the French maxims, the general council is above the pope. That if it was defired, he would call a council, in which every thing fhould be difcuffed with juftice and equity, and the Jefuits heard in their own defence: that he owed to the Jefuits, as to all the religious orders, juftice and protection: that befides Germany, the king of Sardinia, and even the king of Pruffia, had written to him in their behalf; and that he could not, by their deftruction, content fome princes without difpleafing others.

As to the territorial claims, he obferved, that he was not proprietor, that he was only adminiftrator of the domains of the holy fee; that he could neither cede nor fell the county of Avignon, nor the dutchy of Benevento; that fuch an act would in itself be null and void, and would accordingly be condemned as an abufe by his fucceffors, and the territories reclaimed. That as for the reft, he would give way to force, and would not repel it if he was able; and that he would not fpill a fingle drop of blood for any temporal concern. He concluded with a compliment to the uprightness, of the king's heart, and a wish to labour with him only, in the adjufting and fettling all matter of bufinefs relative to the difputes in queftion.

Whatever effect this firmness in the pontiff has hitherto had, in preventing the final extinction of the Jefuits, it did not avail for the prefervation of Avignon, and the territory belonging to it called the Venaifin. The French king has irrevocably annexed thefe territories to his dominions, and they are

now declared to be members of, and under the fame government as Provence. As a compenfation to the fee of Rome, though much inadequate in value, the court of France has agreed to pay fix millions of livres to the pope. The French are gainers by this purchafe, even fuppofing fix millions of livres to have been a fair price for the country, the fum of 240,000 livres annually, which they used to pay to the court of Rome, as a confideration for its not fuffering its fubjects to raise any tobacco within these territories. In the mean time the king of Naples continues in poffeffion of the dutchy of Benevento, without any formal ceffion having been made, or a purchase being agreed upon for it.

Notwithstanding the protection which the pontiff continues to the Jefuits, he does not in general feem violently bigotted to particu lar forms, where they appear ei ther to be of no great confequence, or that their inutility pleads against the fanction of prefcription. We accordingly find that he readily concurred with the great duke of Tufcany, in depriving the churches of that dutchy of the privilege which they had, of being fanctuaries and places of refuge for criminals. Those who had hitherto eluded juftice under that protection, were dragged out of the churches by force, and for the future they can only afford refuge to unfortunate debtors. He alfo feems difpofed to liften to the requifition that has been made by feveral of the German princes, for retrenching the number of feftivals that are obferved in their respective dominions, and will probably concur in that measure.

The

The monks in Italy, as well as in other parts of Europe, feem at prefent to be in a very precarious fituation. Though the house of Auftria has not adopted the violent meafures that were purfued by the Bourbon princes against the Jefuits; yet the ftates of Milan have feized upon the celebrated monaftery of the Chartreufe de Buccia, one of the richest in Italy, and fequeftered all its effects, allowing the monks an annual penfion of one hundred piftoles each. An edict has also been iffued, by which all the ecclefiaftics in the Auftrian Lombardy are forbid to alienate their eftates without the confent of the fovereign. Thefe, however, are but triffing incidents, if compared with the danger which the whole order of the Dominicans was lately in, who were peremptorily threatened by the courts of France and Spain, that they should meet with the immediate fate of the Jefuits, if father Mamachi, one of their order, did not retract some tenets he had lately published, that had given offence to thofe courts. This was the more embarraffing, as they were left entirely to themfelves, the pope having refufed to intermeddle in the affair; fo that there is little room to doubt but they will give the fatisfaction required, though the book in queftion was published with the approbation of the holy fee.

Upon the arrival of the Ruffian fleet in the Mediterranean, orders were iffued by most of the Italian ftates, prefcribing the treatment and reception which the fhips of that nation were to meet with in their refpective ports. The court of Naples gave directions, that no more than three Ruffian ships should

be received at one time, in any one port: that they should be fupplied with neceffary provifions, not to exceed the quantity that would be requifite for a month, upon their paying punctually for them; but abfolutely forbid the fupplying them with any kind of military ftores, upon any pretence whatfoever. Most of the other states alfo forbid their being fupplied with powder or warlike ftores. It is faid that the republic of Venice has been fingular upon this occafion, by iffuing orders, that the Ruffian fleet fhould not be admitted into any of its numerous ports or iflands: an order, which, confidering their number and vicinity, must be attended with great inconvenience, as well as prejudice to the Ruffians. As this conduct in the republic does not indicate a favourable countenance to Ruffia, the great naval preparations fhe has fince continued to make, would appear the more alarming. It is however probable, that the republic only intends to be in fuch a fituation, as may enable her to preferve and even command a refpectable neutrality, during the continuance of a war which has been kindled up at her doors, and in which he has no concern, Without this preventive care, the intermingled nature of the Venetian frontier, both by fea and land, would render it liable to continual infults; and the poffible ufes to which this fituation might be converted in the courfe of the war, may involve the republic in a quarrel with the Turks, to which, from the pacific maxims fhe has long adopted, it is probable fhe is not at all difpofed. It is alfo much to be doubted, whether any of the [D 4]

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difficulties, before it could have completed the conqueft of that iland. The determined refolution fhewn by the natives, the violent averfion they bore to a foreign yoke, together with the natural defences of a mountainous impracticable country, and the peculiar unhealthiness of the climate, feemed in fome degree to counterbalance the great fuperiority of power in the invader.

This fpirit and difpofition in the people, could not however be kept in action by any other means, than the hope of foreign fupport and affiftance. While this continued, they forgot the fuperiority of their enemies, and gave repeated proofs that they were not unworthy of protection. The fuppofed profpect of a diftant fecurity made their prefent fufferings light, and the war was fuftained in fuch a manner, as to give fufficient opportunity to any defign that might have been formed in their favour, to have operated to its full extent.

But when a hard fought campaign, and a long winter had elapfed, and that the brave ftruggle they maintained had not produced the most remote appearance of fupport or protection, it is no wonder they should then reflect on the fruitlessness of the efforts they were making, and the danger as well as abfurdity of attempting fingly to refift the force of one of the most powerful nations in the world. The landed chiefs naturally regretted the lofs of their rents and the deftruction brought upon their eftates by an unavailing conteft, in a caufe which they now faw was totally defperate; and the peafant lamented, that tho' rocks and mountains could occafionally

afford a temporary fecurity to his perfons, they were by no mean, fufficient for the protection of his property. This defpondency could not be unknown to the French, nor were they likely to neglect making the proper ufe of a temper fo much in their favour. It is probable that money was not fpared upon this occafion, and there is but little doubt of its having its ufual effect. The new employments confequent of a change of government, and the honours and emoluments to be acquired under a great monarchy, were no doubt held out to others of the chiefs, and had their weight with them. However this was, the affairs of the Corficans continually declined, and the fame vigour and spirit no longer appeared in their actions.

Thefe effects did not however immediately take place. In the beginning of the year the Jan. 2. Corficans made an attempt to furprize San Fiorenzo, and to cover their defign fent detachments to make falfe attacks on Biguglia, and Oletta. Thefe detachments, as it was expected, were repulfed; but having produced the defired effect, and drawn the attention of the French that way, the main body quitted their camp, and marched under cover of the night to St. Fiorenzo, where they immediately attempted to fcale the walls. Unfortunately their ladders proved too fhort, which fruftrated this, otherwife, well conducted defign; the garrifon, were alarmed before this miftake could be remedied, and they were obliged to retire with confiderable lofs. They foon afterwards Jan. 25. made an attempt upon Biguglia, which mifcarried; but

they

they defeated a party of French that endeavoured to cut off their retreat. They alfo attempted to furprize Oletta, where they were repulfed, and obliged to retire to Mariana with confiderable lofs. At Barbaggio they were more fuccefsful, but the confequences were fatal. This place was garrifoned by five companies of French Feb. 14. foot, who being attacked in the night by a body of Corficans, were obliged to furrender; two companies were made prisoners of war, and the other three were allowed to retire to St. Fiorenzo, on condition of not acting hostilely againft the Corficans for a year. The Corficans imprudently loitered in this place, though it was not tenable, and was in the vicinity of the French principal force. Count de Marbeuf being informed of this error, difpatched troops from different quarters to feize upon all the defiles, and cut off the poffibility of a retreat. The Corficans fought defperately, but having loft above half their men, the remainder were obliged to furrender, without their being able to gain any other ftipulation in their favour, than that they should not be fent into France. Mr. Colonna, a noted Corfican chief, with above two hundred men, were taken prisoners upon this occafion. Mr. de Marbeuf being pleafed with the gallant defence they had made, politely told the Corfican chief that general Paoli would fuftain a great lofs by his being taken; to which the other with great nagnanimity replied, "That every village in his country produced men of fuperior abilities and courage to himself, which he hoped Mr. Marbeuf would foon be fenfible of."

Such was the fpirit which at this time actuated the Corficans, and which appeared upon another occafion in a very extraordinary degree. At an affembly of the regency held at Corte, it was agreed, that the ecclefiaftics of the coun try fhould be required to unite and take up arms in the common cause, as a measure that would greatly encourage the people, and promote their ardour in it. The priefts, far from hefitating at this extraordinary requifition, immediately declared their readiness to hazard, or even lose their lives in the defence of their native country, and five hundred of them accordingly enlifted in its fervice.

The affair of Barbaggio feems however to have thrown a damp upon the enterprizing spirit of the Corficans. The French had a little before furprized the town of Orminio, in which they took 12 large field pieces, 800 mufquets,. 700 barrels of powder, besides great quantities of grain, and a large fum of money. This was a lofs not easily retrieved by the Corficans, if at all to be fupplied, and which must have had a confiderable effect upon their operations, independant of the dejection that attends ill fortune. The effect of the French negociations, and the influence which they had acquired among the chiefs, began in fome degree to appear, and added to that languor and backwardnefs, which before was only the effect of defpondency. To remove thefe impreffions, and revive the fpirit of the people, general Paoli, at a meeting of the chiefs, informed them, that as he had forefeen that no harvest was to be hoped for in the prefent year, he had taken