Sixth to the pontifical throne was the effect of no previous arrange ment, but rather a mezzo-termini, or compromife between the contend ing parties, as being the perfon age the leaft obnoxious to either. It is not therefore wonderful, that, with moderation and talents far beneath thofe of his predeceffor, he did not correct or weather the ftorm in which the bark of St. Peter would have funk with a pilot muchabler than himfelf. The harmless vanity of the pontiff, in the ftudious difplay of his perfonal attractions, may excite a fimile; but, though vain glory often led him to the commiffion of acts which have been regarded by the devout with pity, and by the profane with contempt, every lover of the arts will pay him the tribute justly due to his zeal for the protection which he gave them, more particularly in ornamenting and enriching the celebrated mufeum of the Vatican. The induftry with which he applied himself to works which might be deemed of public utility entitled him alfo to refpect; but, unfortunately for the public purfe, that induftry was often ill directed; and his favourite plan of draining the Pontine marthes, the great object of perfevering enthu fiafm, and for which he has been fo much applauded, ended in little effe than wafting the public money, reftoring the Appian Way, and enriching his own family, already grown a burden to the people. Poffeffed of many eftimable quali ties as a private man, he had few of thofe talents which are neceffary to govern in times of difficulty or danger. Yielding often to the impulfe of the moment, the impetuofity of his character led him into errors which were followed by speedy repentance: prefumptuous

with respect to his own opinion, he was blind to the future, where ment of common fagacity had the cleareft forefight; and, filled with ideas of the importance and dignity of his character, he prepared for himself numerous mortifications and infults, which he had neither the addrefs to avoid, nor the power to avenge. As the visible head of the church, his attention to the duties of his office was uniform and exemplary; he has been reproached with making some of thofe duties fubfervient to his per fonal vanity, and with being fonder of public exhibitions than became the gravity and fanctity of his character this charge may not be altogether unfounded, but it may be alleged, in his juftification, that the relaxation of his predecef for, with refpect to the ceremonials of worship, was a dangerous departure from the political ufages of the church; and that a religious fyftem, which had been established for ages, in defiance of reafon and fcripture, would foon lofe its influence, especially at this feafon, if its theatrical pomp and ornament did not continue to dazzle the eye of vulgar inquiry.

Whatever were the failings of Pius the Sixth, or the vices of his adminiftration, every compaffionate mind will regard this misfortunes with fympathy and refpect. His piety, though oftentatious, was devoid of hypocrify, and his errors belonged to a fituation which had ever been at war with truth. But he had fcarcely begun to feel the bleflings of retirement, which feemed a defirable haven after the rude ftorms through which he had paffed, when the capricious tyranny of the French directory again in vaded his repose. Under pretence that his prefence, fo near the feat

of

of ancient government, would probably endanger the tranquility, or impede the regeneration of Italy, the French government enjoined the grand-duke to difmifs him from the Tufcan territory. The grand. duke, in obedience to the reiterated and angry injunction, complied with a feeling of reluctance; and application was made to the emperor to grant him an afylum in Germany. This plan having been deranged, it was propofed to fend him to Spain; but the prudence of the court outbalanced its piety. A voyage to the island of Sardinia, where the danger of papal confpiracy would have been circuin fcribed, and where little other intercourfe than the pious exchange of filial vows and apoftolic benedictions would take place, had been decided on, when the ftate of the pope's health rendered his removal impoffible. This malady difarmed the zealous malignity of the directory, nor did the return of health awaken it to new fufpicions; and the pope continued to refide at the Chartreuse, till events, the hiftory of which belongs to another period, occafioned his removal into France.

It would be alfo to anticipate the order of the narration of the year to detail the changes which took place in the Roman republic on the overthrow of the papal government, if sthefe changes were not interwoven, with the occurrences already related. Although the temporal power of the pope was deftroyed, and his kingdom was no longer of this world, his fpiritual authority continued to be recognised; and his functions were performed by a bishop, who, under the name of vice-gerent, difpenfed to the faithful the facred gifts according to their feveral de

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fires and neceffities. Various were the regulations made by this repres fentative of the pontiff, who, while he adminiftered in holy things, with all the pomp and cir cumftance of his prototype, corrected various abuses of a spiritual nature, amongst which were the fafts and fetivals in the church, the number of which were confi derably diminished throughout the republic.

The temporal power intrusted by the French general to the pro vifionary government was at length confirmed by a regular conftitution, made at Paris on the model of the French; but in which the names of confuls, fenate, tribunes, queftors, and other titles of claffic ftory, fuperfeded the French de nominations of directory, minifters, and councils. This conftitu tution was judged to be an im provement on its original, and pretended to be a model for future reform in its turn; but as the reftoration of liberty to Rome was no evidence that its new citizens knew either how to appreciate or preferve it, the laft claufe enacts, that, for the space of ten years, the French commander should have the veto in the formation of laws, with other attributes, which though un acknowledged in the code of the rights of man or of nations, were judged neceffary infringements by the French government.

The palace on the Quirinal-hill, hitherto the fummer refidence of the pontiff, became the feat of con fular dignity. The Vatican, from whofe tremendous portals had burst forth those spiritual thunders which in remoter times had fhook the world, opened its rich and va rious treafures of literature, here only the unavailing antidote to fuperftition; and the members of a U 2

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which they had purfued towards Venice, Genoa, and Rome, was now matured into a fyftem. With them war, the last refort of human refentment, the worst of human calamities, was become a trade; and the unoccupied legions of France were to levy a subsistence on their defenceless neighbours. Among the obnoxious difcuffions which were agitated in the councils, previous to the revolution of the 4th of September, it will be remembered, that this fyftem of aggreffion towards the neutral powers held a confpicuous place: fuch a difcuffion, it is believed, more than any other, heightened the apprehenfions of the directory, and even of Buonaparte himself, and haftened the event of that atrocious day.

The directory, confirmed in power, and relieved from the controul of a popular legiflature, haftened, towards the clofe of the year 1797, to put in force their project of fubjugating the Swifs republics The

first hoftile movement on the part of the French was to take poffeffion of the Helvetic part of the bifhoprick of Bafle, under fome frivolous pretence, and contrary to an exprefs treaty concluded with the Swifs in the year 1792.. Either too weak or too prudent to refent this infraction of their rights, the Helvetic body ftill flattered themTelves with an amicable termination of their difference with France; when an infurrection, which broke out in the Pays-de-Faud, probably through French inftigation, or at leaft through the influence of French principles, afforded a fuller pretext for the overthrow of the government. In the month of December, the French directory

thought proper to interfere in this domeftic difpute, and demanded from the government of Berne what they termed the restoration of the rights of that people, and the affembling of the ftates of the Pays-de- Vaud in their ancient form: this demand they immediately prepared to enforce by arms; and general Menard was ordered to march, with a body of 15,000 men, to fupport the claims of the petitioning party in the Pays-de-Vaud. The defigns of the French were for the moment fruftrated by the timidity or generafity of the fupreme council of Berne. On the 5th of January, 1798, they flued a proclamation, enjoining the citizens of the Pays de-Vaud to affemble in arms, to renew the oath of allegiance, to proceed immediately to the reform of every abufe in the government, and to alert and, re-establish all their ancient rights. A commiffion had been previously appointed at Laufanne, for determining on the claims of the petitioners, and for reinflating the country in its former tranquillity, From what caufes it happened we have not as yet been correctly informed, but the proceedings of the commiflion feemed involved altogether in embarraffment and delay. The people became impatient, and the infurrection at once broke out into actual hoftility. The caftle of Chillon was feifed by the infurgents; and the commotions which took place in the fouthern diftricts of the province appeared not lefs formidable. The government of Berne, now determined to reduce the infurgents by force; and a body of 20,000 troops, under the command of colonel Weifs, was dispatched to dif

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