Campana was in favour at Court, esteemed by the Pope,
liked by the Cardinals; his principles were known, he had proved his
devotion to those in power. The Government never refuses its friends
anything. In short Campana was allowed to lend himself L4,000, for
which he gave security to a much larger amount.
But the order by which the Minister gave him permission to draw from
the coffers of the Monte di Pieta was so loosely drawn up, that he was
enabled to take, without any fresh authority, a trifle of something
like L106,000. This he took between the 12th of April, 1854, and the
1st of December 1856, a period of nineteen months and a half.
There was no concealment in the transaction; it certainly was
irregular, but it was not clandestine. Campana paid himself the
interest of the money he had lent himself. In 1856 he was paternally
reprimanded. He received a gentle rap over the knuckles, but there was
not the least idea of tying his hands. He stood well at Court.
The unfortunate man still went on borrowing. They had not even taken
the precaution to close his coffers against himself. Between the 1st
of December, 1856, and the 7th of November, 1857, he took a further
sum of about L103,000. But he gave grand parties; the Cardinals adored
him; testimonies of satisfaction poured in upon him from all sides.
The real truth is that a national pawnbroking establishment is of no
use to the Church, it is only required for the nation.
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