the ufual legal forms, of admitting accufations to be exhibited, and a defence to be made; itself being the fole and competent judge, when thofe orders no longer anfwered the end of their inftitution, by the promotion of chriftianity and piety; this method being confidered as better calculated to calm the agitation of men's minds, to prevent the bitterness arifing from mutual recriation, and to ftifle the fpirit of party and diffenfion.

The charges against the Jefuits are loofe and voluminous, and feem in general, rather to comprehend a recapitulation of all the complaints that have been made against them from their first inftitution, without regard to the proofs that were brought in their fupport, or the decifions that were paffed upon them, than of direct accufations. Thus are enumerated, early diffenfions among themfelves, and quarrels with other orders, as well as with the fecular clergy, with the public fchools, academies, and univerfities, together with difputes that arofe upon the authority affumed or exercifed by their general, and with the princes in whofe countries they were received, with a long bead-roll of fuch general matters, without any particular ob. fervations on their nature, caufes, or iffue.

An early appeal against them, not long after their inftitution, by Philip the Second of Spain, is with more propriety taken notice of; as are the appeals brought by feveral other fovereigns fince that time: and their late expulfion from France, Spain, Portugal, and Sicily, is among the number of their accufations. From this continual ftate of hoftility, and general dislike, in which they fub

fifted with mankind, it is however, juftly inferred, that the general tenour of their conduct was reprehenbble, and pernicious in its example and confequences to the chriftian world.

Some other matters are of more importance. It appears, that fo early as the year 1606, their rage for intermeddling in public and political affairs, was already become fo prevalent and notorious, and fome confequences that attended it, bore fo fatal an aspect to the order, that they were obliged to pafs a decree among themselves, which to give it greater efficacy, they had inferted in a brief by Pope Paul the Fifth, to forbid their members from interfering under any pretence in public affairs for the future. This remedy, as well as all others, is faid to have been ineffectual, and they are charged with an infatiable avidity for temporal poffeffions, with disturbing the peace of the church in Europe, Africa, and America; of giving fcandal in their miflions, as well by quarrelling with other miffionaries, and by invading their rights, as by the practice of idolatrous ceremonies in certain places, in contempt of thofe approved by the church. Their doctrines are alfo attacked, and they are charged with giving ufes and applications to certain maxims, which are profcribed as fcandalous, and manifeftly contrary to good morals; and of having adopted dangerous opinions, in matters of the greatest moment and importance, with refpect to the preferving of the purity and integrity of the doctrines contained in the gofpel; and which are faid, to have been productive of great evils and dangers to the church, as [D4]

well

well as to fome particular chriftian

ftates.

These enormities, with many others, are said to have occafioned their profcription at different times by feveral fates; as well as a fevere vifitation which was begun by Sixtus the Fifth; but which he did not live to accomplish; and were the cause that Innocent the Eleventh forbid them to receive any more novices, and that Innocent the Thirteenth threatened them with the fame punishment; and that at length thofe princes, whofe piety and liberality to the fociety, feemed to have become hereditary in their families, were under a neceffity of expelling them from their dominions.

After fumming up these, and various other caules for their diffolution, particularly the prefervation of peace in the chriftian republic, and their incapability in the prefent circumstances of anfwering the purposes of their inftitution, together with other motives referved in the breaft of the fovereign Pontiff, all ecclefiaftics of whatever rank or dignity, and particularly those who have been members of the fociety, are forbidden, under fentence of excommunication, to impugn, combat, or even to write or speak about this fuppreffion, to enter into its reafons or motives, or into any difcuffions about the inftitute of the company, its form of government, or other circumftances relating to it, without an exprefs permiffion from the Pontiff for that purpose.

Aug. 16th. In confequence of this bull, ten bishops went at night, attended by a detachment of Corfican foldiers, to all the colleges and houses belonging to the Jefuits in Rome, of

which they took poffeffion, and having placed the neceffary guards, the communities were affembled, and after the proper notices and forms were gone through, thofe fathers delivered up their keys, and the locks of their archives being fealed, and effects of all forts being fecured, even to provifions, they were allowed eight days to find new dwellings, and to quit the habit of the order. They at the fame time gave up their fchools, and refigned all the functions of their miniftry, of whatever fort or nature. The bull extended to all countries whatever in which they were placed, and fentence of excommunication was denounced against thofe who should harbour or conceal any of their effects.

Their General, father Ricci, is to be appointed to a bishoprick, and fuch of the Jefuits as were already in holy orders, were allowed, either to become fecular clergymen, or to enter into other orders, having firft ferved the accustomed noviciate of that into which they are to enter; penfions are to be allowed out of their former poffeffions, to those who become fecular clerks, and the bithops, under whofe jurifdiction they are totally to remain, have a difcretionary power, to admit fuch of them as are remarkable for learning and purity of doctrine, to preach and to confefs, from which they are totally reftrained, without a written licence for that purpofe. Those who had gone through the laft vows, or who through age and infirmities were unfit to enter into the world, were to be collected and placed in one or more of their ancient houfes or colleges, where they are for ever refrained from preaching, confef

fion, and all the functions of their miniftry, and are only allowed to exift upon a fubfiftence for life; the bishops being particularly charged, as they will answer it at the laft day, to look to the ftrict obfervance of thefe prohibitions. Such as are difpofed to dedicate their time to the inftruction of youth, are totally debarred from all fhare in the government of thofe colleges or fchools in which they ferve, and the ftricteft caution is prefcribed, that none are admitted to that service, who do not fhew themselves averfe to all fpirit of difpute, and who are not untainted with any doftrines which may oc'cafion or ftir up frivolous and dangerous controverfies. The scholars and novices were returned to their refpective homes, and thofe who had only taken the firft vows, were discharged from them; and all the ftatutes, rules, cuftoms, decrees, and conftitutions of the order, even though confirmed by oath, were totally annulled and abrogated.

Such was the final fate of this celebrated fociety; which with a very confiderable ftock of learning and abilities, had found mean's to render itfelf odious, to all the nations and religions in the chriftian world. The riches which were found in their houfes and colleges, whether in fpecie, plate, or jewels, were very inconfiderable, and greatly disappointed the hopes of thofe, who expected to have found inexhauftible treafures in the fearch. Whether they were able to evade the terrors of excommunication, and to elude the greater dangers, arifing from the prying and rapacious eyes of covetoufnels, by fecreting their most valuable moveables, is fill a matter to be

determined; though, with refpect to any thing confiderable, the probability is otherwife.

As the fuppreffion of this order, has removed all ground of difference between the houfe of Bourbon and the court of Rome, a thorough reconciliation has accordingly taken place, and the latter is to be reinftated in Avignon and the Dutchy of Benevento. Thus the papacy, may probably for fome longer time, retain its territorial pofieffions in quiet.

In the mean time, the Italian ftates are continually curtailing the ecclefiaftical power in their dominions, and that court is daily losing its influence with them. Of this the Venetians have given a striking inftance in the prefent year, by refufing to receive a bull from the Pope, by which he had conferred two abbeys in that state, upon Cardinal Rezzonico; the fenate having refolved, that no ecclefiaftic fhould poffefs any benefice in their territories who did not refide therein. The Emprefs Queen, is alfo beginning to intermeddle with the religious houfes in the Dutchy of Milan; two of them have been already fuppreffed, and that is fuppofed to be only a prelude to the fuppreffion of a much greater number.

fucceffor, who is not deficient in the abilities that feem hereditary in that family, and is arrived at a time of life when prudence generally becomes conftitutional, it may be reafonably fuppofed, will not unadvisedly enter into any measures that may be dangerous to the public tranquility; and that from his long experience in public affairs, and the example of fuch a father, his fubjects will find no other change in their condition, than the benefits arifing from a more vigorous age, and a closer attention to bufinefs.

An alarming infurrection which happened at Palermo, the capital of the island of Sicily, towards the latter part of the year, and which is not yet entirely quelled, deferves to be taken particular notice of. That delightful ifland, formerly fo diftinguished, and at all times the most fertile and plentiful in the. world, has in all ages had the fortane, either to languifh under the oppreffion of tyrants nurtured within its own bofom, or to groan under the flavery of foreigners.

The government of this country, has for fome time been very impolitically conducted. Immoderate duties are either laid on the fruits of labour and induftry, or exorbitant prices extorted, for licences to difpófe of them to advantage. Thus the abundant harvefts, one of which fuppofed equal to seven years confumption, and which are the natural riches of the country, are rendered unprofitable, as the exceffive rates to be paid for the particular licences for exportation, are beyond the abilities of the husbandman, and he reaps with a heavy heart that

bounteous crop, which he is debarred from turning to account. By this means, the price of corn has for feveral years, been reduced to about one fixth of its real and ufual value; whilft the neighbouring countries at the fame time fuffered the greateft diftrefs, from that fcarcity which Sicily could have fo happily relieved; and the tenant at home is reduced to beggary, and his lord to indigence, from the want of a market for their ftaple commodity.

The fame weak and barbarous policy, has had fimilar effects upon other products, and has thrown a general damp upon the industry of the people. Thus their fugar plantations and works, which were once fo famous, are dwindled to nothing; and the abundant flock of natural riches, bo h above and below the furface of the earth, in which this country perhaps exceeds any other, of the fame dimenfions, in the world, are rendered of no value.

A policy of the fame kind has formerly prevailed in moft parts of Europe. England was among the first to perceive the weaknefs of its principle, and mifchief of its tendency. Popular prejudices, however, concur in many places ftill to fupport fo mifchievous a fyftem; and the emoluments received by government and its officers for occafional difpenfations, renders the abufe lucrative, and therefore permanent. The remains of the feudal fyfiem have continued longer in that country than in any other; their barons had till lately great power, and they ftill inherit from their brave Norman ancestors, the name and fhadow of a parliament,

which

which is compofed of the barons, clergy, and the reprefentatives of the confiderable towns.

To annihilate the power of the barons, who are flill rich and confiderable, is faid to be an object of this deftructive policy; and to this unworthy purfuit, is facrificed the profperity of a whole people, as well as the power and opulence which might have been derived from the poffeffion of fo noble an ifland. Poverty and diftrefs will bend the haughtiest minds; and the people have the fatisfaction to know, that they are not ruined, as a punishment, for any fault of their own, but merely to humble their lords, and make them totally dependent.

The infurrection at Palermo, was not however the effect of those general grievances; but of fome that particularly related to that city, As in a country where permiffions are purchased for liberty to trade, all commodities muftof neceffity fall into the hands of monopolifts, fo the fame caufes, that on the one hand prevent a reasonable price from being given for them at a fair market, will frequently on the other, operate in fuch a manner, as to produce all the effects of a real fcarcity. Thus in Palermo, the monopolies granted by the Viceroy (it was alleged) with what truth or falfehood we cannot fay, had fo pernicious an effect, as to raise the price of fome of the most effential neceffaries of life, to a degree intolerable to the people.

The arguments prompted by the belly, are underfood by all capaci ies, and in great cities particularly, are irrefiftible in their force. Previous, however, to any difturbance, Prince Caffaro, Pretor of

the city (one of the offices of the firft power and dignity in the kingdom) remonstrated in fuch ftrong terms with the Viceroy upon his conduct, and the hardships which the people fuffered, that very high words are faid to have paffed upon the occafion, and fomething like a challenge from the former. The prince then, by his own proper authority, topped two ships which belonged to the monopolizers, and were just got without the harbour, freighted with cheese, in their way to Naples; after which the cargoes were landed by his order, and fold at the public markets at the ufual prices,

This measure entirely quieted the murmurs of the people; but it happened foon after, that the prince fell ill of a frangury, and in a fhort time died. Having chanced to employ the Viceroy's furgeon; it was maliciously reported, and by vulgar credulity believed, that he died by poifon. This event, and its fuppofed caufe, flew with the utmost rapidity through the city, and threw every part of it into the utmost diforder and confufion. Prince Caffaro was universally lamented, as having fallen a martyr in the cause of the people; while the fuppofed authors, of fo base and villainous an action, were regarded as objects of the utmost rage and deteftation.

The people immediately affembled, to the number of thirty thoufand, with drawn fwords, muskets, and pistols, and having feized fome of the Baftions, drew two pieces of cannon into the fquare in the center of the city, which they loaded with old iron and glafs, and ftood with lighted links, ready to difcharge them as there should be oc

cafion,