The  immediate  predecessors  of  Pius  IX.  were  so
detestable,  that  they  made  him  appear,  by  force  of  con-
trast, an  angel  from  heaven.  His  benevolent  disposi-
tion, the  purity  of  his  private  life,  and  the  reforms  with
which  he  began  his  reign — for  he  too  granted  a  repre-
sentative form  of  government — raised  the  wildest  hopes
in  the  hearts  of  the  people  ;  they  persuaded,  caressed,
and  adored  him  to  such  an  extent  that  he  was  carried
along  on  the  wave  of  popularity,  and  landed  in  Libe-
ralism before  he  knew  what  he  was  about.  But  sud-
denly he  awoke  as  if  from  a  delirium,  and  finding  he
had  drifted  unconsciously  away  from  the  fixed  principles
of  the  papacy,  tried  to  get  back  as  best  he  could.
