GENERAL HISTORY. 



[155 



forget the duties of his charge, 

 the Regency will be under the 

 necessity of exercising its power 

 in fulfilling the duties intrusted 

 to it. 



This spirited and decisive pro- 

 ceeding, however, was ineffectual 

 to restrain the actions of a repre- 

 sentative of that authority which 

 during so many ages had main- 

 tained a successful contest with 

 civil governments; and we learn 

 from a subsequent manifesto of the 

 Regency, that the nuncio affirmed 

 ina note " that he could not butbe- 

 , lieve that he was under an indispen- 

 sable obligation to act as he had 

 done, in quality of legate of the 

 Pope, and in fulfilment of the du- 

 ties of his ministry ; that though 

 he wished nothing more than the 

 peace and tranquiUity of the king- 

 dom, and it was contrary to his 

 character to intermeddle in other 

 subjects than those belonging to 

 the duties of his legation, yet in 

 ecclesiastical mattershe was obliged 

 to engage in that correspondence 

 and communication which was re- 

 quired of him by his office." He 

 added, •* That if his conduct in 

 corresponding with the reverend 

 bishops, and acting as he had be- 

 fore done, gave offence to the 

 Cortes, they might act as they 

 thought proper relatively to him- 

 self, as he believed his behaviour 

 would merit the approbation of 

 his holiness." In a letter of the 

 9th of May, the nuncio persisted in 

 the same sentiments, and said, 

 that the greater part of the bishops, 

 even those who were resident at 

 Cadiz, had made known their opi- 

 nion on this subject, in the hope, 

 that as legate of the Pope, he would 

 take the part which he should 



judge proper ; that he had there- 

 fore been induced to give his ad- 

 vice and instructions as he had 

 done to the prelates and chapters, 

 and that he should pursue the 

 same conduct whenever similar 

 subjects should come in question. 

 Thus, perhaps very conscientious- 

 ly, did Senor Gravina follow the 

 same track with the Beckets of old 

 in supporting the authority of the 

 Roman see against that of the su- 

 preme civil government in a coun- 

 try ; demonstrating the uniformity 

 of principle by which that vast 

 machine of ecclesiastical power is 

 actuated. The Regency appears to 

 have been reluctant to come to ex- 

 tremities and declare open hosti- 

 lities with such a power, but its 

 reputation and authority were com- 

 promised ; and at length, on July 

 7th, after having heard the opinion 

 of the Council of State, a note 

 was sent in its name to the nuncio, 

 acquainting him that a passport was 

 sent to him for leaving the king- 

 dom, and that his temporalities in 

 it would be occupied. He was 

 further informed, that in conside- 

 ration of his dignity, and in order 

 that he might perform his voyage 

 comraodiously, a national frigate 

 should be prepared to carry him 

 whithersoever he might choose to 

 go. The nuncio however preferred 

 going to Portugal in a vessel pro- 

 vided by himself; and thus was 

 terminated this delicate affair, in 

 a manner honourable to the firm- 

 ness of the Spanish government. 

 What was the impression made by 

 the transaction upon the nation at 

 large, it would be interesting to 

 know, but we do not possess the 

 means of acquiring such informa- 

 tion* 



