83] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814. 



merly possessed, takes them and 

 their property under theinomediate 

 tutelage of the Holy See, and abro- 

 gates all constitutions and ordi- 

 nances to the contrary, especially 

 the brief of Clement XIV. (Gan- 

 ganelli). After the reading of the 

 bull, the Jesuits present were ad- 

 mitted to kiss the Pope's feet ; and 

 an act was afterwards read con- 

 cerning the restitution of the pa- 

 trimony of the Jesuits in funds 

 still existing, and provisional com- 

 pensations for alienated property. 

 " Thus (says the Diario Romano J 

 ended a ceremony eternally glo- 

 rious and memorable I" That, 

 however, this restoration was not 

 universally approved even atRome, 

 appeared from a number of satiri- 

 cal pieces circulated on the oc- 

 casion. 



In the progress of re-establishing 

 every thing ancient, which was the 

 predominant principle of the re- 

 vived papal government, the ma- 

 gistracy of Rome published an or- 

 dinance by which the faithful were 

 apprised that all the festivals ob- 

 served before the incorporation of 

 the city with the French empire, 

 were restored. Another more 

 puerile example of the saine policy 

 was given by a rescript, which 

 announced that the lamps intro- 

 duced by the late Government 

 were suppressed. The streets of 

 Rome were formerly lighted by 

 the flambeaux and lanterns placed 

 by devotees under the numerous 

 images erected at the corners and 

 crossings, as well as those at the 

 doors of private houses ; and it was 

 thought proper to renew this mode, 

 however irregular, as gratifying to 

 pious feelings, and costing nothing 

 to the Government. It was in a 

 more enlightened spirit that the 

 Governpr made known that the 



places called sanctuaries were no 

 longer to afford security to crimi- 

 nals. In every arbitrary govern- 

 ment, secret meetings, and associa- 

 tions of persons connected by rites 

 or engagements known only to 

 themselves, are objects of particu- 

 lar jealousy, it being justly con- 

 cluded that where men are restrain- 

 ed from expressing their opinions 

 openly, they will naturally seek 

 such occasions of propagating thetn 

 in private. On this account, the 

 societies of Free Masons, which 

 among us no one suspects of serious 

 or dangerous intentions, have been 

 regarded in many parts of the Con- 

 tinent as instituted for the purpose 

 of fostering innovations in church 

 or state ; and it appears that under 

 this idea they were peculiarly ob- 

 noxious to the Roman government. 

 Cardinal Pacca, Pro-secretary of 

 State, ))ublished in August an edict 

 prohibiting, under very severe pe- 

 nalties, all assemblies of secret so- 

 cieties, especially of that of Free 

 Masons. At the same time the 

 greatest encouragements were 

 offered to all who should become 

 informers ; and they were told by 

 his Holiness, that there was nothing 

 wrono- or dishonourable in such 

 denunciations, smce they were 

 equally important to the faith and 

 the state. In consequence, many 

 persons have been committed to 

 prison, or otherwise piurished. 



It was by no means to the Je- 

 suits that this zealous Pope limited 

 his purpose of re-establishing the 

 religious orders fallen to decay in 

 the late revolutionary times. Sen- 

 sible that all the monastic commu- 

 nities were attached to the See of 

 Rome as their head, and regarding 

 them as the firmest pillars of the 

 church, he had from the time of 

 his restoration, declared his inten- 



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