This government adheres to its character abfolute, and rafh in the commiffion of crimes, cowardly and fubmiffive when they are committed. It is now at the knees of the Chevalier Azarra, begging him to go to Florence after me to bring me back to Rome.

That generous friend of the French wrote me word of it. I add, that this minifter, and that of Tufcany, have allured me they will folicit to be recalled from a country in which there is no real government; where the paffion of an individual is the reafon of the ftate; where the private hatred of the egotrit influences the public man; the Roman confiders his existence as the great object, and facrifices the intereft of the state to that fentiment. He will facrifice to it thofe of his church, and of the whole world.

(Signed)

く

BUONAPARTE.

Letter from the Cardinal Secretary of State to the Pope, to the Marquis of Mafimi, at Paris.

THE difpatch which I this day fend to you will be the subject of as much regret to you as it is to me. You know the extent of our fentiments of friendship for the French republic, as well as the intereft which we all feel in whatever concerns it, or relates to the citizen ambaffador Buonaparte, who is fo refpectable a man. I had received yesterday evening confidential reports, ftating, that, in the courfe of the night, there would be fome commotion in the city of Rome. This information did not appear to me deferving of much weight; but ftill I did not think it right totally to neglect it: therefore I took thofe fteps which every wife government ought to take, under fimilar circumtances; and having thought it my duty to acquaint the ambaffador therewith to-day, he approved of them.

I remained tranquil, placing an entire confidence in the difpofitions manifefted by the ambaffador, and the precautions I had taken, when, all on a fudden, about eleven o'clock at night, I was informed that a body of infurgents had advanced to his palace, to demand fupport from him, which he moft firmly refufed; that afterwards General Duphot had unfortunately been killed in an action which took place between the infurgents and our troops. It was after this event that the citizen ambaifador took the refolu tion of leaving Rome. I endeavoured, by the most urgent entreaties, to induce him to alter his refolution; but, in fpite of his friendship for me, he thought it due to his perfon and fituation to take this ftep; and I have profited by this opportunity to write to you, and to fend the letter by the ambaffador. I refer

you

you to him for further information upon this fubject; and I have fuch a confidence in his integrity and veracity, that I neither can nor ought to doubt that he will state the truth exactly to the Directory. The object of this letter is to defire you to wait upon the Directory, and to ftate to them, that the Holy Father feels the moft fincere concern at an accident which he could neither forefee nor prevent. You must not offer any fatisfaction for this event, which has rendered the Holy Father, and all of us, inconfolable; but you must entreat the Directory to point out what fatisfaction they require. To afk it, and to obtain it, fhall be the fame thing; for neither his Holiness, myself, nor the court of Rome, can be eafy until we know that the Directory are fatisfied. Knowing their justice, I am perfuaded, that if, on the one fide, they cannot be indifferent to the lofs of a valuable citizen, on the other, they cannot doubt of the lively concern we feel, they will give due weight to the immediate application which you are charged to make to them, and to the entire confidence with which we rely upon their determination. I cannot give you a more interefting commiffion than this;' and it will give you a title to his Holinefs's favour, if you can enable me to ease his mind upon this fubject. I expect difpatches from you as foon as poffible, and am

Your fervant,

(Signed)

Rome, Dec. 28, 1797.

J. DORIA PAMPHILI,
Cardinal.

Copy of a Letter from Monf. le Chevalier Azarra, to Citizen Buonaparte, Ambaffador of the French Republic at Rome, dated Rome, 29th December 1797.

THE ftate in which you left us this morning is more easily conceived than expreffed. I did not fleep the whole of the night, and before day I was apprized of your departure. Your man came to me, and gave me your billet, which, in the midst of the pleasure it gave me, caufed me infinite concern'at the lofs of fo dear a friend. I did not want. it to put me in mind of you, yet I will keep it as the moft facred pledge of your friendship. Citizen Torette brought me the effects of the unhappy general, which he had fealed. I caufed an inventory to be made of them, and will take care of them until his heirs shall have difpofed of them.

I have told your maitre d' hotel, the director of the posts, and all other Frenchmen, to have recourfe to me upon all occafions, with as much confidence as they would to you. The only incon venience is, that I am not certain as to my own fafety; for I fee

the

the people are not at all tranquil, and I am told that there are commotions at Traftivera.

While writing this, I received a meffage from the secretary of ftate, in the name of the Pope, requesting me to go to you at Florence, in order to bring you back to Rome. Though there was no common fenfe in this propofition, I only replied, that I was forbid interfering in the affairs of Rome. Rely upon my friendship, &c. &c.

T. AZARRA.

No. I.

The Ambafador of the French Republic at Rome, to the Cardinal Secretary of State, dated Rome, 28th December, Eight o'Clock at Night.

I WRITE to inform you of a horrible crime which was committed a few minutes after my return from the Vatican, where I went upon your invitation. The palace of France is furrounded and violated. It is neceffary that you, or the governor, or fome other person who poffeffes your confidence, fhould come here. I do not doubt but you will come yourself. You will only have to pafs through troops.

No. II.

The Ambaffador of the French Republic at Rome, to the Cardinal Secretary of State, dated 28th December, Ten o'Clock at Night.

AFTER what has juft happened, it is impoffible for me to prolong my stay in Rome, without committing the dignity of my character, and perhaps promoting interests totally contrary to my inftructions, which were fuch as fuit the reprefentation of a great and loyal government. I demand a passport for my family, and for the French officers. I beg you will fanction the note I fend you, for procuring poft-horses.

P. S. Several Frenchmen have had their cockades torn from their hats in different parts of the city. The government fhall be refponfible for any ulterior infults offered to them.

Nos. III. and IV.

The French Ambafador to the Cardinal Secretary, dated Rome,

Dec. 28.

I HAVE already asked for a passport: you ought to perceive that circumstances will not fuffer me to remain any longer here. VOL. VII. P

Every

Every delay which you occafion will astonish me, and I fhall not know to what cause to attribute it. I repeat it to you, every thing calls upon me to fpeak; fend me the paffport, and the order for the post-horfes. I expect this mark of condefcenfion from the particular friendship you have expreffed for me. Send me by the bearer that which I afk of you, and think of the confequences of the leaft delay. If you could have come to me, you would not have doubted the neceffity of my departure, or of that of the family belonging to General Duphot, whofe life is intolerable in this palace. The blood of the unhappy man ftill stains my apartments and my stairs.

The leaft delay will be a contradiction to the fentiments which you have always profeffed for me, and the efteem of which I have given you so many proofs.

No. V.

Letter from the Cardinal Secretary of State, to the Ambassador Buonaparte, from the Vatican, December 28, 1797.

THE Cardinal Jofeph Doria Pamphili, fecretary of state, re- ceived, with the moft lively affliction, the note of Citizen Buonaparte, ambaffador of the French republic, and has figned, with the utmost regret, his paffport, and the order for the poft-horses. He dares not requeft him to delay his departure, but he takes the liberty of tranfmitting by him a letter to the Marquis of Massimi, in which, instead of ftating all the facts, he relies upon the good faith of the ambaffador to ftate them to the French republic.

The health of the Holy Father renders it impoffible to acquaint him to-night with all that has happened; and one cannot confider without affliction the impreffion which this unfortunate event will make upon him. This government will be ready to give to the French republic fuch fatisfaction as it may require, though they have in no degree been in fault.

The Cardinal, before he concludes his letter, begs to ftate to the ambaffador, that it depends upon him to preferve that peace which the commander in chief fo generously eftablished at Tolentino. Hoping every thing from the goodness of the ambaffador, he renews his affurances of high confideration.

(Signed) JOSEPH CARDINAL DORIA PAMPHILI.

No. VI.

The French Ambaffador to the Cardinal Secretary, dated Rome, 8th Nivofe, 1797.

THE ambaffador of the French republic has expreffed in another letter, fent by Citizen Moltedo, his regret at the imperious

motives

motives which compel him to break off all correfpondence with the fecretary of ftate, without ceafing at the fame time to retain in his mind the ftrongest fentiments of regard for the character and the polite and friendly manners of M. le Cardinal Doria, whofe goodness is difplaced among thofe irreconcilable enemies of the French name who now govern the court of Rome. I beg you to believe the fentiments of friendship and efteem with which he is,

Letter from Talleyrand Perigord, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to Citizen Buonaparte, Ambassador of the French Republic at Rome.

Paris, 22d Nivose (Jän íi).

I HAVE received, citizen, the diftreffing letter which you wrote to me, relative to the dreadful events which took place at Rome on the 8th of Nivole. Perfidy and bafe villany were never carried to a greater excefs. Be affured that the French republic will exact a reparation worthy of itself-and with this affurance receive the only confolation which can be given to him who has feen one of his best friends, and one of the most intrepid defenders of the republic, die by his fide.

Notwithstanding the care you have taken to conceal almoft every thing which perfonally relates to your conduct on that horrible day, you have not prevented us from difcovering that you have fupported with magnanimity the honour of the French

name.

The Directory charge me to exprefs to you, in the strongest and warmest manner, the lively fatisfaction which they have received from your conduct in this affair. I hope you will readily believe that I am happy to be their organ in communicating these fentiments.

Health and fraternity.

CH. TALLEYRAND PERIGORD.

Meffage from the Executive Directory to the Council of Five Hundred, the vft Vent fe (Feb. 19).

Citizens Reprefentatives,

THE theocratic government of Rome, forgetting the benefits

of the treaty of Tolentino, and ungrateful towards the French government, which deigned to fpare it after the affaffination of Baffeville--that government, ever faithlefs to human rights, on the 8th of Nivofe laft, infulted the great nation in the perfon of her ambaffador, by violating the jurifdiction of his palace, and

P 2

murder.