tumes the mischief is contrived and effected unknown to the confessor, by his wicked companion; so it happened in this instance. The fame of the wonderful beauty of this young lady was spread so far abroad, that the king and queen being in the city for eight months together, and not seeing the celebrated beauty at their court, her majesty asked her father one day, whether he had any children? And when he answered, that he had only one daughter, he was desired by the queen to bring her along with him to court the next day, for she had a great desire to see her beauty so much admired at home and abroad. The father could not refuse it, and so the next day the lady did appear at court, and was so much admired that a grandee (who had then the command of the army, though not of his own passions) said, this is the first time I see the sun among the stars. The grandee began to covet that inestimable jewel, and his heart burning in the agreeable flame of her eyes, he went to see her father, but could not see the daughter. At last, all his endeavors being in vain, for he was married, he sent for the confessor's companion, whose interest and mediation he got by money and fair promises of raising him to an ecclesiastical dignity; so, by that means, he sent a letter to the lady, who read it, and in a very few days he got her consent to disguise himself and come to see her along with the father companion; so one evening in the dark, putting on a friar's habit, he went to her chamber, where he was always in company with the companion friar, who by crafty persuasions made the lady understand, that if she did not consent to everything that the grandee should desire, her life and reputation were lost, &c. In the same disguise they saw one another several times, to the grandee's satisfaction, and her grief and vexation.

But the court being gone, the young lady began to suspect some public proof of her intrigue, till then secret, and consulting the father companion upon it, he did what he could to prevent it, but in vain. The misfortune was suspected, and owned by her to her parents. The father died of very grief in eight days' time; and the mother went into the country with her daughter, till she was free from her disease, and, afterwards, both ladies, mother and daughter, retired into a monastery, where I knew and conversed several times with them. The gentleman had made his will long before, by which the convent was to get the estate in case the lady should die with-out children; and as she had taken the habit of a nun, and professed the vows of religion, the prior was so ambitious that he

asked the estate, alleging, that she, being a professed t. in, could have no children; to which the lady replied, that she was obliged to obey her father's will, by which she was mistress of the estate during her life; adding, that it was better for the father prior not to insist on his demand; for she was ruined in her reputation by the wickedness of one of his friars, and that she, if pressed, would show her own child, who was the only heir of her father's estate. But the prior, deaf to her threatenings, did carry on his pretensions, and, by an agreement, (not to make the thing more public than it was, for very few knew the true story,) the prior got the estate, obliging the convent to give the lady and her mother, during their lives, 400 pistoles every year, the whole estate being 5000 yearly rent.

I could give several more instances of this nature to convince that the confessors, priests, and friars are the fundamental original cause of almost all the misdoings and mischiefs that happen in the families. By the instances already given every body may easily know the secret practices of some of the Romish priests, which are an abomination to the Lord, especially in the holy tribunal of confession. So I may conclude and dismiss this first chapter, saying, that the confession is the mint of friars and priests, the sins of the penitent the metals, the absolution the coin of money, and the confessors the keepers of it. Now the reader may draw from these accounts as many inferences as he pleases, till, God willing, I furnish him with new arguments, and instances, of their evil practices in the second part of this work.

PART II.

This is a true copy of the Pope's Bull out of Spanish, in the translation of which into English, I am tied up to the letter, almost word for word, and this is to prevent (as to this point) all calumny and objection, which may be made against it, by some critic among the Roman-Catholics.

MDCCXVIII.

BULL of the holy crusade, granted by the holiness of our most holy father Clement, the XIth, to the kingdoms of Spain, and the isles to them pertaining, in favor of all them, that should help and serve the king Dn. Philip V. our lord, in the war and expenses of it, which he doth make against the enemies of our catholic faith, with great indulgences and pardons, for the year one thousand seven hundred and eighteen.

The prophet Joel, sorry for the damages which the sons of Israel did endure by the invasion of the Chaldean armies, (zealous for and desirous of their defence, after having recommended to them the observance of the law) calling the soldiers to the war, saith: That he saw, for the comfort of all, a mystical spring come out from God and his house, which did water and wash away the sins of that people. Chap. 3, v. 18.

Seeing then our most holy father, Clement XI, (who at this day doth rule and govern the holy apostolical see) for the zeal of the catholic king of the Spains, Dn. Philip, the Vth, for the defence of our holy faith, and for that purpose gathereth together, and maintaineth his armies against all the enemies of christianity, to help him in his holy enterprise, doth grant him this bull, by which his holiness openeth the springs of the blood of Christ, and the treasure of his inestimable merits; and with it encourageth all the christians to the assistance of this undertaking. For this purpose, and that they might enjoy this benefit, he orders to be published the following indulgences, graces, and faculties, or privileges.

1. His holiness doth grant to all the true christians of the said kingdoms and dominions, dwellers, and settled, and inhabitants in them, and to all comers to them, or should be found in them; who, moved with the zeal of promoting the holy cathoic faith, should go personally, and upon their own expenses,

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to the war in the army, and with the forces which his majesty sendeth, for the time of one year, to fight against the Turks, and other infidels, or to do any other service, as to help personally in the same army, continuing in it the whole year. To all these his holiness doth grant a free and full indulgence, and pardon of all their sins, (if they have a perfect contrition, or, if they confess them by mouth, and if they cannot, if they have a hearty desire of it) which hath been used to be granted to them that go to the conquest of the holy land, and in the year of Jubilee: and declares that all they that should die before the end of the expedition, or in the way, as they are going to the army before the expedition, should likewise enjoy and obtain the said pardon and indulgence.

He granteth also the same to them, who, (though they do not go personally) should send another upon their own expenses in this manner, viz.: If he that sends another is a cardinal, primate, patriarch, arch-bishop, bishop, son of a king, prince, duke, marquis, or earl, then he must send as many as he can possibly send, till ten; and if he cannot send ten, he must send at least four soldiers. All other persons, of what condition soever they may be, must send one; in such a case, two, or three, or four, may join and contribute, every one according to his abilities, and send one soldier.

2. Item. The chapters, all churches, monasteries of friars and nuns, without excepting mendicant orders, if ten, with the consent of the chapter or community, do join to send one soldier, they do enjoy the said indulgence; and not they only, but the person too, sent by them, if he be poor.

3. Item. The secular priests, who, with the consent of their diocesan, and the friars of their superiors, should preach the word of God in the said army, or should perform any other ecclesiastical and pious office (which is declared to be lawful for them, without incurring irregularity) are empowered to serve their benefices, by meet and fit tenants, having not the cure of souls; for if they have, they cannot without his holiness' consent. And it is declared, that the soldiers employed in this war are not obliged to fast the days appointed and commanded by the church, and which they should be obliged to fast on, if they were not in the war.

4. Item. His holiness grants (not only to the soldiers, but to all them too, who, though they should not go, should encourage this holy work with the charity undermentioned) all the indulgences, graces, and privileges in this bull contained, and this for a whole year, reckoning from the publishing of it

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in any place whatsoever, viz.: that (yet, in the time of aposfolical, or ordinary interdictum, i. e., suspension of all ecclesiastical and divine service) they may hear mass either in the churches and monasteries, or in the private oratories marked and visited by the diocesan; and, if they were priests, to say mass and other divine offices; or, if they were not, to make others to celebrate mass before them, their familiar friends and relations, to receive the holy sacrament of the Lord's supper and the other sacraments, except on Easter Sunday, provided that they have not given occasion for the said interdictum, nor hindered the taking of it: Provided, likewise, that every time they make use of such oratory, they should, according to their devotion, pray for union and concord among all Christian princes, the rooting out of heresies, and victory over the infidels.

5. Item. His holiness granteth, that in time of interdictum, their corpse may be buried in sacred ground, with a moderate funeral pomp.

6. Item. He grants to all, that should take this bull, that auring the year, by the counsel of both spiritual and corporal physicians, they may eat flesh in Lent, and several other days in which it is prohibited: And likewise, that they may freely eat eggs and things with milk; and that all these, who should eat no flesh, (keeping the form of the ecclesiastical fast,) do fulfil the precept of fasting: And in this privilege of eating eggs, &c., are not comprised the patriarchs, primates, archbishops, bishops, nor other inferior prelates, nor any person whatsoever of the regulars, nor of the secular priests, (the days only of Lent,) notwithstanding from the mentioned persons, we except all those that are sixty years of age, and a'l the knights of the military orders, who freely may eat eggs, &c., and enjoy the said privilege.

7. Item. The abovenamed, that should not go, nor send any soldier to this holy war, out of their own substance, (if they should help to it, keeping a fast for devotion's sake, in some days, which are of no precept, and praying and imploring the help of God, for the victory against the infidels, and his grace, for the union among the Christian princes,) as many times as they should do it during the year, so many times it is granted them, and graciously forgiven fifteen years, and fifteen quarantains of pardon, and all the penances imposed on them, and in whatever manner due; also that they be partakers of all the prayers, alms and pilgrimages of Jerusalem, and all the