[7] His Eminency is return’d to France, and succeeded in his Embassy by the Duke of St. Aignan.
[8] The Death of this Cardinal has been already mention’d. His Successor is M. Ratto, Bishop of Cordoua.
[9] Henry was Son to King Emanuel, and Sebastian was Grandson of John III. Brother to the Cardinal Henry.
[10] He did it however in the Year 1733.
[11] Since these Letters were wrote, he is actually return’d, and hitherto he is come but poorly off. Tho’ his Fate be not yet intirely determin’d, ’tis certain that he will not be degraded. A Sentence has been pass’d upon him, and ratify’d, whereby he is declar’d excommunicate, and out of a Possibility of being absolv’d, but by the Pope, even in articulo mortis; he is also to be confin’d in a Fortress, depriv’d of the Power of Speaking or Voting, &c. But as omnia venalia Roma, even more now than in Jugurtha’s Time, the Cardinal del Gindici, who is a Friend of his Eminency Coscia, gave him to understand, that the Pope was resolv’d to treat him as a Grand Vizier in Disgrace; that he must absolutely refund, and that all his Sins shou’d be blotted out. Consequently his Eminency submitted to implore his Holiness’s Clemency, on Condition of paying well for it; and in fine, his Pardon has been tax’d at thirty thousand Ducats. He has clamour’d against it not a little; but the Holy Father wou’d not abate an Ace of it, and the Cardinal was forc’d to acquiesce; however, as he always watches for the Death of the Pope, he desir’d to pay it at several Terms; and upon depositing ten thousand Crowns down, he immediately receiv’d Absolution, his Guards were taken off, and he had Liberty granted him to walk about in the Castle of St. Angelo, and to converse there with his Brother the Bishop of Targa. He pleads Poverty, and shuffles off his Payments from one time to another, in constant Expectation that the Gout will rise into the Pope’s Stomach, and take him out of his Way. At length, in 1734, he paid down ten thousand Crowns more. But a Collector of Taxes, from whom he formerly receiv’d a great Present to procure him an Acquittance from the Chamber, to which he ow’d seventy thousand Crowns, died lately insolvent, and without making good the Fraud; and as Cæsar, they say, loses nothing, the Chamber comes upon Cardinal Coscia, who is condemn’d to pay this Deficiency too, and the Pope won’t hear any Talk of compounding it.
[12] He Afterwards created him a Cardinal; but he died at Benevento in 1733. Nobody after his Death wou’d accept of this Benefice, till the Pope gave it to the Abbat Conti, a Roman, who only took it upon Condition that his Holiness wou’d give him a red Hat to boot; which he did accordingly, at the last Promotion of Cardinals.
[13] It was publish’d in the News-papers of 1732, that this Gentleman was sentenc’d to be beheaded, but that his Holiness had commuted that Sentence to ten Years Imprisonment. It was afterwards said in the public News, that the Pope had shorten’d it, first, to seven Years, and then to three Years Imprisonment. At length the Pope was for removing him to Perousa, or elsewhere; but the Prelate wou’d not go, and said, If he cou’d not have his intire Liberty, he wou’d live and die in the Castle of St. Angelo.
[14] The Origin of this Ceremony, if we may believe Father Sirmond and Ciccarelli, was this: It comes from a Custom they had at Rome, of distributing to the People upon every Whitsunday the Remainder of the Paschal Wax-taper, which was consecrated on Holy Saturday. The Vulgar, who are always superstitious, appropriated several Virtues to this consecrated Wax, particularly that ’twas a Preservative against the Delusions of the Devil, and the Injuries of Lightning, &c. and they us’d to burn little Pieces of this Wax in their Houses. There being not enough left of the Paschal Wax-taper to satisfy the Cravings of the People, the Archdeacon took it into his Head to take some other Wax, which he sprinkled with Oil, bless’d it, and made little Bits of it in the Form of a Lamb, and then distributed them to the People. Afterwards they only flatted those Pieces of Wax, and impress’d ’em with the Stamp of a Lamb bearing the Standard of the Cross. They believe that none but such as are in Orders have the Power to touch them, and they are cover’d neatly with embroider’d Stuff to be given to the Laity. There is nothing by which the Monks more successfully impose upon the Credulous; for to such they distribute Agnus Dei’s that were never on t’other Side of the Alps.
[15] He is the Pope’s Vicechamberlain.
[16] When he was at the Congress at Cambray, he had a Fancy to regulate every Plenipotentiary’s Houshold; and indeed, that was all he did there. One Day he took it into his Head to give his Œconomical Rules at my Lord Whitworth’s, but he did not find my Lady very compliant; for, said she, M. le Marquis, We make use of the Italians to regulate our Concerts; but as for the Table, pray give us leave to consult the French.