The new politick lights of modern Romes church-government: or The new Gospel according to Cardinal Palavicini revealed by him in his history of the Council of Trent. Englished out of French.

ARTICLE XVI. The Glory and Felicity suting with this Court, subsist through her Magnifi∣cence in Buildings, Theatres, Spe∣ctacles or Sights, of Piety, Processi∣ons, Regales, Politick and Warlike Ex∣peditions.

ADd to all this, the Magnificence in Buildings: What prodigious abun∣dance of Means must one have to bestow thereon, though there were, for example, no other Building but that of S. Peter's Church, whose Structure alone astonishes, so great and vast it is;* 1.1 il nuovo edificio della stupenda basilica da san Pietro? Add to that, so many other Churches and Palaces, which make an admirable Ornament of the Royal City, and Mistress of the Universe; are not these pieces of Workmanship whol∣ly glorious?* 1.2 Opere gloriose; the work there∣of is immense, and the Millions be number∣less that were fain to be collected for on∣ly Building of St. Peter's? A work worthy of the Monarch of the World, and Sove∣raign Pontiffe,* 1.3 affin d'adunare tanti milioni quanti ne assorbiva l'immenso lavoro di quella Chiesa, opera di sommo Sacerdote, màinsieme di sommo Principe.

It was for this, that the Indulgences un∣der Pope Leo X, were Published, which gave ocasion to Luther's Heresie; the Sum of Money that arose of them, was not suf∣ficient, non bastino,* 1.4 it did furnish but a lit∣tle to the expence of building that glorious Fabrick, the prime Temple of the World, qual fabrica più gloriosa che quella del primo tempio che sia nel mondo.* 1.5

To this sort of Expence we may join that of Sights or Spectacles of Devotion, Thea∣tres, Perfumes, Musick, Ornaments, Lights, and other parts of the Glory and Magnifi∣cence of Publick Feasts; for in fine, the People will have Theatres and Spectacles, whatever they be; the World bestowed such upon them as nourished their Vices through Voluptuousness: Is it not then the Christian Pietie's and the Christian Po∣licie's part to bestow such as be more volup∣tuous upon them, to the end, that by so en∣tertaining them, it may draw them to Vir∣tue? Vuole il popolo i Teatri,* 1.6 ed è non solo conforme à la pietà, ma eziandio alla Politicá il far che i Teatri più sontuosi e più dilette∣voli sian quelle dove il vizio si medica non dove si nutre. Magnificenza di spettacoli,* 1.7 tri∣onfo della Religione, non pompe della vanità.

The diverse Nunciatures, and the Apo∣stolick Legations that must be sent from time to time about the World, must not be forgotten;* 1.8 Il qualo per bene Christianesi∣mo dêe non solo mantenere lo sua Corte, com∣posta di molti ufficiali nobili, mà dar sussidio

à pove Cardinali provisionar tanti nunzii, aju∣tar tanti bisognosi, e premiar tanti beneme∣riti.

The Regale that must be made to Ne∣phews and Kindred,* 1.9 rigaiglie del parentado, other costs and recompences of Officers and other persons Services, either Noble or Learned or Poor, whom the Pope keeps, the secret Alms which the Pope bestows; as for example, at the Council of Trent, to so many poor Bishops which had not where∣withal to maintain themselves there,* 1.10 secrete limosine à Vescovi bisognosi, the Money that was fain to be sent to Alexander, to quiet the German Spirits,* 1.11 i mandati e la pecunia. These be all heads of Charge, or Articles of expence, and Examples whereby one may judge of such like others; but above all, the charge of Wars against the Hereticks and the Turks, the Succours that the Pope gives at all times to Christian Princes; there needs no more but to read what our Cardinal-Historian relates of it in the Tenth Chapter of his Third Book; there one shall see the Torrents of Gold and Silver that go perpetually forth of Rome, to succour Kings and Christian Princes' torrenti di pe∣cunie.* 1.12 Could these Torrents go out thence, if they had not first come in there? Now all this can be done only by means of the huge Revenues which the Piety of Christi∣ans ought to furnish for maintenance of the Royal Court of the Monarch of the Universe, whose Court is the

Soul that re-unites under one and the same Unity so many Kingdoms, and which of all Countries of his obedience constitutes, one Body Politick, the most Formidable, the most Virtuous, the most Learned,* 1.13 and the most Happy that is upon Earth, una Corte la quale è l'anima che tiene in unità tanti regni e costituisce i paesi à lei ubbedienti; un corpo politico il più Formidabile, il più Virtuoso, il più Litterato, il più felice che fia in terra.

Such is then the Fidelity and Glory of the Court of Rome according to the Flesh, and such is the Temporal Felicity of that Church, for this same Felicity according to the Flesh, is a means most gentle, and at the same time, most efficacious to form the Temporal Great∣ness of the Church, as will be seen in the following Chapter.

Notes

• * 1.1

  l. 1. c. 1.
• * 1.2

  Ibid.
• * 1.3

  Ibid.
• * 1.4

  l. 1. c. 25.
• * 1.5

  l. 1. c. 3.
• * 1.6

  l. 1. c. 25.
• * 1.7

  l. 24. c. ult.
• * 1.8

  l. 2. c. 8.
• * 1.9

  l. 24. c. ult.
• * 1.10

  Introd. c. 4.
• * 1.11

  l. 1. c. 25.
• * 1.12

  l. 4. c. 5.
• * 1.13

  l. 3. c. 10.