I had an interesting meeting, in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, with my old friend and companion, Father Borg, a Dominican, and one of the Penitentiaries belonging to that _Basilica_; a good man and a sincere one; a papist from conviction, and thoroughly conscientious. He had been a Professor at the same time with myself, in the monastery Di Gradi at Viterbo. He was acquainted with every particular of my life; but I had not at that time let him into the secret of what was going on in my mind, with respect to my religious belief, as I deemed him unfit to give the matter impartial consideration. He had seen with the utmost surprise and consternation the events that had befallen me, and ignorant of what was passing within me, he could not in any way satisfy himself as to the great change I had experienced. From the time I had left Viterbo we had never met, but I felt assured of his regard. I could not, therefore, now remain in Rome without paying him a visit, and as nothing at the present moment forbade my doing so, revealing my sentiments. Accordingly, I set off one morning for the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. The canons were chanting their regular service in the choir, and my friend was seated in his confessional, waiting for sinners to come before him to receive their pardon, and holding in his hand his long rod,[107] with which to touch the heads of those who should kneel before him. He did not expect to see me; I passed before him smiling, and saluted him; then turned back again, and did the same: at last he recognised me, and stretched out his hand to me, scarcely crediting the evidence of his senses. "What, Achilli?" "Yes, at your service. How do you find yourself?" "You here?" "Yes, I am come on purpose to pay you a visit." "But tell me, are you not a Protestant?" "My dear Borg, what does your question imply? I have nothing to protest against yourself." "But against the pope?" "I assure you I have nothing whatever to do with him." "You are, then, a heretic!" "Oh, no, my friend, I am a Christian; I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in His Gospel." "And in nothing else?" "Is it necessary to my salvation to do so? Is it not written, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house?'"[108] "Everybody here has declared that you have become a Protestant." "I repeat to you that I am a Christian--hear the profession of my faith--a Christian according to the Bible; all that is written in that holy book I believe, and nothing that is not to be found therein." "Then you do not believe in tradition?"