acceffion Vn the Nethe lands and both the Sicilies into his hands, adopted the idea of fupplying the defect, by that of Triefe alone. He embarked warmly in this fcheme, fparing neither pains nor expence in its profecution. He enlarged the harbour, he declared the port free, he held out invitation and encouragement to the merchants and thips of all nations to trade thither, he propofed its being the ftation of a fquadron of thips of war (which were to be there built) fufficient to command respect both in the Adriatic and Mediterranean; and his fanguine hopes faw it already rifing to be the grand emporium of Auftrian commerce in both feas, and rivalling, if not obfcuring, the fplendor of Venice itself. the interior countries, were at that time nearly impaffable. Upon the whole, all thofe fplendid profpects which had been at firft opened to the view, in a little time fell to the ground: and the Venetians, who had fettled for the purpofe at Trieste, obtained all thofe fruits which the emperor had intended for his own fubjects. but which they were incapable of gathering. The late empreis queen, however, refumed the defign, and fupported it with greater vigour as well as fuccefs. A magnificent road from Vienna to Triefte, which would not have difgraced the labours of the ancient Romans, was opened under her aufpices, and conducted at an immenfe expence over the ftcepelt mountains of Iftria and Friuli. The prefent emperor, with his ufual ferIn fact, the Venetians were not a vour, feconded the views of his mo little alarmed at these measures.ther, and even went beyond them, But there are other things befides by the establishment of his new East fea-ports and immunities neceffary India trade at Triefte. The city for the eftablishment of commerce; has not only been rebuilt, but a nor is trade easily debauched from new one, much more magnificent, its antient feats, or diverted from added. Large fhips have been conits ufual channels. The inhabitants ftructed there, entirely of domestic of Triefte were poor, and being ig- materials, and, within a few years, norant of the principles of com- their population has increased from merce, would not rifk the little mo about three thoufand inhabitants, to ney they had in adventures, which above four times that number; but feemed the more hazardous from not there are ftill many heavy clogs to being underfood. There were other prevent its rifing to that pitch of effential impediments to this defign. commercial eminence, which has The neighbouring countries of Fri- been, and probably ftill is, fondly uli, Iftria, and Carniola, are poor, imagined. Its remote and fequefthinly inhabited, exceedingly moun- tered port is too far out of the way tainous, and generally barren. The to be much frequented, even from people are rude; and their genius, many parts of the Mediterranean; habits, and manners, confequently but voyages from the ocean are fo adverse to trade and manufacture. long, intricate, and dangerous, as Their products and commodities for not to be often directly undertaken; exportation were few, and of small of which a stronger, inftance needs value; while the roads, by which not to be given, than that the Brithey might have been brought from tifh merchants at Trieste find it more more convenient to have their merchandize brought across Germany by land from Hamburgh, than that courfe by fea. But the great, and, in the prefent ftate of things, feemingly infurmountable obitacle, to the growth of this place in the manner expected, is the paucity of native articles, whether of product or manufacture, for exportation; their imports ftill nearly dubling, both in quantity and value, their exports. Nor is it to be fuppofed that the East India trade, if it thould even profper and continue, will be any longer carried on from fo very inconvenient a fituation, than until the emperor can find it convenient, either to transfer it to Oftend, or has been able to procure fome other port on the ocean for that purpose. However that may be, ideas and fchemes of commerce were now fo prevalent, that early in the fummer of 1782, the emperor lent four millions of florins to the merchants of Trieste, for the increase (as it mag nificently expreffed) of their commerce, not only in Afia, but in Africa, and alfo in America; accompanied with a promife of all future fuccour and protection which their circumftances might appear to require. A new company of merchants was foon after formed, who, it is faid, commenced their enterprizes with a capital of two millions of florins. The spirit of adventure was rapidly increafing. New ports were eagerly fought for on the neighbouring coafts of Morlachia and Iftria, and dock-yards were built and the keels of large veffels laid at one of them. A scheme was likewife adopted, of purchafing fat oxen in Hungary, and falting them at Fiume, which was faid to have antwered admirably. No regular detail has been pub. lifhed of the measures purfued by the emperor, towards the clofe of 1781, and the commencement of the following year, with refpect to the fuppreffion of monatteries, and the reform of the ecclefiaftics in general; for, notwithstanding the extenfion of liberty granted to the prefs in other refpects, it feems either to have been cautionfly reftrained on this occafion, or that the directors of that powerful engine thought it prudent to lay the reftraint on themselves. Perhaps the virulent libels which were circulated on the fubject, and the authors of which ould not be reached, either by the dread of power, or the temptation of gold, might have occafioned this rettraint on the one fide, or continence on the other.— However that was, it is certain that the emperor has fince afforded opportunities of ridicule to his enemies, which they have by no means overlooked, by contrafting with the boafted liberality of his edict in favour of the prefs, thofe fevere reftrictions and heavy penalties, with which, in certain cafes, it has fince been thackled. We find, however, by letters from Vienna, dated early in the year 1782, that the bufinefs of reform in Germany was then far advanced. One of thefe letters, dated on the 2d of February, ftates that the imperial decree, relative to the fuppreffion of the religious orders, had been carried into execution in Bohemia and Moravia, without any confequences; and that the money arifing from the confiscation of their effects would be applied to public purposes. Information of a week later stated, that twenty-four Carthufian monafteries had been already fuppreffed in the Auftrian hereditary countries, exclufive of the kingdom of Hungary. Another eftimate, dated before the end of the month, without mentioning whether Hungary is included, ftates the number of religious houfes then fuppreffed at fiftyfive. The fuppreffion was not, however, general, being restricted to thofe orders whofe members, being charged with indulging themfelves in an idle and contemplative life, were confidered as being of no real. ufe to fociety; while, on the other hand, protection and encouragement was afforded to thofe inftitutions, which had for their object the education of youth. The monks and nups of the fuppreffed orders were abfolved from their vows, and fome provifion was made for their main tenance. Previous to this period, and before the clofe of the preceding year, an edict had been published at Bruffels, by which all the religious houfes in the Auftrian Netherlands, of whatever denomination, were difcharged and exempted from every degree of foreign ecclefiaftical ju rifdiction. This was followed by an imperial refcript, which was circulated throughout all his dominions, ftating the reafons and principles which induced him to fhake off the Papal yoke; and totally difclaiming all fubordination whatever, in fecular affairs, to the holy fee. Nor were the mountains of the Alps, nor the vicinity of the once formidable thunders of the Vatican, fufficient to fecure the ecclefiaftical orders in the duchy of Milan from experiencing the fate of their German and Hungarian brethren. Two edicts were published at Milan in the beginning of the year 1782, for the fuppreflion of all thofe orders in VOL. XXVII. that duchy, which were under the circumftances we have before recited, decreeing their eftates to be fold by public auction, and their value excepting only the ftipends allotted for the maintenance of the late poffeffors, to be applied to the exigencies of the state. eft These measures excited the great. alarm at the court of Rome.. Council was held upon council, and congregation upon congregation at the vatican, while nothing was decided or propofed, which feemed in any degree capable of refifting, or even mitigating the evil. In this ftate of prefent diftrefs, and apprehenfion for the future, the fovereign pontiff, Pius the Sixth, notwithftanding his great age, his infirmities, the badnefs of the roads, the length of the journey, and the extreme feverity of the feafon, determined upon going to Vienna, and conferring perfonally upon the fubjects of grievance or complaint with the emperor. It was in vain that his friends reprefented, and remonftrated with him, upon the difficul ties and dangers attending fuch a journey, in his ftate of health, time of life, and at fuch a feason of the year; he refolutely anfwered, that no obftacles or perils fhould deter him from the difcharge of his duty; that, whatever he suffered in the attempt, or, if he was doomed to perish in the execution, it would be no more than what he was bound to endure; that the event lay with God, but the fulfilling of his duty, fo tar as he was capable of doing it, with himfelf; and he continued inflexibly to adhere to his determination. This was about the clofe of the year 1781, and the pope, having communicated his design through the nuncio at Vienna to the em[B] peror, peror, entered at the fame time into the gentleft poffible expoftula. tion with him upon the meafures which he was purfuing. He reminded him that Benedict the Fourteenth had been his god-father; he recalled to memory the piety of his mother, and the conftant regard of his family to the church; he requested and intreated, that he would not trip the apoftolic fee of thofe rights which it had poffeffed from time immemorial; he stated, that the object of his journey was to con. verfe in the molt amicable manner with him, upon the fubject of fome late innovations which had taken place, relative to religions matters; and to endeavour to prevail with him not to invade the rights of the church, or to diminish the pontifical prerogatives, neither of which could be done, without deeply injuring the interols of religion itfelf. The emperor, who had already taken his meafures, would have been very well pleafed to avoid the tibuble and formality of this CCCXampled vifit. In his andwer to the fovereign pontiff he obferved, that if his holiness thould perfift in his defign of coming thither, he fhould certainly be received with all the refpect and regard due to his high dignity; but that, if the object of his journey related to thofe measures and regulations, upon which he had himfelf, already decided, it would be totally fuperfluous. That as to himfelt, he always conformed, in his determination and meatures to the rules of reafon, equity, humanity, and religion. That, before they were rned into execution, he always confu'ted per ons of wildom, integrity, and knowledge, upon the affairs in which he engaged. He declared himfelf to be truly catholic and apoftolic; and concluded, by befeeching his holinefs to grant him his benediction. Such was the moderate language ufed upon his occa. fion, through neceflity on the one fide, and proceeding from a cool and studied policy on the other. Notwithstanding the little encou ragement or hope afforded by this anfwer, the pope ftill perfevered in his defign. He probably relied a good deal upon the effects which his age, the facredness of his office and character, along with the novelty of the undertaking (till ren. dered more fingular by the difficulties of the journey, and the untoward feafon of the year) might produce. Under thefe, or other impreffions or ideas, Pius the Sixth, the Roman Pontiff, fet out on his journey from Rome, within two days of the end of February, and arrived at Vienna on the 224 of March, 1782. The emperor, accompanied by his brother, the archduke Maximilian, went to meet the holy father at Neukirken, and conducted him in his own coach to Vienna. Every poflible mark of heneur and reject was paid to him by that city and court at his arrival. Te Deum was performed before the wide court, as a thanksgiving for that event, the hot being publicly expofed during the time. A fimilar courfe of honour and 'refpect continued to be paid to him during the whole time of his ftay in Vienna; anithe very guarded and strict precautions ufed by the police, were not fufficient to prevent feveral legs and arms from being broken, through the eagerness of the people to receive his benediction, on his way to and from church on Eafter-day. But thefe were mere outward forms, which could have no con nection heftion with the interior operations of the cabinet; and though frequent conferences took place between the emperor and pope, at the conclufion of which marks of the greateft mutual fatisfaction were always thought apparent; yet the event has fully fhewn, that the lat. ter did not gain any one material object of his wishes. It was faid, that in one of thefe conferences, the pope delivered his fentiments to the powerful fovereign whom he was addreffing in terms to the following effect:"I have neither the power nor the will to defend by force thofe rights which the fovereign. pontiffs, my predeceffors, formerly enjoyed. I am far alfo from pretending to oppofe the execution of those ordinances, which the wifdom of fovereigns might find it neceffary to prefcribe, for the fecurity of government, or the benefit of their fubjects. All I fhall defire and expect in return, is that thefe potentatés fhould equally refpect thofe hitherto undifputed immunities, prerogatives, and rights, which, without interfering with the rights of others, have through fo many ages appertained to the holy fee. What I therefore with, and, in order to prevent the total degradation of the pontifical dignity will be found abfolutely neceffary, is, that a congrefs of ambaffadors from all the catholic powers in Europe, fhould be held, and that they fhould determine upon, and irrevocably fix, fuch parts of the ancient rights belonging to the holy fee, as their fovereigns were fill willing to continue in the hands of the pope." Such was the language now held by the fallen reprefentative of that mighty power, which through a long courfe of ages had held the Weftern world under a fway unexampled," in its nature, rife, duration, and extent." We have no information of the anfwer made to that propofition. It is not improbable that the pontiff was indulged in this fpeculation, as fome lenitive for the difappointă ment which he experienced in every thing elfe. The pope continued a month at Vienua, and arrived in Rome about the middle of June; having met with every thing, in the courfe of his journey both outwards and homewards, that could be deemed pleafing flattering, excepting only fuccefs in the object for which it was undertaken. or It feemed not a little remarkable, and as if the conferences between the emperor and the pope had produced perfuafion where it was leaft to be expected, that at a confiftory held in Rome foon after the return of the latter, it was faid to have been determined to take measures for abridging by degrees the number of convents both for males and females throughout Europe; for reftricting to a limited number the members of the remaining communities; and for preventing in future the admiffion of novices under 25 years of age. The vifit to Vienna occafioned no intermiffion whatever of the emperor's proceedings with refpect to his ecclefiaftical reforms; which were extended to the fecular clergy and hierarchy, as well as to the religious orders, or regulars. A commiffion was established for the adminiftration of the fequeftered eftates and effects, which were fo confider ble, that the most mode. rate calculators fuppofed that the emperor would gain four or five [B] 2 millions |