FERDINAND’S OUTRAGE ON MAZZINGHI. 93

sell his fish in real earnest, and haggle about a penny withthe purchasers, in real love of the money thus collected.

The game oipallone, so general in Italy , is certainly a verymanly, and also beautiful exhibition of strength, agility,and dexterity. One day, while thus engaged, the king re-marked amongst the numerous spectators, a young man ofdelicate person, pale contemplative countenance, his hairprecisely powdered, and clothed in shining black after themanner of an “ abate ” (abbe).

The temptation of having, what would here be called “ abit of fun,” with this superior intellectual looking person,was too great for the coarse-mindedness of this “ king ” toovercome. He was seen to whisper into the ear of a courtiercomrade, who then withdrew, but soon returned with alarge blanket under his arm. This, four of the players,“ his majesty” of the number, held out by the corners, andthe Abate being seized by the servants and court minions,was placed upon it, and tossed many times into the air,amidst the shouts and laughter of the ruffians and black-guards of all classes, who assisted at the exhibition. Itturned out that the gentleman who had thus been brutallyinsulted, was the Abate Count Mazzinghi of Florence ,highly connected, and not less esteemed for his literary andmoral worth. The Grand Duke of Tuscany made urgentcomplaints of the outrage committed on his friend and sub-ject, addressed to the courts both of Naples and Spain . Butnothing was done in the way of apology—the feelings orthe life of an individual, being held as nought, comparedwith the ease of the governing, and the amusements of agovernor. The unfortunate victim to kingly ruffianism,Mazzinghi, soon left Naples in despair of any word of repa-ration being offered to him. Feelings of wounded dignity andshame, although no shame was his, prevented him from re-turning to Florence; but remaining at Rome , overwhelmed