LXIX.

CHAP. of both parties were foon aftonifhed by a fummons to attend him beyond the Alps; from whence, as they foon discovered, they must never hope to return. He was engaged, by promife and affection, to prefer the refidence of France; and, after dragging his court through Poitou and Gafcogny, and devouring, by his expence, the cities and convents on the road, he finally repofed at Avignon, which flourished above feventy. years 81 the feat of the Roman pontiff and the metropolis of Christendom. By land, by fea, by the Rhone, the pofition of Avignon was on all fides acceffible: the fouthern provinces of France do not yield to Italy itself; new palaces arose for the accommodation of the pope and cardinals; and the arts of luxury were foon attracted by the treafures of the church. They were already poffeffed of the adjacent territory, the Venaiffin country", a po

80 The original lives of the eight popes of Avignon, Clement V. John XXII. Benedict XII, Clement VI. Innocent VI. Urban V. Gregory XI. and Clement VII. are published by Stephen Baluze (Vitæ Paparum Avenionenfium ; Paris, 1693, 2 vols. in 4to) with copious and elaborate notes, and a second volume of acts and documents. With the true zeal of an editor and a patriot, he devoutly justifies or excufes the characters of his countrymen.

81 The exile of Avignon is compared by the Italians with Babylon, and the Babylonish captivity. Such furious metaphors, more fuitable to the ardour of Petrarch than to the judgement. of Muratori, are gravely refuted in Baluze's preface. The abbé de Sade is diftracted between the love of Petrarch and of his country. Yet he modeftly pleads that many of the local inconveniencies of Avignon are now removed; and many of the vices against which the poet declaims, had been imported with the Roman court by the strangers of Italy (tom. i. p. 23-28.).

82 The comtat Venaiffin was ceded to the popes în 1273 by Philip III. king of France, after he had inherited the dominions of the count of Tholoufe. Forty years before, the herefy of count Raymond

2.1

83

LXIX.

a populous and fertile fpot; and the fovereignty CHAP. of Avignon was afterwards purchafed from the youth and distress of Jane, the first queen of Naples and countess of Provence, for the inadequate price of fourfcore thousand florins "3. Under the fhadow of the French monarchy, amidst an obedient people, the popes enjoyed an honourable and tranquil ftate, to which they long had been strangers: but Italy deplored their absence; and Rome, in folitude, and poverty, might repent of the ungovernable freedom which had driven from the Vatican the fucceffor of St. Peter. Her repentance was tardy and fruitless: after the death of the old members, the facred college was filled with French cardinals 4, who beheld Rome and Italy with abhorrence and contempt, and perpetuated a series of national, and even provincial, popes, attached by the most indiffoluble ties to their native country.

Raymond had given them a pretence of feizure, and they derived fome obfcure claim from the xith century to some lands citra Rhodanum (Valefii Notitia Galliarum, p. 459. 610. Longuerue, Defcription de la France, tom. i, p. 376—381.).

83 If a poffeffion of four centuries were not itself a title, such objections might annul the bargain; but the purchase-money must be refunded, for indeed it was paid. Civitatem Avenionem emit ...per ejufmodi venditionem pecuniâ redundantes, &c. (iida Vita Clement VI. in Baluz, tom. i. p. 272. Muratori, Script. tom. iii. P. ii. p. 565.). The only temptation for Jane and her fecond husband was ready money, and without it they could not have returned to the throne of Naples.

84 Clement V. immediately promoted ten cardinals, nine French and one English (Vita ivt, p. 63. et Baluz. p. 625, &c.). In 1331, the pope refused two candidates recommended by the king of France, quod xx Cardinales, de quibus xvii. de regno Franciæ originem traxiffe nofcuntur in memorato collegio existant (Thomaffin, Discipline de l'Eglife, tom. i. p. 1281.).

CHAP.
LXIX.

of the jubilee, or

holy year,

A. D. 1300.

85

The progress of industry had produced and enriched the Italian republics: the æra of their liInftitution berty is the most flourishing period of population and agriculture, of manufactures and commerce; and their mechanic labours were gradually refined into the arts of elegance and genius. But the position of Rome was lefs favourable, the territory less fruitful; the character of the inhabitants was debased by indolence and elated by pride; and they fondly conceived that the tribute of fubjects must for ever nourish the metropolis of the church and empire. This prejudice was en-, couraged in fome degree by the resort of pilgrims to the fhrines of the apostles; and the last legacy of the popes, the institution of the HOLY YEAR was not lefs beneficial to the people than to the clergy. Since the loss of Palestine, the gift of plenary indulgences, which had been applied to the crufades, remained without an object; and the most valuable treasure of the church was fequeftered above eight years from public circulation. A new channel was opened by the diligence of Boniface the eighth, who reconciled the vices of ambition and avarice; and the pope had fufficient learning to recollect and revive the fecular games, which were celebrated in Rome at the conclufion of every century. To found without danger the depth of popular credulity, a fermon was seasonably pronounced, a report was art.

7

85 Our primitive account is from cardinal James Caietan (Maxima Bibliot. Patrum, tom. xxv.); and I am at a lofs to determine whether the nephew of Boniface VIII, be a fool or a knave: the uncle is a much clearer character,

fully

LXIX.

fully scattered, fome aged witneffes were produced; CHAP.
and on the firft of January of the year thirteen
hundred, the church of St. Peter was crowded
with the faithful, who demanded the customary
indulgence of the holy time. The pontiff, who
watched and irritated their devout impatience,
was foon perfuaded by ancient teftimony of the
juftice of their claim; and he proclaimed a plenary
abfolution to all Catholics who, in the course of
that year, and at every fimilar period, fhould re-
spectfully vifit the apoftolic churches of St. Peter
and St. Paul. The welcome found was propagated
through Christendom; and at firft from the nearest
provinces of Italy, and at length from the remote
kingdoms of Hungary and Britain, the highways
were thronged with a fwarm of pilgrims who
fought to expiate their fins in a journey, however
coftly or laborious, which was exempt from the
perils of military fervice. All exceptions of rank
or fex, of age or infirmity, were forgotten in the
common transport; and in the streets and churches
many persons were trampled to death by the eager
nefs of devotion. The calculation of their num-
bers could not be eafy nor accurate; and they
have probably been magnified by a dextrous
clergy, well apprifed of the contagion of example:
yet we are assured by a judicious hiftorian, who
affifted at the ceremony, that Rome was never
replenished with lefs than two hundred thousand
ftrangers; and another spectator has fixed at twą
millions the total concourse of the year. A trifling
oblation from each individual would accumulate
a royal treasure; and two priests stood night and
day,

X 4

LXIX.

f

CHAP. day, with rakes in their hands, to collect without counting, the heaps of gold and filver that were poured on the altar of St. Paul 85. It was for tunately a season of peace and plenty; and if forage was fcarce, if inns and lodgings were extravagantly dear, an inexhaustible supply of bread and wine, of meat and fish, was provided by the policy of Boniface and the venal hospitality of the Romans. From a city without trade or industry, all cafual riches will fpeedily evaporate: but the avarice and envy of the next generation folicited Clement the fixth " to anticipate the distant period of the century. The gracious pontiff complied with their wishes; afforded Rome this poor confolation for his lofs; and juftified the change by the name and practice of the Mofaic Jubilee **. His fummons was obeyed; and the number, zeal, and liberality, of the pilgrims did not yield to the primitive feftival, But they encountered the triple fcourge of war, peftilence, and famine: many wives and virgins were violated in the caftles of Italy; and many strangers were pillaged or mur.

The fe

cond jubilee, A. D. 1350.

88

86 See John Villani (1. viii. c. 36.) in the xiith, and the Chronicon Aftenfe, in the xith volume (P. 191, 192.) of Muratori's Collection. Papa innumerabilem pecuniam ab eifdem accepit, nam duo clerici, cum raftris, &c.

87 The two bulls of Boniface VIII, and Clement VI. are inferted in the Corpus Juris Canonici (Extravagant. Commun. 1. v. tit. ix. C. 1, 2.).

88 The fabbatic years and jubilees of the Mofaic law (Car, Sigon. de Republicâ Hebræorum, Opp, tom. iv, 1. iii. c. 14, 15. p. 151, 152.), the fufpenfion of all care and labour, the periodical release of lands, debts, fervitude, &c. may seem a noble idea, but the execution would be impracticable in a profane republic; and I fhould be glad to learn that this ruinous festival was obferved by the Jewish people,

dered