ON MATTERS OP EELIEP. 69 



doglio, the caftle of St. Angelo, the Maria rotonda, and 

 all the reft of its Innumerable glories, may be fwallowed 

 up by a dreadful earthquake, fo that the places of 

 them fhall no longer be difcoverable on the earth. 



Much as I have the falvation of the world at heart, 

 yet I frankly confefs, that it would be with infinite 

 difficulty I could be brought to pray for the deftruction 

 of the city of Rome, even though that were the fole 

 condition of the prayer. Far be it then from me to let 

 the ilighteft fhade and dream of fuch a deiire ever en- 

 ter my foul ! — But, fuppofe now (which may heaven 

 and all the guardian fpirits of antiquities and arts for- 

 bid !) fuppofe, fince it is phylically poffible, that this 

 direful accident had really happened, — that Rome was 

 fwallowed up by the earth, or was changed (fans com- 

 paraifon) like Sodom and Gomorrah, into a kind of 

 dead fea — what meafures could and would the catholic 

 church moil probably have adopted ? 



With the city of Rome, on the above fuppofition, 

 the cathedra Petri, and the magical :n merman's feal 

 (which difputes the palm with the feal of Solomon fo 

 famous throughout the world), the boafted donations of 

 Conftantine, Pepin, and Charlemagne, the decretals of 

 Ifidore the finner, the triple crown, of fuperterranean, 

 terranean, and fubterranean might, the four holy-jubilee- 

 gates, the dataria, and rota, the wool-weavery and the 

 agnus-dei-fabric of the nuns of St. Agnes, would all dif- 

 appear and vanifh out of the world. Would this indeed 

 excite a great weeping and wailing among the nations of 

 the earth ? Would the remaining bifhops and prelates of 

 catholic chriftendom have any great caufe to rend their 

 garments and fprinkle allies on their heads ? Should they 



f 3 and 



