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These excellent reflections he made in the prefence of a commander of Malta, from whom the author had them communicated, and who affured him that the pope was ever ready to facrifice himfelf for the benefit of religion, and the intereft of the church, confidering his life as no object, when these were called in queftion. It was folely for the glory of the church, that he from time to time created feveral cardinals, without paying any attention to their private connecti

ons.

Their inftitution, which commenced in the ninth century, was founded on no other object than the benefit and honour of religion. It is the council of the fovereign pontiffs, when they have occafion for advice; there were at all times amongft them perfons of eminence, whofe zeal, added to their knowledge, was of infinite ufe to the church and state. Some carried their courage and their faith to the extremities of the world: others, with the approbation of princes, governed with wildom the moft flourishing empires. The most remote ages will remember, with admiration, the Amboifes, Ximenes, Richlieus, and Fleurys, and confider them as the armours of thofe kingdoms where they acted as minifters. If Clement XIV. did not make any complete promotion during his pontificate, it is to be fupposed that he was confined by other powers, or that he was puzzled to chufe proper fubjects. He may have preferred not chufing, rather than create misunderstandings among ancient friends, who flattered themfelves with obtaining the purple, or who, nevertheless, might not be worthy of it. The neceffary good qualities in friendhip are not fufficient for a cardinal. It is a dignity that has too much influence upon the church, to let chance difpofe of it.

To judge properly of the genius of Clement, we should view him with fome friends, and particularly the cardinal de Bernis, (whofe different ages feem appropriated to the most flattering periods, and the most delicate works) conferring upon the subjects of the times, and the means of reconciling the interefts of religion with those of princes. The greatell lights were thrown upon the fubjects, and Ganganelli, as the primum mobile of thefe deliberations, decided with manly refolution. The flighteit error would have been of the most dangerous confequence. The chief point in question was to weigh the rights of the fovereign pontiff, the motives upon which he acted,

and to keep within the bounds that fup port the equilibrium between the holy fa→ ther and the other potentates.

The more arduous and difficult the functions of a pope, the more he ftands in need of repofe to enable him to go through his labours. Cattel-Gandolfe, a cattle built by the Chevalier Bernini, four leagues from Rome, near the lake Albano, which commands the most agreeable profpects, is the ufual fummer refi dence of the fovereign pontiffs.

Clement failed not to repair thither in the months of May and October, the moft proper feafons in Italy to enjoy the pleasures of the country; and it was here, to be intimately acquainted with Clement, we should view him anatomizing an infect, analyzing a flower, pursuing the phænomena of nature, and by degrees rifing even up to her author, and at length taking a general view of earth and heaven, or collecting himself within himself, confidering man: at other times familiarly converfing with his friends and intimates.

His imagination was gratified at the fight of those beauties that prefent themfelves in the neighbourhood of Rome; at the recollection of the ancient Romans, who had fo boldly trampled upon the foil, he recalled to his memory the moft fublime and ingenious paffages of the ancient poets upon the occafion. There are few Italians, however little read, who are unacquainted with the works of Ariofto, Dante, Tallo, Petrarch, and Metaitafio; even the women amuse themfelves with the perufal of thefe poets, and can quote them occationally. His philofophy ferved his imagination as an excellent fecond; it recalled to his memory the different fituations of his life; at one time in a state of obfcure tranquility, then forcibly agitated in the glare of dignity, like a pilot, after a calm ferene morning, in the evening finds himself in a violent hurricane, accompanied with thunder, hail, and rain.

Sometimes weary of meditation, he would retire with Father Francis, in a bower fequeftered from the eye of curiofity; here the cloifter anecdotes amufed them, and they seemed in a perfect state of equality. One day Clement viewing him, repeated twice thefe words: "He has kept his garb, and is happier than I who wear the tiara. It was decreed I fhould be a pope, and I much fear (here he paufed) however, we muft fubmit to the will of God."

He meditated in the fame manner when

any ambatfadors were announced to him.

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They found him as ferene and compofed as if nothing agitated his mind; but he could not help laughing in his fleeve at the perplexities he gave to the curious.

Whilft he was at Caftel-Gandolfe he gave a fplendid repait to fome grandees of Spain, when laying afide his fovereign authority, he joined them in a friendly manner when they were feated at table, without fuffering them to rife to falute him. •

The public imagined he had loft fight of the grand object of the Jefuits, whilft, according to the cuftom of the court of Rome, he only aimed at gaining time. He at times fearched the archives of the Propagande, to confult the Memoirs of Cardinal de Tournon, of M. Maigrot, of La Beaume, and thofe of the Jefuit Miffionaries. At other times he heard read the accufations of the fociety, and their vindications. Every important work, pro or con, with refpect to the Jefuits, he attentively examined; whilt equally mittrufting the elogiums, and the farcafais paffed upon them, he was biaffed neither by their panegyrifts nor their fa tirits. No man was ever more impartial; equally abstracting himself from his own inclination, as well as all prejudices, he judged in the fame manner upon the occalion as pofterity neceflarily mult.

"Let me (faid he to the fovereigns who preffed him to determine) have leifure to examine the important affair upon which I am to pronounce. I am the common father of the faithful, particularly thofe of the clergy, and I cannot deftroy a celebrated order, without fufficient reafon to justify me in the eyes of all ages, and above all, before God."

The people, ever idolizing him, ceafed not to blefs his reign; and their perfeverance conftitutes his greatest elogium. It is well known that the Romans easily change from enthufiafm to hatred; that they have often calumniated those pontiff's whom they have the mott adulated, and that a pope to please them fhould not reign above three years. Unfortunately, on account of their laziness, they conhantly hope, that by changing of mafters they fhall be more fortunate; nearly like a fick perfon, who fancies he will be mu b better when placed in another pof

ture.

The glory of Clement would not have been complete, if he had not contributed to the embellishment of Rome, a city fo fufceptible of ornaments, fo fruitful in riches proper to decorate it; but unwilling to purfue the path of Sixtus V. Paul V. or Benedict XIV, he composed

a Museum, comprizing every thing that could gratify the curiofity of antiquaries and travellers; that is to fay, the scarceit curiofities that had been tranfmitted by the antients.

It might be faid, that Rome, jealous of honouring his pontificate, was eager to difplay the mafter pieces which lay concealed within her bowels. Scarce a year paffed without vafes, urns, ftatues of exquifite workmanship, being dug up, and which enriched the fuperb collection begun under Lambertini. Here, with the caft of an eye, we may fee the triumph of the chriftian religion, by the fragments that ferved in the pagan facrifices, and the ruins of all thofe profane divinities, the ftatues of which are no longer held in eftimation, but in proportion to the maftership with which they are executed.

When Clement could relax from the variety of business in which he was engaged, he visited thefe monuments with foreigners of diftinction, and celebrated artifls, rather as a fovereign who confiders it as a duty to embellish his capital, than as an amateur, who gratifies his tafte. This he faid to the Chevalier de Chatelus, a worthy branch of the immortal d'Agueffeau, as well on account of his wit as his extenfive knowledge. After converfing with him upon different fubjects, he concluded, that "being born in a village, and brought up in a cloifter, where the love of arts was not inspired, he could not acquire the necessary judg ment to determine as a connoiffeur, upon the monuments he collected; but that as a fovereign, he thought himself obliged to difplay the fineft models to artifts and the curious, in order that they might know and imitate them."

If he did not always reward the learned, as they had a right to expect from fo enlightened a pope, circumftances should be adverted to. The multiplicity of bufinefs in which he was engaged, the fhortnefs of his reign, did not afford him leifure to engage in those pursuits which would have given him the greatest pleafure: moreover, a pope cannot always act agreeable to his own inclinations. There are incidents that tie his hands. Neverthelefs, he was always found attentive to beltow bishoprics only upon men of learning; and to this reafon may be ascribed his fo frequently promoting priests of his own order.

A pope is generally very circumfpect in the nomination of a bishop. He knows that the proper regulation of a diocese requires judgment and abilities; wherefore the Italian bishops are usually as

meek

meek as they are learned, and as charitable as they are zealous. They are conftant refidents, and they live in friendship and cordiality with their curates, for they must not be confounded with thofe monfignori, known in Rome under the title of prelates, and who frequently, not being in orders, fill fuch posts as laymen might occupy, and serve the pope in his various functions.

Clement was not lefs attentive in the nomination of his nuncios. He was defirous that his ambaladors fhould do him honour, as well by their manners as by their learning, and particularly for their love of peace; and if he appointed M. Doria his nuncio to the court of France, notwithstanding his youth, it was because he was convinced that his extraordinary virtues had antedated age, and that his merit already correfponded with the celebrity of his name. It was not till after the confequence this prelate obtained in Spain (where he was the bearer of the confecrated child-bed linen) that the pope named him nuncio in France, and he fent him as an angel of peace, fit to maintain the harmony between the chief, and the eldest fon of the church.

Religion has often suffered misfortunes, occafioned by an indifcreet zeal; and in order to prevent them as fas as poffible, Clement, whofe prudence ever dictated all his steps and refolves, obferved a gofpel toleration, as did the divine legif lator with regard to the Saduceans and the Samaritans. He used to fay, "We too often lay afide charity to maintain faith, without reflecting that if it is not allowed to tolerate error, it is forbidden to hate and perfecute thofe who have unfortunately embraced it."

To the Editor of the Hibernian Magazine. SIR,

WHEN

THEN a man of fo fingular a character as Capt. David Roche is in fuch a critical fituation as he at prefent is, your readers will, doubtlefs, be pleafed to be acquainted with fome anecdotes concerning him. I have therefore fent you the following to gratify their curiofity.

This gentleman is the fon of an Irish ·Officer, who acquitted himself in his military as well as private flation, with great credit, and acquired an univerfal good reputation. When our hero had attained the age of maturity, he obtained a commiffion, and went to America under the unfortunate general Braddock. In his military capacity he acquitted him felf to the fatisfaction of his fuperior of

ficers; but unfortunately being of a choleric difpofition, he had an affair with a brother officer, which being inspected into by a court-martial, Mr. Roche was ftripped of his commiffion. He returned to England, and foon after hearing Captain Campbell had spoke difrefpectfully of him, concerning his affair in America, he challenged him, and they fought in Hyde-Park, when Mr. Roche was wounded in the hand, and loft a finger.

Soon after this duel he paid his addreffes to Mifs Pitt, a near relation of the prefent lord Chatham. The motives of this match were pretty obvious; his lordship was then in power, and Mr.. Roche flattered himself that by this con nexion, he should make sufficient interest for a lucrative poft, or a commiffion of fuperior rank. He married the lady; but whether a change in the ministry, which foon after took place, or his lordship's difapprobation of the match operated against Mr. Roche, cannot be determined; but it is certain, that he reaped no kind of advantage from his marriage. On the contrary, living now in a more expenfive manner than ufual, in the flattering expectation of being soon in a sta tion that would enable him to acquit all his debts, he foon incurred fuch a number as made his creditors very clamorous, and they at length lodged him in the King'sBench. Here he remained a confiderable time, and his mortification was increated by domestic fufpicions.

At length he obtained his enlargement, when he immediately called his rival to account, in which rencontre his adversary was wounded.

The general election, previous to the fpicuous point of view than he had hitherlaft, brought Mr. Roche into a more conto figured. Being a bold enterprizing man, he offered his fervice to Mr. Wilkes to oppofe colonel Luttrell in his election for Middlefex; this being leant by the oppofite party, it was judged expedient to bring him over from the enemy, and terms were offered him, which he accepted. He accordingly appeared a candidate for Middlefex at Brentford, and the fuccefs of his election turned out as it was expected.

From this time he thought the miniftry fhould provide for him, as a tool in their fervice. He inceflantly importuned them, and they at length recommended him to the India company.

He had in the mean while formed a connexion with another lady of good family and fome fortune; and upon his

propofal

propofal of going over to Afia, fhe readily confented to go with him. They accordingly embarked on board the Vanfittart Indiaman. In the courfe of the voyage he had many altercations on board with captain Ferguson, particularly at the island of Madeira, where it is faid captain Ferguson took umbrage at Mr. Roche's comparing a lady on board to Mifs Wilkes. The remainder of the voyage hereby was rendered very difagreeable till their arrival at the Cape of Good Hope, in Sept. 1773.

Soon after their landing, Mr. Roche took an opportunity of calling captain Ferguson out towards the dusk of the evening; a conflict enfued, in which the lat ter fell. I fhall not pretend to determine upon this critical affair, as Mr. Roche's life is at stake; the question being whether there was any foul play on the fide of Mr. Roche. It is afferted that he was honourably acquitted before the fiscal at the Cape. After his trial he went on board a French frigate, which failed to the island of Mauritius, where he received great civilities from the governor, who politely prefented him with a hundred piftoles. He then embarked on board the Huntington, and was fhipwrecked off Joanna; at length, however, he reached Bombay, where he was arrefted; but the council not knowing how to act in the affair, fent him to England in the Thames Indiaman.

Upon his arrival here he was examined before the juftices in Bow-ftreet, when he produced a number of depofitions and affidavits in his favour; nevertheless he was committed to Tothill-fields Bridewell, in order to be examined before the privy council, who committed him to Newgate, in order to take his trial, and where he now remains till fome material witneffes return from India.

Captain Roche has good friends and connexions, which he has always taken care to preserve by his perfonal behaviour to them in private; though his general conduct has often given offence to his relations and well-withers. His mother, when a widow, married the late general O'Hara, and his fifter married Mr. Lemaitre, who is now gone in the capacity of judge to the Eaft Indies, and whofe favour and protection captain Roche doubtless expected.

Travels into Afia Miner, by Richard Chandler, D. D.

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Society, appropriated the fum of 20001. to collect information refpecting the monuments of Antiquity in Afia Minor which are ftill remaining, and to report whatever was worthy the notice of the curious traveller. In pursuance of this public-fpirited plan, Dr Chandler, Mr. Revett, the Architect, and Mr. Pars, the Painter, embarked on board the Anglicana, Captain Stuart, at Gravefend, on the 9th of June, in the fame year; and, after proceeding to Leghorn, failed from thence to the Archipelago, where our travellers were agreeably engaged by the claffical country which furrounded them, and Dr. Chandler defcribes their entrance into the Hellefpont in these words:

Saturday, Auguft the twenty-fifth, the fun rifing beautifully behind, M. Ida difclofed its numerous tops, and brightened the furface of the fea. We were now entering the Hellefpont, with the Troad on our right hand, and on the left the Cherfonefe or peninfula of Thrace. About fix in the morning, we were within Si geum and the oppofite promontory Maftufia. They are divided by a very narrow ftrait. We then paffed between the two caftles erected by Mahomet the Fourth, in 1659. That on the European fide ftands high, the other low; and by each is a town. Thefe ftructures, with the houses, the graceful minarees and cypreffes, the mountains, and islands, and thining water, formed a view exceedingly delicious. The cocks crowed afhore, and were answered by thofe in our coops on board; the waves broke on the Afiatic beach with an amufing murmur, and the foft air wafted fragrance.

We now faw a level and extensive plain, the fcene, as we conceived, of the battles of the Iliad, with barrows of Heroes, and the river Scamander, which had a bank or bar of fand at the mouth. The ftream was then inconfiderable, but, we were told, is in winter frequently fwollen to a great fize, and difcolours the fea far without the promontories. The fhore of the Cherfonefe, as we advanced, was fteep, of a dry barren afpect, and contracted by the Afiatic coaft, which rifes gently, M. Ida terminating the view. The width of the Hellefpont, "the fmoothness of the water, and the rippling of the current, reminded us of the Thames. Xerxes but flightly degraded it, when he ftyled it a falt river.

We now approached the inner cattles, which were erected by Mahomet the Second, and commanded a very narrow ftrait, dividing the two continents. By

caca

each is a town; and at that in Afia was hoifted a white flag, near the fea fide, and also a red one with the cross. These belonged to the English and French nations. As we had agreed to land here, the Capt. when we were abreast with the Afiatic caftle, brought the fhip to, and made a fignal for a scheick or wherry to come along fide. Our baggage was lowered into it with great expedition, and we quitted the fhip, which fired three guns, and failed away.

After leaving the Anglicana, we had fcarcely time to contemplate the favage figures of our boat-men, who had their necks and arms bare, and their faces yellow from the fun, before we reached land. The current carried us below the caftle, where we faw on fhore two Turkish women. But what figures! each wrapped in a white fheet, fhapeless, and stalking in boots. A company of Turks, aflembled on the beach to view the fhip, feemed as it were a new fpecies of human beings. They were in general large and tall; fome with long, comely, or venerable beards, of a portly meia and noble prefence, to which their high turbans and loose garments, of various lively colours, greatly contributed; adding, befides their majesty, to the apparent bulk of the wear

ers.

We were received on the fhore by the English Conful, a fat well-looking Jew, who, after bidding us welcome in broken Italian or Lingua Franca, conducted us through the town to his houfe, in the quarter affigned to that nation. We afcended fome ftairs into a room, which had a raised floor covered with a carpet. Round three fides was a lofty fopha with cufhions for leaning. The cooling breeze entered at the wooden lattices of the windows. Their law not permitting the Jews to touch fire on their Sabbath, our hoft was in diftrefs about our entertainment. However, we were foon prefented with the customary refreshments, a pipe of lighted tobacco; a fpoonful of fweet meat, put into our mouths; and coffee in a China cup, which was placed in one of filigree-work to prevent it from burning our fingers. The Conful then introduced to us a young man his brother, and his wife and daughter; the latter a girl in a long white veft, with a zone about her middle, her feet naked, and her nails dyed red, her hair platted and hanging down her back. She came to us, and taking the right hand of each feparately, kiffed and gently moved it to

her forehead.

We found fome difficulty in complying

with the Oriental mode of fitting crosslegged, but at dinner it was necessary, the table being only a large low falver, placed on the carpet. A variety of dif es were ferved up in quick fucceffion, and were fupplied as rapidly with cups of wine. We had no plates, or knives and forks, but ufed our fingers. The whole repaft and the apparatus were antique. It concluded with fruits of wholesome quality and exquifite flavour, figs and melons, fuch as are peculiar to hot climates, and grapes in large and rich clufters fresh from the vineyard. The Conful eat with us, while his brother waited, with another Jew. When we had finished, we wafned, one of our attendants bringing an ewer, a bafon and a towel, and pouring water on our hands. We then received each a cup of coffee; and our hoft, who was much fatigued with his fultry walk to the beach, and afterwards to the Governor to inform him of our arrival, retired with the whole family to fleep, as is the univerfal practice toward noon, when the heat becomes exceedingly intenfe.

In the evening we went with the Conful to view the town. We found the houfes numerous, moftly of wood and mean, and the fireets very narrow. We faw the manufactory of earthen ware, which is confiderable; and we supposed the fashion had never altered, the jars and velfels in general retaining the old fhapes, and feeming formed by antient models. The fituation of the place is low, and fubject to epidemical diforders. Befides thefe, the plague, which commonly vifits the inhabitants every year, is remarkably destructive, and feldom fails to make a long ftay. The cœmeteries are fwelled to a great extent round the town, and filled with broken columns, pieces of granate, and marble fragments, fixed as grave-ftones; fome carved with Turkish characters in relievo, gilded and painted. In the Armenian burying ground we discovered a long Greek infcription on a flab of white marble, but not legible. On a rocky eminence, on the fide next the Propontis, is a range of windmills.

The town and caftle have on the fouth a river, which defcends from M. Ida. Its fource, as we are told, is feven hours up in the country; and its violence, after fnow or rain on the fummits, prodigious. A thick wall has been erected, and planetrees difpofed to keep off the torrent, and protect the buildings from its affaults, At the mouth, like the Scamander, it had then a bar of fand. The bed was wide, ftony, and interfected with green thickets,

but

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