What bounty do you offer to recruits ?" "Twelve scudi; but for the future we mean to go as high as twenty." "Twenty scudi is fair enough; still I'm afraid even at one hundred and seven francs a head you won't get picked men.
Now, you will allow, Monsignore, a peasant must be badly off indeed when a bounty of twenty scudi tempts him to put on a uniform which is universally despised?
But if you want to attract more recruits round every barrack than there were suitors at Penelope's gate, endow the army, offer the Roman citizens--pardon me, I mean the Pope's _subjects_--such a bounty as is really likely to tempt them.

Pay them down a small sum for the assistance of their families, and keep the balance till their period of service has expired.

Induce them to re-engage after their discharge by promises honourably and faithfully observed; arrange that with every additional year of service the savings which the soldier has left in the hands of the state shall increase.

Believe me, when the Romans know that a soldier, without assistance, without education, without any brilliant action, or any stroke of good fortune, by the mere faithful performance of his duty, can, after twenty-five years' service, secure an income of L20 or L25 a year, they will snatch at the advantage of entering the ranks; and I warrant you, the personal interest of each will attach them more firmly to the Government, as the depository of their savings.

When the house of a notary is on fire you will see the most immovable and indifferent of shopkeepers running like a cat on the tiles, to put out the fire and save his own papers.