This was deemed to be a
just impediment, and he was told to go next day. The next day was a
"festa:" of course a sufficient reason for putting off everything. The
day after, on presenting himself at the prison-door, the actor was
told that the governor of the prison was out of Florence, and he must
"call again" in a few days. When the governor returned, Stenterello
was indisposed for a few days. When he got well the governor was
indisposed, and when _he_ got well there was another "festa;" and when
at last the offending actor did apply to the prison official to be
imprisoned, he was told there was no room for him. Long before that
the higher authorities had totally forgotten all about the matter.
That was the way things were done in Tuscany in the good old time.
The more serious faults with which Leopold II. was chargeable were due
to the narrowness of his religious bigotry, and, in the difficult and
trying circumstances of the latter years of his reign, the lack of the
courage needed to enable him to be truthful and to keep faith with his
people. When the frightened and fickle pope ran away from Rome, strong
influences were brought to bear on the grand duke of Tuscany to induce
him to refrain from following the example and to ally himself with
Piedmont. His confessor of course took the opposite side, and strove
with every weapon he could bring to bear on his Serene penitent to
induce him to throw in his lot with the pope.
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