And yet what came of it all? Along the road
between the Convent of Santa Agnese and the Porta Pia, where the great
demonstrations took place some weeks ago, there was little sign of crowd
or excitement. The day was chilly and cheerless; but the chilliness of
the wind itself precluded the idea of rain, so that it was not the
weather which deterred the concourse of the faithful. The Patrizzi
Villa, just outside the gate, had a few festoons hung over the garden
wall, which fronts the road; but one of the Patrizzi family, I should
mention, is a Cardinal. The villas on the road exhibited no decorations
or signs of festivity whatever. Indeed, I only observed three houses in
all which had placed hangings before their windows, or made any
preparations in honour of the event. There were not many persons outside
the gates. Every few steps you met patrols of six French soldiers headed
by a gendarme. These patrols had been sent by General Goyon to keep the
crowd in order; but, unfortunately, there was no crowd to keep in order;
so that the soldiers looked and seemed to feel as if they were sent on a
fool's errand. At St Agnese there were some 150 carriages collected,
almost all hired ones, of the poorer sort. The private vehicles were
very few indeed; not a quarter of the muster at most. The church itself
was gaily filled, but not crowded in any part.
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