1799] 
fee. Maddaloniaéted in conformity to the 
wifhes of the pope; but the bifhop proved 
refractory. The bufinefs ended by the ba- 
nifhment of the internuncio from Naples, 
which took place in September, 1788. ° 
Thefe jurifdictional difputes were 
trifles compared with the convulfions of the 
French revolution, which foon after took 
place. This is the true era of the public 
character of Pius the VIth: it would ne- 
ver have manifefted itfelf if this unheard 
of calamity had not taken place. His 
holinefs was too well aware of the ra- 
vages. likely to be occafioned by the pre- 
vailing philofophy, and too fenfible of the 
volatile and hafty fpirit of the French 
peuple, not to apprehend that the greateft 
national excefles would be the ultimate 
retult of fuch an unhappy event. He 
was, on the other fide, tully convinced, 
that the jnterference of his {piritual au- 
thority would be of no ule, as ecclefiatti- 
cal cenfures had been already difregarded 
by the catholic monarchs themfelves, and, 
what was worfe, by the very princes of 
the houfe of Bourbon! 
He refolved therefore to become a filent 
{pectator in the bufinefs, and, although 
deeply affected by the evils which feemed 
to threaten the church, religion and mo- 
rality, yet he aéted in ftri& conformity to 
the law of nations. A feeble remonftrance 
only was made againft the feizure of Avig- 
non and the comtat Venaifin, as wellas on 
the banifhment of his internuncio from 
Paris. And when the French clergy, 
headed by the Abbé Maury, folicited 
him to interpofe his authority, to fupprefs 
the irreligious reform -in the conftitution 
of the clergy ; it was with difficulty they 
prevailed cn him to conform to their opi- 
nion, as he was confident that this com- 
promife of his dignity would be attended 
with nofuccefs. After many folicitations 
he at laft difpatched the celebrated monitory 
of the 13th of April, 1791, The refult 
was juftas he had prediéted. The monie 
tory was ridiculed, the clergy were ex- 
pofed to new perfecutions, and his holi- 
nefs’s name was rendered doubly odious. 
They confidered the apoftolic bull in no 
better light than a tocfin for a civil war. 
And the Parifian youth, headed by St. 
Huruge, went fo far as to burn his effigy, 
ornamented with its pontifical infignia, in 
the gardens of the Palais Royal. . 
Pius the VIth followed the fame line of 
prudent conduc throughout all the fub- 
fequent events of the revolution; and 
potterity will acknowledge, that he could 
not haye acted better with a view of 
ayerting the calamities brought upon him- 
&, 
Memoirs of the Life of the late Pope, Pius FI, 
/ f1Q 
felf and his dominions by the cruelty and 
rapacity of the French; and that both as 
a fecular prince, and as chief of the 
church, he behaved at this crifis with the 
moft confummate prudence. 
He never intended to join the coalition 
made againft France, although fuch a 
meafure (if we are rightly informed) had 
been propofed to him by the late king of 
Sardinia, He never fhewed the leaft fymp- 
tom of animofity againft the French refid- 
ing in his’ {tates ; and when the privateers 
of Civita Vecchia had captured fome 
French merchantmen in the Mediterra- 
nean, he directly ordered them to be car- 
ried to Marfeilles, and reftored to their 
originai owners ; moft folemnly declaring, 
that he never was, and never intended to 
be, hoftile to the French. 
This generous condué&t, which ought to 
have rendered him more refpeCtable than 
ever to a government not entirely callous 
to every fenfe of duty and gratitude, was 
confidered as a,tame fubmiffion to their 
infolence, arifing from the want of power 
to act otherwife ; and it encouraged them 
therefore to renew their infults. An 
agent of the name of Baffeville was fent 
to Rome by the Girondifts in January 
1793, as Ambaffador of the Republics 
with inftruétions to erafe the royal arms 
from the French academy, and all public - 
buildings belonging to the nation; andto 
fubftitute in their place the infignia of the 
republic. 
His holinefs did not expect this ine 
fulting vifit; nor could it have been fup- 
pofed that an. accredited - Frenchman 
fhould haye come to Rome, after the 
overthrow of ecclefiaftical difcipline in 
France, which naturally diffolved every 
tie between the French nation and the holy 
fee; and as a temporal prince, he was 
juftly afraid of being the firft crowned 
head who. fhould virtually acknowledge 
the republic. The note returned to 
Baffevilie on that occafion, breathed that 
wifdom, moderation and politenefs, which 
in every thing marked the condu& of his 
holinefs. It ftated, ** that his holinefs 
had been much injured by the French 
people, both as univerfal head sof ‘the 
church, and as a fecular prince: that 
his efigy had been ignominioufly burnt 
at Paris, his muncio banifhed, the 
county of Avignon feized, and domici- 
Jiary vifits made in the houfe of his 
conful at Marfeilles: and while his 
holinefs was heartily concerned at fee- 
ing the once 
nation detached from the bofom of the 
church; yet, as a temporal prince, he 
rT, eine oa mult 
weli-deferving French. 
ee ee ee 
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