Christ began to be ambitious of the Title of Cardinals and for this reason Saint Silvester in the Councel held in Rome 324. call'd them so in common discriminating them by that Title from the rest of the Faithfull who began now to look upon the Cardinals as Cardinals indeed And it is clearly demonstrable by all these reasons that there were Cardinals in the very infancy of the Church and that in good esteem and veneration because they were alwayes possest of the most eminent and conspicuous dignities Their opinion does not please me at all that hold the Cardinals were nothing else but simple Curats distinguish'd by Titles or Parishes of Rome grounding that fancy upon an Epistle of Pope Gregory's in which he speaks of them as those that had the cure and inspection over the Parishes as likewise upon an Expression of Platina where he sayes that Leo the fourth degraded and depos'd a Cardinal from the Title of St. Marcellus for having been five years absent from his Parish But this the Order and Chronology of the Church History will clearly refute because in Saint Silvesters time they speak of the Grandeur of the Cardinals and then how can Platina's opinion be true How is it possible the Cardinals should be but simple Curats in the time of Pope Gregory who was above three hundred years after Saint Silvester and yet in Silvesters time be in great dignity and esteem It will not therefore be improper to inlarge a little and by an ampler description to satisfie in some measure the curiosity of the Reader for which reason I will give an account of what ever I have collected out of the most eminent Authors Religion truly was not made for places but for men however the Ministers of the Church have been alwayes distinguish'd by the offices in which they exercis'd their Ministry upon which consideration as they were more eminent or illustrious they were ordain'd Bishops or Priests or at least Deacons who were no more than Assistants and Coadjutors to the Bishops and Priests And the fourteenth Canon of the Councel of Nio Caesaria declares seven Deacons enough for the greatest City in Christendom The Church never wanted orders and degrees of dignities but had alwayes a distinction and separation of preferments in which every one co-operated according to his Knowledge or Zeal In the Common-wealth of Greece all offices were distinct Epaminondas commanded the Armies Pitagoras taught Socrates argued Lycurgus made Laws and Trasibolus executed without them so in this visible Monarchy of the Church some command others obey some pray others teach some sing others watch The Bishop Ordains the Priest Baptizes The Bishop Confirms the Priest Consecrates the Deacon distributes the Eucharist inspects the Ceremonies looks to the necessities of the Poor and sees that all people approach the Communion with requisite devotion In the Primitive times the Ministers were ordain'd according to the quality of their Cures Those in which the first Functions of Christianity were exercis'd viz. where most Gentiles were converted where the Word of God was Preach'd or where the Sacrament was administred were call'd by way of Excellence the Cardinal Churches A word taken from a Latin word which signifies a Hinge upon which a door turns importing that upon the vigilance and conduct of the Cardinals the whole service of God and the Church moves as upon a Hinge So that the Title of Cardinal was first given to the Places that is to the Cardinal Churches but apply'd afterwards to the persons that Govern'd them at first they were call'd The Holy Cardinal Churches but now Cardinals of the Holy Church And from hence was the original of Bishops Priests Deacons and Cardinals there being several Titles and Cardinal Churches in Rome The Priests that were Rectors over them were call'd Cardinal Priests and some time there were two or three at a time with the same Title as there are sometimes two or three together of principal dignity in some Collegial Churches In the like manner there were other Titles in several Quarters of the City of Rome which were call'd Deaconries where the Cardinals had their Residence and those that had the charge in the principal Churches in this quality were call'd Cardinal Deacons because of their residence in the Deaconry So also the six Bishops chosen out of all the Bishops of Christendome for the Election of the Pope were chosen in the same order but with this condition that the Election of the Pope should not be their only Province but that they should be assistant to them in their private and general Councels and be call'd Cardinal Bishops In the Infancy of the Church these Titles were not us'd notwithstanding in the Apostles dayes and for some Ages after there was no mention of Cardinal Churches nor Cardinal Ministers The Priests and Deacons were then forc'd to exercise their Ministry in Caves and the privatest places they could find to evade the persecution of those times so that there could be no such Titles allow'd all of them living in unity the chief being ambitious to show himself as the least and every one congratulating the lowest as the first And whilst the Church was under this form of administration the Ministers having no other Titles amongst them but Brothers were assistant to one another in the distribution of the Sacrament and all other offices of the Church the light of the Gospel and the holiness of humility shin'd over all and for what reason Because there was not in those dayes the distinction of persons that there is now to the great scandal and prejudice of the Church Cornelius who liv'd in the year 200. writing to the Clergy in Rome he makes no mention but of Priests and Deacons and though indeed there was some sort of difference and distinction in their offices yet there was no disputes or emulations amongst them all of them living with great unanimity and all of them being Cardinals all of them Deacons and all of them Priests In the Election of Bishops and in their Councels the Priests and Deacons only assembled with the people so that many times great quarrels happen'd betwixt them and the people and in the year 356. there were six hundred slain in the City of Rome at the Election of Damascus and Vrsinus upon which it was forbidden by the general Councel at Laodicia that the people should have any voices for the future in the Election of Ministers and Prelats of the Church After the Church by the virtue of a long patience had overcome the persecutions of the Emperours trod Paganism and Idolatry under her feet and set up the Standards of Christianity upon the seven hills at Rome the number of Ministers began to increase out of which in process of time they chose the best and most learned for the Senate and Councel of the Church and so the distinction of places began they that had the greatest imployments were call'd Cardinals and they that had the lesser
and a Protestant Of the difficulty of knowing the signs of the true Church and that by reason of so many differences and disputes Antiquity believ'd a true sign of the purity of the Church Of the signs our Saviour left to distinguish the true Church from the false Of a certain Protestant Prince that invited the Popes Nuntio to Supper in Paris Of the great vanity in the Habits of the Cardinals and Priests Of a strange Sermon preach'd in the Church of Araceli in the presence of certain Cardinals Of the answer the Catholick and Protestant give when they are ask'd whether they shall be saved or no. Of the Confession of sins and the manner how it is us'd in the Church by Christians Discourses betwixt the Papist and the Protestant about the purity of the Church How tedious afflictions are now to Christians Of the great affluence in which the Popes and the Cardinals live Of the quality of the sufferings of the Ecclesiasticks Of the beggerlyness of certain poor Bishops Of a Bishop that complain'd of the great pride of the Cardinals Of the great number of discontented Prelats in Rome and for what they are so Of the pernicious examples the Seculars take from the Clergy Of the misery the Church is in Of a Priest that desir'd to see the Riches of the Cardinals increas'd Of a Protestant that desir'd the power of working of Miracles that he might turn water into wine Of the Persecutions suffer'd by the Church Of the number of Schismes and the place where they happen'd Of certain Schismaticks Of Synods and Councels call'd for the suppression of Heresie that did dayly increase Of the obligation that lies upon the Popes to acknowledge their Grandeur from the bounty of Charles the Great Of the weight of the Ecclesiastical dignity and of the honor Of the difference betwixt Schisme and Heresie Of the Schismes that are nourish'd in the Church by the Pastors thereof Of the excuses the Ecclesiasticks do use to cover their faults Of the difference betwixt the Dominicans and the Franciscans Of the true way of converting of Hereticks Of certain Hereticks that go to Rome to observe the conversations of the Catholicks Of the great number of Murders committed in Rome and of the trouble their Consciences receive thereby Of the Divines and Confessors being call'd Domestick Enemies of the Church Of the carelessness of the Bishops in making the Fryars Confessors Of a penance given by a Fryar to a Merchant Of a Jesuits answer to a young man that had confess'd himself to him Of the example of Judas perverted by the Ecclesiasticks to their own advantage Of the Aristocrasie of the Church Of the Evils of the Clergy compar'd to a Wart which increases the more the more it is cut Of the maxime among the Italians in disposing of their Children and of their sending the most dissolute of them to the Cloysters Of the orders of Religious that regard not quality but quantity in their Convents Of the Picture of Saint Francis with a Church upon his shoulders and the reason Of a Vision Saint Francis is reported to have seen very prejudicial to the Cardinals Of the great honor they attribute to Saint Francis Saverius Of the great number of persons he is said to have Baptiz'd with his own hands That the Church ought to be sustein'd by the Zeal and good Government of the Cardinals and the Pope Of the Liberty that is given to the Jesuits to inrich themselves Of Saint Francis Saverius that is believ'd to have gone to the Indies to bring the Indies back to the Jesuits Of a Jew that was Baptiz'd in Rome Of the way how Saints are to be Reverenc'd Of the Scandals committed in the Church by the Fryars being so numerous and many other particulars THE Critiques of this Age being numerous and most Writers under the Tyranny of their censures I thought it but prudence to look about me and for the security of this Fabrick against such Storms to choose a place for its foundation as solid and suitable to the Nature of Cardinalism as was possible for Cardinalism receiving its form and essence from the Power of the Pope and the Grandeur of the Church of which the Cardinals call themselves Princes I thought it methodical to begin first with the Papal Power and after that to make some reflection upon the Nature and Grandeur of the Church For as the quality of water is not to be known but by discovery of the Fountain so the true medium and end of a thing is not to be found without some notion of the Principle To me therefore it seems not improper to distinguish not only the good Church from the false but also the number of the Churches which almost confound the good people of Christendom Though there have been some Popes that have scarce known the nature of their own Church yet there are others or more properly their Theologists for them that give us an accompt of three viz. the Jewish the Greek and the Roman The Jewish being permitted in most Ecclesiastick States to have their Temples and Synagogues open in the face of the strictest Christians But the consequence of this liberty is not foreseen The Jewish Church is dispers'd here and there thorough the whole Universe and in Italy is much more numerous than the Greek though in other places the Greek has whole Provinces to its self whereas the Jews are only permitted in some Cities only with free exercise of their Religion as in Rome where they have their Rabines that preach to them and many Christians to hear them whose curiosity swayes more with them than the express prohibition of the Inquisition The Greek Church on the other side which is the elder Sister of the Roman lyes weeping like a deflower'd Virgin and afflicted like a disconsolate Widdow to see her Birth-right without knowing how ravish'd from her by force and that by her too the foundation of whose present greatness she had lay'd but by this it is easily distinguish'd which is the true Jacob and which the counterfeit Esau These two Churches the Greek and the Jewish that had formerly flourish'd so much are now to their no small sorrow become Slaves to the Roman for she having perverted the natural course ha's made her self first that was last and usurp'd a Soveraignty and Dominion over the rest and has so well managed her affairs that she has secluded the other two who very hungry and distress'd would fain be sucking of that Milk which she unnaturally has ingross'd to her self 'T is against all Moral reason all Order Ecclesiastick all Humane and Divine Rules that the Jewish Church should be permitted by the Roman and the Greek Church persecuted and the reasons are clear in the Greek Church Christianity is profess'd the Rules and Praecepts of the Gospel observ'd the Mass celebrated and except some Ceremonies rejected as innovations by that Church they conform in all things to the Primitive Practice both in
those that are first promoted to the Cardinalship and because it falls out sometimes that there are several made at one promotion in that case they have the preceedence that are first nam'd But when it happens that he that was but a Cardinal Deacon becomes a Priest he passes presently into the place of his promotion above all the Cardinal Priests that shall be promoted after him but not above those that were created before him The consequence is not the same amongst the Cardinal Bishops for if they from Deacons are advanc'd to be Bishops they take place according to the date of their orders or promotion As to the Cardinals habits which are altogether Majestick they have been prescrib'd them at several times by several Popes For a long tract of time they went habited like simple Priests or Monks till at last Innocent the fourth in the year 1250. order'd them to wear the red Cap in token of their readiness to spend their blood for the service of Christ the head of the Church a while after him succeeded Boniface the ninth who enjoyn'd them to wear Red and Purple habits in the fashion they wear them now saving that they are a little larger than formerly Paulus the second a Venetian that took great care of the Pontifical habits to make them the more splendid he added the Silken Mitre the Red Bonnet the Red Cloath for their Mules and the Gilt Staff Gregory the fourteenth gave the Red Bonnet to the Regular Cardinals allowing them as to the rest to go habited in the same colour as others of their Order did but as to the fashion and matter they were constrain'd to go like the rest of the Cardinals that is without Rochets or Cassocks of Cloath and when others had their Caps of Red they had theirs of water'd Chamblet and when others wore their Purple theirs was without watering but their Cap and Bonnet both of a fashion There are three colours the Cardinals make use of Purple Red and Murrey but of this last they make use but two dayes in a year which are the fourth Sunday in Lent and the third of Advent The substance commonly is wav'd Chamblet or Wool according to the season of the year they wear Cassocks also but very light alwayes and either of Taffaty or Sarcenet I could set down the times also the Cardinals wear Purple and Scarlet but I look upon it as superfluous and not much material to the Reader Only this I shall mention that though the Cardinals be in Mourning they leave not off notwithstanding their Scarlet habits or Red Cap in the exercise of all those Functions that others do wear them in with this difference only that whereas others wear Purple Chamblet they wear Purple Say's But upon their solemn Festivals they are constantly in Red unless they be in very deep Mourning walking up and down the City or making their Visits in that habit though there are several Visits they are oblig'd to make in their Scarlet Robes The same measures they observe in their Cavalcades or solemn Ridings they affect much to have the Trappings of their Mules of the same colour with their Clothes They use not to wear Black upon any occasion of Mourning either in their Clothes Coaches or Furniture of their Houses nor do the New Cardinals wear Mourning often and if they should they must pull them off till they have made receiv'd and return'd their Visits The Cardinals have commonly a Silver or Gilt Mace carried before them not so much to signifie the greatness of their Dignity as the excellence of it The Barber of the house or some other Assistant of the Chamber do carry it ordinarily as often as the Red Cloak is carried abroad unless it be when they go to preach in the Palace or upon Good Friday then a Groom carries it cover'd to the place where he goes and when the Cardinal takes his Cloak the Barber takes the Mace Their Cavalcades whether Pontifical or private are pompous and magnificent when they ride in their Pontificalibus they have their Mantles and Red Caps upon their heads and their Foot-cloaths and Trappings of their Mules suitable with their Clothes the splendor and magnificence of which sight puts the poor Prelate that has not necessary accoutrements perhaps out of his wits A certain Bishop of Naples that happen'd upon such a solemn occasion to be a spectator with me observing some of their Mules to be furnish'd so richly he turn'd to me and told me that In Rome it is better to be a Cardinals Mule than a Prelate of the Church And the times of these Pontifical Ridings are not seldom every time his Holiness rides with any solemnity they are oblig'd to attend him in their Robes on the Annuntiation day they do the same the day the Pope is invested they do so too upon occasion of any publick Consistory if a Cap be given to any Cardinal when they accompany any Cardinal that goes Legat a latere to any Foreign State and when he returns when they are to meet any King or Queen and lastly when they go to any Chappel or particular Consistory they march with the same magnificence and decorum They ride privately when they accompany his Holiness either out or into the City if the Pope be a Horse-back or in his Litter the Cardinals ride in colours suitable to the season and the garniture of the Mules are but ordinary The Ceremony of sending the Cap to such Cardinals as are absent from Rome is very curious and happens but rarely because for the most part the Popes will have them to receive them from their own hands not that it is necessary to the Orders of the Church but out of an ambition they have to receive their thanks and acknowledgements from the new Cardinals from their own mouths and to treat with them about the interest of their Families and the obligations they have to their Kindred for which reason some Popes do give the new Cardinals to understand that they took the resolution of creating them Cardinals upon several considerations but especially at the instant request of their Nephews though indeed there was no such matter But when by the incessant importunity of some King the Pope is constrain'd to send a Cap to some Cardinal out of Rome he sends it by one of his Chamber or some other Gentleman express with a Breve directed to the Nuntio Bishop or other Prelat of that place where the Cardinal is that is to receive it who is oblig'd to go forth to meet it with all his Family and Friends as not regarding the person that brings it but the quality of him that sends it and entring the City again the Cap is carry'd before him upon a Mace expos'd to the sight of all people as it is usually done when the Pope makes his Cavalcade to take possession in Saint John de Lateran the day of the Annuntiation Being entred into the City in this manner and
to particulars there are some will shrug up their shoulders to their greatest Benefactors that they may not be constrain'd to make them some sort of Complement against their wills It is sufficient that amongst all the Christian Clergy the Church of Rome does far exceed the Protestants in their entertainment of Strangers though they force themselves as much as is possible to satisfie them The reason is the Protestant has a heart good enough but his purse is too weak and that little he gets by the sweat as it were of his brows must of necessity be apply'd to the maintenance of his Familie not to the acquiring the applause of Travellers to the nourishment of his Children and not to the entertainment of Strangers but those of the Church of Rome have that plenty of riches it would be a miracle if they should not gain themselves some friends by their superfluity though they have Nephews and to inrich instead of Children yet they may do all that without any inconvenience for they knew well enough out of what Treasury to take money to create themselves friends and to shew themselves Courteous besides from their Civility and Gentileness they express to Strangers they draw no small profit in Almes it being more than true that the Ecclesiasticks are in that point like the Bell of Manfridonia which when it sounds makes this Eccho by common report Dammi e dotti c. Give me and I le give thee Give me and I le give thee Give me and I le give thee Great is the Civility the Cardinals use to any Ambassador they find in any City or State of the Church receiving strangers with all possible courtesie insomuch that some Protestants themselves have gone away very well satisfy'd with their humanity I will not say much of their comportment to Serene Princes who have their Orders from Rome to the end they may be entertain'd at his Holiness his charge and are therefore receiv'd by the Cardinal Legats with the greatest honour imaginable And by this extraordinary courtesie the State of the Church feels no small inconvenience because they take occasion upon any pretence whatsoever to lay new imposts upon the people as they did upon the arrival of the Queen of Sweden which remains as a perpetual memorial of Alexander the seventh upon their shoulders to this day and I have heard some people exclaim 'T is we that suffer for the Generosity of the Popes To meet the eldest son of any Prince any Royal Ambassadors or the Ambassadors of the Dukes of Savoy or Tuscany the Cardinals are wont to go as far as the Gates of the City with as great a Train of Coaches as they can possibly get or the largeness of the place will bear They first send one of the chief of their Families to meet them and with a fine Summer Coach to invite them from their own After that they send a company of Lances half a dayes journey more or less and a mile or two out of the City they send their Vice-Legats with some small number of Coaches But this common Rule has its exceptions likewise for there are some Cardinals that treat and caress such persons according to the animosity or inclination they have for their Masters For example a Cardinal of the French faction will receive an Ambassador from France with greater Pomp than an Ambassador from Spain and it is the same on the other side But those that are indifferent observe their Rules and measure their Paces exactly both for the one and the other having a care alwayes to express something more of honor to the Royal Ambassadors than to the Ambassadors from Savoy and Tuscany nor indeed without reason Sometimes the Cardinals will pretend I know not what excuses sending great Trains to meet them but staying themselves at home where they receive them at the top of the Stairs without their Rochets Which custom is never us'd to the eldest Son of any Serene Prince they receiving them alwayes at the Gate of the Town unless the Legat be sick in Bed In the same manner they receive their Brother Cardinals as they pass by The Relations of Serene Princes and some principal Barons are receiv'd some few miles off by the Cardinal Legats appointment by the Master of his Chamber and sometimes by his Vice-Legat who conducts them to the bottom of the Stairs where they are receiv'd by his Eminence sometimes he pretends for their greater honour to walk out into the City and as soon as he has notice that the Prince is near at hand he marches into the Street by which he is to pass and pretending to have met him by accident takes him up into his Coach and conducts him to the Pallace prepar'd for him Neither the Cardinal Legats nor any other Cardinal in Rome does use to make any invitation to Marquesses Counts or other persons of quality that are passing about their own particular affairs Yet the Cardinal Legat if they make him a visit to return them some expressions of favour will invite them to Dinner or Supper and appoint some of his Gentlemen afterward to accompany him and show him what is most considerable in the Town The principal Ladies as Ambassadors Wives and the like the Cardinals do alwayes invite and send the meanest of their Relations to meet them if they have any which they seldome want or at least their Major Domo some miles out of the Town and that more or less according to the design they have to do them honour besides which they do usually intreat some of the principal Ladies of the City to go and receive them and accompany them to the Palace where the Cardinal receives them at the Stairs head and conveys them to the appartment ordain'd them The particularities of their Visits and Receptions I have thought good to insert in this Cardinalism for the satisfaction of some Outlandish Gentlemen that did earnestly desire it For my own part I had no other design but to speak of matters appertaining to their politicks however it seems not improper seeing in these times the policy of the Cardinals run so much into Ceremony I shall now speak of the eight Offices that are peculiar to the persons of the Cardinals which are the Popes Vicar The chief Penitentiarie The Vice-Chancellor The Chamberlain The Prefect of the Signature di Justitia The Prefect of the Signature di Gratia The Prefect of the Breves The Bibliothecary And first I shall begin with the Popes Vicar which office is the most antient of all and was for a long time executed by Bishops and other Prelats But Pius the fourth transferr'd that dignity upon the Sacred Colledge declaring the Cardinal Giacomo Savelli Vicar about the year 1565. after which time it was alwayes conferr'd upon Cardinals The jurisdiction of this Vicar is over the Priests and Regulars in Rome and the Territories belonging to it He has authority also over Societies of Laicks Religious Houses Hospitals Jews
the torments those Cardinals have suffer'd that would not consent to thr infamous desires of Alexander the sixth's Bastards Of the proud and imperious humor of Paul the fourth Of certain Congregations call'd by the Cardinals for the disposing of Urban the eight from the Papacy and of the course he took to evade that conspiracy Of the chastisement receiv'd by Alexander the sixth for having treated the Cardinals so ill Of the small zeal those Cardinals express'd that endeavour'd to depose Pope Urban Of the great commendations Cardinal Pallavicino before he receiv'd the purple Robe gave Pope Alexander because he kept his kindred so far from Rome and of his opinion after they were brought in Of the principal points the said Cardinal Pallavicino left in writing in the last period of his life Of the Title of Prince of the Holy Church which the Cardinals at present enjoy Of certain annotations upon that particular Of the Authority the Popes have wrested out of the hands of the Cardinals Of an example of Paul the second mention'd by Platina in the lives of the Popes Of the common opinion about the Government exercis'd by the Popes Nephews over the Church Of Saint Peter that would never commit the command of the Church to any of his Kindred or Relations Of the Cardinals true Successors of the Apostles Of the necessity of restraining the Nephews Of a Letter written by the most Christian King to the Cardinals about the accident that happen'd to his Ambassador in Rome Of the answer the Cardinals return'd to his most Christian Majesty and of certain other particulars beside AMong all the Cities of the Universe Rome alone can boast it self not only the Mother of Nations and the Head of the World but which is more a true Court of Kings for as many Cardinals as are promoted in the Church so many Kings are created in Rome The two Monarchies France and Spain that are as it were the two Poles of Christendome do labour and tyre themselves out with Arms in their hands to defend that Church of which they are Sons and Protectors and without whose protection it would have certainly been suck'd to the very Soul by the ravenous and unsatiable lips of those Ecclesiasticks who forbear not notwithstanding to engross great part of its nourishment in spight of all their Royal diligence But that which is most worthy of admiration is that these two Monarchs which pretend to the Protection of the Church and do indeed protect it do yet beg and implore as it were to have their interests protected by some Cardinal or other in the Court of Rome as if their own merits were not sufficient to defend the interests of those Monarchs who are the very founders of the Monarchy of Rome But that the Reader may be the better inform'd I shall acquaint him that at present it is the custom for every Crown to give the protection of its affairs to some of the Cardinals that are resident in Rome and this protection is with good reason aspir'd to by the Cardinals in the highest degree Insomuch as Alexander the seventh before he dy'd us'd his utmost endeavour to have Cardinal Chigi his Nephew declar'd Protector of Spain but he could not obtain his desire the Spaniard deluding him sometimes with fair promises and sometimes with excuses Of all the protections of Crowns which are five the Empire France Spain Poland and Portugal that of Spain is the most considerable and by consequence most ambition'd Not that Spain has merited more than the rest and particularly than France but in respect of the Territories they possess in Italy in which it seems the Protector has great authority disposing of many things at his pleasure if not by an absolute jurisdiction at least by his recommendations to the Governours of the Provinces who do seldome omit to gratifie his desires and to acknowledge him the Protector of their King besides which there are a thousand other considerations that make the said protection so much coveted and aspir'd to by the Cardinals And many are the reasons that induce those Crowns to declare their several Protectors in Rome but if my judgement may pass the greatest of all is to satisfie the ambition of those Cardinals that from morning to night study no other book than the augmentation of their own Grandeur and this is most certain there is no greater dignity that a Cardinal can attain to than to be made protector of some Crown And to speak truth there is something of magnificence in the Name of Protector implying that he which protects has some superiority over him that is protected however that rule does not hold in this case for those Kings bestow not those Protectorships upon the Cardinals to receive but to confer honour upon them the Cardinals ordinarily making great application for the protection of a Crown whereas in other protections they are sought to themselves It is not many years ago since these protections of Crowns were introduc'd into the Colledge of Cardinals in former times the Kings disdain'd them their swords being their sufficient protections the Pens of their Secretary doing that office upon any emergence gave immediate notice to the Court of Rome of their Masters pretensions But since the Popes began to advance themselves so high to confound the Church and the World Politicks and Morals Spiritual things with Temporal the Sword and the Cross and in short to transferr all the interest of Secular Princes to Rome those Crowns have been oblig'd to have not only their Ambassadors but their Protectors in Rome and that not so much for the defence of their Kingdoms defended by themselves nor of their persons defended by their Kingdoms but for the protection only of those interests that have been stoâ—â— as it were from the Princes and carryed to Rome This protection is no small advantage to the interest of the protected Crown but 't is much greater to the Cardinal that is its Protector because things are not manag'd with that order they ought to be the Cardinals for the most part having one hand upon the Rudder and the other upon the Sails The Crowns may do what they please oblige their Protectors with their Benefices and Abbyes yet they will never move out of their Sphear nor give those Crowns more than an outward appearance of protection reserving the substance for the benefit of the Pope And indeed many examples might be brought out of hundreds of Histories to confirm what I say I having for many years read much and made frequent observations upon this point The Princes are deceived if in the controversies that happen betwixt them and the Popes or the Nephews they believe to have their interests protected by those Cardinals that are their Protectors The protection a Cardinal gives to his Crown goes to a certain pitch and no farther if the Grandeur of the Pope be not diminish'd nor the Ecclesiastical priviledges intrench'd upon all things go well as much protection
select persons of piety for the service of the Church and that he will fill up the Sacred Colledge with Cardinals illustrious by their Blood their Virtues and their Bounty THE ITALIAN PRINTER TO THE READER THE absence of the Author has been the occasion that certain little Errors if you will not Christen them great ones have slip'd in this Third Part. The truth is when the Author sent the Manuscript to my hands by one of his Friends we being at great distance from one another I promis'd to do my endeavour to Correct it and I was as good as my word doing all that I was able though my good will was above my abilities yet I believe there is scarce any Error to be found which your discretion may not correct in the reading and that is it I do most humbly intreat I am oblig'd also in the behalf of the Author to admonish that if you find any palpable Error in point of History you would dispence with it because the time was so short from the Composition to the Printing The curiosity and impatience of some persons made me snatch the Manuscript out of the hands of the Corrector and perhaps some of my Workmen printed some of them before he saw them at all I am to desire you likewise from the Author himself that you would not censure him that he has inserted into this Third Part some things which have been written by other men he believ'd he has done for the best and truly I am of opinion you will not say the contrary there being no reason a thing should be left out where it will stand well because it was in another place where perhaps it stood worse Your Bricklayers and your Writers are in my judgement alike or rather your Writers and your Bricklayers the Bricklayers think Old Materials much better to build with than New as finishing more exquisitely with a mixture of Old and New The Old is New to him that begins and the New is Old to him that finishes Whilst this whole Work was a Printing I gave it leaf by leaf to a Friend of mine very well vers'd in the greatest Curiosities to peruse He told me this Third Part was the best and more necessary to be publish'd than all the rest and I do easily perswade my self you will be of his opinion But you must read it impartially or it will scarce turn to accompt Have a care of doing as he did who read Books only to satisfie his Friend Yet in this Work I shall be oblig'd to you if you will correct the Errors of the Press as you go along The Conclave of Clement the 9th after which the Politick Aphorisms do follow was taken out of the hands of a Conclavist who indeed had no intention to publish them but only to shew it to his Friends I suppose it is conformable to the truth of the History being the person who collected it is very impartial I had two of them in my hands which I shew'd to a Friend of mine a Virtuoso and well skill'd in the Interests of the Court of Rome that he might judge which of the two were the best and most proper to be publish'd having kept them some dayes in his hands he return'd them both to me with his opinion in writing that this was to be preferr'd Those who know already how passages have gone may read it for Observation and those who know nothing for their Curiosity Of the Politick Aphorisms I shall say nothing because they carry their Subtilty and Excellence in the very Name of the Author Some would have had the Author taken pains to make a Table of the most Considerable Matters with reference to the several Pages but the Author did not think it convenient to lengthen it out unnecessarily with another Table seeing in every Book there was one large enough before However I have made an Index of some proper Names especially of the Cardinals and Popes but left out for the greater ease of the Reader some such Sirnames and Names as are many times multiply'd according to the necessity of the History If you find no satisfaction in this Cardinalisme you will find it perhaps in his EVROPA MORTA which the Author has promis'd a while ago and I do promise on my part to use my utmost endeavours to facilitate the Reading by a carefull and faithfull Correction of the Press May you live happy in the mean time and be as candid in Correcting the Errors as I am affectionate in declaring my self Your Servant Il CARDINALISMO di Santa Chiesa OF THE HISTORY OF CARDINALS In III. Parts PART III. BOOK I. The Contents In which is discours'd of the resemblance of the Church to a Ship and the reason why Of the City of Rome born to Lord it over other Nations Of what is requisite for the understanding of the Pontifical Election Of the age of Holiness in the Church Of the reasons why there were no difficulties in the infancy of the Church about the Election of Popes Of a Pidgeon that sate upon the head of Fabianus Romanus and made him be declar'd Pope The reason why Sanctity decay'd in the Church Of the felicity of Peace experimented by the Ecclesiasticks Of the introduction of Pride Of the Emperours and how little they regarded the Spiritual affairs of the Church Of a dissention at the Election of Pope Simacus Of certain scandals which sprang up during Pope Bonifaces vacancy of the See Of Pelagius Romanus and his succeeding of Virgilius Of certain Priviledges granted by the Pope to Attila King of the Goths call'd FLAGELLUM DEI. Of the authority assum'd by the Emperours in the Election of the Pope Of the Reception given by the Emperour to Constantine the first at Constantinople Of the great hatred Philippus call'd Bardono bore to the Pontifical Grandeur Of the Election of Pope Zachary a Grecian without any Communication with the Emperour Of the deposal of Chilperick by the Pope his being stripp'd of all Title to the kingdome of France and the reason wherefore Of the Emperours being declared excluded from all right in the Pontifical Election Of Berrha's the Widdow of Charlemains journey to Rome to demand justice of the Pope and of the success of her journey Of a particular alliance betwixt Charles the Great and the Pope Of a popular tumult that happen'd in Rome against the person of Pope Adrian Of the Creation of Pope Stephen by the people against the consent of the Emperour Of the Popes journey into France to clear himself to that King of the accusations against him Of the industry Pope Pascal us'd to increase his authority Of the Election of Eugenius the second a most eloquent man Of the threatnings of King Lewis against the Pope Of the reason why the Popes chang'd their Names at first Of the desire the Romans had to shake off the Yoke of the Empire Of two Popes successors to Adrian Of Adrian the third's Bull against the
Duties The first Pastors of the Church rejoyc'd to keep themselves at a distance from the Interests of Princes as fearing to defile the Innocent Purity of the Flock of Christ with the Diabolical pollutions of Secular policies But their Successors beginning to be curious and to pry into the most occult and private policies of Princes they would not suffer the Court of Rome to be medling there but gave themselves over to endeavour the introduction of their own Interests into the Cabinet of the Interests of the Popes For certain ages Rome was free from those intricacies that are familiar in Temporal States contenting it self to conduct the Flock of Christ to the Fold with her Pastoral Sheephook only I mean her Spiritual Arms but no sooner was she become greedy of Principality and Dominion but the Princes observing her Crosier to be chang'd into a Sword and the Book of the Gospel into an Epitomy of Politicks began also to imitate Rome seeing Rome following their Rules in Temporal Affairs For three hundred years and upwards the Primitive Church continu'd in a most Holy decorum without the least obstacle in the Election of her Popes they being then contented with the bare Title of Bishops of Rome The Elections were not made by the Interest of Princes or the Capriccio of Nephews as they are now but by a Holy Zeal in the Bowels of the Electors who us'd to meet sometimes in this place sometimes in that and many times in the Woods by reason of the cruelty of those Tyrants that envy'd the tranquility of the Christians They had in those dayes no secret nor private Votes because the inward designs of those Primitive Chistians were suitable and correspondent to their outward zeal and profession of good works The Deacons that is they who endued with greater Charity and Devotion serv'd the Church sometimes in collecting of Alms for the common necessities sometimes in distributing Relief to the necessities of the poor were admitted to the Election together with such Priests and Curats as were nearest to the City of Rome With what simplicity and integrity they proceeded to the Election of Popes in the Primitive times of the Church may be argued from what happen'd in the Vacancy of Pope Anthero who dyed according to Eusebius's calculation in the year 243. The Holy Fathers were met according to their usual custom to consult about a Successor and whilst they were discoursing of the virtues of this man and the abilities of another it happen'd that Fabiano Romano pass'd by near the place of their Assembly in order to the looking to some grounds of his which he did not disdain to cultivate many times with his own hands He was no sooner come over against the place wherein the Electors were met but a Pidgeon from a Neigbouring Dove-house alighting upon his Shoulder gave occasion to the Fathers to arise from their Seats at the first notice of it and esteeming it a Prodigye they proclaim'd him Pope unanimously every one being confident it was the intention of the Holy Ghost who was represented in that Dove Fabianus who thought of nothing less than to be chosen Pope was astonish'd at the business and not judging himself worthy of so great a Ministry he begg d upon his knees to be excus'd but his humility being overcome by the perswasion of the Electors he at â—ast embrac'd the Pastoral Cure of the Church in which after he had exercis'd it for the space of seven years with great advantage to the Christians he ended his dayes under the Tyranny of the barbarous Emperour Decius who at that time us'd great cruelty to the Christians constraining them from the City into the Woods which they were glad to make their houses of God seeing that the Emperour was pleas'd to make Cities places for wild Beasts and for Devils The Popedome was not ambition'd but avoided by the Ecclesiasticks because it commonly lost them their lives that exercis'd it He that found himself too weak and timerous to suffer Martyrdome renounc'd the Papacy and confess'd the imbecility of his nature and indeed who would ever have receiv'd much less have sought an office which brought no other advantages along with it than the persecution of Tyrants Now adayes what broyls what intrigues what differences are there at the creation of Popes where is he who would desire Votes to be made a Martyr For my part I dare affirm the Church would be as Holy in these times and perhaps more now we are as it were in the latter end of it than it was then in its beginning if the Popes were call'd to Poverty and not Riches to Martyrdom not Magnificence and to the care of the Church and not of Governments But whether do my thoughts transport me Let us return to our business and assert that the Church was Holy without Discord or Schism or Heresie to the dayes of San Silvester which were about the year 325. till that time the Popes having been Elected with tranquility and peace and no small satisfaction both to the Electors and Elected The Holiness of the Church I mean that Holiness that respects the Election of Popes began to cease under the Emperour Constantine because the Persecution of the Christians ceas'd Constantine suffer'd the Church to enjoy Peace that is of the body possibly but with greater torture to their minds for with the ease and wealth which he bestow'd upon the Ecclesiasticks with the conveniences of Houses and the Government of Cities which he assign'd to the Popes Charity began to grow cold Zeal to be weaken'd and Devotion to be lost and those Ecclesiasticks who formerly imploy'd their whole times in heaping up Penitencies and Fastings by those good works to purchase the Glory of Heaven began after that time to apply themselves to the acquisition of money to the begging of Abbeys and Bishopricks by those means to procure the glory of the world As soon then as Riches were introduc'd into the Church Schism and Heresie were introduc'd amongst the Clergy and Pride which began then to spread and worm it self into the hearts of those who were formerly meek and humble and sâ—câ— as shunn'd dignity and hid themselves from preferments insomuch as that Papacy which was avoided by every body as a thing that brought nothing but persecutions along with it began to be aspir'd too as soon as they perceiv'd their fear turn'd into security their flight into repose and their torments into happiness For if formerly by reason of the poverty of the Popedome they were subject to Tyrants they believ'd afterwards by virtue of their wealth to make Martyrs even of the Tyrants themselves No sooner did the Popes appear with their Miters of Gold and with their Scepters in their hands commanding the people but all of them design'd the destruction of the Secular Power to ingrandize the Pontifical Majesty to make themselves courted by the Vulgar and honour'd by the Great ones but the Emperours growing jealous of them began
doors of the Conclave be well guarded if the Election be made in Rome the first Guards are to be kept by the Souldiers of the Popes ordinary Guards after them by the Barons of Rome and the Ambassadors of Princes who are all to be sworn in the Conclave it self before it be shut up that they will keep the said Guards with diligence and loyalty as is convenient and last of all in the nearest places to the door of the Conclave by the Bishops and Conservators of the City If the Election be made out of the City of Rome the Guard of the Conclave is to be made by the Temporal Lords of that place with the same formality and oath as in Rome The duty of those that are deputed for Guards is to prevent any violence shall be offer'd to the freedom of the Cardinals votes to observe well the provisions that come in that there be no Letters convey'd in them and in case any such be found let them be consign'd to the Marshal to be kept till the Conclave be finisht That they further take care the Cardinals be not incommoded that they be all ready at their beck and in case of delay that they force them first gently and with intreattes but afterwards even with threats to hasten the Election The Souldiers of the Conclave that is those who are appointed to guard it and the Barons of Rome are to preserve the Conclave from all disturbance and violence The seventh That the Cardinals may not go out of the Conclave or adjourn their Assembly to an other place for any person whatsoever but upon any emergent necessity let them put an end to the Election and then they may go forth if otherwise they should go out let them be forc'd back again by the Guards of the Conclave The eighth That those Cardinals who come after the Conclave it shut and before the creation of the Pope may enter and give their voices as the rest and that no Cardinal can upon any occasion or pretence whatsoever although he be Excommunicated avoid being present at the Election and giving his Vote But all this is to be done by the consent of the whole Colledge and not of the Governour of the Conclave only The ninth That three dayes being past after their entrance into the Conclave if in that time the Pope be not chosen the Prelates and Barons of Rome and such others as are deputed Guards to the Conclave may require an account of the Cardinals transactions within and restrain them of their variety of dishes reducing and lessening them by degrees according as they find the Election delay'd The tenth That in the time of the Election no person whatsoever whether Secular or Ecclesiastick is to give or promise or intreat thereby to move or incline the hearts of the Cardinals to their private desires and this under pain of the Popes Excommunication And that it be not permitted that the Cardinals discourse of any other matter than the Election of the Pope to expedite the Election and to prevent occasion of exasperating the minds of the Cardinals other wayes The eleventh That no person whatsoever may by reason of the Bull of Alexander the third be declared or elected Pope if he has not first two whole parts in three of the voices of the Cardinals which are present in the Conclave which Votes are to be given in secret and afterwards read publickly that all persons may take notice who is chosen The twelfth That after the death of the Pope all Magistrates and Ecclesiastical Offices are to cease except such aâ— are in the persons of the Cardinals which are perpetual which Offices are to remain unexecuted all but the Office of the chief Penitentiary and the Chamberlain The thirteenth That there be a Governour of the Conclave that he be a worthy person and of good qualifications that he be chosen by the Body of the Cardinals before they enter into the Conclave whose Office it shall be to give seasonable Orders that things may go within as they ought to do and that the Lord Cardinals may not want any thing convenient The last is That an Oath be given to the Cardinals to keep secret all the transactions and argumentations of the Conclave relating to the Election that it be not permitted to any body to bear armes in so sacred a place nor to revenge any injury whatever either with words or with deeds but that they bear all things patiently and endeavour to avoid that mischief And thus Gregory being exceedingly pleas'd with the introduction of this Form into the Conclave he dismiss'd the Council of Lyons in which many things were decreed as the Enterprize into the Holy Land the Union of the Greek and Latine Church and the Peace betwixt the Princes of Christendom and then he began his journey in order to his return into Italy and refusing to pass by Florence least he should be oblig'd to take off the Interdiction he took his way towards Arezzo in which place he arriv'd fell sick and dyed in the year 1276. in the fifth year of his Popedom The Cardinals who follow'd his Holiness were the greatest part of them at Arezzo the rest by another road were arrived at Rome which occasion'd some difficulties amongst them some pretending the Election was to be made in Rome others insisting it was to be at Arezzo where Gregory dyed But because the greatest number of those who were at Arezzo prevail'd those Cardinals who were in Rome came thither that they might not be excluded from their Votes seeing those at Arezzo had declar'd their number was sufficient and they would create a Pope without them Besides Gregory's decree which ordain'd expresly That the Election should be in the place where the preceding Pope dyed to which those in Rome reply'd That that was intended if the place was convenient producing a thousand pretences to prove the incommodities of Arezzo It is enough be it one way or the other those who were in Rome were made to know that they were in the wrong and therefore being arriv'd at Arezzo they went into the Conclave with the rest of the Cardinals the 21. of January this Conclave was guarded with good Guards by the Aretines who were not a little elated to see the first Conclave celebrated in their City But these Guards lasted but one night for the same night the Cardinals entered they agreed to choose Pietro Farantasio a Burgundian and Dominican Fryer Pope who took upon him the name of Innocent the 5th In this manner coming out of the Conclave with the new Pope on the 22 in the morning all the Cardinals began their Congratulations Innocent though he was requested to pass away the Winter where he was yet being resolved not to be Crowned at Arezzo where he was Elected but in Rome the true Apostolical seat and where he design'd to have his Residence prepar'd immediately for his journey thither as indeed it succeeded making himself to be
Cardinal cry'd out as loud as they could some of them long may Rotomagensis live others long may the Genoese and others the Medanese So that it was not known which of them was Pope a thing very displeasing to the said Cardinals who began to curse those who were the occasion of their exclusion as receiving no ordinary disturbance from so unusual an affront The people were obstreperous and in a tumult but when they were assured Cardinal Aeneas Piccolomini was the person which was plac'd in the Chair of Saint Peter as universal Father and Governour of the Church they immediately laid down the arms they had taken up to satisfie their vehemence and passion having no confidence but in their sword and the face of the City was alter'd in a moment so that that City which a little before seem'd dedicated to Mars in the twinkling of an eye became I will not say the City of Venus the Mother of the Trojan Aeneas but a Paradice of Peace and an Epitomy of tranquility which every one expected from the Exaltation of such a Pope This Election was generally to the satisfaction of all the Princes of Christendom particularly Ferdinand King of Sicily was very well pleas'd to see so good a friend of his Fathers admitted to the Government of the Church Borso Duke of Modena was so much over-joyed at this Election of Pius as one with whom he had a mutual correspondence and friendship from the time he obtain'd that Dukedom from Frederick the Emperour in which concession also Aeneas had been instrumental that in testimony of his congratulation he made Tournements or Tiltings hoping under his Pontificate to meliorate his fortune and augment his Estate To that end in Ferrara and in all other places of his Dominion he commanded solemn Festivals to be kept for the Election of that Pope which the people fail'd not to observe Francis Sforza Duke of Milan though perhaps his wishes were to have seen another Pope nevertheless understanding Aeneas was Elected he made his expressions of joy having receiv'd him honourably in his own lodgings in Milan and treated him with great generosity a little before his Election The Marquesses of Mantoa Monâ—â—rrat and Salussi who were all Aeneas his great friends were very much pleas'd and order'd their Subjects to make demonstration of their joy The Venetians and the Florentines were the only people dissatisfied with this Election the Florentine from a natural fear and animosity they had to the Sieneses their Neighbours with whom they had frequent disputes about their Confines took so great a disgust at the assumption of Aeneas that as he was walking in the Street and saluted by those which met him with a Dio vi salvi they reply'd with great contumacy ci salvera perche no the Venetian likewise had no great correspondence with him yet for all that both the one and other dispatch'd most sumptuous Embassies to him to congratulate and pay him the usual obedience The Nobility of Siena being jealous of the house of Piccolomini as well for other considerable respects as for fear the Pope should usurp upon the liberty of the City and make it a Principality hereditary to his own Family receiv'd but little delight at the news of Aeneas his Election However the generallity of the people seeing a fellow Citizen of theirs exalted above the Cardinals of all other Cities celebrated his Eâ—ection for several days with bone-fires and such other transcendant Expressions of their joy as seem'd madness and extravagance as commonly most of your popular solemnities are But that which was most remarkable and most for the glory and reputation of the Pope was that almost all the Barons of Rome assembled themselves on horseback to Congratulate and on the 28 of August about shutting in of the Evening they made a solemn Cavalcade every one with his lighted Torch in his hand attended with a great number of Lacqueys and Grooms with Torches likewise which train being disposed into order extended all along from the Castle of Saint Angelo to the Church of Saint Peter The Ceremony was so Pompous his Holiness stood at the Window all the while to behold so illustrious a spectacle design'd and dedicated to the honour of his Exaltation But above all the Princes of Christendom Frederick the Emperour was the most satisfied and not without reason because it was by his instance and mediation Aeneas was made a Cardinal and therefore transported with joy he not only dispatch'd Ambassadors to congratulate his Creation but he commanded Justs and Tiltings to be celebrated for several days The King of Spain did the same and indeed all the Princes of Christendom except the Kings of France of Scotland of Denmark of Poland Hungary and Cyprus who for several reasons had no great opinion of that Election But all the rest of the world I mean of Christendome were glad I will not omit though I shall mention it but by the way to remember the great zeal this Pope exprest towards the recovery of the Holy Land especially when he saw the Turk had got possession of Greece and Sclavonia it brought tears of compassion from his Eyes as oft as he heard of the miseries which the poor Christians suffered who were under the Dominion I may say Bondage of the Barbarians This zeal carry'd him in person to the Councel of Mantua in which he negotiated the cause of Christ so well with his most excellent eloquence that all the Cardinals and Fathers concluded that enterprise into the East was necessary in which he confaederated with the King of Hungary the Venetian and the Duke of Burgundie as knowing those Princes most dispos'd to so sacred a work against which all good Popes ought principally to bend their whole power and designs and lay aside deprive themselves of their passion to their Nephews rather than see the Church ruin'd by its barbarous Enemies Pius sent his Legates about through all Christendome injoyning the Bishops to excite and inanimate their Subjects to an expedition of that advantage and importance to the Church In the City of Siena as he was making his journey to Ancona he understood that Philip Duke of Burgundy who had promis'd to go himself with an numerous Army had chang'd his resolution and united with several other Princes and People as well Italians as strangers and out of envious and ambitious ends were using all possible means to divert others from so holy a design pretending and declaring that the consequence of that expedition could be nothing but certain danger and uncertain reward This news troubled his Holiness to the very soul so that he sent away Legates immediately to try if he could reduce them to more rational resolutions at least to sit still and not discourage others if they would do no good themselves From Siena he return'd to Rome upon some new occasion and afterwards departed again for Ancona in which Port the whole Christian Army was to Rendezvouz at least that of
solemn Entry of the Queen of Sweedland I heard an Expression of a Roman that gave me so great scandal that from my Cradle I was not in greater perplexity than at that time and all upon occasion of the Grandeur the Pope had usurp'd under pretence of Religion Being one day in St. Peters Church to see the aforesaid Queen Baptiz'd and observing the Pope and Cardinals with most incredible Majesty walking about in most sumptuous Habits I turn'd about to my Camerade and told him in my judgement I did believe there could not be richer Cloaths seen in the whole World The Roman heard me and crowding himself towards us gave me this answer The Habits Sir of the Pope Cardinals and Prelats are very rich indeed but my Wife shews her bare breech for it Neither my Camerade nor I gave him any answer suspecting him for some Court Spye that use to insinuate themselves as it were by accident into peoples company and speak ill of the Pope to make discovery of what their affections are But this poor Roman spake as he thought by the rest of his discourse making it plain how miserable the people of Rome were that were forc'd to deny themselves bread to enable them to pay the Taxes and Impositions laid upon them by the Pope So as the poor man concluded that the Catholick Religion in the Ecclesiastick State was the cause of the distress of the people and of all the pleasures and extravagancies in the Ecclesiasticks To this purpose I remember a certain Sermon I heard in a Covent in Rome and in the presence of two Cardinals one of them Sacchetti but the others name I have forgot The Sermon and the whole design of it made such an impression in me I think of it a hundred times a day and shall in this place insert the most memorable part of it The Preacher was a bare-footed Franciscan he seem'd a poor pittiful creature to look on but he was the more experienc'd in morality and declaim'd with that zeal and vigor against vice he rais'd devotion in the hearts of his whole Auditory The first Sunday in Lent this Holy Father being got into the Pulpit in the presence of two Cardinals and a very great Auditory besides after an Ave Maria and two or three cringes with his knee as is usual rising up again upon his feet he put his Cappuce or Cowle upon his head and pulling it down so low that we could scarce see his eyes in which posture having paus'd a while without speaking a word fixing his eyes upon the Cardinals that stood before him without naming any Text at all he breaks out abruptly into these words St. Peter was a fool St. Paul was a fool all the Apostles were fools the Martyrs were fools and all the Primitive Saints of the Church of Jesus Christ our Redeemer were fools The Cardinals at these words grew as insensible as Statues the people on the other side stood gaping in expectation of what would follow most of us imagining there was some mystery in the business and I among the rest admiring what freak this should be was very well contented to attend whilst the Father after some moments of silence which he had used on purpose to observe the distraction of the people began his discourse as followeth You that are Prelats do not you believe you shall be sav'd Yes good Father we do I know your answer And you of the common sort of people you are certain of Paradice Without question you will say yes Yes say I By turning night into day by feasting sporting and luxury with travelling all day in your Coaches and seeing Comedyes at night with wearing of Purple and Scarlet Silver and Gold and having your Silken trains carryed after you in the Street yes by spoyling the Walls of the Church to adorn the Walls of your Chambers and by taking from Christ to bestow upon the World is it in this manner O Romans you would be Saved The Apostles certainly and all the Saints of the Primitive Church might have been Saved the same way and then as certainly they were mad-men and fools to wander up and down in solitude and misery begging their bread for the love of God They were out of their wits to run up and down bare-foot and bare-legg'd preaching of Repentance and lying whole weeks together upon the ground and at last indure Injuries Imprisonments Persecutions and Death you are mistaken O Romans the Apostles and Primitive Saints were full of Sanctity and Prudence it is you are the fools to propose a new way of Salvation to your selves invented by your own intemperance and vanity you you are the fools you are the mad-men that think to save your Souls by ways not only contrary to the Precepts of the Gospel but against all reason whatsoever And these were the express words that he us'd which as soon as I went home I set down in writing lest I should forget them After this the Father named this Text Ductus est Jesus in Desertum admiring his patience which he apply'd with several places of Scripture and arguments of his own very proper for such select matter to us with great fervour and zeal I went home very well satisfi'd with the Preacher but in great apprehension for him believing as an Article of my Faith he would have been burnt next day in the Inquisition I was beginning a Psalm of Mercy for his Soul but my memory was too weak to go thorow with it but if I had my labour had been but lost the good Father had no need of it at all for he continued his Preaching in the same Church and with a greater concourse than before to my no small admiration for this I am certain of a Heretick nor the worst Enemy the Church of Rome had not only durst not but could not have found out more ignominious language against the City of Rome when two Cardinals were present To speak the truth that Sermon put a thousand thoughts into my head about matters of Religion which indeed are those I do most naturally apply my self to I would willingly have given any thing I had been absent and have repented me several times of going to Church that day and not without reason for from that day to this it has still run in my thoughts with what difference and contrariety they live now to the manner they lived in the minority of the Church when this City flourish'd with Godly men and Martyrs If a Heretick be ask'd whether he thinks to be saved or not I mean such a one as would cheat his own Father minds nothing but Roguery a continual Swearer and Debaucher one that goes to Church only for fear of the Magistrate ask such a one what he thinks of his Salvation and he will tell you he is most certain of it if you ask by what means he will answer with greater arrogance still by vertue of the blood of our Saviour that was
call God to witness I speak not what I say out of passion my desire is to see the Church in Charity and Union within it self for this is certain that violence and commination and force have no other effect upon the Hereticks than to exasperate and incense them All other applications are vain to remove the crudeties and ill humours in the Stomach inward Medecines are to be taken and those humours that tare and gnaw the very Bowels of the Church are to be removed before that which corrupts the habit and outward parts only if the Physician purges the body thoroughly within he is assured the outward part cannot remain ill The Governours of the Church the Prelats and the Priests are the Vitals and Interior parts of that Body let them be well purg'd of their Enormities and the Exterior will soon recover If Rome would Cure Rome the Hereticks would be cur'd by their example I have often said it and will assert it again that Hereticks do dayly repair from their several Countries to the City of Rome to observe the Conversation of the Catholicks and imbrace what they esteem most conducible But with what success They come forth Christians they return Turks they enter into Rome with a scrupulous and unsetled Conscience and they go out with a Diabolical they come forth with a desire to become Holy and they go back with a resolution to become Devils for in a word the most part of those that come thither return Atheists home again And all by reason of the innumerable Scandals and Transgressions they observe in the Ecclesiasticks so as there could be nothing more Charitable and Expedient for the Conversion of Hereticks than for the Pope and Cardinals in their great Prudence to begin and effect a thorough Reformation in their Clergy A certain Protestant of Bearne that had been long in Italy and was my particular friend would often tell me He would sooner choose to be a Devil in Hell than a Catholick in Rome and his reason was Because the Devils believe and tremble but the Catholicks did but laugh at it committing greater faults in the Church than they For my better satisfaction I intreated him one day to give me a clearer prospect of his Judgement which willingly he granted and deliver'd it in this manner Sir Homicide is forbidden in the Old Law by Gods express command and by Christs particular Order in the new in short God as God Christ as God and Christ all Laws both Divine and Humane both Natural and Celestial have forbidden Murther Non Occides Yet in Italy nay in Rome it self thousands of Murthers are committed and which is worse the Murderer has no more to do than to betake himself to their Churches I have seen my self some of those Homicides walking in State for their Recreation in those very Churches where but a while before the dead body of him that they had murther'd was bury'd and can any thing be found more Diabolical than this No and without doubt I have good reason for my Resolution of being a Devil rather than a Catholick I did not fail to suggest all the Arguments the Pope and the Church use for the defence of their Sanctuaries but to no purpose for he answer'd and not without passion That the Pope could not make the house of God a refuge for Murtherers expresly against his commands without making the world believe Gods Commandements were false And truly a good Conscience cannot be without some regret as often as he thinks upon Gods express command Thou shalt not kill and on the other side observes the Violators of that Law shelter'd and protected in his house as if the presence of Christ serv'd only chiefly to secure Murtherers I know there are many Divines that with great zeal will endeavour to defend it but I would to God there were fewer of them in the Church perhaps things would be better manag'd in the Service of God with their native simplicity whereas now the minds of poor Christians are confounded with the Opinion of this Divine and the Explication of the other Schism and Heresie and Schismatical Conventicles from whence had they their Original but from the brains and niceties of the Theologists But let them defend their Sanctuaries and argue against the Precepts of God as they please the Day of Judgement will come and they will have their reward Poor Princes must it needs be that the Arms of your Justice must be held and the safety of the people impugned by an Opinion that is without doubt Diabolical A certain friend of mine that had seen the world did use to call the Divines and Confessors the two Domestick Enemies of the Church and truly I cannot resolve my self which of the two are the least necessary in the Service of God Amongst scrupulous persons I know these words will be thought Heretical but certainly they are full of Pious Sentiment and Catholick The Divines that will be disputing beyond what the simplicity of Faith requires are Devils not Divines and the Confessors that make Sport and Comedy with the Confessions of their Penitents are the same The Theologists with their Arguments turn Unity into Schism and the Confessors on the other side turn the Confessions into Farces Were the Government of the Church instead of being Monarchical and dependant only upon the Pope as it is now Aristocratical and committed to the care and jurisdiction of such Cardinals as would serve the Church and not his Holiness the Divines would not be so quarrelsome nor the Confessors as prophane as the Divines But Confession now adayes is nothing but derision the Confessors drolling only and playing upon their Penitents and cheating both them and themselves And all this evil proceeds from the carelessness of the Bishops in Selecting fit persons for the taking Confessions I am confident there are in Italy at this time above two thousand Confessors that can neither read nor understand one verse in the Scriptures and yet most of them Masters or Batchelors of Divinity and God knows then how the poor Sinner is absolved Two instances I can give of their Capacities not Chosen or Select but taken up by chance out of a thousand more that I have heard The first is of a certain Merchant of Parma that went to Confession to a Bare-footed Fryer of the Order of St. Francis and had this Penance injoyn'd him That he should eat three Ounces of Chaffe To ease himself a little of the disgust he had taken at the indiscretion of his Penance he comes to me and tells me the whole story I had the curiosity to ask him what his sins were that he had confest and he protested to me nothing but that he had had an intention to have kiss'd his Maid Now I leave the Reader to be judge in this case what proportion there was betwixt the Sin and the Penance His heart should have been punish'd not his mouth because 't was that not this had offended But
Countryes wandring up and down in great indigence with their whole Families perishing with hunger in the fields begging in other Countries or submitting themselves to other Princes to our great reproach And indeed for the reasons aforesaid there are not now above half the number of Subjects in the Ecclesiastick State that there has formerly been and in the numbers of his people consists the power and riches of a Prince The Genoeses that are found to have imploy'd above fourteen millions of our money though they were carefull enough in their affairs do now perceive it desperatâ— either from our disability to pay it or from some urging necessity upon the people that incites them to shake off from their necks so insufferable and tyrannical a Yoak God Almighty forgive the Ministers of that time who with so little Prudence and Equity perswaded your Holiness in the Infancy as it were of your Papacy without any necessity at all to the reduction of the Banks out of which so many millions were drawn as would have immortaliz'd your Holiness his name had they been apply'd to the satisfaction of those debts in part if not in the whole Your Holiness had not those sentiments heretofore when it pleas'd God to give us you for our Pastor and I dare affirm as I have done often and that to more than one that the first stings and compunctions that disturb'd your generous breast was those of compassion towards the exhausted people to that purpose you deputed a Congregation to inspect their grievances and was more than one time present there your self so that not only the Cardinals but all the rest of the Prelats expected an universal redress But God did not permit that your Holiness his good mind should be seconded by the good practises of your Ministers who oppos'd themselves against it to the great dissatisfaction of all that were well inclin'd It is now time most Holy Father to reap the fruits of it as you did when you provided against the abuses introduc'd in the administration of the Annona or annual provision of Corn which arriv'd to that excess as might have irritated the minds of the people to such disorders as would have been beyond all remedy But the exemplary chastisement of a single Minister only that for several years has with great corruption and universal dissatisfaction executed his office is no competent provision unless the cause be remov'd all occasions for others to do the same be prevented and the opinion that the Cardinals have their share be pull'd up and irradicated out of the hearts of the people The authority of these Officers is arriv'd at that height that in spight of all Laws both Humane and Divine and all rules of Charity and Justice they endeavour to make the name of your Holiness odious to the world by their squeâ—zings and extortions out of Corn Oyl Flesh and whatever is most necessary to the life of man it deserves certainly a severe reprehension if for no other end than that your Holiness might not appear consenting thereunto But although your Holiness even to these open and pernicious Enemies of the publique has been pleas'd to abound in your most admirable Clemency I could wish nevertheless your Holiness would in a particular manner regulate the affairs of the Annona for the future that those Subjects which your Holiness is oblig'd to provide for both as the Shepherd of their Souls and their Temporal Prince be not brought into a worse condition than the Beasts of the field who feed and sustain themselves with the Fruits of the Earth as their Creator ordain'd without being cosen'd and defeated by the malicious covetousness of others In the Congregations that I might not be wanting to my charge as being one deputed amongst the rest I have endeavour'd to display my opinion in this matter and as to the particular of keeping the City of Rome and the whole Ecclesiastick State likewise if not in a plentiful at least in a competent provision of Corn I have nothing to add to the report I made by your Holinesses Commission in the very beginning of your Papacy This I shall only say that if no relief be immediately apply'd to the sufferings of your Subjects their ruine and destruction I see most eminently and unavoidably at hand Your Holiness would do well to take off part of the impositions upon Edibles and to restrain the insatiable voracity of the Treasurers of Provinces and other publique Ministers who to Monopolize and forestall the Markets by a barbarous invention do render the people miserable and not so much as Masters of that which by the blessing of God they do gather upon their own ground It would be a great relief to your Subjects likewise if the Commerce with the Venetian which with much detriment has been interdicted till now were open'd again nor would those most prudent Senators make any difficulty to consent as well for the mutual advantage it would bring as that it would be a means to make the Apostolick See more ready and dispos'd upon any Exigence of theirs to tax its own Subjects to relieve them In short a Prince that desires the relief and ease of his Subjects cannot want wayes to effect it And this your Holiness may do by incouraging and introducing arts into several places in the State by making Civita Vecchia and Ancona free Ports by favouring Agriculture that is almost forgotten in most places by employing able and dexterous men in all Governments and Offices and not call in so many strangers to usurp and ingross what belongs naturally to your Subjects By this means your State would be repeopled the golden Age restored and your Treasury recruited I should have had something to say about the affairs of Portugal but finding my breath to fail me my head no less than my hand to tremble and that I might not be any longer tedious to your Holiness I will only beseech you to ponder and deliberate with your self in a business of so great consequence and having ask'd Counsel of God rather than of man who is sway'd and actuated by passion that you resolve and perform that zealously that shall be directed by his infinite wisdome It troubl'd my very Soul to consider the small hopes with which you suffer'd the English Gentleman to depart that was sent to your Holiness to endeavour the promotion of the Abbot Aubigny a person so qualify'd by his Birth Abilities and Piety that he would without doubt have become a Pillar and Support to the tottering Catholicks in England as Cardinal Poole did formerly Having heretofore with great vehemence and fervour supplicated your Holiness to bestow upon a person so honourable and so necessary to the Church that Cap that has so long though unworthily adorn'd my head and which still I would with all my heart lay down at your Holiness his feet for the investure of such a person I do now with all my heart reiterate those Prayers that it
on purpose to find a remedy in some measure for the disorders the Nepotismo occasion'd in the Church But their words were more than their deeds for though some were of opinion a definitive decree should be pass'd by which all succeeding Popes should be oblig'd from calling their Relations to Rome without the consent of the Sacred Colledge Nevertheless the major part thought it more convenient not to meddle in it at all lest they should give fresh occasion of scandal and derision to the Hereticks So that Pallavicino's Paper had no better success than the resolution of Cardinal Cena who had fancy'd to himself the extinguishment of the Nephews a â—â—diculâ—â—us fancy because in my iudgement the extinction of the Nephews would be a great prejudice to the common re 〈…〉 of Rome if the Pope was constrain'd to trust himself rather to the Councels of his Enemies than his friends and to introduce persons unknown to him into the Vatican The Duty of Cardinals as they are Senators of the Church should be to watch over the Nephews that of Governours they become not Princes of Keepers of the Patrimony of Saint Peter they prove not barbarous devourers of the very blood of Christ and indeed if the Cardinals pleas'd they might do wonders for the benefit of the Church Were they all unanimous for the destruction of all corruption they would give the Pope and his Nephews matter to think upon but they have no mind to it this for one consideration that for another this for this interest that for that so that faction and division ruines the Church and gives opportunity to the Popes in the mean time to prosecute the advancement of their own Families Some few years since the Cardinals amongst other Titles call'd themselves Princes of the Holy Church which gave sober men great occasion to wonder for my own part I look upon it as so strange and incongruous an usurpation I cannot tell which way to excuse it That they call themselves Senators of the Christian Commonwealth Counsellors of the Supreme Senate of Christ upon Earth Apostles of the Catholick Religion Assistants to Christs Vicar Supreme Ministers of the Gospel I can allow as what they may reasonably deserve but I know not how they can assume the Title of Princes of the Church Are they Princes that are many times used worse than Slaves by the Nephews Are they Princes that are forc'd to wait from morning to night not upon Christs Vicar but the Popes Nephews Are they Princes of the Church that know not so much as where her Treasure is Are they Princes of the Church that suffer her to be ransack'd and ravish'd before their own eyes Are they Princes that can see their Principalities destroy'd with so much patience Your true Princes from the rising to the setting of the Sun and from its setting to its rising again do study nothing more than the conservation of their proper Principalities they endeavour with all possible care the augmentation of the number of their Subjects they suffer not their people to be press'd or overlay'd with more grievances than the condition of his Principality does necessarily require If any go about to disturb the peace of their Neighbours they arm themselves immediately marching up and down their Dominions to hear the grievances and complaints of their Subjects and to comfort them with his presence and due execution of Justice and these are Princes indeed But what kind of Princes are your Cardinals Or what service do they do the Church to deserve that Title But their Soveraignty or to speak more properly their Dominion and Government is not in spiritual things forasmuch as the Pope is he that dispences indulgences gives dispensations sends out his Bulls and creates Bishops and Cardinals as he pleases so that the Pope only is Prince of the Church and not the Cardinals and although they may seem to have some share in the creation of Bishops because they are examin'd usually in a Congregation of Cardinals yet that is only form and outward appearance for in strictness the Pope can make whom he thinks good and without the consent or knowledge of the Cardinals send a Bishop into any City whether the whole Colledge of Cardinals dare not so much as send a Deacon to recite the Offices for the dead withcut the Popes permission And this is a thing that gives me no small discomposure as often as I think of it for indeed we all know and all History both Ecclesiastick and Prophane do confirm it that Saint Peter never did any thing but by the concurrence of the Apostolick Colledge but the Colledge often without Saint Peter nor can I tell how the face of things came to be chang'd for above twelve Centuries the Popes never insinuated or pretended to the creation of Bishops Cardinals or other Officers of the Church that belonging alwayes to the Synode and Colledge But now the Popes do all things as they list themselves and yet the Cardinals must needs have the Title of Princes of the Holy Church which the Popes do willingly allow them as not caring who have the smoak whilst they themselves run away with the roast But if the Popes have usurp'd upon the Cardinals Jurisdiction in Spiritual things much more have they robb'd them of it in Temporal One of them being taken away drew the other after it Whilst the Popes began at first by degrees to entrench upon that Authority in Spirituals that the Sacred Colledge was legally possess'd of and finding by little and little that they parted with patience with what they usurp'd with pride the good Popes took courage and seiz'd upon all driving them out both of their Spiritual and Temporal Authority too so that at this present the Cardinals have nothing left them but the benevolence of the Pope The worst is the Cardinals cannot yet tell in what manner they came to be robb'd of those Priviledges they in former times were possess'd of but for my part I believe it was from nothing else but their negligence and too little care they took of the conservation of that Authority that was given them by God by the Church by the Emperors and by the People for seeing their Authority very great they us'd not sufficient diligence to preserve it whereas the Popes being conscious of the weakness of their own they made it their business to enlarge it and they have done it so effectually they have left the other none at all Platina in his first impression of the Life of Paul the second gives an account that amongst others being accus'd of I know not what and brought Prisoner before the said Pope he petition'd his Holiness that he might be try'd before the Colledge of Cardinals in whose Judgement he would willingly acquiesce But the Pope enrag'd at the request told him What do you talk of Judgement know you not that I am infallible and carry all their Judgements and Reason in the Cabinet of my breast I consider
far from being hateful he is exceedingly grateful to the people of Rome He uses great prudence in defending the interest of France to which Crown he is infinitely oblig'd he speaks of the French with very great respect but so as to give no just offence to the Spaniard Though he receives great emoluments from France yet he spends much more than he receives in regaling the French GIO. BATTISTA PALLOTTA of Caldâ—rola in the Province of Marca is the Nephew of the late Cardinal Pallotta who left him not only his Estate which was great but his Maximes also and a certain austere way of proceeding in his distribution of Justice The house of Pallotta deduces its nobility no further than from the dignity of these two Cardinals and particularly of him that is living who had Benefices and dignities conferr'd on him as soon as he had taken the Ecclesiastical Habit upon him Vrban the eight loved him so well he thought him a proper person to do the Church good Service and therefore as it were in the beginning of his Papacy he declar'd him Governour of the City of Rome in which office he gain'd the affection of the whole City exercising all things impartially without respect of persons not regarding so much as the Nephews themselves which was evident enough when he order'd Cecca Buffona a famous Courtezan and very dear to to Cardinal Antonio to be whipp'd thorough Rome Cecca Buffona believ'd under the protection of that Cardinal she might do what she pleas'd so that she made no scruple to transgress against a severe order of the Governour Pallotta but he was not long in revenging it and that he might do it with the less trouble and impediment he charg'd his Servants that for the space of two hours nobody should be introduc'd to his Cabinet where he shut himself up whilst justice was executing upon her Cardinal Antonio having the news of her Imprisonment dispatch'd a Gentleman to Pallotta who was very civilly entertain'd by his Domesticks till the two hours were expir'd and then he being brought into the presence of Pallotta presented him with an order from the Cardinal Antonio for the immediate inlargement of the Prisoner Cecca Pallotta reply'd his Eminence was his Padrone and without more ado gave order for her dismission He arriv'd with his order at the Prison just as the Officer brought her back from being whipp'd which put the Cardinal into such a rage he swore he would be reveng'd Pallotta own'd all to his Holiness who was well pleas'd with the action but knowing well his Nephews humour to prevent any mischief he might contrive against Pallotta he sent him in the quality of Collettore into Portugal where in the maintenance of some Punctilio of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction he excommunicated the Royal Councel of the City of Lisbon who sending their Officers to carry him to Prison he was forc'd to leap out of a window to escape with no small danger of breaking his neck and so posting to Rome a few months after his arrival he was promoted to the Cardinalship in spight of Cardinal Antonio who did his utmost to prevent it But his promotion notwithstanding did not secure him against persecution for he did not only meet with many troubles and affronts during the time of Pope Vrban by means of Cardinal Antonio who studyed day and night which way to do him an injury but was forc'd likewise to retire out of Rome in the Papacy of Innocent the tenth by the contumelyes he receiv'd from Donna Olimpia incens'd against him for being one of those that endeavour'd her expulsion His great zeal not induring to see a woman domineering in the Vatican In the Congregations and Consistories his judgement is as much regarded as any mans nay even by the Barbarini his profess'd Enemies themselves his conversation is pleasant his life Angelical and retir'd from all vain company He is inclin'd to do good to all people there is no body comes to him but he goes satisfi'd away he gives his Letters of recommendation very freely provided it be not to restrain the hand of Justice in that case he by no means concerns himself for any one nor will hinder the course of Justice that is alwayes to be free In his Legation of Ferrara he gain'd the ill will of the Venetian by some controversies that they had but certainly they had no reason to complain of him because he upon all occasions speaks well of them For the Crowns indeed he shews no great concern as shunning all occasions of giving jealousie either to the one or the other yet 't is generally believ'd he is inclining to the Spanish party He is more fear'd than belov'd in the Court he is a man of great integrity and irreprehensible in his conversation In his transactions he is something too long and irresolute and too much given to the affairs of the Fryers Not only his Lodgings but his Palace is perpetually full of Solicitors in private affairs as well as publick and it is believ'd by every body that if he were Pope he would go very far in the reformation of the Fryers But this tediousness and delay in his affairs may be excus'd by a certain abhorrence and impatience of idleness that he has in his nature that spurs him on to be doing though it be never so little and raises him business out of every trifle Yet were his imployments greater he would appear no less resolute than he was in his Government of Rome For my part I think him not likely to come to the Papacy and that out of chastisement to the People that are not worthy of so good a Pope for this I dare affirm that in the whole Colledge of Cardinals there are not any more deserving the Chair than Pallotta Farnese and Elci for their integrity justice love of the people for their impartiality and that they are not lovers of their Kindred only Pallotta is seventy years old and were it not for the Gout wherewith he is often tormented he would be very healthfull and strong FRANCISCO MARIA BRANCACCIO is a great Lord and Knight of Nido in Naples which is as much as to say one of the principal Nobility He receiv'd the Cap from Vrban the eighth at a time when he little expected it and was created more in despight of the Spaniard than for any merits of his own for they going about to violate some of the Immunities of the Church Brancaccio undertook to defend them and caus'd the Captain of a Company of Spanish Foot that was over-active against him to be shot The Spaniards resenting much the death of their Captain who was Nephew to the President of that Province sent out immediately to take the Cardinal that was then Bishop of Carpasio Prisoner but he to avoid the violence of the Kings Officers escap'd by night and arrived safely at Rome where within certain months he was made Cardinal and gave occasion to a witty person to say That he
that he uses such recreations and divertisements as are honourable and may consist with the dignity of his place Amongst the rest of the Virtues in this Prince there are two more especially resplendent one is his affability in treating readily with all such as come to him making no scruple as others do to give access to every body and to dispatch them with good satisfaction the other is the great affection and alacrity with which he protects all such as have their recourse to him and to be protected by such a person is not amiss All the world holds him very well read in the Art of dissembling and keeping his designs close and reserv'd yet he could not dissemble at the news that was brought him that the Admiral of Castile Ambassador extraordinary from the Crown of Spain had declar'd at his arrival at Rome that he would visit all the Sacred Colledge but the Cardinal d'Este which the Cardinal disdaining he took a resolution to go immediately to Rome where having entred into some difference with the Ambassadour they both fell to their Arms and as some Histories report put the whole City into confusion Nor could he dissemble any more when Pope Vrban told him that he did believe that he having been formerly against the Family of the Barbarini and now tack'd about to their side did it only to obtain the Abbey he desir'd with which the Cardinal was very much netled and reply'd hastily I suppose your Holiness likes not my being in Rome if I were sure of it I should depart immediately and the Pope having told him God be your speed the Cardinal took Coach forthwith and return'd to Modena This Abbey of Nonantola came into his hands by means of the Marriage the Barbarini made with the Duke of Modena his Nephew the Barbarini having given nothing to that Cardinal but that Abbey which yeilds him but twenty thousand Crowns a year at the most He was promoted to the Cardinalship in the year 1641. the 16. of December CESARE FACCHINETTI is a Gentleman of Bolonia Innocent the ninths Nephews son He is a worthy person and lives with the reputation of an honest and prudent man He hath been imploy'd in the principal offices of the Court and has shown great judgement and dexterity in them all but especially when he was Nuntio in Spain where he carry'd himself so well he got the applause of the whole Nation the King declaring him a person of worth and recommending him to his Holiness so as upon his return he was made a Cardinal by Pope Vrban He was afterwards made Bishop of Siâ—gaglia a strong City and Port in the Dutchy of Vrbin but his merits being more worthy he had the Bishoprick of Spolâ—to given him in exchange where he now remains to avoid all occasion of involving himself in the interests of the Court which are too often but a prejudice to such persons of desert as think that way to advance their fortunes though many believe the way to arrive at the Papacy is to keep out of Rome He has no Cardinals his Enemies in the whole Colledge the Spaniards are his friends and the French have no reason to complain on him his merits also are so great that if the See were vacant he would have no small party for his Election But the mischief is an unlucky custom that is lately introduc'd and that is that the Nephews of the last Pope will have one of their own creatures to succeed him He was promoted to the Cardinalship in the year 1643. the 13. of July GIROLAMO GRIMALDI a Genoese was promoted to the Cardinalship by Pope Vrban and that for four reasons The first was because he was born of one of the principal Families of Genoa with the quality of Soveraign as he was Prince of Monaco The second was to recompence the office of Chierico di Camera that was purchas'd by the said Grimaldi and devolv'd afterwards to the benefit of the Pope The third was the prudence of his carriage in his Government of Rome with which he gain'd the affection of the whole people as also when he was Nuntio in France and began with all integrity imaginable to incline to the interest of that Crown And the fourth was to find him so firm to the service of the Barbarini his Nephews By several persons I have been inform'd of his qualities and humour in the relation of which his virtues and his frailties have been describ'd as follow He is said to be very thoughtful and cogitative a great designor jealous of himself bold in his enterprises and full of tricks and windings to support them inclin'd to his own accommodation though with never so much inconvenience to his Neighbour a friend to Novelties pleas'd to hear his enemies ill spoken off a free discoverer of his own mind and not a little given to the conversation of Ladies As to his Virtues they say he has many likewise with which the French were much taken and particularly he is loving and courteous and desires with gentleness to satisfie all that have business with him he is respectful to all people without exception of persons that is every one according to his degree he rewards his servants liberally and willingly receives the recommendations of his friends he loves learned men and delights himself to converse with them in the time of his recreations he has a quick judgement and discerns very well betwixt what is to be retained and what is to be rejected in short he is well beloved both at Rome and at Paris as a person dexterous inbusiness and exquisite in the most eminent affairs CARLO ROSSETTI of Ferrara was a wild and dissolute young man and insolent in all the Company he came and because ordinarily the Italians believe to put a Religious habit upon such shoulders as his is to consecrate a Sacrifice to God Rosetti was advised to repair to Rome and take the Ecclesiastick habit upon him which he did immediately and apply'd hemself to the service of the Barbarini who were then regnant and particularly to Francisco who took so extraordinary an affection to him that he provided him such imployments as might lead and introduce him into the Colledge of Cardinals He was sent in the quality of Nuntio into England to negotiate with that Kingdom for the ease of the Catholicks but his Negotiation had but little success his life being in no small danger amongst those tumults and indeed he would have withdrawn himself with more reputation had he been wiser but he had much ado to scape with his life When he was Nuntio at Colen with Chigi he spoil'd all that transaction by the too much partiality he shew'd to the Spaniard and had not the prudence and conduct of Chigi been interpos'd all things had gone top-si-turvy At which he took so great a displeasure that he alone oppos'd the Election of the said Chigi although he saw the Barbarini on his side to which Family he was
Emperour Of Otho's seeking revenge for the said Bull. Of the deposal of John the XIII from the Papacy and of his restauration to the See Of Pope Benedict's banishment to Hambourg by the Emperour Of Leo's restauration to the Papacy after he had been deprived by the people Of a Declaration of Leo's against the priviledges of Charles the Great Of the hatred conceiv'd thereupon by the Romans against the Pope Of the Popes being imprison'd by the people and of the revenge the Emperour took upon the Authors thereof Of the Popes imbezzlement of the Treasure of St. Peter Of his flight to Constantinople Of the Election of the Pope return'd into the hands of the people Of the Emperours resolution to have one of his kinsmen Pope Of Pope Gregories being driven out of Rome by the fury of the people and what follow'd thereupon Of the Election of the Emperour transferr'd by Pope Gregory upon certain Princes of Germany and upon what grounds Of the exclusion of the people from the Pontifical Election Of the Creation of three Popes at once Of the Schism appeas'd by Pope Alexander Of the Election of the Pope remaining only in the hands of the Cardinals Of the Assumption ef Pope Alexander and the Schisms in his time Of the service the Venetian did to the Church against the Emperour Of the obligation the Popes do profess to the Venetian Of the absoluteness of the Cardinals authority in the Pontifical Election Of the place where they assembled to Elect. Of the manner of their proceeding in the Election and the ill consequences thereupon Of a two years and nine months vacancy of the See Of the Assumption of Pope Gregory the X. Of the Reconciliation of the Venetian and Genoese Of the Conclave introduc'd by Gregory the X. Of certain tumults in Viterbo Of the Apostolick See being transferr'd into France by Clement the V. Of Saint Bridgets Letter to Gregory the XI Of the return of the Apostolick See into Italy Of the indignation of the Italians to see the Pontificate so long in the hands of the French Of a Schism that lasted 15. years Of certain accidents in the Papacy of Eugenius Of Amadeo Duke of Savoy's Creation Of his virtues and renuntiation of the Papacy Of what happen'd in the Conclave of Eugenius and of the exaltation of Nicholas the V. Of the Assumption of Calisto the III and of his death Of many politick discourses at the Creation of Eneas Piccolomini who was afterward Pius the II. And of some particulars in relation thereunto THE Church has been and not improperly resembled in the first cryes of its Infancy to a Ship tumbl'd by the Waves and batter'd by the Winds because She was to be nourish'd and brought up in the midst of the proud Billows of so many Ecclesiastical Disputes so many Theological Opinions so many Dissentions and Politick Reasons and expos'd by the ambitions of their own Mariners to thousands of Dangers and Storms which Schisme and Heresie have constantly produc'd with such fury as would have doubtless not only hindred her happy and victorious entrance into the Haven of Safety but have hazarded to have sunk and overwhelm'd her in those very Waves had not a favourable Gate of Protection been oppos'd by that Redeemer who has not nor will not endure to see that Vessel perish which he built at the expence of three and thirty years sweat with the Wood of his own Cross joyn'd together and rivetted with the Nails of his Hands and Feet cemented it with his Divine Blood which by the blows and stripes that they gave him was become pitch in the hands of the Jews setting up that Spear that pierc'd his side for a Mast stretching out that Linnen in which his most Sacred body was involved for its Sails recommending it to the Vigilance and Government of the Apostles and their Successors and finally for their greater incouragement to Lanch out into the Sea of this World he not only offer'd himself to become a Lanthorn to their feet but gave them a Motto worthy of such a Builder Et Portae inferi non praevalebunt adversus eam But though the Gates of Hell have had no power to destroy her they have been sufficient notwithstanding to give her great tryals that by her agitations and tempests in this world her victories and triumphs might be the more glorious in Heaven and that by those wrecks and persecutions the Church Militant and Triumphant might be distinguish'd The greatest Calamities this great Ship of Christianity has suffer'd have by the judgement of the most pious and devout persons proceeded from the investiture of the Supreme dignity in the persons of the Ecclesiasticks who being ambitious of advancing themselves one above another and being sensible upon the score of their own merits they cannot obtain the charges they pretend too they have betaken themselves to compass the end of their pretensions by imploring the recommendations of Secular Princes Which tend to mix Heaven and Earth together Rome which was built as it were to Lord it over all the Nations in the Universe and give an ample testimony and relation of thousands of wrecks the Church has suffer'd by the recourse the Ecclesiasticks have almost alwayes had to the Seculars and from hence it is that in these times there is a certain natural instinct and inclination in the minds of all Politicians to inform themselves distinctly of all particularities in the Court of Rome as if a man could not any way render himself more acceptable in his conversation than by his discourses of that And indeed the Pontifical dignity which is the most considerable the Majesty of so many Cardinals who are the Senators of the Christian Commonwealth the splendour of so many Bishops who receive all their aliment from the Popes do render it worthy to be numbred amongst the most famous Cities of the world and to be call'd the true Mother of Nations By this means the Popes being ingrandiz'd and rais'd to so eminent a degree as to be acknowledg'd above all other Monarchs whatsoever every one endeavours to inform himself of the quality of the great jurisdiction the Popes do at present enjoy in so much that the greatest part of the Writers now adayes do tire themselves out with relations of the Pontifical State From the mutations and evil events which have follow'd the Election of Popes I will not say in Rome but in all Christendome it may be clearly argued of what moment the said Election is seeing that for so many ages with her private interests and her publick she has oblig'd the principal Monarchies of the Universe to interpose with the whole power both of their Pen and their Sword In the Infancy of the Church there was nothing desir'd of Rome but Prayers and Orations and Preachings and Administration of the Sacraments because Rome expected nothing from the faithfull but the zeal of a good Conscience the safety of their Souls and to be frequent in Holy
to open their eyes and watch over their actions that they might not be taken at unawares endeavouring to defend that Jurisdiction which the Popes began by degrees to usurp with the Spiritual Arms of the Cross so that though they thought not before of the Interest of the Church they found themselves oblig'd afterwards to have an eye upon those of the Popes yet not so much out of any inclination of their own as because the Popes had the same designs upon them Notwithstanding all this whether it was out of respect to the memory of San Silvester or Constantine I know not it is sufficient that the Emperours suffer'd several years to pass after the death of those two persons without medling or concerning themselves at all in the Election of the Popes which was a great error in their Politicks For the succeeding Popes had opportunity in that time to advance their own Interests to the prejudice of the Empire and Emperors who taking no care to bridle and restrain the Interests of Rome contented themselves to live quietly at Constantinople and to send out their Orders to their Vicars and Prefects in Rome that they should endeavour with all possible industry to hinder the proceedings of the Popes but with express caution that they should by no means interpose in the Election of the Popes that being to be left to the Clergy and the people who by unanimous consent had had possession of the said Election for several years The introduction of the people into the Election of the Pope may be said to be casual there being no Pontifical Bull visible that gave them admission but it is to be suppos'd it fell out by reason of the Deacons who were admitted from the very time of the Apostles into the disposition of Ecclesiastical Charges and because as the Churches encreas'd and the number of the Faithfull was augmented so also was the number of the Deacons in the Assemblies in so much that by little and little they grew so numerous the said Deacons being not of the Order of the Clergy but of the Laity that they brought in the people and the Clergy having introduc'd the Deacons thought it not meet to turn out the people who possess'd the places of the Deacons At first the number of the Ecclesiastick Electors was much greater than the Deacons but the Deacons being become the people there became a greater inequality in the Electors and perhaps not without some displeasure to the Clergy who would willingly see the people excluded Whilst the Clergy were holy that is addicted to the service of God to the edification of their Neighbours to the augmentation of the Faithfull and the propagation of the Faith whilst they were retir'd from the Corruptions of the age and macerating their Flesh with Sackcloth and Fasting the people willingly joyn'd with them in the Election of the Popes because it belonging to the Clergy to give the first votes the people could not imagine those persons subject to Error who had no other aim than the service of God and therefore they willingly concurr'd delighting to confirm the opinion of the Clergy because they judg'd it holy and good But as soon as pride began to have place in the breasts of the Ecclesiasticks and that they pleas'd themselves with the enjoyments of Mundane advantages as soon as they began to deviate from the wayes of Heaven and the people observ'd their tendency to be too great towards the Earth they began likewise to press and insist upon their own opinion not trusting to the opinion of the Clergy because they saw them so deplorably void of all holiness From hence there succeeded infinite disputes and innumerable dissentions in so much that that action which was formerly sacred and solemn became prophane and scandalous by degrees they contending not only with words and invectives but with blows many times the people labouring to the utmost the division of the Clergy and the Clergy the dis-union of the people so that they form'd themselves into flying Squadrons both on the one side and the other Great was the scandal which happen'd in the year of our Lord 500. by reason of the differences in the Election of Simacus betwixt the Clergy and People each of them endeavouring to engage those that were without in so much that the Communalty of the City were forc'd to take Armes and with threats to oblige the Electors to a conclusion The Prefect or Imperial Vicar at Rome signify'd in the behalf of the Emperor that if they did not agree his Master would be constrain'd to bring an Army to Rome to the prejudice of the whole City with which the Electors being affrightned they agreed in the Election of Simacus For certain years after this they chose their Popes with little or no controversie till that in the year 531. they began to relapse into their former disputes obliging the City to take Armes the second time whose threatnings prevail'd to put an end to that Election also by their declaring Boniface the second Pope which said Boniface being an Assertor of the interest of the Clergy as soon as he was assum'd to the Papacy he endeavour'd to apply a remedy to those scandals and to give the greatest share to the Clergy And Virgilius his successor in the Papacy observing things to run clearly with them establish'd a Decree that the Election of the Popes should remain absolutely in the hands of the Clergy for the future to the exclusion of the people which Decree gave so great dissatisfaction to the Romans that they watch'd for an opportunity to revenge it About this time Attila who was call'd Flagellum Dei with great triumph to the Goths whose King he was over-run all Italy and with great cruelty and slaughter threatned the total destruction of Rome Pelagius the Pope who succeeded Virgilius not thinking it safe in such a conjuncture to have a discontented people and Tyrant upon his shoulders at one time to gain the favour both of the one and the other publish'd a Bull forbidding the Clergies Election of the Pope without the consent both of the People and Emperor and so it came to pass that they introduc'd into the Elections the Ambassadors of the Emperor and the People in the same numbers as before The Emperor and People were very well pleas'd with it and took possession of their Priviledges in the next vacancy of the Chair all of them together electing John the 3d. But in the year 583. Rome being besieg'd the Clergy and the People chose Pelagius the second Pope without giving any share or participation to the Emperor who vow'd revenge as soon as he had the news But the new Pope to pacifie his choller dispatch'd an Ambassador to make his excuse and to assure him for the future there should be no Election made without his consent to which end he confirm'd the Bull of Pelagius the first which Bull and confirmation continued in force successively till the year
607. in which time the Emperor Foca would needs create Boniface Pope in spight both of the major part of the Clergy and the People who rejected him as a person unworthy of so eminent a Dignity However Boniface express'd himself much more affectionate towards the Clergy and the People that were his adversaries than to the Emperor who would have elected him and the reason was because he saw what Authority the Emperors were usurping in the Pontifical Elections and therefore by new Orders and Decrees he confirm'd the Priviledges of the people commanding expresly that they should not for the future make any Election without the intervention of the People and Clergy to whom he gave Authority to do all The Emperors for all this did but laugh at their proceedings and betaking themselves again to the force of their comminations they asserted the Priviledges granted them by the Pelagiusses and would either by force or fair words make the Popes as they pleas'd Hence it was that Severus the second being chosen in the year 535. by the Clergy and the People and the consent of the Emperor also would not act any thing till he was confirm'd by Isacius the Emperors Lieutenant in Italy and all to publish how great the Authority of the Emperor was in the Election of the Popes And the pretenders to the Papacy observing the greatness of the Emperors Authority in the Elections almost all of them apply'd themselves to him for the obtaining of their designs In so much that in the year 688. one Pascal an Arch-priest and Treasurer to Conon who was then Pope did earnestly solicite John Platina at that time the Emperors Vicar in Italy and with great sums of money endeavour'd to oblige him upon the death of the present Pope to assist him in the succession Platina took his money and sent him away well pleas'd with his promises but the Pope being dead instead of assisting of Pascal he endeavour'd the promotion of another which was Sergius the first Yet it is certain had he found the Electors dispos'd he would have chosen him but the Clergy being wholly averse he would not undertake a thing he could not compass without dishonour seeing it was very well known what way Pascal had taken and what money he had consign'd to that purpose But the good Pascal no sooner saw Sergius in the Chair and himself without money and deluded but he did what he could to make the people rise against Sergius but without any effect This faculty of electing of Popes began to lessen in the time of Gregory who being Pope and a zealous assertor of the Ecclesiastical Liberty that he might render the Popedome more considerable he endeavour'd by an insurrection of all Italy against the Emperor then reigning to banish the Emperors of the East out of Italy and to that end he declar'd all such as yielded them obedience Excommunicate for the future and the people partly for fear of Excommunication and partly to set themselves at liberty declar'd themselves free and threatned with Armes in their hands to defend themselves to the last drop of their blood against whoever should endeavour the contrary and thus by the contrivance of Gregory were the Emperors of the East excluded from their Dominion in Italy Zachary a Grecian was chosen Pope in the year 743. by the Clergy and People only without any participation with the Emperor who was wholly excluded from the Election of the Pope And this exclusion continued till the year 760. in the time of Charles the Great and Adrian the first who entring into a League for several respects they granted many Priviledges one to the other viz. Adrian granted to Charles the Great the Title of MOST CHRISTIAN KING and CITIZEN OF ROME which was but a small business for an Emperor and King of France with power to call himself Roman Emperor and last of all Authority to interpose in the Election of Popes Charles the Great on the other side declar'd Adrian true and lawfull Prince of the City of Rome Patriarch of all Italy establishing the Empire of the Pope above all Empires and declaring his own inferiour to it There was but one Pope chosen by the consent of the Emperor and that was Leo the third after his death the Clergy and people in despight of the Priviledges granted to the Empire in regard of the Election of the Pope assembled themselves and created Stephen the fourth without attending the vote or assent of Lewis the Good who succeeded in the Empire after the death of Charles Lewis was disgusted at the Election and declar'd he would go in person to Rome and by force of Armes pull Stephen out of the Vatican and put another in his place as he thought good himself But Stephen having advertisement thereof prevented that mischief by going personally into France and in the presence of Lewis pretending to deposite all his Authority in the hands of the said Emperor which act of humility working upon the natural goodness of Lewis he confirm'd the Priviledges granted by Charles the Great and sent him back again to Rome with considerable Presents After the death of Stephen which was in the year 817. the people and the Clergy created Pascal the first without any notice given to the Emperor who made his complaints and threatned the Pope who was newly elected but he was perswaded to send two Legates in a solemn Embassie to make his excuse which they did so effectually that Lewis was not only satisfy'd with the Election of Pascal but remitted and renounc'd all the pretensions he had to the Election of the Popes It was not without difficulty that Lewis agreed to a thing of such prejudice to the Empire but at length his goodness prevail'd and he granted it In so much that as soon as Pascal was dead there arose great differences and disturbances betwixt the people and the Clergy but being grown more politick that the Emperor might not have occasion to put to his hand they endeavour'd to accommodate all by the choice of a third person which was Eugenius the second excluding Zinzimus for that time In the interim Lewis repented that he had given away his right of Election at the instance of Pope Pascal and therefore Pope Valentine the first being dead in the year 828. he sent to make his claim and to declare that if the next Pope was chosen without his consent he would not fail to bring his whole force into Italy to the detriment of Rome and the Electors especially But the Clergy and the people oppos'd those instances by shewing his Writing of Concession and without more circumlocution by common consent they elected Gregory the fourth who being fearfull of the Emperors indignation dispatch'd an Ambassador to him to desire his Confirmation but he could not obtain it till by Bull he had restor'd the Emperors to their former Prerogatives in the Elections which Gregory willingly consented to in compliance with the humour of the said Lewis
For a while with difficulty sometimes and sometimes without the Emperors conserv'd the faculty of Electing and Confirming the Pope till that in the year 884. the Clergy and the people having created Adrian the third a fierce and arrogant man he not only refus'd to expect Confirmation from the Emperor as some of his Predecessors had done but as soon as he was Crown'd by a particular Bull he decreed that the Election of the Pope was not by any means to be participated with the Emperor nor his Confirmation to be attended declaring that the people and the Clergy ought to Confirm those Popes which they elected Adrian would not have undertaken such an enterprize and injury to the Emperor had he not known him to be very low by reason of several Wars in which he was engag'd so that this news did but adde to the afflictions of the Emperor Otho being receiv'd to the Empire disdaining to endure the injuries which the Popes offer'd to the Emperours he deliberated revenge and contriv'd which way he should restore his affairs to their former condition and therefore in the year 957. with the consent likewise of the Clergy he depos'd and depriv'd John the 13. of the Papal dignity he being accus'd of not reciting the Canonical hours of ordaining Deacons in Stables of Swearing and Blaspheming at Dice of Ravishing of Virgins and several other delinquencies for which he being driven out of the Vatican there was substituted in his place by the sole order and authority as it were of the Emperour Leo the eight who was a Citizen of Rome and principal Treasurer of the Church of San Giovanni Laterano This Leo continued Pope while the Emperour continued at Rome but he departing the next year the Adherents to John by a popular tumult prevail'd to have John restor'd to the Papacy and Leo discarded but John lived but few months after his restoration When he was dead several instances were made in the behalf of the Emperour that Leo might be chosen and restor'd that thereby they might avert the dangers impending from the indignation his most Christian Majesty had conceiv'd for the affront done to Leo notwithstanding all which the People and the Clergy laid Leo aside and chose Benedict the fifth How much the Emperours mind was disturb'd with the news of these proceedings may be collected from the violent resolution he took for resenting the injury to Leo as done to himself he turn'd the whole power of his Arms against Rome which City after two months Seige was constrain'd to open her Gates at discretion and to deliver Pope Benedict into his hands who sent him presently in exile to Hambourg where he ended his dayes in a thousand sorrows and afflictions The next day after the Emperours entrance into Rome Leo was with the usual Solemnity restor'd to the Pontifical Chair to the no small dissatisfaction of his Adversaries But Leo understanding his obligation for the Papacy was wholly to the Emperour by whose affection and authority he was chosen in defiance both of Clergy and people he sought by all means in spight of them both to comply with the Emperour and therefore took away the power of Electing the Pope from the Clergy and people declaring the priviledges granted by Charles the Great void transferring the absolute authority in Elections upon the person of the Emperour and all as he pretended to prevent the tumults and scandals that happen'd dayly betwixt the People and the Clergy by virtue of which Concession Leo being dead the Emperour created John the 14. with the greatest tranquility imaginable The rancour of the Romans to see themselves depriv'd of the faculty of Electing the Pope which they had for so many ages injoy'd was so great that from morning to night they had their publick and private meetings to find out some way to recover the priviledges they had lost Peter who was Governour of the City of Rome with two Consuls and twelve Senators enter'd into a Conspiracy against the person of the New Pope as one that in favour to the Emperour did much prejudice to the priviledges of the people and being accompany'd with great number of the Nobility they enter'd one day with Arms in their hands into the Church of San Giovanni Laterano took his Holiness Prisoner and carry'd him to the Castle of Saint Angelo By this it may guess'd how great the insolence of the people was whilst they were unbridled and free and acting without either reason or judgement or consideration of the power of the Emperour who being at that time without wars was very potent and strong and indeed the Emperour no sooner receiv'd the alarm but he turn'd his Forces again the third time against Rome with resolution not to pardon any of the Principal in that Sedition and indeed he was as good as his word for having enter'd the City with more anger than difficulty he commanded the greatest part of the Criminals should be hang'd contenting himself with the Confiscation of the rest But Peter who was the principal Author of the Conspiracy was deliver'd into the hands of the Pope who was discharg'd of his Imprisonment and restor'd to the Papacy from whose hands he receiv'd incredible Cruelties before he was suffer'd to dye This Slaughter and Vengeance of the Emperour upon the Romans abated the pride of that people in some measure leaving the Emperour in free liberty of Electing whom he Pleas'd Pope which appear'd in the year 975. when he declar'd Boniface the seventh Pope who was a person so odious to the people they were almost ready to run mad at his creation forbearing the very Churches out of hatred to Boniface who understanding well enough the animosity of the people took a resolution to run away to Constantinople and that he might not be unprovided with moneys when he came there he made bold with the whole Treasure of Saint Peter carrying every thing along with him that was of any value or price The Romans were displeas'd both with his Robbery and Flight but made their advantage of what was happen'd making use of this as an occasion of repossessing themselves of what they desir'd so earnestly and accordingly without communicating any thing with the Emperour they created John the 15. Pope who dyed miserably in Prison by order of Boniface which said Boniface having sold his Jewels and Plate came back again to Rome and by virtue of the Sums he brought with him reconcil'd himself to many and repossess'd himself of the Papacy chasing away John from the Throne by force of Arms and clapping him up in Prison when he had done By this occasion the People of Rome reassumed their power and votes in the Election of the Pope which the Emperour likewise conceeded to them upon condition that his assent should be expected by which means all parties being pleas'd they created their Popes quietly for several years till that in the 995. John the 17. being dead and the Emperour in Italy with
only by the Consuls and Senators but all the chief of the people to the number of three thousand each of them engaging to transferr his right of Election to the Cardinals Yet for all this Oath the people ceas'd not to trouble and molest the repose of the Electors if not with intention to be included in the Election at least with design to have the Pope after their own way renouncing many times the Pope which was recommended to them by the Colledge of Cardinals or the Clergy and demanding another and these kind of violences were us'd in the Elections of Damasus the 2d of Leo the 9th Stephen the 9th and Nicholas the 2d but these violences lasted not long in regard of the Cardinalitial Majesty which grew greater and greater every day However the Emperor look'd well enough to his own interests preserving his share still in the Elections but he also was excluded in the year 1064. to the universal dissatisfaction and I shall in short tell how it fell out Nicholas the 2d being dead in the year 1062. the Clergy assembled for the election of a new Pope and resolv'd to create one without the intervention of the Emperor there being little danger of any obstruction from him by reason of the Wars in Germany wherewith he was infested and that things might proceed with greater order and decorum they resolv'd to find out a Pope experienc'd in the affairs of the World and couragious both in his Actions and Councels and having weigh'd and consider'd the lives of many they at last concluded to choose Anselme a Milanese and Bishop of Lucca a man of great spirit and resolution for which reason the Cardinals willingly consented to his Election as judging him capable of defending their interests and opposing the violence of the Emperor if he should attempt any thing against the Apostolick See The Emperor understanding the creation of Alexander without his assent was exceedingly enraged and call'd immediately in his presence an Imperial Diet of Lombards and made them create one Cadolo Bishop of Parma Pope he was a person more addicted to the Wars than to the Word as he demonstrated by his actions for being follow'd by the Lombards themselves and other Souldiers given him by the Emperor as soon as he was declar'd Pope in the aforesaid Diet held at Basil he march'd with a powerfull Army towards Rome with hopes to drive away Alexander and place himself in the Vatican but he was mistaken in his accounts for the Romans being besieg'd drew out to give him Battel in which they had the Victory put Cadolo and his Army to flight and pursued them towards Lombardy The Emperor having the news of this defeat and seeing all things favourable to the Romans he resolv'd to accommodate things fairly if it was possible and to send Otho Archbishop of Colen to Rome with full power to treat with the said Alexander and to find out some way of composing those Schisms Otho was receiv'd in Rome with great kindness the Pope himself desiring to enjoy his Dignity more peaceably In the first Audience they discours'd of nothing but the Emperors interest in the Pontifical Elections from which he could not in any wayes be excluded having so many Bulls in Confirmation of his faculty and therefore he complain'd greatly of Alexander that he would be elected without the Emperors concurrence and suffer himself to be Crown'd without his advice Hildebrand a Senese a Counsellor and Consident of the Popes being present would not permit the Archbishop to finish his discourse but interrupted him and justify'd his Holinesses cause asserting That his Election belong'd not to the Emperor but the Cardinals by whom he was legally chosen and might be call'd Canonically Pope and exercise the Papacy as the true Vicar of Christ Otho who as he was an Archbishop was more inclinable without doubt to the defence of the Popes interest than the Emperors at least in his heart if not in his tongue suffer'd himself to be easily overcome by the perswasions of Hildebrand desiring only for the honour of his Embassie that he would condescend to the publication and convention of a Council in the City of Milan for the abolition of the Schism which was then on foot The Council being held in which it was establish'd That the Election of the Pope should belong to the Cardinals and to no body else Alexander remain'd as it were under the Dominion of Hildebrand who tyranniz'd and govern'd him as he pleas'd But though the Election was plac'd in the hands of the Cardinals the Schisms were not appeas'd ever the more but increas'd and grew numerous more and more and alwayes with new scandal to the Church But the greatest Schism was in the year 1159. the Cardinals being assembled to choose a Successor to Adrian the 4th they could not agree the Emperors party refusing publickly to concurr with them who pretended to exalt a very worthy person The greatest part of the Cardinals therefore chose Roland the Chancellor born in Siena in Tuscany who would be call'd by the name of Alexander the third The other Cardinals who follow'd the interest of the Emperour and were nine in number withdrew themselves from Rome and chose another Pope which was Octavian a Citizen of Rome and Cardinal Priest with the Title of Saint Clement as he would be call'd himself or of Victor the fourth as they call'd him That Pope being dead the said Imperial Cardinals remaining firm to their opinions they proceeded in their schism chose a new Pope and would by no means acknowledge Alexander for the lawful successor of Saint Peter and the Pope which they chose was Paschal But God Almighty not suffering this Anti-pope to live long neither perhaps to make the schismatick Cardinals sensible of their Errors there having four of them dy'd since Alexander was created the Emperour to put an end to those troubles being excited by the compunction of his heart rather than by his Cardinals who advis'd him by all means to continue the schism he call'd a Synod in the City of Pania with design to accommodate the differences betwixt the Cardinals ordaining that Pope Alexander should be present to whom he sent a solemn Embassie to the same purpose But Alexander in great indignation reply'd to the Ambassador that the Popes of Rome ought not to be judg'd by any body that the Councel and Synods were subject to him not he to them that the Emperour being but as the Son was to pay obedience to him as the Father and with this answer he sent back the Ambassadors very ill satisfy'd with their entertainment especially he having thundred out his Excommunications the very same day against the Emperor and his Anti-pope with which the Emperor being provok't he march'd forthwith towards Italy with his whole Army to be reveng'd of the Insolence as he call'd it of the Pope and this was the occasion of that memorable war which is so obvious in History and was
of the Cardinals being fast in those Chains and part of them intimidated by the threats of the Perugians they agreed upon the Election of a Bishop of Gascoign and so Cardinal Colonna proposing the Bishop of Burdeaux who was a great lover of the King of France he was chosen by common consent and a Courier sent post to him who was then at his Bishoprick to know what name he would carry he reply'd he would not change the name he was Baptiz'd with which was Clement and so he was accordingly publish'd to the people After publication in the usual place the Cardinals dispatch'd several Messengers to the New Pope to intreat him to hasten his journey to Italy But his Holiness being instructed by the King of France made answer That the Flock was to follow the Shepherd and not the Shepherd the Flock commanding the Cardinals immediately to repair to him in France and particularly in the City of Poictiers as they did The transferring of the Apostolick See into France by Clement the 5th displeas'd the Italians highly so that Clement being dead the Chair was vacant for two years and upwards the Italian Cardinals not enduring a French Pope to be chosen least if the Italians should fail and the French increase the residence should be always in France The Conclave was held in Lyons but without the formality of being shut up according to Gregories decree for they went and came at their pleasure The number of the Cardinals was 23 twelve French and eleven Italian the Italians would have the Pope purely Italian or of any other Nation but he should promise to continue his residence in Italy The French seeing themselves more in number and every day incouraged by their friends and allyes stood firm to their principles and would have none but a French Pope which at length they obtain'd by reason that the Conclave was held in France In this manner after so great a vacancy Giacomo di Cahors Bishop of Porto was created Pope by the name of John the 22. who as soon as he was created departed from Lyons and with his whole Court took up his residence at Avignon where he dy'd in the ninetieth year of his age 1335. after he had reigned eighteen years The Cardinals lost not so much time to find a Successor for John as they did to make one for Clement for the next week after they went into the Conclave at Avignon they agreed to choose Fra. Giocomo Cardinal dâ—l Titolo di Santa Prisca of the Family of du Four in France he was a Cistercian Monk though others believ'd him a Carmelite The cause why they came so soon to an accord was no other but because the Italians understood very well the inability of their party to contend with the French who were resolv'd to have the Pope of their Nation besides they growing by degrees to be acquainted and pleas'd with the Country and the humour and liberty of the French they condescended with alacrity to what they must of force have consented to though for three year they had been of a contrary opinion and the rather because the said Fra. Giacomo was worthily qualify'd for so honourable a dignity which he receiv'd if not with an universal at least with the applause of all France and call'd himself Benedict the 12th Clement the 6th Innocent the 6th and Vrban the 5th were all French and created at Avignon and for the same reasons almost their Conclaves were dispatch'd for which Benedicts was hasten'd In the year 1370. Peter Belforte of Lemousin who took the name of Gregory the Eleventh was created at Avignon likewise who thought good to transfer the Apostolical Chair from Avignon back again to Rome a thing almost incredible for so many French Popes succeeding one another they had so weakned and debilitated the Italian party that there was no Italian Cardinals amongst them all and of the French there was more then twenty Several reasons are alleag'd that mov'd Gregory to that resolution but particularly these following The first was that he saw all Italy in arms not only by the wars betwixt Venice and Genoa but by a resolution several Cities had then to shake off the yoak of their servitude and re-establish themselves in a state of Liberty which he believing to be occasion'd by the absence of the Pilot from the Vessel of Rome he began to think of re-setling his Pontifical residence in Italy The second was reprehending one day a certain Bishop his familiar that he left the Bishoprick to follow the Court the Bishop confidently reply'd And you who are Pope of Rome why are you in France Why do you give example to others to repair to their Churches Others will have it that a Letter from Saint Bridget upon whom his Holiness look'd as upon a true Saint contributed much in which she advis'd him as from God to return to Rome Be it which way it will he gave order for twenty Gallies to be ready in the Rhone pretending to go some whither else with them because he suspected that the French who had so much advantage by the residence of his Court in France would obstruct it if they had the least notice of his removing the See to Rome But indeed they took not the least umbrage or allarm at all the preparations which were made as not imagining possible a French Pope would put such an affront upon his Nation So as they had notice of it only when his Holiness was at Sea being past as far as Genoa and from Genoa to Cornetto where being weary of his Gallies he made the rest of his voyage by Land and being arrived at Rome he began to accommodate apt Medicines and specifical to the Maladies of Italy But whilst this good Pope was exercising his Pastoral cure with extraordinary zeal he dyed in the year 1280 of a great distemper in his Bladder after he had reigned six years in France and five in Italy After the death of this Pope the Church began to be miserably torn with new schisms which began to arise betwixt the French and Italian Cardinals each Nation choosing its own Pope in its own manner the French not able to digest the affront they receiv'd from Gregory in transporting the See from France into Italy departing privately from Rome they remov'd to Fondi and being arriv'd there they us'd many invectives and Satyrs against Vrban the sixth whom they had already with the Italian Cardinals Elected in Rome they pretended they were forc'd to it by the people of Rome otherwise it was was never their intention to make an Italian Pope For these reasons the Chair in their judgements being vacant by the favour of Joan Queen of Sicily who was their friend they chose another Pope which was Roberto a Cardinal with the Title of the Holy Apostles he was of Geneva and particularly of the antient family of the Conti in that City he took upon him the name of Clement the seventh From Fondi Clement
Of the differences betwixt the Factions The description of a Muster of Souldiers The application an Abbot made of that Muster to the Conclave Of the Faction of Chigi and how numerous Of the industry us'd by the French to oblige the Chigi Of a notable saying of a Cardinal upon Chigi's obstinacy not to forsake his own Creatures Of the Faction of the Flying Squadron Of the disorder in the French to see this Squadrone volante managed by Cardinal Imperiale Of the first Scrutiny which prov'd vain Of the Cardinals which receiv'd Votes in the Scrutiny Of the open practises of the French in favour of Farnese Of the promise made by Imperiale when he went into France that he would concurr to the Election of a French Pope and how he brake it Of an idle report spread about the City that Cardinal Rospigliosi was created Pope in the beginning of the Conclave and from whence it proceeded Of the practises for Rospigliosi recommended to Azolino by the Cardinals Barbarino and Chigi Of the entrance of Cardinal Donghi into the Conclave Of Cardinal Ginetti who presented himself to Barbarino and the answer Barbarino gave him Of the creation of Rospigliosi and the Politick Aphorisms of Azolini AMongst all the conferences and politick actions amongst all the managements and publick negotiations transacted by the Cardinals it is certain the action of the Conclave is most worthy to be inquir'd into by all such as have the management of publick affairs The Election of the Emperor carries a Magnificence along with it for being in the power of six or seven Princes partly Temporal partly Spiritual of which number four being obtain'd the Empire is gain'd But the Election of the Pope is after another manner there being many more Princes considerable in this than in the Election of the Emperor himself and that because the Pontificate is of both Spiritual and Temporal consequence The Conclave is not manag'd by six or seven voices but by sixty amongst which there are some who are neither for God nor the Devil others devoted to their own interest only others obliged to follow the resolutions of the Nipotisme others of the French others of the Spaniard some promise fairly with their tongues to one and with their hearts to another and there are some also to be found who take delight in excluding all parties to give a longer impediment to affairs The learnedest of the Cardinals are those which prevail least the most politick are follow'd the worst the most ignorant are the most obstinate in brief things are manag'd in that manner that those very men who have the chiefest share in the whole transactions can scarce give an account of what they have done the affairs of the Conclave to some persons seem easie and easily to be penetrated and for that reason they desire to be prying but as to the point of the Keyes there are so many intricacies and Meanders they can hardly find the way thorow So many Conclavists as there are in the Conclave so many Conclaves are represented to the ears of the Court people imagine things according to their representations and figures but the business is the figures of the Conclave have feet and walk not have eyes and see not have ears and hear not and tongues and speak not The French make many Popes to amuse the Spaniards with jealousies of such plots as they never think of themselves The transactions of the Conclave are of two sorts publick and private the private are managed by the Cardinals in secret where the sound of their voices can scarce penetrate the air much less the ears of any body and these are good but those which are in publick are full of hypocrisie and dissimulation to lull and illude one another and therefore not to be commended They who at the opening of the Conclave do make relation of the managements and transactions in the Election can speak no more than they know which commonly is nothing but what is common because the most politick and most occult affairs are kept close in the minds of the Cardinals who either will not or care not to communicate them to any body For this cause the Conclavists themselves are oftentimes confounded in their relations and I have heard two of them contending about the Conclave of Innocent with great heat one pressing and persisting in what the other did deny and perhaps both of them disputing upon that which was never so much as mention'd in the Conclave But I believe there was never to this day seen a Conclave more imbroyl'd without broyls more confounded without confusions than the last in which Clement the 9th was created a Pope certainly very worthy of the charge as we shall demonstrate in its place Imbroyl'd in sundry respects because France is in its achme of Grandeur and upon the brink of a rupture with Spain which has neither King to govern the Helm nor Cardinal to manage its Faction because the number of Cardinals was so great and many worthy pretenders amongst them because the Faction of Chigi was resolv'd to have no other Pope whatsoever but one of the creatures of Alexander and for several other reasons sufficient to render the Conclave tedious and yet all succeeded without any trouble at all Certainly the facility of concluding this Conclave so soon is commendable and worthy to quicken the curiosity of all people to inquire into the reasons of it If the time of fifteen dayes be consider'd it seems to be long being in Summer time and in the City of Rome but if it be compar'd with the time of other Conclaves preceeding and the variety of interests crossing and thwarting one another it will be thought but short But to speak the truth the Conclave of Clement was much longer than it seems in appearance because the transactions were more without than within and things were resolved before they enter'd the Conclave Two months together Alexander continued dangerously ill whilst Posts were sent every where up and down not only with the news of his languishing condition and the impossibility of his living above two or three dayes but with the certain tydings of his death and twice it was believ'd in the very City of Rome In this tedious agony of Alexanders every one had time to adjust his own business and to bring his affairs to such a pass that his deplorable death could produce no great novelty in the Court nor more pretenders to the Papacy It may be said therefore and with reason that the Conclave of Clement lasted little less than three months that is two before the death of Alexander and the rest afterwards The Cardinals seem'd to precipitate running towards Rome as it were with wings on their feet which hast was occasion'd by the news that the Conclave would be much imbroyl'd and their celerity was so great some of them were arriv'd before the Pope was expir'd and particularly the French Cardinals who were there at the due
Sforza went in the behalf of the Ambassador of Spain as the principal Confident of the Spanish Faction after which he every day gave long Audiences to four Cardinals one after another according to their Segniority giving Audience in like manner to divers of the Roman Princes and Prelates of the Court. On Wednesday he order'd Cardinal Chigi to be call'd to his Audience Don Mario his Father and Don Agostino Nephew to the said Don Mario which are the three chief of the House of Chigi and because they came all together and he treated them long it was reported that the Pope had propos'd to them that they should find out some Money besides what Alexander the 7th had left in the Castle to take off the Gabell upon Meal in some part that is to the sum of two Julii which amounts in the whole to eight Julii a Bushell by the extinguishment of which two Julii the poor of that State would be something relieved who were forc'd to pay for the Stone likewise that grownd their Meal the extinguishment of the said Julii amounting to above 3000 Crowns This new Pope has five Nephews the Sons of one of his Brothers who is 62 years of age and a Noble man of Pistoia a City in Tuscany four of them are there resident at present and the fifth is Abbot Rospigliosi who a year since was sent Apostolical Inter-Nuntio to Brussels to all of them there are Messengers sent expresly and they are expected ere long in Rome His Brother is a most pious man and very charitable and his Nephews of good education and great generosity but he that is most known in this Court is the Abbot who was Cup-bearer to Cardinal Chigi when he was young and was in Spain with his Unkle when he was Nuntio there by which means he studyed at Salamanca and took the degree of a Doctor upon him And this is the Nephew which will be the Dominus fac totum for which reason he will be made Cardinal with the first opportunity and many suppose in the first Conclave because the Spaniards do press that the said Nephew may be dispatch'd into France as Cardinal Legate to propose by way of mediation some adjustment and accommodation of the pretences of the said King in Heinault and Brabant of which the issue will be attended It is the general opinion of the Court that this new Pope will do something very gratefull to the people it being discours'd that he will apply some sudden relief to their grievances for he has already signify'd by the Prefect of the Annona to all the Bakers that they may freely buy their Corn of the Merchants whereas before it was ingross'd by the Brother of the last Pope to his great profit and advantage for he bought all his Corn at five Scudi a Bushell and sold it afterwards to the Bakers for nine and that for the extinction of so many Gabels impos'd by his Predecessor he was resolv'd to reduce the greatest part of the expence of the Pontifical Guards and make other great and frugal reformations for the ease of the Apostolical Chamber But being already 67 years old and not of so perfect a health as is necessary for the sustaining so great a charge many are of opinion he cannot live long by reason of a great swelling he has in his Leg besides the accidental Apoplexy which he had some months since So that in that case if it should so happen which God forbid it would be said of this most excellent Pope as it has been formerly of several like him that good things pass away presently for some iniquity in the people He has confirm'd Monsignour Nerli in the Office of Secretary of the Briefs to the Princes and Monsignour Piccolomini in his Secretaryship of the Memorials The Cavalier Cellese of Pistoia who during the whole time of the last Papacy serv'd Don Mario Brother to the late Pope in the quality of a Gentleman only and in all that time had no more than a Pension of ninety Scudi is Unckle-in-Law to the new Pope as being his Mothers Brother-in-Law so that Don Mario must hereafter give him the right hand and preceedence which are frequent Metamorphosi's in the Court of Rome POLITICK APHORISMS For the Cardinals of the Conclave this year 1667. made by Cardinal Azolini SO great is the credit and authority that this Maxime of the Lawyers has in so many Ages acquir'd Experientia est rerum Magistra that he who will learn of any other Master exposes himself to a manifest danger of disparaging his judgement in every thing else From hence it is that I putting together some considerations for the advertisement of such as enter the Conclave in order to the Election of the Pope have not thought good to present my own Councels only but taking the experience of such occurrences in the Conclaves as have come to my hands I have taken as I conceive the right way not to erre of which considerations I shall insert with as much brevity as is possible the most frequent the most rational and the most practis'd The exceptions which do usually obstruct the making of the Pope in the Conclave are of two sorts some relate to the persons and particulars of the Colledge with which very few are concern'd and in this case there can be no general rule given for de singularibus non datur Scientia The others are such as the generality or the greatest part of the Colledge are interested in and of this sort there are three exceptions which for the time past have been alwayes sufficient to exclude any body For this reason the Head of a Faction ought to have a care of recommending a person lyable to any of the three The first and most frequent is when the person recommended has been formerly expos'd to a Scrutiny and miscarry'd for they who excluded him believing constantly the person excluded disoblig'd thereby will arm themselves against him with greater vigour than before For this reason in the Conclave of Gregory the 13th Cardinal Marone would not venture again upon the votes of his party having miscarryed before in the Conclave of Pius the 4th But the Cardinals Santa Severina Paleotto and Marc Antonio Colonna would not be guided by that rule though they were excluded in the Conclaves of Gregory the 14th and Innocent the 10th yet they adventur'd in others but alwayes in vain The second obstruction is if they be found in too strict a friendship with such Cardinals as govern'd the Pope formerly and which is worse with ill satisfaction for the Colledge being jealous that they may continue in the same Dominion will never be brought to choose any of their friends to be Pope And this was enough to defeat Cardinal Serleto in the Conclave of Sixtus the 5th though in other respects he was very well belov'd because he had too great intimacy with Cardinal Como who for 19 years had govern'd two Popes Pius the 4th
remov'd with his Cardinals to Avignon where he was adored by the French and the Spaniard these disputes lasted a long while the Legitimate Pope at Rome and the Anti-Pope at Avignon firing their Bulls upon one another and sending them forth into all parts of the world the adherents of both sides put forth several defamatory Libels calling one another Schismatick Heretick Tyrant Thief Traytor wicked sower of sedition Son of Belial and such stuff as that of which there are two treatises extant at this day one of them written by Doctor John de Ligni in favour of Vrban against Clement and the other by the Abbot of San Vast in favour of Clement against Vrban Whilst Clement was contriving which way to remove the true Pope who had his Residence in Rome he dy'd in the year of our Lord 1392. and was buried in Avignon he being dead Boniface the 9th who was Pope at that time in Rome writ a fatherly Letter to the French Cardinals exhorting them to desist from their Schism and return to their obedience to the Holy Mother the Church of which he was the lawfull head But the French laughing as it were at such perswasions chose a Successor to Clement which was Pietro della Luna who took the name of Benedict the 13th who had argu'd very much in Clements justification and that was the principal point upon which he was chosen by the Cardinals who concluded that he who defended anothers cause with such ardour would doubtless defend his own with more Whilst this good Anti-Pope held his residence in Catalonia particularly in the castle of Paniscola administring the Sacraments and conferring of dignities as if he had been the true Vicar of Christ he was condemn'd together with the Cardinals which Elected him by the Authority of a General Councel Afterwards he assembled a Councel at Perpignan where he created several Cardinals and commanded them after his death to follow his Orders which were to choose another Pope without loosing of time and indeed they took his advice for no sooner was this Anti-Pope dead at Paniscola but the Cardinals chose one Giles Mungos a Canon of Barcellona in his place calling him Clement the 9th who at the instance of King Alfonso created Cardinals forthwith and began to act in every thing as the true Popes were wont to do But upon Pope Martin the 5th's accommodation with King Alfonso Giles being commanded renounc'd those rights of the Papacy which were not his due and was declar'd Bishop of Majorca and the Cardinals likewise which he had created were forc'd to renounce the Cardinalitial dignity On the other side Vrban the 6th being dead in Rome after he had for eleven years manag'd the Popedom with small satisfaction by reason of the Rusticity and his severity of his humour either to the People or Clergy the Cardinals observing the schism dayly to increase that they might not leave the Church without a Shepherd any longer they enter'd immediately into the Conclave and created Boniface the 9th in the three and thirtieth year of his age who gave great demonstration of his prudence in the whole course of his Papacy He governed the Church 14. years and 9. months in very troublesome times and dyed in the year 1405. The Cardinals fail'd not to supply him immediately with a Successor they call'd a Conclave out of hand in which they remain'd not above four dayes for after they had compos'd some small differences there they created Cosmo di Sulmona Pope who was Cardinal di Santa Croce in a time when all Italy was in confusion He would fain have been call'd Clement but the Consistory did not think it fit the memory of the Anti-pope who was call'd by that name being so fresh upon which score he took the name of Innocent the 7th but I know not whether properly or not he having amongst variety of other vices a very large stock of revenge he was very eloquent notwithstanding and believ'd that by the suavity of his tongue he could like another Mercury bring the whole World over to his opinion He liv'd but two years and dy'd leaving Italy in a very ill condition for there being neither true Pastor nor Emperor in Christendom every Gentleman gave Laws as he pleased Whilst Christendom was lamenting the ruine which that Schism brought upon the Church by having one Pope at Rome and another at Avignon both of them reverenc'd by several Nations and both of them acknowledg'd true and lawfull Successors of Saint Peter though but one of them could be the Vicar of Christ Three Princes in France who by reason of the Kings indisposition did then govern that Kingdom viz. the Dukes of Berry of Burgundy and Orleans mov'd by their Christian zeal and a compassion they had for the sufferings of the people by reason of that inundation of Schism they went all of them together to Pietro di Luna who was call'd Benedict the 13th to Avignon beseeching him that he would provide against this disorder by renouncing the Papacy urging that it was much better to have the publique interest take place than the private and the rather because he had promis'd at his Election to lay down whensoever things should be adjousted with Rome To these Exhortations they added others promising him that that Pope which should be made in Rome after Innocent he should do the like because those who desir'd the common benefit of Christendom or had the service of God in their hearts did believe that if these two Favourites one of France and the other of Italy were dispossess'd of the power of the Keys which they both exercis'd at the same time as lawfull Successors to Saint Peter a third ought to be created who should be the certain and indubitate Pope To which Exhortations Benedict reply'd that he did believe he could not without offending of God Almighty consent to the Counsels propos'd for his renouncing the Church and abandoning the Flock of Christ which by the common consent of so many persons of so many good and worthy Electors was committed to his custody being unwilling to bring a thing in question that he had so legally obtain'd That for what respected the taking away of the Schism and restoring concord to the Church it pleas'd him very well and he would condescend to it with all his heart provided a secure place was chosen in which every one might speak his mind freely For his own part he promis'd and affirm'd it with Oaths that in case the Schism could not be taken away by any other means than by renunciation of the Papacy that he would renounce upon condition the other at Rome would do the same otherwise it was to no purpose to solicite it The Princes understood Benedicts mind and how little he was dispos'd to an accommodation they began therefore as soon as they were departed out of his presence to deliberate among themselves of some way of bringing him over to their desires Benedict who was cunning