CHAPTER XX.

AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE ELECTION, PROCLAMATION, AND CORONATION OF POPE INNOCENT XIII. (AS RECORDED BY EDWARD WRight, ESQ.) ILLUSTRATING THE GENIUS OF POPERY.

"ROME."

"We made the more haste," says Mr. Wright, from Naples to Rome in expectation of seeing the Ceremonies of the Holy Week; but the principal were omitted, by reason of the Death of the Pope (CLEMENT XI.) which had happened a little before." 2" Clement XI. died the 19th of March, 1721, N. S. after a Reign of twenty years, and about three Months. He was esteemed a Man of learning, and affable Behaviour, and gave patient Audience to the meanest However, his Subjects thought he had reigned long enough. The ROMANS please themselves with the Jubilee of a new Promotion; the Court Favours are then to run in a new channel, and every Man is in hopes of some Benefit by the change.

1 Wright's Travels in Italy, &c. vol. i. p. 189. London, 1730.

2 Ibid. 190.

"The conclave for the Election of the new Pope sate about five weeks, which is reckoned but a short time. It was shut up the 30th of March, and the new Pope was proclaimed the 8th of May by Cardinal Panfilio, who came to the Loggia della Beneditione, over the noble Portico which is at the entrance into St. Peter's Church; there with a Thundering Voice he spake as follows: "

"Annuncio vobis Gaudium magnum; PAPAM habemus; EMINENTISSIMUM et REVERENDISSIMUM PATREM ac DOMINUM Mich. Angelum, Titulo S. S. Quirici et Julitæ SACRE ROMANÆ ECCLESIÆ Presbyterum, Cardinalem de Comitibus, qui NOMEN sibi Assumpsit INNOCENTIUM XIII.”

"I bring you Tidings of great Joy; we have a Pope; the Most Reverend Father and Lord Michael Angelo, Priest of the Holy ROMAN Church, Cardinal de Conti, with the Title of S. Quiricus and Julita; who has taken upon him the Name of INNOCENT XIII."

1

"This sort of Annunciation to the People seems to have a plain Allusion to that of the Angel to the Shepherds, upon the Birth of our Saviour; " Behold, I bring you tidings of great Joy." When he had done speaking, he dropt a Paper, which contained the same words, down among the People.'

Now to whom, I would ask, did Cardinal Panfilio announce these-" tidings of Great Joy?" Was it not to the People of ROME? Yes, truly! And what

1 "Each Cardinal has a Church, of which he is said to be Titolare; and so this of the Saints Quiricus and Julita gave Title to Cardinal Conti."

was the nature of his Annunciation to them? Why, that "we" (Romanists or Papists) "have a POPE!" And pray what Order of being is he? Why an "Innocent" "PONTIFEX OPTIMUS MAXIMUS, "Priest of the Holy ROMAN Church," whose Language is LATIN, and he a LATIN MAN, who, although his original Name was Michael Angelo, must, upon his Assumption of the Papal Dignity, renounce both his Baptismal and Family Names, and be announced to the world by the assumed, or fictitious Name of INNOCENT XIII. And pray why does the Pope assume this fictitious Title of INNOCENT? Because a Roman Sovereign Pontiff, whose Name was OSPORCO, (that the obscurity of his Family might not be known) changed his Name to SERGIO, as the Florentine History informs us in the following words. 1 "After a few other Bishops," (says Macchiavel,”) "OSPORCO a ROMANE, aspired to the Papacy; who, for the homeliness of his Name, caused himself to be called SERGIO: which was the beginning why the Names of the Popes were changed at their Elections:" and this elective custom, which originated in Pride, has been continued by all succeeding Sovereign Roman Pontiffs. And why does this practice continue? Because of Antiquity, and that we might be sure that the Pope is elected κατ ̓ ἐξικὴν— The Most Reverend Father and Lord " "Innocent

XIII." "Priest of the Holy ROMAN CHURCH." Well, tell me what is the meaning of the "ROMAN

1 See the Florentine History by Nicholo Macchiavelli, translated from the Italian into English by Thomas Bedingfield, Esq., 1595.

sure.

CHURCH?" Why, the CHURCH of ROME to be O ROMAN MAN; O LATIN MAN; O PAPAL MAN; "out of thine own Mouth will I judge thee:" Thou acknowledgest thyself that thy CHURCH is the 'ROMAN CHURCH,' ("sacra ROMANA Ecclesia") and because it is the ROMAN, therefore it is also the LATIN Church; for LATIN is Roman, and ROMAN is Latin, and LATIN is the canonized living universal Language of the Roman Church. But as to the Church of Christ, or of St. Peter the Apostle; KNOW, O POPE, that "THOU hast neither PART nor LOT in this Matter;" for although thou hast endeavoured to associate the humble Title of "Servus Servorum Dei," with the Pagan Blasphemous Title of Pontifex Optimus Maximus,' yet canst thou not hide thy cloven Foot, nor thy Dragon Mouth."

But we proceed with Mr. Edward Wright's observations concerning the Adoration paid to the Pontifex Optimus Maximus.'

In the Afternoon of the same Day his new Holiness went to St. Peter's Church to receive the THIRD ADORATION of the Cardinals [the two first had been made in the Chapel of SIXTUS IV. within the PALACE of the VATICAN) and to give his first Benediction to the People. His Holiness SATE on the Great Altar; then the Cardinal Dean (Tanara) beginning to chant the Te Deum, was followed by the Musicians of the Chapel. At the ADORATION, the Cardinals kiss the Pope's foot, then his Hand, and then his Cheek the last they call being received ad Osculum

As

et Amplexum [to the Kiss and the Embrace;] for His Holiness at the same time Embraces them. soon as the Adoration was over, and the Prayers usual on the occasion, all was concluded with the Benediction."

It is well remarked by Dr. Conyers Middleton' in a small work entitled A Letter from Rome,' that Of all the Sovereign Pontiffs of Pagan Rome, it is very remarkable that CALIGULA was the first, who ever offered his Foot to be kissed by any, who approached him; which raised a general indignation through the City, to see themselves reduced to suffer so great an Indignity. Those who endeavoured to excuse it, said; that it was not done out of Insolence, but vanity; and for the sake of shewing his golden slipper, set with jewels. Seneca declaims upon it, in his usual manner, as the last affront to Liberty ; and the introduction of a Persian Slavery into the manners of Rome. Yet this servile act, unworthy either to be imposed or complied with by man, is now the standing ceremonial of Christian Rome, and a necessary condition of access to the Reigning Popes; though derived from no better origin, than the frantic pride of a brutal Pagan Tyrant."

1

From the foregoing verbatim account of Mr. Edward Wright concerning the Adoration of the Pope, which is corroborated by the testimony of Dr. Conyers Middleton, we deduce a most important

1 Absoluto et gratias agenti porrexit osculandum sinistrum pedem-qui excusant, negant id insolentiæ causâ factum: aiunt socculum auratum, imo aureum, margaritis distinctum ostendere eum voluisse-natus in hoc, ut mores Civitatis Persica servitute mutaret, &c." Senec. de Benef. i. 2. 12.