“‘Desiring to dispose of my property now that, by the grace of God, I find myself sane in mind and body, using the faculties which I have as Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, with this document, by me written and subscribed, I make herewith my last will and testament. Before everything else I recommend my poor soul to the infinite mercy of God, trusting that through the intercession of the Most Holy Immaculate Mary, and of my patron saints, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. James, and St. Louis, He may grant me remission of my sins, and make me worthy of the eternal glory of Paradise. I forbid the dissecting or embalming of my body after death in any way or for whatsoever motive, and order that it be interred in the burying-place of my chapel in the Church of Sta. Agata alia Suburra, near my good mother.
“‘The funeral shall be made according to custom in the church which it shall please the Holy Father to appoint. During the eight days following my death I order that a hundred masses a day be celebrated, with the alms of thirty sous for each mass.
“‘A part of these masses shall be caused to be celebrated by the Mendicant Friars. I humbly beg the Holy Father to accept the respectful offering I make him of the crucifix standing on my writing-table, having the cross inlaid with lapis-lazuli, and at the base the kneeling Magdalene, within the centre of said base a bas-relief, representing the Addolorata, and other ornaments in silver. I pray him to accept with paternal goodness this object as a homage from the most devoted and faithful of his subjects, who dies tranquil in the conscience of never having failed in duty towards his sacred person, and the conviction of having always with all earnestness and honesty served him in the true interests of the Church and of the State. Before proceeding to dispose of my private fortune, I declare that I do not possess any other capital beyond that which came from the heritage of my excellent father, or which I have been able to acquire through the means left me by him. I protest, therefore, against all the calumnies which on that and on any other account whatsoever have been in so many ways circulated through the world, before God who is to judge me, and before Him I forgive from my heart all those who have tried to do me evil.
“‘If, in doing my duty, I may have caused displeasure to anyone, I have the conscience of never having had even the intention of injuring anyone whomsoever. I direct my heirs to consign to the persons whom I have thought it my duty to remember some memoranda which I shall leave written in a sealed paper by me subscribed.
“‘I leave to the Hospital of Santo Spirito, for one time only, twenty-five francs, and other twenty-five francs to the Holy Places of Jerusalem.
“‘To my Titular Church of Santa Maria in Via Lata, I leave my white tonacella. The red one I leave to the Church of Sta. Agata alla Suburra, the commenda of which I hold. The violet pianeta I leave to the monastery of St. Marta, of which I am protector.
“‘The sacred hangings and altar-plate of my private chapel I desire may be preserved for the chapel of my house on the Quirinal, and they shall belong to the heir to whom I assign the said house.
“‘I institute as universal proprietary heirs my dearest brothers, Filippo, Gregorio, Luigi, and Angelo, my nephew, Agostino, son of Gregory, and my other nephew, Paolo, son of Luigi, to each of whom, as I shall say afterwards, I assign and determine such portion of the property and of the objects as I will they may possess, and I will that each of them may bear the respective legacy-duty according to the value of the share falling to him.
“‘All my possessions, furniture, gold, silver, precious objects, titles, and effects whatsoever, the credits, and the little money that may be found in my possession at the time of my death, except the collection of stones and other things of which I shall dispose hereinafter, I assign to my brothers as above, Filippo, Gregorio, Luigi, and Angelo, and I pray them to accept this my disposition as a proof of the sincere affection which I have always borne them equally, and as an attestation of the gratitude I have always entertained towards them for the affection which they have shown me under all circumstances.
“‘I assign to my nephew Agostino, heir as above, my house in Rome, situate near the Quirinal, bought from Conte Vimercati, with everything which is in the said house at the moment of writing this present will; so that, if at the moment of my death any objects of whatsoever kind be found there which are now in my apartment at the Vatican these I declare to belong to my brothers as above. I assign also to my aforesaid nephew the altar-furniture of my private chapel at the Vatican. I assign him also the collection of marbles, with the cabinets containing them, exactly as they are in my apartment at the Vatican.