The Pope has been very ill, and is not out
of danger. He was eighty-nine on Friday, and on Wednesday he seemed to collapse, one fainting fit following another. He was believed to be chilled, but skilful surgeons discovered that an immense cyst the "size of an orange," which had been accumulating for years in his thigh, showed symptoms of inflammation. They decided to remove it without chloroform, to which, it is said, the Pope objected, and it was successfully removed. The operation, however, lasted forty minutes ; the Pope fainted, and on his recovery remained exceedingly weak. His vigour of constitution, sustained by his careful habits as to exercise, diet, and sleep, inspires, however, strong hope; but at his great age the "expectation of life," as the assurance offices call it, is but small. There are, of course, many rumours as to his successor, most of which include the name of Cardinal Gotti, a Carmelite monk with a high reputation for piety, but none of the rumours are trustworthy. We believe them to be spread deliberately in order to increase the freedom of the Conclave, which will decide for itself and then elect by acclaim.
