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POPE PIUS.
PRINCESS ENA'S CC-NVKHSIOW
CAUSES HIM TO; BE DW
CUSSKI).
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Tho conversion of Princess Ena. has
naturally led to a considerable contro-
versy, arid oven tho Pope and his Sec-
retary Of State 'have , been: discussed
in association 1 with it.' Strangely
enough,'if tho reports'are to be credi-
ted, tho chief ' feeling luis been shown
in .Royal circles of tho Roman' Catho-
lic Faith in Europe Marriageable
Princesses there' . aro indignant that
King 'Alphonso should havo gono'outside
-.tho available list of eligible . maidens
who are ' members of his Chu rch as ' tho
result of "birth. . And tho Pope, is
'blamed" for countenancing 1 it, ,; and
.his Secretary ''of State 1 is : blamed and
-doubly "blamed/' a.s he, ' it is argued,
has allowed himself to bo the willing
instrument pf Madrid 'in promoting tlio
. ,interesting union. 7 Probably, both his
Holiness and .his 'neareèt Cardinal'ate
quito, inpècént 'of'1 tlib things'.'' alleged
against' thom..' A King1 is not on tho
lookout"fbr. a wife every day, and such
a King !-young, good-looking, admirably
trainodj 'and with a . character .,fbr al!
tho excellences.' And also,' with' tho
rhistoric'crown pf'Spain to rpst'his'hand
: on, socially among tho most magnificent,
i ¡with centuries' of traditions ' and ho end
of high-sounding^/ attributes. ' Tho King
of Spain, ' any ' King 'óf'Spáin, .is bm
of tho 'groat Grandees : of Europe, and
if Jip reflects o fallon estate,'1 there í
' quito enough loft to causo this tb become
as n 'haló bf romance.,'' Tho Pope, ho
i doubt, TS', bri the whole, glad of tho ¿Hr
ance, a» naturally"hp': would be. wit?
.follows 'tho brilliant ','Loo--ibo 'Pontiff
¡who 'dreamed bf tho Reunion' of Chris-
tendom"'with Rome ns thc centre, if
only England wore not;stich an obstacle.'
[ But, of cpiirsc,/tl e conversion pf iMncnss
Ena ddesn't 'affect England at' nll. Sho
is no,t ¡iii' thoi line " of 'succession, and
' even, if she were Ker change' of ' religion
would -bar ber, out, and sho goes to lier
husband wifJibut1 a ' dower, this not be-
ing forthcoming' from tho -British"- Ex-
chequer. " Of cours'o, she 'trill not bo a
;. portionless bride. if her mother is favor;
able ,to':tho union, as Princess Bentricé
,'. was , Queen ' Victoria1!* favorite
'. child, arid hör; MnjeSty, ? ' left
j an ample' ' ''enough , '.fortune to
.make her children independent, of",tho
'Sta to. ' Nevertheless j it would have been
a, graceful, tiling if tlio. Commons lind
.given Princess;. Ena, something, if only
because of her father.''who .went cut to
. fight for tho. Flag.'ai^d died;during the
campaign, with no reward save-a salute
over lus remains iwhon 'these wore
brought to Portsmouth. Popo Pius is
. evidently convinced that tho .Princess
has embraced the faith of which ho ty
tho' chief -representative cut' bf puro
:.conviction', and from bertn'n accounts
. tliis appears to bo true. ' Thus bo sent
.'her the.-Papal blessing, and will. , no
. doubt ijt'the, first,audience, make' some
r effort to express tb .tho. .young'.''Queen
'.tho Vatican's appreciation and . sympa-
thy. ; And , tho latter will bo, "doubly
. welcome,.fn,','her case in t view ' ef her
. future'./lifo as ,tlie;libnd'.''of a society
; which '.may,f.secretly regard "hermas an
'. interloper. ' Since tho chapgo.btis' been
; made it.is just'as well to recognise 'that
I she loses quito tis much us she gains, a
side; to'!tho question' that' .will, probably
be:kept.''fri ,yiow .by tho,.onb,"grcjit Per-
sonage" able "to smooth her , path-tho
' head of tho Church, 'she. lins now sb so-
lemnly, accepted. .'..'Happily for ,her. it
h's-h. kindly hoad; andkindjbiess.jvàs^èvor
ttie .'sweetest of liuniah 'medicines.;
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