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While, therefore, this work cannot be considered, in one point of view, as entirely his own, it nevertheless becomes virtually so, by the author's vouching for the accuracy of the facts therein related a responsibility which he takes upon himself the more willingly, from his desire not to compromise any noble personages to whom he might have wished to dedicate his volumes.

present them to the public; a little care in [ contest. In many instances, yielding to the chronological arrangement, and the addi-emotions excited within his breast by the tion of a few explanatory and illustrative splendour of military renown, or by the notes, would have completed this by no milder yet not less powerful radiancy of the means difficult or laborious task. On the apostolic virtues, he has left his readers to other hand, by a faithful transcript of the form their own opinions and to draw their correspondence, speeches, addresses, re- own conclusions. ports, and recriminations of the parties, he would exhibit a far more lively portraiture of their characters, views, prejudices, and predilections, and by thus making each of them, as it were, his own biographer, would furnish his readers with unquestionable and incontrovertible data from which to form an opinion touching their vices or their virtues, their demerits or their deserts. The correct judgment and tried experience Although our author has most scrupuof M. Artaud could not but convince him lously avoided any observations which of the superior advantages of the latter mode might give offence to the memory of that of treating his subject, and he has accord- extraordinary man who lately ruled the ingly adopted it. In the present work, destinies of France, with so much glory for therefore, we do not see the great political himself and her, although he has been characters of our times in one point of view equally careful not to wound the feelings of only it is not Bonaparte alone who speaks, the friends and relatives of the hero now but the general-the first consul-the em- no more, yet when that name becomes mixperor-and by this self-delineation we are ed up with important facts, and when the enabled to contemplate him throughout the integrity of history forbids the suppression successive phases of his short but brilliant of those facts, our author has not hesitated career. Imperturbable amid all the politi- to say: "He was in such a place and acted cal changes, the sad reverses, and distress-thus." ing mortifications to which he was subjected, Pius VII. the head of the Catholic church, the representatative of St. Peter, constantly preserves his dignity, and equally commands our respect whether crossing the Alps, at the invitation or rather order of Bonaparte, or abashing the irreverence of the thoughtless Parisians, or once more issuing his briefs and apostolical instructions from the papal chair. With equal fidelity of pencil are sketched the portraits of the most celebrated ministers of the day, men whose superiority of genius or political sagacity has enabled them to take so large a share either in producing or repairing the misfortunes of Europe.

Equally anxious has M. Artaud been to diffuse a splendour around the lofty quali ties of Pius VII., and if in one single instance that pontiff appears to have incurred blame, since an accusatory document has found its place in these volumes, he soon recovered from that state of bodily illness and exhaustion which had operated so unfavorably on his mind, and again astonished all around him by his Christian, we had almost said celestial, virtues. Had the author, as he himself very justly observes, persisted in a useless silence, he would have been precluded in the sequel from applauding one of the most heroic actions, and one of the most glorious and affecting instances of repentance and contrition, ever exhibited to the admiration of mankind, or deserving the favor of the Most High.

The author's next care was the due arrangement of his various facts, and to this unpresuming task he appears to have confined himself. It must not, however be Having thus stated our opinion of the supposed, that he has never hazarded his plan and general merits of this interesting own opinion, or that he has been a listless work, we shall proceed to examine its conor unconcerned relator of so many circum-tents more in detail, and although the facts stances calculated to create a deep and pow-therein related are so numerous and imerful interest. On the contrary, by occa-portant both in political and a moral point sionally interrupting the thread of his nar- of view, that many more pages than are ration by a few well-timed reflexions, he allotted to us would be too few to convey an has sufficiently shown that he is not the adequate idea of them, we shall endeavor to mere echo of the selfish or tyrannical sen- compress as many of them as possible withtiments of others, and that, although fight-in our brief article. ing in the private ranks, he did not take the less interest in the conduct and issue of the

After a few introductory observations upon the reign of Pius VII., the author pro.

The Roman republic was now proclaimed, and the unhappy Pius VI. being forced from Rome, was first conducted to Sienna, then to the Chartreuse of Florence, and after the tumults at Imola and the celebra

ted homily of Cardinal Chiaramonte, to Valenza, where he died on the 28th of August, 1799. The description of this venerable pontiff's departure from Rome is so touching that we cannot omit its insertion

here.

ceeds to state that his late holiness was born [ed to employ every possible means, even at Cesena, in the legation of Forli, on the force, to obtain possession of them." 14th August, 1742, his father being Count Scipio Chiaramonte, and his mother the Countess Jane Ghini. Having been destined from his youth to the austerities of the cloister, he entered upon his theological studies at Parma, and on the 20th August, 1758, took the habit of St. Benedict. But "to some kind of men, their virtues serve them but as enemies ;" and so it was with Chiaramonte, whose amiable qualities and superior talents but excited the jealousy of his brethren, and they therefore lost no opportunity of gratifying their malignity, by "The unfortunate sovereign, who might subjecting him to every species of annoy- have avoided his deplorable fate by taking ance and mortification. How painful it is the road to Naples, was declared a prisonthus to see verified the saying of the divine er. He was told, with unfeeling irony, Ariosto, that discord, intrigue, and vice, that his predilection for travel was now usually take up their abode in that place in about to be indulged. By an order of the which nought should reside but fraternal Directory, the pope, at first a captive in love, tranquillity, and virtue. Fortunate his own apartments, was despoiled of his was it for our monk, that he found a pro-was commanded to quit Rome. A violent rings even to the pontifical signet, and tector in Pius VI., who, indignant at the storm raged on the night fixed for his deunworthy treatment of his fellow citizen parture, nevertheless, at four o'clock in and relation, conferred upon him, by a brief, the morning of the 20th of February, the the title of Abbate; shortly after nomina- head of the Catholic Church, oppressed ted him bishop of Tivoli : upon the death by misfortunes, and enfeebled by years, of Cardinal Bondi, translated him to the was forced to enter a carriage, and the bishopric of Imola; and on the 14th Fe- gates of the court yard were opened just sufficient to allow the vehicle to pass; but bruary, 1785, presented him with a cardinal's no sooner did the pontiff appear in the hat. open street, on his way to the Porta Angelica, than he found a vast concourse of his subjects, who courageously testified to him their veneration and ther love."

The author now proceeds to describe the war in Italy, and treats at length of the armistice concluded at Bologna between the holy see and the French republic; the new victories of Bonaparte; the invasion of the An interesting account follows the conRoman States; the famous treaty of Tolen-clave of Venice, of the disputes between tino; the tumults of Rome, in which Ge- the cardinals and Monsignore Gonsalvi, a neral Duphot fell a victim; and the inex- most able politician, who had been appointcusable conduct of the French ambassador, ed secretary to the conclave-and of the Joseph Bonaparte, and others of his countrymen. The consequence of this unhappy event was the marching of General Berthier upon Rome, a procedure which plainly showed that the Directory, in violation of every principle of political integrity and honor, had been the real instigators of the conspiracy concocted against the pope, in order that they might have a pretext for laying main basse upon some property belonging to the papal see, and which was deposited with a Genoese banker:

"By a decree of the Directory," says our author, "it was ordered, that the diamonds formerly given in pledge by the pope to the French republic, and which had been afterwards restored to him, should be seized at Genoa, where they still remained, converted into specie, and transmitted to the military chest of the army of Italy. M. Faypoult was instruct

election, principally through Gonsalvi's
means, of the Cardinal Chiaramonte, who
out of gratitude to the memory of his bene-
factor, the late pope, assumed the name of
Pius VII. The newly chosen pontiff pub-
lished his Encyclica, or apostolic address,
and departed from Venice for Rome, which
city he entered on the third of July, and
immediately commenced his wise and pa-
ternal government. The battle of Maren-
go shortly followed, and the first consul an-
nounced that he was disposed to treat with
the pope, for which object M. Cacault ar-
rived at Rome, having our author as his
secretary of legation. A characteristic
trait of Bonaparte is here related. Upon
taking leave of the first consul, M. Cacault
asked him in what manner he should treat
the pope.
"Treat him," replied the gene-
ral," as if he had two hundred thousand
men at his command. You know," con-

tinued he, "that in the month of October, I was found a Latin inscription, placed there 1796, I wrote to you that I was more ambitious to be the savior of the holy see than its destroyer."

This embassy, however was instructed to depart from Rome unless the concordat was signed within three days, and in consequence M. Cacault quitted Rome for Florence, leaving behind him the secretary of legation, while Gonsalvi, now a cardinal set off for Paris. After drawing a parallel between the concordats of Leo X. and Francis I. and that of 1801, the author proceeds to describe the parties who had most influence with the pope at this time—the removal from Rome of Cardinal Maury by order of the first consul,the doubts of the pope as to the sincerity and good faith of the French government, and the opinions of the Romans themselves upon the recent concordat. The following is one of the pasquinades upon the occasion :—

"Pio (VI.) per conservar la fede,
Perda la sede.

Pio (VII.) per conservar la sede,
Perde la fede."

The Cardinal Gonsalvi at length requested and obtained leave to present the concordat to the first consul. The minister Cacault then resumed his functions in Rome, whither Cardinal Gonsalvi also returned. Cardinal Caprara proceeded to France as legate à latere. The author transcribes in this place the letter written by the fourteen French bishops who had taken refuge in England, in answer to the pope's ordinances. He also gives the report of M. Bernier upon the same subject, as well as that of an agent respecting the French bishops who had fled into Germany. Then follows the firm answer of the pope to a letter from the first consul.

Pius VII. had given instructions to Car dinal Caprara, to require that the body of the late pope might be transported to Rome. The request was immediately complied with, and orders were given that the remains of that pontiff should be delivered to Monsignore Spina. An account then follows of the arrival of the body at Rome and its magnificent interment. The following will not be read without interest.

by Monsignore Marotti, designating the
place where the pontiff's death had taken
place. In this paper were remarked words
which were doubtless at the time unknown
to the Directory, so true is it, that under
the very eyes of the fiercest tyrants it is
possible to transmit their perfidy and bru-
tality to the indignation of posterity. The
expressions were as follows:
'In arce in qua

Obses Gallorum custodiebatur.'"

tion of the milder term obses for the real one Prudence perhaps suggested the substitucaptivus.

took place:-the promulgation of the conAbout this time several important events cordat by the first consul; the abdication of Charles Emanuel IV., king of Sardinia; the succession of his brother, Victor Emarelative to the nomination of the grand-masnuel; and the uegociations with England

ter of Malta.

Upon restoring Benevento and Ponte Corvo to the holy see, Bonaparte required as an equivalent five cardinal's hats for France. M. Talleyrand also, that able, astute, and redoubtable diplomatist, had his secular habit restored to him, a circumstance which excited much disapprobation and which was productive of important consequences. The city of Pesaro was also given back to the pope, who about this time nominated as grand master of the order of Malta the Bailli Ruspoli, a choice which met with the approbation of France.

In the month of September, 1802, M. Cacault received a private letter from M. de Bourrienne, in which he announced to him that Canova was invited to proceed immediately to Paris to execute a statue of the first consul. The artist was to be perfectly at liberty as to the mode of execution; his travelling expenses were to be defrayed; and he was to receive for his labors the sum of 120,000 francs. Upon the letter being made known to this celebrated sculptor, he peremptorily refused to go. "It is Bonaparte," said he, "it is this man who has destroyed my country and afterwards abandoned it to Austria. I have more than I can do here. I ask nothing from power; besides, the winter is approaching, and I shall find my death amid the snows of Paris." After some remonstrances, however, "They then proceeded to the recogni- from M. Cacault, Canova became mollified tion of the body. After opening both coffins, the one of wood and the other of lead, and consented to proceed to the French cathe body was discovered entire ; but as the pital; an acquiescence which, it is said, was coffin had, from want of due care, been principally owing to his being told,that when turned over, and carried in that position, Bonaparte was in Egypt, and was present a part of the face, and particularly the at the discovery of a colossal statue, he had nose, which rested upon the lead, had un-exclaimed, "Ah! were I not a conqueror, dergone some change. Near the hands

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I would be a sculptor." Canova's conduct | followed, the pope insisting upon certain during this his first visit to Paris was cha- conditions. Much delay ensuing, Cardiracterized alike by discretion and courage. nal Fesch pressed for a decided promise of At his very first introduction to the first departure. Conferences of two, three, and consul, he told him that Rome languished four hours in length took place with Cardiin poverty; that its commerce was ruined, and that the finest remains of antiquity, which it once could boast of as its own, were then in the galleries and collections of foreigners. The answer was, "I will restore Rome. The welfare of humanity is dear to me, and I will effect it."

nal Gonsalvi; every day fresh difficulties were started; at length the pontificial government declared that it expected a letter of invitation, which should obtain unequivocal assurances of a sincere desire for the welfare of religion. The emperor then decided upon writing the following letter:"Most holy Father,

of individuals.

"Your holiness is aware of the affection

The next concordat was that with the Italian republic. The republics of Lucca and Genoa were created. The pope had a "The happy effect produced upon magnificent legacy bequeathed to him by a people by the re establishment of the the character and moral feeling of my Venetian nobleman, Monsignore Cornaro: Christian religion induces me to intreat this was a palace at Venice with all the that your holiness will give me a fresh pictures that it contained. Bonaparte also proof of the interest which you take in my sent him as a present two schooners, named welfare, and in that of this great nation, the St. Peter and the St. Paul, for the pro- under circumstances the most important tection of his commerce. The account of ever presented by the annals of mankind. the audience given by the pope to the officers I beg that you will, in person, impart, in of these vessels will be found curious. the highest possible degree, the character of religion to the ceremonial of the anointThe Bailli Ruspoli having, it is supposing and crowning the first emperor of the ed, from English influence, refused the ap- French. This ceremony will acquire an pointment of grand-master of Malta, Tom- additional splendor by being performed masi was raised to that dignity. The situ- by your holiness; and your holiness will ation of the pope at this time, though upon thereby insure both for us and our people, the whole satisfactory, was rendered some- the blessing of that Deity, whose high will what irksome by several untoward circum- determines alike the fate of empires and stances, such as the infamous satires published against him, and the attack made upon M. Cacault, by a facinoroso, while passing through a by street; and which but for the magnanimity of that minister, might have compromised the government. The circumstance, however, which gave most umbrage to his holiness, was the recall of M. Cacault to Paris, and his being replaced by Cardinal Fesch, uncle to the first consul. It is said that the cardinal, upon his appointment, having expressed his intentions to look over the cor- This letter of the emperor's was carried respondence with the holy see, "Read no-to the pope by General Caffarelli. His thing," said the first consul to him, "tact holiness had required that it might be is all that is necessary.' sented to him by two bishops, if Cardinal Fesch had not the duty assigned to him. However, as the general possessed a reputation for much amenity and suavity, and had also expressed great satisfaction upon the publication of the concordat, the pope received him with kindness. Some scruples, however, induced the pontiff to require another letter more explicit upon the affairs of religion, in answer to which requisition M. Talley rand addressed cardinal Caprara as follows:

19

The subjects our author next proceeds to treat upon, are the re-organization of the Catholic hierarchy in Germany; the nomination of M. Chateaubriand as secretary of legation, in place of our author; the instructions given to Cardinal Fesch; the pope's letter to the first consul upon the German churches; the arrival of M. Chateaubriand at Rome, and his first emotions upon finding himself in that ancient city; the arrival of Cardinal Fesch, &c. &c. &c.

which I have long entertained for you, and may judge therefrom of the pleasure which this circumstance will afford me of giving you fresh proof of it. We pray God, most holy Father, to vouchsafe you many years that you may direct and govern in your wisdom our holy mother

Church.

"Your devout Son, (Signed) NAPOLEON. "Cologne, September 15th, 1804."

In 1804 Bonaparte determined upon as"The coronation of his majesty will not suming the imperial dignity, and invited the pope to come to Paris to consecrate be the only object of this journey; the and crown him. A long correspondence grand interests of religion, which will be

discussed in the mutual councils of his majesty and the sovereign pontiff, will constitute the principal part. The results of their deliberations cannot but prove in the highest degree advantageous to the progress of religion, and to the welfare of the state."

Encouraged by these assurances, Pius VII., adds our author, (who had now returned to Rome) pronounced an allocution in the Consistory, and with the unanimous consent of the eardinals, the time of his departure was fixed, Cardinal Gonsalvi being appointed to direct and carry on the government during the pope's absence. His holiness, therefore, set off on the 2d of November, 1804, and having arrived at Florence, was received with the utmost respect by the queen of Etruria. Great efforts were indeed made by an English agent to detain him in that city, or to make him delay his departure for one day, in order to af ford time for establishing a cordon sanitaire; for the purpose of cutting off the communications between Tuscany and Bologna, on account of an epidemic, which had broken out at Leghorn. But Pius VII. refused to interrupt his journey, considering that, having promised to arrive in France as speedily as possible, any delay would be deroga tory to his dignity. On the 18th of November the pope arrived at Turin, whence he wrote to the emperor as follows:

My very dear Son in Jesus Christ,

vantages which may, in the history of our
times, diffuse a splendor around your ma-
jesty and us. It is with these sentiments
that we bestow upon you majesty, with
the utmost cordiality, the paternal apos-
tolic benediction.

"Given at Turin, November 13th, 1804,
"Of our pontificate the fifth,
''Pius P. P. VII."

The emperor's answer, dated the 20th of November, was this :

"Most holy Father,

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pleasure, by the letter of your holiness "I have learned with the greatest dated from Turin, that your holiness is in good health. I am most anxious to know how your holiness has supported the fatigue of crossing the mountains. I flatter myself that in the course of this week, I shall have the happiness of seeing your holiness, and of expressing the sentiments I entertain for you. By repairing to my palace of Fontainebleau, which is on the road, I shall be enabled to enjoy that pleasure the sooner.

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Thereupon, I pray God, most holy Father, that he may vouchsafe you many years to direct and govern our holy mother Church, "Your devout Son, (Signed) "NAPOLEON. "Saint Cloud, November 20th, 1804."

On the 25th the pope arrived at Fontainebleau. The emperor who was hunting, having been informed of the approach of his holiness, met him at the cross of S. Ha. rein. They immediately proceeded to the palace, and were there received by Cardinal Caprara, and the great officers of the household. After various interviews between these illustrious personages, the pope proceeded to visit the empress, a condescension which did not pass without censure, as being contrary to the papal dignity; but the pope replied, "Let us do thus much for France; if we have causes of discord, let it not be occasioned by matters of etiquette. In travelling there is less etiquette than at Rome, as you well know."

"We received through the hands of Cardinal Cambacérès, at Turin, where we arrived last night at midnight, your majesty's letter of the 1st of November. Your majesty's obliging expressions, not less than your attention in deputing three dis tinguished personages to congratulate us upon our journey, have enabled us to bear with greater strength and cheerfulness the fatigue of travelling. We have not the least doubt of these indubitable proofs of your attachment being both agreeable to your majesty, and beneficial to the cause of religion, the only sure basis of the stability of thrones, and the happiness of nations. On the pope's arrival at Paris, he receiv Faithful to our promise, we hasten on as ed addresses from the president of the seexpeditiously as possible, that we may nate, the legislative body, and various other gratify your wishes; but fatigue consequent upon the long and oppressive jour-public assemblies, and on the 2d of Decemney of yesterday, the horrible state of the ber, at nine o'clock, his holiness left the Turoads, the want of horses, which is such, ileries for the metropolitan church, in order that part of our suite has not yet arrived, to perform the august ceremony of the cooblige us to remain one day at Turin, to- ronation of the emperor. M. de Pradt, who gether with the Cardinals Fesch and Cam- fulfilled the duties of master of the ceremobacérès, who are equally convinced with nies to the clergy, and who did not quit Naourselves of this unavoidable necessity. We feel ourselves animated in this journey poleon a single instant, asserts that throughout the whole ceremony he did nothing by a most anxious desire to become personally acquainted with your majesty, and but gape. Upon receiving news of the coto procure for religion and the Church ad-ronation of the emperor, the Romans be

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