MORE ITALIAN YESTERDAYS [Illustration: VENICE. THE GRAND CANAL.] MORE ITALIAN YESTERDAYS BY MRS. HUGH FRASER AUTHOR OF “ITALIAN YESTERDAYS,” “A DIPLOMATIST’S WIFE IN JAPAN,” “A DIPLOMATIST’S WIFE IN MANY LANDS,” “FURTHER REMINISCENCES OF A DIPLOMATIST’S WIFE,” ETC., ETC. _WITH SIXTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS IN PHOTOGRAVURE_ LONDON HUTCHINSON & CO. PATERNOSTER ROW 1915 CONTENTS CHAPTER I SAINTS OF THE CHURCH A Friend in Rome—A story of two ways of loving—Aglaë and Boniface—Become Christians—A new life—Boniface endures terrible tortures—Martyrdom—Death of Aglaë—Church of St. Boniface—Alexis, the pilgrim—His travels—Return to Rome—A ragged beggar—His death and burial in St. Boniface’s Church—St. Alexis’ Monastery—Trials of the Church after Constantine—Rome’s lowest ebb—Growth of the spiritual city—Benedict the Blessed, and Scholastica pp. 1-15 CHAPTER II FOUNDER OF MONASTICISM Norcia in the Sabines—A matrona—The twins, Benedict and Scholastica—Benedict goes to Rome—Conversion of Placidus—Benedict’s retirement to La Mentorella—Life in a cave—Temptations—Visit of St. Francis—Benedict’s ministering—Real founder of monastic life—Growth of his order—Placidus and Maurus—St. Benedict’s personality and conversions—His ideal of the religious life—His greatest miracles—His sister, Scholastica—The last day together—His ascension pp. 16-38 CHAPTER III ST. GREGORY THE GREAT Birth and lineage of St. Gregory—Path from the world to the cloister—Prayer, study, and charity—His cat—A prophecy—A Cardinal Deacon—Mission to Constantinople—Eutyches’ heresy—Rome in pestilence—Gregory elected Pope—His unbelievable accomplishments—His life as Pope—Championship of the oppressed—Bond with English-speaking people—The great procession during the pestilence—Gregory’s successors pp. 39-54 CHAPTER IV MEMORIES OF THE PANTHEON The Pantheon—Hadrian’s best monument—Long idle—Consecrated as St. Mary of the Martyrs—The Cathedral, the symbol of the soul—Its purification—Continuity of the Church—A priest’s visit—The alabaster square—Procession of the martyr’s relics—Giovanni Borgi, the workman—Italian Guilds—Giovanni’s selflessness—His rescue of the forsaken children—Care of them—Crusade in behalf of all the waifs of Rome—His work of love—Giovanni’s successor, later Pius IX pp. 55-72 CHAPTER V EARLY LIFE OF FATHER MASTAI