came very impatient for the return of their | ceiving with a good grace wholesome ad beloved pontiff-an impatience which they took every opportunity of expressing to the agents of the French government. The author commences his second volume with an account of the pope's residence at the Tuileries in the pavilion of Flora, where he continued to grant audience to the faithful, and sometimes received the emperor. He gives us a letter of congratulation sent by Pius to Napoleon on the occasion of the birth of a nephew, the son of the princess Hortense and his brother Louis. This is the same youth who has recently compromised himself so unfortunately at Strasburg. His holiness also received intelligence of the alarming inundation of the Tiber, which took place on the 31st of January, 1805-a disaster that occasioned the most serious losses, and which the Romans did not fail to attribute to the continued absence of the pope. Whilst the holy father was making preparations for his departure, the arch-chancellor of the German empire expressed his wish that Monsignore Bernier should be appointed legate à latere at Ratisbon. This circumstance gave rise to the Report of M. Portalis upon the ecclesiastical demands of the pope. The discussions which ensued; the reproduction of the letter of Louis XIV. to the Cardinal de la Tremouille and to Innocent XII. ; the colloquies of the pope with the emperor, are all related with graphic power. The state papers connected with the subject will be found particularly The conclusion of Napoleinteresting. on's answer to the demands of the pope is very striking. "The emperor, ever constant to the plan he has laid down for himself from the commencement, will place all his glory and all his happiness in being one of the firmest supports of the holy see, and one of the most sincere defenders of the prosperity of Christian nations. He is desirous that among the actions which have thrown a splendor around his existence, should be reckoned foremost the respect which he has constantly manifested for the Church of Rome, and his successful efforts for reconciling to it the affections and the faith of the first nation of the universe." Our author's own reflections upon the above are admirable. 'But were such sentiments likely to last long? Will there not always be found in Napoleon, whenever the question turns upon religious matters, two distinct individuals?the one, just, prompt, clearheaded, not above asking counsel upon questions which he had never studied, re vice, and acting upon it with all the energy which accompanies an internal conviction; the other, restless, given up to a envious of the mission of the priesthood, foolish pride, and a superficial knowledge, and considering himself humiliated, inasmuch as he is not, in the intervals between battles, the pontiff of the nation, as he had been the supreme director of the army," &c. Several circumstances had occurred to lead the Pope to apprehend that his departure from the French capital would not be permitted; this almost became certain, when a person of high rank and office, but whose name his holiness would never divulge, actually spoke to him about taking up his residence at Avignon. Although the communication was not official, Napoleon's power over the words and even the thoughts of those about him was too great to suppose it to be hazarded without his permission. The pope, therefore, replied, "A report has been spread, that we well! deprive us of our liberty: all has might be forcibly detained in France: been foreseen and provided against. Before leaving Rome, we signed a formal abdication, which will come into operation the moment we become a prisoner; this instrument is out of the reach of French power; it is deposited with Cardinal Pignatelli at Palermo, and so soon as the projects, now said to be meditated, in your hands only a poor monk, named are put into execution, there will remain Barnabas Chiaramonte." His holiness, however, contrary to his fears, obtained permission to quit Paris, about the same time that Napoleon was to set off in order to be crowned King of Italy. After receiving every mark of veneration and every testimonial of esteem, from the different cities through which he passed, particularly at Châlons-sur-Saone and at Lyons, his holiness arrived safe at Rome on the 16th of May. He was received at the gate of St. Peter's by Cardinal York, though this venerable prelate was bending under the weight of fourscore years. "After the benediction, the pontiff again approached the altar to make a last prayer before quitting the church. It would seem that, while on his knees, he was seized with a kind of ecstacy. The idea of finding himself once more in the chief temple of his capital, one hundred and twenty days after his melancholy departure from incurred or imagined he had incurred it; the recollection of the dangers he had "After this research into facts, we have considered, under every point of view, whether the absence of the priest could, according to the principles of the ecclesiastical law, furnish a reason for nullity; but we have remained convinced that this motive of nullity does not exist. during so long a journey, so engrossed his | fidel. Marriages between Protestants and every faculty, that he remained, as if im- Catholics, although they may be held in movable, at the foot of the altar. His ab- abhorrence by the church,are, nevertheless, straction continued; the church, which recognized by it as valid. * had not been lighted up, no night ceremony having been expected, gradually became dark. More than thirty thousand persons were, in the midst of this silence and the approach of night, totally unable to account for so extraordinary a circumstance. Cardinal Gonslavi now gently arose, approached the pope, and, touching his arm, asked him if he was suffering any sudden indisposition. The pope pressed the cardinal's hand, thanked him, and assured him that this prolongation of his prayer was but the effect of excessive happiness and delight." 'It does not, in fact, exist with respect to the place of residence of the husband. It is an incontestible maxim, that, for the validity of a marriage, it suffices to observe the laws which are in force in the country where one of the two parties resides, especially when neither of the two clandestinely or fraudulently abandons his Soon after the arrival in Rome, the pope place of abode: whence it follows, that, if received a letter from Napoleon relative to the laws in force in the country of the woJerome Bonaparte, who had married a man's residence, and in which the marriProtestant lady in America. This letter age is celebrated, be duly observed, it is gave rise to several important questions and in the country of the man's residence, and not necessary to conform to those in force to some unpleasant feelings; but notwith-in which the marriage has not been constanding this, magnificent gifts passed be- tracted. tween the French emperor and the pontiff. The former was gratified by receiving a superb cameo representing The Continence of Scipio, the latter by the present of a splendid tiara. upon As the emperor, however, insisted the pope's annulling the marriage of his brother, he was under the necessity of answering him in a very long letter, the following passages from which will not fail to be read with great interest, in this try especially: coun "Amidst an oppressive accumulation of business, we have taken every possible care and trouble in making personal research to discover if our apostolic authority could furnish us with some means of meeting your majesty's wishes, which, considering their object, it would have given us infinite satisfaction to have seconded. But, in whatever point of view we have considered the matter, the only result has been our conviction, that of all the motives which have been proposed, or which we can imagine, there is not one which holds out a hope of being able to satisfy your majesty as far as we could wish, namely, to declare the nullity of the said marriage. "The three reports which your majesty has forwarded to us, being based upon reciprocally opposite principles, naturally destroy each other. "In the first place, the difference of religion, considered by the church as a bar nullifying a marriage, is of no effect between two persons who have been baptized, although one of them may not belong to the Catholic communion. "This bar is only of effect in marriages contracted between a Christian and an in "Nor can there exist a reason of nullity on account of the woman's place of residence, for the reasons above assigned." The above passages from the letter of Pius VII. set completely at rest the question of the validity of such marriages. The decision of the pope was, however, any thing but agreeable to the emperor, who, perhaps, by way of retaliation, addressed to him "Votre The immoderate ambition of Bonaparte now still more openly and unblushingly displayed itself by his causing his brother Joseph to enter Naples at the head of an army, and to assume the royal dignity. Times have been, in which the mere fact of possession of the crown, no matter by what means, insured the party the respect and fear of those under his sway; the case, however, is happily different in our times, and if monarchs who claim the throne by long hereditary descent, are compelled (if they wish to preserve it) to affect at least the semblance of virtues, how much more necessary is it for such as owe their scep tre to the smiles of fortune to be well-iuformed, learned, just, valiant, grateful for sacrifices made in their behalf, and beneficent to those learned men who have encompassed their new-made crown with the halo of genius and talent! : Sinister rumors were now very rife:the holy see was to be transferred to Avig non or to Paris-the states of the church were to be divided between the kingdoms of Italy and Naples-the order of Malta was to be secularized-the French code published at Rome-and the marriage of priests allowed. Melancholy forebodings oppressed the unhappy pontiff, who now saw himself deprived of the principalities of Benevento and Ponte Corvo, the former of which was bestowed upon M. Talleyrand and the latter upon Marshal Bernadotte. He found himself compelled to dismiss his valued friend, the Cardinal Casoni as his secretary of state; and lastly, he saw Francis forced to renounce the title of Emperor of Germany. all property of whatsoever kind belonging "Finally, we purpose here to renew, and to regard and hold, as expressly inserted, our protest, preserved in the acts of the notary Cataldi, the 27th January, 1788, upon the occasion of the death of our most sion of our rights and succession to the serene brother, relative to the transmisthrone of England in favor of the prince to whom they will by right (de jure) fall by proximity of blood, and by the laws of succession; we here declare that we so transmit them to him in the most express and solemn manner. * * * "Given at our residence of Frascati this day, 15th July, 1802. 'HENRY, THE KING." On the 15th of July, 1807, the family of Events of a serious character now rapidthe Stuarts became extinct by the death of ly succeeded each other. Napoleon wrote Cardinal York. This prince, who was to the viceroy of Italy in very strong terms born in Rome on the 6th of March, 1725, upon the affairs of Rome. The pope was was baptized in the month of May follow- supposed to be inclined to nominate Napoing by the Pope Benedict XIII. He at leon Emperor of the West. Rome was first took the title of Duke of York, and, occupied by General Miollis, and Cardinal upon being invested with the purple by Casoni was replaced, first by Cardinal GiuBenedict XIV, in 1747, assumed that of seppe Doria, and soon afterwards by Carcardinal. His father, who married the dinal Gabrielli. And now, says our augrand-daughter of Sobieski, the savior of thor, we have arrived at the 11th July, 1808, Vienna, had bequeathed all his papers the day when the pope thought fit to assemand jewels to his eldest son, Prince Charles-ble in consistory such of the cardinals as Edward, the Duke of York's brother, and were still at Rome. He then pronounced the latter, upon the death of the prince in the celebrated allocution commencing with 1788, came into possession of them. On these words, "Nova vulnera." As this inthe death of the last of the Stuarts being teresting document has never been publishnotified to Napoleon, he said, If they had ed, the author gives the following extract but left a child eight years old, I would from an original copy, signed with the ponhave replaced him upon the throne of Great tiff's own hand, and sealed with his arms. Britain." M. Artaud, in a note, gives verbatim the cardinal's will, which has never before been published. It is too voluminous to be transcribed at length in this brief article, and we shall therefore extract the passages most important to an English reader. The holy father is about to exhibit to his brethren the fresh wounds which have been inflicted upon him. The last time he convoked the cardinals was on the 16th March; he then deplored the forcible removal of five of that august body: ten more have just now been torn from the capital, without, however, any crime being laid to their charge. Such is the state of slavery here, that all that we might voluntarily refuse to perform is extorted from us by violence and force of arms." (The pope here quotes the answer he ordered to be addressed to General Lefebvre.) "Benedict XIV. in the wars of Spain ful by order of Napoleon, conducted to knew how to avoid becoming either an Florence, and thence to Alexandria, then to ally or an enemy. Behold the reward we Grenoble, Avignon, and lastly to Savona. have received for our fatigues in carrying A most interesting account of this transac the holy chrism wherewith to consecrate Napoleon! Charlemagne is only recalled tion is given by Cardinal Pacca, an eyeby him to our memory in order to be ca- witness, who, after describing the manner lumuiated, for the ten years' possession in which the soldiery broke into the palace, of Rome is matter of evidence. Printers the interview of General Radet with the are forbidden under pain of death to print pope, and the admirable self-possession of any thing concerning public affairs. Mon- his holiness, states that the pope and himsignore Cavalchini, a person of the strict self were forced to enter a carriage, not beest probity, has been driven from Rome, ing allowed even time to put into it a valise within a few hours. This wound has been opened afresh (vulnus reconduit) upon with the linen necessary for their persons, thinking of the departure of the cardinals. and thus proceeds: They say that when insulting the sovereign, they do not outrage the pontiff: are not the pontiff and the sovereign one and the same individual? who would dare to affirm that in attacking the King of Italy, he did not attack the Emperor of the French? But if the heavens and the earth were to fall, the word of the divine promise would not pass away." The author thus concludes: Shortly afterwards the pope asked me if I had any money about me. I replied, Your holiness saw that I was arrested in your apartment, since which arrest I was not allowed to return into mine.' Then we drew out our purses, and, notwithstanding the affliction and grief into which we were plunged at being thus torn from Rome and its beloved people, we could not refrain from laughing when we found in the purse of his holiness one papetto, about twenty-two French sous, and in mine, three grossi-little more than sixteen French sous. The pope, showing the papetto to General Radet, said, 'This, then, is all that is left us from our principality.' "The pope then protests with all the solemnity and earnestness possible against these outrages. He is willing to sacrifice his life for the welfare of his people. That people he presses to his heart and bestows upon them the kiss of peace. As to the emperor, he is conjured in the name of After the battle of Wagram, Napoleon the Lord to remove evil from the house of demanded a list of all those excommuniIsrael, to withdraw himself from the coun-cated by the pops, and seized at Rome the cils of those perfidious advisers, who, un- famous ring of the Fisherman, with which der the pretence of aggrandizing the royal the pontiffs signed their decrees. majesty, draw him on to eternal perdition. followed his marriage Maria Louisa, and Let him therefore follow those better suggestions which comfort the church and the exile of thirteen cardinals for not apwhich will ensure his own salvation. The proving of that marriage. Canova once prince of the apostles is supplicated to render tranquillity to the sea agitated by tempests. God is in the midst of his people from this time and for evermore.'-Ps. cxxiv. v. 2." Whilst the pope was pronouncing this celebrated allocution, a decree, dated the 6th July, had nominated Joseph Bonaparte King of Spain. On the 23rd commenced the first siege of Saragossa, and Spanish deputies arrived at Rome for the purpose of secretly congratulating the pope upon his resistance. On the 14th July, Joachim Mu rat was proclaimed King of Naples, and his holiness was speedily enjoined to recognize him as such without delay. Then more visited Paris, where he arrived on It is certainly a curious coincidence, that after the issuing of the excommunication, Napoleon's affairs daily grew worse until Misfortunes trod upon the heels of each his total ruin. At length, he thought proother. Cardinal Pacca was arrested, al- per to order Pius VII so be reconducted to though the pope had conducted him into Rome. His journey through France was truly glorious for him, The events from his own apartments; the papal states were this time are so well known as to need no incorporated with the Empire; the pope published his bull of excommunication, and recapitulation. at length the sovereign pontiff was seized in a manner the most brutal and disgrace We shall therefore conclude with giving the reader two more extracts, the one, extremely curious, relative to the Stuart papers, the other an account|litical matters, even more than her husof the pope's decease. band, who was almost incapacitated for filling the duties of consul. The English man declined following this advice. He appeared to be ignorant of the influence Rome. He was always talking, consultexercised by the British government at ing, and deciphering. He was soon betrayed, and information being given to the tuted into the affair, the papers were Roman government, an inquiry was instiseized, with the exception of a few loose sheets, which were afterwards found in other hands. Watson vainly protested against the government order. Well informed persons assert, that the papers, after having been examined by an agent of the Court of Sardinia, (the rights of the Stuarts having passed over to the second son of Victor Amadeus III., who reigned at Turin in 1817,) were after this scrutiny sent to England." The death of Pius VII. is thus related. "The news of the 1st of July had an "We consider it our duty," says our author, "to give an account of what happened with respect to the Stuart papers, left at Rome by the Cardinal of York. By the dispositions of the will, Monsignore Cesarini, Bishop of Milevi, was nominated to the entail. The latter had left the care of several trunks filled with papers to a steward, (maestro di casa,) who in 1809, at the time of the change in the government, kept them concealed in a garret, in order to preserve them from the French. This steward died, carrying his secret with him. About 1816, the papers were discovered by a person who had a confused knowledge of what had taken place, and who, having searched for the trunks, at last discovered them. Englishmen were always flocking to Rome: one of them, a Mr. Watson, offered to buy, for ready money, the papers of which he suspected the existence. The person in possession of them, but unlawfully so, handed them over to him for the paltry sum of one hun-nounced to the Court of Vienna, that the dred and seventy Roman crowns. The pope was in a most alarming state of bargain being concluded, the Englishman at first acted with great caution in order to accomplish his plan of carrying off the papers from the Roman States. A late consul of France, M. Stamaty, had formerly had an opportunity of secretly seeing many of those papers, at that time even partly destroyed by insects, and he has told me, that, in what he had deciphered of them, he had found a voluminous correspondence with English authorities which had sent to the Stuarts many testimonials of fidelity and attachment, and even sometimes money. The corre- "The patient was tolerably tranquil on spondence with Scotland was in great the 18th, but on the following day, the confusion, and appeared to have had the most alarming symptoms appeared: the most important documents abstracted. pope wildly pronounced the words Savona From a kind of inventory which was and Fontainebleau. His voice soon changfound, it is probable that many lacunæ ex- ed, and the sound of a few Latin words isted. Among them, were also found se- showed that he was constantly in prayer. veral papers connected with the Court of There was no appearance, writes the amSt. Germain, about 1708, and especially bassador, of any thing like any other agisome Irish documents. After having cast tation or disturbance than that occasioned a rapid glance over this valuable collec- by pain. In the evening, the patient could tion, M. Stamaty acknowledged that he no longer take any nourishment, and on could not undertake to decipher with due the 20th August at five o'clock in the mornexactness this ancient writing, nor evening, this life, so pure, so wise, so firm unthe more recent specimens, owing to their having been purposely disfigured. A person who resided at Rome, and possessed both tact and discretion, and who particularly enjoyed Mr. Artaud's confidence, told him, that since fate had deposited these papers in faithful hands, and as, to all appearance, they had not been acquired with the view of compromising many honorable and noble families, the trunks must be embarked at Civita Vecchia, that every precaution, however, was to be taken against Mr. Denis, the English consul, or rather Mrs. Denis, who intermeddled in everything, not excepting even po weakness. The emperor immediately ordered that the oldest and choicest of his Tokay wines should be sent from his cellars for the benefit of his holiness. As the state of the patient did not allow of his being easily moved, Louis XVIII. forwarded, at the suggestion of the ambassador, one of those mechanical beds which had just been invented in France, and which allowed the patient to be raised without inconvenience or pain . . . . As soon as the sick pontiff was placed upon this bed, he experienced relief. der many circumstances, became extinct. Thus died the Sovereign Pontiff Pius VII. at the age of eighty-one, after a reign of twenty-three years, five months, and six days.' We cannot too earnestly recommend M. Artaud's work to our readers. Unbiassed by any thing like prejudice, or party spirit, he has given a simple narrative of circumstances as they occurred, proving the authenticity of his facts by the most interesting documents that have been submitted to the public for many years. |