Languages, yea even in the Orientall, and one of them for each severall place is Rector of the Penitentiaries.

Of the Ruota.-After those Offices, and Magistrates, in the persons of the Cardinalls, followes the Ruota, which hath twelve Prelates, whereof there is a Germane, a Frenchman, two Spaniards, and eight Italians, that is, a Bologresse, a Ferræse, a Venetian, a Toscan, a Milanese, and three Romans. Every Auditor hath foure Notaries, and they assemble in the Apostolicall Palace twice a weeke, unlesse it be vacation time, namely on Munday, and Friday. The jurisdiction of it is the beneficiall causes, both of the Catholicke Provinces, as of those that are in Schisme, and as well of Rome, as of the State Ecclesiasticall, most of all in tearmes of appeales. This Court gives over sitting the first weeke in July, and the last Ruota his Holinesse makes the Auditors a great Banquet in his owne Apostolicall Palace, where he gives to every Auditor an hundred Duckets of the Chamber, and to the Deacon two hundred; and they eate in the very same roome where they assemble together when they hold the Ruota.

This goodly custome was instituted by Pope Clement the eight, for that his Holiness had been the Auditor of the Ruota, being made so by Pope Pius Quintus of happy memory. The first of October the Ruota opens, and the first

Ruota belonging to the two last Auditors, who goe pontifically on their Mules, with a great traine of horse, and alight at the place where the Ruota is held: howbeit every Auditor rides alone by himselfe. Now it is to be noted, that in this riding of theirs, the Prelate Auditor goes formest, and all these who accompany him come behind, for a difference between the ryding and the Lords Cardinalls, before whom their traine and attendants doe alwaies ride, and their Eminencies follow after them. The office of every Auditor of the Ruota yields him a thousand crownes a yeare; and in the first Ruota the lowest Auditor makes an Oration. The Popes are wont to give unto those Auditors, for a recompence of the great paines they take, and because they are prohibited from receiving any fees for the sentences they pronounce, good Ecclesiasticall Revenews, and afterwards they are sometimes made Cardinalls, as Pope Clement the eight used to doe, who created five Auditors of the Ruota Cardinals, which were remarkable, and eminent persons, namely, Arigone, Bianchetto, Mantica, Cerafino, and Panfilio; now what these five were, doth appeare by their workes, which are in print.

Of the Reverend Chamber Apostolicall.-There is the Chamber Apostolicall, which useth to sit twice a weeke in his Holiness Palace, upon Munday, and Friday, and on such dayes as the Consistorie is held. There sits in it the Cardi

nall Chamberlaine, the Lord Governor of Rome, a Vicechamberlaine; the Lord Treasurer Generall; the Lord Auditor of the Chamber; the Lord President of the Chamber; the Auditor of the Poore; the Fiscall Advocate; the Commissary of the Chamber; and twelve Clerkes of the Chamber, foure of which are alwaies, the one Prefect of corne and victual; one Prefect of flesh, and white meates; one Prefect of the prison, and one Prefect of the States, as shall be declared in its place. The jurisdiction of the Chamber Apostolicall is over all matters wherein the interest thereof is concerned; over all the writings and deeds concerning the Prefects, and revenewes of the Sea Apostolicall; over the Treasures of the Provinces of the State Ecclesiasticall; over causes of the Comminalty, and Ecclesiasticall Feudes; over causes of reprisall, and causes of accompt with the Officers, and Ministers of the State, over the coyning, and causes of money; over causes of Appeales from the Masters of the Streets about buildings, and jure congrui; over matters of Customes, Taxes, and impositions, and other such like. The whole Chamber together hath nine Notaries, every one of the which holds of his Office apart by himselfe, with a substitute, and many others, that write under him. All the causes before mentioned are distributed by assignement amongst the said Clarks, together with the proportions that are made in the said Chamber. A Clerkes place of the Chamber is worth two

and forty thousand crownes, and yeelds three thousand crownes a yeare. The Chember Apostolicall gives over sitting at the same time the Ruota doth; and at the holding of the last Chamber his Holinesse makes a great banquet in the Palace Apostolicall, for all that are belonging to the Chamber: and another that is made the first of August by the Cardinall Chamberlaine. Upon Saint Peters Eve all the tributes of the Feudataries of the Holy Church are! paid into the Chamber, whereof the ready money remaines in the custody of the Reverend Chamber, but some plate, as cupps, and such like, are the Treasurer Generalls Fees, and the wax is divided amongst the Clerkes of the Chamber. Every one of the Officers aforesaid, which belong to the Chamber, hath his jurisdiction distinct and severall.'

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* See a book entitled, "The Court of Rome, &c. printed in the year 1654."It is hardly necessary to inform the reader, that the persecuted and humiliated condition of the Pope now renders the use of several ceremonies, expensive and splendid in their nature, almost impossible to be attended to. The description which is here attempted has a principal reference to the state of Catholicism in more prosperous times than the present. The state of religion in the city of Rome somewhat resembles that of the Jewish services, at this time, in Christendom. Doubtless, sanguine believers in both Churches look anxiously for a restoration of their ancient dignity and glory. If my memory do not fail me, the Rev. J. Berington, one of the most liberal and enlightened priests in England, has somewhere expressed a hope, and expectation of this nature. I believe this idea will be found in that gentleman's Lives of Abelard and Eloisa.

SECTION VI. cell

Of Persecution, and the Violation of Faith with
Heretics.

THE present writer has no interest in denying that the Court of Rome has been in many instances, a sanguinary and cruel Court; that thousands have been immolated on the altars of superstition and bigotry by the bloody acts and mandates of many Catholic princes, or rather, we should say, of many princes and popes, who have professed and abused the Catholic: faith. But even on this subject much more has been said and written than is true; and sufficient care has not been taken to discriminate between the punishment of real or supposed rebels, and the martyrdom of innocent persons "for righteousness' sake."

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What Baxter said on another occasion may, with great propriety, be repeated on the subject of persecution, by Roman Catholics of the present day: Either it is true or false; if false, shame to the reporters; if true, what doth it

* A candid and just investigation of the real causest of Persecution, distinguishing the political from the purely reli-> gious instances of it, would form an interesting and useful volume.