever perused, to his wife. When on board,
4*




A42          STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI,
he says, he prayed; oh! how he prayed-he felt as
if he had never prayed before, and he earnestly
entreated his wife to cast every burden on the Lord;
his trials, together with the manifest goodness of the
Lord, have awakened in his soul feelings  which
he had never felt before, and have deepened those
that he had.  All indignation, so natural to his
character, seenms quite gone and changed into the
deepest sorrow for his beloved country, and the
most earnest prayer for her deliverance.
They encountered storms at sea, and at one time
were nearly lost, still he had not one moment's fear
-he was ever calm and peaceful. The ship did not
intend to go to Q, but owing to contrary winds
they came within sight of the land; the captain then
asked him if he would like to be landed? he replied,
" Yes." Accordingly he Nwas landed one night alone,
on that far distant shore, poor fellow! yet his heart
was full of gratitude for his deliverance, and of
thankfulness for the great kindness he had received;
he had a letter to some kind friend there, whom he
happily found, and now he is provided for; in course
of ti rme probably his wife and children will follow him.
This touching letter has been. read by soime of
A's friendls, not many, and yet the police have
heard of it, and the wilt' was obliged to get rid of it
to a stranger who is not suspected, to keep for her,
for she could not burn it.
And now, beloved L, farewell.  Tell our




LETTERS  FROM  FLORENCE.               43
friends that they have comforted and sustained many
hearts by their prayers and sympathy. It is a sweet
and precious thought that you have so kindly remembered, before the Lord, all who so greatly need to
be remembered, and that so many dear to Christ are
fellow-workers with Him- in this service; there is
great need for a continuance of your prayers, that
the light may not be quenched through the wiles of
Satan and evil men.
Yours, affectionately,    D. K.
LETTER VIII.
Reference to another case of suffering.-Two persons imprisoned through the Priests.-Trial of the Madiai put
off till March.-Arrangements for A's wife and children to join him in February.-January 21. The two persons acquitted by one court.
FLORENCE, January 20, 1852.
MY DEAR L.-I hope you received my last,
detailing a new case of suffering-two persons arrested at the sick bed of a fiiend, it is true they imprudently let the PRIESTS know  their sentiments,
and in a very short time after both were in the Bargello; as yet we have not been able to get tidings,
but we hope to hear something this evening.  I am
sorry to say the trial of the Madiai is not likely to
come on now before March.
If the trial is printed, I will be sure and send fou




F44        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
a paper; we mean to go and hear it if it is public,
Ma-ggiorani, who is thought to be a first-rate pleader,
has undertaken it, though every one is quite ceritain
that the sentence is already determined upon, and a.s
exvents have taken such an adverse turn we fear
greatly; but they cannot go beyond the will of the
Lord. These dear persons have already made much
progress in spiritual life since their implrisonment, so
thlat I hear that it is a real refreshmenit to see theam;
I never hope to have this comfort, because fresh
orders have been given not to acdmit visitors.
I hear that A      is extremely liked at Q,
but they say that when alone his spirits sink very
much, he is so attached to his wife and children, as
well as having a most ardent love for his country
and a great desire for her moral improvement.  I
am happy to tell you that arrangements are in hand
to send his wife and two little boys the beginning of
February; the little one at nurse will be left in the
care of its relations.
I am so thankful to think that the circumstances
which caused such sorrow and trial here have been:
a link to unite Christians together amongst you; I
quite believe we have an abundant answer to your
prayers; there is more grace to endure, more lquiet
steady determination to follow on to know God.
January 21.  Yesterday evening we heard that




LETTERS FROM  FLORENCE.                45
one court had absolved the two men I spoke of; it
is well, however, to remember that two courts also
absolved Guicciardini and the six arrested with him,
but they were, nevertheless, afterwards punished by
the police, so we fear it will be in this case.
Yours, affectionately,    D. K.
LETTER IX.
Prayers for the sufferers. -Continued trials.-The two
arrested on account of the sick man.-Florence a city
quite Catholic, Apostolic and Roman.-Arrangements for
A-'s wife and children to join her husband.-Case of
a woman whose husband is in prison; reviled for believing
in God.-Evangcica or Sabina.
FLORENCE, January 30, 1852.
MY DEAR L.-I cannot express to you how much
it rejoices my heart to hear that you so continually
remember all the dear persecuted ones at Florence,
and that such a Catholic spirit is exhibited; that so
many dear to the Lord join in sympathy, prayer
and help.  Be assured, dear L. they feel the effects
of your prayers according to God's own will, not in
deliverance out of oppression, but in His granting
grace to endure, and in their increased courage to
confess Christ as their only Saviour.
Feeling, as I do, the oneness of spirit which
unites us, I always desire to let you know when any
fresh sorrow  and trial happens, that you may be




4STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
able to present those things before our -Heavenly
Father, anct thus help them  in their time of need.
The poor little flock continues to be so driven about,
persecuted, exiled, imnprisoned, tht aone's heart would
almost fail did \-e not know that God is stronger than
man, and that man cannlot go beyond God's will.
The two men arrested on account of the sickl man are
still in prison, and -will probably be exilec, but when?
One of' the   is knoeni to have fetched the Swiss
minister to the dying man, and this is a very great
crime, and moreover he has declared himself Evangelical, and thait EvLagelical lie will remain.  The
magistrates sa y they will not havee such people in
Florence-a city quite Catholic, Apostolic and Roman; they are determilned to put down the heresy.
You will bel glad to hear that A's wife and
her two children l vill now soon join her husband'; she
has had no cifficulty in getting her Ipassport, whlich
they were almost raf'daiid would have been refused
her.  Poor thing I she goes away Awith many mixed
feelings; deliolted to go to her beloved husband,
and yet it seem-s as if talking a last fiarewell of mother,
father, country and friends; still to be free to bring
up their children according to their own fitth is a
great blessing.
I am  afraid the Madiai's trial will not come on
before March; but they seene to increase in patience
and faith, and submission to God's will.  This is a
blessed fruit of tribulation.  Addio for the present.




LETTERS  FROM  FLORENCE.              47
Saturday.  I heard last evening that a woman
whose husband is in prison, had again been examined
by- the Delagato, this finctionary, like many others,
regularly abuses the poor people, and he was not at
all sparing in bad names to her; she has a good deal
of i-te]ligence, and ansvwered. very well. She asked
to have her huhsband's watch to put it in pawn. " Oh,
you pretend to be poor do you 2" She happened to
say that God would h elp her;' Oh, you, then, are
one who believes in God.'i Faney a magistrate saying this in w hat is called a Christian country.  "1
dare say you are Evc.anelci?' No, Eccellenza,"
she replied, "I am cadled Sabina." She quite understood vwhat she wias say-ing.
Thus you see, dear L. t'he state of Florence at
present. There is much, very much to be thankful
for, and much to keep one in constant prayer and
dependence upon God, for each day we know not
what may happen next.
What can we say to a Government, which instead
of seeking to improve the people, tries in every way
to corrupt them, and by every bait to tempt them to
become spies; there are many affecting instances of
these temptations when driven almost to despair by
want or oppression, and then they fall into the snare.
Yours, affectionately,    D. K.




48        STORY  OF  TILE  MADIAI.
LETTER X.
Preparations for the trial of the Madiai.-February 26.
Sentence on the two men before mentioned. Acquitted
by the tribunals, but sentenced by the police.-Extracts
from the decreto.
FLORENCE, February 2, 1852.
MY DEAR L.-   i*            *   There are now
long folios ready for the Madiai's trial. Maggiorani
is said to be an able pleader; if he does justice to his
subject, it will indeed be a most interesting trial, but
can he know his Bible sufficiently? Now they say it
cannot come on until the end of March.
February 26th    *         We are greatly
in hopes that the trial will now come on soon, for all
the lawyers have finished some little time, and it
only remains for the Government to fix the day.
The two men who were imprisoned on the sick
man's account eight weeks ago, have received their
sentence. The Tribunale della Prima Istanza entirely acquited both; then the police, under that edict
of April, 1851, condemned both-one to be forever
banished Tuscany, the other to six months' imprisonment in the fortress of Piombino. I send you a few
sentences extracted from this last decreto. "The existence of a secret association is proved, to insinuate
and spread sentiments and principles contrary to the




LETTERS FROM  FLORENCE.               49
fundamental dogmas and precepts of the Roman
Catholic Apostolic religion, with the scope of overthrowing m-ore easily, by this means, the actual political order of the different States of Italy. *  *  *
It is evident the part that the young man has taken
in this plot to alter the religion of the State; his own
confession affords an undoubted proof of his apostacy;
declaring that he belongs to the Protestant Evangelical sect, nmany Anti-Catholic books found in his possession, and his repeated attempts, as imprudent as
they are detestable. to hinder the dying man from
having the succors of our religion, and for having instead, procured him the assistance of a pastor of the
Evangelical Reformed Church.
The old man is charged   *   *  *:   with
the impiety of his frequent visits with the young
man to the house of the sick man, during the illness
of this same sick man; and the old man's confessed
apostacy, professing himself a follower of the Evangelical Reformed worship    *    *    *    his
co-operation in machinations to overthrow the religion of the State    *    *..    on this
account they are sentenced," as before mentioned.
*       *        *       M        *
Your remembrance of the poor persecuted ones
is quite touching; the Lord judges the heart and
sees the desire to sympathize and help; indeed, the
friends in England have been a great blessing to the
5




50        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
tried ones here, for surely blessing in answer to
prayer is no small boon.
Yours aflectionately,    D. K.
LETFTER XI.
Carrying out of the sentence on the two men; the one banished; the other taken to Piombino to be imprisoned in
the fortress.
FLORENCE, February 28, 1852.
MI  DEARA L.-                   I told you in my
last the condemnation of the two persons on account
of the sick man.  The old man has been allowed a
week to settle his affairs; he has behaved very well
-most firm and courageous.  The Government refused the petition for the punishment of the other to
be commuted into exile, so to-morrow morning he
is to be conveyed to the fortress of Piombino.. The
poor mother said, with big tears rolling down hei
cheeks, " to think that my son should be conveyed
all across the town, and to Piombino, in the midsl
of carabinieri, like a common felon;" we tried te:
comfort her by recalling how the Apostles, anc
even our Lord himself had been treated, and that
no shame could attach to this, that it was rather ar
honor to suffer so distinctly for the Lord's sake
We understand that he has answered with the ut
most boldness and decision, refusing to answer wha
he did not choose to answer.  These things mak,




LETTERS  FROM   FLORENCE.                5]
one feel the reality of one's faith, how  in the midst
of all, God gives his peace, and his sustaining grace;
how brightly shines out the faith of these poor people.  The numbers increase every day, I hear; and
it is a great refreshment, I am  told, to watch the
progress of many of these dear Christians.
Yours affectionately,     D. K.
LETTER XII.
Witnesses against the MDdiai; ingratitude of a ffamily
whom they had aided. —April 15. The trial still postponed.-Francesco's Letter.-Day nained for the trial,
April 27.
FLORENCE, M3arch 2, 1852.
MY DEAR L.-I told you that the large folios
had been written- for the trial of the Madiai; when
for the first time it was ascertained who w-ere the
witnesses against them.  Besides that wicked girl
from  Lucca, a family have come forward against
them  whom they rescued from the most abject poverty; though  certainly not rich  themselves, they
supplied them continually from their own table, and
were unwearied in recommending them, on account
of their poverty, to the compassion of others; but
these ungratefil creaturcs have brought forward
some of the strongest evidences against them; false
witnesses of course they are, and this either through
fear, or for gain.  I should think the latter, for the




52        STORY  OF  THEI  MADIAT.
family are suddenly become very well off; there
are many others, taken from the lowest class, but
always from among those to whom they had shown
kindness and compassion! Alas! alas!.
April 15th.  You see March is ended, and still
the trial is not come on; and these poor creatures
are still lingering out their lives, in their solitary
cells, but still sustained by our Heavenly Father.
I accidentally saw a letter of Francesco's the other
day, which a friend had translated; it so shows the
guilelessness, and simplicity of his character, that I
will enclose it for your perusal.* Never for one moment has this poor man been cast down in his spirit,
his body has often suffered, but it is one continued
outpouring of praise and thanksgiving to God, to
think that such as he should be counted worthy to
suffer for Christ; his long imprisonment tells upon
him, poor fellow, for his face quite twitches with
nervousness, and yet such calmness, such joy, such
submission; truly it must be a privilege to see him.
I should think that all who came near him, must
feel the silent power of his testimony. It is now
positively said that the trial will come on on the
27th of this month.  May it be so; and may this
long and sad imprisonment shortly afterwards be
ended.
Yours affectionately,     D. K.
* See the following Letter.




LETTERS  FROM   FLORENCE.                  53
LETTER XIII.
From  Francesco Miadiai to H. E.
His arrival at Florence when 16.-Conduct of his Confessor.-Nineteen years of unsatisfactory ideas on religion.
-Reads the English Prayer Book; goes to America;
his first Conmunlion, Trinity Church, Boston.-Returns
to Florence; goes to Rome with the Misses J-; meets
Rosa Pulini; she explains the Bible to him.-Marries
Rosa Pulini.-His Prayers.
Now  I wish to tell you  something  in a few
words, but as I am  very ignorant, I pray you to
pardon me.  At the  tre of sixteen I came to Florence to be cured of a liver coinplaint; I was cured
by Professor Mazzini, who afterwards ordered me
to eat meat every clay.  Easter fillilng soon after, I
went to perfo)rm  my devotiions in the Cathedral;
and having eaten me:att, a(  the doctor had ordered
me, I wished to tell this to umy  confessor.  Accordingly, I went to a canon  (whorm  I have already
named in my examination.)  When he heard that I
had eaten meat, he tu rned on me like a barbarian,
saying, "Thou art damlned in body and soul," and
then shut to the door in my face, so enraged was he.
From that time, I was nineteen years without knowx
ing of what religion I was: still, however, I went to
Church, but I did not feel that I was satisfactorily
performing my  Christian  duties.  The time now
came when  1 went on my travels, and the   Ioly
5^..




54       STORY  OF THE  MADIAI.
Scriptures were made a little known to me; and although I understood them  very imperfectly, I saw
that the Priests had deceived me. At last I was
able to read a little of the English Prayer Book,
and then my mind became calmer.  I now went to
America to see my brother, and I had there forty
lessons in the English laInguage. Then I was almost entirely persuaded of the truth of that religion,
and I made my first communion in Trinity Church,
Boston.*  This was in 1840: but all this was still
but little for me, seeing that I understood so imperfectly the English language.
I now returned to Florence, and there met the
Misses J —  with a governess. I accompanied
them  as courier, to Rome.  We left the governess
and took La Pulini (afterwards my wife.) We then
went on to Naples, and afterwards returned to the
Baths of Lucca, where we spent the summer.  I
took with me a small box of English books, which
I showed to La Pulina, and she exclaimed,'"What
good books thou hast got there!"  I asked her if
she would explain to me a few chapters of the Holy
Scriptures, and she said she could do so after tea, as
during the day-time she had much work to do for
ihe ladies. After tea then I used to read a chapter,
which she explained to me in Italian.  You may
imagine with what pleasure I heard explained the
word of God for the first time.  Then was there
* One of the Episcopalian Churches of that city.




LETTERS FROM  FLORENCE.    55
nourished in me more and more the love of the
Scriptures, but still I professed nothing.
We went afterwards to Florence, and there we
parted with La Pulini. She dwelt not greatly in
my imagination, but in the evenings I thought oi
her and her good explanations.
Not long afterwards I left my situation, and
married Rosa Pulini; and I may in truth say that
the Spirit of God reigned in me and my wife; but
we did not yet know I-is secret; but I am certain
we knew it after some time, and sure I am that wo
became very zealous for the Word of God, and so
shall we ever be (God willing.) Amen.
I should like the Misses     to be told that I
send them my grateful thanks for their kindness and
bounty to me: I have no other recompense to offer
them.  I wish them to know that from the time I
first knew them, I ever felt towards them much attachment, (such as a servant ought to have for his
employers.)  I forget no one; I pray for my enemies; and especially do I pray for all my brethren,
and for those who have shown us so much kindness.
I pray God to shower down upon them  His mo.. 
precious blessings, temporal and eternal.
FRANCESCO MADIAI.
March, 1852, Murate Prison.




56        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
LETTER XIV.
Trial again put off — Annoyance to the Prisoners. —
Francesco's calmness; Rosa's grief.-They meet for a
moment.
FLORENCE, April 28, 1852.
MY DEAR L.-Alas! al'as! I have nothing but
disappointment and sorrow to communicate, but I
will begin my story regularly.  At nine o'clock
yesterday morning the prisoners were severally
brought from  their different prisons, and lodged
in  different  rooms  to  wait  until called  for.
Many  persons interested  in  the case  were  in
court at an early hour.  After waiting some time
it was said, that the cause must be put off for a
few  hours, but that it would come on at three.
Numbers left and returned at that hour, but after
waiting some time they were at last told that the
case was put off indefinitely, in consequence of the
illness of one of the principal witnesses.  Few  believed in this illness, but thought it was only an excuse for some sinister purpose, so little is there of
integrity and justice in the country now.
You may imagine the vexation and disappointment this occasioned to all; but how much more to
the poor prisoners themselves! Maggiorani had to
communicate these sad tidings to them.  In doing
so, he tried to cheer them  with a hope, w-hich perhaps he hardly felt himself, that it would be merely




LETTERS FROM  FLORENCE.    57
a month's delay.  Still, to go back to prison, in the
same uncertainty in which they had been kept there
long long months, was no small trial.
Francesco received the news with his accus
toened calmness and resignation, merely saying,
"The will of the Lord be done." Hie had, during
that long day, occupied himself in walking up and
down the horrid room  he was put into, repeating
Psalmns, chiefly the cxvi.  Rosa received the intelligence with great grief-she was completely overcome by it, for she had so buoyed up her hopes,
she had so looked on to this day, as ending her uncertainty, and perhaps secretly hoping it might put
a term  to her dreadful imprisonment.  I must not
forget to tell you, that once during the day the poor
husband and wife met for an instant. - They were
confined, as you know, in separate rooms, and
guarded; but both doors happened to be opened at
the same time, and they rushed into each other's
arms.  They were again instantly separated; but
the comfort of this moment's interview greatly consoled them.  All night long poor Rosa has been ill
-she has now fever, and is suffering greatly. They.need your prayers.
Yours, affectionately, D. K.




58         STORY  OF  THE  MIADIAI.
LETTER XV.
Hopes that the trial may come on soon.-Maggiorani's
diligence.-Question as to the application of the law.
-Rosa's improved health.
FLORENCE, May 20, 1852.
MY DEAR I1.... It is still hoped that the
trial will come on during this month, but if not, it
will surely be early in June.  In the mean time
the advocate, Maiggiorani, is using the time most diligently, in seeking out other important witnesses for
the accused.  It is evident, from  all we hear, that
the Governme:nt is determined to make the worst
case possible against the prisoners.  The most impartial lawyers affirm  that the law  of'86. upon
which they pretend to judge them, is not applicable
to the case; nevertheless, we fear all will be overruled to please the priests. Francesco still continues in a most lovely and tranquil spirit.  Rosa is
greatly better in health, and is again become peaceful in her spirit.  I will add no more, for in a few
days I hope to give you the results of the trial.
Yours, affectionately, D. K.




LETTERS  F ROM,  FLORE N   E.                 59
LETTER XVI.
THiE TRIAL: commences June 5.-The prisoners meet in
the dock.-The alttorney-general proposes thiat thle trial
be private.-Some have  permission to stay.-Witneesses
for the prosecution prepared by the priests.-I'Papers and
tracts read.-Franeesco's answers; firbidden to quote
Scripture.l Conduct of both the Madiai.-Proeedings
against them last two days.- Witnesses for the Madiai.
-Questions put to Franlcesco as to his religiots profe8ssion. —Rosa's answers. —Mggior:ai'sr speech. —Reply of
the attorney-general; he suggest-s the sentence to the
judges.-Deliberation of the judges, June 7 and 8.-Sentence on the Madiai. —    ow  received by them; their
separation.
FLORENCE, June 8, 1852.
MY DEAR L.-l hasten to send you a few lines
to make you acquainted with the result of the trial
of Francesco  and  Rosa Madiai, after nearly  ten
months' close imprisonment.  It commenced on tho
5th, and ended this day at half-past three, P. M. For
some time before, Rosa had manifested great calmness and rest of spirit, and seemed much more than
usually happy in the Lord.
On the morning of the 5th  of June the long expected  trial of Madiai and his wife  commenced;
they were placed in the dock, guarded  by several
gensdarmes on each side of them; they looked calm
and dignified, and quietly awaited the entrance of the
lawyers, and bench of six judges, who acted as jury,




60       STORY  OF THE MADIAI.
as well as judges. Francesco appeared much pleased
at once more seeing his wife, and pressed her hand.
The attorney-general opened the case, and first proposed that the trial should be private; this being
agreed to by the judges, the court was cleared of all
the reporters, and most of the Italians; several English, and sonme of the Italian Christians, were allowed
to remain, about eighty or one hundred having, like
myself, obtained permission from one of the secretaries to stay; and there were also a great many
priests present. Witnesses for the prosecution were
next examined by the judges, and in a way that
clearly showed the sentence on the 2Madiai had al-.ready been determined on. Words were often put
into witnesses' mouths when they seemed at a loss,
and they professed to remember nothing when their
evidence was contrary to the written statement
which had been taken down from their lips on previous examinations. I could not but be astonished
at the bare-faced shamelessness with which the bench
thus carried on the prosecution.  All seemed to
have one body and one mind, owing to the way in
which they had been prepared by the priests.
In the course of this examination Count Guicciardini's confession of faith was read out, and many
tracts which had been found in the Madiai's rooms
were also read out in full; and a picture likewise
found there which represented the errors of Popery
contrasted with texts of Scripture, was produced,




LETTERS FROM  FLORENCE.    61
and the texts, &c. which were in English, translated into Italian. Thus, much truth reached the ears of
the judges and audience. Francesco also frequently
quoted Scripture when he was asked about his religious opinions, and this made the judges very angry,
and the president frequently forbade him  to quote
the Bible, as they did not wish to hear his religious
dogmas. Nothing could exceed the Christian behavior of both Francesco and Rosa.  She was very
particularly sustained, and all who heard her frequently exclaimed in a whisper, with how much dignity and propriety she gave her answers, especially
when one of the judges wished to confuse her by a
series of irrelevant cross questions; several times
she silenced him by her replies, amidst evident sensation throughout the court; and once he'threw himself back in his chair in complete confusion, when
she was declaring in what her change of religion
consisted. Madiai also, in questioning some of the
witnesses, spoke to them in a very Christian and
even tender way, lamenting their unfaithfulness
and the falsehood they uttered.  To one he said,
"Go, my chains are of much greater value than all
the false evidence which thou hast given against
me."  Upon which the president of the court, in a
rage, told him  " not to make a martyr of himself
and not to utter one word more than was necessary,
especially before a Catholic public."
The examination against them lasted two days,
6




62       STO t Y  OF THE  M A D IA..
and some clever legal men declared that there was
not one word or incident which in any way rendered them  guilty-supposing even all that had
been said against them was true. Afterwards the
judges examined the witnesses for the Madiai, and
their manner of giving testimony was a striking
contrast to that of the witnesses against them, as
they spoke boldly, and fearlessly, and openly, and
proved by the manner of their giving evidence that
they were speaking the truth; they proved that the
Madiai had ever respected the opinions of others,
and had by no means attempted to proselyte to
their own opinions, in the manner that their accusers
contended-for conversion, they said, can only be
fiom  God; moreover, this testimony brought to
light most beautiful traits of Christian love and
conduct in the accused, and nothing appeared which
could in any way dim the integrity of their private
life. In the course of the defince Madiai was asked
"if he was not born in the bosom  of our Holy
Mother, the Roman Catholic Church V" He answered,
"Yes, but I am  now an Evangelical Christian."
"Who made you such, and does any act of abjuration exist in the hands of those with whom you have
united yourself?" "My convictions have existed for
many years already, and they have acquired strength
through the study of the Word of God; it is a
thing  entirely between myself and God, which
nevertheless was openly manifested when I took the




LETTERS  FROM  FLORENCE.    63
communion in the Swiss Church."  Rosa replied to
her interrogator that "she had not lightly changed
her religion, or to please man, since in that case she
would have done it in England, where she had lived
for sixteen years; but that, after having read much,
and studied the Word of God, and compared it with
the doctrines of the Roman Church, she had remained convinced, and had abandoned that Church; and
that she had chosen the moment to make her public
confession of faith, by taking the communion, when
the laws gave and protected the liberty of citizens."
(This must have been in 1848.)
There were twelve witnesses against, and six
for, the Madiai; and finally Maggiorani, the counsel for the prisoners, closed the case, by making a
speech which lasted three hours; setting forth first
the legal question, then quoting from the Fathers,
and largely from the Scriptures, in proof of the
soundness of the doctrines they held, and that they
should not be treated as heretics; and then closed
with an analysis of the evidence against them, and
completely showing how false it all really was. The
attorney-general replied, and ended by advising the
judges to sentence the prisoners, Francesco to fiftysix months' imprisonment and hard labor, and Rosa
to the same for a period of forty-six months, and
both to solitary confinement.  The court was then
closed, and all went away, and notice was given that
sentence would be pronounced on the following day.




C4       STORY  OF THE  MADIAI.
The bench deliberated that same evening for
three hours, without being able to come to any conclusion.  The next day at ten o'clock the whole
place was filled with persons of all classes; the
bench had already been deliberating since nine
o'clock, but half-past two came, and still they could
not agree, and we began to hope for a favorable sentence; at length, at half-past three, after nine and
a half hours' deliberation, the judges entered the
court.  The president read a long paper, recapitulating the evidence, and then quoted a law which in
no-wise applied to the case; and finally pronounced
sentence on the Madiai for transgressing it! I was
sitting, at this time, in front, with several friends,
and turned to look at the prisoners, who were only
two or three paces distant from  me.  They were
perfectly composed, and manifested a most remarkable degree of resignation.
It now appears that the cause of the long deliberation of the judges was, that they could not agree;
some desiring a milder sentence, and the president
himself, at length, gave the casting vote for the condemnation of the accused.  The sentence was (to
the astonishment of all) exactly that which had been
asked for by the attorney-general, viz: Francesco
Madiai to suffer four years' and eight months' solitary confinement and hard labor, and Rosa three
years and ten months of the same. The ten months




LETTERS FROM  FLORENCE.    65
which they had already passed in prison, were not to
be reckoned as part of the sentence. Besides this,
they are to be subjected to three years' surveillance
of the police after the term of their imprisonment is
ended.  (The surveillance of the police is most harassing; they enter your house as often as they
please, during the day or in the dead of night.  You
must show yourself to them, whether you are sick or
well, and must never be out of your house after
eight o'clock in the evening, &c.)  All the expenses
of the trial are also to be paid by the Madiai. The
prison selected for him is at Volterra. She is sentenced to the Ergastola, at Lucca-a most dreaded
prison.
At the close of the sentence both immediately
arose from off their seats, and looked at each other,
as if greeting one another after many months' ab.
sence; they then shook hands, both smiled on each
other, embraced, and in a few moments disappeared
amidst the bayonets of their guards. I may mention, in conclusion, that the sole accusation against
them was one grounded upon their open confession
of the name of Jesus, and desire to lead others to
faith in Him, and they were not even accused of
any political motives. The books which were read
in court were produced to prove their apostacy from
the Roman Catholic Church and her doctrines, and
French, English, and Italian Bibles were quoted in
their accusation. All tended both to show the re*




;6        STORY  OF THE MADIAI.
ality and the simplicity of their faith, and also to
publish the truth.
I send you a letter written by Rosa Madiai to
her husband, after the trial, and before the sentence
had been pronounced.  It will be found to be a
striking instance of the grace of our Lord in answer
to prayer, when the state of the poor sufferer is remembered, and the depth of her feeling of disappointment two months ago, when her trial was
off.            Yours, affectionately,    D. K.
LETTER  XVII.
Rosa Madiai to her Husband.
MIo CA1TO MADIAI.-Tusai, se to ti ho sempre
amato, ma quanto piu ti devo amare, ora che siamo
stati insieme alla battaglia del gran Re, e che siamo
stati abbattuti ma non vinti! Io spero che, per il
merito di Gesu, lddio Padre abbia accettata la nostra
testimonianza, e che ci darh la grazia di poter here
fino all' ultima goccia la pozione di quel calice amaro che ci e preparato con rendimenti di grazie.
Mio buon Madiai! La vita nostra, che e?  Un
giorno, un giorno di dolore! ieri giovani, oggi vecchi! ma pero noi possiamo dire col vecchio Simeone,
" Ora, Signore, rimandi il tuo servitore in pace, pos



LETTERS  FRONM  FLORENCE.                   67
cia che gli occhi nostri hanno veduta la tua salvazione."
Coraggio, mio caro; poiche noi conosciamno per
19 Spirito Sano che quel Cristo carico di obbrobrio,
calpestrati ed  inguiriate, 6 il nostro  Salvatore, e
noi per la sua santa luce C potenza ci troviamno a difendere la santa croce e C  risto "spirante, per noi, ricevanldo i suoi obbrobri per noi p-a rotecipare della sua
santa gloria.  Non teme se la concdanna sara forte.
Dio che fece cadere la catena a Pietro e aprivala
porta della sua prigione non dimentichera ne anche
110i.
Sta cli buon ani-no; 1rinettiamoci inttieramente
inl Dio; flmmetti vedere lieto, come spero per la
xmedesima grazi mni vedrai lieta.
Ti abbracclia di CILOIr
La tua afiezionata moglie,
RosA. MADIAI.
Questa lettera e stata scritta dalla Madiai in car.
eere il di 7 Giugno, 1852, quando il pubblico Ministro  aveva giat concluso perche fosse condannata,
come poi fu conldannlata alla pene di 46 mese di
Ergastolo, e il marito ai 56 mesi di casa di forza e
pubblici lavolri




68      ISTOR Y  OF  THE  MA DIAI 
( Translation.)
She encourages him; our ground of confidence in God.
MY DEAR MADIAT. —Thou knowest how 1. have
alvways loved thee; how much more, then, must I
love thee now, that we have been together in the
battle of the Great King, and that we have been
east down, but not vanquished. I hope that through
the merits of Jesus, God the Father has accepted
our testimony, and that lie will give us grace to be
able to drink, even to the last drop, the bitter cup
which is prepared for us, and that, too, with thanksgiving.
My good Madiai; our life-what is it 2  A day,
a day of grief; yesterday, young; to day, old; butk
nevertheless, we can say with old Simeon-" Now
lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, since oue
eyes have seen thy salvation."
Courage, my beloved; since we know, by the
Holy Ghost, that that Christ who was laden with rec
proach, trodden under foot, and despised, is our Saviour, and by his holy light and power we find ourselves set to defend his holy cross-and Christ dying
for us, we receiving his reproaches, that we may af
terwards partake of his holy glory.  Do not fear, if
our condemnation be severe; God, who caused the
chains to fall from Peter and opened the gate of his
prison, will not forget even us.
Be of good courage; let us cast ourselves en.




LETTERB  VROM  FLORENCE.                 69
tirely into the hands of God; let me see thee joyful'
as I hope, through the same grace, thou wilt see me
joyful. With all her heart embraces thee,
Thy affectionate wife,
ROSA MADIAT.
This letter was written by La Madiai, in prison,
June 7, 1852, when the public minister had already
determined that she should be condemned, as she
afterwards was,condemned, to the penalty of 46
months of the Ergastolo; and her husband to 56
months of Casa diforza and public works.
LETTER  XVIII.
Rosa Madiai's dejection of spirits; cheered after awhile;
her ill health.-Maggiorani's application to the Minister
of Justice.-The appeal to the Court of Cassation.-22d:
Hopes that a fresh trial at Lucca may be ordered.-24th:
Contrast between the Florentine rejoicings, at " the feast
of St. John," and the condition of the imprisoned.
FLORENCE, June 18, 1852.
MY DEAR L.-My last letter contained an account of the trial, and the very severe sentence
passed upon Francesco and Rosa Madiai. You must
have observed that remarkable self-possession she
exhibited in court, and in what a truly Christian
spirit she wrote that beautiful letter to her husband;




70       STORY  OF THE  MADIAI.
she was afterwards sadly cast down, and lost patience for a short time. Truly we hold this treasure
in earthen vessels, that the excellency may be of
God.  Her kind lawyer and friend, who had power
to see her, succeeded in comforting her after a time,
and in a few days she had recovered her usual calm
resignation.  We must remember how very weak
poor Rosa is in health, and what an effect continued
solitude has on minds-in some cases even inducing
insanity; and then we must also remember how
very vexatious to a nervous temperament must have
been the constant disappointments to which she had
been subjected; so that, perhaps, our wonder should
rather be, that she had been enabled so constantly
to exhibit such submission, and not only so, but
such an ardent desire to glorify God in her sufferings.
On the 12th poor Rosa was very unwell, and
suffering from fever and nervous excitement; she
was told that a petition would immediately be presented for a commutation of the sentence, and also
of a notice of appeal to the Court of Cassation. Francesco was marvellously strengthened; his only desire
was, that the will of God should be accomplished in
him-he was in perfect peace; poor Rosa, through
extreme weakness of the flesh in nervous agitation,
did not enjoy this rest. On the 15th she had still
much fever and loss of appetite, but had great unity
of spirit with her husband. It was hoped that they




LETTERS FROM  FLORENCE.    71
night have the consolation of seeing some Christian
friends, indeed it was promised, but upon application
for admittance it was peremptorily refused; I hearj,
however, that one friend had been permitted to see
them occasionally.
Yesterday Maggiorani saw the minister of justice
for an answer to the petition for grace; the reply
was very tersely given. The case must first go to
the Court of Cassation, and after the result of that
appeal was known, the petition will be considered;
but without any pledge as to the nature of the reply.
It must take at least a month before the appeal can
be made, so that the prisoners are at once subjected
to this extension of imprisonment, with all its uncertainties. I trust that God will, in His infinite mercy,
sustain and comfort them in this fresh trial.
22nd. They say now, the result of the appeal
cannot be known until the 21st of July; if the iniquitous sentence to which they have been doomed should
be broken, a fresh trial will take place at Lucca, and
there appears to be a good hope of a favorable result.
The Lord has sustained Francesco in uninterrupted
peace; he says he has given himself up entirely into
the hands of God, that He may do what He will with
him, and to Him he entirely leaves his destiny; he
was glad to suffer for the Lord; he had read, he
said, that thus the Lord has always led his children
through persecutions, and was it not the very religion for which he suffered that made him so happy?




72       STORY  OF  THE  MADI AI.
the only grief he had was to think of his dear wife's
sufferings.
24th.  To-night there will be fire-works in honor
of St. John,* and all will be apparently festivity and
joy; and yet, in the jails of this very city, shut up in
close narrow cells, are some dear to Jesus, suffering
for His name's sake.
Yours, affectionately,    D. K.
LETTER XIX.
Publication of Maggiorani's defence; interest expressed
about it.-Bicchierai's speech against the Madiai published.-His admissions in favor of the character of the
accused.
FLORENCE, July 6, 1852.
MY DEAR L.-   *  *  Maggiorani's admirable
defence has been published; it has made much stir
among all classes.  Even the Grand Duke has read
it. Many quite unknown to the author have written
to him, complimenting him  in strong and feeling
terms upon his able and classical defence of the
Madiai.  Some of these letters are from  the first
lawyers of the Tuscan bar. Landucci forbade advertisements of it at the corners of the streets, but it
* St. John the Baptist is the Patron Saint of Florence;
hie festival occurs on Midsummer-day.




LETTERS FROM FLORENCE.                73
has been advertised in all the papers except the
Monitore, which refused to insert it.  Copies have
been sent to various places; I hope you will soon
get one.
Bicchierai has published his speech against the
accused.  It commences with a sort of laudation of
the Madonna. One remarkable admission he makes,
" that although the Madiai's witnesses have proved
their natural probity, their beleyicefnce, kindness and
charity, that this only made him  the more regret
their having left the Church, and did not make their
crime the less. What a noble testimony, from their
bitter persecutor, in their favor!
Yours, affectionately,    D. K.
LETTER XX.
The case heard before the Court of Appeal.-The judges
apparently favorable.-August 7. The former sentence
confirmed.-The Leopoldine Laws set aside.-A petition
to the Grand Duke prepared. —-The tried condition of the
prisoners.
FLORENCE, July 31, 1852.
MY DEAR L. —   *          The Court of Appeal
has heard the case of the Madiai this morning.
Maggiorani, as usual, spoke remarkably well, and
was listened to with the most intense interest by all
the court, who seemed to be much better disposed
7




74          STORY  OF THE MADIA1.
towards the accused than the former court had been;
and there is but little doubt now that they will find
for an appeal, and then the mbatter will be heard
over again at Lucca; and most likely the court will
consider their past imprisonment as sufficient, and
ask for their discharge. Oh, what a mercy it will be,
should they be set fiee; we must still hope in the
Lord.  If it is His will to deliver, He will deliver;
if not, -Te will give more grace to endure. I will not
send this letter until I hear the ultimate decision, so
farewell for the present.
August 7th.-Alas! all our hopes have been dashed to the ground. This morning the Supreme Court
rejected the appeal made to it, to set aside the sentence pending against the Madiai. All the legal men
agree in opinion that this refusal to hear the case
over again is as usual, first, against the evidence adduced against the Madiai, which evidence cannot on
any grounds condemn thelm; second, that in confirming the sentence of the first court, they, like it,
violate the true interpretation of the Leopoldine
Laws.* This court,, therefore, enforces in every par* The Leopoldine Laws take their name from Peter
Leopold, (or Leopold I.) Grand Dulke of Tuscany, from
1765 to 1790. His reforms in the criminal and civil administrations of justice were alike remarkable. " In his new
code, the criminal section was especially bold, inasmuch as
it swept away at once torture, confiscation, secret trial, and
even the punishment of death.   *    *    *   All privi



LETTERS  FROM  FLORENCE.                   75
ticular the first sentence; so you see that no court
of law in this country is free and independent; for,
instead of being  expounders of the law, they are
rather interpreters of the will and wishes of the
government, who wish that the case of the Madiai
should serve as a precedent for any other similar
case which may come before them, so that all may
know what to expect.
Maggiorani has prepared another petition, which
will be presented ilmmediately to the Grand Duke,
and it is the opinion of all that it will be granted.
Nevertheless, in all probability the government will
allow both the Madiai to be carried to their different
prisons, and after keeping them  there a couple of
leged jurisdictions were destroyed, and the public courts
fortified in their independence and authority. e i t 
Leopold's ecclesiastical reforms were equally daring, and
gave deep ofience to the Papal government.  "  *  HE
SUPPRESSED THE INQUISITION; he imposed severe limitations on the profession of monks and nuns," &c. —Spalding's
Italy, ii. p. 307.
On the death of the Emperor, Joseph II. in 1790, his
brother, Peter Leopold, succeeded him as Leopold II. bestowing the Grand Duchy of Tuscany on ilis second son,
Ferdinand III. who was the father of the present Grand
Duke, Leopold II. who succeeded in 1824.
The general tenor of the Leopoldine Laws was to confer
on the Tuscans personal and ecciesiastical freedom of action,
and to render public all the proceedings of government.
Where are now the Leopoldine liberties? Even if there
be pensieri liberi, parole strette must accompany them!




76        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
weeks, will then commute their punishment into perpetual exile, and thus show how tender ad. considerate they are in the midst of victory. It is a question,
in my mind, whether either of the Madiai will be
able physically to bear the first shock of a removal
to the galleys. They will no longer believe in a
commutation, because their hopes have been so often
frustrated. B-t the Lord is able to help —-' My grace
is sufficient for thee;" and lis promises are able to
lift them above all circumstances and pain, notwithstanding that the flesh is so extremely weak through
long and wearisome imprisonment.  Let us pray
that the poor Madiai may' hope in God, who raiseth
the dead," and rejoice in a' certain resurrection.
When the result of the petition is known I will
write to you again.  Maggiorani has shown himself
extremely kind and feeling throughout this long
aftiir. I must now close this letter.
Yours, afiectionately,    D. K.




LETTERS  FROM  FLORENCE.                 77
LETTER XXI.
II. Ma —y to N V    and L.
Rejection of the petition for grace.-Visit to Francesco
Madiai in the Murate prison; his subinission and message
to his wife.-Visit to Rosa in the Bargello; her sufferings;
her prayer.-Her removal to Lucca.-Her message to
her friends.-Husband and wife not allowed to meet since
their trial.
FLORENCE, August 10, 1852.
MY DRAR FRIENDS:-The' petition for grace was
peremptorily rejected!  This summary proceeding,
which allowed no opportunity for the interference of
the Prussian or English minister, was known to a
few  on IMonday.  Maggiorani, their lawyer, was
absent at Leghorn, and did not hear of it till Tuesday,
when he immediiately returned here.  We went together to the Murate prison; Madiai was in perfect
peace; he received the final blow in a spirit of holy
submission, and the only  expression of suffering
was, squeezing my hand, saying, "'There is need of
patience," but cheerfulness beamed in his countenance, although suff-ering from continual physical illness. He also said,'The comfort and joy of the
Holy Spirit never changes with me; however it may
be with my poor body, I am  always happy; God
has been with me all the time of my imprisonment,
and He will always be with me as long as I remain
7*




78        STORY  OF  T  E  MADIAI.
in prison, and I am as sure that He will be with me
unto death." lHe wished to have with him a supply
of clean linen, &c. adding,  If permitted;" we found
on inquiry, that this was not permitted; he instantly
smiled, saying, "'Well, all fhings according to the
will of God."  He talked beautifully about his wife,
and requested me to tell her that his prayer was that
God would go with them to their prisons, and that
he felt sure that God would be their companion there.
I have seen Christians (lie in perfect peace and happiness, but I have never seen so complete a triumph
in the midst of life, the will in the sweetest accordance with the Divine will, the whole man following
Jesus in the simplicity and gentleness of a new born
infant, and at the same time with the dignity of a
man!
Afterwards we went to the Bargello: her sufferings were great, but they speedily assumed the character of Christian fortitude. She at once took leave of
the various topics of hopes and fears, which had long
kept her noble spirit in painful exercise, and turned
to her stronghold.  "Tell all, not to pray for our
liberation, but for that increase of faith which may
enable us to suffer cheerfully." And then, before us
all and the attendants, she burst forth into fervent
prayer, especially for more faith, more love to Jesus!
The doctor was in the prison at the time, she sent for
him; I was much pleased with him; and although it
was unusual, he said he could give her a certificate as




LETTERS FROM  FLORENCE.    79
to the state of her health, requiring diet different
from that of the common prisoners, as absolutely
important to her life.  We remained an hour with
her. Mlaggiorani has fixed to go to Lucca to see that
everything is provided that cal be permitted, and
perhaps I may go also.
This morning early I received a most unexpected
notice from one of the prison officers, that she was
going off instantly, and wished to see me. I filled a
small basket with tea, sugar, &c. When I arrived
at the Bargello, Ki   very kindly let me go to her
cell.  I found her meeting this trying moment most
nobly. She explained to me that she wanted her
bonnet, gown, shawl, &c. these were under the care
of W-. I soon brought them.  She asked me
to leave her for a few moments, when she quickly
dressed, and appeared smiling. She said, "'I have
done nothing to my hair, for they will cut it off."
She sent much love to you all, and so did he, mentioning you by name; she said with much feeling,
" Remember me to all the brethren, and tell them,
should they be called to follow us, to bear what may
be appointed them  to suffer, but never to forsake
their GOD! I desire not only to take up the Cross,
but to bear it cheerfully with abounding thanksgiving. What an honor it is for such unworthy creatures to be called to suffer in the Lord's cause." I
handed her into the carriage, and we parted under a
great blessing; she was attended by a female jailer




80        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
and some gensdarmes. I can give you no account of
his departure to  Volterra; no doubt he is gonie.
What barbarity, thus to separate husband and wife,
who have never met since their trial.  I can make
no comment.
Your sincere friend,       II. M-      Y.
LETTER XXII.
H.       -   to  F. D       n.
Remembrances of visits to thg Madiai.-Francesco almost
always composed and happy, resigned to the will of God:
his firmness in his Evangelical profession.-Agitated at a
false deposition against his wife; his deep feeling for her.
-Left in his cell while unlocked; effect of the stillness
of the prison oln his nervous system. —Mass in prison on
Festas.-The prayers of the MIadiai for their enemies.Rosa's inferior health and nervous temperament; occasional despondency; contrition of spirit; sustained by
faith.-Anguish at the sufferings around her.
FOLKESTONE, Sept. 4, 1852.
MY DEAR FRIEND,-Finding that Miss W -
had sent away her copy of Francesco's letter,* I
have again translated it for you; it is, in lmy opinion,
a precious document now, showing in Madiai's own
" Inserted above; Letter XIII. This letter fiom H. E.
was written in answer to an application for a copy of Francesco's letter, to be inserted in this series of extracts.




LETTERS FROM  FLORENCE.              81
simple, truthful way, his growth in grace, and in
the knowledge and love of his Saviour. We think
that you may like to  have some of our wellremembered conversations with our dear Madiai;
we may, but I do not think we do, put an undue
value upon them. Make what use you like of the
information I give you; interweave parts, or all,
or omit it altogether in your pamphlet of extracts
from D. K.'s letters, as you think best; but I cannot but believe, that having this information from
those who had heard such noble professions from
the lips of the prisoners, would give an additional v
interest and force to the perusal of your work,
should it fall into the hands of the incredulous and
the scoffer, having had your information from those
whose high privilege it had been to visit these
noble Christians in their prisons, and who had beheld with wonder and admiration the sustaining
power of grace and simple faith, evinced by the
holy submission of those dear prisoners.  I will
write the different circumstances as I remember
them, without amplification or comment; the truth,
the simple truth, and nothing but the truth, do I
communicate to you.
With one exception, we always found Francesco Madiai perfectly composed and happy: unmoved by the hopes and fears of his friends
respecting his ultimate fate, he ever calmly and
sweetly expressed "his entire resignation to the




82        STORY  OF THE  MADIAI.
will of God in all things." IHe once said, "I desire to be as a lamb in His hands, to do with me
whatsoever seemeth to Him good."  When some
one remarked, that perhaps the authorities were
detaining him long in prison in order to induce him
to recant, he answered warmly, "I abjure my faith
and deny my Saviour? who, even in my bonds
makes me so happy! Never! They may do what they
please with this poor body of mine; I may, perhaps,
die in prison, but, with God's help, I will never deny
Him; and what I say for myself, I am as sure of
for my poor wife, who, weak and ill as she is in
health, is firmer than myself in faith; well do I
know this."  The only time when we saw  him
agitated and unhappy, was after having heard that
a false witness had deposed that his wife had, on
one occasion, taken from her her rosary and had
flung it into the Piazza; he grieved lest any one
should believe that his wife was capable of committing so violent and unseemly an action. IHe used
sometimes to say, "I should be a stock, or a stone,
were I not to feel my imprisonment and separation
from  my wife and friends; I do feel it deeply,
sometimes, but still God makes me so very happy,
that, were it not for my poor wife I should be content to remain here.  Sometimes, indeed, the devil
(il Maligno) comes to tempt me to despond; when
he does so I rise instantly, and rapidly walk up and
down my cell, repeating my psalms, and then pray



LETTERS FROM  FLORENCE.               83
ing earnestly to my Saviour for help, and soon do I
become calm and happier than before."
Very beautiful and very affecting was it to see
him  sometimes with clasped hands, and up-turned
tearfll eyes, praise and thank his merciful Saviour
for all his great kindness to him, a miserable sinner,
and then repeating with much emotion his favorite
116th and 51st Psalms.
One day he told us that, the lock of his cell
door having been broken, his jailers were consulting
where to place him, whilst it vwas being sent to be
repaired, as the prison was so full there was no adjacent vacant cell; "Leave me where I amr; were
every door in the prison open, I promise you I
would not go out of it until I had been tried, and I
had made my public confession." "And so they did
leave me," he said, laughingly.  When his friends
told him that they had in vain endeavoured to obtain leave to see him  more frequently, he said,
smiling, " I am very gratefil for all your kindness,
and it is a great pleasure to see you; but still, I
confess, that if I had never seen any one, I am sure
I should have been happy, for my good Saviour is
ever present to comfort me."
His demeanor towards his jailors was most
gentle and courteous; he was always unwilling to
occupy his chair until they also were accommodated.
He sensibly felt the terrible silence and stillness of
his last prison, the Murate, where he passed six




84        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
months in solitary confinement previous to his trial;
he said, "It was the silence of the tomb," no sound
of clock or bell reached him. He asked, as a favour,
to have his watch returned to him, "as a companion;" it was refused, and he patiently bore his
disappointment.  The window of his cell was built
up, convent fashion, so as to admit light and  air,
but to exclude all view of the outer, living world.
Happy as he ever was,'it was painful to see his
physical, nervous derangement, in the twitchings of
the face, and the trembling of his hands; still was
he more than conqueror, through Christ strengthening him.
It appears that on Festas, mass was performed in
the prison chapel; during which the door of every
cell was opened half-way, so as to permit each prisoner to see the altar. When asked what he did on
such occasions, Madiai answered, "'I retire to the
furthest end of my cell, and repeat my psalms, and
pray."   During all his trials and sufferings, no
anger, no bitterness did he express against his persecutors. Neither Madiai, nor his wife, ever uttered
a word of disaffection, or of disloyalty; on the
contrary, they frequently prayed for their enemies,
that it might please God to touch their hearts and
to open their eyes to the truth, before it was too late.
Poor Rosa's broken health, and highly nervous
and sensitive temperament, caused her to feel her
sufferings and trials more acutely, and sometimes




LETTERS FROM  FLORENCE.    85
she temporarily gave way to despondency and fear;
and deeply touching it was to witness her deep and
humble contrition for her occasional lack of faith.
" Oh, how unlike am I to St. Paul! I ought, but do
not, always rejoice in tribulation, and never to faint,
but the spirit is indeed willing, though the flesh is
very, very weak; oh! pray for me that my faith
may increase." And truly, her fkith enabled her to
make as bold and noble a confession as did her more
constantly rejoicing husband.  When told of her
husband's firmness and happy state of mind, she
exclaimed,  " Oh! what good tidings are these,
better, far better to me than would be the possession of any worldly good."  One of her great trials
was in seeing the anguish and misery of her fellowcaptives, and being unable to aid them; this, to her
compassionate and tender nature, was a grievous
sorrow. She was often, during the nights, roused
from her slumbers by the imoans of newly arrived
prisoners, whom they were conducting to their cells;
and for several successive nights she was distressed
by the screams and violence of a female prisoner,
next door, who was accused of murder. Such were
some of our dear prisoners' trials; happy pri
soners!" They who to the end endure
The Cross, shall wear the Crown!"
Ever your affectionate,    H. E.
8




REPORT OF THE TRIAL.
From  the Gazzetta dei Tribuncale, Florence, 12th
June, 1852.
ROYAL COURT OF FLORENCE.
Camera Criminale decidente, sitting of 4th June,
1852.  President, Counsellor of State Signor Nicoli Nervini; Public Minister, Proc. Gen. A.
Bicchierai; Counsels for the defence, A. Maggiorani and R. Tenici.
TRIAL OF MADIAI.-IMPIETY.
Not having been able to assist at the debate on
this interesting cause, as it was held, by request of
the Public Minister, with closed doors, we hasten to
publish the act of accusation and the sentence.
ACT OF ACCUSATION.
The Royal Procurator- General to the Royal Court
of Florence, deposeth:
That the Chamber of Accusation (Camera d'
accusa) of the Royal Court aforesaid, by a decree
set forth 25th November last, has ordered that
Francesco and Rosa Madiai, husband and wife, and
Pasquale Casacci, be accused of the Crime of IMPIETY.




REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.               87
In compliance with this decree, the undersigned
having examined the regular instructions compiled
in the tribunal of the first instance, of Florence, declares that from the same substantially results what
follows:As regards the Madiai, there has existed here
for some time, and, unhappily, it has been sought
to propagate amongst us, a heterodox  confession,
called "The Evangelical religion, or religion of the
pure Gospel," which, refusing in many points the
Roman Catholic faith and discipline, and substituting, private judgment concerning the knowledge
and interpretation of the Scriptures for the authority
and traditions of the Church, impiously attempts to
displace from  the minds of the believers the pure
and healthful principles of Catholicism, and to put
in their stead false and condemned doctrines, to increase the number of its followers, and to enlarge
its boundaries, to the insult and prejudice of our
most holy religion, and the civil ordinances on which
this rests.
To this confession belong Francesco and Rosa
Madiai; who, not content with having apostatized
from  Catholicism, in which they were born and
brought up, have even sought to disseminate and insinuate in others their errors, without regard to age,
sex, or condition, and directing this wicked propaganda against the weakest and least experienced,
placed, also, under their authority.




$88       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
It is likewise ascertained that they lent their
dwelling for the convenience of reunions, both for
religious exercises and for the instruction of the
members, particularly after these meetings were
put down in other localities; that such a reunion
was held on the 17th of August last, when the publie force discovered it, and made arrests and perquisitions; that at various times books, tracts, and heterodox works were deposited and kept there, and
afterwards distributed by decurioni; that, at the
said reunions for instruction, many came, even more
than twenty Catholics, (not excluding children,)
some of whom thus imbibed and were confirmed in
the errors of their sect, and that the Madiais, even
out of this reunion, profited by every favorable occasion to exercise proselytism, preaching and insinuating, amongst other things, maxims contrary to the
sacrament of confession, to the real presence in the
Holy Eucharist, to the sacrifice of the Mass, to the
doctrine of Purgatory, to the worship of the Sacred
Image, to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin and
the Saints to the Priesthood, to the Pontificate, to
the observance of certain feast-days, to the forbidding of certain food, &c. They also distributed
Bibles, translated, and not approved by the Church,
and books of prayers corresponding with the errors
mentioned.
Some persons declare that they refused to join,
in spite of repeated insistance; others, that they in



REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.                 89
curred the risk of falling; and one (Antonietta Marsini, their servant,) confessed that she indeed fell
into error, so far as to partake twice of the Communion that they celebrate in commemoration of the
Last Supper, and to follow in some things Rosa Madiai, who urged her to break the beads of her rosary
and the scapulary she had on her neck, as being objects of idolatry.
The Macliais confess to their apostacy, and deny
the proselytizing, but admit having taught the truth
to those who sought it from them.  They are contradicted in this by not a few witnesses.
In consequence, Francesco, son of the late Vincenzio Maciai, 48 years old, married, without children, native of Diaceto, in the prefecture of Pontassiene, living in Florence, a courier, and letter of lodgings; and
Rosa, daughter of the late Stefano Pulini, wife
of the said Madiai, native of Rome, living in Florence, aged 50;
Are accused of impiety, committed by the above
mentioned individuals in the course of last year;
and particularly by the Macliai, workers of a propaganda and proselytism to the so-called Evangelical
Confession, or the Religion of the Pure Gospel, not
so much by teaching as by the distribution of books
and tracts, to the prejudice and insult of the Catholic Religion predominating in the Grand Duchy; a
crime foreseen and punishable by the 60th article of
S*




90        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
the law  of 30th November, 1786, and by judicial
observances.
Written at the office of the Royal ProcuratorGeneral, at the Royal Court of Florence, 6th December, 1851.
A. BECcIUERAI, Royal Proc. Gen.
Speech of the Public Minister, Sign. A. Bicchierai.
I have the honor of again speaking in your presence, in a cause grave, extraordinary, and delicate,
and on this account necessary to be noticed, as op
portune and in its juridical position.
I should never have believed that our office
would have needed to hear accusations in defence of
the religion of the state in this country, where every
memorial, every building, every institution, every
object of art —I would almost say, where even the
very stone and cement speak to the mind, and the
heart of all, of that august daughter of Heaven,
under whose wings the country and people of Tuscany have become illustrious, respected and envied.
Still less should I have believed it, after that the
so-called civil progress had shown itself pending and
inclining before Her, almost to attain to that consecration, which is alone worthy to  accredit and




REPORT OF THE  TRIAL.                91
give strength to innovations, and great and splendid
undertakings.
Still less should I have feared to recognise in the
enemy's ranks any sons of this same religion, after
the extravagances of the fanatic, Jean Souchott, afterwards passing into England, and thence to America and Switzerland; divided and subdivided into
many more branches and twigs, all working with
most impotent means to diffuse and spread abroad
Bibles adulterated, mutilated, or changed according
to their fancy, and without authorized commentaries,
in every spoken language, and even in Italian, permitting every one to read, comment upon, and understand it according to his own private judgment,
or the explanations of anti-Catholic ministers.
The Romish Church has made head against them
as it could, by authority and instruction, by recording and reviving the discipline and prohibitions of
the Council of Trent, and the provisions of Benedict
XIV.  Thus did Pius VII. Leo XII. Pius VIII. and
more. particularly Gregory XVI. in the encyclical
letter of 8th May, 1844, written explicitly to condemn the Society of the Christian Alliance, which
was instituted at New-York in 1843.
Of this encyclical letter, (referred to in Cappelletti's History,) the following quotation is worthy of
notice:-" It is clear, and proved by a long experience of past times, that to draw the people from
fidelity and obedience to their princes, there is no




92         STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
method so easy as that indifference to religion which
the sectaries propagate under the name of religious
liberty.  Nor do the new members of the Christian
Alliance deny this, for though they profess themselves averse to exciting civil seditions, they nevertheless confess that, hy giving the multitude the
right of interpreting the Scriptures, and thus diffusing among the Italians what they call total liberty
of conscience, the political liberty of Italy will, spontaneously, arise therefroln."
These words are an anticipated comment on the
events of our time.  Civil liberty being extended,
and time being given to constitutional systems, as if
by the consent of these, the dissenting or Protestant
confessions, transformed  and  with  various titles,
though identical in substance, emerged from  their
hiding-places, or poured forth from- America, Switzerland and England, into Italy and Tuscany, and
worked hand in hand; not so mlilch to establish
themselves for the private benefit of their followers,
as to propagate their principles by gaiing proselytes
even from the Catholics.  And when the Italian governments were in the height of' dli'clrder and of
internal revolt, we saw tllis propagana increase in
numbers and boldness; for to tho e awho  tudiedl to
pervert by means of religious sects, the political agitators joined themselves, and alternately g ave and
received hell) fiom  the others,; thus both i  arties
proceeded, their ends not always the  came, their




REPORT  OF THE TRIAL.              93
means also different, but producing and working the
same effect, doing harm to the morals and religion
of the State, and thus to public order, on which society rests.  Hence impious public preaching, which
you condemned in the parish-priest Barni; hence
the offences against the Catholic religion and the
pontificate by means of the press, which you repeatedly punished both in the journals and in the printers;
hence other singular acts of impiety,also repressed by
penal justice.
But the work most hidden, though extensive, and
most destructive precisely, because so hidden and
carried on insidiously, is that of the Heterodox sect
called the Evangelical Confession, or of the Pure
Gospel, and sometimes also called the Brethren.
This could not be efficaciously laid hold on, notwithstanding the many cares, attempts and measures
adopted by government to get at it, and although it
was well known to be much extended in Florence
and in other towns, as well as in the country.
It was only on Sunday evening, the 17th August,
1851, that this was accomplished, by means of access
and arrests at the house of the accused, Madiai, followed up by the regular instructions which opened
the way to this trial.
Speaking now on this matter, and it being my
duty to sum up the results, and present them before
you, I must premise that of direct political elements,'the cause of the Mladiai offers no trace. They figure




94        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
in it solely for the religious element, and for the consequences thus produced upon public order. You
will soon, indeed, have to know and judge another
afair, already passed to the stadio difensionale, in
which both elements are combined, and where that
of religion figures only as a means to political disturbance. We cannot, however, affirm, nor do we
allege, that the Madiai knowingly worked as the instruments or organs of a political sect. The facts
objected tagainst them by the accusation were directed to themselves, and considered in their nature and
religious tendency; but in this end, and in these facts,
exists in reality the crime of attacks upon the religion
of the State, and it is therefore indirectly political.
This mode of expressing ourselves will clearly
show the spirit understood to be given, and which
will be maintained with regard to the accusation.
No; penal justice is not so rash or foolish as to presume to avenge the offended Majesty of God. And
when we hasten to the defence of the religion of the
State, we consider Catholicism not as what it is in
itself and its relations with God, but as it regards the
advantages which it renders to public order and to
society, which entertains, venerates, and favors it as
a fundamental necessity of its institution.
The intrinsic dogma of the infallibility of its nature and essence, while it does not permit one to
suspect that the rock will ever shake, nor that the
doctrine which rests upon it will diminish by one




REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.              95
iota, yet is not a warrant or assurance that it will be
permanent in our countries. This doctrine does not
support that idea, and history proves the contrary.
Therefore, the protection and defence which penal
justice affords is not to it nor for it, by means of it
to the country and to society; and thus it is a defence
of the State, of its order, its existence and prosperity.
Far hence, then, be every apprehension, every
anxiety which-not in your minds, but in those of
others less experienced —might give rise to inopportune fear or exaggerate wicked comments. The present cause was not originated, nor was it fed, by
indiscreet and intolerant religious zeal. The criminal
acts of others gave rise to it, political necessity required it, our duty demanded it.
But not for this have we exceeded, nor shall we
exceed by a single line, pure legality. We venerate,
(and who would not do so?) equally with any one,
individual liberty of conscience, as an internal sanctuary which cannot be violated by civil authority without the risk of disturbing the human race.
We respect religious tolerance so far as the
guardian laws consent thereto, so far as is compatible with civil good order; and this is tantamount to
saying, so long as tolerance exists, so long as it does
not degenerate into lisence or indifference, whence
would arise that confusion, that clashing of different
beliefs, which would end in the most deplorable civil
disorder.




96        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
But what, it will be urged, are the limits marked
out by the laws of the country for religious toleration? You, gentlemen, will fix them in the sentence.
We will without further delay trace them out.
The Madiai were Catholics by birth, by education, and by many years' profession.  They lately
apostatized to join the Evangelical Confession, and
this they professed inwardly, and also externally in
the private meetings of their co-religionists here in
Tuscany, and more particularly in Florence.
But for apostacy from  Catholicism, neither the
accusation nor our tribunal has made nor does make
any reproaches. Neither is the private profession of
the new faith imputed to them as a crime, although
substantiated by an exterior act, perhaps, of some
notoriety; because the law was placed under the
necessity either to leave unpunished such an act, although connected with an innovation of a bad precedent, and therefore dangerous-or to render illusory
individual liberty of conscience by hindering those
who unfortunately changed their faith from those external acts and practices, private indeed, but necessary to satisfy the requirements of the worship embraced; the law of the country, I say, has thought
it prudent and discreet to pass over the first> rather
than the second inconveiency.
In this they are more liberal than many writers
of worth, and certainly not intolerant, (such as
Cremani and Forte,) who, in the profession of a hete



REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.              97
rodox faith by one previously a Catholic, considered
an external act to constitute a real crime, punishable
by the tribunals of the State where Catholicism is predominant. They are likewise more condescending
than legislation, much more modern, particularly the
penal code of Sardinia of 1839, which would have
sanctioned the same principle in the articles 164 and
165, according to what the lawyer Negroni observes,
in his treatise " On Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in
Criminal Cases, &c." printed at Novara in 1843,
~ 22 to 24.
Let us proceed, gentlemen, to the 6th article of
the law of the 5th July, 1782, and to the 6th and
7th articles of the other law of the 30th October,
1784, and from  these combined, (not modified in
this respect, as concerns the laity, by the articles
agreed with Rome 25th April, 1851,) it will be easy
to gather that apostacy, heresy and schism, as long
as they are the individual defection of the Catholic
citizen, cannot be judged and punished in a general
way as real crimes; and that the most that can be
done in similar cases is by admonitions and other
ecclesiastical recalls, and afterwards by imploring the
secular power as a precaution to send them into exile,
lest contact with the erring should corrupt the good.
In this sense must be understood Poggi's " Elem.
Jurisp. Crim. lib." 2 ~ 27, 32 and 34, where he admits exile against the apostate, the heretic and the
schismatic.
9




98      ST f(l  FY 0r  TI 1' TI s   ) T A DIAT.
But valiablt to (   l all re the rer atrks of' Carmigiani, Jur. Criri. elem. tom. 2 d 715." "It is necessary that a Catholic prince diligently protect the
holy religion of our Fathers.  But as we should
blush to speak without having the right to do so.
There is no appointed punishment in our constitution
against heretics, apostates and schismatics; it is sufficient, if they only exist and have been proved to be
obstinately attached to their errors, that they be
banished from  the State, lest they should corrupt
others by their persuasions or example."
And I add, (from a complete exposition of Tuscan legislation,) that the same project of our penal
code, now pending in examination, proceeds in article 159, upon the same premises, i. e. not to admit
under the category of crimes simple and individual,
apostacy and heresy; and there have been given the
reasons for this in the relative report printed a. c.
97 e. segg.
But though we do not prosecute the Madiai for
apostacy from  Catholicism  or their own personal
profession of the Evangelical Confession, we cannot
say the same of their acts and efforts directed to
spreading among others the same errors, to propagate in a Catholic country, and to the prejudice of
Catholicism, this anti-Catholic confession.
When dissent in religion proceeds from personal
individuality, and is declared externally with a view
to the corruption of others, or by assuming the cha



REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.               99
racter of proselytism, all writers, even the most tolerant and liberal, (except, perhaps, those who have
been, or are, the voice of revolution,) agree in recognizing it as a crime.  In such a case, the religion of
the State suffers from an attack on itself and its professors; public order is disturbed by it, and society
would compromise itself if it left such an act unnoticed and unpunished. The individual cannot then
complain of restricted liberty of conscience, -of invasion of the secrets of his belief, nor of coercion on
his thoughts.  It is not an evil of the mind, but a
voluntary delinquency manifested in an external act,
that we oppose: it is against the evil which the
seductive efforts would propagate, that we place a
barrier: it is for the defence of others that we provide.
And here really lies, and very reasonably, the
difference between the religion of the State and the
other professions which are tolerated there; since,
while one should and does favor the diffusion of the
former, (as Cremani observes, and after him, the
above-mentioned report supplemental to the new
penal code,) to the other professions is permitted its
private exercise to those who belong to it; but it is
forbidden them  to form a propaganda, or engage in
the work of proselytizing, as this is not necessary to
the maintenance and free profession of one's own
convictions and the peculiar principles of one's faith.
We will now proceed to the authorities, and begin at the source.  After the peace given to the




100       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
Church by Constantine, and after the Catholic was
pronounced to be the religion of the State, (1. cunctos
populos cod. de sumi trinil,) the Emperors Theodosius and Valentinian, in the 1. eunm quis cod. de
apostat, thus expressed themselves:-" We find it
good to punish by death and confiscation of property,
him who by service, persuasion, or by constrained
advice, has passed from the worship of the Christian
religion to any of those infamous sects or rites."
"If a Jew persuades a Christian to embrace his
religion, he shall be proscribed, and suffer the punishment of death."
Descending to periods less remote, we may remark that Ferdinand, the third Medicean Grand
Duke, when on the 10th June, 1593, he granted the
well-know privileges to the Jews and others not
Christians, to attract them  to Leghorn anc  Pisa,
took the precaution to declare, article 20, that "you
must not dare to attempt in any way to persuade
any Christian to join your ritual, and in case of such
action we desire that you be punished severely, in
conformity with the laws."
I omit the historical fact of the Huguenots, not
accepted to people the Maremme, and that of cemeteries and chapels so lately conceded to Protestants within the Grand Duchy for their private
religious services, although these also prove the care
always taken by the Prince and Government of
Tuscany to defend the country  from  heterodox




REPORT OF THE TRIAL.              101
proselytism.  I return to the writer on Criminal
Law. Cremoni, ~ 15, expresses himself thus:
"The Catholic prince has always been careful
that those who oppose themselves to Catholicism
should exercise themselves in their own religion in
private only; and that they should do it without
harm, he made them  embrace the abjured religion,
or Catholic, in public. He had also other rights, to
prevent them  from  being easily seduced by those
who are abandoned to errors.
" But if the guilty person dares to preach apostacy among us, and does not blush to join himself
to a party, he shall undoubtedly undergo the punishment appointed by our law against other impious
persons, the enemies of society."
Forti admits the same principle, Istiting, Civ.
art. 115: "If an unhappy creature, having had the
misfortune to be born in a place where the divine
light of the Gospel had not shed its rays, persists
in the error of a false belief; if others, though
born in the bosom  of the true religion, lose their
way in the holy doctrine taught by the Redeemer,
proclaimed by the Councils, and acknowledged by
the Church, to enter the road to perdition, falsely
persuaded that this will lead him  to the gates of
salvation; or if he unhappily nourishes in  his
thoughts some other abominable impiety, but, notwithstanding this, respects outwardly the public
religion and public worship, does not outrage the
9'f^




102        STORY  O'F THE  MADIAI.
general belief, and does not seek to diffuse in others
his errors for the purpose of finding companions in
iniquity, or to become the apostle of unbelief,society cannot have recourse to those punishments
which refer to the external actions of man, and consequently cannot apply to merely internal faults.
The law cannot exalt itself to be the supreme director of consciences, nor has it the right to arm
itself to constrain them  to the true faith; by so
doing, it would put itself in opposition to the
maxims of that same august religion that it desires
to protect, and far from removing impiety and errors, and preventing public scandals, would operate,
perhaps, more widely to diffuse them, and would
occasion, by the punishment, those evils which the
guilt itself would not cause.
"Punishments are but evils, to which recourse
must only be had in cases absolutely necessary to
obviate greater evils.  Hence the principal faults
connected with religious belief, when they do not
degenerate into proselytism, being faults only of
the mind, can only be corrected by means tending
to enlighten the mind, instead of those directed to
coerce the will," &c.
And this principle is sanctioned for us in the
60th article of the law of 30th of November, 1786,
and by the existing Legislation that explains it.
Article 60.  "Whoever with impious intent
dares to profane the divine mysteries, by violently




REPORT OF THE  TRIAL.               103
disturbing the sacred functions or otherwise committing public impiety, and whoever teaches publicly maxims contrary to our holy religion," &c.
Here, every one will feel, three hypotheses are
contemplated:
1. The profanation or disturbance of the divine
mysteries (turbatio saciorum).
2. The act of public impiety.
3. Public teaching of maxims contrary to the
Catholic religion.
But with regard to the three categories, as well
as to the publicity inherent in the impious act of the
second, and the false teaching of the third case, it is
known how civil law, urged by the necessity of not
recognising defects in the law, or to supply them
with common right, has fixed and always observed,
amongst others, the following two canons:
1. That the publicity above referred to occurs
when the act has been directed to not less than
three persons, although not on purpose gathered
together.
2. That even should publicity be absolutely
wanting, the crime would not therefore cease, but
would be punished with a less hard penalty than
that of forced labour, (now the Ergastolo,) as it
should be remembered that the 60th article of the
law of 1786 does not precisely define the limits of
the crime against the religion of the state; but
rather indicates demonstratively to what one should




104      STORY  OF THE MADIAI.
have recourse for the purpose of measuring the
imputation and the penalty; and that for the definition and circumscription of the crime, one must
recur to the public right, modifying and applying
the penalty with the spirit of the law just quoted,
of 1786.
I do not cite particular authorities with which
all are acquainted, and which you, gentlemen, have
often examined and applied in the last two years.
The resolution in the case of Manfredini, in 1804,
may suffice for all.
Neither do I fear that that will be maintained
which was mentioned before the Council Chamber
by the honorable defender of the Madiai, namely,
that the fundamental statute of 1848, not yet abolished at the period of the crime in question, enlarging the circle of toleration, and giving liberty to
every belief, rendered almost impossible under its
dominion the crime of religious proselytism.
No: the condition of Tuscany was, in this
respect, under the statute what it had been before,
and what it has now returned to be. If the statute
did not declare, conformably with the law of 1st of
May, 1814, that the Roman Catholic and Apostolic
was the dominant religion, at least it called it " The
only religion of the State; "and the other religions
are spoken of in the following terms: "The other
professions now existing are permitted conformably
with the laws."  This permission, thus subordinate




REPORT OF THE TRIAL.                105
conformably to the existing laws, proves evidently
that all the principles of law and jurisprudence, till
then- put forth, remained in full vigour; and it was
so much the more necessary to respect them, that
the dangers to be avoided for the religion of the
State were increased, by enlarging civil liberty,
and admitting all the citizens to the public employments.
Besides, it would be quite unreasonable to pretend that this liberty opened the way to such great
and lax toleration, since every one might have said,
done, and preached, or at least taught in matters of
religion, whatever they pleased to the Catholics.
Knowledge of such a fact would of necessity have
led to latitudinarianism, and thus have cancelled the
first words of the statute, that it was founded only
on Catholicism.
Too many, both here and elsewhere, have, in
fact, shown that they understood it in the former
manner, because that suited them; but this was
license, not liberty, not rectitude but calumny, not
right but crime.  And one should be answerable
for this.
Gentlemen, I have endeavoured thus far to explain, with doctrinal and reasonable deductions, all
that in history or right seemed  to me strictly
necessary clearly to dispose, appreciate, and resolve
on the present cause. I will now come nearer the
case itself, and speak of Francesco and Rosa Madiai.




106       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
The act of accusation, already known, dispenses
with the necessity of making a long exposition of
the elementary facts which are there collected, and
I believe, with truth, precision, and without exaggeration.
The results of the trial seem  to me to have
verified and explained them, as much as was necessary not only for legal, but moral conviction.
I mention particularly the entire, irrefragable
depositions of Antonietta iMarsini and  Antonia
Zaccagnini, which are very full upon all the charges
brought to bear not only on Madiai, but also on
his wife. Their modes of deposition, the coincidence
between them in many circumstances, as well as in
other depositions and in the documents: the fact
that they could have had no interest to lie or calumniate, powerfully speaks in their  favor, and
recommend them  to your justice and conscience.
I cannot admit any valid objections against belief
in their testimony. If there appear to be any, they
are hazarded with respect to the woman Madiai,
but all irrelevant, inconclusive, and not verified, nor
capable of being verified. These depositions suffice,
in my opinion, to decide in favor of the accusation.
We may, nevertheless, also take into account
the frequent discussions of Vecchioni, either with
Madiai or his wife, in which they inculcated false
and impious principles, intending "to turn aside
her also," so that for this reason she ceased to




REPORT OF THE TRIAL.               107
work in their service.  Nor must we overlook the
depositions of Bucciolini with regard to the wicked
insinuations of Madame Madiai, and the doubts of
the above-mentioned Marsini and Zaccagnini at an
unsuspected period.
We may also add, with regard to Francesco
Madiai, the depositions of Guiseppe Centofonti,
Guiseppe Cavaciocchi, Serafino Vannini, and Enrico
Matterassi.
From  the declarations of the witnesses abovec
named, it is proved that the Madiai gave accommodation in their house to the Evangelical reunions,
not only for the exercise and confirmation of the
converts, but also for instruction for others, for
the most part Florentines of low extraction, and
Catholics, and also little children, who should have
been sustained and brought up in  Catholicism.
That these were generally gathered together in
the evening, and sometimes in the day, and that a
certain Malan, an Evangelical minister, came there
to teach those initiated, but not yet admitted to
communion, and  after he was banished  from
Florence, others came in his stead and performed
his part.
It has been proved that in this house they received, kept, and distributed, personally, and by
means of decurione, books and tracts of the Evangelical sect, printed in London, Florence, or elsewhere; that this distribution in the town and




108       STORY  OF THE MADIAI.
country was not made by Madiai alone, but also
by his wife (as well as others,) who sometimes
rejoiced, at the increase of brethren, and the recent
success of the propaganda, compared with the preceding sterility.  Among the said books were the
Bible in the Italian of Diodati, and prayer-books oi
the Protestant sects, which were given to Zaccagnini
and M:arsini, and sold for a small sum- also to
Materassi and Centofanti, as well as to others not
known.
It has been proved that the Madiai (who had
hung up in a room a small print quite opposed to
Catholicism) did not lose opportunities to instruct
in, and draw to, their creed even Catholics, by ridiculing and throwing discredit on the fundamental
principles of the Catholic dogma, and substituting
others of their sect. The act of accusation sums
up the principal errors by them inculcated, which
are many and diverse.  All have been proved by
the depositions of the witnesses, and they may also
be proved by the so-called articles of religion in
the said book of Protestant prayers given to Marsini by Madame Madiai.  These errors, and this
impiety, cannot be classed as such without the judgment of the Church.  But as they consist in the
elementary principles, it will be sufficient to refer,
as was done in the case of Barni, to the most obvious
and elementary opinions of the Christian doctrine,
as well as to the rules and discipline of the Council




REPORT  OF THE  TRIAL.             109
of Trent. I will not pause to make the comparison,
for fear of further wearying the court, but I can
assure you that there is no error mentioned in the
act of accusation which has not been condemned by
a canon of the said Council, or other earlier oecumenical Councils.
It has been proved, finally, that the woman
Zaccagnini was much loosened from  her Catholic
convictions by the plausible address of Madame
Madiai, and perhaps, also, by  the benefits she
bestowed or procured for them  from others; and
Marsini. was still more disturbed, and was induced
by the insinuations of Madame Madiai to dispense
with scapularies and rosaries, and was induced
twice to partake (as they say) of the communion;
it signifying little that the first time she did it of
her own will, blinded by the corruption of her
mind, caused by the teaching of the said woman
Mladiai.
In these facts, it seems to me, there is proof of
entire and consummate impiety, of proselytism,
which, I repeat, ought to be considered as impiety of
act, resulting, that is, from single or diverse acts, in
which oral teaching only constitutes one part, and
which, therefore, will fall under the second rather
than under the third category (though this a matter
of indifference) of crimes in the 60th article of the
law quoted of 1786.
Neither is it necessary to recur to the aid of the




110        STORY  OF  TIIU    MADIAI.
jurisprudence as far as regards publicity, since the
teaching has been secretly difuised, and given or
procured indivilually, or almost individually. That
did not consist merely in oral teaching of antiCatholic doctrines, if woe duly appreciat te hdepositions  of the  oft-mentioned  Zaccagnini  and
Marsini.
But leaving this, and proceeding with the criterion of regariding proselytism as an ascertained fact,
resulting from  many and diverse individual facts,
it is easy to arrive at the fact of publicity, and not
only  that real, actual, efectcal,  which  w-ould,
indeed, be sufficient as far as regards the natural
inevitable consequence of the act, but also that
inhlerent to the act itself, and thus part or portion
of the same.
The repeated admission to the domestic conferences of many people, (sometimes above thirty,
often more than ten, latterly only, in consequence
of the increased risk incurred  on account of the
greater vigilance of the  Government, reduced in
number to four or five,) this repeated and frequent
admission, I say, of many people, not yet all separated from  Catholicism, but on the way to separation, and to perfect or confirmn themselves in the
evil; the convenience and aid afforded to the distribution of books and tracts calculated to lead
astray, are facts which plainly and truly indicate
publicity, and which cannot be separated from this




REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.                 11
without destroying them.  In this sense, and with
these same causes, does Rafitelli understand publicity in his NVonatesia Penale, quoted and reported
by Roberti Diritto Penale, tom. iv., art. 53; the
said Roberti likewise understands it in this sense,
and thus, also, the Sardinian penal code, cit. art.
164, recognising it in the dispatch or distribution of
books, or other printed works attacking religion, as
well as in public teaching or public harangues. ( V.
Neyroni, toe. cit. sec. 22.)
For the rest, it was public and notorious that
there existed a confession of the pure Gospel; public
and notorious that this was directed against Catholicism, and loudly and unweariedly declared against
certain legislative and Government measures; public
and notorious that the Madial belonged to the said
confession; finally, public and notorious (and this is
to the point) that they took part efficaciously and
heartily in the propagation of the false doctrine, in
the distribution of wicked books; so that the priest
of their parish felt himself compelled  to make a
report of it to the episcopal authority, to be en,bled to provide a remedy, as it treated really of
doctrine.  Thus publicity in the sense and for the
requirements of the law was not wanting; on the
contrary, it was great, therefore scandalous and
highly hurtfal.
Of the guilty intention, I do not think a question can arise.  It is inherent in the criminal fact.




112      STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
Whoever works the Protestant propaganda, to the
prejudice of Catholicism, intends and desires that
this should fall, and that prevail.  No one would
proselytize without desiring  to do  harm  to the
object against which he wars.  This appears clear
to me, and this exhausts the formal reality of the
crime.  The analogous terms, if you choose, may
be seen in the learned observations of the " Ruota
Criminale," in the celebrated cause of sacrilege
and falsity, against the priest Borsini, concluded
by the  decision of 14th  May, 1831.-Relatore
Bologna.
I will not expatiate on the depositions of the witnesses, called in favor of the Madiai, and particularly of Rosa.'' They appear to me quite irrelevant
to the cause.  Most of them apply to a period previous to that in which Madame Madiai declares to
have decidedly and really abandoned the Catholic
communion, to join the Evangelical; and all those
who speak of acts of respect to the articles of religion, to the sacraments, priests, saints, undoubtedly
refer to a time previous to that included in the
present cause. None of them, besides, relates facts
* The advocate then entered on a long argument in favor
of Rosa Madiai, on the plea that she had, on various occasions, as declared by the witnesses, acted as though she had
still been of the Rolmish church. This was done in order to
prove that she did not openly insult the Roman Catholic religion. We do not undertake to defend his line of argument.Trans.




REPORT  OF' THE  TRIAL.                 113
which destroy or shake those of the accusation. That
to a priest and Catholic cur5, condacted into their
house by a relation, the  Maldiai should  even in
1851 show  themselves as Catholichs, and note tempt
to convert him, was but too natural, and I will say
necessary, as nwel as priudent, piarticularly at a time
when  the  Govlernment operations had, in many
ways, and on malny  occasions, shown themselves
against the  orki of'heir sect.  The saime will hold
good w ith respect to -wh at Losa did before a person
who, at another time, had seen. her maintain the part
of a good Catholic, at the bedside of an infirm  and
dying woman.
The acts of goodness, natural probity, and benevolence, that Madame Macliai wished to lurge in arrest of judgment, may cause one to grieve more
over her separation fiom  Ca.tholicism, but cannot
free her fiom  the present crilmie andl accusation, nor
diminish the ilmputation cast upon her.
To estimate this, one must, I tlhink, take into account the more iagravated   evil, that the Madiai
were Catholics:, and the greater scandal that this
circumstance produced iand maintains, and their obstinacy, which does not decrease, but rather gains
strength in the faee of the special government and
legislative measures.
Neit-her do I think that after these measures, particularly after the law of the 25th April, 1851, and
the condemnation, in consequence, of Count Guicciar10:'




114       STORY  OF.THE  MADIAI.
dini, of Betti and others, their co-religionists, one
can speak of the good faith of the Madiai, or of their
having any doubts as to the nature of what they
did cautiously and with reserve, plainly showing
their consciousness of not being permitted to do so.
Things being in this position, the case of the
Madiai offers, if I mistake not, all that weight of
criminality for which the 60th article of the law of
1786 desires, that such crimes be punished "with
the utmost rigor, and never with a less penalty than
of forced labor;" which had, and still has, means to
apply itself to the greatest as well as to the least
degrees of crime. I do not propose a difference between the two accused, because their guilt appears
to me equal, considered thus in the lawful facts of
harm, as in the formal reality of action.
In the case of Buletti, (decided 7th August,
1851,) you fixed the term of imprisonment at thirteen months; in that of Messeri, (decided the 13th of
the same month,) you ordered  the same punishment for a year.  But in these cases the impiety
consisted in single and isolated facts of contempt for
the sacred image; scandalous facts, undoubtedly, but
such, however, while they show the depravity of
mind, and irreligion of the agents, as do not so
easily disturb the faith of others, nor bear a hostile
attack on the religion of the state, being in their nature disagreeable and repulsive.  The crime of the
Madiai, politically considered, in itself and in the




REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.             115
neans employed, is much graver and more hurtful;han those.  I do not think I shall exaggerate, howirwer, if I make my final request for one of the inferior degrees of exemplary punishment.
Defence of the Accused, by the Sign. Odvardo
Maygiorani.
"In matters of religion we ought to avoid the
use of the penal laws.  It is true that these laws
cause fear: but since religion has its own penal
laws, which also cause fear, one must be conquered
by the other."   Placed between these two, the
minds of men become ferocious.
Religion has great threatenings, and, at the same
time, great promises; so that when these are present to our mind, " whatever may be done by the
udge to make us abandon our religion, it seems as
though he leave us nothing if he take that away, and
that he takes away nothitg if he leave us that."*
These solemn words of Montesquieu sum up all
the questions which I shall propose to you. They
are at the same time the conclusion and the commencement of the weighty arguments by which I
desire to be able to prove to you, that society has
nothing to hope from judicial inquisitions, but rather
* Montesquieu, de 1'Esprit des Lois, liv. xxv. ch. 12.




116         STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI
everything to  fear, if it is attempted, by means
of these, to arrest the progress of heterodox ideas.
Such proof would not be without its value.  It
would seenm  to me opportune, when, for the first
time in these halls is sounded an accusation of proselytti.sm, and the wise custom  is broken which banished from our law the sanction of this crime.  It
would seem to me opportune, vwhen you and I (indeed who does not see it?) are witnesses of the interest taken in this judgment by the public conscience,
which, a short time ago, had not even a suspicion
that the bases of civil and religious society were undermined, and which now  stands in apprehension
lest the already enormous weight of our political
calamities, if not added to, should be aglgravated by
a question which of itself alone, (I will not say
where the falllt lies,) has sufficed to desolate, for
many centuries, the greater part of the Christian
world.  The public mind had not foreseen this misfortune at which to-day it feels so troubled.  Not
long ago it openly applauded a great genius' who,
treating of the political question, proclaimed that
Italy could never become Protestant; and this applause, if it was a homaege rendered to truth, should
have been worthl, as a guaraintee, that no one would
be hardy enough to lend a hand to the rash undertaking.  This unusual cry  of the accusation fills with
sudden terrorl the ignorant city, which cannot per' Gioberti, del Prinmato morale e civile degl' Italiani.




REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.              117
suade itself that its religion can have so suddenly
been placed in so much danger, that the disturbance
of a trial can be preferable to that generous and intrepid toleration which, in our public right, is almost
traditional.
The novelty of the accusation, however, the public fear, the harm which is certain to arise from this
judgment would persuade me to discourse, at some
length, on the great questions summed up in the
words of the ancient President of the Parliament of
Bourdeaux.  But I am  not of such long standing,
neither is this the place to discuss that which appertains to a merely moral order, unless it reflects directly on the judicial question.
To define, by its extremes, the crime of proselytism-to inquire if these extremes are to be
found in the facts objected against the accused-to
show  the invalidity or irrelevance of these facts:
such is the office to which it is necessary that I confine myself.
And I announce it to you, now: but that I may
propose to you an exact definition of the title, I must
premise, with some considerations, which are of use
to separate it from what does not belong to it. You
and I ought to determine the crime of proselytism
by the guidance of our civil and penal laws: to separate from this cause all that regards a different and
superior order, and which might easily be confused
in our researches. To this I confine myself, examin



118       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
ing what are the relations of these laws with religious matters.
Liberty of conscience, the toleration of all reli
gious opinions, these great fundamental principles o:
our public right t are those which rule the question.
Political reasons, civil reasons, economical reasons.
moral or Christian reasons, all concur in guaannteeing its inviolability.
The state represents, in the political order, soci
ety such as it is, in its reality, in its internal divisions, with its intellectual and moral dissensions.
Its purpose is to assure to all men, whatever the
differences tlhat separate them, those conditions ol.
their intellectual, moral, religious or material developrent, which  the  conscience of each  one  has
judged preferable.  Even the atheist, according to
Filagieri, has a right to social protection.  According to others, to him  alone may this protection be
denied, because atheism  is not a religious doctrine.
and the State need not lend it any succor: secondly,
every man ought to be free to profess the religion
which best pleases him, but one he ought to profess,
and there is no religion without the eternal principle
of God.  Theref)ore, every religion has a right to be
tolerated by the state, which abandons error to the
fate reserved for it, that is, to be destroyed by the
progressive knowledge of the truth.
And that which is il the nature of the state is
also for its best interests.  Since sound policy re



REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.              119:
quires that men should not be provoked to violation
of the law, nor to martyrdonm; and whoever acts
otherwise, may be called as imprudent, as inhuman.
And if it is important to society that every individual should have a religion, what can it augur
from  him  who  should be obliged to profess to
have  one, to  which his conscience  cannot lend
itself?
More than this: material punishment inflicted
by the state exalts the error, and confers upon it an
importance w hich, perhaps, it has not: irritates the
mind, invites retaliation, and renders legitimate, in
some manner, civil war.
To these political reasons may be added civil
ones.  Since the first possession of man is that of
the thoughts and conscience, a. possession free and
inviolable, a faculty which cannot be coerced, upon
which God himself acts by the grace and light of
truth.   If the origin of social power should be derived from the tacit or presumed consent of the peo.
pie, it is easy to prove that it could never have been
the intention of any man to limit personal liberty,
beyond what was necessary for the preservation and
advancement of the social condition."-*  Hence one
could not, without invading the most sacred of possessions, impose on the human conscience a religion
distasteful to it.
* Forti, ist. civ. lib, 2 cap, 2 ~ 56.




120      STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
In the third place, we have economical reasons:
since there cannot be material prosperity in a state
where religious intolerance makes of a part of the
citizens, and sometimes the most considerable, a
class of persons unrecognized, denies them the benefits of the common law, interdicts them  public offices, degrades in them the moral sense, and clips the
wings of all noble aspirations. This, besides being an
enormous injustice, is a political error.  It is an in
justice, because if you except the atheist or him who
professes a religion of depraved morality, every dissenter may not only nourish, but constantly exercise
most scrupulously, the maxims of honesty and uprightness. It is a political error, because, if no one can
deny that religion, as an internal sanction of the
truth, is one of the greatest guarantees for the good
of society, then it is likewise certain that, considered
in this point of view of social utility, it satisfies
the civil wants of men under whatever form of worship, and with whatever dogmatical doctrine.  True
it is that one ought not to participate in the errors
of others; but society ought not to expel others
from her midst because they hold different convictions.  " One ought not to hate him  who errs
on account of the error, nor love the error on account of love to him who errs."' History warns us
how, in former times, the economical conditions of
* Greg. I. 43.




REPORT  OF  THE TRIAL.             121
society were extremely deteriorated where intolerance flourished, whereas they were wonderfully advantaged where the contrary principle was carried
out.  The Republic of Venice, compared with the
rest of Italy, and still more strikingly with the other
nations at that struggling epoch, proves this truth. *
But even if all these, and many other reasons,
failed to persuade one that the principle of liberty
of conscience and religious tolerattion should be respected, Christian morality would yet plead for it,
and the interests of religion, in the name of which
primitive justice is invoked.
"' The morality of the Gospel was announced to
the nations as a law of charity.  According to the
Apostle Paul, charity enlivens faith, and holds the
first place among the Chris-tian virtues. This charity
embraces all the human race, comprehending Christians and infidels, righteous and sinners. The difference of faith does not free one from  the natural
obligations of humanity, nor fiom  the civil obliga^
tions imposed by the law, or arising from convention.
The Christian ought to hate the sin, flee from the
dangers to which the sinner might expose him; but
cannot, by reason of the sin, cease to consider as a
man him whom he knows to be guilty.  To those
who err, should be given counsels, admonitions, and
fraternal correction; but they cannot be put beyond
* Darn, Ilist. de Venise.
11




122      STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
the law of humanity. This doctrine, derived from
the purest fountains, was taught even in those times
when practice seemed most to contradict it. Those
very laws which conceded unbounded lisence towards
the persons of the heretics, nevertheless supposed
that they acted without hatred or without personal
rancor, almost as delegates of the public authority.
*  -*  *  Human life is a time of grace and hope,
nor can man, who is ignorant of the mysteries of
Divine Providence, take upon himself to decide if
his brother, who lives in error, may not in time render the most splendid testimony to the truth.  *
*  *  To punish error with temporal penalties, is
to anticipate Divine justice, and almost to despair
of truth.  Persecution renders the persecuted more
obstinate; gives the consolation of the affections to
their opinions; cuts short the road to mature reflection, and multiplies the moral impediments to repentance.  Hence it appears that the practice of
seeking out the private opinion of individuals, and
making it an article of crime, is opposed to the good
of religion. The distinction between the internal
and external forum is essential not only to civil, but
to ecclesiastical laws." *
Droz, after having said that he hopes never more
to see persecutions nor religious wars, and that this
century may not end before the work of re-union
E Forti, loc. cit.




REPORT OF  THE  TRIAL.             123
already attempted by Bossuet is undertaken again,
adds:!" To prepare the way for that union which
will fill heaven and earth with joy, let us show ourselves always just, affectionate, ready to do service
to our deluded brethren.  Much is done towards
the union of mind when hearts are brought near
together.  They know not how much harm they do
who exaggerate Catholic principles, and thus, without
intending it, alter the Word of God.  They terrify
minds which need encouragement; their bitter language drives back those who would walk towards
them, while the voice of charity produces effects
very different."'*
If to these reflections you would add the authority
of the Church, you will find as much as you can
desire.
St. Gregory, in the most unhappy times of
Christianity, denominates tyrannical the punishments inflicted on heretics, since the misfortune
which is a consequence of the fault seemed to him
sufficient punishment.  IIe says there are evils
which cannot be cured by punishment, but must be
tolerated.  And even the Apostolic Constitutions
contain this teaching, said to be of St. Ambrose.t
* Droz, pensieri sul cristianesimo, e prove d'ella sua
verita-versione italiana del padre Tanzini ~ 27.
t Greg. ii. 34; v. 2; xii 24 xi. 46. Conct. ap. vi. 23.
Ambr. ep. 82. Greg. xiii. 2.




124      STORY  OF TIHE  MADIAI.
In another place, after having inculcated that
Dissenters should not be driven back with violence,
Gregory adds, that whoever acts differently, shows
that he has at heart his own cause more than that of
God.
With these maxims, and to this teaching, fact
does not always accord.  Let us cover with a black
veil those monuments of the ferocity which dared to
call itself the keeper and vindicator of the Gospel.
We should regulate our actions by the divine law,
and not by human passions; and the divine law
cannot be more explicit.
The Apostolic Constitutions declare that it was
forbidden to every bishop, priest, or deacon to speak
to the unbelievers, or to force them to change their
religion. Chrysostom teaches that one ought not to
recall Christians from error by coercion and violence,
because against error no other force is given to
Christians but that of the word; and if this does not
avail, all is lost.
These are the rules of Christian morals, which
make liberty of conscience and religious toleration
a necessary, inviolable principle. Sound philosophy
had indicated this before the light of revelation shone
on the human mind.  Cicero had proclaimed that
religion cannot be preserved by violence and fear,
but by those relations with which man binds himself
to God.




REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.            125
And conformably to these maxims we find the
Fathers of the Church to have acted. Indeed more
than once St. Gregory gave a safe conduct to the
heretics, to take away every suspicion that he wished
to use violence; which proves that he had the power
to punish, but did not choose to make use of it.
And St. Ilario prayed the emperor to permit the
people to choose freely their masters, and bitterly
lamented that the church would constrain people to
the faith by exiles and prisons, almost accusing of
weakness that Christ, whose name they make a cloak
for their own ambition.
I will not go on seeking the many examples I
could adduce to prove to you that civil persecution
never succeeded in extirpating heresies, but rather
taught how they might be maliciously propagated.
If you glance at the history of the first centuries of
the Christian era, down to modern times, you will
find sufficient to persuade you of this.  From  the
time of the Goths who, under Theodoric brought
Arianism among us, down to the errors of Hermes
and Ronge, what has not been done to extirpate
Anti-Catholic creeds' Still we have never succeeded,
and the occasion for heresy, given by St. Paul,* has
now received the seal of nineteen centuries.
To one single example will I refer, to prove that
* 1 Cor. xi. 19. " For there must also be heresies among
you, that they which are approved may be made manifest
among you."
11~




126       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
only with mildness and counsel it has been possible
in some places to obtain what processes and condemnations did not procure in the greater part of the
world. The blood of the IHuguenots inundated, for
two months, in the sixteenth century, the whole of
France.  Was heresy conquered?  Civil war arose
more tremendous than ever, and in 1598 was promulgated the edict of Nantes, which secured to the
Protestants the exercise of their worship, and the
rights of citizens. Such was the last result of the
massacre that rendered memorable the fearful night
of St. Bartholomew.
In one place only the horrid carnage was not
executed. Jean H-ennuyer, Bishop of Lisieux, opposed all the force of his authority and his character
to the royal lieutenant who communicated to him his
barbarous mission; and the Huguenots of Lisieux
were saved.  And MIaimbourg, in his History of
Calvanism, states that in this place alone were the
Huguenots persuaded to abandon their faith.*
Reason, science, experience, history, all support
the authority of the principle of liberty of conscience
and religious toleration. Let not the words appear
idle which I have spent on these arguments; they
bear directly on the interests of the defence. Vattle t
says it is a shame to humanity that a truth of this
* Maimbourg Hist du Calvinism, liv. vi. page 355-358.
t Le droit des gens. liv. 1 ~ 127.




REPORT  OF THE  TRIAL.            127
nature needs to be proved. He says this, however,
after having clearly demonstrated it. For there is
no principle, be it ever so true and clear, which ought
not to be amply demonstrated when it is destined to
exert a powerful influence on the case in question.
Applying this principle with that system  of
elimination which ought to lead us to circumscribe,
in its true terms, the idea of the crime of proselytism,
it is quite clear that there cannot now be question of
apostacy nor of heresy in the civil tribunals. Our
laws, indeed, which, particularly after the reform of
1786, were inspired by the principle of toleration of
the celebrated treaty of Westphalia, do not make
mention of these crimes. Roman, or anterior legislation relative to these, have certainly no weight
with us now. The Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo,
who decreed punishment for public impiety, excludes,
by omitting from the list of crimes, heresy and apostacy, which, as they only offend against God, ought
to be judged and repressed by God, and not by
man.
Apostacy and heresy are not then among our list
of crimes. The principle of liberty of conscience and
religious toleration assures us the power of modifying or changing our belief. The laws do not oppose
themselves to the free exercise of this faculty.
All this proceeds upon the foundation, that human
justice ought not to make itself the vindicator of outraged divinity, nor arrogate to itself the rash office of




128      STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
searching into the secret relations between man and
God. While man neglects the duties which he has
as a man, towards God, society cannot interfere. Instead of being an act of justice and faith, it would
rather be one of pride and unbelief: it would be appearing to consider one's own strength greater than
the Divine power.
But every man has also his duties as a citizen;
and the same principle of liberty of conscience and
religious toleration which is his right, forces also an
obligation upon him-that of respecting in others the
exercise of the same right. Therefore, every time
that he neglects this obligation, which is altogether
civil, he commits a crime against society, and it is
then that human justice can place him  under the
penal laws.
This, then, is what determines the action of these
laws: SOCIAL EVIL A CONSEQUENCE OF CIVIL GUILT.
This distinction did not escape Pagan policy, and
much less that of the Christians.
The Republic of Rome repressed the Bacchantes
snd the Druids, but for political and not religious
reasons. The Bacchantes put in danger the security
of the people and government, and corrupted morality. The dispersion of the Druids was necessary to
secure to Rome the dominion of Wales and Britain,
Cicero, Valentinian, Adrian, &c. all agree that none
should be condemned for profession of Christianity,
bpt should only be interfered with when their machi



REPORT OF THE  TRIAL.               129
nations harmed the empire, or when they were guilty
of civil crime.
Such likewise is the doctrine of our most celebrated authorities; Cremani, Nani, Poggi, &c. declare that man cannot punish those evils which offend
God, unless they are prejudicial to public order or
the tranquillity of the State.
Let us now examine the crime of proselytism.
As crimes are imputed politically, not on account
of their natural pravity, but for the harm they render to civil society, it follows that the crimes of religion cannot be imputed, except as contrary to social
order; and therefore should be distinguished by the
extremes of acts politically prejudicial.
1. External action;
2. Direct intention to overthrow or suppress
religion;
3. Publicity or public scandal.
Here it would be superfluous to bring forward
doctrines, for our laws could not be more clear and
precise.
The 60th Article of the Reform of 30th November, 1786, contains evidently all the theory that we
have premised: "Whosoever with impious designs
dares to profane the divine mysteries, disturbing the
sacred functions with violence, or otherwise commits
public impiety; and whoeverpublicly teaches maxims
contrary to our holy Catholic religion, towards which
we have always nourished, and will always maintain




130       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
constant our love and zeal, we wish, that as a disturber of the order upon which society is maintained in
tranquility, and as an enemy to society itself, he shall
be punished with the greatest and most exemplary
rigor, nor ever with less penalty than the public
forced labor, for a time or for life, according to the
circumstances of the case."
The law thus requires that the action be performed with guilty intention, and accompanied by
publicity.  Only then can it punish, as only then it
recognizes in it a civil crime.
Thus impiety could not be imputed to him who
reasons of his heterodox belief, with others professing the same creed; nor to him who, from zeal for
his own convictions, is discovered maintaining them
by conversing and discussing privately with individuals to whom he is related by parentage or friendship; nor, still less, to him who, questioned concerning his belief on this or that subject of religion,
replies according to his own convictions, though
these be contrary to the Catholic faith, if this be the
religion of the State.
Here one must reflect: how  could our laws,
which do not recognise a crime in apostacy or heresy,
proceed so severely against the apostates or heretics
as not to tolerate, that in any circumstances, or with
any persons, they should manifest their belief?
It is hardly worth while to consider the case in




REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.               131
which the dissenter makes a profession of his prin
ciples with his co-religionists. In those countries
where a religion of the State is recognized, the law
may hinder dissenters from the public profession of
their faith. That is to say, they cannot, without permission from the authorities, erect temples, publicly
invite the faithful to their offices, or assume any public organization whatever. But if the law consent to
liberty of conscience, how can it forbid them to exercise privately the worship of the religion to which
they belong?  One must suppose in the law an inconsistency or breach of faith, which is contrary to
all rule.
Besides this, when the law forbids the inculcation
of heterodox maxims, it excludes the case of teaching
among persons belonging to the same communion,
since this would not be teaching, but worship. This,
then, is a case where there could be no question of
impiety or proselytism.
Let us imagine another case.  Suppose that a
Calvinist is reproved by some one for not venerating
the saints, not fulfilling the pascal injunction,* or
that of fasting, not attending at the holy services;
and if this reproof, made with acrimony and insolence, provoke the Calvinist, or at least place him
under the necessity of expressing his convictions; the
law, which does not blame him for belonging to that
* That is to say, at Easter, every individual Catholic
Calvinist is commanded to take the Eucharist translation.




132       STORY  OF  THE MADIAI.
confession, can it in this case punish him because he
hbs diffused impious doctrines, contrary to Catholicism'l It would be absurd.
Society, you will agree with me, tolerates all religions, if they are not opposed to its life and progress; but in exchange for its toleration, it requires
that every one have a religion, which he must sincerely profess and cultivate. Hypocrites are not less
prejudicial to society than are atheists; and religious
indifference keeps pace with hypocrisy and atheism.
Society cannot therefore permit that submission to
the dominant religion should push the heterodox person so far as to make him dissimulate his own religion or transgress the precepts which it enjoins.
And if the heterodox person, to whom, by chance,
an explanation is required of some Biblical passage,
or some point of doctrine or moral, reply contrary
to his convictions and his belief would he not be
guilty to society of that hypocrisy and that religious
indifference which is so prejudicial to it?
All this seems to me strictly logical and natural.
Proselytism  can neither be imputed to him  who
communicates with his co-religionists, to him who
maintains his religion against attack and outrage,
nor to him who, being consulted, replies according to
the religious doctrine to which he has devoted himself.
But this is not all. The principle of liberty of
conscience and religious toleration, joined to the po



REPORT OF THE  TRIAL.                133
litical necessity that every one have a religion which
he must tenaciously and sincerely observe, leads to
other cosec.seee.
One cannot exact impossibilities; and as there is
an impossible in physical order, so is there in moral
order. " The law," says Nani, " cannot require from
a man that which it is impossible for him to observe,
from the irresistible impulse which he has by nature."
And nature has given man a necessity to expand and
communicate with others.
Now religion is the life of the soul, the treasure
of all hope, and the supreme law of man; all created
things are subordinate to this; it watches over the
conscience and a.ffections; rewards and punishes,
grieves and. consoles.  Who can then pretend that
the father or friend does not desire to share with his
beloved ones, the benefits of that faith from  which
alone he hopes for salvation? Could the father, whom
nature prompts to educate and assist his children,
without failing in the most sacred obligations, direct
them to a way which, in his convictions, can only
lead to error?  I-ow could he inculcate in his children an idea of God, which does not correspond with
that God from whom he hopes and fears everything?
And is it not the same if we speak of friend or confidant? Since friendship unites two hearts into one,
and institutes relationships which nature has not
formed, but which she watches and seals, and, I
would almost say, renders more sacred and inviola12




1134      $STORY  OF  THE MADIAI.
ble, because they depend solely on man's choice.
The judicial idea of the crime of proselytism cannot then be enlarged; it must rather be restricted to
the narrowest limits, if we would not deny that
which is essential to humanity, and to the interests
of civil society.
To require that the citizen should not join in the
worship of his religion with his co-religionists; that
he should suffer in peace, the outrage of his religious
convictions, without seeking to defend them; that he
should reply against his conscience by dissimulating
his views, or pretending opposite convictions in presence of those who ask counsel of him; to require,
finally, that he should not love to inculcate these in
the minds of persons dear to him, would be to desire
things at once prejudicial and impossible. You would
suppose the law to be inconsistent or unfaithful; you
would condemn society to tolerate hypocrisy and indifference, evils which are at the head of practical
atheism; because the man, degraded and humiliated
to the necessity of imposing silence on his own conscience, and externally following a faith which he
does not feel in heart, becomes the most formidable
and cunning enemy to every religious belief. You
would pretend to the impossible, because you would
seek to give the sanction of human justice greater
force than that of Divine justice.
In none of these cases, in which there is an exter.
nal profession of heterodox maxims, can the accusa



REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.                135
tion of proselytism be propounded, since that profession is not animated by impious designs, nor the
direct intention of overturning the dominant religion; an impious design or intention, guilty intention
in fact, which science, law and jurisprudence, proclaim
a necessary extreme of crime.
But the guilty intention does not suffice, there
must also be the evil done. Here is another extreme
necessary, in order that the judicial idea of the crime
may be applied to the fact. Affectus sine effectu ne
imp utetur.
And in order that the evil may be verified, it is
necessary that the means employed by the delinquent to accomplish the proposed iniquity be proportioned to the end.
I will not stay to repeat the elementary theories
of criminal right. It is a common maxim  of this
science, that as from  inopportune and feeble acts,
society need fear nothing, so the law may, without
danger, leave these unpunished.
In the crime of proselytism, the evil naturally
ought to consist in that civil offence from which society suffers when its religion is subverted; in the
disturbance of public order.  And, in fact, our wise
legislator ordains that the impious man be repressed
only as a disturber of public order, on which society
rests, and its tranquility depends.  *         W*     Well,
then, in order that public order be disturbed, in order




136      STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
that public scandal be produced, what is necessary 
That the preaching or instruction be public also.
Without this, there is no possibility of crime.
Publicity of teaching as the means of evil, disturbance and public scandal as an effect of the crime,
these are the other two extremes of proselytism.
" If the violation of religion," says Giuliani,* "is
committed in secret, and leaves no permanent trace
behind it, even though it come by chance to- the
knowledge of one or two citizens, publicity being
wantigy, the jIolitical evil would vanish also.  To
make it public (note well these words) by a trial
would cause more evil than advantage.  Besides, to
penetrate the domestic walls to bring to light such
actions, would give a shock to public tranquility,
would absurdly substitute the political magistracy
for the pious fanctions of the pastors of souls, and
would open the way for vexation and calumny."
Publicity has always been considered an extreme
of the crime of religion.  I say always, excepting
perhaps those times in which humanity was scourged by the impious zeal of the fanatics, and impious
party anger. The crime of proselytism in particular, cannot be conceived without this postulate. Let
the principle be established, that only those actions
can be civilly criminal which are offences against the
order of the city, and the consequence naturally folIstit. di dir. Crim. lib. iv. part. I, trat. 2, ~ 1.




REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.               137
lows that that only can be a crime in religion which
is committed in a public place and in presence of the
congregated public.      *    *    *    *   *
To go back to the Valentinian and Justinian codes,
we find that they consider publicity to exist only
when religious subjects are treated of to a crowd assembled and listening.  The commentators, and the
well-known writers of the law, Nani, Cremani, &c.
all prove that impiety to be considered as a civil
crime, must be committed in public. The absurdity
of considering an act public when performed in the
presence of three persons, is so preposterous as not
to need long arguments to refute it.
Let then those maxims be no more invoked,
which some magistrates sought to establish in the
beginning of this century.  They were an offence
against the law, which you should now repair.  The
law was in those days violated, and much more
would it be so at the present time, when the principles of liberty are receiving increasing development.
Liberty of conscience, toleration of all religions,
are two cardinal doctrines of our public right.  The
penal law  cannot meddle with certain questions
without causing a wound in society greater than that
which it would prevent or heal. If the crime of religion becomes a civil disturbance of public order,
human justice may interfere with this disturbance.
If not, Deorum ijjurioe diis curce.*
Tacit. Ann. i. 73.
12*




138         STORY  OF  THE  IMADIAI.
Our laws are, thank God, formled on these three
principles:-  guilty  intention, publicity, and  evil.
These are the extremes of proselytism:
Guilty intention, that is the direct intention  to
overthrow the religion of the state.
Publicity of the action, because without that there
can arise no harm nor crime.
Evil done, an indispensable element of every
crime.
Let us apply these theories to fict.
In the course of my argunents I ought now to
examine if in the facts imputed to the Madiai there
exists the first extreme of the crime of proselytism,
guilty intention.
I could, indeed, omit this inquiry.  Why go
back to the nature of the crime, -where there is not
material for it?  Why should I seek to discover
who killed Clodius, if it is proved that Clodius is not
dead?`X  Why the delinquent, if there is no crime?
The defence might be concluded without this second
inspection.  Nevertheless, teccause the accusation
has not withheld  imputaticns, and  because it is
never superfluous that the dei;llne consider even the
least supported hypotheses, aicd finally because it is
necessary that the order ob:se-rved ill the questioas
of right should be main ained in the examinration of
facts, I will begin by the ilnquiry: If the aceused
* Cicero pro Milo.




REPORT  OF THE  TRIAL.             139
ever proposed to make proselytes to their faith by
means of overthrowing the religion of the state.
You see them, gentlemen:  There are those
apostles of heresy on whom  the accusation, after
having found words to denounce them  to you as
destructive of society, propagators of false doctrines,
subverters of consciences, has also invoked upon
them the severity of your judgment. You see them,
you have heard them, and you can imagine how
dangerous they must have been to the state.
I-e descended, when a youth, from  the hill of
Casentino, where he left his fither and brothers at
the plough, was domestic servant for many years to
our patricians.  Later, he travelled as courier with
foreign families.  I-e thus visited many parts of
Europe and even America, and only from time to
time remained a few hours amongst us.
Her destiny has not been different. From Rome,
where she was born, she went as ladies' maid to
wealthy families in England, Belgium, and Germany.
She lived more than twenty years in London.  Returning to Italy, she met Madiai at Florence, having
known him already on the other side the Alps. They
became, man and wife.  Her feeble health did not
permit her again to attempt a wandering and troubled life. Joining her scanty savings with those of
her husband, they furnished a house, and let it to
foreignrers, and particularly to the English, who from
the wealthy and free coasts of their island.mistress




140       STORY OF THE MADIAI.
of the seas, desired our balmy air and sunny sky,
and who liked the ample resources which, at one
time, made our civil life so happy.
Thus, neither extraordinary nor common culture,
neither natural greatness of mind nor strength of
soul, neither abundance of words nor the subtleties
of metaphysics, neither social grade nor conspicuous
position, invited them  to enterprises so vast and
perilous.  Their only care was, by their industry to
gain the means of subsistence.  The wife provided
for the interests of their house in Florence; the husband, who enjoyed good health, continued his wandering and precarious life, the greater part of the
year in distant countries, he spent the least part
by his own fireside.
Could these persons cherish in their minds the
idea of overturning society? of snatching it from its
belief, of throwing down the throne of Peter to
place in its stead that of Calvin, of destroying the
work of so many centuries, of changing the faith of
our fathers? Do you believe that the Madiai meditated these things?
But they have abandoned the religion in which
they were baptized; they have confessed to belong
to the Evangelical coimmunion.  Thus cries the accusation, as if one must from this necessarily infer
the charge of proselytism.  That the Madini should
have professed the Evangelical religion, though born
in the bosom  of the Romish Church, cannot cause




REPORT OF  THE TRIAL.                141
wonder, and you would not deduce from that, that
they are guilty of proselytism.
It is no wonder, I say, to any one who considers
their long residence in the centre of the Protestant
communion.  And not only have they lived in the
cities of America, England, or Prussia.  There they
had not their own house nor their own family; no
parents, brothers, or friends, with whom  to stir
themselves up to the observances of their own faith.
They lived in the bosom of protestant families; they
shared their joys and sorrows; they brought up, as
was their duty, tender children to the English faith;
they must often have heard the catechism of that
confession; the exercise of that faith must always
have been before their eyes, great were the facilities
for cultivating that religion, less great than for respecting the precepts of their native faith. Less
great, I say, not because the nations were guilty of
intolerance, but because the rigorous exercise of
their worship was incompatible with the duties they
owed to their masters.  Besides, attractions were
not wanting which by degrees took hold on their
minds. The followers of the Reform and their religion are not of depraved morality.  These persons
may serve as an example, whose virtues the sustainer of the accusation himself appreciated, so that
in recording them, loyal and generous as he is, he
was moved almost to tears, deploring more bitterly,
that they should be disjoined from our Church. The




142       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
Evangelicals are Christians and rigid observers of
Christian morality; and although they do not recognise the authority of Rome, and disagree with some
points of doctrine, they profess all those principles
which best satisfy the human heart, and best content
the mind.  Besides this, the quality of the persons
whom  the accused served, most conspicuous from
lineage or education, must have caused their influence over their subordinates to have been great,
and in these to have commanded obedience.
No wonder then, that they turned to another
faith. If even all these arguments were vain and
insufficient, who would arrogate to himself the foolish
and rash pretence of searching into the secrets of
their conscience? De internis judicat Deus!
But none can infer or conclude from  this, that
they designed to proselytise by overthrowing the
dominant religion to which they paid always that
civil obedience which the law requires. You heard,
indeed, that while both the accused cultivated in
secret the Evangelical faith, from the time that they
were far from us, they abstained from making a formal profession of it until the force of the civilta, and
the honest counsels of the crown introduced also in
Tuscany a statute of civil franchise.  Then they professed it, because all existing forms of worship were
not only tolerated, but permitted amongst us,* at
* Constitutional statute of 15th Feb. 1848. Art. 1.




REPORT  OF  THE  T           r AL.     143
which time the principle of civil liberty of conscience,
which was already in the spirit of our laws, was
also translated and consecrated in the letter.  This
certainly is a proof of their submission to the civil
law.  They understood that no one could oblige
them  to believe in a certain way, but that the law
could hinder them from openly separating from that
communion to which the whole city belongs.
Many other proofs there are which exclude the
charge made against them; and you have heard the
statements of many witnesses, who declare that the
Madiai uniformly respected their convictions, nor
ever spoke to them abusively of the doctrines of the
Romish Church.*           *  *                      *
I must now  examine the means which the Ma.
diai are said to have employed to effect the not small
undertaking of proselytism.
These may be reduced to three categories:1. Teaching the doctrines of the Evangelical reli.
gion to several individuals separately.
2. Diffusion of heterodox books.
3. Re-union or congregation of persons in the
* The advocate here entered on a long argument in favor
of Rosa Madiai, on the plea that on various occasions, as declared by witnesses, she had acted as though she were still a
Roman Catholic; the facts deposed having occurred previous to her conversion. The design of the advocate in bringing forward these acts of apparent conformity, was to prove
that she had never openly insulted the Catholic religion, nor
sought to make proselytes by force.




144       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
house of the accused, to exercise themselves in the
reading of these books.
Let us consider the depositions of the witnesses
for the prosecution.
I loudly declare that my soul revolts from descending to their infamous raiks. They expect perhaps to acquire indulgences by raising the funeral
pile, and lighting the fire, to scatter to the winds
the ashes of the victims of fanaticism! God himself has willed that time past should not return; and
there are things which could only, perhaps, be re-produced, if former times were to return.  I must however name these witnesses to you, as was my duty,
and a painful one, to hear them.  I am also sure that
they are not men long versed in the basest acts of
an ignorant and corrupt populace.  We should all
think that human nature would not be calumniated
by having attributed to it the excesses and defects
of those who are cast forth on the streets from their
childhood, to grow up in idleness or beggary, father
of all vices.  No! I must name four women, and a
youth, not yet twenty.  I will not enter into the
specialities of their depositions.  It is enough to
touch upon them, for they must appear undeserving
of attention.
First, note how the greater part of these witnesses constitute, so to speak, but one body and
one mind.
Enrico Materassi has heard say from Marsini,




REPORT OF THE  TRIAL.              145
that before dinner the Madiais repeated a prayer,
after their own mode of thinking.  He has heard
say, from the same Marsini, that Rosa Madiai, seeking to convert her, took away her scapulary, and
broke and trod on the beads of her rosary.  He has
besides heard say from  Zaccaguini, who learnt it
from Marsini, that on all f6te days, at certain hours,
some persons assembled in the house of the Madiai
to receive instruction in Protestantism.  He has finally heard say from Zaccaguini, that the Madiai assembled people in their house to read the Bible.
This is not all, he has also heard say, but this time
he does not recollect from  whom, that they had
books which they kept hid under the bed, between
the mattresses, and in the cellar.
Luisa Bucciolini has heard say from Zaccaguini,
that Rosa Madiai had given her a book. She has
heard say, from the same Zaccaguini, who had it as
usual from Marsini, that the Madiai had in their
house re-unions of Protestants, and what not. She
has finally heard say, and this time also from Zaccaguini, that Madame Madiai related that Teresa Petruggi had been called to the tribunal, that they
made her swear upon Christ, and that that stupid
creature believed it.
Does it not appear to you to be present at a
phantasmagoria, and to see going round and round,
alternately changing names and faces, Marsini and
Zaccaguini, and Zaccaguini and Marsini' Would
13




146       STORY  OF THE MADIA1.
you not say that these two women are souls which
enter into all bodies? And I will also tell you that
I was deceived.  I had thought them rather ignorant and unlearned, but it appears impossible that
they should need to be two servants! You heard
with what copious language and knowledge they recited their parts. Nor is Faustina Vecchioni less
instructed. I think she might even be called " teacher
of those who know."
Let us now speak of this pretended instruction.
Who are the disciples of those fatal teachers of
heresy?  The accusation has sought them  from
among the known and unknown. These seven who
here gave proof of such animosity and hatred to the
Madiai, were not sufficient. It has made to pass
across its disc a confused multitude, agitating in secret, and insinuating the fearful idea of a subterranean society.
The most odious of these pretended disciples,
who have here been interrogated, is a woman:Faustina Vecchioni.  You must have remarked with
what fury, worse than hostility, she has launched
forth against the accused. According to her, there
is no occasion in which they have not, in speaking,
committed a crime; they have not exchanged a single word with her which did not horrify her. It
seemed that she could not even wait for the interrogation of the judge, so great was the fury which
prompted her to aggravate the melancholy condition




REPORT OF TH  E TRIAL.               147
of those unhappy people. Not only with words but
with gestures and glances, she sought to instil in
your mind her own fierce passions; and even when
removed from  your, sight she had gone to sit with
the witnesses already interrogated, she did not
cease her insults, more brutal than ever, —now
mocking the defence of the accused, now praising
the accusation.
What more? So great was her animosity that
she even wished to bring forward facts exstraneous
to the cause.  She could not say that the accused
had diffused hetorodox books.  It seems that this
ignorance caused her great sorrow. Therefore she
went searching and re-searching her memory, and
thought it a happy chance that the thought flashed
across her which enabled her on this point also to
bring her pious contribution to the accusation. She
related that a certain Bargigli, living about a mile
out of the Porta Romana, an inn-keeper, showed her
in the early months of 1851, a book which had been
left in his shop, by some person unknown. Having
discovered that this book contained, as she said, a
confusion of the Acts of the Apostles, (she is well
versed in divinity! ) she counselled Bargigli to restore it to whom it belonged, as she thought it must
be prohibited. One of the reasons for considering
it such, as she has declared at this trial, was that
once, many years ago, she found in a cupboard of
Casa Pandolfiini, a heterodox book!!!




148       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
This grossly ignorant witness only merits your
contempt.  The language of truth is never passionate and hostile, but cold and impartial. Who cannot keep within bounds in saying, cannot in imagining.  What a difference between this witness and
the accused! And I do not speak of him to whom
nature has administered more strength of mind, and
less sensitive feeling; but of Rosa Madiai, whose noble bearing may serve as an example as singular as
rare, from that place of trial, which if it cause
anguish to all, does not cause humiliation or shame.
Not only is the testimony of Vecchioni unworthy
on account of its animosity, but also for the inconsistency of the deposition, and even for its falsity.
It is not my intention here to discuss the religious
doctrines of the Evangelical communion.  I protest
that as I would have desired that this trial should
not take place, I will be cautious lest my words
should increase the risk and scandal.  But how can
I refrain from pointing out facts 
And it is a fact, as Rosa Madiai affirmed, that
the commandments of God are as binding on Evangelicals as on Catholics. The Evangelicals also accept the Bible, and all the Bible. The difference lies
in the interpretation, and in the value set on the
Pentateuch.  Now, Vecchioni said that the Madiai,
in reading the Decalogue, restricted the commandments to eight only.  Is this true?  Can it not at
once be recognised as false?




REPORT  OF THE  TRIAL.             149
She related in the second place, that Rosa Madial denied the existence not only of Purgatory, but
of Paradise and Hell.  Do the Evangelicals then,
not believe in Paradise and Hell? I have only to
refer you to those very books used by the accusation to prove the heresy of their doctrines, and which
are in your hands.
In the third place, Vecchioni told you that Rosa
Madiai maintained that Jesus Christ did not die on
the cross to save our souls. But do you uphold that
the Madiai operated an Evangelical propaganda, or
an Israelite propaganda? If Evangelical, how could
she deny that doctrine which is the principal foundation of the Reform? Has not Marsini stated, having
been taught by the accused, that the ceremony of
the communion in both kinds is made by the Evangelicals in commemoration of the last supper partaken of by Christ Jesus before he died for us; and
is it not an essential doctrine of their religion that
our souls cannot be saved by our works, but through
the merits of the Redeemer?
Lastly she has told you that the Madiai never
named Jesus Christ, but always the Gospel.  She
has said it so as to infer that they did not believe in
Him, or that they made Him  subordinate to the
Gospel.  With this understanding, she has repeated
it many times with that action and tone which leave
no doubt of the state of her own mind. Do not the




150        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
Evangelicals then believe in Christ 2 Do they not
believe in the Apostles? This she told you also.
Now, all that is false; you cannot give heed to it,
since those depositions are not worthy of belief which
affirm, (as Cremani teaches,) things impossible in
their nature, or such as, considering the condition of
the guilty person, and the circumstances of the case,
appear improbable. And the testimony, erroneous or
untruthful in part, is presumed to be so in the whole,
though relating to separate things.*
But accepting for true all that she has narrated,
can you infer from  that that Madame Madiai had a
school for heretical doctrines 2
Vecchioni went there to work by the day. Place
this woman by the side of two dissenters; make them
casually meet in any place whatever-I declare to
you that she would accuse them of a propaganda if
they had only said a few words.  Since, if she only
suspected that their belief was a little less than Catholic, she would provoke them  with the spirit of a
Torquemada, and would put so much of bitterness
with the salt of her knowledge, that they would be
obliged to reply, and if they reply by a single syllable here, they are propagandists.  Oh! it is not a
rare thing to make people say that which they would
not wish to say!
* Rot. Flor. dec. 17th Feb. 1719, cor. Beluzzi, n. 14.




REPORT OF  THE  TRIAL.               151
The teaching of heterodox doctrines, made for
the cause of proselytism, must be distinguished from
academical or occasional converse. Glance at the
deposition of Vecchioni. She did nothing but sustain
objective conversations, now with one, now with the
other. Calvin is named-one sends him to hell, the
other raises him  among the first.  They quote Diodati's Bible, and this, for one, is an accursed book,
for the other a code of religion. Is this teaching? It
may be: but who holds the pulpit, and who is seeking to work a conversion?  The witness or the accused? Change their places, and Vecchioni would be
more guilty than Madiai.
Reflect well on the disposition of this womanon the circumstances that I have placed before you,
more particularly the one last mentioned.  I do not
doubt that you will reject the deposition of a witness,
invalid on account of so many defects.
The second of the seven disciples of the Madiai
is another servant-Antonia Zaccaguini.  She also
desired to forge a link for the chain of the accused.
She has also confessed having long received generous
bounties from  them, yet has herself ministered to
their sufferings. She, observe, has been three times
interrogated; twice by the instructing judges of the
process, once by you.
The first andc second time she had not before her
eyes these unhappy beings, so that she could forget
she had known them. Then, frankly and quickly, (it




152       STORY  OF THE MADIAI.
must have been so, as the judge could not remind
her of what she had to depose,) she related a long
story, alleging herself the victim of a constant persecution, by which the Madiai sought to draw her away
from the holy Catholic religion, to lead her to that
of the Gospel. Indeed, the second time, not content
with relating what directly concerned the subject
under examination, she made ultroneotus, (and therefore invalid,) statements, and began narrating how,
in ascending to the hall of justice, she met a woman
with a baby, who besought her to have pity on
Madame Madiai, and how she had replied not to desire to deceive any one, but to speak the whole truth.
Then she continued describing the appearance of the
woman, and seeking by every means to draw, not
only upon her, but upon all her family, the attention
of justice.
Now, this witness, so zealous for the prosecution,
and so well informed, how did she appear before you
in this room? You saw her. She had hardly voice
to make herself heard; she could not raise her eyes
to the accused, nor to you. When told to turn to
them, that they might hear what she with so low and
trembling a voice related, she seemed nailed to her
seat, and would have desired to turn her back upon
the seat of the accused. Everything revealed in
her, hesitation and remorse. And neither was her
memory propitious, because she would have remenm



REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.               153
bered nothing without the aid of the explicit and determinate interrogations of the counsellor. That she
did not contradict herself was, perhaps, from  fear
that the court should suspect in her answers the
crime of false witness.,
Well might the presence of the accused render
her vacillating and uncertain, since she was stung
with remorse for her atrocious ingratitude.  I agree
that the witness must not perjure herself on account
of gratitude towards the accused.  The counsellor
told this to Rosa Madiai when, in a moment of noble
indignation, she let  fll from her lips a bitter reproof.
Truth, I say above all, truth and loyalty. Thus, if
Zaccaguini had deposed nothing but the truth, we
should only have to pity her that she was under the
painful necessity of administering hemlock to one
who had fed and succored her.  But she has pretended and dissimulated much.  She dissimulated
when she withheld the fact, that if they conversed on
religion with her, if they had her to read the Bible
with them, if they read it to her, or presented her
with one, it was because she asked it; because she
pretended to share their faith, in order that she
might more profitably draw forth their charity. She
did not, however, so dissimulate, but that you could
discover the truth, for, more than once, she has told
you that the reason she did not break away from the
net in which these evil people held her, was because




154       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
of her interest in remaining with them.*   These
reiterated declarations ought to shed a clear light on
what she has concealed in her deposition.
See, then, the ingratitude of this witness; ungrateful, not for having revealed the truth, but for having
counterfeited it, and for having lied.  And of her
habitual fraud  and  dissimulation we have ample
proof, so God's justice wills it, administered by
herself.
Zaccaguini has told you that after having received from  Rosa Madiai the Bible, translated by
Diodati, and other heterodox books, she took them
all to  a monk, excepting one, which she burnt.
Nevertheless, she continued to frequent the house
of the Madiai, and to beg the aid of an ill-spent
generosity.  This, a kiss, an embrace, a feast, often
cause to fall the victim of a traitor.
* She replied thus to the judge, and repeated it at the
trial. 8he said she was only once present at the reading of
the Bible made by the Evangelicals at the house of the
Madiai. andi tnat-they are her own words-" She went there
expressly to see if they gave her something for her family,
because she was in need, since many times they had given
her something for charity; but to her, (Rosa Madia,) she
found the excuse that she had gone on purpose to hear the
Bible read."  She added that once, to please Rosa Madiai,
" because she often gave her six crazer, or a paul, or something to eat," she went to see their church. She said that
when the Madiai spoke to her of the Madonna and the saints,
according to the Evangelical doctrine, " she gave no heed to
them, but did not let them know that."




REPORT  OF THE  TRIAL.             155
I cannot leave this witness without begging you
to meditate on one other fact to which she has referred.  She related that being once in extreme
need of help, she went as usual to Madame Madiai,
who, having kindly given her as much as she was
able, but not all that she needed, advised her to
apply to the fathers of Santa Maria Novella. Zaccaguini accepted the advice, but the fathers not only
refused her all assistance, but expressed their refusal with words, and in a manner, according to her,
far from benevolent.  In many other places Zaccaguini made the same attempt with the same success.
She then returned to Madame Madiai, and so worked
on her compassion by tears and entreaties that she
directed her to the minister of the English church,
with a note, as the witness declares, and the accused
denies.  This minister, after having received her in
a kind manner, gave her five pauls.-See! cries the
accusation, she was then in correspondence with the
minister of the English church, and sent him this
poor woman, the victim  marked out for a wicked
propaganda.
Oh, tender and faithful accusation, who could
more than you smell out heresy from so far? And
why from the very same fact from which you draw
such sinister conclusions, may I not infer that Madiai,
purposely, not to distress the timorous conscience of
Zaccaguini, directed her first to the priests before
she sent her to the English minister, and that she




156       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
would not have sent her to him if the others had
assisted her.  Wouldst thou condemn her, because
moved to so much pity by the complaints of that
poor woman, who appeared, alas! worthy of her
compassion?  And if thou dost insist on believing
that she recommended her to that minister with a
note, what canst thou infer from that, on accusation?
Was that a crime?  And I do not ask thee if it
would be one for iMadiai evangelical, but if it would
be for the most ardent Catholic?
Let us pass to the third witness for the prosecution, and she also is a servant.  I speak of Antonietta Marsini.  I protest that of this witness, considered of such interest to the accusation, and on account of whose illness the trial was delayed till now,
I will not discourse at any length.
I will first observe that this appears to be the
only person who by means of the Madiai has fallen
into religious error.  I say by means of the Madiai,
but not even in this case is there proof of the crime
of proselytism; since, to commit this crime, it is not
sufficient to convert a single individual, much less
their house servant.
Besides the Madiai are not responsible for the
apostacy, since all that she has related is improbable,
false, and therefore unworthy of attention.
She has related to you that when she first went
to school to learn to read, the Madiai forbade her
to take with her any of their books, or to speak of




REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.              157
their religious belief. If that be true, no one can
doubt but that the Madia used every caution to
guard their secret.  Let us concede more; let us
suppose that conscious, of disobeying the laws, they
wished to prevent the risk of Marsini revealing the
practices employed by them  to draw her from the
Catholic faith.  Well, if they were so careful of that,
is it conceivable that to her, so young, inexperienced and light-minded, whom  they hardly knew,
they should have confided the important secret of
the pretended society of brethren organized by tens
and hundreds.  And what other proof has there
been of this pretended association, that one must at
once give credence to wvhat this woman says?  It is
strange indeed, that the fruitfiul imagination which
created this new society to add to it the exterminated series of others, did not raise to the ranks of hundreds to make it at least more extensive.
What shall we say to the other insinuation of
Marsini, that Rosa Madiai counselled her to break
the objects of Catholic worship, that is, her rosary
and scapulary? Supposing that the Evangelical Madiai, when Marsini herself had become evangelical,
did tell her that these objects were signs of idolatry,
since their decalogue does not permit them. Would
that be a crime when the witness herself had joined
the same religious communion?  What would we
say of a converted Turk who preserved his talismans?
14




158       STORY  OF THE  MADIAI.
You will be better able to judge of the invalidity
of her statements by reflecting on what Rosa Madiai
has herself said to you, and which has been confirmed by Maria della Lena, with regard to the fault
committed by Marsini, and by her cruelly turned
over to Madiai, namely the ceremony of the commrunion, of which she partook in the Evangelical Church.
Rosa Madiai told you, and Maria della Lena confirmed what she said, that far from instigating Marsini to such a step, it was done spontaneously and to
the surprise and grief of her mistress. She herself
wished to go to the Evangelical Church attached to
the Prussian legation, and then in the Via de' Serragli: and there profiting by the moment when her
mistress, wrapt in her own thoughts, was withdrawing from the altar, she went there unseen by her, and
to the scandal of those present.
You should also consider a circumstance only
brought to light two days ago, that of Marsini's
anger and rancor against her mistress for not permitting an unknown youth to come into her house,
whom she wished to introduce there. I will say no
more about this. May her placid dreams not be disturbed by the dark vision of the bed of grief, on
which, in prison, these, her victims must lie!'Can
you not now conceive it possible, nay probable, that
these rancorous feelings have some connection with
the present accusation 
Now we come to the examination of the deposie




REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.               159
tions of the other four pretended disciples of the
Madiai.
With respect to the first, Luisa Bucciolini, I will
premise that she cannot say that Madiai taught her
heterodox maxims, since she herself admits that once
only he spoke to her irreverently of the priest and
the mass.  Much less can one from  this infer the
crime of proselytism.  "The same word," says
Filangieri, " uttered in one way, raise a certain idea,
uttered in another tone or with a different gesture,
it wakes quite an opposite idea.  I-ow often have
the most honest men been accused of irrcligion, impiety and sedition, for some words misunderstood by
some stupid person, ignorant of the circumstances in
which they were uttered, and not distinguishing irony
from the truth of expression. The fires of the Inquisition would have burnt many less, unhappy persons,
if there had been less faith given to the testimonies
against them."
Will you now remark the resemblance between
this deposition and that of Zaccaguini?  You have
not forgotten that Zaccaguini took counsel with her
as to the use of the books she had requested and received fiom  the Madiai.  You have not forgotten
that Bucciolini has obligations, (dangerous indeed,)
on the gratitude of Zaccaguini for not small sums
and for signal bounties.  You must finally have remarked, that Bucciolini, Zacaguini, and Marsini,
seeni ahlmost to have lent the book to each other to




160       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
learn their parts. Each one of the witnesses has related her own, but all from the same drama.
You have another proof of the daring lies of this
witness. She asserts having seen frequently go into
the house of the Madiai, and even a few days before
their arrest, a man whom, from her description of
him, you concluded, and she agreed that it was so,
to be Fedele Betti.  How! Fedele Betti, who, on
the 16th of May, 1851, was sent by the police for six
months to Ortobello, and on the 21st of the same
month, having obtained commutation of the penalty
for exile elsewhere, left Florence; he on some days
near the 17th of August of the same year, was again
in Florence, and seen by this woman entering the
house of the Madiai? Such is the ingenuity and good
faith of the witnesses for the prosecution, who, wishing to oppose the equivocal and old facts of the depositions for the defence, by recent certain facts, and
play a trick with truth, and mock the inexorable
logic of the calendar.
The fifth disciple, according to the accusation, is
Gurico Materassi, and he also comes to throw a
stone at the head of his pretended masters. Nephew
of Bucciolini, he shares with pious obedience and
affection, the pilot of the three women. And this is
little.  He says more, in the declaration that he
frankly made, that he first refused with a species of
holy indignation, but afterwards requested from
Madiai the Bible, which that person had, he says,




REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.                 161
shown him; and that he asked for it with the sole
intention of consigning it to his mother. In a youth
not yet twenty years old, such deceit and fraud cannot, it seems to me, be expiated by his determination
to withdraw to a cloister.  Perhaps in those sacred
recesses, thinking by-and-by on past times, he. will
grieve over his angel andl unadvised injustice towards
these unhappy creatures.  May he give to youths
the example of repentance and amendment, as he
now, alas! ofibrs them that of a precocious malignity.
But what can be concluded fiomn the substance
of his deposition? Ile has related that Madiai being
requested by him to teach him  to read the French
language, placed under his eyes'a Bible translated in
that tongiuel.  lie has also added the?(s?t(tl story
already explained by Zaccaguilli and Bucciolini with
regard to the tus"(l insullts oflered by Madiai to the
priests, mnonlks. Virgin and saints: touvm eumclemque
medita.tcm e  sermolenz. Now is it credible that Madiai
should have held discourses of this tenor with this
youth who displays so — much Catholic zeal, which he
says took place tat the door of the house, when he
did not hold similar discourses with other people,
who would have placed a better construction on
them, and with whom he had quite another way of
conversing, such as Giorni, Fantoni, Simoni, and so
many others?  This deposition proves nothing.
As to Giuiseppe Cavaciocchi, and Serafini Vannini, the two last of the seven pretended disciples,
14'




162      STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
recollect how doubtful both were; if they affirmed
anything it was not without many contradictions,
and you remained doubtful if they referred to the
written examination, or if they remembered what
they had said.  Besides, what sort of discourses did
Mafdiai hold with Cavaciocchi and Vannini? To one
he explained some principles of his religion and his
own opinions, as for example, the duty of not praying to the Virgin and saints, the too great number,
according to him, of churches and priests, &c. To
the other he once said, if I mistake not, that the oil
of the light for the Madonna might have been consumed for some other purpose. Is this the teaching
that can constitute the imputed crime?
But not only towards these is it pretended that
the IMadiai exercised the teaching of heterodox doctrines; it is said that they did so with little children.
And here the accusation is destroyed by what
Antonietta Marsini herself deposed. They were all
the children of Evangelical parents.  And if such
were the case, who can reprove the Madiai for having instructed them  in their religion?  Can it be
said that they have subverted their principles, or
made proselytes, when the sovereign will of the
father of the family destined them to that confession?
I think I have thus confuted one of the heads of
the accusation, the teaching of false doctrine. For I
will recall this to your minds, that to contract the
crime of proselytism,, it is not sufficient to have pro



REPORT OF THE  TRIAL.                163
fessed with this or that person anti-Catholic maxims,
they must have been professed with the direct intention of making proselytes, and overthrowing the religion of the State; they must have been professed in
public to crowds assembled and listening; they must
have been sust(inCed in public controversy, public
order mtust have been disturbed.
Nor is the other head of the accusation, namely,
the diffusion of heterodox books, more established.
If you exclude those received by Marsini and Zaccaguini, and which cannot constitute diffusion, since
they have been rather yielded by the Madiai than
given, and since the number is too small for them to
be said to be diffused, excluding these, whence can
you conclude the said difusion?
Would you conclude it from  the deposition of
Materassi, to whom-  Madiai gave a Bible that he
might exercise himself in the French language, and
while they stood at the house door?  Has he not
said that Madiai refuised to give him the book when
he asked for it? Will you conclude it fiom the deposition of the Padre Guiseppe Ricca, curate of
Santa Maria Novella, who asserts that the Madiai
diffused heterodox books, because he heard say so
fiom anl English Catholic who has left Florence, and
whose name he does not knoC, wand has also heard it
from  Francesco Centofaiti?  What authority can
this witness have who only deposes de audito, and
who, from a single word come to his ears from two




164       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
persons, hastened to denounce to the Ecclesiastical
Court two citizens whom  he never approached,
though he suspected their error, to manifest towards
them tlose acts of pastoral solicitude which his service enjoins on him?
Let us, besides examine the deposition of Centofanti.  He relates, that in 1850, having met XMaciai
alone at the door of his house, (it is singular that
the accused so often chose that place f(r making a
propaganda!) the latter said to him, that he would
give him a book which narrated a fact that had occurred in the Low Countries, and fir which book he
had paid three pauls, adding, that for three pauls he
had procured a true Gospel.  He did not, however,
give Centofanti this book, or if he did give it him in
the evening, it wa1 returned next morning without
being read, for the \\itness, mzore solite, did not appear to have his memory very clear on that point.
This, he says, he related to the Padre Ricca, and no
one else; besides this, he does not know that the
Madiai diffused heterodox books.  Are these combined testimonies of any value?
I will not return to the depositions of Marsini
and ZaccagLini, the invalidity of their evidence has
been already proved.  Anid supposing it to be true
that the Macliai kept a large number in their house
to distribute, may it not be believed, as the accused
maintain, that they only gave them to their co-reli



REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.             165
gionists?  And does not this verify the diffusion
contemplated in the penal law of 1786?
Several books and evangelical works were found
in their house.  Well! Have not we all, have not
you yourselves, more than one serious book in your
house, and more than one copy of the same book?
And even of this the Madiai could have offered a
plausible reason; that they had been left behind by
foreigners who had lived in their house, and which
they had kept because they were evangelical, or because they would have needed to restore them to
their owners. In short, there is not one circumstance
capable of proving this point of the accusation.
1 will not discourse at any length on the third
objection of the accusation, that of re-unions held at
the house of the Madiai, for the purpose of reading
the Bible translated by Diodati. The same witnesses who related this fact, could not omit one circumstance in which they all agree, viz: that these reunions were composed exclusively of individuals belonging to the Evangelical confession.  And when
the public force, on the evening of 17th August, expected to surprise a re-union of propa1gandists, it
only found there four persons: one born in the Anglican faith; two already evangelical, one for three
and the other for fourteen years, the fourth, a child
of evangelical parents, and brought up in the evangelical confession. Could this re-union constitute
material for a crime?




166        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
Neither the teaching of heterodox doctrines, nor
the diffusion of heterodox books, nor criminal reunions, nothing is proved to justify the accusation
under which these unhappy people have so long suffered.
Not teaching, because such is not the merely individual expression of anti-Catholic sentiments or
opinions, and because it is not a crime when exercised towards those already joined to the heterodox
communion, or who spontaneously and deliberately
not wait for, but seek it; nor when it is privately
exercised within the domestic walls.  It is not there
that they can harangue an assembled crowd, excite
commotion or sedition among the people; it is not
there that they dispute in public, to insinuate false
doctrines into the general mind. None of these
things have been done by the Madiai.
Not the diffusion of heterodox books, because
such is not that small distribution which has been,
if you choose to believe it, proved.  It is not diffusion, because the number of books distributed was
very few, and the mode of doing it not public, or
such as to disseminate false doctrine in the minds of
the people, (in vulgqus,) and because diffusion is not
a crime when it does not go beyond the circle of coreligionists.
Not the re-unions, or assemblies, because the heterodox do not violate the law if, in exercising the
rites of a worship which the law tolerates, they re



REPORT  OF  TEIS  TRIAL.            167
tire into closer and private places, since no scandal,
or civil disturbance, can arise therefrom; scandal or
disturbance being facts which determine the judicial
idea of crime.
Nothing of this kind is proved; and nothing
could certainly be proved by means of witnesses so
little worthy of attention.
But now they may rest in peace; since it has
taken me so long to wake them to a sense of tardy
acknowldgmerit of error, and it will be better for
me "to leave behind me a sea so cruel."*  I will
only now make a contrast between the witnesses
for the prosecution, and those for the defence.
The greater part of the former would have remembered nothing, if what they had before deposed had
not been read to them  almost word for word.  I
have admired the patience of the counsellor who
had to interrogate them  in their own words, and to
awake, with studious care, their weary memories on
all the particulars of their depositions.  But I have
also admired the supreme justice of God, when I
saw those accusers, who were so bold when alone in
the room  of the judge, placed, to-day, face to face
with the accused, lose almost their tongue and voice,
pale, hesitating, deaf, forgetful and stupid.
On the contrary, how did the witnesses for the
defence appear before you? Have they feared your
* " Di lasciar dietro a me mar si crudele."-Dante, Purgatorio. c. 1.




168        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
interrogations? Have they ever contradicted them.
selves? Did they not plainly speak the simple language of truth? And how much are they not superior to their adversaries for faith, customs, gravity,
and esteem? In which do you see the integrity of
face, honesty, as our wise men understood it.
I now conclude my not short discourse.  I premised it with the words of one of the most celebrated
writers, that the penal law can ill pretend to judge
in questions of religion; and I have sought to determine when the civil power could wisely and legitimately interfere. In this disquisition I have seen
fit to speak of the great principle of religious toleration and liberty of conscience. The most splendid
authorities, called to the aid of reason, must have
persuaded you (and surely, there was not need of
so much) that this being a principle, as it is, of our
political constitution, is also sacred and inviolable
for the interests of all times and all societies.
Then, only, I told you, can human law meddle
with religious questions, when it is necessary  to
guarantee the free and full exercise of that right
which is a civil right; to restrain the abuse of it;
to prevent others from  making arms wherewith to
disturb society; to restore it if disturbed.
Thus establishing the generic idea of the crime of
religion civilly punishable.  I have delineated the
specific idea of the crime of proselytism, and have




REPORT  OF TIE  TRIAL              169
spoken of the guilty intention, the evil done, and the
publicity.
I have examined the facts, and found that there
are no proofs of the existence of these.
Not guilty intention, because a thousand facts
adduced for the defence prove the habitual respect
of the accused for the convictions of others, and because the facts brought forward for the prosecution
are inconclusive and equivocal.
Not evil done, because no conscience has been
subverted, no apprehension was caused before this
trial came on, no disturbance has happened in the
city.
Not publicity, because the accused have not
preached from  the pulpit, have not disputed in the
cathedrals, have not harangued the crowds, nor diffused books in the public road. They exercised their
faith in private meetings, in secluded places, and
amongst persons already connected with their communion.
I have thus finished the defence. I have shown
you the innocence of those tried.  It now remains
for you to pronounce their acquittal.
I have been told that the times are grave and
suspicious. The pious counsel has also insinuated
that I ought to abstain from defending two unbelievers.  I declare to you that I shrunk from the base
insinuation.  Even if I should have run some risk I
would have repelled it. The sacred office of the de15




170        STOIY OF  THE MADIAI.
fence, the shield of my conscience, and the force of
truth, would have rendered me fearless.  But I replied with a protest, which I felt was due to all the
order of the court.
The times are grave and threatening, if you will.
Within here governments do not change, political
faith is not cancelled.  The magistracy consults the
L.ws and its own conscience; it judges, not governs;
it moderates passions, not seconds them. I do not
fear for those whom  I recommend to you, much
less do I fear for myself.  Indeed, I think that having defended them  makes me worthy of your consideration.
For I did not come to implore your indulgence
for the thief or murderer, who, nevertheless, have a
right to be defended.  I came to confute a vain and
unjust accusation: an accusation that dares approach
the sanctuary of the conscience, the relations of man
with God, the solution of the most tremendous
problem  which is reserved for us after life.  I came
to protect two pious, upright and honest persons, if
there ever was any; pious, upright, and honest, by
the confession of those who have most studiously labored to bring charges against them.
I defended them with that fidelity for which I
pride myself, and which at the beginning of this
grave trial, the President was pleased to remind me:
a fidelity which, as it ought to be a measure of the




REPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL.                171
liberty of defenders, so ought to be measure of your
sovereignty, magistrates.
I defended them  with the full confidence which
the conviction of their innocence inspired; and it is
pleasing to me to repeat to them publicly the homage of my esteem and affection, now that, my office
finished, I recommend them to your justice.
I feel sure you will fulfil my wishes.  For within these precincts we have one only banner, one only
end in our debates: for you, as for us, condemnations
are defeats, acquittals are victories.
THE SENTENCE.
SENTENCE against Francesco, son of the late
Vicenzio Madiai, and Rlosa, his wife, accused of
impiety.
The decree of this Court, of 25th November,
1851, having been examined, and likewise the act of
accusation of the same year, the witnesses having
been heard in a public discussion, the public minister having summed up, and Odvardo Maggiorani,
counsel for the Madiai, with the accused themselves,
having been last heard, the results of the discussion
seem to be the following:That Francesco and Rosa Madiai, born and
brought up in Catholicism, separated from  it four
or five years back, to embrace the religion called




172       STORY  OF THE  MADIAI.
by them Evangelical, or religion of the pure Gospel.
That they lent their house for reunions, and
when the teacher who generally presided at these
was banished from Tuscany, and by means of the
police this sect was broken up, and the number of
those who assembled at the house of the Madiai
much diminished; the meetings, nevertheless, still
continued, and one was held on the 17th August,
1851, when the public force surprised three individuals there, who, together with a child of fifteen,
whom the Madiai had lodged in their house for a
short time, were occupied in reading the Bible,
translated by Diodati, each one having a copy under
his eye.
That in the house of the said Madiai were, not
only many copies of tie said Bible, and others in
the English language, and books of prayers for the
use of the heterodox, but besides, various works of
the same nature, and even many copies of each.
That Francesco Madiai, profiting by the opportunity of teaching the French language to a lad of
sixteen, labored, though without effect, to detach
him  from  the Catholic faith, seeking to persuade
him that it was false, and offering him, together with
his wife, a prohibited copy of the Bible in French
and Italian.
That, also, with others, Francesco held language
insinuating that the so-called " Evangelical " religion
merited preference to the Catholic belief.




THE  SENTENCE.                  173
That with two women who served the Madiai,
and a third who lived with them about eight months,
from December, 1850, they displayed the intention
of leading them to abjure Catholicism, and embrace
the Pure Gospel, holding with all, readings and discourses tending to throw discredit on the clergy, and
the doctrines taught by them, particularly on purgatory, denying its existence; upon the holy sacrifice
of the mass, declaring it an invention of the priests,
and impugning the real presence in the consecrated
host; upon the intercession of the blessed Virgin
Mary and the saints, declaring it impossible, and
dishonoring to God; upon the authority of the high
pontiff, denying his power; upon the observance of
other festivals than Sunday; and upon the ir.ortification, consisting in abstaining from certain kinds of
food, declaring it an invention of sinful men; upon
the sacrament of communion, and upon sacramental
confession, declaring the first misunderstood and
wrongly administered, because it is not true the
changing of the bread and wine, and because the
wine ought not to be denied to the laity; and reproving the second, because made to man and not
to God.
That with one of these women, older than the
others, who generally maintained the discussion
upon such matters, their attempts were of no effect.
That with the younger, needy and very ignorant,
aided with pecuniary assistance, and by continued
15*




174       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
instruction, together with books adapted to their intentions, the result was serious doubts upon the true
faith. That with the third, little more than twenty
years of age, and removed from all religious instruction, they succeeded in making her abandlon the true
religion, to adopt that professed by her mnasters.'That the Madiai also gave themselves the trouble of
teaching her to read, that she might be able to understand the books which they afterwards supplied,
namely, the Bible, translated by Diodati; and another,
entitled " Book of Common Prayer," printed in
London, in 1848, by the "Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge," in which are found
those maxims and doctrines condemned by the Catholic Church, which the Madiai had verbally taught,
particularly that the existence of purgatory and the
worship of images are foolish inventions, that in the
sacrament of the eucharist there is not any transubstantiation, and other similar notorious heretical
depravities above mentioned.
That the same young woman, admitted to the
reading of the Bible, which they did together, commenting on it in the way already mentioned, abandoned the practice of the Catholic worship, and to
obey the injunctions of Madame Mcadiai, who accused
her of idolatry, she left off using the rosaries which
she possessed, partook twice (being conducted to the
place by Madame Madiai,) of the communion made
by them, in commemoration of the last supper, and




THE  SENTENCE.                  175
did not awake from  her error till reconducted to
her paternal house for a few days, and carrying with
her the Italian Bible; this being found, caused the
discovery of her wanderings.
That the Madiai denying that sectarian meetings were held at their house, acknowledge that a
few friends there met together to attend to the practices of the newly-embraced religion, and declare the
apostasy of the young woman in their service to
have been made spontaneously by her, and not in
consequence of their insinuations.
That notwithstanding this, neither their opposition nor the witnesses brought forward, have succeeded in destroying the facts objected against them
in the accusation.
That Francesco has suffered imprisonment for
the present procedure, from the 17th August 1851,
and Rosa Madiai from the 27th of the same month
and year.
Whereas, with regard to the Madiai, accused of
impiety committed by means of proselytism, it appeared foreign to the question all that referred to
liberty of conscience and religious toleration, because
the first is not offended when the citizens are commanded to render an account merely of external
acts, and the latter is guarded, not trampled upon,
when it seeks to hinder others from being seduced
to abandon the religion they profess.
Whereas, precisely for this, the penal laws, agree



176        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
ably with the ceclarations of the clearest writers,
recognise in proselytism a crime civilly imputable.
Whereas, resulting from  the preceding facts, it
is undeniable that the Madiai labored on many different occasions, and even with success, to make
proselytes to the religion newly embraced by them,
it only remained to be considered whether in such a
fact existed the extremes required by the 60th Art.
of the law of 30th November, 1786, for the application of its penal ratification.
Whereas, the extreme of guilty intention in such
a crime occurs whenever the intention of the agent
is directed to increase the ranks of dissenting sects,
to the prejudice of the religion of the state, and that
of evil done according to the facts now established
in our jurisprudence, it is certified that these acts,
though not committed in public places, have been
done in the presence of many persons, and are extensively propagated; and engendered a grave scandal.
It is declared evident that impiety was committed
by Francesco and Rosa. Madiai by means of proselytism to the so-called Evangelical confession, or religion of the pure Gospel, to the prejudice of the
Catholic religion, predominant in the Grand Duchy,
hi the time and way above mentioned.
And whereas the crime of impiety, by means of
proselytism, is manifestly contemplated by the 60th
article of the law of the country of 30th November,
1786, and is repressed never with less than most




THE SENTENCE.                 177
exemplary punishment; of which, all the circumstances of the case being considered, it appears that
the second degree is proportioned to the delinquency,
represented in virtue of successive laws, by the nature and amount of penalty afterwards mentioned.
Whereas the deductions of the defence have all
been replied to by the previous proposition of facts
and consideration of right.
The following articles having been examined;
the 60th of the law of 30th November, 1786; 1, 4,
9, 14 of the Decree of 4th March, 1849, confirmed
by the other of 5th May following, and 34 and 35
of the police regulations of 22d November, 1849,
and 55 of the above-mentioned law of 30th November, 1786, &c.
Francesco, son of the late Vincenzio Madiai, and
Rosa, his wife, are condemned, the former to the
punishment of 56 months' seclusion in the prison of
forced labor at Volterra, and the latter to 45 months
of Ergastolo (the female galleys) calculated in the
one case from the 26th of November, 1851, and in
the other from the 27th of the same month and year;
they are likewise condemned to pay the expenses of
the trial, and made subject to the surveillance of the
Police for three years after the completion of their
imprisonment.  Such was the termination of this
important trial.




178      STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
OPINIONS  OF  THE   LAWYERS.
The case of the Madiai having been considered
and examined by the Signori Salvagnoli, Mori, and
Galeotti, three celebrated lawyers of Florence, they
having also seen the heads of the defence, gave their
full approbation of the ground on which the defence
was made, and their conviction of its justice.
The first says:-" The State must be laic not
atheistic. And being laic and not atheistic, whether
one religion is fixed as its own or not, it can impose
none on the citizens, and ought to preserve the public worship or private exercise of every religion.
Coming to the case under examination, I cannot but
approve of the proofs brought forward by the learned
counsel, and I add my firm opinion that no action,
recognized as criminal by our laws, can be imputed
to the Madiai."
The others add: —" HaIving examined, with the
greatest diligence, the cause of proselytism charged
against the Madiai, we are persuaded that not only
do these charges, in fact, not exist, but that in this
case may be justly claimed the fundamental principles of public right.  Therefore, fiom  a sense of
truth, and with firm  and tranquil conviction, we
agree to the line of defence adopted by the learned
counsel of the Madiai."




ADDITIONAL FACTS.               17t
Additional Facts Relating  to the  Trial.
We give, from authentic Italian sources, the following notices of the trial, which will be read with
interest.
The presiding judges (as there was no jury) were
Sig. Nervini, who, during the whole trial, appeared
very bitter against the culprits; Cocchi, the interrogating Judge, the same who received a hard rebuke
during the State trial of Guerrazzi; and Bicchierai,
the public prosecutor.
At ten o'clock, A. M., the gendarmes brought
three prisoners into the court-Pasquae Casacci,
the informer, was the picture of an unhappy man;
Francesco Madiai appeared happy to see his wife
again, and pressed her hand; and Rosa (his wife)
was pale, and trembled with emotion. The few
persons present were surprised, and moved with the
tranquillity and firmness of the two accused.
At the commencement of the trial, the presiding
Judge asked from Francesco Madiai if he was born
in the bosom of the Holy Mother, the Roman Catholic Church.
A. Yes, sir, was the reply; but now I am  a
Christian according to the Gospel.
Q. Who has made you such, and does there
exist an act of abjuration amongst those you are
united to?
A. My convictions have existed for many years,




180       STORY  OF THE MADIAI
but have acquired strength from the study of the
word of God.
Q. Who advised you to leave the Catholic faith?
A. Nobody; it has been a matter between God
and my own soul.
Q. Have you ever made a public abjuration?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. When and how 
A. When I took the communion in the Swiss
church.
Q. Have you distributed among the people any
publication contrary to the dogmas of the Roman
church?
A. No, sir; the tracts I gave people to read
contained only passages of the Holy Scriptures, but
nothing of controversy between the two communions.
Q. Did you ever hold religious meetings in your
house?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What did you say and do?
A. That we were all believers in the Evangelical
church, and as such we used to congregate and pray.
Here Casacci said to the President that many
were Catholics, and Francesco Madiai and Rosa (his
wife) persuaded them to leave the Papal church.
Q. What have you to say, Francesco Madiai,
against the deposition of the present witness?
A. Those who were yet Catholics desired to be.




ADDITIONAL FACTS.               181
come acquainted with the eternal truth, and under
such circumstances I could not refuse them admittance to my house.
Q. Have you ever had any religious controversy
during the time you spoke against the church?
A. Yes, sir, only when I was provoked; I spoke
of the dogmas of the church as contrary to the Bible,
but have never used, during this conversation, any
disrespectful language.
Hereupon the President ordered Francesco Madiai to sit down. His wife was called to stand up.
Q. Have you changed your religion for any material object?-did you ever receive any pecuniary
remuneration.?
A. No, sir; I have not changed my former
religion lightly, or to please men; in such a case I
could have done it when I was in England, where I
lived seventeen years.
Q. What, then, could induce you to take that
step?
A. The reading of the Bible convinced me of the
error and contradictions of the Romish doctrines.
Here the presiding Judge imposed silence on the
prisoner.
Q. Have you ever made any public abjuration?
A. Yes, sir; as soon as I became firmly convinced
of the truth of the Evangelical doctrine I abandoned
the church, and made a public confession of faith by
partaking of the Lord's Supper.
16




182     STORY OF THE  MIADIAI.
Q. Where did the public confession take place?
A. In the Swiss chapel, at Florence, when the
former laws of our country gave and protected religious liberty.
Q. Have you, at any time, called the Holy
Apostles men of hatred?
A. No, sir; that accusation is totally untrue.  I
have never been guilty of such a thing, and shall
prove the contrary by the words of St. Luke, chapter
xxii, from verse 28th to 31st. But the Judge interrupted Rosa Madiai, saying, "We are not speaking
about religion now." The defendant replied,'" As I
am accused of religion, I am to answer and defend
myself on that subject."
The President, with a stern look, bid her silence,
for the second time.
Q. Have you ever said that the Christian religion has but eight commandments, and that our
creed allows fornication?
The prisoner hereupon rose indignantly, and
said, in a high tone of voice, that as her only reply
to that infamous charge, she should be allowed to
say the Ten Commandments, in order that they
might judge whether there were eight or ten.
"Silence!" was answered by the court; upon
which, being angry, the defendant replied, "that it
was not justice to impose silence on one's own defence."
The Judge appeared  somewhat milder, and




ADDITIONAL FACTS.                183
asked the prisoner if she and her husband observed
the ten Commandments?
" Certainly," she answered, "as God dictated
them to Moses on Mount Sinai."
Here the word "silence" was repeated, and the
examination of Rosa Madiai was closed by the
Judge saying " that is sufficient."
The small audience, composed of a few English
gentlemen, who had been admitted through the influence of Sir Henry Bulwer, were struck with the
simplicity and sincerity of the Madiai.
On the following day the witnesses were examined.  On the 6th of June Sig. Maggiorani announced to the court that he was ready for the defence, which he made with so much warmth and
feeling as to draw tears even from the eyes of the
prosecuting attorney.
Pasquae Casacci, who denied everything, was
acquitted of the criminal charge, but was detained
to answer two questions against him, by the police,
according to the law of April, 1851.
The conduct of the Madiai, during their trial,
did them the greatest honor, and awakened the admiration of the audience. They listened to the sentence with great firmness and dignity. Francesco
was in perfect peace, and received the final blow in
a spirit of holy submission; and the only expression
of suffering was squeezing the hand of a friend near
by, saying-" There is need of patience-and the




184      STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
comfort, the joy of the HIoly Spirit never changes
with me, however it may with my poor body.  I
am always happy.  God has been with me all the
time of my imprisonment, and He will always be
with me as long as I remain in prison, and I am
as sure HIe will be with me unto death."
Conduct of the Prisoners after the Trial.
Rosa Madiai, as soon as she returned to the Bargello prison, knelt and prayed for some time; afterwards she wrote the following letter to her husband:
"MY DEAR MADTAI. -You know that I have always loved you; but how much more ought I to
love you now, that we have been together in the
battle of the Great King-that we have been beaten,
but not vanquished.  I hope that, through the merits
of Jesus Christ, God our Father will have accepted
our testimony, and will give us grace to drink, to
the last drop, the portion of that bitter cup which is
prepared for us, with returning of thanks.  My good
Madiai, life is only a day, and a day of grief. Yesterday we were young, to-day we are old.  Nevertheless we can say with old Simeon: " Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes
hath seen thy salvation."  Courage, my dear, since
we know by the Holy Spirit that this Christ, loaded




CO.NDUCT  AFTER  THE  TRIAL.   185
with opprobrium, trodden down and calumniated, is
our Saviour; and we, by his holy light and power,
are called to defend the holy cross, and Christ who
died for us, receiving his reproaches, that we may afterwards participate in his glory. Do not fear if
the punishment be hard. God, who made the chains
fall from Peter, and opened the doors of his prison,
will never forget us. Keep in good spirits; let us
trust entirely in God. Let me see you cheerful, as,
I trust, by the same grace you will see me cheerful.
I embrace you with my whole heart.
"Your affectionate wife,
"ROSA MADIAI."
Before leaving the Bargello for his final impri
sonment, Francesco Madiai applied to be allowed to
carry with him a supply of clean linen, clothes, &c.
But this was not permitted.  He smiled, saying,
" Well, all things according to the will of God." He
spoke very laudably of his wife, and requested a
friend to tell her, " that his prayer was that God
would go with them to their prisons, and that he felt
sure that God would be their companion there." He
was not allowed to see his wife, but was conveyed to
his goal of Volterra, and thrown among criminals.
A few days after he was removed from the common
galleys, and put into cellulary confinement.
The same gentleman who had visited Francesco
Madiai while in the city prison, went to see his wife,
who, hearing of the sudden departure of her husband,




186        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
became much oppressed; and her mind was also
tortured by the idea, that, at her advanced age, hav.
ing always lived amongst virtuous and religious people, she should now be thrown with females of bad
conduct.  At the same moment, and almost unexpectedly, the prison-keeper brought a message from
the police that Rosa Madiai should be taken away
from the Bargello and carried to the prisons of
Lucca.
At this dreadful notice, in presence of all the attendants and yendarmes, she burst into fervent prayer, asking God for more faith, more love to Jesus.
Her kind lawyer, Signor.Maggiorani, promised to
go to Lucca to see that everything that could be
permitted should be provided for her: and the physician, who was also present, said that, although it
was unusual, he would give a certificate as to the
state of her health requiring diet different from that
of the common prisoners, as absolutely important
to her life.
Having quickly dressed herself, she asked for
her bonnet, and to a remark made by one of the
jailors, why she did not comb her hair, answered,
" For what use, as in a few hours they will cut it off."
She bid farewell to all those assistants, and told an
English gentleman, in whose service she had been,
" Reeme ber me to all the brethren, and tell them,
should, they be called to follow us, to bear what may
be appointed them to suffer, but never to forsake




CONDUCT AFTER  THE TRIAL.   187
their God."  This advice was addressed to the numerous prisoners who were yet under trial in the
several prisons of Florence, accused of the same
crime for which the Madiai had been condemned.
A special order of the Tuscan government prescribed  that the MAadiai should be entirely  deprived of all religious service and books of their
faith, nor should any Protestant clergyman be allowed to visit them —a rule which is not even applied in the same country to the worst criminals.
They were soon separated from  all the prisoners,
and kept in a private and solitary cell-the husband
on the hills of Volterra, and the wife at Lucca, a distance of fifty miles.  When they are allowed to
walk about, it is in a yard, surrounded by walls
from which you see nothing but the sky.
Dressed after the manner of all criminals, for the
first weeks they were nourished with the common
and unhealthy victuals of the prison, and it was but
lately that they were allowed to receive victuals from
without.  In the cell of Rosa Madiai can be seen a
large chain hanging to the wall, as a threat in case
she should rebel against the prison discipline.
Not long after her arrival at her new prison-house
in Lucca, Madame Madia' wrote the following letter
to her husband at Volterra:
"The news I received of your being better, gave
me great pleasure, and many were the tears of joy
which bathed my cheeks, for two reasons-first, be



188      STORY  OF THE MADIA1.
cause God has made you worthy of suffering with
His beloved Son-second, because He restores your
health.  Oh, if we knew how to appreciate these
humiliations that we suffer, from  having acknowledged that there is but one Mediator between God
and man! My dear, you say that we expect grace;
but allow me to tell you that we have already
received that great grace, when, after being separated
by force, driven from our dwelling, and our property
dispersed as dust before the wind, we have been reduced, you see, to what a state; and yet, with all
this, we would not, for all Pharaoh's treasures, as also
Moses would not, lose that holy gift which the Holy
Ghost has, through His grace, made us, of believing
in His divine Word. This, I call a grace, and a very
great one. If a star is to shine, it will be the star of
justice. We have done no harm to any one; on the
contrary, we were injured, having been sold for a few
dollars. Our accusers are descendants from Judas.
I fear for their souls. I pray that God grant them
the tears of Peter, not the punishment of Judas, and
that they may one day enjoy the eternal happiness
which has been purchased. Were they to come and
ask alms from me, I would give it to them as I did
formerly, and may God help us! Amen. My dear,
let us be ready to do the Father's will, as His Son,
our Master, did it.  Let us not torment ourselves.
Peter trembled while walking on the sea, fearing the
flowing of the waters, and forgot that if the Saviour




EFFECT  OF THE CONDEMNATION. 189
walked towards him, on the same waters, he was not
to fear; he feared and cried out-' Lord, save me!'
The beneficent hand helped him, saying,' Man of
little faith, why fearest thou V' If the waves of this
earth cause us to fear, more shame for us; let us remember the sacred words:'Although I were to
walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I would
fear no evil, for Thou art with me.' My dear, rest
in the Lord for welfare as well as for sufferings.
Every thing passes away. Eternity is the most essential part.  Be cheerful, and try to recover.  God
bless you, and cover you under the shade of His
wings, for the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
"Your affectionate wife,
" ROSA MADIAI."
The Effect of the Trial and Condemnation
upon the Christian Public.
The news that the Madiai had been condemned
for having become Protestants, and for proselytism
against the Papal Church, (for it amounted to that,)
awoke the indignation of all Protestant countries,
and even of liberal Roman Catholics, as may be seen
from an elaborate article which appeared in the
Journal des D&bats of Paris. At a meeting of the
Swiss Evangelical Alliance, held in Geneva, Professor Gaupen was deputed to write to the Earl of
Shaftesbury, as President of the "Protestant Alli



190     STORY  OF THE MADIAI.
ance' in England, and request the British Christians
to take up the case. This led to the holding of public meetings of sympathy in London and other principal cities on the British Isles. Similar meetings
were held on the Continent. The Earls of Roden
and Cavarn and Captain Trotter, were appointed
members of a Deputation to'the Grand Duke of
Tuscany, to intercede in behalf of these persecuted
people. Deputies were also appointed on the Continent, and in the latter part of October, 1852, these
gentlemen were on their way to Florence. The
Deputation was as follows:FROM ENGLAND.-The Earl of Roden, Peer of
England; Lord Cavan, Peer of Ireland; and Captain
Trotter.
FRANCE.-Count Agenor de Gasparin, Deputy of
France under Louis Philippe; and M. De Mimont,
ex-Captain of Etat the Major.
GERMANY.-Count de Bonin, Captain of the Royal Guards of his Majesty the King of Prussia; and
Count Albert de Pourtales, former Minister at Constantinople.
HOLLAND.-Mr. Elout de Soetherwoude, Chancellor of the Royal Court of Amsterdam.
SWITZERLAND.-Colonel Tronchin and Count de
Saint George.
Upon the arrival of these distinguished men at
the Tuscan capital, the following correspondence
took place.




EFFECT OF  THE CONDEMNATION. 191
" FLORENCE, Oct. 24, 1852.
To His Excellency the Duke of Casigliano,
Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Tuscany.
"SIRn-We apply to your Excellency in order
that you may beg of his Imperial Highness to grant
us an audience.  We wish to have the honor of
placing before him the expressions of sympathy that
Mr. and Mrs. Madiai have obtained in every Protestant community.  We come as simple delegates of
Evangelical Christians of several countries. We acknowledge that as such, we have no right to implore
the favor of a reception from his Imperial Highness;
we consider it as an important point that a religious
attempt be not misunderstood for an intervention,
or, as we would term it, a political expression. For
this purpose we come without the mediation of any
ministers accredited to the government of the Grand
Duchy, hoping that our demand will meet with a
welcome acceptance, being only in our own name.
" His Imperial Highness will, no doubt, appreciate
the sentiment which such demeanor inspires us with,
as well as that which induces us to recommend,
most respectfully, to his consideration, Mr. and Mrs.
Madiai.
"Receive, Duke, the assurance of our most profound esteem,     RODEN,    A. DE GASPARIN,
CAVAN,.   F. DE MINONT,
TROTTER."




192       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
Answer of the Minister.
" FLORENCE, October 25, 1852.
"MY LORD,-I have placed before my sovereign
the letter addressed to me on the 24th inst. by several distinguished persons, among whom  appears
your name.  His Imperial and Royal Highness appreciates your form of request, as he certainly would
have deprecated any political expression, and the
honorable diplomatic agents residing near this court
would doubtless have reprobated such a course.
"The two mentioned Madiai, husband and wife,
Tuscan subjects, have been condemned by the ordinary tribunals to five years imprisonment, for the
crime of Protestant propaganda, which is punished
by our laws, as it attacks the religion of the State.
The punishment inflicted on them is merely the application of those same laws, and their appeal has
been rejected.
" His Imperial and Royal Highness, reserving to
himself the power of exercising his high privilege in
the manner he considers most convenient, could not
allow the intervention of any one whatsoever in an
affair which concerns the administration of justice in
our States, and his manner of proceeding towards
his own subjects. My royal sovereign, aware of the
benevolent sentiments with which you are inspired




EFFECT  OF THE CONDEMNATION.  193
in taking this step, but not considering that he must
allow an intervention of any kind in this transaction,
directs me to inform  you, my lord, that he is sorry
not to be able to grant the audience implored by
yourself and the others who have signed the letter
addressed to me.
"Receive, my lord, and communicate to those
gentlemen, the assurance of my very profound esteem.           TIE DUKE OF CASSIGLIANO."
"To the right Honorable, the Earl of Roden,
Peer of England, at Florence."
As soon as the deputation, who were in permanent sitting, had received this answer, they agreed to
write an address to the Grand Duke, and sent it, as
is customary, enclosed in the following letter to the
Minister of Foreign Affairs:"To His Excellency the Duke of Casigliano,
Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Tuscany,"
SIR,-' We have received the letter by which
your Excellency does us the honor of informing us
that His Imperial Highness has appreciated the form
given to our request, and does not, however, think
of granting us the implored audience, but reserves
to himself the use of his high privilege in the way
which he will consider most convenient.
" All that remains for us to do now is to perform
our mission as well as we can, by conveying to your
Excellency the expressions of those  sentiments




194       STORY  OF THE MADIAI.
which we had been charged with presenting to His
Imperial Highness, and had placed in the enclosed
address.
"We hope that if His Imperial Highness will
vouchsafe to read them, he will perceive nothing but
what is becoming to the religious character of our
peaceful intervention, and the profound respect that
abides within us.
" Please, accept Duke, this new testimony of our
very profound esteem.
RODEN,        A. DE GASPARIN,
CAVAN,       A. DE BONIN,
TROTTER,    DE MIMONT."
"P. S.-In order not to make your excellency
wait for the answer which is due to you by us, we
sign this letter before the arrival of the other deputies, who are already on their way to Florence, and
whom we consider as here present, aware of our demand. They are Albert de Pourtales, from Berlin;
Colonel Tronchin; the Count of St. George, from
Geneva; and the Counsellor Elout de Soetherwoude,
from Amsterdam."
ADDRESS.
"IMPERIAL AND ROYAL HIGHNESS.-Your Imperial and Royal Highness knows with what views we




EFFECTS  OF THE CONDEMNATION. 195
have the honor of appearing before you.  WVe not
only abstained from having recourse to a diplomatic
intervention, which would have compromised the
exclusively religious character of our mission, but
we openly show, from this very moment, the wish
that this mission may never henceforth serve as a
pretext to any political action.
We are but simple Christians, and representatives of millions of other Christians, who use no
other arms than prayer, no other strength than that
of their Divine Master. Our embassy is quite of a
new kind, and we believe is to be considered as a
testimonial of respect which is shown to the Prince
to whom it is addressed.
"Our brethren have said to us:-Go, not in the
name of this or of that Protestant power, but in the
name of the Lord Jesus; go and acquaint the sovereign of Tuscany with the expression of profound
sympathy excited by the condition of Mr. and Mrs.
Madiai; we hope that such general sympathy will
be taken into consideration by your Imperial and
Royal Highness.
" We will not attempt, your Highness, to judge
about the convenience of the law, nor its application.
It is certainly not our business to meddle with the
legislation  or administration of justice in your
States.  We only feel the want of adding a word of
justification to our steps, which is, that we never refuse to those contrary to our faith, what we wish in




196       STORY  OF THE MADIAI.
favor of our Protestant brethren. The Roman Catholic is free in the countries which we represent.
Your Imperial and Royal Highness understands the
meaning of these words.  How could we ever have
dared to address you this petition in favor of our
brethren, the Madiai, if we knew not how to accept
the condition of granting freedom to Roman Catholies? We should have omitted the profound respect
due to your Imperial and Royal Highness had we
hesitated in speaking thus.
"Respect is not only on our lips, but we feel it
in us. The Evangelical Christians who have sent us
hither, have all learned, from a study of holy books
to respect constituted powers, and their prayers for
your Imperial and Royal Highness have joined to
those which are now offered in all parts of Europe
and America for our brethren Madiai.
" We sincerely hope, your Highness, that your
answer will be such as to afford full consolation to
those who sent us.
"RODEN,         GASPARAN,
A. DE BONIN,  CAVAN,
DE MAMONT,  TROTTER."
Thus terminated the efforts of the Deputation,
so far as the Tuscan Government was concerned.
Soon afterwards they left Florence for their respective countries, to make report to those who had
sent them. It would seem that they left Italy with
the hope that the prisoners would, after a few weeks




THE  DEPUTATION  AND  CONVERTS.  197
or months, be released, through the grace of the
Grand Duke-a hope which has been utterly disappointed.
Correspondence between the Deputation and  the
Converts in Tuscany.
Before the Deputation left Florence they received the following interesting letter fiomn  a committee (whose names must remain unknown to the
world) of the Converts firom Popery in that city and
its vicinity, and made a suitable reply:" To the Christian Brethren forming the various Deputations sent to
appeal it favor of' Francesco and Rosa MIadiai, held Prisoners in
Tuscany for the cause of the Gospel.
"Beloved brethren in the Lord,-The evangelical
Christians in Tuscany, greatly moved by the earnest
proof of Christian love shown to thenm  by many
brethren of various countries and languaoges, but
united to them in one commron bond of faith, desire
to express their thankfulness and gratitude for the
love that has led you, unsolicited by them, to come
hither for the sole purpose of endeavoring to alleviate
the sufferings of our brother and sister, Francesco
and Rosa Madiai, now enduring hard bondage for
reading the Word of Life, and for the open and free
confession of that truth, believed and held by them
with that constancy and steadfastness alone worthy




198       STORY  OF THE  MAD IAI.
of those who, like faithful sheep, know the voice of
the'true Shepherd' that died to save them, and' follow  him  whithersoever He goeth;' but for
which steadfastness they are now accused of impiety.
"We believe it unnecessary to recapitulate the
painful history of their long and severe sufferings,
inasmuch as you are already well-informed of all
that has happened to us, and have with so much
love watched all the trials we have been subject to
within the last few years.  You have heard, that
having been bred up and instructed to assume at
least the outward garb of religion, even if accompanied by a fatal and passive indifference, provided
we did not openly question the customs and traditions imposed upon us; many of us became either
solely wrapped up in the political vicissitudes of our
unhappy country, or,'ignorant of God's righteousness,' went about' to establish our own righteousness, not submitting ourselves unto the righteousness
of GOD.'  Romans, x. 3.  In this fatal delusion we
must have remained, had we not had free access to
the unadulterated Word of GoD,' able to make us
wise unto salvation.' It is through His mercy and
grace alone that we now abide faithful unto that
Word, notwithstanding the many trials daily renewed against us by our rulers.  For these, indeed,
we continually pray, knowing the many difficulties
and obstacles they have to contend with from those
who are the worst enemies to the diffusion of GOD's




THE DEPUTATION AND CONVERTS. 199
Word, and whose influence our rulers have sought
to enlist, by concessions in their favor, and by
severity against those who have separated themselves, under the idea that to uphold the predominant religion of the State is the best guarantee for
the peace and prosperity of the country.
" We are truly sorry that at this time, especially,
we cannot personally render you an open testimony
of our gratitude and love for the singular proof you
have given us of your sympathy with our suffering
brethren; but you are well aware that we are not
permitted now even to meet together for mutual edification, and that we are obliged to abstain from
assembling ourselves together, even for the sole pur.
pose of worshipping God, through fear of either imprisonment or exile, and the consequent distress of
our families. We are thus in difficulty between the
laws of our country and the express laws of our
God. Heb. x. 25. We would gladly forego many
of the rights of citizens, or willingly bear any other
burthen, if in exchange we could meet in the name
of our Lord.'" But though we cannot openly and collectively
offer you the expression of our gratitude for the sympathy which you have so manifested towards us in
our trials and sufferings, we cannot be hindered from
offering up our prayers to the' Father of Mercies'
and'God of all Grace,' that He may crown your
mission with success, and may grant us better days,




200        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
when we  may'worship God in quietness, none
daring to make us afraid.'
" If, however, it must needs be that we should yet
sulffr for the trlth, we comnmit ourselves in confidence to our Father in Hleaven, who will not permit
us to be tried above what we are arable to bear, and
who has graciously assared His people that'as
their days are, so shall their strength be.'  Deut.
xxxiii. 25.  And we abide the issue of these trials
with the calni assurance that He who peramits them,
will overrule them  for His own glory, and for our
good; and that the things that befall us shall turn
out, as in the early days of His Church, rather to
the furtherance of the Gospel.
" One other matter we cannot pass by. We have
been accused of making a profession of the Gospel
for the sole purpose of endeavoring to undermine
the present political state of the country; but your
deputation, coming from so many fiienclly States, is
a clear and undeniable proof that we have not been
actuated by political motives in searchinlg, as we
have done, the Scriptures of truth.
"We entreat y ou, tha t when you roeturn again to
your native lands yo-nu will convey to otur brethren
who sent you the expres-ion of olll deepest gratitude; and tell theml that we feeil eilcortilagel   and
sustained by their symnlpthy, and that the moral
support of all tlhe evagtlical Clhristians of TEurope is
of the greatest value and conseque.iece to God's peo



THE DEPUTATION  AND CONVERTS. 201
pie in this land, who desire to know for themselves
the Word of Eternal Life.  Above all things, request them to unite their prayers with ours, that the
Lord may uphold us in all our need, and prepare us
for all that He has prepared for us; and that His
Word may have free course in this land and be glorified. Finally, that in all that concerns us, His will,
and not ours, may be done.  Our trust is in Him
from whom our strength cometh, and whose grace is
sufficient for us; and for the joy set before us we
gladly endure the passing afflictions of the present
time, knowing  that'He who hath loved us and
washed us from our sins in His own blood' shall
guide us at last' to the rest that remaineth,' when'the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall
feed us, and shall lead us to the living fountains of
water, and God shall wipe away all tears from our
eyes.'
"May our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who
hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel, strengthen,
comfort, and bless you above all that you can ask
or think; and to His name be all the praise."
" Florence, October 29th, 1852."
Reply of the Deputation to the Address of the Evangelical Christians
in Tuscany.
"Beloved Brethren in the Lord Jesus Christ.Though we entertained no doubt of the warm sym



202       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
pathy you would feel for us while exerting ourselves
in favor of a suffering brother and sister of your own
body, yet we must assure you df the joy that has
filled our hearts at the address we have just received.
This joy is increased, not only by the Christian character of the sentiments therein contained, but by our
knowledge that it emanates from  a body so numerous that it makes us lift up our hearts to the Lord
with thankfulness for the fact, that even in this land,
where darkness so long prevailed, He has been adding daily to the church those that should be saved.
Acts, ii. 47.
"As our own mission has been throughout free of
every worldly or political object, we have the less
scruple in exhorting you to continue in the same
course.  We know that the more truly you are
evangelical Christians, the better subjects you will
be; mindful of that Scriptnre, that,' Whosoever
resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God.'
Rom. xiii. 2.' Let not then your good be evil
spoken. of.' Prom. xiv. 16. This counsel we would
tender to you, in all simplicity; ever mindful, however, of that last appeal to be made to all rulers in
extreme cases.' Whether it be right in the sight of
God to hearken unto you, more than unto God,
judge ye' Acts, xiv. 10.  followed as it must be,
in manners of conscience, by the reply.' We ought
to obey God rather than men.' Acts, v. 29.
It is unnecessary to suggest to you that we must




THE DEPUTATION AND CONVERTS. 203
all be prepared with patience to endure suffering for
conscience sake.  For us, to hear of your sufferings
is grievous; for yout, it is even'thankworthy; if a
man for conscience sake towards God, endure grief,
suffering wrongfully,' 1 Pet. ii. 19. for (munst glorious of consequences!)'if, when ye do well and
suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.' 1 Pet. ii. 20.  The remedy is in
God's hand.  Ile has already filled the hearts of
those who have not been' counted worthy to suffer,'
with sympathy for those who have; and if ye only
pursue your present course of submission to His
will, and to those appointed under Him-of love for
the truth, strengthened rather than weakened by
persecution; and of close union, as brethren and fellow-sufferers for Christ's sake-ye must not doubt of
that help from the Lord, who has promised to listen
to the prayers of them that ask Him.
". We know that if a man's ways please the Lord,'He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with
him.' Prov. xvi. 7.
6 Already the prayers of hundreds of thousands of
Protestant Christians are raised to Him, not only in
favor of the Madiai, whose sufferings are known, but
for the unknown multitude who, like you, are hindered in their course by those who love not the light.
"That these acts will strengthen and not weaken
your faith, we are confirmed in believing; while we
witness in your ardor of love for the Saviour, littlo




204      STORY  01  THE  MADIAI.
dreamed of by many who have free liberty to confess Him, and to call upon Him, to feast on His
words of comfort, and to join in the pure worship of
Him as the sole Mediator between God and man.
Thus, then, must we continue, in hope, in faith, in
love, to offer up this prayer for you-' The God of
all grace, who has called us unto His eternal glory
by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile,
make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.'"
1 Pet. v. 10.
Lord Roden's Visit to the imprisoneld  1fadiai,
Before leaving Tuscany, the Earl of Roden requested permission of the Tuscan Government to
visit the Madiai in their prisons. The following are
the " notes " which he made of those visits.  They
cannot be read by any Christian without deep
emotion.
Note of my Conversation with Francesco Madiai in the
prison at Volterra, 3rd November, 1852.
" Having arrived here last night, I proceeded at
ten o'clock this morning to the great prison, allotted
to persons convicted of the worst crimes; containing
within its walls at the present time above 500 criminals.  This most imposing building is situated on
the summit of the heights of Volterra, 1,800 feet




LORD  RODEN's VISIT.              205
above the level of the sea. I waited on the direttore,
who received me with civility.  I presented to him
my passport, that he might identify me as the person
whom he had received orders from the Government
to admit to visit the prisoner, Francesco Madiai.
He introduced me to the sub-direttore, desiring him
to conduct me to Madiai's room. We passed through
a very long corridor, with cells on either side, and
reached the door of the infirmary, where Francesco
was confined.  I was shown into a small room,
where the window was on a level with the table,
and there was air and light in abundance. Francesco
rose from his chair when the sub-direttore told him
who I was; he then shut the door and retired, so that
I had full opportunity to converse with the prisoner
alone.  In about a quarter of an hour the sub-direttore returned with the doctor. I thanked them both
for their kindness to Francesco, particularly the latter; and I told Madiai, in their hearing, that I was
at the head of a deputation which had come from
England, France, Germany, Switzerland and Holland, to implore the Grand Duke's clemency towards
him and his wife; that, in so doing, we were not only
influenced by compassion for them, and the deepest
sympathy for their sufferings, but that our special
object was to endorse the principle which they had
maintained, and for which they were now suffering,
namely, that every individual in the world had a
right to read the Word of God without note or com



206      STORY  OF  TI E  M A D IA.
ment; and that that principle was near and dear to
our hearts as Christians.  Neither the sub-direttore
nor the doctor made any remark to this; but the
latter said, that Francesco's health had improved,
that all fever had left him, though there was still
much weakness.  I then told Francesco that I had
visited him and his wife at the request of my brother
deputies, who, together with all who loved and
valued the Word of God, were warmly attached to
them both, and were thankful to God for the confession which they had been enabled to make, and for
the support which He had given them  under their
heavy trials, during fifteen months' incarceration,
several months of which I was aware had been spent
in the Bargello, the common prison of Florence,
where the treatment of them had beer. most cruelindeed, barbarous.'"The sub-direttore and doctor having retired, he
spoke much to me of the state of his health, saying
he was better; but in his weak and reduced frame
I could too plainly see the effects of all through
which he had passed, and, although comparatively
better, I have no doubt that a much longer confinement must terminate in his death. He talked of the
comfort which he had in the Scriptures; he found the
testimony of the Lord Jesus in them  his great support; he cared little for other books in comparison
with the Word of God; he was allowed the Roman
Catholic Bible by Martini, with notes.




L ORD  RODEN S VISIT.               207
"I told him that his wife, whom I had seen two
days before, requested me to tell him that sle was
well.  He was looking forward with great hope to
his speedy liberation, and seemed much disappointed
at the failure of our application.  I said that the
King of Prussia had talken a special interest in their
case, and had sent a nobleman from  Berlin, Count
Arnim, to plead their cause before the Grand Duke.
His eyes then filled with tears, and he exclaimed,' How can I ever be grateful enough to God for His
mercies to me!' He spoke of his own nothingness,
and that therefore it could only have been God who
had. put it into the hearts of kings and nobles, and of
Christians of distant countries, to be so interested in
their behalf. He added, that he felt that he was in
God's hands, and that he would do with him as He
pleased.
"I found in Francesco Madiai a simple-minded
Christian, greatly depressed and worn down by
severe suffering, mental and bodily.  He made no
complaints, and spoke with the greatest respect of
the Giand Duke, his sovereign, to whom, I had previously heard, he had been always a most attached
and loyal subject. lie evidently would have entered
more at length into the particulars of his case, but I
told him that I already knew them.  When I asked
him if I could do anything for him, he said,'Nothing
but to pray for him.' I then offered up a short
prayer with him for the continuance of God's favor




208       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
and support towards him and his wife, and bade him
farewell with feelings kindred to those with which I
had taken leave of his poor wife."
" RODEN."
We subjoin to the Earl of Roden's " Notes," an
extract of a letter from a Christian fiiend in Florence,
dated some wveeks after the Deputation had left, to
show that the Government of Tuscany has increased
the rigor of its course.
" You are aware of the two new decrees, the first
of which re-establishes the pain of death for crimes
of public violence against the government and against
religion; and the second authorizes the police to
search and imprison, without judgment or sentence
from  the ordinary tribunals.  These decrees were
published on the 17th November, and on the 18th,
at five o'clock A..  Angiolo Guarducci was arrested, he being still in bed, his lodgings searched, and
himself taken to the Murate, where he has been for
the last fortnight.
" We have passed many a happy hour during the
presence in our city of so many dear brethren from
several cities; but the sun which shone fbr a short
time was soon overclouded. Lord Roden went to see
Rosa Madiai on the 31st Oct. and Francesco on the
3d of November. Their faithful and alway devoted
friend Mr. C, saw Francesco on the 6th; but some
days after, hearing that he vwas confined to his bed,
and wishing to see him; this consolation was refused




LORD  RODEN S  VISIT.                209
him. Recent and severe orders only allowed one
visit a month.  Sir H. Bilwer's interference, to
mitigate this order, was useless.  We are aware
that since Mr. C     left, Madiai's physical weakness
has been very great. lFor several days he refused
his medicines, and even his coffee and milk, through
fear of being poisoned. On Saturday this gentleman
returned to Volterra to see the prisone —the time
prefixed since his last visit being expired."
1S8,




210        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
PROCEEDINGS IN AMERICA.
CHAPTER I.
A Notice of a Meeting in Metropolitan Hall. Statement of
Facts.-Resolutions adopted.-Deel.aration of Principles.
-Dr. Bethune's Address.-Poiish opposition.-lMeeting in Newark.-Meeting in Baltinlore.-Resolntions of
New-York Legislaturee.Resolutions off United States
Senate.-Mr. Everett's Letter.
Americans had wantched the movements of the
Papal Powers in Europe, and with grief had seen
the recently brightened prospects of the fiilends of
fieedom, and of Evangelical Religion there, rapidly
receding  from  them, and Popery with primitive
energy, seeking to re-establish itself, to regain and to
hold its former dominion, by the most unjustifiable
and cruel measures.  Fines, imprisonment, banishment, confiscation of goods, and death, were conmon inflictions on those who did not conform  to all
its requsitions.  The Madiai fell under its displeasure, but they were not alone.  There were many
cases very similar, which were known to the people
of this country; but by the directions of a.n overruling Providence the Madiai were mnade to hold
a prominent place in the public view.
Previously there had been no little conversation




PROCEEDINGS  IN  AMERICA.                 211
in social circles in regard to them, and an occasional
paragraph in Newspapers concerning them had also
appeared.  But in the Autumnl   of 1S52 a crisis
seemed forming.  Large numbers of all classes who
had been interested il theni, and in their associates
in sufi'ring in Tu.cany for the c ause of Christ, began to talk of somie public explession of American
Sentiments upon the subject.  1T he feeling of sy mpathy for tie suflerers- grew daily in intensity; and
in the mon th of Dece 11nber the public mind was
ripe for the exprcssioni o(  it; deepl and sacred em-otions, its utter abholrrenco of intolerance and persecution on account of religious fiith and practice.
At the sugestioln of ajo milt comm)lnittee fioml the
American and Foreign-  Chl'itiCan  Union, landl  The
Evangelical Alliance, who werle appointed to make
arrangelments for a public Ineetinl  of the "friends
of religiou.- libe rty,"  without remird to sect or party,
the following  call, signd l y thirty mnen of the first
respectability i:; the eity of New-York, was published in several of the leading Secular land Religious
Newspap'clrs, viz.'" The undersigned vwold lrespectfilly suggest the
propriety of convcnling a public nieetillg, to be held
at Mletropolitan Hall onl ii  rilday evening, Janiuary
7th, for thle vIprpo.c of eXpr  i:g thl  synlpacthy of
the Christian cominmuiity. anld of the frinllds of religiou s liberty, writh thl' aldt(ilitii' lta elily a:ld  others,
imprisoned in the GrCland DcUhby o'Tuscca iy for pos



'212       STORY  OF  TIE  MADIAI.
sessing and reading the Holy Scriptures, and to consider wlhat measures may properly be taken for the
relief of their present sufferings, and for their release
from imprisonment."
In accordance with this Call, on Friday evening
January 7th, 1853, an immense concourse of people
assembled at the Metropolitan H-all.  The Honorable Jacob A. Westervelt, the Mayor of the city, presided, and was supported by a large number of VicePresidents, lay and clerical.
The meeting having been organized, by reading
the'Call," and the choice of its officers, was opened
with prayer by the Rev. Thomas De Witt, D. D.
The Rev. Robert Baird, D. D. then submitted a.brief statement, comprising the leading political
events in Tuscany during a few past years-the religious condition of the people-facts concerning the
Madiai,-their social relations, conversion to christianity, quiet and exemplary lives, arrest, trial, condemniation and imprisonment,-and the efforts which
had been made in Europe, but in vain, for their release.
In behalf of the committee of arrangements for
the meeting, thl  Rev. W. Patton, D. D. then submitted the following resolutions, which were received
by the audience with great favor, viz.
RESOLUTIONS.' Whereas this meeting has learned, with profound
sorrow, that Sig. Madiai and his wife, together with




PROCEEDINGS IN  AMERICA.               213
other worthy persons in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, have been torn from their homes and thrown
into prison, subject to coercive discipline, or otherwise persecuted, for possessing and reading the
Bible; and whereas it is believed that general manifestations of public opinion have been found. in all
civilized countries to exert a happy influence upon
governments as well as upon those who suffer:
" Resolved, 1. That this meeting would express its
deep sympathy for these sufferers for conscience sake
in their severe trials, and offer its prayers to Heaven
that they may be sustained by God's grace under
them, and that these persecutions may have a speedy
termination.
" Resolved, 2. That his Excellency, the President
of the United States be, and hereby is, requested to
exert his kindly influence in such manner as he may
deem muost judicious and most compatible with the
duties of his official position, in behalf of these people, in the hope that the Government of Tuscany, in
conlpliance with a respectful expression of the personal wishes of the Chief Magistrate of a nation
which welcomes all who come to its shores, whatever may be their creed, and gives them equal and
complete religious liberty, may at leastt a'!ow Signor
Madiai and his wife to quit their prisons, and emigrate, if so di-posed, to our country, at our expense.
" Resolved, 3. That this great meeting, convened
without distinction of sect or party, audl composed




214        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
of friends of Religious Liberty, avails itself of the
occasion, in this solemn and formal manner, to declare to Europe and to the whole world, that an experience, running through many years, has demonstrated to our unanimous judgment the safety, harmony and prosperity which entire religious liberty
secures both to the State and to Religion.
" Resolved, 4. That this meeting firmly believes
that it is the duty of the Government of the United
States to protect all our citizens in their religious
rights whilst resicinig or sojourning in foreign lands'
approves in the fullest manner of a noble attempt
of a distinguished Senator fiom  Michigan, (Gen.
Cass,) to call the attention of the Government and
the public to this important subject; and entertains
the confident hope that this Government will speedily secure to its citizens, by the express stipulations
of international treaties, the right to worship God
according to the dictates of their conscience in every
foreign land.
"Resolved, 5. That this meeting is of the opinion
that the benevolence which the Gospel teaches and
inspires, should lead the Government of these United
States, and the Governments of other countries
which enjoy the blessings of religious liberty, and
have experienced its advantages, to exert a judicious,
proper, and peaceful influence to secure these blessings and advantages to all nations which do not possess them.




PROCEEDINGS IN AMERICA.    215
"Resolved, 6. Finally, that whereas the Bible is.
acknowledged by all Christians to be from  God,
and to contain a revelation of His will concerning
men, and lies at the foundation of Christianity, this
meeting affirms, in the most emphatic manner, its:
unwavering conviction, that as every man is responsible to God alone for his religious belief, that no
government, civil or ecclesiastical, has the right to
forbid any man to possess and read that sacred
volume for himself, or read it to his family, to his
neighbors, to his friends, and to all who desire to
hear it.
" Additional Resolution. That inasmuch as we
have learned that several of these persecuted people
are in exile and in want, and others in prison, and
that their families are reduced to great distress, and.
some of them to utter destitution, this meeting re.
commends that contributions be made by the be.
nevolent, without delay, for their relief, and that a
committee be appointed to receive and expend the
funds which may be raised."
The Rev. John Kenneday, D. D. of Brooklyn,
N. Y.-the Rev. N. Murray, D. D. of Elizabethtown, N. J. and the Rev. William Hague, D. D. of
Newark, N. J. respectively, and in the order named,
delivered very able and interesting addresses, which
were received by the meeting with very great satisfaction, and warm expressions of applause.
The Congregation then rose, and sung, standing,




216      STORY  OF THE MADJIAI.
to the tune of Old Hundred, the 117th Psalm, beginning " From  all who dwell below the skies,"
when at its close the Rev. E. R. Fairchild, D. D.
in behalf of the Committee, read the following Declaration, which was also received with approbation, viz:
DECLARATION.
" 1. It has been proposed to invoke the influence
of the President of the United States to induce the
government of Tuscany to pursue a milder policy,
because it is believed that the affair of the Madiai
has reached such a point, that, in answer to a kind
request coming from the. Chief Magistrate of this
country, not in the way of ordinary diplomacy, or
as a political question, but as an act of personal favor to him, and as a favor to this nation, clemency
may be shown to these sufferers, and they may be
allowed to come to us. This request is made the
more readily to our worthy Chief Magistrate, because it is within our knowledge that a similar influence has been not once but several times exerted in
favor of clemency by several of his predecessors,
and not in vain. This happened in relation to a persecution, a few years ago, at Hamburg, the massacre
of the Jews at Damascus, as well as in other instances.
"2. With equal readiness should we unite with
our fellow-citizens in invoking that influence in the




PROCEEDINGS IN  AM ERICA.   217
case of any persons suffering for conscience' sake,
whoever they might be, whenever it can be shown
that such interposition, personal rather than official,
would be likely to prove effectual.
"3.,Whilst this meeting, fully believing that God
has given to no man the right to hold error, or practice a false worship, yet that, in this respect he is
accountable to Him who alone is Lord of the conscience, who has given him  His word to enlighten
and guide him, if he will submit to its teachings;
and that no man, no combination of men, nor human
government, has the right to compel men to believe
as they do, " under pains and penalties;" therefore
this meeting reprobates that state of things, in any
country, by which dissent from  the Established
Church is viewed and treated as constructive treason.' 4. It is not the object of this meeting to boast of
our political institutions, or to meddle with questions
of a political nature.  We have no desire to wound
the feelings of other nations by touching questions
that relate to the forms of the civil governmentquestions which we hold, that every nation has the
exclusive right to decide for itself, and may justly
demand that its decisions shall be respected.
"5. Neither have we come together to abuse the
rulers of any country in Europe, or of any other
part of the world; but, appreciating in some good
degree the difficulties under which some of them
and their governments lie at present, we would set
19




218       STORY OF THE MADTAI.
before them what we have found to be so beneficial
to all concerned in our country, and make some suggestions which may (with God's blessing) not be
without use to them.
"6. This meeting would consider the subject before them, not as a Protestant or Ploman Catholic
question, but as one which concerns the interests of
humanity entire, especially the interests and honor
of Christendom.  We desire liberty of conscience
for all, whoever they may be, and we reprobate and
stigmatise persecution on religious grounds, wherever it may exist.  We live under a government,
we are happy to say, whose constitutional provisions
guarantee to the population (native and foreign) the
enjoyment of the rights of conscience, the rights of
private and public worship, the right to hold and to
propagate their religious opinions respecting doctrines and worship in all proper and peaceable
ways-a government which has made no law, that
we are aware of, with the intention of preventing
men from holding or imparting to their fellow-men
such opinions as may seem to them  right on the
subject of religion.
" 7. The religious liberty so fully enjoyed by all
in the United States justifies us in appealing to the
liberality of the rulers and governments of Europe,
to concede all the liberty of worship and of opinion
which may be consistent with internal peace, and
due to national comity. The people of the United




PROCEEDINGS IN AMERICA.  219
States, chiefly Protestants, cannot look upon the
punishment of men for no other offence than Protestantism, without that dissatisfaction which must
strongly act upon all Protestant people, and prepare
a state of opinion which may one day be very unfavorable to the peace of the world.
" S. Still further: the people of the United States,
when conflagration or famine overwhelms with distress or ruin any other people, do not stop to inquire into the religious or political opinions of the
sufferers, but fly promptly to their relief, as has been
twice done in relation to Madeira, and also to Ireland, Scotland, and Greece.  This liberality on our
part entitles us to, at least, a respectful hearing,
when we speak of religious liberty to the nations of
the earth, especially as we have had ample experience
of its blessed influence.
" 9. Christendom has long submitted to a law of
nations.  And even the comity of nations, if it has
not commanded so general an assent, has at least
exerted a wide and perceptible influence.  But a
public opinion of gnations is rapidly growing into
power, and its influence will be far more effectual
and controling than either.  The facilities of travelling, the wonders of the telegraph, the increase of
knowledge, are opening the way for an interchange
of opinions which must remove many difficulties,
and thus bring about a unity of sentiment on very
many subjects on which men have heretofore been




220       STORY  OF  THE MADIAI.
divided.  It will become a matter of necessity that
rulers and governments prepare for this change, and
so modify their laws and regulations as to make due
concessions to this new state of thinls."
The Rev. George W. Bethune, D. D. of Brooklyn, New-York, next addressed the meeting in a
very able and appropriate speech, and which was
received with very great enthusiasm.  That the
reader may enter into the spirit, the feelings, and
the high and worthy ains of the meeting, the following, but greatly condensed report of this excellent
speech, which occupied nearly an hour in its delivery, is submitted:~
DR. BE T1I UNE'S ADDRESS.'The Rev. Dr. BETHEUNE said this was to him a
most solemn occasion.  -Te felt as if he were called
again into the presence of centuries long past.  He
seemed to hear those sublime words rlnging in his
ears:' I believe in the Holy Ghost, and in the
holy Catholic church,  ndc in the communtion of
saints.'  There is but one head, andd but one body;
and wherever there is one who believes in Jesus
Christ, there is a member of that church; and if one
member suffers, all the members suffer with it.  If
we have the Holy Ghost within us, if we have become vitally united to the body of our blessed Lord
by a living faith, there is not one of us whose heart




PROCEEDINGS OF AMERICA.   221
is not bleeding with those beloved Christians who
are now crushed beneath the foot of the oppressor;
and we must, before God, who gave us hearts and
faith, speak out.  I am sure we must all feel it, and
our sympathies must find relief; and if it reach no
further than to give us relief from this pent-up emotion, this meeting is a blessing to the freemen and
inhabitants of New-York.  (Applause.)  I said I
felt as if I were called into centuries long past away.
We read of the suflerings of the primitive Christians
-we read of them  who were stoned and sawn
asunder-who sang amidst the smoke of their fires
-who perished in dungeons with the long pain of
fatal hunger; and, until a very short time ago, we
had felt, as Christians, that these days were past.
There were some prophecies that, interpreted in a
particular light, seemed to tell us that the days of
that persecution might return, but we had been long
in the habit of feeling that those days had gone.
" It is not long since we had the privilege to welcome the stranger among us, and it was a higher
privilege to wolcome those exiles from the island of
Madeira.  Then, for the first time, we were permitted to see the' confessors,' such as are now
canonized by that same Church of Rome.  And'now we are told that two obscure individuals, in
the midst of that church, are incarcerated and treated
as felons, for no crime but reading the Bible. From
my heart I symnpathise with those two persons, that
19*




222        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
brother and sister in Christ; but much remains yet
behind to be filled up of the sufferings of Christ.
There remains vet a necessity for the sufferings of
the people of God, to prove in the first place the
evil of that spirit lwhichl exalts itself against the
Scriptures; and, in the second place, to prove the
divinity of that faith -which upholds the soul above
torture and imprisonment and death.
" This proves that the spirit of that power is unchanged.  It is impossible for an American, brought
up from his childhood amidst the light and liberty,
and privileges which we enjoy in this land-it is impossible for hinm  to conceive the tyranny and oppression which exist in the Old World, and when
we tell him of it. he tells us that we are calumniating
our brethren, and that it is not right to bring such
charges against men because their ancestors in past
centuries have been guilty of crimes, and that the
growing light of science and the interchange of philanthropic feeling have w\rought a great revolution
in the spirit of that church which was formerly
recognized a  aa church of persecution.  Here is a
fact rising up before u:s, vwhich tells us that the
spirit w\hich persecuted the Albigenses is still there,
not dead, but lrampant fand ready, so far as it has the
power, to crus1h nov1, as it was ready to crush five
hundlred years ago.  Am I Iwrong in thlis?  I see a
brothr 1re upon t' he stage who told me  once, in
preaching preparatory to. the sacrament, he took




PROCEEDINGS  IN  ATMERICA.                 223
occasion to explain the fallacy of the doctrine of
transubstantiation held by the Catholic Church, and
that one of his parishioncrs colmplained of his slandering the Catholics; "for we all know," said the
man,'"that nobody  can  believe  such nonsense."
This was the light he took of it, and precisely in the
same manner do we find people believing it impossible that the spirit of persecution clan still exist as it
existed in  f ormer years.  The spirit of Antichrist is
the same at all tilmes.  The spirit of Christ says,' Search the Scriptures," and wherever there comes
a spirit which foblids Lou to searchl the Scriptures,
you may depenid uil-pon it thait there is the spirit of
Antichrist, because it is opposed to it.  (Applause.)
And now we know that tlhis oppression exists, does
it not becoim  us to aid the oppressed?  Are, we not
a republic? and are we- not the only nation on the
face of the cnrti — excet it be the little republic on
the shores of Liberia — in \vhich religious liberty is
entire.  (Applauso.)  Since we are in this country
as republicans, and bearing our testimony to tho
value of repulilican pr inciples in the face of the
whole earth, shoulld we not believe  that it is part of
our mission not only to ernjoy w\hait God has sent us,
but to diffuse it to otlhrs?  Tlis is tho only country
in which the principle of  rligiouls liberty las been
permitted to woirk itsel] oult;:and as 1l our cllhurlces
have flourished a(nd groowa strong, aild be — a ble sing to us under the system, I say it is our duty, not




224         STORY  OF THE MADIAI.
as Protestants merely, but as freemen; to lift up our
voice against religious oppression wherever it may
exist.  (Loud applause.)  Now I wish to speak a;
f w words in relation to the Romish Church. What
is the meaning of the words' Protestant country,"
as applied to the United States?  I now read as
follows:I suppose that at last it will come down to signify
nothing more than that the majority of the inhabitants are Protestants; but has it never occurred to
those who would make such an objection, that majorities and minorities are mere accidents, liable to
change! whereas the constitution is a principle and
not an accident; "its great "-and mark you this"its great and unappreciable value is that it prescribes the duties of the majority, and protects with
equal and impartial justice the rights of the manority.
In this country the constitution of the United States
says the majority shall rule."
God grant it! "Now, in pursuance of the constitution, this is neither a Protestant nor a Catholic
country, but a broad land of civil and religious freedom and equality to all." This is the eulogium pronounced upon the constitution of the United States
by Archbishop Hughes. Now, I have not the honor
of knowing that gentleman personally, but we are
sufficiently well known to the public to warrant my
not waiting for an introduction, and I call upon him
in the name of the liberties which his Church has




PROCEEDINGS IN  AMERICA.   225
enjoyed-in the name of that freedom which every
Protestant in this house, that is worthy the name of
Protestant, is willing to accord to every Roman
Catholic in the lanld-1 call upon him in gratitude to
the Baltimores and Williamses, and those whose
spirits mlade that constitution of ours free from every
stain of religious restraint-I call upon him to join
us in calling upon the Duke of Tuscany to set free
these people.  (Tremendous applause.)  If this oppression be not the work of Roman Catholicism, he
cannot, he will not refuse to join il the extension of
that principle over which he rejoices. (Cheers.) If
he does not join us we shall believe that such oppression is part and parcel of Roman Catholicism, and
that if they had the power here, they would act like
the Duke of Tuscany. This is the point to which we
come.  We have stronger sympathies in one cause
than another, and it is possible that I may have them;
but I verily believe, if I know my own heart, that if
this were a case of religious oppression of it Jew or
Turk, much more the oppression of a Roman Catholic, who yet I hold to be a fellow Christian1-I may
say my indignation would be as strong as it is now;
and I would lift up my feeble voice in advocacy of
the great principle, that, let man be Jew, Turkl, Papist or Protestant, let him alone. (Loud applause.)
Let him  talk with his God, andc let his God talk
with him; and therefore it is not as a Protestant,
but as a Christian citizen of a free land, that I am




~226       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
glad to see my Catholic fellow-citizens as free as myself-therefore it is that I desire to protest against
this oppression, and I call upon my Catholic brethren
to join with me in the protest. (Applause.) It will
not come; depend upon it, it will not.
Every one who knows anything about Italy for
years since, is aware that this very Duke of Tuseany
was so kind, so clement, and so lenient a prince, that
he may be said to have been the best beloved of all
European sovereigns, unless it may be perhaps the
Emperor of Russia, who is regarded with a sort of
religious affection; and I will tell you m.ore, that if
that conspiracy which broke out some years ago to
consolidate Italy into one kingdom had been successful, the leaders would have placed him at the head
of the kingdom. And why?  Because of his liberal
sentiments and kind heart, they wished to put him
apon the throne.  If that conspiracy had been successful, he would have filled the throne as the most
element prince that Italy had.  I have seen, sir, this
ld. man walking with his hands behind his back,
superintending the improvements at Leghorn, and
other parts of his dominions, patting the little children on the head, talking to the working people, and
nodding familiarly to the market-women-the very
picture of a good king.  Has this man changed?
Yes.  At that very time the minions of the Pope
endeavored to use him in oppressing the people; but
he put them one side, and set his fate against the in



PROCEEDINGS IN  AMERICA.   227
fluence of religious tyranny. But he has now grown
old, his brain has become weak, his heart fearful, and
he has changed.  It is not the Grand Duke of Tuscany now, it is the priest.  Am I wrong in charging
this upon the priesthood? The Pope is a priest, and
the Pope is supreme at Rome. Let the Pope decree
religious liberty-let the Pope wash his hands of
religious oppression, let religion be free in Rome,
and then shall I believe that religious oppression is
not the act of the priest, but of the government.
But this very night there is within the city of
Rome, a narrow street, with a gate at each end, into
which is crammed every night from  seven to eight
hundred human beings.  Drive through that street
in the day-time, and you need perfume to keep you
from  fainting, such is the consequence of this dense
population.  Who are these people? They are almost under the shadow of the Vatican.  And this
most Christian  sovereign of the most Christian
Church has the power to set them free, but he closes
the gates upon them  at 8 o'clock every evening in
winter, and 9 o'clock in the summer, and opens them
in the morning at a corresponding hour.  Why is
this? Because they are Jews, and the Roman Catholic religion tolerates no religion but its own.  If we
are guilty of slander-if it seems like calumny to
charge oppression upon those who profess in some
respects the same faith as ourselves, let them wash
their hands of these things.  The Pope ought to be




228       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
the champion of religious freedom.  He should set
the example to the world by allowing truth to come
into contact with error.
If there be a city next to Jerusalem  itself, filled
with consecrated recollections, it is Rome —Rome,
whose grounds are honey-comnbed with the tombs of
early martyrs.  A  little while since, when there
was danger, what did vou see? A sovereign Prince,
the representative of the Apostle-puts on a livery
and gets behind a travelling carriage, and flies like a
lackey! The coward fled! And he whose voice of
authority had roared like a bull from the Vatican,
roared fiom the palace of Greta, like a petted calf!
Are you here to sympathize with a gentleman, a
nobleman? This man who is imprisoned is what is
called a lackey, a hired servant.  This man, when
called to give up his Biblc, did he fly? fly like a
Pope? No; superstition has made a Pope a coward, while the Bible has raised a lackey to the dignity of a nobleman.
HIe now called upon the priests to join in maintaining civil liberty.  But he believed, if they controlled the municipal authorites of this city, as they
do the Duke of Tuscany, his head to-morrow morning would not be worth a six-pence.  And yet, said
he, I here declare before God, that I hope I have the
spirit of my country's history, and have drunk deeply
enough of the spirit of religious liberty, to lay my
head upon a block, and have it chopped of, before a




PROCEEDINGS IN  AMERICA.   229
single hair of the head of the most bigotted Papist
in this land should suffer the least harm by religious
persecution. [Here the audience broke out in the
most uncontrollable applause, and the speaker took
his seat.]
The Rev. S. I-. Cox, D. D. of Brooklyn, N. Y.
made the last address, which was highly appropriate
and well received, but very short, in consequence of
the lateness of the hour.
Having adopted the resolutions offered by a for
mal vote, the meeting was dissolved by pronouncing
the Apostolic Benediction.
Never before in this country was any religious
meeting so distinguished, by the presence of so many
persons of talent, piety, and influence, in the various
walks of life. Its object was benevolent and Christian, and all except the bigotted Papist, infatuated
and blinded by his false religion, were happy in being
called to attend its solemnities. Popish priests, and
others in connection with them, opposed it, and
sought to disturb its hallowed proceedings, and to
destroy the accomplishment of its end.  But the
effort was unavailing.-It went onward to its close
in the happiest form, and its salutary influence soon
began to show itself all over the land.
In Newark, N. J. a similar public meeting of
great interest was held on Thursday evening, the
20th of January, at which the Mayor of the city, the
Honorable Mr. Quimby, presided.  Excellent ad



230      STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
dresses were delivered, and appropriate resolutions
were adopted.
In Baltimore also, a great and enthusiastic meeting in behalf of religious liberty was held on the
evening of the 19th of February following, at which
it was computed that there were present at least,
four thousand people, when the subject was discussed with great ability, and important resolutions were
adopted.
By the Legislature of the State of New York the
following resolutions were adopted, viz:
Resolutions of the Nezw-York Legislature.
Resolved, (If the Assembly concur) That the Legislature of the State of New-York have regarded
with deep solicitude and regret the recent persecutions to which Francesco Madiai, and his wife Rosa
Madiai have been subjected in the Kingdom of Tuscany, for the alleged crime of reading the Holy
Scriptures.
Resolved, (If the Assembly concur) That the congratulations with which the State of New York, formally and by public act, hailed, in 1847, the efforts
of Pius IX, to ameliorate the condition of the Italian
people, and to bestow  upon them  the incalculable
blessing of national independence and constitutional
freedom, make eminently proper at this time a formal and public remonstrance against cruel and flagrant oppression in the same land.




PROCEEDINGS IN  AMERICA.   231
Resolved, (If the Assembly concur) That the President of the United States be respectfully requested
to exert his best influence with the government of
Tuscany to obtain, as a favor asked by a people
which welcomes all strangers and protects all religions, permission for the Madiai, and their fellowprisoners for the same offence, to emigrate to this
country.
Resolved, (If the Assemby concur) That a cop.y
of these resolutions be duly authenticated and forwarded by the Governor to the President of the
United States, and to each of the Senators and Representatives in Congress from this State.
Meanwhile the subject reaches the Congress of
the United States which was then in session, and
was brought before the Senate by the Honorable
Lewis Cass, and the House of Representatives by
the Honorable Mr. Wilcox, particularly in its relation to American citizens, while residing or sojourning in foreign lands: and a few days before its adjournment the Honorable J. I. Underwood, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, at the
close of an able Report upon it, submitted the following Resolutions to the Senate, and recommended
their adoption, viz:RESOLUTIONS OF THE SENATE.
"Resolved, That it would be just and wise, on
the part of the Government of the United States, in




232       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
future treaties with foreign nations, to secure, if
practicable, to our citizens residing abroad, the right
of worshipping God, freely and openly, according to
the dictates of their own consciences, by providing
that' they shall not be disturbed, molested, or
annoyed in any manner, on account of their religious
belief, nor in the proper exercise of their peculiar
religion, either within their own private houses, or
in churches, chapels, or other places appointed for
public worship; and that they shall be at liberty to
build and maintain places of worship in convenient
situations, interfering in no way with, but respecting,
the religion and customs of the country in which
they reside.
"Resolved further, That it would be just and
wise, in our future treaties with foreign nations, to
secure to our citizens residing abroad the right to
purchase and own burial-places, and to bury any of
our citizens, dying abroad, in such places, with those
religious ceremonies and observances deemed appropriate by the surviving relatives and friends of the
deceased."
Before closing this chapter, the reader should be
informed that at an early day the attention of the
Honorable Millard Filmore, the President of the
United States, had been called to the case of the
Madiai, by a Committee appointed for that purpose
in the city of New-York, and his influence solicited,
so far as the duties of his office would permit; and a




PROCEEDINGS  IN  AMERICA.   233
letter was consequently soon dispatched by the
Honorable Mr. Everitt, the Secretary of State, to
the Grand Duke of Tuscany, asking their release.
It can hardly fall, though unofficial, to receive a
respectful consideration; and it may be followed by
the restoration of those pious people to their homes,
or at least, by a permission to leave Tuscany and
come to this country.
CHAPTER  II.
Archbishop Hughes' Letter.
The meeting whose proceedings and some of its
effects are noticed in the preceding chapter necessarily bore with considerable severity upon the Popish
system  of religion, and exposed its intolerant and
persecuting spirit.  The cause which the friends and
advocates of that system chose to pursue, in regard
to the meeting and the objects of it, demonstrated
more clearly than it had been done in this country
before, that these traits attach to the American
branch of the establishment, as really as to the European.  Romanists, in common with all other citizens, were invited to attend and to give their influence against religious intolerance, and in favor of
religious freedom.  They did not comply with the
invitation.  They withheld all cooperation, and in
the way of lectumes, sermonos, and newspaper arti20*




234         STORY  OF  TIIE  MADIAI.
cles, simultaneously put forth throughout the country'in large numbers, misrepresenting the whole
matter, and vindicating the action of the Grai.dci
Duke, in his treatment of the Madiai, sought to
embarrass, if not to break down and destroy the
good influences which the friends of religious fieedom had set in mnotion.
Various pens had ably corrected many of the
misrepresentations that had been made I)y Popish
Priests, lecturers, correspondents and editors, when
the Archbishop of New-York, the I ev. John Huighes,
D. 1. deemed it necessary to bring the weight of
his personal influence, and the power of his reasoning to bear upon the matter, that the attention of
the public might be diverted fiom the real question
at issue, and the Popish operations in this land still
be undisturbed, and the true character of Popery be
saved from, at least, a hazardous exposure.  Therefore on the 18th of February, six weeks after the
meeting in the Metropolitan 11all, the following letter fiom  him, though addressed to the lreeman's
Journal, was publlis.hed in the New-York Daily
Times.  The next day it appeared in the New-York
Heralc, and also in the Freemnans' Journal to wlb'ch
latter it was addressed.  it is a remnarkable document, and shows to what extremes one may be led
against humanity, courtesy, reason and trulth, when
committed by vows to a false system  of religion
and politics, as is the system  of Popery.  The




PROCEEDINGS  IN  AMERICA.                235
reader will see that it counts very largely on the ignorance, credul ity, and forbearance, of the American
peocle; and shows an1 indifit;rence to facts, and a
willingness to mllislead, which are sadly at variance
with lmoral uprightness.  lere it is.
"To the Editor of the New-York Freemrans' Journal."
"TIc he(ilading of this co.nmmunic ation suggests
the matter which it proposes to discuss. No preface or iitrodluction is necessary.  The case of the
Madiai, a; reported in newspapers, had already attracted the attention and active sympathy of distinguished gentlemen, especially in England, previous
to its having been taken up in this country.  It had
been the occasion of Imeetings at Exeter Hall in
London.  It had been especially  adopted by Sir
Culling Eardley and Lord RPoden, who are by no
means distinguished as promoters of religious liberty in their own country.  Under such sanction in
England it would be strange if the movement did
not produce some corresponding action in this country.  For latterly it seems as if the )philanthropists
of this land deelm  it their highest honor to be irnitators of the corresponding class in England.  There
is nothing done by the aristocracy of England in the
name of benevolence and philanthropy, which does
not immnediately pprovoke the desire of imitation
among the aristocracy here. And the only example
that we have failed to imitate is the establishment




236        STORY  OF  Ti-E  MADIAI.
of Ragged Schools, which have become so popular
in London and its vicinity.  This we have not ventured on, although Heaven knows, so far as the title
is concerned, the materials are not wanting.  England, as an accompaniment of the emigration of at
least her Catholic subjects, has not allowed them to
leave her shores unprovidecd with all the requisites
fitting them for admission into Ilagged Schools.
" With tils exception, whatever becomes popular
among a certain class of English nobility and gentry
is sure to be imitated on this side of the ocean.  In
this way we can account for the convocation of a
Madiai sympathy meeting at Metropolitan Hall.
The call of the meeting was signed by some of our
most respectable citizens.  It was attended by a
very large assemblage of persons who would attend
the meetings of Exeter Hall against Catholics with
as much sympathy and pleasure.  The proceedings
of the meeting were in strict accordance with its
purpose, which was to shut off all free discussion,
and to excite an unkind, uncharitable, and bitter
Protestant feeli-ng against the Catholics of the United
States and of the world.  I should perhaps observe
in this place, to the credit of the Protestant clergy
of this City, that if they attended the meeting at all,
it was only in the capacity of silent spectatorswhile the resolutions were brought f(.rward, and
speeches delivered by reverend brethren imported




PROCEEDINGS IN AMERICA.    237
apparently for the occasion, from the suburban and
neighboring villages around New-York.
"I need not refer to the course which was given
to the whole discussion on that occasion. I may remark, however, that it comprised a scurrilous denunciation of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, of the
Jesuits, of the Pope, of Catholic Governments in
Europe, of the Catholic citizens of the United States,
and of the Catholic religion and its members of all
times and places. This was the purpose to which
the Madiai meeting directed its powers of eloquence
and denunciation.  Whether the gentlemen who
signed  the call for that meeting, I-on. Luther
Bradish, Collector Hugh Maxwell, Hiram Ketchum,
Esq., and other gentlemen of equal respectability,
intended to furnish an occasion for denouncing their
Catholic fellow-citizens in this country, is more than
I can take upon me to decide.  From my previous
knowledge of some of these gentlemen, and my respect for all, I should be unwilling to believe that
they would loan their honored names for a purpose
so unworthy of their social position, and so much at
variance with the civil institutions of their country.
I cannot, however, acquit them  of responsibility in
this-that having accepted, or assumed the trust of
calling a public meeting, they delegated that trust to
other trustees, in whom the public could not have
the same confidence.  Other meetings like that at
Metropolitan Hall have already been held in other




238       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
parts of the country, and the probability is, that
Messrs. Bradish, Maxwell and Ketchum, whether it
was their intention or not, will have inaugurated a
Protestant crusade against their Catholic fellowcitizens hardly less violent, or less dishonorable,
than that which resulted from the' Awful Disclosures
of Maria Monk.'
"The wisdom and expediency of giving any encouragement to religious excitements in connection
with civil and social rights, appear to me extremely
doubtful.  The Catholics of this country have had
nothing to do with the trial and the imprisonment
of the Madiai in Florence. What good effect, therefore, will be produced by an attempt, through the
medium of public meetings, to denounce them for an
act which they had no power either to accomplish or
prevent?  Is it wise to encourage strifes among the
various denominations of which the people of the
United States are composed?  Would it not be
wiser to recognize the rights of such denomination
and of each individual, fully and frankly, as they are
recognized by the Constitution of the country.
Some have the same right to be Catholics as others
have to be Protestants.  All have the right to profess what religion they please. And since this is
the condition of all the people of the United States,
is it wise or just to denounce any portion of them
for the ofi'ences, real or imaginary, committed by
their brethren of the same creed in foreign coun



PROCEEDINGS IN AMERICA.    239
tries?  The time may come, and perhaps sooner
than is expected by our wisest public men, when the
United States will have need of the support of all
her citizens.  Who can tell whether the future of
this country may not reveal dangers either from
foreign enemies or from  internal divisions, which
will test the loyalty and fidelity of every citizen, of
whatever religion? In such an emergency the Catholics, in spite of the denunciations to which they
have been lately exposed, will be found among the
fastest friends of the Union and the bravest defenders
of the soil. They have ever been such-and during
the last few years, when even statesmen, not of their
religion, were ready to follow the lead of a foreign
demagogue, the Catholics have exhibited evidences
of self-control, of calm and wise loyalty to the United
States, of a well-poised self-possession which have
entitled them to the respect of their countrymen.
If it be true, then, that from the earliest colonization
of these States, and through all the struggles which
they had to undergo in peace or in war, the Catholics have ever sustained an untarnished reputation,
have never furnished a coward on battle-field, or a
traitor in council: if they have discharged honorably
their civil duties in times of peace, and their obligations of patriotism in times of war, why should they
now, under the auspices of the gentlemen who called
the meeting at Metropolitan Hall, be given over to




240        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
the coarse and vulgar denunciations of the reverend
orators who figured on that occasion?
The charge alleged in the preamble of the resolutions adopted at that meeting, and on which the
resolutions themselves are founded, is that for no
other crime except that of'possessing and reading
their Bible,' the Madiai, husband and wife, were tried,
convicted, and incarcerated by the Government of
Tuscany: if this charge be the truth, the whole truth;
and nothing but the truth; I am quite free and willing to denounce the proceedings of the Government
of Tuscany as oppressive, unjust and cruel.  Such
an act would be a disgrace to any Government,
Catholic or Protestant.  But I must beg leave to
say that I do not believe the truth of the charge.  I
regard it as a falsehood, and I have no doubt that it
will turn out to be so. If this should prove to be
the case, the proceedings at Metropolitan Hall will
reflect but little credit on those who sanctioned and
took part in them.  Observe, I do not doubt the
truth of the statement that the Madiai'possessed
and read their Bible,' but I do doubt and deny that
for this alonve, they were tried and condemned to
prison.  I must observe at the same time, that I
have no knowledge of the circumstances of the case,
except what has come under the notice of every one
who has read the newspapers of the day concerning
it.  I have come to this conclusion on grounds of
probability, which to my mind are not less strong in




PROCEEDINGS IN  AMERICA.   241
their aggregate than positive and direct testimony.
First-There is no law in Tuscany against'possessing and reading the Bible.'  Second-Even if
there was such a law, it is impossible that the Madiai should have been convicted under it, inasmuch
as, in their very prison, they are allowed to'possess
and read their Bible.' It is not probable that any
country would punish an offender for a crime, and
yet allow them  to continue, during the penalty, in
the commission of the same.  For instance, in our
own courts, men convicted of forgery are not allowed
to carry on the trade in the State's Prison. I think
that these reflections will satisfy any candid mind
that the Madiai are not condemned solely, for the
crime of'possessing and reading the Bible.' And
if they are not condemned solely for this, it follows
that the proceedings at Metropolitan Hall are founded on positive falsehood. This circumstance, however, was not thought worthy of consideration, and
the truth would have been rather a detriment than
an advantage to the purpose of the meeting.  The
impression intended to be made by the speakers on
that occasion was that the Government of Tuscany,
the Jesuits, the Pope, and the members of the Cath
olic Church throughout the world have a mortal
dread of the Bible. This would be strange indeed.
To them, the book, the New Testament at least
was originally given in manuscript by its inspired
authors. They have been its witnesses and its guar.
21




242      STORY  OF  T IE  MADIAI.
dians from  the beginniig. It has been recognized
and used by them  as, in so far as it goes, a duplicate in parchment of the doctrines which our Saviour had inscribed with a pencil of divine fire in characters of living faith on the heart of the Church. The
art of printing facilitated its diffision, and the Church
availed herself, with eagerness, of that art for the
purpose of multiplying copies of the HIoly Scriptures.  Numerous editions of the Bible were published in the principal languages of Europe under
the patronage of Popes, Cardinals and Bishops, long
before Protestantism came into being.  The Italians
were well acquainted with the Bible in their own
beautiful language before Mlartin Luther was born.
The first Italian edition was published in Venice in
the year 1471, and forty successive editions were
published in the different cities of Italy anterior to
the date of the Protestant translation which was published, not in Italy, but in Geneva, in the year 1562.
In the very year of American Independence the
Arch-bishop of Florence brought out another translation, for which he received the special thanks of
Pope Pius VI.  In our own country, the Catholics
have published not less than twenty or twenty-five
editions of the Holy Scripture, of every size, from
the folio down to the octavo, many of which are
stereotyped.  Is it not surprising then that our Protestant neighbors will persist in supposing that we
are afraid of our own original and hereditary docu



PROCEEDINGS  IN  AMERICA.    243
ments that have never been out of our possession!
Connected with the case of the Madiai, a new
national policy has been broached in the Senate of
the United States, by no less distinguished a Senator
than General Cass.  This policy, with which the gentlemen at Metropolitan Hall appeared to be very
fiamiliar, purports to us a vindication of the rights of
conscience, to be secured to all American citizens, in
whatever countries they may choose to travel or sojourn.  The ground on which this policy is advanced
is that in this country strangers of every nation are
allowed to exercise their religion as their conscience
may dictate, and therefore in all other countries
Americans have the right to claim and exercise a
similar privilege.  It is hardly necesary for me to
observe that freedom of conscience which is here contended for is inviolable in its very nature and essence.  To say that any man or any nation has
either physical or moral power to destroy freedom
of conscience, is to give utterance to a patent absurdity.  Conscience without freedom  is not conscience, but for this very reason the freedom of conscience is beyond the reach of man's power.  God
has provided in the human soul a fortress to which
it can retreat, and from  which it can hurl defiance
against all invaders. I presume, therefore, that there
is a confusion of ideas in the minds of those who,
with Gen. Cass, plead eloquently for that which requires no pleading, namely, freedom  of conscience.




244       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
That is universal-that is indestructible  that is inviolable. They must be understood to mean liberty
of external action according to conscience; which is
quite a different thing.  This external liberty of action, according to conscience, in all countries, is regulated to a certain extent by the enactment of positive
laws.  In some countries the range is wider, in
others more restricted; but it is limited in all, not
even excepting the United States.  The liberty of
conscience which is recognized and applauded in
Connecticut will not be tolerated (on certain subjects) in South Carolina or in Alabama.  The Mormons have been obliged to seek retirement in Deseret in order to enjoy what they call liberty of conscience.  And the liberty which they there enjoy
would not be allowed them  under the toleration of
the laws of New-York.  Is it expected then, in the
project of Gen. Cass, thrtt they, too, shall have the
privilege of exercising liberty of conscience in their
peregrinations among foreign States!
Again, the assumption of General Cass is a fallacy.  H-e assumes  that the freedom of religion in
this country is a boon, conceded by Protestant liberalitv to all the inhabitants of the land. This is not
so. It is a privilege which was won by the good
swords of Catholics and Protestants in the battles
for National Independence.  It is a common right,
therefore, and is not to be regarded as a concession
from one to the other. This arrangement, in regard




PROCEEDINGS IN AMERICA.   245
to liberty of conscience, suited the policy of the
country, and was absolutely indispensable after the
revolutionary war. Does General Cass mean to say,
that because it suited us, all other nations must adopt
it, whether it suits them  or not?  As well might
England say, that because it suited her finances to
adopt Free Trade, she will insist upon it that all
other nations shall do the same.  Gen. Cass knows
as well as any man living, that until this country
becomes vastly stronger, and foreign States much
weaker than they are, all pleadings on this subject
will be treated as drivelling by foreign States. Oh,
if you have a mind to arrange the constitutions and
laws of European States by the power of armies and
navies, that indeed is another matter. But the United
States will expose themselves to ridicule if they drag
in such a question into their diplomatic intercourse
with foreign governments.
It is a recognised principle in this country that
every sovereign and independent nation has the right
to adopt its own constitution and laws. The constitution and laws of a country are but the aggregate
of general principles applicable to the peculiar situation, protection and welfare of the citizens or subject?
of which it is composed. They may be regarded a;
the public and permanent expression of the aggregate
conscience of that State. Thus, without going out or
our owl; country, Massachusetts has one form  of
public c.nscicce, Louisiana has another. Does Mr.




246         STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
Cass mean to say that an obolitionist from  Boston,
under the plea of liberty of conscience, still has the
right to talk  in  New  Orleans, and  preach, and
harangue, and write, and publish, on the slulject of
Slavery as he might choose to do in Fllneuil  Halll
If not, I would say, x-ith all respect, that the policy
in regard to this subject,  which General Cass  xdvocates in the Senate, is calculated to have no prlactical
efbect, either at home or abroad, except to stir up
sectarian animosities agoainst his Catholic fellow-citizens. and tllis is hardly worthyl of his Ipatriotic services, advanced age, or acclmula.ted honors.
Indeed, I am  quite persuaded that the country has
lowered tf itself i digity, if it be true, as the newspapers have stated, that the President, thrlough Secretary Everett, has become a petitioner, side by side
with Lord Roden, and taken his place of expectation
and hope in the ante-chamber of the Grand Duke of
Tuscany.  The supreme govern in ne     t of this country
ought not to stoop to an investigation, however
sacred may be the occasion, of a political trial in the
petty States of Italy.  In doiig so, it expose es itself
to humiliatioii and rebuke  iwithout red ress.  The
Grand Duke can easil y ask 1Mr. Secretary Everett
certain questions,about the liberty of cons' ci(iice in
this country, w lhichl the latter woild cicd hlilnl f exceedinugly puzzled to a.lisXer.  If the Grancd  lDuke or
his Minister should a.sk AMr. Everett whetler liberty
of conscience is recognized in the United States as




PROCEEDINGS  IN  AMERICA.   247
unlimited-the same in one State as in another-the
Secretary will have to reply, "No."  If the same interrogator should ask Mr. Everett what became of
the helpless female inmates of a certain Convent in
Charlestown, near Boston; who were driven out without accusation, or trial, or condemnation before any
civil tribunal; expelled from their peaceful home in
the depths of night, their house and furniture committed to the tiames.  Can Mr. Everett tell what
happened to them afterwards? Again the Secretary
would have to answer, " No."  Did the State of
NMassachusetts make any compensation to these persons for the destruction of their property, or the
violation of their rights?  Mr. Everett would have
to answer,' No."  Is the State of Massachusetts
bound to protect the individual rights of her citizens?
Mr. Everett would have to answer, "Yes," in theory;
in practice, in this case, at least, " No." How, then,
it might fiurther be asked. do you pretend that liberty
of conscience is extendod to all the citizens of the
United St'ates? Is there any practical difference between the social intolerance which prevails in your
country, where there are so many religions, and the
legal intoleralnce of our lominions, where there is but
one?  It seems to me that the Secretary of the
United States, who has it not in his power to give
different answers to questions such as these, rather
exposes himnself and his native State, if not his country, bv goin all the way to F1lorence to plead for




248       STORY  OF  THE  M ADIAI.
liberty of conscience, while such violations of its
rights have been perpetrated and left unrecompensed
at his own door. Other violations'of liberty of conscience in, different parts of the country are by no
means rare in our history. They occurred in Philadelphia, where churches and convents were burned
to ashes by the intolerance of the mob.  There is
this, however, to be said in extenuation, that at least,
if the civil authorities of Pennsylvania did not protect its citizens from these outrages, it allowed compensation for the damage done to their property. I
fear much that social intolerance is not to be ascribed
so much to the principles of any religion, as to the
diseased moral nature which is the common inheritance of us all. The evidence of this can be discovered
no less in the United States than elsewhere.  There
is among us a superabundance of social and dorestio
intolerance, in despite of those laws of religious freedom of which we are so ready to boast, but which
unfortunately have no power to protect the object of
that intolerance.  Is it rare that poor servants are
driven out from, their employment, because they will
not, against their conscience, join the domestic religion " of State," which the family has made exclusive?
Is it unusual to hear of men disinheriting their own
offspring for no cause except that of practising their
acknow-lecdged rights of conscience? These are matters
with which we are made too familiar, notwithstanding
our boasted rights and liberty of conscience.




PROCEEDINGS IN  AMERICA.   249k
I have offered these remarks not in any spirit of
controversy, but in the spirit of peace and of truth.
There are moments when every citizen who feels
that he can say something, promotive of the welfare
of his countrymen, and of advantage to his country,
is authorized to give public utterance to his sentiments, however humble soever he may be. With
such a feeling, I offer the foregoing reflections to the
consideration of my fellow-citizens for what they are
worth-no more.
t JOIN, Archbishop of New-York.
Replies  to  Archbishop  Hughes.
CHAPTER III.
Mr. Phelps' Letter.
In America it would be ruinous to Popery and
the prospects of its Priesthood to have their hostility
to the people's possession, and use of the Bible,
generally known.  To conceal this hostility, the
chief cause of the persecution of the Madiai was an
important object in the Archbishop's letter; and the
language employed in it was so artfiilly arranged as
to imply that the Papacy had always cherished the
Scriptures, and amply provided for their general
distributions, and that no obstacle existed to theirunrestricted circulation and use in Italy at the pro




250        STORY  OF  THEI  MADIAI.
sent time.  Therefore, on the 23d of February, five
days after its publication, the following letter, addressed to the Archbishop by the gentlernan whose
name it bears, was published in various newspapers
in the city of New-York, and also in a number of
other cities of the United States.  But it failed to
procure from him, or any of the authorities of the
Papal church, the desired information-and this
failure, on their part, must necessarily be regarded
as a cautioned acknowledgement that the Bible can
NOT be distributed among, and read by the people
in Italy, with the approbation of the Papal powers.
But we subjoin the letter:
" The Madiai Meeting at Mietropolitan Hall.' To Rev. Archbishop Hughes:
"SIR, —As one of the Committee engaged in
making arrangements for the' Madiai Meeting' in
Metropolitan Hall, I beg leave to call attention to a
statement in your letter, that the occasion was m1ade
use of'to denounce our Catholic fellow-citizens in
this country;'' to inaugurate a Protestant crusade
against our Catholic fellow-citizens.'  Reports of all
the speeches made on the occasion are easily accessible, and prove that anything more false than this
accusation was never stated by any authority, clerical or laical. The principal speakers used nothing
but the kindest and most respectful language in regard to our Catholic fellow-citizens, and urged them




PROCEEDINGS IN AMERICA.    251
to join with us in denouncing and petitioning against
all such outrageous tyranny and injustice as that
practiced upon this poor family, for conscience sake.
Every honorable man, of the thousands present at
the meeting, will testify to this fact, and it will require something more than your bare assertion to
convince the intelligent and respectable of your own
community of its falsity.
"It is true that a good deal of laughter was excited by the extracts read by one of the speakers
from  your unfortunate lecture on the subject of'Civil and Religious Freedom,' delivered in the
same Hall; but it was all in good humor, and at
your expense.
"In regard to your statement that'the art of
printing facilitates the diffusion of the Holy Scriptures, and that the Church avails herself with eagerness of that art for the purpose of multiplying copies
of them,' we beg leave to ask you which translation
of the Holy Scriptures into the Italian language is
acceptable to the Church, and sure to meet with the'patronage of Popes, Cardinals and Bishops?' and
we pledge ourselves to print a large edition of
this translation, and send it to Italy for gratuitous
distribution.  We wait anxiously a reply to this
inquiry, as our offer is made in perfect good faith,
and we shall be glad to get your guarantee against
the pecuniary risks of our enterprise.
"ANSON G. PHELPS, JR."




252       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
Reply by an Officer of the Amer. 4 For. Christian Union.
The unmistakable evidence of sympathy on the
part of the Popish Priests, in this country, with the
Grand Duke of Tuscany, and their approbation of
his oppressive acts, gave a new view of Popery, and
its spirit, to many Americans, and forced deep and
abiding convictions upon them in regard to it, which,
previously, they had not entertained. In consequence
of this the letter of the Archbishop received a more
general attention than would otherwise have been
given to it; and several replies of an interesting
character touching different parts were published, in
different places.  The following, exposing its misrepresentations and sophistries, is more full thani was
warranted by the objects which the writer of the
preceding one had in view; and was published on
the 2d of March, one week later, in the New-York
Daily Times, one of the journals through which the
Archbishop had given his communication to the
public. If it is severe, it is so by reason of its
truthfulness.
The Archbishop has not answered the calls made
on him in it; and his silence is necessarily regarded
as an acknowledgment of his inability  to make
good some of his affirmations, or to defend the po.
sitions he had taken.  But we subjoin the letter:
To the Rev. John Hughes,
Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York,
DEAR SIR,-In your remarkable letter of the




PROCEEDINGS IN  AMERICA.   253
18th inst. upon the subject' of the Madiai meeting,'
held in the MIetropolitan Hall, in this city, in January last, and' the proceedings in the United States,'
you say:' There are moments when every citizen
who feels that he can say something promotive of
the welfare of his countrymen, and of advantage to
his country, is authorized to give public utterance to
his sentiments, however humble he may be;' and
you offer it in justification of what you had then
written.  You will accept it, I trust, as my justification in addressing to you the present communication.
I have read your letter attentively, and cannot
but regret that you were induced by any consideration whatever to send it forth into the community,
conveying, as it does, the impression that you regard its sentiments as verities, and the belief ot
them, to be promotive of the welfare of the people.
For, with all impartial readers, it must necessarily
affect their estimate both of your head and your
heart, very unhappily; and also do much to destroy
the hope which many had of late entertained, in re
gard to the Church of which you are an honored
minister, and in regard to yourself as a friend of re
ligious freedom, according to statements from youl
pen made not a great while ago.
" It was hoped that the progress of the Nine
teenth Century, in literature, arts, science, and civilization, had produced many and important changes




254        STORY  OF  TIE  MADIAI,
in the dogmas and practices of the Roman Catholic
Church; and especially, that the intolerance which
distinguished it in the' cdark ages  had given place
to what was more worthy of the Christian name.
But the spirit of your letter, the things you have
chosen to say, and the manner in which you have
executed the whole document, make it quite certain
that it is vain to hope, in regard either to yourself as
an American citizeh, or in regard to Roman Catholicism as a religion, adapted to do good to this or any
other land.
"No one, on reading your letter, can avoid the
conviction, that you descend from  your high position, and duties as a minister of religion, who should'study the things which make for peace,' to do the
work which, if uncorrected by other hands, must result in strifes, and hatreds, and divisions, and other
evils.  But it is to be hoped that your movements
and Romanism  too, will be understood, and that
what now seems to be your purpose, will be thwarted.
"'You sneer at England, in the reference you
make to her' aristocracy,'  nobility,' and;  gentry,'and your rudeness, not to say insult, to Americans
in the affirmation that, in their movements to promote benevolent objects they are merely'imitators
of the English aristocracy,' mlight perhaps have been
expected from  a Roman Catholic less enlightened
than yourself, and in the heat of controversy-but
they were not to have been expected from you. They




P  ( CE    iI E   E       I N  A Mr   R I C A.    255
are, h'w)\,' (.. Li....a...f.-v5  pui, t   rl' and they seeii.:,/ igo, iy iX t   o t  a; 0 toi)   O.i:o,c c1ii? iy V   1....
E1tjlanlh,   I knowv, ind1eed, ht  decla re     d r, nld diefended the rights (of cons ienee, the unrestrieted cir(itllation land use oif he loly Bihie. and cosititutionI[ GCovernUmen:1t. too 1fi1m;-1     ad fa ithfoillv, to hope
for favor frool    Ionlani om]asts i11 Continllotal Europ)e, or1
in any Iom (an O(atlholi country; }but you are in the
Ui ited Sltates, the land o f Libarty, and it was natural to expect you to give: yo-r intiuencee, wvlihatever it
3 i.ghl t be, to the Cause o f fireedom, and also that you
(would treat,ith deccIy- acd r espect all your fellow
(cii(zelSo B_ ut vre ae d(.ilsaj),Oi.ted.
" Thtere is no 1' a:ritoc.rt-aye'l known in Anmerica 9
lnd yet youn speak of suc,   class as actually oxisting
-here, anld you attlffirli, It l.lthe e  call of the m1eeting 
originated in a disposition to' imit-ate the Eiglish
Aristocracy.' This rep:resentation is very unhappy.
The meeting:was not called in  connexion with the
meetilngs h eld in Europe on the subjetct, nor in consequence of theiem.  it was c(aled by reason. of the
c laims which  suler'hing  humanityl  urged, and  also
wihich moem.bers of the Christi.an C(, ie,  imrTison 1ed
by a tyrant:, simply  for readiing t1he Bibl)e, ha1ve on
every thing that( distingui sbhed it.
" But suppose it was called in'imitation " of what
had been done in England.  Is' a philanthropic and




256       S   vSORY  OF  THE   A DIAI 
benevolent object less valuable because Englishmen
may have moved frst in regard to it? Certainly not,.
Your philosophy is defective; aLnd yotr sneer alnd
mis-statemt ents are not con-vinlcil'    if an object is
worthy, no matter w ba't nation o' peopleD  move first
in promoting itx all sIhoud seek to advance it by all
the mea>ans it their power,
"But it is )lartie'ulaily paihfnl to see you forcti
the proprictiies. of,  a-!T 1P.' p-tio,,  andll  of Christian
character upon sot   s nll a mInatter as the nonl-establishle-nt, in this colltry, of'.what are termed in England'  a.gged Sre   )cho-ol s,' and appeal, int the flipp1ant
rmanner you tdo to God, whose n mt-   we a  re forljidt.
den  to tlake in vain.'  Wh17 should you beom e excited?  )o yo.ul desire  their est ablihent, ad the
introducltion of(' (i adies alnL' elasses  amiong0 our peopie o   I know it is tholugt by some, that your sylipathies for the peculiahrities  of I u'rlean G-ove-rnmi-ents
are of late grown very stronll; butt thlese shoull  nlot
lead you to sech  use as you ilm e of cthe:n   e of
God.  It savors m- ore of th-,e felins and ianners of
the:irrlligious ind prof.0lne than of those of the pious,
and especially of a Teacher of religion,  You say
that aou lwote,    for the    efire of    yolu coiuntrymenl
and the acIdva.ntatog  of your coluntry   but these cannot be promote d by  such examples of prole'aieness in
the ministers of religion.  If, therefore, you have occasion -to write?ag.in,  1 beg you tO be inore ccare'if
in this respect.  Rude and uncalled for appeals to




PROCEEDINGS IN  AMERICA.   257'Heaven,' add nothing to the weight and influence of
an argument, while their omission is much more becoming the pen and heart of one who is invested
with the office of an Archbishop.
"But I must call your attention to your affirmations respecting what you call the'purpose of the
meeting,' and its'proceedings.' You affirm  that
the purpose of the meeting' was'to shut off all
free discussion, and to excite an unkind, uncharitable and bitter Protestant felingo against the Catholies of the United States and of the world.' You
say, also,' the proceedings were in strict accordance
with the purpose.'
" in making these affirmations you doubtless understood your position, and you will, if called upon,
demonstrate their truth; or, failing to do it, consent
to be regarded as a slanderer.  We are constrained
to call on you for proof; for we must and do deny
your statements to be true.  The'purpose' of the
meeting was as expressed in the' Call.' It was'to
express sympathy for the suffering Madiai, and to
devise measures for their relief;' and this was the
controling idea of the occasion, as thousands of the
most reliable persons who were present will testify.' The proceedings' were not as you represent them
to have been; but, on the contrary, the rights and
privileges of Romanists were pleaded for, and the
defence of them, against all usurpation and tyranny,
pledged by the meeting with as much earnestness




258        STORY  OF THE MADIAI.
and good feeling as were those of the Protestants;
and you, and all Romanists in the community were
kindly and earnestly called upon, to unite with us
in this effort to advance the cause of religious freedom.  You made no favorable response.  You refused to cooperate in so humane and noble a work;
but a representative of your denomination who,
during the progress of the meeting occupied himself, at times, in'hissing' and in other unworthy
exercises, was put forward to disturb, and, if possible, to break it up and to destroy its good effects.
H-ow many were associated with him, and placed in
various parts of the Hall ready to act at a given
signal, I do not know. It is sufficient for me to
know that the effort was ineffectual.  The plan did
not succeed.
" And why do you now complain, and berate the
conductors of that meeting, as though some wrong
had been inflicted by them  on you, or on Roman
Catholics? If you are a friend of religious freedom,
you were invited to attend the meeting, in common
with all others. Did you attend? If not-why not?
If you were present in the Hall, as some say you
were, why did you not come forward, when a kind
public invitation was given to you, and thus prove
your friendship to the cause, and also, to the unrestricted circulation and use of the lHoly Scriptures?
But I will not urge you to answer, why. An answer might force you to tell a terrible truth, which




PROCEEDINGS IN AMERICA.    259
millions, in this land, are now beginning to believe,
by reason of the course which you, and other leaders
of the Roman Catholic Church, are pursuing. It
might force you to say that you are a Jesuit, and
the subject of a foreign Prince, who has nothing
more at heart than the embarrassment of our Republic, in which men are encouraged to act and to
think for themselves,-and further, that you are
bound, by vows you have taken, to carry out the'Instructions,' received from that Prince to promote
Romanism, whatever may become of all other interests. This would be a terrible confession; but still,
if you were governed by the truth, you might possibly have to make it. Would it not be so? Many
do more than suspect it.
" But when you wrote your letter, you probably
would have answered as to your nonattendance, by
saying, that you did not believe that the Madiai
were imprisoned for'reading the Scriptures.' You
said so then. But you will hardly say it now, because it cannot be supposed that you failed to read,
in the New-York Hierald of the 19th inst. a full report of the trial, derived from Italian sources, which
was printed by the side of your letter, and which
confirmed the popular opinion on the subject, and
exposed, in a number of instances, the misrepresentations which your letter contained. But this report
contained no facts that we had not from  reliable




260       STORY  OF THE  MADIAI.
sources before.  Your refusal to co6perate, seemns to
involve more than unbelief.
"You are doubtless right, in saying that'the
Poman Catholics, in this country, had nothing to d~
with the trial and imprisonment of the Madiai;' and
had they been'denounced on account of it,' you
would have been right in proposing, as you do, the
inquiry: Wlhether any good could result from denouncing them in public meetings, for an act which
they had not power, either to accomplish or prevent' But they were not denounced, and your insinuation is highly improper, indeed morally wrong,
and unless you can make the truth of it to appear,
it must react upon yourself very disadvantageously.
The community must entertain such notions of your
honor and truthfulness, as are forced upon them by
the course you pursue.
" I do not deny that the system  of the Roman
Catholic religion, and its Hierarchy, are denounced
in America, and of late with much more severity
than formerly; because its unscriptural character,
and oppressive tendencies, are now more openly
avowed, and better understood; but the Laity, who
have been deluded by the System  and its Priesthood, have not been denounced.  On the contrary,
they have shared largely in the sympathies of American Protestants, who in a great variety of ways
have proved their kindness of feeling towards them,
and their readiness to afford them relief; and I am




PROCEEDINGS IN AMERICA.    261
happy to be able to inform you, that very many
Roman Catholics have availed themselves of this
friendly disposition, and are now happy in the enjoyment of Protestant freedom.  Multitudes more,
we trust, will soon imitate their example, and enjoy
like happiness.
" But to another point;-your apparent painful
anxiety, that'religion' should be separated from'civil and social rights;' and that everything adapted
to alienate the various denominations in the country
should be avoided; because the entire strength of
the nation, as you intimate, may, at some future
day, be needed for its protection. That' the future
of this country may reveal dangers from  foreign
enemies;' and the influences of some who consent
to be their tools, though they dwell with us and
have the favor of citizenship, no intelligent person,
who has carefully observed the course of things for
some years past, perhaps, entertains a doubt.  But
it seems strange to those who have observed your
course, and that of other leaders in the Roman Catholic ranks, that you should venture to read a
homily to the American Protestant community on
this topic. What a pity you had not thought of
this grave matter before, and taken' the beam from
your own eye before you attempted to take the
mote' from the eyes of Protestants! It would have
saved a vast amount of outlay, on the part of Roman
Catholics, in the form of Lyceums, Institutes, Public




262        STORY  OF  THE M ADI A.I.
Lectures, impassioned orations, newspaper articles,'circulars  from  Councils, and such like things, by
which it has been sought to bring Roman Catholics
into direct and bitter antagonism with other classes
of citizens.  It would have prevented also that violent onset that is now made by Roman Catholics in
all sections of the United States against our common
school system, and also that bitterness of feeling
which manifests itself against various American institutions, and. Americans themselves, in the coarse
and vulgar threats with which, at least, some Roman
Catholic periodicals are partially filled. When reading us this homily on cultivating kind and respectful
feelings, and doing' the things which make for peace'
and unity in-the land, had you forgotten your own
course?  Or did you suppose that Protestants had
forgotten it    Tlhey cannot forget it so easily. And
I will venture to predict, that if the course which
you and your associates have pursued on these matters, for some time past, is not abandoned, and substituted by one more kin d and res2ectful to public
sentiment and feeling, anzd the laIws of the land, you
will., for yourselves and your denomination, destroy
that respect and good feeling which others desire to
cherish towards you. You may in time occasion the
rise throughout this country, which is sacred to liberty-civil and religious-of a Protestant party,
with a view to vindicate and sustain American principles, and our legalized and valued institutions,




PROCEEDINGS IN  AMERICA.                  263
against Roman  Catholic violence and abuse.  It is
earnestly hoped that you will not press matters to
this result.  Protestants, I am  sure, do not desire
such a result.  But if it slsould take place, and bear
with consilerable oppressiveness upon Roman Catholics, American Proitestants will be free from  the
responsibility of causing it.  On Piomanists the responsibility will rest.
" But what you h ave said about the Bible, and
the views and usagces of the Romman Catholic Church
in regard to its circulation and use by the people,
should be receioved with con:id.erable allowance.' Your claim  to antiquity as a church, and to
have received tle orCliinal lanusripts of the New
Testament fi'om the hlands of their inspired authors,
is ridiculous ernough, as autlhentic history assures us
that your church had no existe nce till after the lapse
of centuries from  the times of the Apostles.
" It did not rise till the spirit of Anti-Christ,
which began. to discover itself while the Apostles
were present, had had time, through apostacies and
various corruptions of the doctrines and institutions
of Christianity, to furnish the materials, and an opportunity for its formation.  Then it rose in  an
organized form, but it was too late, by several hundreds of years, to receive anything from  the hands
of divinely inspired writers.
" What you say about the printing of various
editions of the Bible in Europe, is very well so far




264       STORY  OF  THE  M ADIAI.
as it goes. But it misleads because more is not said
by you.  To give the true impression, you should
have added that these books were restricted to a
narrow circulation by the enormous prices at which
they were held; and also that those only might have
theml  who could obtain, fiomi the Roman Catholic
Priest, a written permission to that effect. The
possession of a Bible by a person therefore does not
depend, in a Roman Catholic country, on a desire to
have it, nor simply an ability to pay for it; but on
the judgment or caprice of a Priest, who has the
control of the matter.
" What, then, is this but a practical withholding
of the Bible from  the people, by church authority,
notwithstanding the parade you have made of the
fact, that the Roman Catholic Church has printed
various editions and versions of the Scriptures in
Europe  It is, notwithstanding, withholding the
Bible from the people; and in all Rtoman Catholic
countries it is proverbially true that the masses of
the people do not have the Scriptures. The large
and costly editions they cannot buy if they would,
in case the Priest would permit them to do it; and
the cheaper editions, furnished by Bible Societies,
they are forbidden to receive,'on pain of excommunication,' and of ruin both for this life and the life
that is to come.  These things you will not venture
to deny in sight of the enactments of the Council of
Trent, which are authoritative in your Communion,




PROCEEDINGS IN  AMERICA.              265
and of the I Official Bulls' issued within forty years
past by Pius VII. Leo XII. Pius VIII. and Gregory XVI.
" That the Bible should be printed by you in
America is not strange, however hostile your church
may be to its free circulation, for America is the
land where the people honor the Bible as the great
instrument in securing their distinguished prosperity
and happiness.  Opposition, therefore, to the Bible,
professedly and openly made by you, would fatally
affect your prospects and hopes of success in this
land; and you are too wise not to suppress the expression of disapprobation of its free distribution, as
you have suppressed, in the edition which you have
approved for American use, such notes as would be
sure to hinder your prosperity here, if made known
to the public, though they are of canonical authority,
and are published in the editions intended for circulation in Roman Catholic lands.
" In concluding your letter, you speak of a' new
national policy that has been broached in the Senate
of the United States, in connection with the case of
the Madiai,' and which you truly say,'purports to
be a vindication of the rights of conscience, to be
secured to all American citizens, in whatever countries they may choose to travel or sojourn,' and it
appears to meet your special disapprobation, although
similar privileges are secured in this country to
strangers from every nation of the world. You seem




266        STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
to endeavor, in various ways, to cloud the subject, and
so to embarrass it as to hinder its favorable consideration by the people.  But something more clear,
as well as forcible, will probably be recluisite in
order to secure that result.
" You say that' there is a confusion of ideas in
the minds of those who, with General Cass, plead for
freedom of conscience,' and you very kindly tell the
world what they wozuld say, if they only knew how.
This is, indeed, very generous of you.  But I have
looked carefully at what you say about conscience
and its freedom, and I am forced to believe that' the
confusion of ideas' is with yourself rather than with
the friends of the measure contemplated.?  With you,
if I understand your reasoning on the subject,'freedom  of conscience' is the synonym  of'licentiousness.' But this is by no means the view  of those
who plead for its being secured to our citizens in
every nation with which we may hereafter enter into
any treaty; and the phrase will be understood in its
i You speak of" conscience" as an entity-as something
having an existence distinct and separate from the human
soul; for you say, " God has provided in the human soul a
fortress, to which it can retreat, and from which it can hurl
defiance against all invaders."  Whlat then is it?  If it is
something outside of the soul, which can, in time of need
take refuge in "a fortress provided" for it in the souliwhat is it? Is it part of our physical nature? Where does
it belong?  From the following sentence, which occurs in a
subsequent paragraph of the discussion, where you speak of




PROCEEDINGS  IN  AMERICA.   267
true and proper sense; and the thing signified will
be appreciated by the Protestants of this land, notwithstanding all your attempts to embarrass and
prejudice it.  And, I trust that the'policy,' as you
call it, in our national legislation, will prevail, and
ever hereafter be maintained.
"Your statements in regard to some things in
the early history of the United States, it is thought,
need considerable modifications to conform them to
the truth.  With what seems to many an unbecoming assurance, you declare that in regard to thelm,' the assumptions of General Cass are a fallacy.' You
then set up a claim  for Roman Catholics, as the
founders of this Government, and the authors of its
fieedom in the same sense, and to the extent, which
such claim should be accorded to Protestants.  You
put forth a similar claim once before. Then, perhaps,
you might have been excusable, on the ground that
you had not the means to know  certainly that the
claim was wholly groundless. But now this plea can
the laws of a country, viz: "They may be regarded as the
public and permanent expression of the aggregate conscience
of a State,"-I take it, that in your estimation, " conscience "
and "will" are identical. For it is usual to consider and
speak of the laws of a people, as the embodiment or exponent of their " will," on the topics to which the laws refer.
But I may have failed to understand you.  If; however,
"conscience" and "will" with you mean the same thing,
and if you represent, in this, the views of your Church, no
wonder that Rome is intolerant without compunction.




268      STORY  OF  THE  M A D I A.
hardly be made.  That you may'not fall into the
error of affirming these things again, would it not be
well to turn your attention to our history, as a lnation,
a little more carefully? If you have not time to read
extensively, I would suggest that you at least read
Mr. Polk's review of your Roman Catholic Chapter in
the history of the United States, in which its numerous
fallacies are clearly and satisfactorily demonstrated,
and the true state of the case shown.  Roman Catholics, as such, had little or nothing to do in devising
and securing the liberties of this country.
"And here let mIe say, that I am  surprised at
what appears to be your notion of national honor
and glory. You say,' I am persuaded that the country has lovered itself in dignity, if it be true that
the President, through the Secretary Everett, has
become a petitioner side by side with Lord Roden,'
to'the Grand Duke of Tuscany.' In your judgment,
then, the Government may not interpose its moral
influence, in the way of a request that suffering innocence should be released, without lowering its dignity! I had heretofore thought that to do good, and
to seek to promote the prevalence of righteousness
everywhere, whether in nations or narrower circles,
was praiseworthy and honorable to those who engaged in it.  Sure I am, that the Bible teaches such
a sentiment, whatever you, an Archbishop of Romanism, may hold to the contrary. If it would be unworthy and inglorious to seek, by moral means,




PROCEEDINGS IN  AMERICA.   269
which inflicts no wrong, to induce a Government
which is grossly sinning against its helpless subjects
to desist from its course; then I take it that the opposite of this meets your idea of dignity and national
honor. So then you would have persecution to reign
without an effort to check it! It would be the glory
of nations to stand by, and hear the shrieks of the
despairing, the groans of the dying, and the sobs of
the bereaved, or otherwise wretched by reason of
the oppressions of those in power in a country, and
yet attempt nothing for their releif! This may suit
you, sir, and possibly it may be in keeping with the
Canons of your Church; but it is as unnatural and
heartless as it is at variance with the Scriptures, and
with every just sentiment of true national dignity
and honor; but this is not your doctrine when a
Roman Catholic is to be relieved. It is in the remembrance of some, that you asked our Government
to interfere with England, to relieve a Romanist —
did our dignity wane then?
" Before leaving this portion of your letter, it is
due to say that, in point of ingenuity and adaption
to the end for which it was designed, it falls not a
whit below  any other portion.  The Catechism,
which is offered to Mr. Everett with seeming fairness, but so as to misslead the incautious, and give
you an air of triumph, and an opportunity to intimate that public opinion in this country is identical
with the'legalized intolerance' of Roman Catholic




270       STORY OF THE MADIAI.
countries, is an entire evasion of the subject under
discussion.' Freedom of conscience' was the thing
to be spoken about and illustrated; but you have
substituted licentiousness, and spoken as though the
rebukes it received a few years since by an insulted
and outraged community in Charlestown and Philadelphia were acts of violence suffered by lRomanists'for conscience sake.' Those sufferings at the hands
of the populace, on the occasions alluded to, were
induced by Roman Catholics themselves, and the
consequence of many and most aggravated acts of
wickedness on their part.  I have no apology to
make for mobs, but when the causes of them are
misrepresented in order to inflict a wrong on our
national character, it is proper to offer a correction.
If you are familiar with the history of those cases,
you must be aware that I have now placed them in
the true light, as to their causes.
"I do not deny the existence, to some extent,
and in some individual cases, of religious bigotry in
this country, among Protestants. It is a defect, and
is to be deplored, wherever it obtains.  But, I do
deny that'intolerance' obtains with them  to the
extent, and in the form, which your statements and
illustration seem designed to affirm. The principles of'religious freedom' are sacredly guarded
and cherished by our people; and as no slight evidence of it, I might cite your own undisturbed state,
while you preach, and write, harrangue, and publish,




PROCEEDINGS  IN  AMERICA.             271
and say and do so many things which are so entirely at variance with public sentiment and feelings.
Few in the land would say what you, without blushing or apology for its insulting character and want
of truthfulness, have said in the letter under consideration, about American citizens, in general, and
about some of our most distinguished functionaries
in State, in particular.  You furnish, therefore, in
my judgment, in your own case, a fair and full refutation of your assertions about the social intolerance of this land. But I must close. I have written
to'promote the welfare of my countrymen, and the
advantage of my country,' by setting right what you
had put wrong, and restoring order where you had
produced confusion."          AN  OFFICER
Of the American and Foreign Christian Union.;NEW-YORx, February 26, 1853.
Reply by Simnon Peter.
On the 11th of March, a little more than a week
after the publication of the Reply by " an Officer of
the American and Foreign Christian Union," the following, signed, " Simon Peter," was published in the
New-York Herald.  The writer is evidently well
acquainted with the subject on which he writes, and
his letter will be read with deep interest.  It is
humorous and instructive, and is worthy of particu



272      STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
lar attention.  If it places the Archbishop and his
cause in an unenviable position, the responsibility
is on the Archbishop. He has placed it and himself
there.  But to the letter.
To the Rev. John Hughes, D. D.
Roman Catholic Archbishop of New-York.
DEAR SI, —Your Grace must not be. surprised
at receiving so much attention.  It is one of the
penalties of greatness to be exposed to such things.
If you had not made yourself so conspicuous for aims
already gratified, and higher ones yet to be accomplished-for the Archiepiscopate in possession, and
the Cardinal's hat in expectation-I am not sure that
what you say and do would arrest quite so much of
tile public notice as at present.  In common with
many others, I have read with some care your letter
to the Freeman's Journal of the 19th instant, in relation to the "Madiai" the " MAeetig in the Metropolitan H-all,7"  Religious liberty," etc. etc. and I must
say that I was not a little disappointed.  My dear
Archbishop, many more " such deliverances " as the
one in question, and that notable lecture on the
"Decline of Protestantism," made just as you were
about to set out on your late pilgrimage to Rome,
will not augment your reputation either for logic or
prudence.
The exordium  of your Grace's letter was not
happy. To attempt to ridicule the meeting in Metro



PROCEEDINGS IN  AMERICA.  273
politan Hall, held for the purpose of expressing sympathy for poor and humble, but, nevertheless, very
worthy people, who are suffering for doing what
every man in these United States has the right to
do-namely, to impart, by reading the Bible to his
family and friends, and endeavoring to lead them to
adopt his views of the Gospel, and act according to
their convictions-very ill became the high and
sacred office to which you claim to have been called
by the Saviour of men; and because similar meetings had been held in England, it was poor logic to
take it for granted that that meeting was held in
imitation of them, and through admiration of the
English aristocracy.  It was not prudent for you to
talk in this way, because your enemies may justly
say that in this you betray your cherished antipathy
to everything that is English. Your Irish origin
will account for this. IHad you been cognizant of
the facts, you would have known that to imitate the
English in this matter, or to have anything to do
with any movement because it was English, was the
last thing that would have occurred to any of the
gentlemen with whom originated the meeting.  On
this point you are all wrong, I beg to assure your
Eminence.
As to "ragged schools" for the poor children,
which Ireland, not England, sends to our shoreswhich Pomanism, not Protestantism, has made-our
Protestant fellow-citizens, and among them the get



274       STORY OF  THE  MIADIAI.
ters-up of the meeting at Metropolitan H-all, are not
indifferent.  They are doing much in many ways to
care for them, but in a more Christian manner than
the creating of ragged schools.  But all this is of
small moment; let us advance to more important
topics.
The meeting was called to promote and express
sympathy for the Madiai, and other sufferers (for
the rights of conscience in the matter of religion) in
the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and for giving utterance to those principles, on the subject of religious
liberty, which every true-hearted American both
holds and feels, and which alone can either create or
justify such sympathy.  Nor can your Grace find
any discrepancy between the objects set forth in the
call for the meeting, signed by thirty distinguished
Protestant gentlemen, and the statement of facts,
resolutions, and series of propositions, presented to
the public on the occasion. The meeting was called
for the purposes just stated, and no other.  As to
what your Eminence says about the object being
to abuse the Roman Catholic's  of this country,
and excite prejudice and animosity against them, etc.
nothing more untrue was ever uttered by  any
man, and I can scarcely think that you believe the
assertion.  You have a marvellous tact for going off
into whatever may divert men's minds from the true
state of the case, whenever by so doing you can
strengthen your cause.  For was there anything




PROCEEDINGS  IN  AMERICA.             275
said or read at the me-,ting which could be justly
considered as calculated to excite prejudice against
the Roman Catholics of this country.  No one
dreamed of holding them accountable for the acts of
the Grand Duke of Tuscany in relation to the Madiai.  It is true that the spirit and history of Rome,
or rather of the Roman Catholic hierarchy —for it is
the Roman Catholic Church, the people being nothing at all, and having nothing to do either in the determining of doctrines or the administration of discipline, as you well know-were spoken of freely by
some of the speakers who endeavored to defend the
Grand Duke of Tuscany, by saying truly that he is
not so much to be blamed, or held accountable, for
the infamous acts in question, as the priests around
him, and especially Pio Nono, who could by a word
terminate all this persecution.  Some hard things
were said about the hierarchy of Rome, it must be
admitted; but they were just. It is also true that
your eminence was most earnestly called on to join
this movement in behalf of the poor sufferers, and exert your great influence to incline-by addressing
him yourself, or praying his Holiness to do so-the
heart of his Ducal majesty to leniency and grace.
Surely there was nothing in all this like a premeditated plan, or any effort, to excite prejudice against
our Roman Catholic fellow-citizens. The expressions
of Dr. Bethune in favor of them were of the strong



276       STORY  OF  THE  MADIAI.
est character, and they were as real, as heartfelt, as
they were strong.
No, sir; there was not a speaker on that occasion who dreamed of holding up the Roman Catholics of this country to reproach for the tyrannical acts of the Grand Duke of Tuscany.  These
gentlemen  knew  well that there are thousands
aIlong the R:omlan Catholics of this country, especially among those who were born in this land, as
well as thousands in France, Germany, Italy, and
other papal countries abroad, who condemn this outrageous injustice as earnestly as they themselves did
or could.  You, therefore, drew very largely on
your inmagination, dear Archbishop, when you spoke
of the meeting as'comprising a scurrilous denunciation of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, of the Jesuits,
of the Pope, of the Catholic governments of Europe,
of the Catholic citizens of the United States, and of
the Catholic religion, and its members, of all times
and places.'
The quoted words will indicate to your Grace
the topics on which you have grossly (I will not say
wilfuly, for you and I are of Irish origin, and ought
therefore to treat each other civilly) misrepresented
the meeting, and those who spoke at it.
As to your complaint, that' free discussion was
shut off' at the meeting, you can hardly believe that
it is well founded. Even your neophyte and proteg#,
the editor of the Freeman's Journal, could not have




PROCEEDINGS IN AMERICA.              277
expected that his request to be allowed to speak, just
as the meeting was coming to a close, and at the
late hour of half-past ten o'clock, would or could be
granted.  The meeting was a meeting of the' friends
of religious liberty,' to which Roman Catholics and all
others were  invited, and so they and all the world
understood the matter. Your Grace knows enough
of such things to be convinced that such a meeting
was not likely to be gotten up and carried on without some plan.  And you know well, that if you and
your Roman Catholic friends were to get up a public meeting of any nature, you would view as an intruder any man who would come in and claim  the
right of speaking without an invitation; and most
certainly it is hard to conceive how your friend, the
editor referred to, could expect to speak at the meeting in question, after all the abuse which he had
heaped on the poor Madiai in the columns of his
paper. But he and you, my good Archbishop, have
it in your power to hold another public meeting, and
set forth your views of religious liberty, and denounce persecution in Tuscany and everywhere else
as much as you please, and Protestants will be
there to hear you.
You are kind enough to say that you, too, would
denounce the conduct of the Grand Duke of Tuscany
if you could only believe that the Madiai have been
imprisoned and made to suffer for'reading their
Bibles.' You cannot believe that this is the only




270        S   tO 0 R    0 F  T   M:  MD   I.
cause of tleir bleirnp thus treated.. V eli, the ease is
a very simple one.  These people read their Bibles,
Diodati's versionk, a Protestant one, a translation
from  the original Hlebrew and Greek, made by a
scholar, a better one than Martini's, or any other
Romish version in the Italian language-and in
doing so they discovered the true Gospel, and abandoned the errors of Rome; they read the Bible to
others, and imparted their convictions to their minds,
and they, too, turned away from the Roomish Church.
This was the head and front of their offence.  This
was considered treason.  Because they could not
believe that the Virgin lMary is the mother of God,
they were charged with blasphemy.  They were
tried and condemned on these grounds alone, and
which twto of their judges, (out of five,) and somre of
the ablest advocates in Florence, did not believe to
be valid, even by the laws under which their condemnation was sought. Archbiishop Hughes, do you
believe-can you make this nation believe-that
these people were justly condemned?  You affect
not to know anything about the circumstances of
this case.  Well, if you will look into the Journal
of CYonnerce of February 14, 1852, you will find
the accusation brought against these people at the
time of their first imprisonment, and it will enlighten
you somewhat. And, further, I have to say that we
have sent for a copy of the proceedings at the trial,
published in Italian, and when it arrives, we will ap



PROCEEDINGS IN  AMERICA.   279
poijnt one colmpetint mn, a.nd you shal bh, invited
to appoint anothler, and these two shall appoint a
third, and this commlittee shall determine wlether
the-e Madiai were condemned for a political offence,
or for that which I have stated; the reading of their
Bible, and endeavoring to impart their convictions
on the subject of religion to others, not guilty of
a.y political, or civil, or moral offence, against the
laws of the land.  You speak of their being condemned as if it were as a police affair.  Yes, it was
just such an afair of the police as that which put the
Apostles in prison in Jerusalem, and which they expressly declared they would not, could not, obey.
It was just such a police regulation as Praetors enforced at the bidding of their imperial masters at
Rolme, and which ten times deluged the empire with
innocent Christian blood during the first three centuries.
You have given it as one reason why you cannot
believe that the Madiai have been condemned for
reading the Bible, that they have been allowed to
read their Bible since their imprisonment; and you;ask swhether criminals-forgers, for instance-are
allowed to continue their work of crime in prison
after their condemnlation.?  Mr. Moran, a Roman
Catholic priest in Newark, New-Jersey, has asserted
the same thing, and also, that they are allowed the
visits of aan ecclesiastic.  But what are the facts?
They are not allowed to have their own Protestant




280       STORY  OF  THE MADIAI.
Bible, (Diodati's,) nor their Protestant religious
books and tracts; (although their confinement has
been solitary most of the time,) but the Romish
version of the Bible and Romiish tracts are alone
placed before them; and as to the ecclesiastic who
is allowed to visit them regularly, he is a Capuchin
monk!
Your Grace goes on to argue that your church
cannot be-has never been-opposed to the reading
of the Bible, because she has been from the first entrusted with the precious boon, or at least the New
Testament, which is, in fact, her exclusive inheritance!  This is very wonderful.  Just as if the
canon of sacred scripture was not settled, and every
book of the sacred volume translated into almost all
the important languages of Europe, Western Asia,
and Northern Africa, long before the supremacy of
the bishops of Rome was established, or the Roman
Catholic Church heard of! Just as if the Greek
Church, from  the middle of the ninth century, and
the five other Oriental Churches, had not the scriptures in their respective languages, and did not
watch over them, and see to it that Rome did not
corrupt them! There were other eyes than those
of Rorme, and other hands than hers, that cared for
the precious treasure. I well know that after the art
of printing was invented the Bible was published,
not only in the original Hebrew and Greek, but also
in the vernacular languages of Italy, Germany, Hol



PROC  EEDIN GS IN A   MERICA.  281
land, France and England; but I have yet to learn
that this was not rather the work of' learned men,'
than the result of the zeal of Rome, and her Popes,
her Cardinals, her Archbishops and her Bishops.
Indeed, some of the men who were engaged in this
good work had a hard time of it.  Even in the fifteenth century, the era of which I am  speaking,
Rome had departed too far from the truth contained
in the written Word to have any relish for the sacred volume.  The Reformation came, and it gave
the Bible, in something like abundance, to the people,
inasmuch as the Protestants regarded it as' God's
Book for the People.' But as to Rome-I mean the
Roman Catholic Church, or hierarchy rather-she has
not done much. Into what languages of the heathen,
among whom  her missionaries have labored these
last two centuries, has the Bible been translated?
In what has it been printed by those missionaries?
Not many-I fear not one-I mean the whole Bible?
And where is there in all the world a Roman
Catholic Bible society?  If you know of one, pray
tell me, my good Archbishop-tell me of one. You
say that an Archbishop of Florence, Monsigneur
Martini, translated the Bible into Italian in the year
1775. I know it. I have circulated many a copy
of his New Testament, though I think it not equal
to Diodati's, by a great deal. I have done so on the
principle that an inferior translation is better than
none. The British and Foreign Bible Society have




282       STORY OF THE MADIAI.
printed both Diodati's and Martini's translations of
the entire Bible, as well as the New Testament by
itself.
Mr. Moran, a Roman Catholic priest, in Newark, New Jersey, already referred to, has recently
affirmed that the Bible has not only been published
in Italy, but that more than forty editions of Martini's translations have been issued since it was first
published, and that it is to be seen in the bookstores in every village in Italy, from one end of the
peninsula to the other. If this were so, one would
think that far more than forty or fifty editions would
have been needed.  But it is not true.  I know
something of Italy; I have been there several times
during the last sixteen years.  Until the revolution
of 1848 opened the way for the Bible Societies to
print the Bible at Rome, Florence, Turin and Venice, the book was only to be seen in a few bookstores in the chief cities, and then in an edition of
several octavo volumes, with copious notes, and
costing several dollars. It is in vain to talk about
the Bible being accessible to the people of Italy
whilst published in that form. And though in 1848
-'49 the Bible Societies did a good deal in Rome
and Florence, yet as soon as the Pope and the
G(rand Duke had( been restored from their flight by
FIrench and Austrian bayonets, everything of the
sor't was stopped.  In Rome every house has been
searched for the accursed book; and many copies




PROCEEDINGS IN AMERICA..283
have been confiscated and destroyed, both at Rome
and at Florence.  This is Rome's way of taking an
interest in having the people to possess and read
the Word of God.  But you will say that it was a
Protestant version of the New Testament that was
confiscated in these cities. And what of that?  It
was a good version, and set forth the truth with
great fidelity; but then it had not the authorized
notes of the Church.  Oh, yes; there is the rub.
Rome is afraid to give the Bible, just as God gave
it, to the people. She must put notes to it to interpret certain passages as she thinks proper. Well,
this Italian New Testament, with abundant notes,
has been published, in two large editions, in a convenient form, and at a comparatively reasonable
price, at Turin, within the last two years, but by a
bookseller-his Grace, the Archbishop of that city,
having nothing to do in the matter.  Indeed, his
Grace has not been at home these two or three
years, the government of Sardinia having given him
permission to travel into foreign parts, because of
his having improperly meddled with political affairs
and endeavored to subvert the constitution!
Your Grace cites, in proof of the interest which
your Church takes in the people's possessing and
reading the Bible, the fact that some twenty or
twenty-five editions have been published (of the Roman Catholic version) in various sizes, and under
proper episcopal supervision, in these United States.




284       STORY OF THE MADIAI.
This is a most extraordinary and fatal statement.
Why, if we suppose that each edition was of 10,000
copies, (which is probably very far beyond the
mark,) then no more than 250,000 copies in all of
the Roman Catholic version, (not half as many as
our American Bible Society issues in one year,)
have been published in this country, for the now
two or three millions of Romanists. Archbishop,
Archbishop! this is too bad! And yet, what better
could be expected? Notwithstanding all you have
said in your recent "Letter," you know that your
Church is not in favor of giving the Bible to the
people, excepting under conditions which render the
permission of'very little value. Let me ask you
whether you have not, within a few months, in a
sermon at Yonkers, New-York, said to the people
that they ought not to read the Bible-that they
could not understand it-that the Church alone has
the ability and the right to explain the Bible-that
it is enough for the people to learn the catechism,
and believe what the Church says to them by the
mouth of the priest? Did you not say this, or what
was equivalent to it? If you did not, some gentlemen of my acquaintance greatly misunderstood you.
As to your remarks about'liberty of conscience,' I have not much to say. You might well
have spared the little homily, for everybody knows
that liberty of conscience does not mean liberty to
hold and enjoy one's conscientious opinions on the




PROCEEDINGS IN  AMERICA.   285
subject of religion to one's self, but the right to make
them known to others.  The nature of truth is to
seek to be known-in other words, to make proselytes.    A  Catholic Layman,' in the New-York
Times of the 24th ult. has well stated that fact. He
lhas also well distinguished  between the liberty
which is created by the constitution and laws, and
that which prevails in the feelings and habits of communities.  The religious liberty granted to all by
our constitution and laws is complete; and yet occasionally popular excitement may be gotten up,
which, for a time, set aside the laws, and overthrow
the liberty guaranteed by the constitution and the
laws. You endeavor to throw dust in the eyes of
your readers by disregarding these important distinctions; and would make them almost believe that
we have not religious liberty in this land, because
damage has been done, in popular tumults, to a Roman Catholic convent near Boston, and a church or
two in Philadelphia.  Because men cannot say and
publish in South Carolina and Louisiana what they
please on the subject of slavery, you insinuate that
there is not entire religious liberty in this country.
If you will allow me to say it, I think that it is altogether unworthy of you. You know that there is
religious liberty in this land; that in no State
in this Union is a man forbidden to buy a Bible, if
he has the means; he may read it if he can; and if
he is so unfortunate as to be unable to read, whether




286        STORY  OF  TIIE  MADIAI.
owing to any i  nwise laws in any State, or any other
cause, he may hear it read, he may hear the Gospel
preached, believe, and decide for himself what churclh
he will join.  WAould that there was as much religious liberty as this in all Roman Catholic countries?
As to the religious liberty which Roman Catholics
enjoy in this country, you seem to think that they are
in no way indebted to Protestants for it-that they
fought for it during the Revolution, and gained it
by their good, trusty swords.  This is also very
wonderful.  Just as if the Revolution in which the
Roman Catholics-though they were too few to have
much influence in that great movement-certainly
bore their parts, (and some of them, such as Charles
Carroll and a few others, a very honorable one,) gave
religious liberty to this country. You must certainly
know, dear Archbishop, that all the colonies brought
hither the germ  of religious liberty, whether they
came from  England, Scotland, France or Germany,
though in some it was more developed than in others. But all. went on advancing in regard to this
great subject until the Revolution, when all the thir-.teen colonies, Protestant, (even Maryland was so,) by
an overwhelming majority, enjoyed a great amount
of religious liberty, and some of them a full measure.
It was this fact which insured the incorporation of
the principle of religious liberty into the constitution. Nothing is more certain than that all the religious liberty there is in the world is owing to Pro



PROCEEDINGS IN AMERICA.    287
testantism. As to the statement which your Grace
has sometimes made, that we owe our religious liberty to the little colony which Lord Baltimore planted in Maryland, it is hardly worthy of consideration.
From the nature of the case, that colony could not
fail to have religious liberty from the first; for a
Protestant government in England never would
have allowed a Roman Catholic colony to be planted
here upon the principle of intolerance. But if, as
you say, Rome is favorable to religious liberty, why
does she not grant it in her own domain? Why does
she not?
I cannot doubt the attachment of our Roman
Catholic fellow-citizens to our noble political institutions. And yet I could not read what you say about
their "well-poised self-possession,' that kept them
from being carried away by the influence of a " foreign
demagogue " (Kossuth) who recently visited us, without something more than a smile. Oh, Archbishop!
if Kossuth had been a Roman Catholic, or contending against a Protestant country, you would, perhaps,
have thought differently of him. But he was a Protestant, who had tried to overthrow the despotism of
the House of Hapsburg, (which has been a good servant and friend of the Papacy,) and in doing so he
had the generous aid of millions of Roman Catholics
of his country, far more than half of the soldiers and
officers who fought in that war being such. But he
fought against Austria! That was enough. But let




288       STORY  OF THE MADIAI.
us look at the other side. Where was the " wellpoised self-possession" of the Irish Roman Catholics
in this country-where was your own, dearest Archbishop-lin the summer of 1848, when the last rebellion broke out in Ireland? Surely your memory
cannot be very good. 1Have you not forgotten those
$500 which you gave to kindle the flame of civil war
in your native land? But then it was to overthrow
the dominion of hated Protestant Albion in the Emerald Isle. That changed the whole affair. But let
us talk no more about the matter, for I greatly fear
that it is not agreeable to you.
Nor am I sure that the next topic will be any
more so. You have berated General Cass, and others,
for endeavoring to secure the protection of our American citizens, in their religious rights, in foreign
lands.  Now, this measure is so just and equal, that
I wonder that a man of your penetration does not see
that people will say to you: " Yes, you know that
American Roman Catholics, as well as American
Protestants, are protected in their rights in Protestant countries almost as much as they can desire,
and that in most Roman Catholic countries American Protestants have not the right to have their own
religious worship, and to bury their dead with such
ceremonies as they prefer, and therefore you are
quite contented with the present state of thingsfrom the feeling that Protestantism has something
to lose, and Romanism  nothing, through its influ



PROCEEDINGS IN  AMERICA    289
ence." This is precisely what every intelligent Protestant will think and say about your conduct in this
matter. And what do you think of it yourself; my
dear Archbishop? Does it not appear rather too
mean and contemptible?  I feel concerned for you.
Still further: what shall we think of your opposing the interference of Mr. Fillmore in behalf of the
Madiai, especially when you, and hundreds of others,
asked this same President Fillmore to do precisely
what he has now done in favor of Smith O'Brien
and other Irish rebels-or " patriots," if you prefer
the word-that is, write a letter of intercession in
their behalf to the Queen of England?  What a
" degradation" this, for our noble President and our
immortal Webster, to be seen standing in humble
attendance in the ante-chamber of Albion's proud
monarch; and all this for a few Irishmen, for whom
you would have said, if they had been Hungarians,
that " hanging was too good for them."  " Oh, consistency, thou art a jewel!"-but not, in this case, an
Irish one.
But you seem to make it a matter of reproach to
our great meeting at Metropolitan Hall, that none
of the great Protestant pastors of the city of NewYork took part in the speaking on the occasion.
The orators were all from such "suburban villages"
as Brooklyn, Newark, and Elizabethtown. If the
Hall could have been obtained for Monday night,
instead of Friday, it is quite probable that you




290      STORY  OF T          H   MADIAI.
would have heard, had you been there, (it is reported that you were,) some gentlemen from  the
city who were that night occupied with the irregular weekly lectures. As it was, the meeting went
off pretty well. The " suburbans" acquitted themselves decently, all of them. They are no mean
men; nor are they all unknown to your Grace. Dr.
Bethune made the audience feel that he was well
able to grapple with the subject.  Drs. Kennedy,
Hague, and Cox, certainly did not disgrace themselves. And as to " Kirwan," I think your Grace
has some remembrance of him, unless your 1" hegira
to Halifax " made you as oblivious of the past as is
the "Bourbon among us" of the occurrences of his
early days.
But, with your permission I will stop here, at
least until your Eminence favors the public with
another " letter" on some subject or other.
I am, your Grace's most humble and obedient
servant,                        SIMON PETER.
Why have the Madiai been treated so cruelly?
We cannot allow this volume to be completed
without giving the testimony of our countryman, the
Rev. G. H. Hastings, in behalf of these excellent
people.  Mr. Hastings was the American Chaplain
at Rome for three years. In a series of letters pub



ONE CAUSE OF THE PERSECUTION.  291
lished in the New York Commercial Advertiser in
the month of April, 1853, he has given many interesting particulars respecting both Francesco and
Rosa Madiai. The former he saw often at his house,
as well as in the American Chapel, at Rome, during
the winter of 1850-51.  On one occasion Sig. Mladial officiated as a deacon for Mr. Hastings, in the
administration of the Lord's Supper.  Mr. H. describes him  as being a very pleasant, dignified,
gentlemanly person, of much good sense, and remarkably acquainted with the Scriptures.  He was
a zealous and faithful Christian, very decidedly
evangelical in his views, and possessing great tact
and skill in controversial discussions.  He took
little or no interest in politics, his mind being engrossed with the spiritual, rather than the political,
regeneration of Italy.  He was in Rome in the capacity of a courier to some English ladies of great
respectability-a post which is of much responsibility
and requiring great attention, kindness of manner,
and fidelity.  Mr. Hastings saw Madame Madiai at
Florence in June following, and describes her as a
woman much superior to most women of her position in society. Tall, slender, dignified, energeticthough in delicate health-she was altogether a
remarkable person.  She was prudent as well as
zealous.  Her long residence in England had given
her correct ideas of the nature and importance of
constitutional government; but politics occupied not




292       STORY  OF THE  MADIAI.
her attention.  She was more concerned for the
enlightenment of her people in the knowledge of
God's Word.  Mr. H. thinks, however, that if only
half of the men in Tuscany had been born of such
women as Rosa Madiai, there would soon be no
Austrians in that duchy-and we think so too.
We subjoin the reasons which Mr. Hastings has
given for the harsh and severe manner in which the
Madiai have been treated by the Tuscan government.  We have no doubt that he has stated the
case justly.
"In respect to distributing Bibles, the Madiai
were certainly active, but not as agents of any society whatever; nor had they ever any large number
of Bibles and Testaments deposited with them. It
was not their practice to thrust copies upon those
who might not desire them; but to procure them
from time to time for such as they found disposed
to search them honestly.
" The tracts, which they circulated with the same
prudence, were all published at Florence with the
approval of the censorship in 1849, and contained
nothing with which a truly pious Romanist could
feel offended; they having been prepared with great
care to present the pure Gospel only, without controversy.
" In respect to proselytism, it must be admitted
that both conversed freely with such as came naturally under their influence, and were willing to




ONE CAUSE OF THE PERSECUTION. 293
listen to them.  In this matter they kept quietly
within the circle of common social intercourse, never
putting themselves forward as zealots.  They employed none of those arts which characterize the
proselyter in the offensive sense of the word, as one
must naturally observe from reading the specifications under this head in their sentence. Four cases
are cited in proof of their'scandalous conduct,' as
the judge termed it; three of them of domestics in
their family, and the other a young man of sixteen,
to whom Mr. M. gave French lessons; all of which
persons at the time expressed themselves grateful
for the instruction and advice offered them, though
not all were directly influenced by it.
" In their defence, the Madiai said that they never
attempted anything of this kind except where they
found spiritual stupidity and ignorance; and that in
striving to win souls to the knowledge of Christ,
they must necessarily do it after the manner in
which they had learned him.
"Finally, as the very worst which the government could male out against them, they were found
guilty of having'insinuated the preference which the
religion called Evangelical deserved over the Catholic, and counselling that one should not give heed to
the teachings of the priests; reprobating the worship
of the Virgin, and of the saints, as idolatry, and ridi
culing particularly the pious custom  of keeping a
light burning before the sacred image of the former.'




294       STORY  OF THE  MADIAI,
" That they used this and similar language hundreds of times in the course of the three years, from
1848 to 1851, when there was a growing Protestant
feeling around them, is true enough. But that they
ever occasioned any disturbance by it, either in the
street, or at any public resort, or in private dwellings, is not pretended by their accusers; and certain
it is that they never indulged in that virulent language toward the priesthood common to the people
of Italy.
If then the Madiai were such persons as I have
described them  to be, hulmble, unobtrusive, and
scrupulous to avoid, if possible, violating the known
laws of the land, why were they treated with such
extraordinary severity?  I answer, they were the
victims of State policy. Both the Court of Tuscany
and the Court of Rome considered it necessary, for
the extirpation of the spreading heresy, to make
such an example of some respectable individuals as
should strike terror among the people. Count Guicciardini was too powerful for them, and had, more
over, been too prudent to give them a sufficiently
plausible excuse for anything more than a sentence
of exile for six months.
"The other individuals arrested had been too insignificant for their purpose. Examinations and the
testimony of spies, pointed to the house of the Madiai
as the favorite resort of the Evangelical dissenters.
The family, moreover, had a certain reputation with




ONE CAUSE OF THE PERSECUTION. 295
the English, who would feel the blow which should
descend upon it. From the moment the government
saw this, no degree of prudence on their part could
have saved them. The occasion of the arrest of Mr.
Madiai was, as we have seen, the merest pretence on
the part of the police; but that was no matter; his
fate was already determined upon. The Duke, the
Duchess, and various members of the Court were
known to have said repeatedly, that they would
make such an example of this family as should
effectually terrify others from embracing the Evangelical faith. The decree of 1787, under which they
were condemned for'impiety,' did not apply to
their case; but that also was no matter; the Inquisition claimed them, and the laws of their country
could not protect them.  Agreeably to the concordat signed at Rome on the 25th of April, 1851, the
sentence of the Madiai was' deferred to the ecclesiastical authorities,' and was actually approved at
Rome before being pronounced at Florence. This,
Count Baldasseroni, then Minister of State, will not
deny.
"Well have the Grand Duke and the Grand
Duchess fuldlled their vow.  They have made an
example of the Macliai.  But an example of what?
Why, of what poor Italy had well nigh forgotten;
the simplicity of the primitive Christian faith, and
the true martyr spirit.
"But what have these princes, at the same time,.




296        STORY  OF THE  MADIAI.
made of themselves?  Let the indignant remonstrances made to them  by Cabinets, Legislative
Assemblies, and the people of half of Christendom,
answer. They have vowed to extirpate from their
dominions this'confession called Evangelical, or the
pure Gospel,' though their names go down to posterity clothed with the odium of a Nero.  The odium
they are gathering fast; but the confession, being
indeed that of the Pure Gospel, has only become
the better appreciated by their subjects for their
persecution of it."
We cannot forbear to give the following remarks
which Mr. Hastings makes in the concluding number
of the letters referred to. They are just, and their
importance will be acknowledged by all reasonable
men.
"A  word in conclusion respecting the certain
consequences of the imprisonment of the Madiai,
which are beginning to show themselves in this
country.  There was reason to fear that so long as
their humble and sincere confessors of the evangelical faith remained in bonds for conscience sake,
there would be continual outbreaks of popular will
toward Romanism, to the just grievance of our
Roman Catholic fellow-citizens. Such a result every
enlightened patriot, Protestant or Catholic, would
have endeavored to avert.  As Protestants we are
bound to defend the religious freedom here enjoyed
by the Romanists; as their fellow-citizens we are




ONE CAUSE OF TIE PERSECUTION. 297
bound to respect their equal title to every civil
privilege known to us.  Moreover, we are so extensively linked together in social ties of relationship
and love, that either party must necessarily feel outraged at any indignity cast upon the other.  But at
this juncture, when popular passion is becoming excited at the barbarity of Roman Catholic Governments abroad, with whom rests the greatest power
to tranquillize the public mind?  Let the Roman
Catholic clergy and editors candidly admit the violence done to all just liberty of conscience in the
treatment of the Madiai; let them  show that they
have no sympathy with the Tuscan Government in
this persecution of dissenters; and join us in our
endeavors or make some honest effort of their own,
to cause religious persecution everywhere to cease;
and they will accomplish quickly, and with ease, a
change in the popular feeling which millions of Protestants in their best endeavors, and the civil authorities with all their forces, can never effect.  But
let them persist in their attempts to make false issue
in this case by their wretched sophisms in commendation of the Grand Duke, and in derogation of
the Madiai; let them  continue to denounce the
active sympathy of the Protestant world in behalf
of these sufferers for Christ's sake as' all a farce,'
and let them still contemn' as mere drivelling' the
efforts of our national Cabinet, of our Senators and
State Legislatures, to procure by treaty the right of




298       STORY  OF THE  MADIAI.
public worship for American citizens in Roman
Catholic countries-then will they make themselves
the most guilty agents of all, in kindling the flame
of popular wrath toward Romanism.  Nor, in such
case, can the people avoid the conviction that the
claims of Romanism here, as well as on the continent, and the secret agency of the priesthood too,
are utterly at war with the free institutions of the
country 2
" The principles upon which the Roman Catholic
sovereigns of Europe, instigated by the Court of
Rome, are now acting toward the poor people, and
toward Protestants in particular, are in the highest
degree oppressive, unjust and cruel; as opposite to
the precepts of the Saviour as depraved human nature can make them. The great mass of our Roman
Catholic fellow-citizens secretly believe this; but
they are restrained from  the public expression of
their convictions. May they yet have bishops and
editors who will know how to disengage the religion
of Jesus from  all fellowship with such principles,
and who may be able to guide the Roman Catholic
mind of the country into just views and the perfect
practice of religious toleration. Then shall we walk
peaceably together; and the excesses of sectarian
strife, which we have too much reason to dread, will
be averted."




CONCLUSION.                 299
THEIR   LIBERATION.
CONCLUSION.
The Deputation from England, France, Holland,
Germany, and Switzerland, visited Tuscany in October 1852, about the same time the King of Prussia,
it is understood, wrote a letter to the Grand Duke,
and sent one of his favorite Councellors of State to
intercede in behalf of these suffering ones. It is
believed that the Queen of England caused her earnest desires for their liberation, to be made known
to his "Imperial and Ducal Highness."  But all
seems to be in vain, so far as their release was concerned. It is true that these efforts in their behalf,
together with the great publicity which was given
through the Journals, to the reports made by the
Deputation, as well as by other persons who gained
access to their prisons, probably had no little influence in securing for the prisoners the humane treatment which, according to Mr. Colombe, the Swiss
Chaplain at Florence, they undoubtedly received
during the latter and greater portion of their confinement after their condemnation. So much was
gained; but still there was no manifestation of a
disposition on the part of the Government to release
them.
This was the state of things when the great
meeting in Metropolitan Hall, New-York, on the 7th




300       STORY  OF  THE  M ADIAI.
January, 1853; followed by those in Newark, New
Jersey! and Balctimtore, not long afterwards. By the
Steam  Ship of January 6th, the letter of the Hon.
Edward Everett, was forwarded to the Grand Duke
of Tuscany. This letter was unofficial, and sent to
the American Consul at Florence, with directions to
cause it to reach the Grand Duke.  About two
weeks later Lord John Russel, the British Minister
fbr Foreign Afflairs, addressed an earnest and very
stringent letter to Mr. Bulwer, the English Ambassador at Florence, and directing him  to use all
the influence he could in behalf of the prisoners.
Through God's blessing, these efiorts were not
in vain. The Grand Duke at length resolved to
liberate thein, and send them  out of the country.
Without a word said to the British Ambassador, or
the least notice given to the public, the prisoners
were sent down to Leghorn by different trains on
the rail-road.  MIadame Madiai, from  Lucca on
Tuesday, March 22nd, and her husband from  Florence the day following.  Upon her arrival at Leghorn,l Mnadame 2Madiai was taken to the French Consulate, whence she was ordered to go at once on
board a French Mail Steamer, which was to leave
the next day for Miarsailles. This she refused positively to do; saying that she was a Tuscan, and not
a French subject, and that the French Consul had
no right to send her out of the country. This ground
was also taken, it is probable, from an apprehension




CONCLUSION.                 301
that she was to be liberated, and her husband left in
prison. Upon the Consul's solemn assurance that
her husband would join her the day following on
board the Steamer, she consented to embark. From
the steamer she contrived to send a parcel and a
note to the British Consul, informing him of what
was going on, and requesting him to come and see
her,-which he immediately did, accompanied by
the English Chaplain.  The latter wrote at once to
the London "Times," and the former telegraphed
Mr. Erskine, the British Charge' dAffaires at Florence,.who lost no time in communicating the fact
to Lord John Russell, which fact he stated in the
House of Commons on the Friday following.
On Wednesday, March 23d, Francesco Madiai
was sent down to Leghorn, accompanied by M. de
Gabriac, the French Ambassador at Florence, and
was immediately placed on board the Steamer referred to. There he met his wife, just nineteen
mnonths, that day, after their arrest and first imprisonment! The British Consul took pains to supply
them both with suitable clothing, of which they hagreat need, for the weather was very inclement,
and they had only the light dresses in which they were
sent to their last prisons in July. The French Ambassador and Consul went with them to Marseilles,
and committed them to the care of the Police of
that city-a fact which has led some to believe that
they owe their liberation to the interposition of the




302      STORY  OF THE  MADIAI.
French  Government.-Indeed, they were so informed by these gentlemen on the Steamer, although
it would be difficult to reconcile all this with the previous conduct and language of M. de Gabriac. It is
more likely that they were requested to accompany
the liberated ones for the purpose of securing their
admission into France, and a proper disposition of
them there.
Both Francesco and Rosa Madiai were exceedingly debilitated by their long imprisonment; and
their first desire was to find repose at Marseilles.
They were received with kindness by the Prefect of
the Department, (Bouches du Rhone,) who kindly
permitted them to attend Protestant worship,(which
the Police were disposed to prevent, because their
presence attracted a crowd,) and to enjoy themselves
as best they could. At the time of this writing it
is not known to us where they will take up their
abode. It is probable that after spending some time
in the south of France, they will go to Switzerland.
They have'been invited to England and to Prussia.
They will find a welcome in any Protestant country
-in none a more heart-felt one than in our own, if
they should wish to come to us.
Here we bring our S'ORY OF THE MADIAI to an
end. What an illustration of the infernal spirit of
Romne? What a proof that even in this Nineteenth
Century she is just what she was when in successive
ages she persecuted the Albigences, the Waldenses,




CONCLUSION.                   303
the Hussites. and the Protestants of France, Flanders, Italy, Poland, and Hungary! Well may the
dear liberated ones exclaim: The snare is brokezn,
and oe are escaped! There is reason to believe that
whatever may be done hereafter in Tuscany to extirpate heresy will be done in a secret manner, and
in accordance with the recent edicts of the Government, which give the Police unbounded power to
arrest and imprison without a trial! Already they
are making that povjr to be felt. Well may we exclaim: How long, 0 Lord, how lonq?
THE  END.