Archivio Segreto 31 
vious from the study of the Lett ere, Principi e Titulati, discussed on pages 
87-89. 
83 . (1700-1702). f. 303. June 20, 1702. Clement XI. to the Archbishop 
of Mexico, introducing the Patriarch of Antioch, about to pass 
through Mexico on the way to China, 
f. 311. June 20, 1702. Same, to Viceroy of Mexico, on the same subject. 
LATERAN BRIEFS. 
This is a collection of 852 volumes included among those recently trans¬ 
ferred from the Lateran. They are inventoried in indice 195 A: “ Inventarium 
Voluminum Brevium Lateranensium seu Datariae Apostolicae The ex¬ 
treme dates are 1490 and 1800. The first part of the series is defective and 
irregular, but it is apparently complete after 1535. The volumes contain 
about 1500 folios each, and there are usually three volumes for the year, or 
four months to the volume. Within each volume the briefs are grouped by 
the month, and within the month the arrangement is fairly chronological. In 
form they resemble the minutes of briefs in the Archivio Brevi, each brief 
being on a separate sheet, often accompanied by a note of the case, and of 
the amount of the tax. It hardly seems, however, that they can be original 
minutes, for the subject matter is not such as fell to the independent juris¬ 
diction of the secretary of briefs and the only signature is that of an official 
of the office of briefs. The briefs in the Archivio Brevi are not, to be sure, 
signed, but there is a signed paper accompanying them. Owing to the lack 
of time, it was impossible to determine whether the original minutes for these 
briefs are to be found in the regular series of the Archivio Brevi, but from 
such examination as was made, it seemed unlikely. 
These briefs relate entirely to dispensations regarding the priesthood and 
matrimony. Of the first there are many referring to America. Of the latter 
there are relatively few, as the powers of the bishops extended to the great 
majority of cases. 30 The one great exception was that made by the French 
West Indies, where there was no bishop, and whence the great majority of 
cases had to come to Rome. The difference made by the facoltd granted to 
bishops is illustrated by the fact that in the year 1790, in which all cases were 
noted, there were 27 such cases from the French islands, and only one from the 
remaining portions of America. Such a fact illustrates the pressure brought 
to bear in favor of establishing a bishopric in these islands, to which some 
references are given in the chapter on the Propaganda. 
Number 819 , which was examined, was entitled: “ Computa R. C. A. 37 a 
Mense Maii 1787 usque ad totum Mensem Decembris 1790 In this, the 
payments for every brief were noted, and accounts were made up at the end 
of every month, with a statement of the total receipts ; of the amounts credited 
to the Prefect of Briefs; to the R. C. A.; and to the Master of Briefs, and 
for the payments made by the latter to the College of Briefs ; to the registrars 
of supplications; to the writers of briefs; and for the blank forms. 
CAMERA. 
The archives of the Camera are the most perplexing of all papal records, 
both because of their intrinsic lack of organization and of the scattered condi¬ 
tion in which they at present exist. They have indeed, since the opening of 
36 See p. 121. 
37 Reverendae Camerae Apostolicae. 
