7^ i,f bsrty gp reasoning 



buying it at fo extravagantly dear a rate as with the de- 

 ftruction of the glorious church of St. Peter, the mu- 

 fseum Clementinum, the villa Borghefe, &c. We 

 have only to fet about acting, in all refpects as if this 

 cataftrophe had really happened : and then, molt pro- 

 bably, all the reft would follow, and nearly with as 

 much facility, though perhaps not quite fo fall, in its 

 primitive and natural order. An earthquake would 

 operate indeed with greater celerity, and at once re- 

 move a multitude of herniations and difficulties; as 

 formerly the Goths, when they burnt and deftroyeal 

 the temple of Diana at Ephefus, under that gracelefs 

 emperor Gallienus, put an end to her divinity at a 

 ftroke : but I confefs I am not fond of thefe heroic 

 methods : and I would wifh, for the honour of reafori, 

 that fo bleiTed a revolution might rather be her work 

 than the blind effect of jarring elements. Indeed it 

 would be better in more than one refpect. My reader 

 may probably recollect what an extremely venerable 

 and amiable man pope Pius XXVI. (or however elfe 

 he may be called) will be, in the year 2440. — how 

 directly the antipode of a Gregory VII. a John XII. 

 and XXII. a Clement V. Alexander VI. Julius IL 

 Leo X. — in fhort, of the majority of his predecefTors ; 

 and how completely this excellent Pontifex Maximus, 

 by his illumination, wifdom, goodnefs, modefty, and 

 dilintereftednefs, will do honour to the fovereign dignity 

 ofhigh-prieft and common father of chriftendom. — • 

 Now this, by means of my humble propofal, may 

 come to pafs much earlier than the year 2440, and 

 how advantageous for the church and the world fuch a 

 tranfmutation would be, certainly needs no farther 

 5 proof. 



