preffed towards the courts of Verfailles and Madrid, at the extinction of the fociety in their dominions, and which he then forefaw, and, though ineffectually, warned againft. He then fet forth the inconveniencies of fupporting a body, which so many refpectable powers in Europe had judged incapable of performing the duties of citizens; and concluded, that it was abfolutely neceffary to proceed to the entire abolition of the fociety. Cardinal Stoppani ftrongly backed this opinion, which was alfo fupported by two other Cardinals; but the other five, amongst whom were the Cardinals Rezzonico and Torregiani, vigorously opposed it. The Pope, who feemed wavering, took at laft the ftronger fide; and it was refolved, by a majority of votes, to fupport as much as poffible the expiring fociety. It was at the fame time refolved, to write to all the Roman Catholic powers, to intercede for thofe perfecuted fathers, and to entreat their compaffion towards them.

The brief against the Duke of Parma was no fooner communicated to the courts that are peculiarly interested in the affairs of that Prince, than they fhewed the highest resentment at it. The King of Naples, however, being the neareft, gave the firft effectual proofs of it, by fending a body of March 1800 of his troops, to 15. take poffeffion of Benevento and Ponte Corvo; both of which places, though lying in the kingdom of Naples, belonged to the Pope. In the mean time, the brief having been an nounced to the Parliament of Paris,

that court, all the chambers being affembled, refolved, That it was illegal, and derogatory to the ho nour of all fovereign powers, and ought therefore to be fuppreffed.

As misfortunes feldom come fingle, fo it was now the fate of that court which had fo long domineered over the Western world, that almoft every day produced fome new mortification to it. The profcription of the Jesuits from the ifland of Malta, the expulfion of one religious order by another, was ftill referved to crown the disgrace of that fociety, and to add new vexation to the protector of it. The reafons given for this meafure by the Grand Apr. 22. Mafter, in the edict published upon the occafion, are, that Malta, which formerly belonged to the island of Sicily, was bestowed upon their order by the Emperor, Charles V.; that, in imitation of their anceftors, the order would not omit any opportunity of fhewing their gratitude to the King of Sicily; and that his present Majesty having fignified that he had expelled the Jefuits from his dominions for very great crimes of state, and alfo required them to banish them from their islands, they were obliged, in conformity to their conftant practice and principles, to comply therewith.

An application was jointly made, by the minifters of France, Spain, and Vienna, for the revocation of the brief against the Duke of Parma. The Pope, however, refused to grant them a joint audience, on pretence of the different ceremonials to be observed; according to which, one of them, being a Cardinal, must have leave [*E 3]

to

to fit down; another, not having made his entry, muft ftand; and the third, having no character, must be upon his knees. To obviate thefe difficulties, they agreed among themselves, that the Spanish Minifter should represent all, and deliver to his Holinefs the May 19. memorials of their refpective courts. The Pope, without giving him time to expatiate on the fubject of these memorials, asked if they contained any thing more than a representation to him, to induce him to revoke the brief he had iffued relative to the Duke of Parma; the Ambaffador replied; that was the only subject of them. The Pontiff then faid, That he was determined not to betray his conscience, in retracting a fage and juft measure, which he could not have any longer delayed without violating the canons and ecclefiaftical rites, as well as the paftoral duty with which he was invested. The menace of invading our dominions with an armed force is unneceffary; for, even if we had troops fufficient to defend them, we would not make use of them. As the common father of the faithful, I would not go to war even with any Chriftian Princes, much lefs with the Catholicks. The Princes ought not, on this account, to fall upon my fubjects, who are not concerned in the affair; but if their aim is against my perfon, and they will even drive me away from Rome, we declare, that, after the example of our predeceffors, we will go into exile wherever they think proper, rather than betray the intereft of religion and of the church.' To this his Holiness added,

that

it was not the custom of the Holy See to revoke its judgments, which were never paffed till after the most mature deliberation, and always with the affiftance of the Holy Ghoft.' He had no fooner done fpeaking, than he gave the fignal to open the door, and the Minister withdrew.

Upon the ill fuccefs of this audience, the King of Naples laid claim to the dutchies of Caftro and Ronciglione, and affembled his troops in great numbers upon the frontiers of the Ecclefiaftical ftate. The court of Naples alfo iffued an edict to profcribe the brief against the Duke of Parma, in which it is not only declared fpurious, and the people are forbid to give any credit to it; but the bull in Cana Domini is alfo fuppreffed, and declared illegal. This edict declares, that the Pope is only the Premier among the Bishops; that he hath lefs authority than the Univerfal Council; and that he has no direct jurifdiction over the fubjects of other Princes. When the King of Naples first took poffeffion of Ponte Corvo, it was taken for granted, that as it was only an act done in confequence of thefe differences, when they were terminated it would be delivered up again; but he now published an edict which overthrew that opinion, and in which he declared his refolution to annex that territory entirely to his dominions.

The King of Portugal now embarked openly in all the meafures taken by the Princes of the Houfe of Bourbon, and sent a Minifter accordingly to Rome, with orders to make theirs a

common

common cause, and to confort with their Minifters upon every occafon. The republic of Venice also fent a memorial to the Pope, in which it was strongly folicited to revoke the brief against the Duke of Parma. This folicitation from that quarter affected the Pontiff greatly; and he said in answer, that the brief had been greatly mifinterpreted, and he faw with inexpreffible grief, that, among the neutral powers, the republic of Venice was the first that took part in an affair that did not in the least concern her.

The rage against the Jefuits did not ceafe with their own exiftence, it continued to perfecute even their works; and most of the powers engaged in the prefent difputes iffued edicts to forbid the bookfellers from keeping or felling any book written by a Jefuit, even though confined to the mathematics, or any other fcientific fubject. Almoft all the powers in Italy were employed, either in reftraining the ecclefiaftical authority, or in making ftrict and minute enquiries into the eftates of the clergy, their titles, and the time and manner of coming by them. Many reftrictions were alfo laid upon the different orders in refpect to the manner of admitting noviciates, and the number of them they were allowed to take

in.

The Duke of Modena thought this a good opportunity, not only to leffen the power of the clergy in his own dominions, but to lay claim to fome of the papal territories to which he pretended a July 11. right. He first began by publishing an edict in fome degree fimilar to that

iffued by the Duke of Parma, by which the estates of the clergy in his dominions were made fubject to the fame impofts with those of his other fubjects. The Duke foon after gave notice to the Auguftines of Spilimberto, the Conventuals of Final, and the Friars of Nonantola, to quit his dominions in three days; and the inhabitants of fixteen other convents were threatened with the fame fate. The court of Rome having interfered upon the taking of thefe measures, the Duke revived an old claim upon the dutchy of Ferrara, which formerly belonged to the house of Este, of which he is a defcendant; but which long poffeffion and feveral treaties had confirmed to the Popes. The Duke, to fupport his pretenfions, began to levy forces, and form magazines; and at the fame time applied to the court of Vienna, that it may ufe its intereft to procure him the quiet poffeffion of that dutchy, and thereby prevent the difagreeable confequences of a war with the Holy See.

Though the refolution of the Pontiff was proof against thofe trying events, yet they affected him fo fenfibly, that his health funk daily in the conflict, and his phyficians became of opinion that he could not long withstand the shock. As all other means feemed now ineffectual, it was at length thought proper to put the Ecclefiaftical state in fome pofture of defence; efpecially on the fide of Modena, where, as the conteft would be more equal, it may not be entirely ufelefs. To this purpose all the militia in the legation of Urbino, to the amount of 6000, were put under arms; and the garrifon of Fort Urbin, on the [*E 4]

frontiers

frontiers of Modena, was reinforced by the militia of Ravenna. An odd accident happened upon this occafion at Faenza, from whence the men were obliged to march to join the militia: The women be ing enraged at the lofs of their hufbands, and attributing their own private calamities, as well as thofe of the public, to the Jefuits, they affembled in great crowds, and, being armed with torches, marched in a body to fet fire to the convent belonging to that fociety, in which enterprize they were near fucceed ing, having already thrown feveral combustibles into the windows, when the Bishop of that city, with great difficulty, appeafed their fury. The French Ambaffador delivered a memorial at Rome, wherein he required, that Cardinal Torregiani and the Nuncio at Paris fhould defift from writing to each other, otherwife that their letters fhould be ftopt at the poft-office, The Minifter from the

Sept. 3. K. of Naples alfo declared to the Sacred College, That in two months the King his mafter would fend commiffaries, fupported by troops, to take poffeffion of the dutchies of Caftro and Ronciglione, which he confidered as illegally difmembered from his dominions. As thefe dutchies extend almoft to the gates of Rome, nothing could embarrass that court equal to an attempt of this nature; but, unless the King of Naples effected a total conqueft of the whole papal territories, it feems difficult to conceive how he could fupport troops in thofe dutchies, which lie in the centre of them.

The republic of Venice now began to take example by the neightouring powers, and to

make feveral new regulations in regard to the exercife of the ecclefiaftical jurisdiction in their dominions. The Pontiff, notwithftanding the troubles that feemed ready to overwhelm him, oppofed thofe innovations with all the vigour of a young warrior; and his remonftrances were delivered in the highest tone of church authority. Neither the vigour exerted, nor the authority affumed, had any effect upon the conduct of the Senate, who fteadily purfued the fyftem they had propofed. The Bishop of Brefcia was however fo difgufted with thefe regulations, that he not only refused to obey the mandates iffued by the Senate, but alfo quitted the country, and retired to Ferrara. This conduct was the more extraordinary, as his bishoprick was computed to be worth twenty thousand pounds fterling a year. The Senate immediately iffued an order to confifcate his effects; and decreed,

that, if he did not return within a limited time, and fubmit to their mandates, he should continue an exile for life, and his revenues be forfeited,

The second banishment of the Spanish Jefuits, who were now expelled by the French from the island of Corfica, added new affliction to the Pontiff, and increased those difficulties which already feemed infurmountable. In the beginning of October, above two thoufand of thofe miferable fugitives were landed within ten days in the territories of Genoa. The fmallness of the vessels in which they were conveyed, the great number of them crowded on board, who were obliged to lie one upon the other on the decks, and

the infufferable heat of the weather, which was then intolerable all over Italy; all thefe things, joined to their want of the most common neceffaries, made them fuch living examples of human mifery, as are feldom to be met with. In this condition they were driven through Italy towards the borders of the Ecclefiaftical ftate. When they arrived on the frontiers of the territories of Parma and Modena, thofe Princes, from an extreme refinement of politics, affected to be afraid that a fet of naked, unarmed, and exhaufted wretches, fhould travel in bodies through their dominions; and they were accordingly conducted in fmall parties, and with great appearance of caution. Notwithftanding this ftate farce, their miferable plight and appearance, having fcarcely any cloaths, and being deftitute of every thing, excited the compaffion of thefe Princes, and they fupplied them with carriages and lodging in their paffage. Thus at length did thefe unwelcome and hated guests arrive in the Ecclefiaftical ftate, in every part of which their banished brethren already fwarmed and where the people beheld them with horror, as the caufe of all their calamities.

Negociations were carried on at Rome, between the minifters of the allied powers and the cardinal Negroni, the new Secretary of ftate, who fucceeded Cardinal Torregiani, the great patron of the Jefuits, in that office. Thefe negociations were without any effect, as thofe powers infifted, that not only the revocation of the brief against the Duke of Parma, but alfo the total annihilation of the

order of Jefuits, must be laid down as the preliminary articles of any accommodation. The Pope wrote a most pathetic and humiliating letter to the Queen of Hungary; in which he begged in the moit fupplicating terms, that the would ufe her mediation in regard to the differences that were arifen between him and the House of Bourbon. Among other remarkable expreffions in this letter, the Pope makes ufe of the following:

We respect the hards of those Sovereigns, by whon God now corrects, vifits, and humbles us; and, though it were in our power to repel force by force, we should nevertheless prefer humiliation to a triumph, being convinced that the piety of Monarchs is our ftrength, and that our beft arms are tears and prayer. Our whole defence is 'in the lands of God, who foftens and moves the hearts of Princes.' Such and fo different is the language of amodern Bishop of Rome, from that held by the Popes his predeceffors.

During these tanfactions, the moft coercive meaures were purfued in Naples, fo entirely reduc ing the power and leffening the numbers of the cergy. An edict was iffued, by which the powers that were ufually exercised by the Pope's Nuncio wre entirely taken away, and his authority transferred to the fecular judges and magif. trates. The eftaes of the Jefuits were declared fcheated to the royal treasury, is being acquired at the expence of many private perfons, and their plate was sent to the mint; the ftricteft fearch was made both in Naples and Sicily for their effects; and a commiffion appoined especially for that

purpose