"The day has come! it has come!" exclaimed Joseph, exultingly. "Now shall begin the struggle in church and convent, in palace and castle; and we shall shake off ambitious prelates and princes as the lion does the insect that settles upon his mane!"
"Let the lion beware, for the insect bears a sting, and the sting bears poison!"
"We shall rob it of its sting before we rob it of its treasures. And whence comes the sting of these troublesome gnats? It resides in the riches of the church and the privileges of the nobles. But the noble shall bow his haughty head to my laws, and the church shall yield up her wealth. The lord of the soil shall come down to the level of his serf, and by the eternal heavens above me, the priest shall he made as homeless as Christ and His apostles!"
"If your majesty can compass this, your people will adore you as a second Messiah."
"I will do it! I will free my people from bondage, and if I am made to die the death of the cross, I shall exult in my martyrdom," exclaimed Joseph, with flashing eyes. "The internal administration of Austria calls for reform. The empire over which I am to reign must be governed according to my principles. Religious prejudices, fanaticism, and party spirit must disappear, and the influence of the clergy, so cherished by my mother, shall cease now and forever. Monks and nuns shall quit their idle praying, and work like other men and women; and I shall turn the whole fraternity of contemplatives into a body of industrious burghers." [Footnote: This whole conversation is historical. The expressions are those of the emperor. See "Letters of Joseph II.," p. 98.]
"Oh, sire," exclaimed Kaunitz, "your words affright me. Bethink you that you throw the brand of revolt among a numerous and influential class."
"We will strip them of their armor, and so they shall become innoxious,"
"Gracious Heaven!" ejaculated Kaunitz, "your majesty, will—"
"Capture the convents, and carry off the booty."
"But that will be tantamount to a declaration of war against Rome!"