done, when Nepotism was in its Meridian. He was guilty of a thousand
Oppressions. Nothing was to be seen, but Rapine and Injustice; and he
converted all Things, even the most sacred, into Money. Every body
groan'd; but it was to no Purpose to complain, for the Pope was so
byassed in his Favour, that he turned a deaf Ear to all his Accusers. Even
the Cardinals, sensible of the public Misery, vigorously represented to
the Pope the Grievances that happened under his Administration; but he
would not hear them, and imputed their Remonstrances to Envy. _Coscia_
confirmed him every Day too in this Sentiment. _They will accuse me of
every thing that is ill_, said he to the Holy Father, _but God is my
Witness, that I discharge my Duty; and they hate, and strive to blacken
me, for no other Reason, but because perhaps I am in this respect too
strict._ I have been very well assured, that the Cardinal, when he made
his Defence to the Pope, often shed Tears, which wrought so much on his
Good-nature, that he wept too.
I know not whether I dare vouch the Truth of the following Story, which
however is firmly believed by all the People of ROME. Certain Cardinals
represented to the Pope one Day, that _Coscia_ was not only guilty of
innumerable Extortions, but that he led the most irregular Life in the
World, and diverted himself every Day with Prostitutes. The Pope said, he
would inquire into the Matter, and punish _Coscia_, if what they alledged
was true. Accordingly he taxed him with it the very same Day, but _Coscia_
easily brought himself off. He said, 'twas all Calumny; swore with Tears
in his Eyes, that he was innocent; and desired the Pope to hear him in
Confession. The Pope agreed to it; he said what he pleased, and his
Holiness almost took him for a Saint. But _Coscia_, fearing lest the Pope
should at length open his Eyes, thought to blind him the more by writing
an anonymous Letter, which he caused to be delivered to him by a trusty
_Valet de Chambre_, importing in Substance as follows: 'Your Holiness
being so prepossessed in Favour of Cardinal _Coscia_, that you will give
Credit to nothing that is told you of his Debaucheries, 'tis thought
proper to acquaint you, that this very Night, at Nine o'Clock, the
Cardinal will have some Mistresses in his Chamber. Your Holiness may be an
Eye-witness of the Intrigue, if you will but take the Trouble to repair to
the Cardinal's Apartment, and peep thro' the Key-hole.' The Pope did not
fail to go at the Time mentioned; but instead of seeing what he expected,
the Cardinal, who imagined he would come, took care to be on his Knees at
Prayer, with his Beads in one Hand, and a Crucifix in the other, which he
kissed with a great Air of Contrition. The Pope, beholding the crafty
Cardinal in this Posture, cry'd out to somebody that was with him, _Do but
see that holy Man, who has been represented to me in such a wicked Light!
Would to God that all the Clergy were like him._ Then entring into the
Cardinal's Chamber, _Dear Coscia_, said he, embracing him, _They have
accused you to me as the greatest of Sinners, and I was so weak as to
think you guilty; I ask your Pardon, and I pray God to forgive me the
Injury I have done you._ He afterwards joined with _Coscia_ in reading the
Litanies of the Holy Virgin; and he wanted no other Proof of his being a
Saint. Thus was the honest Pope made the Dupe of the greatest of
Hypocrites. But, to the Pope's Sorrow, this was not all; Cardinal _Coscia_
was not the only Man who abused his Credulity; for all that served him
being _Beneventines_, and as cunning as _Coscia_, whose Creatures they
were, they tried who should bubble the Pope most; which made Cardinal
_Buoncompagno_ say, _That the Pope was like the Holy Sepulchre, in the
Hands of the_ Turks.
This good Pope never knew what Money was, nor the Value of it; but gave
away all that he had, and especially to the Poor, for whose Relief he sold
all the Presents he received. He could never understand how a Piece of
Gold could be sometimes worth less than a Piece of Silver; and I have been
told, that one Day, as he was selling some Presents he had received from
the Emperor of _China_, to his unworthy _Beneventines_, one of them
offered thirty Crowns for a thing that was perhaps worth five hundred.
Another came and offered a gold Crown-piece. The Pope, surprized at the
golden Proffer, said to him that had offered the thirty Crowns, 'I am
sorry I can't let you have the Thing; you offered me only Silver, but
here's one offers me Gold; what I sell, is for the Poor, and I will not
wrong them.' Accordingly, he that held out the gold Coin had the
Preference; and thus did those Knaves juggle together to trick the Pope.
They had one common Purse, and what they bought of the Holy Father at
their own Price, they sold afterwards in ROME, and shared the Profit.
At the Beginning of his Pontificate, the Governor of ROME having
complained to him that _Pharao_ and _Basset_ proved the Ruin of a great
many People, he answered him smartly, _Alas! are not you the Governor?
Send the Gamesters to the Gallies._ He never loved to talk of State
Affairs, and would never read the Relations given by Nuncios, who, he
said, were only Newsmongers and Spies, with whom he did not care to have
any Concern; nor would he ever advance them to the Purple, but always put
them back, tho' perhaps the Term of their Nunciature had been long
expired.
This holy Pope, for I really believe him a Saint, lived in the very midst
of ROME, and of his Court, like a Hermit, always at Prayer, or employed in
the Functions of the Priesthood. He was an Enemy to Luxury and Pageantry,
would never suffer a Clergyman to kneel at his Feet, but always made him
rise, and sit down by him; being as humble as 'twas possible for any mean
Priest, and perhaps too humble for his Character. He went out every Day
in a sorry Coach, with only a Pair of Horses, without Guards, without any
Companion, as I said before, besides a Brother of his Order, _viz._ the
_Dominican_, to the Rules of which he always adher'd, and without any
Attendants but a Couple of Footmen, and six of his _Swiss_ Guards. If he
happened to meet with any Carriage in a narrow Street, he bade his
Coachman stop, saying, he did not desire to fall out with any body. So
much is enough for _Benedict_ XIII. who was a pious Pope, and would have
been a good Prince too, if his Ministers had been Men of Honour. I now
return to the _Vatican_.
This Palace joins to the Castle of St. _Angelo_, which is the Citadel of
ROME, by a covered Gallery, which was made at a Time when the turbulent
_Romans_, not paying their due Obedience to the Popes, the latter thought
proper to make themselves a Passage to it in case of a Revolution; but,
Thanks to God, this Precaution is no longer necessary; for the Popes are
the Masters. The Castle of St. _Angelo_ is for Prisoners of State, and in
it is the Arsenal, which, by the way, is in a very bad State. There are
also kept the four Millions of _Roman_ Crowns, which Pope _Sixtus_ V.
deposited there, with an Injunction, by a Bull, at the same Time, that
they should not be touched but to serve some pressing Exigency of the
Church. It has the Name from the Appearance of an Angel to Pope St.
_Gregory the Great_, putting up a Sword all over bloody, in its Scabbard,
to denote that God had stay'd the Pestilence, in regard to the Prayers of
St. _Gregory_, who, accompanied by all the Clergy and People of ROME,
carried in Procession to St. _Peter_'s Church two Images of the Virgin,
the one painted by St. _Luke_, and kept in the Church of St. _Mary Major_,
the other, which appeared to St. _Galle_, and is worshipped in the Church
of St. _Mary in Compitello_.
From the Castle of St. _Angelo_ you will please to follow me to the Palace
of _Monte Cavallo_, which is travelling from one End of ROME to the other.
_Gregory_ XIII. began this Palace, and several of the succeeding Popes
have carried it on. 'Tis much more spacious than magnificent, and yet none
of the Apartments are good for much, except that of the Pope, who indeed
is well lodged. _Paul_ V. of the _Borghese_ Family, who, next to _Sixtus_
V. was the Pope that has most embellished ROME, has also most of all
contributed to the Embellishment of the Palace of _Monte Cavallo_. Here
are excellent rich Cielings, made in the Time of his Pontificate. This
vast Building forms a long Square, with a great Court in the Middle,
encompassed with Piazzas, five hundred Paces in Length. The two cross
Buildings, of which that at the farther End forms the main Body of the
Building, are higher than those on the Sides. In the Front of the main
Building there's a mosaic Picture of the Holy Virgin, with the Infant
_Jesus_ in her Arms, as designed by _Charles Maratti_, which is an
admirable Piece. There are also fine Paintings in the Apartments, but they
are not near so magnificent as those of the _Vatican_. The Furniture of
this Palace, and indeed, of all the Pontifical Palaces, is far from being
rich. The Hangings are of crimson Damask, with Lace and Fringe of gold
Tinsel. The Seats are Benches of Wood, painted with the Arms of the
reigning Pope, and varnished; and the Cardinals themselves have no other
in the Apostolical Palace. From the Pope's Apartments there's one of the
most agreeable Prospects that can be over almost all ROME, and very far
into the Country. The Air of _Monte Cavallo_ is said to be the best in
_Rome_, and indeed no other Reason could induce the Popes to reside here
rather than at the _Vatican_. The Gardens belonging to it are very much
admir'd by the _Italians_, who never travell'd out of their Country, where
Gardening is not in very great Perfection; but as for us _Ultramontains_,
who know a little of what belongs to Gardens, we look upon those of this
Country with very great Indifference.
The Capitol is a considerable Building, with Curiosities worthy a
Traveller's Attention. It was built in the Pontificate of _Gregory_ XIII.
The Ascent to it is by a Stair-case of several Flights, adorn'd on both
Sides with Balustrades of Free-stone, at the Bottom of which two Lions are
plac'd, of a kind of black Stone like Jet, which form two Fountains. At
the Top of the Stair-case, there are two great Horses representing
_Castor_ and _Pollux_, when they came Express to ROME with the News of the
Victory gain'd over the _Tarquins_. In the Midst of the Area, which is
form'd by three separate Piles of Building, two whereof are as advanc'd
Wings to the main Building that fronts the Ascent, there's an _Equestrian_
Statue in Brass, of the Emperor _Marcus Aurelius Antoninus_, which is the
most beautiful, and completest Piece that was perhaps ever made of the
Kind. They say here, that the Republic of _Venice_ offer'd some Years ago
to pay as many _Sequins_ for this Statue as cou'd be put into the Horse's
Belly. If this be true, that Republic was undoubtedly more wealthy than it
is at present. 'Tis certain, that the Capitol contains a considerable
Treasure in ancient and modern Statues, in Basso Relievos, and in all
Sorts of Fragments of Antiquity. The Structures are according to the
Direction of _Michael Angelo_.
In the middlemost Pile of Buildings, which is much higher than the two
others, the Senate of ROME meets, and there Justice is administer'd.
There are two Flights or Steps up to the Gate which opens into the Hall of
the Tribunal where they plead. Between the two Flights, there's a stately
Fountain adorn'd with two antique Statues of Marble, lying on Pedestals,
representing the _Nile_ and the _Tiber_; and in a Niche over it, is the
Statue of _Roma triumphans_, a Work of Porphyry, an antique Marble of
excellent Sculpture.
The Inside of these three Piles of Building contains fine Paintings,
particularly the Rape of the _Sabines_; and among the modern Statues, the
Connoisseurs esteem the brazen Statue of Pope _Urban_ VIII. done by
_Bernini_; the Colossal Statue of Pope _Leo_ X. in Marble, done by
_Lorenzetto_ of _Florence_; those of _Alexander Farnese_, _Marcus
Antoninus_, _Colonna_, _Gregory_ XIII., _Paul_ III. and many others, in
short, which I don't mention, as being of less Value, and which are not
much minded here, because they are not done by the best Hands, but wou'd
pass with us for Master-pieces.
Being in the Neighbourhood of that great Square call'd _Campo-vaccino_, I
cannot help giving you some Account of it; not that I pretend to
particularize it, because I have not sufficient Learning. Here we see the
admirable Ruins of the Magnificence of old ROME, which I cannot behold
without pitying the Condition they are in at present. You wou'd have the
same Concern as I have, were you in the Middle of a large Square, and to
see nothing all round it but Ruins; to see on one Side the Walls of the
ancient Capitol, on the other the _Constantine_ Arch erected with so much
Expence by the Senate and People of ROME, broken and half-bury'd; beyond
that, the Arch of _Titus_, in a Condition still worse; on your Left, the
immense Ruins of the Temple of _Peace_; the Vestigies of the Temple of
_Antoninus_ and _Faustina_, on the Architrave of which is this vain
Inscription, _Divo Antonino, Divæ Faustinæ_; on your Right-hand the
melancholy Ruins of the Temple of _Concord_, which, to judge of it by the
eight Pillars that are still remaining, must have been very superb; it was
built to fulfil a Vow made by the Dictator _Furius Camillus_ for having
reconcil'd the _Plebeians_ and the _Patricians_. 'Twas in this Temple,
according to _Varro_, that the Senate assembled to treat of the Affairs of
the Republic. In short, here are so many other unfortunate Remnants of the
Mistress of the Universe, as wou'd put you in mind of the Instability of
this World, and that all is Vanity. But what wou'd you say, if you shou'd
go on till you come to the famous _Coliseum_, which Time, the Destroyer of
all Things, had spar'd, but was destroy'd by Men, and such too as were
most concern'd in the Preservation of every thing in ROME that was
beautiful? And what wou'd you think, if you saw there was scarce enough
remaining of this stately Edifice to give you an Idea of what it was once?
'Twas _Vespasian_ that caus'd it to be built after the Model which was
intended by _Augustus_. Its Form on the Outside is round, and 'tis built
of a prodigious Height, intirely of great Free-Stones. The Court or Arena
is oval. There were three distinct Rows of Seats in the Amphitheatre, the
highest for the Senators, the second for the Knights, and the third for
the common People. They say it contain'd eighty-five thousand Spectators.
It was dedicated by _Titus_, who upon that Occasion celebrated a great
Feast, distributed large Sums to the common People, and enter'd five
thousand wild Beasts of all Sorts into it in one Day. _Paul_ III. and
_Urban_ VIII. caus'd the _Coliseum_ to be demolish'd, and made use of the
Stones for building the Palaces which are now inhabited by their Families.
Having entertain'd you sufficiently with the public Structures, let us now
take a View of some of the private Palaces; but before I introduce you
into them, I will give you my Thoughts of the Palaces of ROME in general.
I don't deny that there are finer and greater Palaces here than elsewhere;
but of these there are few; and as for the others, they are not worth so
much Notice as is taken of 'em. Methinks, 'tis with the Buildings of ROME,
as with those People, whose Reputation being once well establish'd, we are
apt to applaud in them, what in others perhaps we shou'd censure. A great
many Palaces are admir'd here, barely from the Prepossession that
Architecture flourishes here more than any-where else. Indeed, this was
true enough heretofore, in the Time of a _Sixtus_ V. a _Paul_ V. and an
_Urban_ VIII. who had the Embellishment of ROME at Heart; but 'tis not so
now, since the indolent Popes have nothing more of that Work upon their
Hands. I can assure you, that they actually build now much better in
_France_ than they do in _Italy_, especially as to the Distribution of the
Apartments, of which the _Italians_ have no Notion. Most of the Apartments
of ROME consist of a long Suite of Rooms, often very small ones, which
have no Way out of them but the Door you enter at; and commonly the Rooms
have no Light, nor Chimney, nor Place to set up a Bed, or Canopy; which is
the Reason that those two Pieces of Houshold Stuff are seldom fix'd where
they shou'd be; mean time, Canopies are what the _Roman_ Princes and
Cardinals are very fond of, and many of them have no less than five or
six; vain Ostentation, which makes those Gentlemen fancy they are giving
Audience, when they are only receiving Visits! After all, one must not
look for such Ornaments here as they have in _France_, and elsewhere. As
to their Floors, they are only made of Bricks; they know nothing of
Wainscotting; their Glazing is horrible; and most of their Ceilings, tho'
there are some very magnificent, are of Timber, so coarsly work'd, that
the Gilding employ'd on them serves only the more to expose their
Deformity. The Furniture is almost everywhere the same; consisting either
of red Damask, with an upper Border of Velvet, of the same Colour, adorn'd
with Tinsel Lace and Fringe resembling Gold, or else of Pictures, which
are, indeed, the most perfect of the Kind; but when I see five or six
Rooms all together in a Row, full of Paintings, I fancy myself in some
Picture-shop at the Fair of _St. Germain_. Besides, these Pictures are in
such sorry old-fashion'd Frames, that they disparage them. They have but
few Looking-glasses, and those very small. As for Porcellane and crystal
Vessels, they are not much in Vogue; but, on the other hand, here are
beautiful Statues which I admire, and think very fine; but I shou'd be
better pleas'd to see them in a Gallery, in a Salon, or in a Garden: For I
don't think they look well in a Chamber. All the Furniture one sees here
is antique, having been laid in, for most part, by Popes that have been a
long while in their Graves; and there's no House furnish'd in the modern
Taste, except those of the Cardinals _del Giudici_, _Albano_, _Bolognetti_
and _Carolis_.
'Tis time now to enter into some of the Palaces. That which they call here
the _Farnese_ Palace, is, in my Opinion, the most magnificent in ROME;
_Michael Angelo_ was the Architect. Most of the Stones of this Building
were taken out of the _Coliseum_ of the Emperor _Vespasian_, by Order of
_Paul_ III. who made no Scruple to destroy the proudest Monument of
Antiquity for the sake of furnishing his Nephews with a Palace. This
Palace is two Stories high, and has a perfect Square before it, adorn'd
with two stately Fountains, the Water of which continually spouts up
fifteen Feet high, and then falls by two Sheets into a Shell or Cistern of
oriental Granate, of a vast Bigness, and all of a Piece. The Entrance to
this Palace is through a great Court, adorn'd within by _Doric_ Pillars;
and this leads to a square Court, the Buildings of which are supported by
Arches, with great Galleries well cover'd over, where we see the famous
Statues of _Hercules_ and _Flora_, which are really worthy the Observation
of the Curious. In a second Court, which is pretty much neglected, there
is to be seen, in a wooden Case, the magnificent Groupe of white Marble,
all of one Piece, representing the Fable of _Dirce_, fasten'd to a Bull,
by _Zethus_ and _Amphion_, the Sons of _Antiope_, Wife of _Lycus_ King of
_Boeotia_, who, to take Revenge for their Mother, whom _Lycus_ had
divorc'd, because she had suffer'd herself to be debauch'd by _Jupiter_ in
the Form of a Satyr, were so barbarous as to murder _Lycus_, and to tie
_Dirce_ by the Hair of her Head to the Horns of a wild Bull, by which she
was dragg'd about, till the Gods, pitying the State of this Princess,
turn'd her into a Fountain. This great Machine was brought from _Rhodes_
to ROME by Order of the Emperor _Antoninus Caracalla_, and was found under
Ground in the very Place where were formerly the Baths of that Emperor,
from whence _Paul_ III. had it brought to the Palace of his Family, that
it might serve as a Vista to the grand Gate; but it has not yet been
plac'd there.
The great Stair-case which leads to the Apartments is adorn'd with several
fine Statues. We enter first into a great Hall, where we have the History
of _Alexander Farnese_, when he pass'd the _Scheld_, who is represented as
crown'd by Victory, with _Flanders_ and the _Scheld_ chain'd to his Feet.
There is also a Number of other fine antique Statues in several Niches,
and upon several Pedestals. The first Chamber is painted in _Fresco_ by
_Salviati_ and _Zucaro_. There we see the Emperor _Charles_ V. and
_Francis_ I. King of _France_, shaking each other by the Hand; the
memorable Transactions of _Paul_ III. and _Martin Luther_ in Conference
with that Pope's _Nuncio_. In the next Apartments there are a great many
fine Bustos and Ceilings, well painted and richly gilt. But the finest
Piece of all in this Palace is the Gallery, which was painted throughout
by _Annibal Carache_, whose skilful Hand has therein represented with very
great Art the several Deities assisting at the Triumph of _Bacchus_. In
fine, no Cost has been spared in this Palace. I have been assured, that
the Furniture of it was very magnificent formerly; but it is since all
taken away, and the Palace serves to lodge the Minister of _Parma_. 'Tis
pity that 'tis not finish'd, for in Truth it wou'd be a fine Piece of
Building; but the Case is the very same with all St. _Peter_'s _Miracles_,
which is the Name they give to all the Palaces built by the Popes for
their Families. The Popes are old Men when they come to the Pontificate,
and Modesty, or Decency, hinders them from doing any thing for their
Families, the first Year or two; so that they begin in the Decline of
their Years, to undertake vast Designs, which they don't live to finish;
and 'tis seldom that their Nephews pursue what was begun by their Uncles,
either because they don't care to make a Shew of the Wealth that was left
them, or else because they have not Souls great enough for the
Undertaking; for, to be plain, those Nephews of the Popes are seldom good
for much, and have had a poor Education. The Generality are Persons of a
mean or base Extraction, who become Princes without any Merit but the
Fortune of their Uncles, and are so intoxicated with their Grandeur, that
they are swallow'd up in Sloth, and think of nothing, not even of the
Preservation of their growing Families; so that they quickly fall to
decay, and as soon as their Spring is over, they are snatch'd off on
sudden by Winter.
_Paul_ III. had a Project for building a Bridge over the _Tyber_, behind
the _Farnese_ Palace, in order to give it a Communication with the Garden
of the little _Farnese_ Palace, which is on the other Side of the River,
in the Quarter call'd _Longara_; and if this Design had been executed, the
Duke of _Parma_ wou'd have had a much finer Palace at ROME, than he has in
his own Capital.
The _Barberini_ Palace is in no respect inferior to the _Farnese_, and is
larger, and, without doubt, richer in Pictures, Statues and Tapestry. The
Stair-case is very much taken Notice of, which runs up winding, and forms
a great oval Well in the Middle, from the Bottom to the Cupola. The great
Hall, which is a stately Room, is painted in _Fresco_ by _Peter Cortona_,
who has artfully represented the four Cardinal Virtues, and the Triumph of
Glory, with their proper Figures and Ornaments, all to great Perfection.
The Apartments to which this Hall leads, are very spacious, and really
contain a vast Treasure in Pictures and Statues, of which were I to give
you all the Particulars, I shou'd never have done. That which very much
disfigures this Palace is the Entrance to it, a Defect which however might
easily be remedied, were they only to pull down two or three Outhouses
which belong to it.
The Palace _Pamphili_ in the Street _del Corso_ will be, as to the
Outside, the most magnificent in ROME, when the grand Front, which is now
actually carrying up, is finish'd. The Prince _Pamphili_ who is the Owner
of it, is very well able to go through with it; for he is one of the
richest Noblemen in ready Money in ROME. His Brother the Cardinal, who
died a little while ago, left him four hundred thousand _Roman_ Crowns in
Specie. The Prince is a very good [OE]conomist, has no Children, and being
not like to have any, because of the Variance betwixt him and his Wife,
his Nephew the Duke _Carpidetti_, who is the last of the _Pamphili_
Family, will be his Heir. The Prince and his Lady have been often parted;
and though they have been as often reconcil'd, either by their Kindred, or
by the Popes, they are continually at Variance; nevertheless, I have been
assured by People who know them perfectly well, that when they are
asunder, they are very loving, and write to one another the most tender
Letters; but that as soon as they come together, they hate one another as
bad.