fortunate expedient, he felt at once the ftrongest impulfe to undertake the task, and the fulleft conviction that his undertaking would be crowned with fuccefs; it is no wonder, therefore, that his countenance threw off its former gloom, and that all his features brightened with the heart-felt thrillings of happiness and felf-applause. While his relations congratulated each other on this agreeable change; the exulting vifionary, without communicating his defign to any mortal, fet out for London, took his paffage to Leghorn, and, in a short time after, arrived in perfect health of body, and in exalted spirits, at Rome. He directly applied to an ecclefiaftic of his own country, of whofe obliging temper he had previously heard, and whom he confidered as a proper perfon to procure him an interview neceffary for the accomplishment of his project. He informed that that gentleman, that he earneftly wished to have a conference with the Pope, on a bufinefs of infinite importance, and which admitted of no delay. It was not difficult to perceive the state of this poor man's mind; the good-natured ecclefiaftic endeavoured. to footh and amuse him, putting off the conference till a diftant day; in hopes that means might be fallen on, during the interval, to prevail on him to return to his own country. A few days after this, however, he happened to go to St. Peter's church, at the very time when his Holinefs was performing fome religious ceremony. At this fight our impatient miffionary felt all his paffions inflamed with irrefiftible ardour; he could no longer wait for the expected conference, but bursting out with zealous indignation, he exclaimed, "O thou beaft of nature, with feven "heads and ten horns! thou mother of "harlots, arrayed in purple and scarlet, "and decked with gold and precious "ftones ftones and pearls! throw away the golden cup of abominations, and the filthinefs "of thy fornication!" You may easily imagine the aftonishment and hubbub that fuch an apostrophe, from fuch a person, in such a place, would occafion; he was immediately carried to prifon by the Swifs halberdiers. When it was known that he was a British fubject, fome who underfood English were ordered to attend his examination. The firft queftion afked of him was, "What "had brought him to Rome?" He answered, "To anoint the eyes of the fcarlet whore "with eye-falve, that he might fee her "wickednefs." They asked, They asked, "Who he "meant by the fcarlet whore?" He answered, "Who elfe could he mean, but her who "fitteth upon feven mountains, who hath "feduced the kings of the earth to com"mit fornication, and who hath gotten "drunk "drunk with the blood of the faints, and "the blood of the martyrs ?" Many other queftions were afked, and fuch provoking anfwers returned, that fome fufpected the man affected madnefs, that he might give vent to his rancour and petulance with impunity; and they were for condemning him to the gallies, that he might be taught more sense, and better manners. But when they communicated their fentiments to Clement the Fourteenth, he faid, with great good humour, "That he never had heard "of any body whofe understanding, or 66 politeness, had been much improved at "that school; that although the poor "man's firft addrefs had been a little rough "and abrupt, yet he could not help confidering himself as obliged to him for "his good intentions, and for his under"taking fuch a long journey with a view "to do good." He afterwards gave orders to treat the man with gentleness while he remained in confinement, and to put him on board the firft fhip bound from Civita Vecchia to England, defraying the expence of his paffage. However may humane and reasonable this conduct 1 |