fellow, 'Maso here, has given us to understand that he suspects the
Inglese that is anchored in the bay to be no Inglese at all, but either
a pirate or a Frenchman. The blessed Maria preserve us! but in these
troubled times it does not make much difference which."

"I will not say as much as that, friend--for one would be an outcast
among all people, while the other would have the rights which shield the
servants of civilized nations," returned the scrupulous and just-minded
functionary. "The time was when His Imperial Majesty, the emperor, and
his illustrious brother, our sovereign, the Grand Duke, did not allow
that the republican government of France was a lawful government; but
the fortune of war removed his scruples, and a treaty of peace has
allowed the contrary. Since the late alliance, it is our duty to
consider all Frenchmen as enemies, though it by no means follows that we
are to consider them as pirates."

"But their corsairs seize all our craft, Signore, and treat their people
as if they were no better than dogs; then, they tell me that they are
not Christians--no, not even Luterani or heretics!"

"That religion does not flourish among them, is true," answered Andrea,
who loved so well to discourse on such subjects, that he would have
stopped to reason on religion or manners with the beggar to whom he gave
a pittance, did he only meet with encouragement; "but it is not as bad
in France, on this important head, as it has been; and we may hope that
there will be further improvement in due time."

"But, Signor Vice-governatore," put in 'Maso, "these people have treated
the holy father and his states in a way that one would not treat an
Infidel or a Turk!"