for no refiftance could be offered, where no authority exited to collect force, which, if even collected, would probably have joined the fandards of the invaders. The entrance of General Berthier into Rome, was preceded by a proclamation, in which he declared that the only object of his vifit was the punishment of the murderers of Duphot and Baffeville, and that the people of Rome fhould find in the French army protectors and friends.

All parties fully understood the meaning of the proclamation; and while the Pope, and those more particularly attached to him, remained, either ftupified or trembling, in the apartments of the Vatican, the mob affembled in the Campo Vaccino, under the direction of fuch as had taken the lead amongst the revolutionary party, where they proclaimed the Roman republic on the 15th of February, and immediately planted the tree of liberty.

His Holinefs, however, made one effort against political annihiliation, by fending to Berthier, encamped without the walls of Rome, his cardinal vicar Somaglio, the cardinal Arigoni, Prince Gieuftimani, and the Neapolitan minifter, to negociate for his temporal exiftence, by the further facrifice of provinces and of millions, which at this alarming crifis were liberally offered by the trembling pontiff. The general, refufing to admit any other deputation than that of the Roman people, diffipated the lait illufion of the Holy Father; and this latter deputation having prefented ittelf, to make known to him the revolution which had just been accomplished, as well as the provisionary confular government which had been formed, invited the General to accompany them, in folemn proceffion to the Capitol, to function the revolution by his prefence, as reprefentative of the French republic. The General, preceded by military mufic, and attended by his officers and detachments of foot and horfe from his army, traverfed Rome, amidit an immenfe crowd of people, gazing upon the novel fight with anxious curiofity;

uncertain

uncertain whether the found of liberty, which had lately been proclaimed by the people, would be reechoed by the conqueror; or, whether ftill further exactions, in order to atone for the faults of their late government, were to be the forerunners of a ftill more abject fubjection. But Berthier did not fuffer them to remain long in this incertitude; having afcended like the conquerors of old, he proclaimed the object of his miffion, and the fate of Rome, in the following fpeech, in the French manner.

"Manes of Cato, of Pompey, and of Brutus; of Cicero, and of Hortenfius; accept the honage of the French, became free, in the Capitol, where you have fo often defended the rights of the people, and added new glories to the Roman republic!

"The defcendents of the Gauls, with the olivebranch in their hand, now repair to this auguft spot, to re-establish the altars of liberty, erected by the elder Brutus.

"And you, people of Rome, who have regained your lawful rights, call to remembrance, the monuments of glory that furround you; refume your ancient fpirit, and emulate the virtues of your ances

ton."

But although liberty was thus in words proclaimed, the provifional government, which the infurgents had inftituted, was laid afide by the French general, who aflumed the fupreme authority till the arrival of the French commiffaries appointed by the directory to form a conftitution, and a definitive government. A provifionary government had been formed, compofed of perfons, of different ranks, and difcordant opinions; fuch as princes, cardinals, prince's lawyers, merchants, and peafants; but this heterogeneous body was of short duration .Some organized fyftem, however, in this difjointed flate of public affairs at Rome, was neceffary even under the abfolute authority of a French general. The revolutionifts, therefore, had recourfe to their first plan; and an extenfive government was formed, under

the

the denomination of a confulate, compofed of fix mem

bers.

But, although the arrival of the French army, and the lofty proclamation of the French general at the Capitol, had given the mortal blow to the Papal au: thority, the members of the facred college yet remained, whilft they beheld from the windows of the Vatican the people in long and folemn proceffion, bearing the tree of liberty which they were going to plant before the ftatue of Marcus Aurelius, attempted to avert the evil, and to form delufive plans for the continuation of the Papal authority. So me of the cardinals, however, forefeeing another revolutionary form gathering, were prudent enough to fecure their money and valuable effects and quit Rome.

The majority of the facred college remained at Rome, ftupified or afflicted according to their various fenfibilities, at the fudden ruin under which they had been overwhelmed. The fantastic farces of authority which they had enacted in the Vatican, under the bayonets of a triumphant invader, and the fhouts of a revolted nation, were foon fucceeded by deep fighs of regret, at the fudden difappearance of that enormous mais of fplendor, which eclipfed and dazzled all around them; and by tragic declamations at the fleeting vanities of the world, and the uncertainty of all human enjoy

ments!

But fighs and declamations were only preludes of misfortunes and calamities ftill more afflictive and grievous. Thefe unhappy perfonages, to whom the theory of worldly evil was icarcely known, were fated to taste its reality, in almoft every bitter form that the The harthness of revolutionary power could devife. ettates of thofe cardinals who had already taken their flight were confifcated, and the beautiful and claffic ornaments which enriched their fplendid palaces and villas were expofed as the prey of vulgar fpeculation. Some of thefe lordly prelates were allowed to plead the privilege of difeafe, and were confined as prifoners

in their beds of ficknefs. Others were incarcerated, among whom was Carandini, whofe repentance, wrought by Bonaparte, was repented of, at the view of the defolation which had befallen the church, and whofe active zeal for what he deemed the honour of religion, had prompted him to declaim, in unguarded terms, again the civic oath, which he officially reprefented as an impious act, heretical with respect to the church, and difloyal with respect to the state. But now the ftrong arm of power was employed against thefe haughty ecclefiaftics without ceremony or refpect. They were fent from their prifons in Rome to Civita-Vecchia, and menaced with exile to fome inhofpitable foreign climes. This menace was not mifunderflood. The greater part of thefe imprifoned Princes of the church found means to procure their liberty by the facrifice of their wealth; though there were fome who fcorned thus to compromife for the charge of unfounded guilt.

The cardinals thus infulted and plundered, took advantage of the moment of their liberation to fly, difguifed in the habits of private citizens, from that land where their foriner glories and their prefent degradation formed fuch a mortifying contraft. Yet the Roman nobility, in general, bore with refignation the tranfition from rank and title to the condition of private citizens. Where no defpotifm had been exercifed, and where no confpiracies were formed, there was no pretence for confiication or plunder. The greater number of this privileged claf's fubmitted without murmur to every change, content in the continued poffeflion of their revenues, which were, however, fometimes weakened by extraordinary contributions for the exigencies of the ftate: a few, more active, or more artful, took part in the revolution, and were named to the principal offices of the government.

Whilt thele changes were taking place in Rome, the Pope remained confined to his apartments, in anxious and trembling uncertainty with refpect to his fatę. That of his nephews had been already decided. The

obnoxious

obnoxious one, the cardinal Brafchi, whofe fortune chiefly confifted in the rich benefices conferred on him by the wafteful liberality of his uncle, fhared the gene-. ral profcription. On the elevation of the prefent Pope to the pontifical dignity, the French ambaflador at the court of Rome, amongst other benefits refulting to the ecclefiaftical ftate from his nomination, enumerated the extinction of that abufe of power in the former Popes, known by the name of nepotifm, or partiality to nephews. The late Pope, the celebrated Ganganelli, who had, perhaps, too large a portion of virtuous qualities for the station which he filled, when his nephews, were presented to him, told them, "that if they would labour for themselves, he would give them his protection; and that, if they were idle, he would fend them back to their parents."

Yet, amidst this almost general defection from allegiance to the Papal authority, the Pope reftrained his indignation at this ftudied contempt both of his civil and ecclefiaftical jurifdiction; nor was his forrow at this apoftafy expreffed in louder terms than fighs and murmurs, till his temporal poffeffions of the comtate of Venaiffon and Avignon fell under the eye of the confifcating affembly in the year 1789. It was not without refiftance that this invasion was beheld by the court of Rome. Briefs and bulls were put in oppofition to revolutionary motions, and national decrees.We · return from this apparent digreffion, to the more immediate fubject of our history.

We have repeatedly obferved, that the Papal government had fallen into debility and contempt, at this revolutionizing period; and fcarcely retained fufficient force to keep up the internal police of the ftate. Had the French even withdrawn their protection, the Papal power was too weak to refift any hoftile incurtion of even the leaft warlike of its neighbours; and the exiftence of fuch a government was no doubt in contradiction to the directorial fyftem of profelyting and forming republics. The operations of the French government