720 
mutt act in conformity to the law. of 
yiations, which would not allow any 
minifter from a foreign court to re- 
ceive the marks of a good underftand- 
ing, before amends had _been made for 
paft or exifting injuries.” This note, 
which no man Of good fenfe would with 
to be conceived in better terms, rendered 
Baffeville furious and implacable. Hav- 
ing been difappointed in difplaying in 
Rome the emblems of republicanifm, he 
wore the national ceckade in his hat, and 
openly par aded the ftreets. Violent mur- 
urs arofe from every quarter, and inti- 
mations were given him, that his perfon 
was in fome danger. It was alfo credibly 
reported, that Cardinal Zelada, a venera- 
ble old man, then minifter of foreign af- 
fairs, defired as a peculiar favor of him, 
not to expofe himtelf by his conduct to 
any popular refentment, for the confe- 
quences of which nobody could be re- 
fponfble. Baffeville, deaf to every ad- 
monition, imprudently rode out -in- his 
carriage, on a Sunday, through the Ne 
del Corfo, difplaying, as uf fuaP his cockade: 
the confequence was—his alfaffination ‘by 
the irritated mob. 
In the {pring of 1796, Buonaparte pe- 
hetrated into Italy. Although every thing 
was to be apprehended from | a degenerated 
and democratized people, loft ‘to every 
principle of honor and virtue; yet it was 
dificult te imagine, that their yreateft 
enormities fhould be praétifed ona vene- 
rable pontiff, who had never taken any 
part in the war, nor could ‘be fuppoled 
capable of counteraéting their defigns. 
The firft appearance of danger arofe from 
a proclamation of the viGtorious general, 
who, after having extolled the foldiers of 
the great nation, ‘for their Bravery in hav- 
ing conquered places willingly delivered 
up to them, by the betrayed and defence- 
lefs “king of Sardinia, concluded :— 
gue | tremblent ceux qua ont brulé nos pois, 
ceux gut oat ae fin€ nos minifires! This 
fat part of the fentence evidently alluded 
to the pope, fulpected to have connived at 
the murder of Baffeville. His holinefs 
followed his ufual fyfiem of prudence. 
Ke gave’ previous orders to his two 
Jegates, at Bologna and Ferrara, to 
offer no refiftance, in cafe they fhould 
be attacked by the French: Next to the 
feizure of thele two provinces, the French 
had the impudence to give his holinefs to 
inderfland, that he muft fue for peace, 
ctherwite the remainder of his  ftates 
would be conquered. € What peace am 
i. to ak,” faid. the venerable cld man, 
s© fince I pever intended to be at war, 
Memirs of the Life of the late Pope, Pins re. 
~mixture of fanaticifm. _ : 
markable inftances may be adduced. In 
the year 1780 the Danifh ambaffador at- 
[Oaoter, 
and have lof already feveral provinces by 
the moft unprovoked aggreffion?”?  * 
The proceedings fubiequent to this 
event, are too notorious, too connected ~ 
with the general hiftory of the prefent 
war, and too complicated and numerous 
to be here mentioned. But were every 
thing elfe wanting, this pres circum 
fiance would be fuficient of 
ftamp the French charaéter with indelible 
difgrace. Remoteft pofterity will .read 
with indignation of the invafion of Ro- 
magna, the perfidious peace of Tolentino, 
and the enormous exactions and facrilegi- 
ous plunder of the once illuftrious metro- 
polis of the world. And as if the injuries 
to which flte had been fubmitted, were not 
fufficient without infult, the brother of 
Buonaparte was fent to Rome as an in- 
cendiary, under the fpecious name of Am- 
baffador ; next to him, Dupot is purpofely 
expofed to murder; another emiflary, 
Berthier, comes then to Rome, affaring” 
his Holinefs fur la loyauté Frangoife, that 
his fole. object is to revenge the death of 
his comrade; but at that very moment 
the venerable pontiff, officiating in his 
chapel, is treacheroufly dethroned, and 
the next day tran{ported like a malefactor 
to Sienna, from thence to the charter-hou‘e 
at Florence, to Parma, to Turno, to Bri- 
angon, and laft of all to Valence! Un- 
fortunate Prince ! thou livedft three years 
too long; and there would have been 
more humanity in configning thy vene- / 
rable head to the axe of the executioner 
than thy feelings for that period to un- 
ceafing contumely and infult! The com- 
miferations of pofterity will go with thee, 
when they reflec, that, amidft all thine un- 
paralleled fuffering and degradation, thou 
confiantly prefervedft thy native generofity 
of mind, a confcious fenle of dignity, and 
a meek forgiving difpofition towards thine 
enemies. 
Pius VI. always difplayed, in his in- 
ternal adminiftration, a firmnefs of cha- 
racter and exalted piety, without any 
Of this two re- 
Rome, wifhine-to fee, zzcog. the religious 
ceremony of the paffion-week in the Va- 
tican, prefented h:imfelf before the firlt 
halt, where the facred college were affem- 
bled, and having no ticket of admiffien, 
and being no way diftinguifhed by his 
drefs, demanded of the Swifs fentry the 
lyberty of entering. On-the anfwer of 
the foldier, that he did not know him, 
and could ‘admit ‘no private perfon with- 
out a ticket, the minifter attempted to 
advance 
~ 
itfelf to . 
