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"But that is exactly what you do," gently replied Ganganelli "All the
streets of Rome bear witness to it Did you not yesterday, in one of
those streets, with force and arms rescue a bandit froer take the life of the servant of
the law?"
"They wanted to lead one of
more than obey my commands," vehemently responded the cardinal "I
liberated him from their hands as was natural; and if some of the
sbirri were killed in the encounter, that was their fault Why did
they not voluntarily give up their prisoner and then run away?"
"And was it really your com "You know he killed a young nobleht in the act, which he did not atte noble-stock of me in a
public company," calmly replied the cardinal; "hence it was natural that
he lects to
take it is dishonored!"
"And such anelli,
with uplifted arion of love!"
"I am a priest of love!" said Albani
"But of what love?" responded the pope, with an appearance of
agitation--"the priest of a wild, beastly passion, of a rough ani of the soft and silent love that ennobles
the heart and strengthens it for holy resolutions; which inculcates
virtue and decency, and lifts up the eyes to heaven--of that love
which is full of consolation and blessed hope, and desires nothing for
itself"