1807.) 
females were employed; some of them 
spun the wool by means of spindles, or 
wheels, others were occupied in winding 
the yarn, and a third class in weaving it 
into fine stuffs; the children, who were 
Kept apart from the others, had yarn 
ready prepared delivered to them, which 
they wrought up into a much coarser kind 
of stutts, 
Such wise and enlishtened measures 
could not but produce the happiest 
effects. In the short space of three 
years, he extinguished the debts of the 
hospitals, rendered them salubrious, aug- 
mented their revenues, and thereby ge- 
nerously contributed to aid the cause of 
religion, morals, and social order. His 
foresight and humanity went still farther. 
Without mentioning the many foundlings 
whom he collected together, and placed 
ander the care of nurses; he sent agents 
into the towns and villages, in order to 
find out all the’ puor females, and marry 
them to labourers, to each of whom he 
gave a portion. When they: met with 
any one, whose age or ugliness inspired 
disgust, a double portion was given to 
those who consented to marry them. 
Such actions require no encomiums; to 
dwell upon them would only weaken their 
interest. 
Hitherto, Borgia, had little reason either 
to complain of imankind or fortune. Pos 
sessed of the public estéem, held in vene- 
ration by the learned men of his time, 
loaded with honours and wealth, if he 
xperienced any uneasiness, it was doubt- 
fess at yet being sufficiently powerful 
to perform all the good he thought pos- 
sible, 
A dreadful catastrophe arrested the 
‘progress of his prosperity. In 1797, the 
spirit of innovation, so fatal to empires, 
atid which had subverted France, at last 
reached Rome. The collision of opi- 
mious caused a popular insurrection, in 
which the French Chargé d’Affaires was 
killed. his murder became the sig- 
nal for getieral disorder; secret instl- 
gators purposely raised the cry of alarm, 
‘and an ungovernable multitude, led on by 
themselves, carried destruction and ter- 
ror on all sides. In these circumstances, 
‘the audacity and rage of the people pro- 
gressively augmented. Nothing could 
he hoped for, either from the exertion of 
the public authority, or the intervention 
of a military force, which in stiilar in- 
stances have always been found but a 
feeble resource. 
It was then that the presence and ad- 
vice of a man of abilities became neces- 
Account of the Life of Cardinal Stephen Borgia. 465 
sary; it was then that the public voice 
required an enlightened administrator, 
prudent, but prompt in his resolutions, as 
well as in the execution of them. Pins 
VI. at this critical juncture, thought Car- 
dinal Borgia worthy of his confidence. 
We entrusted him with the dictatorship 
of Rome, and joined with him two mem- 
bers of the sacred college, who assisted 
him in the discharge of this laborious and 
important duty. The first care of the 
newlgovernor was to attach to his interests, 
the officers and soldiers of the pontifical 
guard, as well us the principal agents of 
the police, wisely believing, that their 
assistance would be necessary, in order 
to allay the storm, and protect the citi- 
zens from imsult and violence. 
After drawing over to his side as many 
individuals as possible, he placed senti- 
nelsin various parts of the city, appointed 
strong patroles, dispersed every where 
trusty agents, in one word, he put him- 
self in sucha state, as to prevent a revolt, 
or stifle it in its birth. Naturally affable, 
he was complaisart to all those who ap- 
proached him; but though easy of access, 
he preserved that firmness which was 
necessary to disconcert the designs of the 
ill-intentioned. What, however, con- 
tributed most effectually to overawe the 
insurgents, was the high estimation in 
which he was held by the public, as well 
as the great respect they attached to the 
office of dictator; circumstances which 
greatly augmented his strength and resour- 
ces. He acquired suchan ascendancy over 
the minds of the people, he governed 
with so much prudence, address and 
activity, that unul the 15th of Fe- 
bruary , 1798, when the French army 
appeared at the gates of the city, 
Rome was not sullied by a single murder 
or crune. . 
The face of affairs, however, soon 
changed, the popular party, Itherto kept 
down, now took the reins of power into 
their own hands, substituting consuls in- 
stead of the legitimate government, which 
gave to it the appearance of that of ane 
cient Rome. 
On the 20th of February, Pius VI. left 
the capital of his states. Borgia, full 
of conscious rectitude, was far from 
dreading the fate that awaited him. On 
the 8th of March, he was arrested with 
five other Cardinals,.and conducted un- 
der a strong escort to the convent of 
Lay-Sisters; and two days after they 
were removed to the monastery of the Do- 
minicans, and prohibited all correspon- 
dence with their friends, It was in this 
: place, 
P 
{ 
Saw 
