Wherever he went these "lost adventurers"
walked the streets with him, gliding between the Princes of the Church
in the ceremonies of Saint Peter's and the Lateran, or mingling in the
company that ascended the state staircase at some cardinal's levee.
He met indeed many accomplished and amiable ecclesiastics, but it seemed
to him that the more thoughtful among them had either acquired their
peace of mind at the cost of a certain sensitiveness, or had taken
refuge in a study of the past, as the early hermits fled to the desert
from the disorders of Antioch and Alexandria. None seemed disposed to
face the actual problems of life, and this attitude of caution or
indifference had produced a stagnation of thought that contrasted
strongly with the animation of Sir William Hamilton's circle in Naples.
The result in Odo's case was a reaction toward the pleasures of his age;
and of these Rome had but few to offer. He spent some months in the
study of the antique, purchasing a few good examples of sculpture for
the Duke, and then, without great reluctance, set out for Monte Alloro.
Here he found a changed atmosphere. The Duke welcomed him handsomely,
and bestowed the highest praise on the rarities he had collected; but
for the moment the court was ruled by a new favourite, to whom Odo's
coming was obviously unwelcome. This adroit adventurer, whose name was
soon to become notorious throughout Europe, had taken the old prince by
his darling weaknesses, and Odo, having no mind to share in the excesses
of the precious couple, seized the first occasion to set out again on
his travels.
Pages:
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336