L cludes that the advantages of fuch an undertaking being public, and the inconveniencies only perfonal, no room is left to hesitate. In a memoir on the life and works of Plato, citizen DELISLE DESALES Complains that the hiftory of that philofopher is disfigured in Apuleius, Diogenes Laertius, and other antients, by fables of little ingenuity. He confiders the author of the Voyages of young Anacharfis as the only one among the moderns, who has fpoken worthily of Plato, and who has not injudiciously tranfcribed anecdotes often improbable, judgments often calumnious. Plato, at the court of Syracufe, was called by his enemies the philofopher of princes; citizen Defales reftores to him the name of Prince of Philofophers. Citizen Defales has read alfo a memoir on national fovereignty, and thinks that, to treat this fubject properly, we fhould refer again to the epoch when Plato, in the groves of Academus, reafoned on the origin of civil fociety. This memoir contains a definition of fovereignty, and an examen of its characters, of its acts, and of its guarantees. Citizen MERCIER has read three memoirs; the first intitled, Confiderations on Morals; the fecond, Views Political and Moral; and the third, An historical Fragment in Cato the Cenfor. One of the refults of the firft memoir, is that in order to decide, to constrain events, man can do more by his character, by the energy of his will, than by his intellect or his talents, and even than by his virtue. In commencing the fecond memoir, citizen Mercier affumes, that politics, like all the fciences, muft repofe on the know ledge of facts. He thinks man fhould learn to read in anterior revolutions the fucceffion of future events, and to recognife the moral phenomena, the immutability of which governs political chances. But, the hiftory of nations manifefts in them two inclinations which we muft reckon in the number of thofe conftant laws, the love of liberty and the love of repofe. On one part, citizen Mercier fees man as always attracted towards the republican forms, inviting them where they are not, ftriving to retain them, fometimes to exaggerate them where they are, and preferring them by instinct to every other fpecies of government. On the other, he confiders mankind as a great peaceable animal, which has repofed for centuries under the law of inertia, and which, agitated from time to time by the active paf. fions of fome individuals, falls again of it, felf into the habitual calm which fuits it, It would be confoling to believe with the author, that hiftory offers more days of peace than days of war, and that the na-. ture itself of men puts an inevitable term to their perturbatory projects. The love of repofe, according to citizen Mercier's conclufion, makes and maintains govern-ments. The fragment on Cato the Cenfor is a portrait which does not appear flattered. We are in the habits of faying: Wife as Cato: citizen Mercier protests against this proverbial reputation. If he grants to Cato equity, firmnefs, and even genius, he rigorously condemns his rude familiar manners, and above all reproaches him for that harsh and vain pedantry, which in schools and academies is only ridiculous, but which in the magiftracy is a vice capable of injuring the cause of virtue more than bad examples would. The virtue which citizen Mercier prefers, is not that ferocious and mifanthropical vir tue which is practifed or displayed much lefs to acquire felf-fatisfaction, than the right of fhewing ourselves diffatisfied with others. The author, has thrown into this memoir fome ideas on the cenforship, confidered as a political inftitution; he does not think it neceffary to be established amongst us; but, adds he, allowing that this cenforship fhould appear neceffary, where should we find the cenfor? In the courfe of the preceding quar ters, citizen GREGOIRE had read to the clafs the first parts of a work in which he details the conduct of different modern nations in regard to flaves, from the origin of the trade to our days. Continuing this reading in the fittings of the laft month, the author has traced the hiftory of Negroes and of the Slave Trade in the United States of America. This hiftory is that of the generous efforts of many focieties, and particularly of that of the Quakers; of many philofophers, and efpecially Franklin, to reftore liberty to the Negroes, and above all to teach them to make a proper ufe of it. After fo many labours, and even after different laws enacted in favour of the Negroes, both by the congrefs and the feparate legislatures, it is painful to learn that the number of flaves is yet about 50,000 in the Northern States, and 650,000 in the Southern. The author deplores bitterly this ftruggle of tyranny against knowledge, of cupidity against injuftice. The intellectual and moral qualities of the Negroes have been the object of another 4 Y 2 me memoir of the fame author. This piece contains numerous and important details relative to the induftry of the Blacks, their dexterity in mechanical arts, and the fuccefs of fome among them in the career of letters. Among thefe laft is diftinguished a woman, named Phillis Wheatley, tranfported in 1761, from Africa to America, at the age of feven years; brought afterwards to England, where, having learned very rapidly the Latin and English, the publifhed, in this laft language, at the age of 19, a collection of poems in fome repute. With regard to the moral qualities of the Negroes, citizen Gregoire accumulates a great number of examples and teftimonies; from which it refults, that in the very bofom of flavery, which degrades or corrupts the mind, the Blacks have cultivated and practifed with eclat both the mild and the heroic virtues; filial piety, philanthropy, gratitude, as well as martial bravery and intrepidity in dangers. Such are the facts which citizen Gregoire opposes to certain theories, little favourable, as is well known, to that part of mankind. The vices of the Blacks, concludes the author, are the work of tyranny; their virtues are their own. Citizen LEVEQUE read a firft memoir on the conftitution of the republic of Athens. The refult of this memoir is, that the Athenians, with their Archons, their Areopagus, and their Council of Five Hundred, had, nevertheless, no idea of the divifion and of the equilibrium of powers. Among them the executive power, diftributed every where, had no confiftence any where. All the authorities were refolved into judiciary authorities, no one poffeffing in effect a moderating force, conftantly capable of checking or fufpending the precipitate refolutions of the others. The affembly of the people, exercifing, abdicating, taking again at pleafure all the kinds of functions, thofe of judging, and of adminiftrating, as well as thole of making elections and laws, offered no other permanent character than its own inconfiftency, its murderous agitations, and its fatal docility to the impulfion of every demagogue. It is to thefe profound vices of the conftitution of Athens that citizen Levêque attributes the faults and the misfortunes of that republic; as it is alfo to the wisdom, to the power of its moral inftitutions, that the owed her great actions, her great men, her fhort profperities, and her immortal glory. Some of the nations fubjugated by Rome had obtained the maintenance of their antient laws; the Romans, conquered in their turn, preferved in like manner their civil legislation. Alaric II, one of the conquerors who difmembered the empire in the weft, caufed to be compiled in 506, in favour of his new Roman fubjects, a code of laws purely Roman.--This collection, which bears the name of the Alaric Code, is the fubject of a memoir which citizen BOUCHAUD has read to the clafs, and which may be divided into two parts. The question difcuffed in the first is to know by what lawyers this code was compiled. The fecond treats of the different texts of which the Alaric Code is compofed, and of the interpretations joined to it. In the National Library are two very defective manufcripts on the Alaric Code, fome notices of which citizen Bouchaud has referred to the commiffion of manufcripts. Citizen ANQUETIL has read the fecond part of a memoir on the French manners and laws, from the fifth century to the tenth. In the midft of the ufages and legiflation of thofe times, we remark a penal law against confpiracies, fre quently renewed or applied, in the paffage from the first race of kings to the second. That which concerns this law, in the work of citizen Anquetil, is terminated by confiderations on political revolutions, and on the duration of the fhocks which they occafion. If one part of the first generation refifts, the fecond foftens, the third yields, and the change is consolidated when the fourth commences. A memoir read by citizen LEGRANDD'AUSSI, offers the hiftory of the establifhment of the laws of cuftoms in France, and contains an examen of the four firft works in the French language, which, in the courfe of the thirteenth century, have treated of this law. Thefe works are, 1ft, The Councils, (Les Confeils), by Pierre Desfontaines; 2d, The Affixes of Jerufalem (Les Affifes de Ferufalem), attributed to Godfrey de Bouillon, but compiled in effect at Cyprus, by Philippe Beaumanoir. If we are not to feek in fuch monuments the principles of a found jurifprudence, we may at least ftudy in them the important history of that feudal fyftem which predominated in France, and many other ftates of Europe, as well as in the Afiatic provinces poffeffed by the crufading Latins. This memoir of citizen Legrand d'Auffi is the complement of that which he had read in the preceding quarter, on the ancient legiflature, which comprifes the Salic law, the law of the Vifigoths, and the law of the Burgundians. 2 In So In another memoir, which treats of ancient fepulture, citizen Legrand traces the primitive opinions of nations on death, and on its confequences. In Europe, as well as in Afia, death was confidered as a paffage into another world, where we fhould find again the wahts and the enjoyments of this. Agreeably to this idea, they depofited under the tombs the objects molt dear to thofe whom they placed there, their arms, their habits, their ornaments; and even buried their horfes, their flaves, and fometimes alfo their wives. The Gauls went fo far as to throw into the funeral pile the bills of credit of the defunct, that he might at the first meeting of his debtors cónftrain them to payment. Citizen Legrand proves, that the fable of Charon was no lefs accredited in Gaul, than in Egypt, fince, in many Gallic mohuments, a piece of money, defigned to pay the fatal paffage, has been difcovered under the tongue of the deceafed. great riches interred with the defunct, could not fail to excite the cupidity of many living. But hardly were they extracted from the fepultures, before they were foon reclaimed as by an invincible power; for the ravishers of those fubterranean treasures caufed the fame to be depofited in their own tombs at their death. Hence it is, that in Tartary efpecially, and in the countries of the North, no fepulchre is to be found, without finding in it a pretty rich booty. After thefe general obfervations, the author details the different kinds of tombs ufed in France, from the origin of the nation to our days. At first, vaults or cells of rough ftone, ornamented on the outfide with a pillar of the fame nature, planted upright; afterwards, tombs with inclufures formed by enormous pillars, and having for cieling a ftone of an immenfe volume; then tumuli, compofed of earth heaped together; then vaults of mafonry, coffins of ftone, baked earth, or lead; Haftly, maufolea, of marble or bronze. This laft kind of monuments, which dates from the thirteenth century, has experi enced, in each of the following ages, modifications, which the author fpecifies. From thence, paffing to the examen of the different matters depofited in the French fepulchres, he only finds, in the most ancient, arms made with pointed bones, or fharpened pebbles; in later times, we find ornaments and inftruments of copper; and later ftill, arms of iron, and ornaments of gold and filver. But the most valuable objects have been found in the tombs of the French kings: fuch was that of Childeric, difcovered near Tournay, in the last age. Afterwards, in 1704, fome researches made in the church of St. Germain-des-Prés, brought to light a monument which was confidered as very rich, but was not allowed to beopened. Citizen Legrand proposes to government to make a fresh search for it, and thus to add, almoft without expence, to our national antiquities, whatever may be found in this monument. Our fellowmember propofes, moreover, to demand of the different departmental adminiftrations, documents relative to ancient tombs, and particularly the funereal tumuli, which are to be found in their respective territories. "The clafs had offered a prize, on this queftion of hiftory: "What has been the Progrefs of the public Mind in France, from Francis I. to the Convocation of the States General in 1789?" The prize not having been obtained, citizens LEVEQUE and BAUDIN have read fome memoirs on the manner of enouncing and inveftigating the question, at the clofe of which the clafs came to a determination to propose the question anew in the following terms: By what Caufes has the Spirit of Liberty been developed in France, from Francis I. to the Convocation of the States General in 1789?” The memoirs are to be received till the 15th Meffidor of year VIII. The prize, which will confift of a gold medal of five hectograms, will be adjudged in the public fitting of the 15th Vindemiaire, year IX. ANECDOTES OF EMINENT PERSONS. MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE OF THE LATE POPE, PIUS THE Vith. (Communicated by an Italian Gentleman.) PIUS VI. whofe fecular name was John Angélo Brafchi, was born of a noble but reduced family. Being deftined for the church, he received the moft liberal education, and was thus qualified to run, with reasonable hope of fuccefs, the career of ecclefiaftical preferment. His profpects at first were few, and his patronage fo infignificant, that no one could have fuppofed, under thefe disadvantages, he could ever have arrived at the pontificate. He entered at firft the fervice of cardinal cardinal Ruffo, in the capacity of Uditore, a charge, which, according to the eftablished rites of the Roman court, comprifes the three diftinct offices of vicar, counsellor, and afliftant. In this fituation he conducted himself with so much sense, probity, and zeal, as not only to gain the affection of the Cardinal, but to fecure to himfelf the reputation alfo of being the beft informed perfon in Rome. This ge. nerous prelate on his death bed left Brafchi, as a mark of his efteem, the continuation of his appointment during life; and fuch was Brafchi's veneration for his patron, that out of refpect to his memory, he retained the fituation of Uditore, even after he became pope. On cardinal Ruffo's death, Brafchi was appointed to a canonship of St. Peter's; and a few years after he was raised to the rank of a prelate for the economical department of the Roman ftate. This was only a prelude to his further promotion: for foon after he obtained the purple. In this progreffive advancement, he conftantly difplayed a love of justice, the ftrictest morality, clofe application to bufinefs, and the most unaffuming manners. Brafchi was only 57 years of age when his immediate predeceffor, Ganganelli, died; and would never perhaps have fuc ceeded him, had not the facred college, about this time, been particularly defti tute of piety and talents: for thefe qualifications, therefore, united with a high repute for theoretic acquaintance with go. vernment, he was finally approved by his brethren; and proclaimed pope, under the title of Pius, on the 15th of February, 1775. Pius VI. on his acceffion to the papal throne, difplayed that fenfe of dignity, that firmnels of mind, and purity of character, which attended him throughout his whole pontificate. He likewife difcovered great liberality of mind, in patronizing every useful reform, and beneficial eftablishment in the ftate. The firft inftance of his firmness was evinced in his conduct towards the king of the two Sicifies. His majefty had appointed Monfig. nor Filangieri, formerly viceroy of Sicily, to the archbishopric of Naples; and as the laws of that metropolis required that the archbishop fhould be a cardinal, an application was made to his holiness for bestowing on him the purple. Pius returned for answer, that although the laws enacted that a cardinal fhould be the archbishop, that did not imply that the archbiop hould become a cardinal; and that his majesty, being fenfible of fuch a difference, might have promoted to the archbishopric fome one or other of the Neapolitan cardinals refiding in Rome, inftead of his wifhing thus, to affume an indirect authority, to confer one of the greatest dignities of a foreign hierarchy on any of his fubjects. He was fo firm in this refufal, that it was not long before Mr. Filangieri died, broken-hearted by the confideration, that he should be the fole Neapolitan archbishop deprived of a digni, ty inherent to his office. He foon likewife diftinguished himself for his prudence in the internal administration of his government. Like fome of his predeceffors he conceived the idea of draining the marthes, which extended up. wards of forty miles, in every direction, round Vellerri, Terracina, and Piperno, fo well known under the name of Paludi Pontine. This project which by its ex, tent had difcouraged even. a Roman emperor, was happily carried into effect by Pius the Sixth. He employed the best engineers in Rome, and went himself regularly every year to infpect the progrefs of the work. To complete his design, he dug immenfe canals to receive the water from the marshes; rendering by this means a confiderable part of the land fit for husbandry. He conftructed alfo on the fide of thefe canals a large and beautiful road nearly forty miles long, in a straight line, ornamented with four rows of poplars, interfperfed with houfes of accommodation, and at its termination built likewife a large and elegant palace, the fineft perhaps in the Roman ftate, out of the metropolis. Though murders are faid to have been frequent in his reign, yet he certainly was a great promoter of the police of Rome, the management of which was committed to a prelate, named Spinelli, the ableft man in this department of his time, and who afterwards became a cardinal. Among his other improvements, it may also be mentioned, that he beautified and heightened the new obelisks, and augmented. the Clementine mufeum founded by his predeceffor. His conduct towards the celebrated Signora N. N, better known, from her Arcadia, by the name of Corilla, fhews him to have been a patron of literature and the fine arts. Having, however, ordered her to be crowned in public, he laid himself open to the cenfure of the fober part of his fubjects. For though Corilla poffeffed the beft talents of any female ever known in Italy, and affuredly was the greateft. improvi Sub Sexto recipit ferta Corilla Pio! and to another, perhaps worseSextus Alexander, Sextus Tarquinius, idem! Nunquam fub Sextis, Roma beata fuit! The firft years of the pontificate of Pius VI. were as peaceful as thofe of any of his predeceffors; and if we except fome trifling juridical difputes with his Sicilian majefty, which were rendered important, more from the chicanery and ambition of the Neapolitan magiftrates, than from the withes of their fovereign, his holiness may be faid to have spent the first fix years of his reign in the moft perfect tranquillity, both at home and abroad. In this interval he was chiefly engaged in regulating the internal government of his ftate, and completing his two favorite projects, that of draining the Pontine marthes, and the erection of the prefent majestic veftry of St. Peter's. From fuch a commencement it could little have been expected, that the latter part of his reign would have been one of the most troublefome periods ever recorded in the ecclefiaftical hiftory; and that he himself fhould have rivalled in suffering the most unfortunate of his predeceffors. The death of the emprefs Mary The refa, in October 1780, was the firft fignal of the fubfequent diftreffes of the holy fee. Whilft that prudent and religious fovereign reigned in Germany and Hungary; her own kingdoms, as well as all the catholic countries of Germany, were religiously devoted to the court of Rome. Her fon and fucceffor Jofeph the IId, though in fome refpects a great man, yet in many others proved the perfect reverfe of his mother. Having early in life imbibed the principles of that pernicious philofophy which has brought fo many difafters upon Europe, he thought it prudent during his mother's life to hide them as much as poffible; but no fooner had he come to the empire, than he behaved like a flave emancipated from his mafter's dominion. In lefs than half a year he deftroyed almost the whole ecclefiaftical difcipline eftablifhed in his hereditary tates, and, what was more difgusting, conducted all his violent innovations in a military and defpotic way, accompanied with the most unbounded rapacity, only equalled, perhaps, by that of Harry the VIII th. Jews were admitted to the rights of citizenship, religious orders fuppreffed, the fecular clergy subjected to lay magiftrates, ecclefiaftical appeals to the holy fee forbidden, the vows of nuns fubmitted to the authority of diocefan bishops, matrimonial difpenfations removed from the court of Rome, and an injunction laid on all Auftrian, Hungarian, and Lombard prelates never to accept the dignity of cardinalfhip. His holiness, alarmed at fuch an unforeseen attack, was too fenfible not to see that the bold and innovating example of this powerful monarch, the natural protector of the catholic church, would have a pernicious effect on the other crowned heads of Europe. He flattered himself at first that fome oppofition would be made to these innovations by the Imperial fubjects themfelves; for befide the remonftrances of the Brabantefe and Flemish clergy, the venerable archbishop of Milan was heard to declare, "That his metropolitan church, honoured already by the martyrdom of thirteen of its prelates, fhould yet have another to boast of, rather than he would carry into effect fuch fcandalous innovations." These remonftrances were, however, of The emperor perfifted in his fupported by the affiftance of magiftrates and the military no ufe. fchemes, the lay power. The archduke Ferdinand, his brother, had very nearly been deprived of the go. vernment of Lombardy, for fiding with the Milanefe clergy. His holine's now remonftrated himself against the reform. 'He ordered his nuncio at Vienna, Mr. Garampi, to prefent the most preffing folicitations to his Imperial majesty, to reflect feriously on what he was doing. This produced no effect. The prince of Kaunitz told the papal nuncio that his mafter was aware of what he had done, and perfifted in his refolution. The reign of ecclefiaftical cenfure was now no more; and his holiness, mortified at feeing fuch an humiliating dilapidation of the church under his pontificate, refolved to try whether he could not be able to obtain, by perfonal entreaties from the philofophic emperor, what he defpaired to wreft from him by the no longer dreaded thunders of the Vatican. He accordingly determined to |
