As Thelamont was fpeaking, Celimena, Orphife, Camilla, and Alphonfo enter'd the Room; all the Company teftified the Pleasure which the Recital of their Adventures had afforded: The Men embraced Alphonfo, and affured him of their Friendfhip; but Camilla was obliged to endure the Raillery of her Friends, on her Alteration of Humour,

THESE Compliments being over, every one refum'd their Seats, and Orphife open'd the Conversation by tef tifying the Pleasure it gave her to know Thelamont and Urania: After which the conjur'd him to follow their charming Inftitution without Constraint. Tho' I have not, faid he, an Understanding capable of furnishing any Subjects of Difcourfe for fo polite and knowing a Society, I have enough to be infinitely happy in hearing you. For my Part, added Alphonfo, I am perfuaded, that Γ I fhall learn more from this agreeable Company than all I have been able to arrive at in my Travels. There is one Thing, anfwer'd Orophanes, that you have learn'd fince your Return, which you were ignorant of in all the Courts you have travell'd through; and that is, that you are now taught what it is to love.

I BELIEVE, faid Camilla, willing to put a Stop to the Raillery of Orophanes, that there is no Pleasure fuperior to that of travelling, to obferve the Difference there is between the Cuftoms and Humours of every Nation, to dive into the Intrigues of their Courts, and to observe the various Means by which each aims at Grandeur, To be well acquainted with thefe Things, replied Orpbife, one must have fome Employment in the Cabinets of Princes, or their first Ministers, and that, I think, is paying too dear for the Gratification of one's Curiofity. Befides, the very being in fuch a Poft, forbids us to make any Observations on what paffes; and the first Point of Duty, is to See, Obey, and keep Silence.

Ir is true, rejoin'd Orfames, that nothing is more difficult than to discharge thofe Trufts without forfeit. ing either our own Principles, or the good Will of thofe by whom we are employ'd. That which requires the greatest Circumfpection of all, faid Orophanes, in my Opinion,

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Opinion, is when a Perfon enters into a Negociation between two Patentates; however they accord in the end, or difagree, the Inferior is in great Danger of being made a Victim either to the one or the other. The Hiftory of the Count of St. Paul tranfacting under Lewis the XIth and the Duke of Burgundy, is an Example. That of the Bishop of Caftro is a recent one, added Alphonfo. In the Time that Innocent the Xth held the` Papal Dignity, Ranuce the IId of that Name, Duke of Parma, being inform'd that Innocent defign'd to give the Bifhopric of Caftro to a Monk, whole Character for fome Reafons was difagreeable to him, fent to defire his Holinefs to recall his Grant; but the Pope taking this Request as an Affront to his Authority, perfifted in his Refolution. The Monk however being inform'd of it, and believing he fhould find nothing but Uneafinefs in a Place where the Sovereign was fo unwilling to admit him, earneftly follicited the Pope to difpenfe with him for not accepting this dangerous Promotion; but Innocent thinking it a leffening to his Honour to recede from his firft Defign, oblig'd him to put on the Mitre, and order'd him to take Poffeffion of his Bifhopric, affuring him of his Protection, and that he had nothing to fear from the Duke or any other Perfon. The new Prelate durft not but obey; but in taking leave of the Pope, faid to him, with Tears in his Eyes, that his Holinefs had forced him on his Fate. On which he reiterated his Promifes of Protection, which in effect were nothing; for he was affaffinated as he was going to his Church, and the Pope left to teftify his Refentment as he thought fit.

THIS Murder was committed with too much Caution for any one to be convicted of it; to this Day there never has been any Proof by whofe Order it was done; but the Pope, without any Hefitation, adjudg'd the Crime to the Duke, becaufe of the Averfion he had exprefs'd for his Inftallment; and to revenge the Contempt with which he imagin'd himself treated by this Action, fent a Bull of Excommunication, immediately to the Duke, and not only transferr'd the Bishopric of Caftre E 2

to

to that of Camerania, but also abfolutely demolish'd the City, and order'd in the Place where it had been, a Pyramid to be erected with this Infcription;

Qui, fii Caftro.

The Duke by this Means entirely depriv'd of this Part of his Principality, it became afterwards re-united to the Chamber Apoftolic, and was never reftor'd to the Defcendants of Ranuce.

In my Mind, faid Urania, the Pope proceeded with too much Violence on this occafion; the Duke not being detected of the Crime, he might, or he might not be guilty: And in civil Affairs, a Man is never condemn'd without the Liberty of pleading in his own Defence; much lefs fhould fo illuftrious a Prince, who was Grandfon to that celebrated Hero Alexander Farnefe, the Fame of whofe Exploits filled all Rome with Wonder. That makes me believe, replied Thelamont, that the Refentment which they had, and still preserve at Rome against the Father of Ranuce, was the Occafion of this Severity to the Son; but because I think there are fome particular Paffages in the History of that original Difguft, I will relate it to you.

DUKE Odoart being going to his Duchy of Caftro, the Barberini, Nephews to Pope Urban the VIIIth, having a View of engaging him in an Alliance with them, had Emiffaries, who infinuated to him, that being fo near Rome, it would appear as too great a Difregard of his Holiness, to pafs by without making him a Vifit. Accordingly he went, and after having been receiv'd in the most magnificent Manner that could be, the intended Match was propos'd to him; which he, having fome fecret Views in preferving an Intimacy with them for fome time, feem'd to be very well pleas'd with.

As the Italians confide not mnch in one another, and Rome is full of all Sorts of People, they think not their own Houses a fufficient Security for their Treasures ; there is therefore a public Depofitary call'd Monte della Pieta, where thofe who have any Quantity may put it

Security, and recall it as they please without any

Difficulty.

Difficulty. Those alfo who have any Occafion for a prefent Sum of Money, may be furnish'd with it from the Monte della Pieta at very reasonable Interest.

THE Duke of Parma, Ranuce the Ift, Son to that Hero you mention'd, having not the Oeconomy of his Father, was obliged to borrow extravagant Sums from this Depofitary, which not having difcharg'd, his Son Odoart, after his Decease, was left in a Condition very unable to pay either the Principal or Intereft, the last of which was required every Year. For this Reason, therefore he feign'd a Compliance with the Proposals made him for marrying the Niece of the Pope, in whofe Power it was to be favourable to him in this Affair.

His Deceit had the Effect for which it was practis'd, the Arrears were blotted out of the Accompt-book, and the present Interefts of the Debt very much diminish'd; but as all those Things had been tranfacted in private, the Duke was oblig'd to promife nothing in public; and as foon as he had accomplish'd his Defign on the Pope and his Nephews, went out of Rome without taking leave, and foon after married a Princess of the House of Medicis, with whom he had been long enamour'd.

THE Memory of this Affront is yet recent at Rome, and, in my Opinion, clearly proves that the Council of Innocent the Xth, endeavour'd to revenge the Quarrel of Urban, and the Barberini, on the Person of Ranuce, Succeffor of Odoart.

Ir feems, indeed, to be an Effect of the fame Refentment, faid Orphife. Lewis the XIV, anfwer'd Orophanes, acted with more Generofity in the Affair he had with Innocent the XIth, on the Account of difpofing of Church-Preferments. But I believe, continued he, we may purfue our Conversation, and at the fame time give the Ladies the Pleafure of a Walk. The Company was pleas'd with the Propofal, and they all adjourn'd to the Bank of the River, where Orophanes refum'd his Difcourfe in this Manner.

You know, as well as I, faid he, what I am now going to relate, but I think it not amifs to refresh the Memory fometimes with Things with which we are ac

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quainted.

quainted. Pope Innocent the XIth, having writ three menacing Letters to the King, in the laft of them, bearing Date the 27th of December 1679, he had thefe Words:

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Efend thefe Exhortations, to let you fee we are not negligent in that Trust repos'd in us by Heaven, and which we cannot omit without failing in our Apoftolic Duty. We have nothing to "fear in pursuing our Vocation, which we esteem infinitely beyond our Life, because it gives us the Op-. portunity of adminiftering the Divine Juftice on "Earth; what we do, is with a Heart not only refo"lute, but full of Joy, as placing our whole Glory in "the Crofs of Jefus Chrift; with whom we fhall here"after dwell, as fhall you alfo, when you have fatif fy'd the Demands of our Ministry.”

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It was eafy to fee this was but the Preparative for fomething more fhocking to enfue, as indeed it did. În the Year 1681, there came a Bull which infufed a Terror for the Confequence into the Minds of all the Nobility, Clergy, and Common-people; every one confider'd it with the fame Affright as our Fathers did that violent one of Boniface the VIIIth, call'd Unam San&tam, iffued out against Philip the Fair, and his Eftate. The Council of the Pope proceeded yet farther, and, on trifling Pretences, abolifh'd all the Freedoms which the Ambaffadors enjoy'd at Rome; nay, at laft carried things to fuch a Height as to infult them.

OUR King, always Wife and Religious, not fearing War, but more defiring Peace, in order to make an amicable End of this, fent to Rome, in quality of an Envoy Extraordinary, Henry Beaumanoir, Marquis of Lavardine; but the Council of the Pope, fecretly the Enemies of France, not judging it proper to treat him with the Honours due to him, when he enter'd Rome in a Manner worthy of the Majefty of the Monarch he reprefented, refus'd him Audience, and would not fuffer him to fpeak to his Holinefs, tho' he went feve ral times in Perfon to demand it.

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