A. Panizzi.”

At Rome, Dr. Minzi, who was engaged in ascertaining the origin, and devising the remedy for the fever then prevailing there, encountered his friend Panizzi. The latter, during his stay, was perpetually beset by spies. On leaving, he took the precaution of engaging the company of Minzi, and to him he imparted the following directions:—That, were he carried off at the frontier by police agents, he (Minzi) was to write three letters—one to Sir William Temple, at Naples; a second to Lord Holland, also at Naples; and a third to Lord Shrewsbury. As a matter of fact, he was stopped at the Neapolitan frontier; but, after careful examination of the passport, and much unnecessary delay, was allowed to cross. His name, however, appeared in the so-called Libro Nero.

On his arrival at Naples he proceeded to Lord Holland’s house, at the Palazzo Roccella, where he remained during his sojourn in the place; he now brought all his energies to bear on the acquisition of every possible scrap of information which might further him in his mission. Before long he received help, and this was from Mr. Fagan,[[B]] who, having been Attaché at Naples since June, 1837, was, indeed, the only person who was able to assist Panizzi. The help received from him was in the shape of a letter of introduction to the Signora Parilli, which must be allowed to tell its own story:—

“Dear Mr. Panizzi,

I send you word, through a friend of mine that the Signora Parilli expects you to-morrow morning. She does not know who you are, but introduce yourself as the “friend of Fagan.” An aunt of Poerio is a nun, and knows all about him.

Yours, &c., &c.,

George Fagan.”

[B]. He knew the people and country well. In 1849 he was named Commissioner for the settlement of British claims at Naples, and at Messina in 1851. In 1856 he was appointed Secretary of Legation to the Argentine Confederation, and after arriving at a satisfactory conclusion with respect to the settlement of British claims in Buenos Ayres in 1858, was appointed Chargé d’Affaires to the Republic of Ecuador, and afterwards Minister to Venezuela in 1865, where he died at Caracas, of yellow fever, in 1869.

Shortly afterwards, Panizzi’s interview with Ferdinand II. took place, on which occasion he was accompanied by Mr. Fagan. The day fixed was a Sunday, the hour twelve at noon. At ten minutes to twelve they arrived at the palace, “We are before our time,” said Panizzi, “Now the first question the King will ask, will be “Have you been to Church?” So they at once hastened into the Church opposite (San Francesco di Paolo), and remaining but a couple of minutes, came forth prepared to stand before the King and answer, with clear consciences, this expected question, which in fact was the first the King put to them.

It was quite clear that His Majesty was fully aware, through information obtained from spies, of all Panizzi’s movements. He received him, however, with the greatest courtesy, and almost before he himself had uttered a word, allowed him to talk on the subject of Poerio and Settembrini, and the prisons of Naples. On this theme Panizzi descanted uninterruptedly for full twenty minutes, when the King rose closing the interview with the remarkable words: Addio, terribile Panizzi.