The Memoirs of Charles-Lewis, Baron de Pollnitz, Volume II / Being the Observations He Made in His Late Travels from Prussia Thro' Germany, Italy, France, Flanders, Holland, England, &c. in Letters to His Friend. Discovering Not Only the Present State of the Chief Cities and Towns; but the Characters of the Principal Persons at the Several Courts.

by Freiherr von Karl Ludwig Pöllnitz

LETTER XXXII.

SIR,Rome, June 15, 1731.

Tho’ the first Promotion of Cardinals by Clement XII. was made the Close of the last Year, yet I had so many other Matters to entertain you with, that I deferr’d giving you an Account of that Ceremony till now. This Promotion was made in Favour of three Nuncios, (who, by the way, never quit their Nunciatures, but for the sake of being made Cardinals) I mean the Nuncios in Germany, France, and Spain, and Signior Ruspoli, the Pope’s Kinsman. The latter might have had the Hat during the Pontificate of Benedict XIII. his Father having obtain’d it for him of Cardinal Coscia, on the Promise of thirty thousand Crowns; but being appriz’d of the Bargain, which his Father had made with Coscia, he went to Corsini, then a Cardinal, and now Pope, who was his Father’s Friend and Kinsman, and having told him what had pass’d betwixt his Father and Coscia, intreated him to frustrate the Contract, saying, that he wou’d never accept of a Hat, unless he had it from the Pope’s mere Good-will. Cardinal Corsini being charm’d with the generous Temper of young Ruspoli, took Care to vacate the Bargain; and now that he is seated in St. Peter’s Throne, he has preferr’d Ruspoli over the Heads of many Prelates, who have grown grey in the Service of the Holy See.

This Promotion was made at Monte-Cavallo. The Pope had declar’d in a private Consistory, that he was resolv’d to make five Cardinals, viz. the three Nuncios above-mention’d, Signior Ruspoli, and a Fifth, whom he reserv’d in Petto. The Cardinal Secretary of State, for want of a Cardinal Nephew, immediately dispatch’d Couriers to the Nuncios to carry them the News of their Promotion, and likewise sent to acquaint Ruspoli of what had pass’d. This Prelate, who waited for the good News in the Apartment of the Cardinal Secretary of State, went immediately up the Back-Stairs to the Pope, and thank’d him for the Favour he had just done him, and then return’d to his Palace, where he receiv’d the Compliments of all the Nobility. In the Afternoon he went and paid a Visit to Signior Neri Corsini, Clement XIIth’s Nephew, the Man whom the Holy Father had reserv’d in Petto. On the Thursday following there was a public Consistory, in which the new Cardinal, who, till that Day, had, according to the Ceremonial, been oblig’d to keep his Chamber, and to be dress’d in Purple, receiv’d the Hat from the Pope’s own Hand. His Eminency repair’d in the Morning to the Chapel of Monte-Cavallo, while the Cardinals were assembled in the Chamber of the Consistory. He was join’d in the Chapel by these Cardinals, viz. Barberini, who represented the Dean of the Sacred College; Ottoboni, the Great Chancellor; Albano, the Chamberlain; and Cienfuegos, Treasurer of the Chapel. Their Eminencies, after great Compliments, led their new Collegue towards the Altar, and gave him the usual Oath of Fidelity to the Holy See. They return’d from thence into the Hall of the Consistory, and the new Cardinal was left alone in the Chapel, with his Caudataire, or Train-bearer, and a Master of the Ceremonies. During

this, the Cardinals went, and made their Obedience to the Pope, by kissing his Hand; after which two of the Cardinal Deacons went to fetch Cardinal Ruspoli, and introduced him into the Hall of the Consistory. As he enter’d within the Bar, he made a low Bow to the Pope, who was seated at the other End on his Throne; he made a second Obeisance in the Middle of the Hall, and a third at the Foot of the Throne; after which he fell on his Knees, and kiss’d both the Foot and Hand of the Holy Father, who rais’d him from the Ground, and embraced him. The new Cardinal went afterwards, and embraced his Collegues, according to the Order of their Seniority, and then return’d and fell on his Knees again to the Pope. A Master of the Ceremonies drew the Cowl over his Head, and the Pope put on his Hat, which was taken off in a Moment by the Master of the Ceremonies. The new Cardinal now kiss’d the Holy Father’s Foot and Hand a second Time; and the Pope, rising from his Throne, retired to his Chamber, whither Ruspoli followed him, and after having thank’d him for the Honour he had done him, went and rejoin’d the Cardinals in the Hall of the Consistory. This done, they went in Procession, with the Pope’s Music playing before them, to the Chapel, where Te Deum was sung; after which the Cardinals went into the great Room that is before the Chapel, call’d the Royal Hall. There they form’d a Circle, where the new Cardinal thank’d his Collegues for the Honour they had done him, by admitting him for a Brother, and then they all retir’d. When Ruspoli came home, he there found a Gentleman of the Pope’s Privy-chamber, who brought him the Hat, which the Pope had just before put upon his Head, in a Silver Bason. When Dinner was over, the new Cardinal repair’d with a great

Train to St. Peter’s Church; after which he went and paid his Respects to the Pretender to the Crown of England, and to the Princess his Wife; he also made a Visit to the Cardinal Dean; and on the Days following he visited the whole Sacred College, without regard to their Rank.

A Week after the public Consistory the Pope held a private one, in which he both shut and open’d the Mouth of Cardinal Ruspoli. At the former Ceremony, the new Pope kneeling at the Holy Father’s Feet, his Holiness laid two Fingers on the Cardinal’s Mouth, and strictly injoin’d him not so reveal to any body what shou’d pass in the Consistories at which he shou’d be present. This closing up of the Mouth formerly depriv’d the Cardinals of either speaking or voting, whenever it happened that they enter’d the Conclave before the Pope had open’d their Mouths; which might sometimes be the Case, because the Popes generally left an interval of some Days between the Ceremony of shutting the Mouth, and that of opening it. But Pius V. declar’d by a Bull which he publish’d the 26th of January 1571, that the shutting of the Mouth being a mere Ceremony, it shou’d not exclude the new Cardinals from giving their Votes, or speaking.

Cardinal Ruspoli being now upon his Legs before the Pope went and took his Place among the Cardinals: At the same time the Holy Father pronounc’d the Words extra omnes, which are repeated by a Master of the Ceremonies, and oblige all but the Cardinals to turn out. Then the secret Consistory was held, after which the Doors were set open, and every body re-enter’d the Room. The new Cardinal went again, and threw himself at the Pope’s Feet, who open’d his Mouth, by giving him the Power both of Voting and

Speaking. At the same time he nominated the Church of which he was to bear the Title, and this he did by putting on his Finger a Gold Ring adorn’d with an oriental Saphir, for which the Cardinal, according to a Custom establish’d by Gregory XV. is to pay five hundred Crowns of Gold to the College de propaganda fide. With that the Ceremony ended. In the Evening the Palaces of the Cardinals, the Princes and the Foreign Ministers, and those likewise of the other Persons of Quality, were illuminated as they had been on the Day of the Promotion.