The subterraneous Parts of the Church are altogether as magnificent as the Superstructure; for Marble and Pictures of the Mosaic kind are its Ornaments. ’Tis worth while to take the Pains to go up to the Top of this Church, which one ascends by a sloping Stair-case, without one Step, that leads to the Dome; and by other Stairs, not so commodious, one rises to the Globe, which, ’tis said, will hold, twenty Persons with Ease. Upon St. Peter’s Day the Church is illuminated from the Foundation to the Cross, by Lamps without Number, which make a very fine Appearance.
All the other Churches of Rome are beautiful Piles, and ’tis certain that the least of ’em contains something that will entertain a curious Spectator. Those of them indeed that are the most worthy of Attention, are, St. Paul’s without Rome, St. John’s de Lateran, St. Mary Major’s, the Churches of Jesus, St. Ignatius, St. Philip de Neri, our Lady’s of Victory, the Church of St. Agnes, and the Noviciate of the Jesuits.
As to the Foundation of St. Mary Major’s Church, there is a Tradition, that two Bridegrooms of Quality, both very rich and very devout, having pray’d to the Holy Virgin, that she would please to reveal to them for what good Purpose they should bestow their Wealth; the Mother of God signified
to them in a Dream, that she would have them build a Church at the Place which they would find cover’d next Day with Snow; a Thing the more extraordinary at that Time, because it was the Month of August. But, to the End that this Revelation might be the more authentic, the Holy Virgin imparted it the same Night to the Pope St. Liberius I. who next Day made a Procession round the City, accompanied by all the Clergy, and by John a Patrician, and a Senator of Rome, and found that Spot of Ground where now stands the Church of St. Mary Major, covered with Snow. The Building was begun that very Day, and at first the Church was called the Liberian Church, and also the Church of St. Mary of the Manger, because the Manger in which our Saviour lay, was there deposited; and at last it was called St. Mary Major, because it is the biggest of those Churches in Rome that are dedicated to the Holy Virgin.
I have been so long upon Churches, that ’tis high Time to shift the Scene. I am now going to acquaint you of what has happened here since I came, referring what I have farther to relate to you concerning the Buildings of Rome to another Opportunity.
The Conclave is ended, and we have at last got a Pope: After tedious and warm Disputes, which had divided the sacred College for four Months, they have elected Cardinal Corsini. The Cardinals could not determine whom to chuse for Head of the Church, till about a Week ago. Cardinal Imperiali was proposed at first, and he would certainly have been the Man, upon account of his great Age and Merit, if the Cardinal Bentivoglio, the Minister of Spain, had not put the Negative upon him in the Name of their Catholic Majesties; nevertheless, ’tis the Opinion of many People, that the Cardinal had no such Order in his Pocket at
that Time, tho’ he had it at the Election of Pope Conti; because out of personal Pique to Cardinal Imperiali he had represented him to his Master as an Enemy to the House of Bourbon, and too much attached to the Emperor. Probably the Cardinal Bentivoglio thought, that because their Catholic Majesties did, at his Solicitation, grant an Exclusion to Cardinal Imperiali that Time, it was to continue for ever; at least, his unreasonable Grudge against his Eminence made him take that Handle. The Reason he bore him so much ill Will was this; Bentivoglio had a Brother, a Marquis, who, for certain Outrages which he had caused to be committed by his Bravoes, was arrested by Order of this very Imperiali, when he was Legate of the Holy See at Ferrara. Cardinal Bentivoglio, who was a proud haughty Man, took this as such an Affront to his Family, that he could never forget it; and as the Italians seldom lose an Opportunity of taking Revenge, he laid hold on this: So that Cardinal Imperiali came short of the Tiara, merely for having done an Act of Justice.
Cardinal Imperiali being thus set aside, Corsini was proposed for Pope; but his Eminence fearing he should be excluded by the Germans, pretended an Unwillingness to accept of the Pontificate, and desired his Brethren to cast their Eyes upon some other Person. Davia was proposed, and would undoubtedly have been in St. Peter’s Chair, if Cardinal de Bissi, a Frenchman, had not excepted against him, on pretence that he was a Jansenist. ’Tis true, that Cardinal Davia was never a great Friend of the Jesuits, and that M. Bissi is a Man after their own Hearts: The Society, indeed, is accused of having put the French Cardinal upon it; but this is what I won’t swear. Though, be it as it will, I think, if the Society were convinced that Davia was their Enemy, they did very wisely to
set him aside. During this, Cardinal Corsini, who still kept the triple Crown in View, and had only declined it for fear of being opposed by the Imperial Cardinals, wrote to the Great Duke, and to the Grand Princess Violante, desiring the former to intercede for him directly with the Emperor, and the latter with the Bavarian Family; to the end that Family might do him good Offices at Vienna. His Wishes were accordingly answered; for the Great Duke earnestly desired the Emperor to consent to the Election of Corsini, and he obtained for Answer, that his Imperial Majesty would order his Cardinals not to oppose him. Corsini having this favourable Answer, engaged his Friends to bring him again upon the Stage. And the Cardinal Chamberlain Albano, the Head of the Cardinals, made by Clement XI. his Uncle, spoke for him to all of his Party, who accordingly gave their Votes for him; but Cardinal Barberini hearing that Corsini was going to be proposed a second time, declared openly against him; and said, he would never consent to his Election. The Chamberlain was in no great Pain for this Opposition; for he was much more apprehensive of the Imperialists, and particularly of the Cardinal Cienfuegos, who was very earnest for the Election of Colonna, or some other Subject of the Emperor. The Chamberlain therefore went at Midnight to the Cardinal Cienfuegos, and proposed the Choice of Corsini to him; and not finding him intirely for it, he threw himself at his Feet, and conjured him for God’s sake not to oppose the said Cardinal’s Advancement. ‘You see, said he, that we cannot agree in the Choice of a Pope. Will you end your Days here? ’Tis now four Months that we have been shut up. What have you to say against Corsini? He is old, and, according to the Course of Nature, cannot live longer than the Time it will take us up to destroy the Factions
that are among us. If you have a Notion that he is not in the Interests of the Emperor, you perceive that it can’t be long in his Power to hurt him. Moreover, if you consent to his Advancement, he will be obliged to own his Obligation to the Emperor for the Pontificate, and consequently cannot but make him an Acknowledgment.’ The Cardinal Chamberlain water’d his Discourse with a great many Tears, for the good Man can weep when he will. This so moved Cienfuegos, who is the best-natured Soul in the World, that he gave his Consent to the Election of Corsini. But then the French feigned they would not be for him any longer, and pretended to take Umbrage at the Germans espousing the Man whom they had before opposed. They stood out abundance of Intreaty, but at length they consented, saying, that since the Germans made the Pope, they would name the Minister; which was granted them. They nominated Cardinal Banchieri, who had been Vice-Legat at Avignon, to be Secretary of State. The Cardinal Cienfuegos, who was puffed up with the Thoughts of having made the Pope, did not so much as think of opposing the French in the Nomination of a Minister who was intirely devoted to them. Many People of very good Sense are of Opinion that the Germans were bubbled in this Affair, and that the French made both the Pope and the Minister. Whether ’twas so or not, I cannot say; the Intrigues of the Conclaves will never be rightly known, but in the Valley of Jehosaphat; yet it seems to me, that since we have been the Masters of Italy, we are even more hated there than the French ever were, and ’tis certain that they were hated there with a Vengeance. ’Tis very probable, therefore, that the Italian Cardinals had it not very much at Heart, to give us a Pope that