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Show ! afterward at the Capranica College, Col-lege, and finally at the Academy of Nobles, where he stayed until un-til 1875. After having been a counselor of the Nunziatura in Spain, with Cardinal Siineone, ! he was appointed Secretary of Propaganda, Fide, in 1807, when he was only thirty-four, a position posi-tion which is usrally the first step toward becoming a cardi-jnal.- Bat before attaining that dignity. Rampolla was sent, in 1882, as Nunzio to the Courli of Madrid, and there he worked hard for the settlement of the i conflict which threatened to I arise between Spain and Ger-jmany Ger-jmany for the posessioD of . the . Caroline Islands, i ' Rampolla was finally appoint- ed a cardinal on the death of: j Cardinal Jacobini, and he alsoj succeeded him as secretary of j state,' and since that day he has ( been virtual ruler of the Vatican. , He rapidly conquered the heart , of the aged Pontiff, and became 'n turn his inspirer, confidant, jand finally his despotic ruler. , This statement may not be considered con-sidered vary respectful, but it is nevertheless the truth a truth recognized by all who have frequented fre-quented the Vatican during this latter time. Cardinal Paroccbi. perhaps the most important rival of Rampolla. Ram-polla. recently died in Rome. Cardinal Rampolla is tall, imposing impos-ing and majestic, and is very plain-spoken. . Sisrnor Paronelli'savs that Car- dinal Svampa, Archbishop of Boionga, would be , better 'welcomed 'wel-comed by the Italian Government Govern-ment as Leo's successor. Svampa Svam-pa was born in 1851,-and is one of the young-est" :n&tbev3--c.fthe Sacred College. Svampa has a fairly strong following, but it is composed of persons of not sufficient suf-ficient importance to s.;erve him. What has just been said of him can also be applied to Cardinal j Vanutelli, who lias the support of the old Catholic unyielding Roman nobility; but seeing that the partisans of both would impose im-pose conditions in exchange for their votes, a weakness is produced pro-duced which will be enough to ipreveat thesetwo cardinals from becoming Pope. ',. : LEO .XIII. AND AFTER. A vivid picture of Pope LeO ' Hill, and his daily life is given! ; la an article in the 4jril Frank j Leslie's by Federico Paronelli, ; 'who also discusses the cardinals j ''who. are looked on as the chief j sarsdidates for the pontificate Rhen the cged Leo is gone. Pope Leo's father wasstr. nge-4y nge-4y enough, a colonel in the army 3? Napoleon 1. Tne Pope was bom on March 28, 1813. He ex-lubltei ex-lubltei marked talent even as a hay, and in 1811, only four years sitter he had been made a pr'est, j fee was sent to Brussels as Papal i Xxnicio, a position of the greatest , .importance. . He was elected the j successor of Pius IX. in 1878. -Among many iaterestirg things that this writer tells us about tiie Pope, is the fact that he is a 1 poet and a man of letters. The ncyclicil letters are true works ? Latin literature, and his discourses dis-courses on the occasion of receptions recep-tions and pilgrimages are ex-llent ex-llent in literary workmanship. The most probable candidates to the Papal succession are Car-d'inals Car-d'inals Rampolla, Svampa, and Vanutelli. All aie Itallians, and sa, foreigner vsould scarcely be -elected, as forty of the seventy-two seventy-two cardinals are Italians, and their votes, as well as those of Austria and. Germany,, would iertair.ly be given to an ltaTan. The writer seems to think Car-'4uul Car-'4uul Rampolla the most prob-l . -able successor. He has been in' f.m;uiy ways the true head of the "harch during the last year, on isc-eount of the great age of the 3?!pe. He is described in this -.sticks as tall, imposing, and 'Uiijestic, with a hard expression; ' iris appearance is hauglyy, and .h-; looks lhoe .with whom he '-speaks straight in the face with -era-? thitt neem to hypnotize. 'Rampolla is descender from a noble family, but while still very .ywing hti left S:cijy to stncly n "" wiB v utter. n teaiiiian-, " |