honours; were crowned in ftate, carried about on men's fhoulders in proceffion, received homage and adoration *; impofed The first Pope who canfed himself to be crowned was Damafus II. in the year 1048; which ceremony has fince been obferved by all his fucceffors. Urban V. by others reckoned VI. was the firit who ufed the triple crown, commonly called the Tiara, which he did to fhew, that the pretended vicar of Chrift is poffeffed of a threefold power, the pontifical, imperial, and royal. For the same reafon Peter was wont to be painted, as may be feen fill in the palace of Vatican, holding three keys in his right hand. Stephen II. was the first who began the custom of being carried on men's fhoulders. The manner of doing homage to the Popes, which they call adoration, is by kneeling, prostration, and kissing his hands and feet. The elevation and coronation of the Popes is performed with the greatest magnificence. Platina informs us, that, at the coronation of Celeftine V. there were prefent 200,000 men. The prefent Pontiffs, as an evidence they have loft none of their former pride, nor refigned any of their former pretenfions, retain all the ancient ceremonies, and, as far as poffible, the ancient fplendour. As the ceremonial is much the same in all, take the following account of the inftalment of Clement XII, in the year 1730, by one who was prefent:"Cardinal Corfini was proclaimed Pope on Wednesday the 12th of "July in the morning,In the afternoon of his elevation to the pontificate he "received the vifit of the Pretender and the princess his fpcufe, whom they "here call king and queen of England: after having been fame time in confe. "C rence with them, he went on foot to the chapel of Sixtus, where he feated "himself in a feat placed before the altar. He there received the adoration of "the cardinals, who, according to the order of their feniority, kiffed, kneeling, "his foot and right hand. That first ceremony over, he feats himself in his "fedan, which is a great chair garnished with red velvet richly embroidered "with gold. Eight men carry him thus upon their fhoulders by the great ftair "into the church of St. Peter. Being come before the chapel of the Holy "Sacrament, the Pope was set upon the ground. He arose from his chair, and "kneeled down upon a cushion there prepared for him. After a fhort prayer "he feated himself again in his chair, and was carried towards the great altar, «in the middle of which he placed himself. The cardinals then rendered him adoration like to that which they had given him in the chapel of Sixtus. "After this the Pope was carried into an apartment near the altar. He there put off the mitre and cope with which he was attired. Then, returning in a chair to his chamber, he foon after received the compliments of the ambaffadors, the Roman princes, and of all the perfons of quality in Rome. In the evening the whole city was illuminated, feux de joye were every where "to be feen, and the cannon of the Caftle of St. Angelo fired. 4 "The fame rejoicings continued next day. The Pope employed all that day "in giving audience, and in naming his minifters. The ceremony of his ❝ coronation impofed oaths of fidelity and allegiance on the clergy; kept a numerous train of fervants and attendants; had their guards "coronation was performed on the 16th of July. The Pope, clothed in his "pontifical habit, and preceded by the Sacred College, went proceffionally into "the chapel of Sixtus. Having made there a very short prayer, he was then " carried by the great stairs under the portico of St. Peter, where he was placed on a throne, and admitted the chapter of St. Peter to kifs his foot. He was "then carried into the church, and fet down at the chapel of the Holy Sacra << ment, before which he said a short prayer, kneeling, as did also the cardinals. "After this he was carried into the chapel of Gregory the Great, where be "again made a short prayer, proftrate before the altar. He then took his feat 66 upon a throne at the right fide of the altar, and the cardinals ranged them"felves upon the benches on both fides of the chapel. While the mufic "chaunted Tierce, they put on their white copes broidered with gold, and their "mitres of white damask. The archbishops and bishops did the fame. They "then all together paid homage to the Pope: after which the cross is elevated, "and he gives the first benediction to the affiftants and the people; to which " is annexed a plenary indulgence in articulo mortis. Defcending from his throne, he is then carried in his chair before the great altar. He alone had "the mitre on his head; the cardinals and prelates held theirs in their hand. "While he was carried in this manner, a master of ceremonies, burning hemp "three times before him, cried to him as often aloud, San&te Pater, fic tranfie gloria mundi. After another prayer at the altar, he received the benediction "from the three oldest cardinal-priests; and the first cardinal-deacon presented "him with the pail. He then afcended the altar, which he cenfed; after "which he is feated on his throne erected at the other end of the church, "facing the altar: the cardinals fat on each fide: they who are here called the king and queen of England, with the princes their fons, and their court, 66 were in a gallery on the right fide of the throne: in another opposite to that "were the principal ladies of Rome and the frangers of diftinction. 66 "The cardinals, archbishops, and bishops, rendered homage to the Pope by "kiffing his hand and foot. The Pope then fung the great mass, to which "the epiftle and gospel were chaunted in Greek and Latin by a Grecian bishop " and a cardinal deacon. After the confecration he returned to his throne, "whither the host and the chalice were brought to him. He received the half "of the one and of the other, being on his knees with his head uncovered. "He fucked, according to custom, the divine blood (these are the words of the "author) by a small pipe of gold. After mass he was carried in grand proceffion "to the gallery which is over the great porch of the church. He is there "fet on a throne very high, that he may be feen of the people. Two cardinal deacons take off the mitre, and fet on his head the Tiara, kiffing his hand and "face. The Pope then rifes up, and gives, standing, the folemn benediction to "the people which fill the place before St. Peter's, and the neighbouring streets. In guards, fleets, and armies: they inflicted capital punishments*; wore the imperial enfigns†, and in military ar "In the mean time the cannon of the castle of St. Angelo were fired, and the "light horfe, carabineers, and guards difcharged their pieces. The Pope was "afterwards carried in proceffion to his apartment; in the evening the houses "were illuminated, and artificial fireworks played off at the caffle of St. Ange"lo. A few days after the coronation, the Pope left the Vatican, and took "poffeffion of the palace of Monte Cavallo with a pomp which pleased the Ro 66 mans, naturally inclined to pageantry and fhow. He was in a very magnifi66 cent coach, and preceded by all the Roman nobleffe on horseback, his guards, " and all his household; which formed a very numerous retinue. hung on the day of coronation, as it is alfo on and "The church of St. Peter "the days of the great feafts, with red damask laced with a tinfel gold; "the streets are adorned with tapestry of different colours hung forth at all the "windows." The fame writer, after having given an account of another cavalcade and ceremonial proceffion, yet more fplendid, on the Sabbath when the Pope took poffeffion of St. John de Lateran, too long to infert, adds, All “ this, if I durft “say it, hath an air of masquerade, which appears to me not at all suited to "the court of the vicar of Jefus Christ," Amidst all this profusion, who would expect to hear the Pope complaining of poverty? Yet on fuch public occafions he is accustomed to throw medals and coins of copper among the people, faying, Silver and gold buve I none, but fuch as I bave I give you. It is poffible enough they may neither have filver nor gold to give away: but fome of them have had abundance of both to leave behind them at their decease. John XXH. at his death left a treasure valued at 28,000,000 of ducats, or, according to others, 25,000,000 of florins of gold.' Memoires de Baron de Polnitz, tome i. p. 246, &c. Platina. Villani. Fleuri. le Grand Dict. Hiftor, par Moreri. Voyages de Miffon. Hist. du Droit, etc. tome ii. p. 119. * Scarce was Lewis furnamed Debonnaire, who fucceeded Charlemagne, feated on the throne, when Leo III. then Bishop of Rome, by his own fole authority, caused fome Romans to be put to death who had confpired against him. "The action," says the author from whom this is taken," was equally "contrary to the moderation which ecclefiaftics and especially Bishops, make "profeffion of, and to the authority of the fovereign of Rome whom he him"felf had acknowledged." Hift. du Droit publ. &c. tom. i. p. 161. See alfo Vita di Sifto V. parte fecunda, p. 198, &c. + Boniface VIII. opposed the election of Albert son of Rodolph to be King of the Romans, boasting that he was both Pope and Emperor: and at the Jubilee in the year 1300 (which he first instituted) he appeared, during the ceremonies, fometimes in the pontifical and fometimes in the imperial habit, with the crown, the fword, and the fceptre; and took for a device, Ecce duo gladii. Krantzius. Dupin Bibliotheque, &c, tom xi. p. 4. mour mour have gone in person to the battle *: they had their courts and tribunals with long lists of dependant officers and ministers of state +: they received ambaffadors; dispatched their nuntios and legates a latere into all nations ; they have meddled * The military genius and exploits of Julius II. are well known; he was fo intent in pushing the war he had entered into with France, that he threw afide the mitre for the helmet: and when paffing over a bridge on, the Tiber, he is said to have thrown the keys into the river, and called for St. Paul's sword; which gave occafion to different epigrams and pafquinades. In Gallum, ut fama eft, bellum gefturus acerbum, Accin&us gladio, claves in Tiberis amnem Quum Petri nihil efficiant ad prælia claves, Auxilio Pauli forfitan enfis erit. Gilbert. Dacher. Spanh. Hift. col. 1890, Prideaux's Introd. p. 14z. †The papal government is of all others the most complicated, and may afford a fund of reflections to the philofopher or politician. No government perhaps in the world has fo many different departments, or fuch an extensive scene of operation; and there are none in which the arts and intrigues of politics are more ftudied or practised." The intrigues of the Conclaves, fays "one, will never be clearly discovered but in the valley of Jehofaphat." The active, the plodding and defigning heads, which from all nations crowded to Rome, might there find fufficient employment.-The variety of affairs belonging to this heterogeneous empire, and the many causes which have been made to depend upon the Romish See, have produced a multiplicity of courts and offices, as, befides the facred college, the Rota, the Datary,-the holy office, the Apoftolical chamber, with all belonging to them; to fay nothing of the roll of ministerial and official names, Cardinal-Patrons, Vicars, Penetentiaries, Prefects, Chamberlains, Chancellors, Secretaries, Generals, Masters of Ceremonies, Sacrittains, Major-domas, Protonotories, Participants and Nonparticipants, and a thousand more. With fuch ftatliness and formality are affairs here tranfacted, before a bull for a benefice can be obtained from the Da tary, it must pafs through twenty different hands. Legates a latere were extraordinary ambaffadors commiffioned by the Pope to reprefent his perfon, exercite his authority and fee to his interefts. They were admitted to a large fhare of the Pope's power, though not to the plentitude of it. The appointment of these was one part of the plan for eftablishing the abfolute authority of the Pope, and to bring all churches and kingdoms into an entire dependence upon his will. They were authorized to call councils, fuperintend the conduct of the clergy, pass fentences, and maintain all the ufurped prerogatives claimed by the court of Rome in spiritual, and temporal matters. Sometimes prelates refiding in the different countries were commiffioned to act in the Pope's name, with the title of Vicars or Legates: meddled in all the affairs of princes, managed perpetual in trigues, fomented endless discords, mingled in all broils, fuftained themfelves judges in all caufes, umpires in all controverfies, and fupreme arbiters of peace and war. Falfe and ab furd But as these were not in all cafes to be depended upon, 'it was re koned more proper to invest strangers with the legantine powers,perions detached as it were from the Pope's fide,whồ fhould be more entirely devoted to his intere, and accountable only to him. If any were aggrieved by them, from their sentences there was no appeal, nor any redress to be obtained but by going in perfon to Rome; by which means the Roman See judged twice the fame affair, and kept the world in obedience: and by perfons applying to it as fuppliants or penitents, either to justify themfelves or receive abfolution, fill they con tributed to advance its authority, and made themselves its creatures. cuftom of commiffioning Legates a latere was begun in the tenth century, and became more common in the following age effecially after Hildebrand or Gregory VII. was raised to the pontificate, who openly avowed, and in a great meafure accomplished the defign of eftablishing the new monarchy. The Legates were variously received in different countries and occafiones many and violent contentions Dupin Biblioth. &c. tom. §. p. 56. Maimburg, Hift. du Pontific. de S. Greg. le Grand. The Boniface VIII. in order to profecute more vigorously the holy wars of the church, attempted, not by way of negotiation, but by fovereign authority, by commands, and menaces to terminate differences and 'wars at home, He fent his legate to Philip of France, enjoining him, under the pain of excommunica tion, to make a peace, or a long truce with the King of England. This was nothing more than what fome of his predeceffors ha3 done before him. Gre gory X. understanding that Philip III. was refolved to decide by arms a certain difference which he had with the King of Caftile, gave his Nuntios power to annul all treaties and engagements which might prove an obstacle to peace, and to difpenfe with the oath: which bound to the execution of them: he wrote at the fame time to Simon de Bric, his legate in France, that the council of Lion's had ordained in favour of the croifade, a general peace among alk Chriftian Princes, with power to prelates to proceed by cenfures against thofe who refufed to acquiefce therein: therefore," added he, we command you to oblige the King of France and all his adherents to defit from his warlike enterp:ife against the King of Caftile, employing, if you think fit, excommunication against their persons, and an interdict upon their lands, notwith "ftanding any privilege granted them to the contrary. Such a direct inva❤ fion of the temporal power and prerogatives of princes, was not merely the deed of ambiticus Popes, but was warranted by the authority of fome general councils, and exerciféd under the fanction of their falemn decrees. In the general council of Lions in the year 1245, an anathema was pronounced against all those who should urnish the Saracens wilh vellels, arms or other aids; and |