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It will foon be forgotten in France; but, perhaps, it is yet remembered, that there were jubilees of two kinds; the one which recurred periodically was properly called the Holy Year; the other was the Jubilee of Exaltation, and was celebrated at the acceffion of a new pope to the pontifical throne. The firft as being the most uncommon, was beyond comparifon the moft folemn.

It was firft eftablished in 1300, by Boniface VIII. who, wifhing to fanctify the profane inftitution of the fecular games of ancient Rome, conceived the idea of indicating the first year of each century as that in which heaven, more particularly propitious, would in future fhower down upon the faithful a larger portion of those bleffings, of which the popes called themfelves the difpenfers. Clement VI. was of opinion, that these periods, fo favourable to the faithful, and to glorious to the holy fee, were too diftant; and ordered that they should recur every fifty years. The fecond jubilee was therefore celebrated in 1350. Sextus V. improved ftill farther upon the liberality of his predeceffors; and ordained that the jubilee fhould take place every five-and-twenty years, which has been the practice

ever fince.

Clement XIV. already attacked by the lingering disease of which he died, had, in the month of April, announced the opening of the holy year, in full confiftory. It was referved for another to celebrate it. Pius VI. had that happiness in the following year; and, but for the catafrophe which precipitated him from his throne, would probably have enoved it a fecond time.

The jubilee of 1775, in all proability the laft, was celebrated

with a degree of magnificence, furpaffing that of all the preceding ones. It was on this occafion, that Pius VI. gave the firft proof of his tafte for pompous ceremonies. One of the principal circumftances of the feftival, that indeed which may be called the firft act of it, is the opening of the famous porta fanta, or facred door. This door, which is one of those of St. Peter's church, remained conftantly fhut except during the holy year. It was then opened with a parade of which Pius VI. took care not to diminish the effect. It was his office to prefide over the demolition of a brick wall, that clofed the entrance of the facred door. Advancing with majeftic gravity, he ftruck the first ftroke, and inftantly the wall fell to the ground under the redoubled blows of the workmen, to whom the fignal had been given. The pious fpectators eagerly feized upon the materials; each ftone being an object of high veneration. By their contact with that which was laid four-and-twenty years before by the facred hands of the fovereign pontiff, they had acquired the virtue of curing all forts of diseases. cording to cuftom, the porta fanta remained open during all the holy year, and was the fcene of the most ridiculous mummery. The pope himself did not pafs through it without exhibiting marks of the moft profound respect; while the pilgrims, difdaining the numerous paffages which lead into the church of St. Peter, entered it only by crawling under the facred door upon their hands and knees. It was fhut with great folemnity at the end of the year. The pope approached, fitting upon a kind of throne, and furrounded by the car

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dinals;

dinals; and an anthem was fung, accompanied by loud music: it was the lyre of Amphion about to rebuild the walls of Thebes. The pontiff then defcended with a gold trowel in his hand; laid the first ftone of the wall, which was to laft twenty-five years; put a little mortar upon it, and re-afcended his throne. Real mafons took his place, and completed the blocking up of the facred door, the ceremony clofing with a folemn mafs. Thus did the Roman catholics lavish the auguft myfteries of their religion, fometimes upon the baptifm of a bell, and fometimes upon the rebuilding of a wall,

The following day the feftival was continued, Pius VI. difplaying in it all his great talents for acting, which were hitherto but little known. He was already fear fixty years of age; but his complexion ftill retained fomewhat of the brilliant colouring of youth. The Romans, accustomed to fee their pontiffs bending under the weight of years, and labouring in the performance of their public functions, which were often long and fatiguing, admired the address and grace with which the new pope acquitted himfelf of his task. The church feemed to grow young again, and to have a right, as well as Pius VI. to expect profperous days.

It was fhortly afterwards that the beauty of his perfon received a homage to which the vicars of Jefus Christ were not accustomed. While Pius VI. was paffing through a ftreet of Rome, carried along with a fplendor fuitable to his dignity, a voice was heard from one of the windows, which were crowded with curious fpectators. It was that of a young woman: Quanto è bello!

quanto è bello! cried fhe, in ame ment of enthufiafm. An old wo man, in hafte to correct any thing that might appear too profane a this exclamation, replied, with he hands joined, and her eyes lifted up to heaven, Tanto è bello, quanta! fanto! It is faid, that fuch a compliment gave Pius VI. more fecret fatisfaction than all the incenfe la vifhed upon him by the prelates at the altar, and all the genuflexions of the facred college.

We do not mean, however, that an inclination, common to many of the cardinals, was ever included in the charges brought against him during the course of his long ponticate. His very enemies, if not al together unjuft, muft confefs that he has always been irreproachable as to purity of morals. In the early days which he pafled at Rome, ambition made him feek the fociety of a lady of high rank, and of a very intriguing difpofition, who w fuppofed to poffefs confiderable influence. This was madame Falconieri, mother of the young lady, afterwards duchefs of Brafchi. He was indebted to her for his firft fac cefs in his ecclefiaftical career. But madame Falconieri, though worthy of attention as a patronefs, had nothing that could make her defirable as a miftrefs. Brafchi vifited her for a short time; kept away as foo as he had obtained the only favour he expected from her; and was folely indebted for the reputation. which he acquired in these latter times, of being mademoiselle Falconieri's father, to the ill-humour ci his fubjects, and to his blind partia lity for her after the became b niece.

During the time that he was treafurer of the Apoftolical Chamber,

that

that is to fay, from 1766 to 1773, he was remarkable for his conftant application to bufinefs, for his contempt of worldly pleafures, and for the regularity of his conduct, which procured him general efteem. He did not forfeit this character during his cardinalate, which lafted only two years; and when he was feated in St. Peter's chair, excepting indeed the duplicity of which he was fufpected, and which the embarraffiment of circumstances feemed to render excufable, he was free from all serious reproach. Since his elevation to the papacy, his defects, which he had either concealed, or had no opportunity of developing, have excited a great deal of hatred; but calumny, which has not fpared him, has fcarcely ever attacked him upon the fcore of his morals. Gorani, is, perhaps, the only one who treats him as ill in that refpect as in every other. He throws fufpicions upon the motives of the affection which cardinal Ruffo manifefted for him in his youth; he pretends that it was not ambition alone which led to his connection with madame Falconieri: and he even infinuates, that gallantry was one of the principal means of his elevation to the papel throne. It is in fact of no great confequence whether thefe charges be founded or not. The falvation of Pius VI. may be much concerned; but his glory is very little interested in his having faithfully practifed one of the firft Chriftian virtues. It is a duty, however, that we owe to truth, to affirm, that thofe who have known him long, and well, never perceived any thing that could give rife to the fmalleft doubt as to the purity of his morals, at leaft from the time in which he was appointed treasurer,

to the end of his pontificate. If the amorous connections of a temporal fovereign cannot efcape the vigi lance of his numerous attendants, how can a pope, all whofe fteps and movements are counted, conceal himself from the nice obfervation of the confcientious, or from the keen eye of malignity, and cover his fecret intrigues with an impenetrable veil? Pius VI. divided all his time between his religious duties, his clofet, and the library of the Vatican. He went out very feldom, and never without company. He had no taste for a country refidence, nor even for those innocentamufements which the gravest men allow themselves as a relaxation after their labours. He paffed the fummer feafon at the Quirinal palace, and the reft of the year at the Vatican. His only recreation was the vifit which he paid almost every year to the Pontine marshes. Conftantly taken up with ferious occupations, or the duties of his office, he avoided, inftead of fecking, the fociety of women.

As pope, he could not then lead a more examplary life; but as a man, and as a fovereign, he no doubt expofed himself to many and ferious reproaches. An erroneous opinion had been formed of him in many refpects. When rendered more confpicuous by his eminent ftation, he foon difcovered a great ignorance of worldly affairs, particularly of politics; an obftinacy which never yielded to a direct attack; and an invincible attachment to certain prejudices, infeparable perhaps from his proceffior, but of which he neither fufpected the inconvenience nor the danger. This we fhall have frequent opportunities of obferving in the course of these

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memoirs.

memoirs. He entertained the moft favourable idea of his own capacity. Rather headstrong than firm, he was conftantly undoing what he had done; and this mixture of vanity and weakness, was attended with ferious inconveniences. What was no more than inconfiftency, and want of refolution, was taken for duplicity, Coldly affable, he never felt a real affection for any one; nor ever knew what it was completely to unbofom himself, unless when fear rendered him communicative.

Out of the five cardinals, who were fucceflively his fecretaries of ftate, there was not one who could flatter himself with having enjoyed his entire confidence. He granted it, but ftill under certain reftrictions, to Gerdyl and Anto

nelli, two other cardinals; confulting them folely about matters in which he thought he could derive advantage from their talents.

.. Hafty, impetuous, and fometimes even paffionate, he required to be curbed by fear, or foothed by affectionate language, which indicated an attachment to his intereft, without hurting his pride. Cardinal de Bernis laid of him, towards the end of the year 1777, I watch over him inceffantly, as over a child of an excellent difpofition; but too full of fpirits, and capable of throw ing itfelf out of the window if left a moment alone.'

That excellent difpofition was aferwards, in a great meafure, fpoiled by adulation, the poffeffion of power, and the want of fomebody bold enough to tell him the truth, or inclined to take the trouble. Faults gradually manifefted themselves that the moft clear-fighted had not even

fufpected. His long pontificate wa befides, a grievance which neither the cardinals nor the people of Rome, could pardon him. In thort, a cocurrence of unlucky circumftances, to which he knew not how to ac commodate himfelf, added to his improvidence and to his vanity, the principal fource of his prodigi lity, and of his tafte for brilliant, but expenfive enterprizes, rendered him, in the end, more odious than many princes, who have been realy wicked.*

Character and Manner of Life of General Washington; from Weld's Travels in America.

N

Ongton he had terminated lis the day I faw gen. Waf

64th year; but though not an unhealthy man, he feemed confidera bly older. The innumerable vexztions he has met with, in his different public capacities, have very fenfibly impaired the vigour of his confitátion, and given him an aged appear ance. There is a very material diference, however, in his looks when feen in private, and when he ap pears in public, full dreifed; in the latter cafe the hand of art makes up for the ravages of time, and he feems many years younger..

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Few perfons find themselves for the first time in the prefence of ge neral Wathington, a man fo renowned, in the prefent day, for his wifdom and moderation, and whofe name will be tranfmitted with fuch honour to poflerity, without being impreffed with a certain degree of veneration and awe; nor do thefe emotions fubfide on a closer ac

For a notice of the death of Pius VI. fee before, p. 31, of this volume.

quaintance;

quaintance; on the contrary, his perfon and deportment are fuch, as rather tend to augment them. There is fomething very auftere in his countenance, and in his manners he is uncommonly referved. I have heard fome officers, that ferved immediately under his command, during the American war, fay, that they never faw him smile during all the time that they were with him. No man has ever yet been connected with him by the reciprocal and unconstrained ties of friendship; and but a few can boast even of haying been on an easy and familiar footing with him.

The height of his perfon is about five feet eleven; his cheft is full; and his limbs, though rather flender, well fhaped and mufcular. His head is fmail, in which refpect he resembles the make of a great number of his countrymen. His eyes are of a light grey colour; and, in proportion to the length of his face, his nofe is long. Mr. Stewart, the eminent portrait painter, told me, that there are features in his face totally different from what he ever obferved in that of any other human being; the fockets for the eyes, for inftance, are larger than what he ever met with before, and the upper part of the nofe broader. All his features, he obferved, were indicative of the strongest and most ungovernable paffions, and had he been born in the forefts, it was his opinion, that he would have been the fierceft man amongft the favage tribes. In this Mr. Stewart has given a proof of his great difcernment and intimate knowledge of the human countenance; for, although general Washington has been extolled for his great moderation and calmness, during the very try.

eyes

ing fituations in which he has fo
often been placed, yet thofe who
have been acquainted with him the
longeft and most intimately fay,
that he is, by nature, a man of a
fierce and irritable difpofition, but
that, like Socrates, his judgement
and great felf-command have always
made him appear a man of a differ-
ent caft, in the of the world.
He fpeaks with great diffidence, and
fometimes hefitates for a word; but
it is always to find one particularly
well adapted to his meaning. His
language is manly and expreffive.
At levee, his difcourfe with ftran-
gers turns principally upon the fub-
ject of America; and if they have
been through any remarkable places,
his converfation is free, and parti-
cularly interesting, as he is intimate-
ly acquainted with every part of
He is much more
the country.
open and free in his behaviour at
levee than in private, and in the
company of ladies ftill more fo than
when folely with men.

General Washington gives no public dinners, or other entertainments, except to thofe who are in diplomatic capacities, and to a few families on terms of intimacy with Mrs. Washington. Strangers, with whom he wires to have fome converfation, about agriculture, or any fuch fubject, are fometimes invited to tea. This, by many, is attributed to his faving difpofition; but it is more juft to afcribe it to his prudence and forefight; for as the falary of the prefident, is very fmall, and totally inadequate, by itself, to fupport an expenfive ftyle of life, were he to give numerous and splendid entertainments the fame might poffibly be expected from fubfequent prefidents, who, if their private fortunes were not confiderable,

would

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