A PILL FOR THE POPE.

Doctor Louis Napoleon has prescribed a bitter pill for his Holiness the Pope. Saith the Doctor: “Your Holiness has been for a long period in a very disturbed state. Your constitution has in fact been thoroughly upset. Something you have taken has plainly disagreed with you, and irritation and uneasiness have been naturally produced. Your symptoms show an absence of quiet and repose, without which we can none of us expect to be in a health. I do not wish to frighten you, but there is no doubt that your system has been shaken, and you are altogether in a very weakened state. Clearly something must be done for your relief and restoration, or there is no saying what your Holiness may suffer.

“Far be it from me to make your Holiness feel nervous, but unless something be done Revolution must ensue, and ere loag Dissolution will stare you in the face. However, there is time as yet to save your Holiness, if your Holiness will act an the advice which I will give you. I have devoted much disinterested attention to your ease, and am thoroughly acquainted with its diagnosis. Let me then prescribe for you, free gratis and for nothing: there is no other state physician so well qualified to do so. What your Holiness requires is a state of more repose, and to ensure yourself tranquilly, your Holiness has clearly but one course to pursue. This simply is, to take the mild form of emetic which I venture to prescribe, and to throw up the things which so long have been disturbing you; I mean, to speak more painful one, but it is Hobson’s choice. In point of fact, I really see no other left for you. That it will do you good, I entertain no doubt, indeed I quite believe that it will set you on your legs again.”

This is certainly a somewhat bitter pill to take; but make wry faces as he may, his Holiness will clearly have to gulp it down.

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