1799-] 
¥ 
advance i an arrogant manner. He ex- 
pofed himfelf theretore to an affront, and 
accordingly was repulfed by the fentry. 
Next day he prefented a note to the pre- 
late governor of the Vatican, demanding 
reparation for the infult. He received for 
an{wer, that the prelate was heartily forry 
for the accident ;. but no reparation could 
be made, asthe fentry had only performed 
his duty, in not admitting an unknown 
perfon. On this the ambaffador fent him 
a challenge. Of this the prelate informed 
his bolineis ; when an intimation was given 
the ambaflador, that neither the ecclefiafti- 
cal laws; nor the etiquette of honour, 
allowed clergymen to accept a challenge. 
The ambaflador, enraged at this, fpoke 
difrefpeéttully of the government, and faid, 
that,{uch things were to be expected when 
the reins of government were fallen into 
the hands of a pretaccio (a defpicable 
prieft)., His holinefs, on this, fent the 
prelate governor of Rome to announce his . 
banifhment from the Church’s territory, 
and the neceffity of his departure from the 
metropolis in 24 hours, with this addi- 
tional remark, that the pretaccio had pri- 
fous, gallies, and gallows’s for fuch as 
were deferving of them. In the year 1736, 
Prince Colonna, high conttable of the king- 
dom of Naples, a young noble of a reli- 
gious but weak mind, fell into the hands 
of a fpiritual director who was an igno- 
rant and fanatical prieft. By this perfon 
fcruples were raifed in the mind of the 
young prince, concerning the propriety 
of retaining certain ftatues and paintings 
of firft rate excellence, as ornaments for 
his fuperb gallery. The confeflor ob- 
ferved, that they either reprefented Pagan 
deities, or, being otherwile {candalous and 
tobfcene, were wholly inconfiftent for 
Chriftian purity to tolerate. The prince 
.was influenced by him to fuch a degree, 
that he came at laft to the refolution of 
throwing them, torn and mutilated, into 
the Tiber. Happily for the fine arts, the 
_ prelate governor of Rome was timely ac- 
quainted with the circumftance, and di- 
re€tly called on his holinefs to inform him 
of the difgraceful piece of fanaticifm which 
was likely to be committed. The director 
of the mufeum was immediately difpatch- 
ed to the prince, to requeft him, that if he 
iad ever any works of art not fuitable for 
} 
Memoirs of the Life of the late Pope, PiusVI. Man 
his fuperb gallery, his holinefs would-be 
happy to purchafe them, at any rate, for 
the Vat can mufeum. ‘The prince did not 
deny that it was his intention to deftroy 
thofe of which-his father confeflor did not 
approve. ‘The prieft was foon after fent 
for to the Vatican, and, difconcerted by his 
holinefs’s quettions, imprudently denied 
the fact. Pius on this ordered him im- 
mediately to quit Rome and the Papal 
dominions. — 
‘The common topic of the difaffected at 
Rome again{t their {SWreigns is com- 
monly the charge of family aggrandife~ » 
ment ; tothis they have given the name 
nepotijmo. Pius VI. was not exempt from 
this obloquy. His nephew was certainly one 
of the richeft noblemen of Rome; and the 
envious perhaps were enraged to fee an — 
obfcure inhabitant of Cefena becoming, 
in lefs than twenty years, a prince of the 
Roman empire, duke of Nemi, and grandee 
of Spain, with thirty thoufand pounds a 
year revenue. But this will not injure his 
reputation in the eyes of men of fenfe ; 
convinced as they muft be, that a powerful 
fovereign (at leaft fo with refpeé to eccle- 
fiaftical influence) has it in his power to 
confer confiderable wealth and patronage on 
his relations; and in fucn cafes it is but 
natural that they fhould have the pre- 
ference. 
This pope, befide his mental accom- 
plifhments, poffeffed every perfonal ad- 
vantage. He was fix feet in height, flout, 
handfome, and well formed. He had a 
prepoflefling look, a benign.countenance, 
a fonorous voice, and an elegant and en- 
gaging manner. In his youth he had 
been efteemed one of the handfomeft men 
amongit the Roman clergy, and, through 
out his pontificate, maintained that dig-~ 
nity of behaviour which ought ever to be 
‘charaéteriftic of fovereignty. 
Pius VI. died at Valence in Augult 
laft, and, according to the. Paris papers, 
was buried without any particular cere- 
mony, and quick lime thrown into his 
grave todeftroy hisremains. The Spanifh 
ambaffador claimed his body, in order to 
its being tranfported to Italy; but it was 
refufed him. A conclave is to be held for 
the election of a new pope atVenice or at 
Padua. 
London, Sept. 1799+ F. J. 
ORIGINAL 
De ee. a le 
