Lord Mayor, possesses at least (in conformity with the dicta of many learned recorders and sapient common sergeants) a cumulative infallibility. It is painful, however, to reflect, that, whilst the representative of Peter has established his dominion over so many princes and provinces, the power of the successor of Walworth and Whittington extends not beyond the precincts of the city. His lordship, however, need not despise, or be discouraged by, the day of small things. He is already much better lodged than ever Simon Barjona was. The Mansion House is not so inferior to the Vatican, as it is more elegant and commodious than the dwelling of Simon the tanner. The Pope was for many ages a far less important personage at Rome, than the Lord Mayor is in the “capital of nations." True it is, that at present the municipalities of Paris and Vienna, and even of those of York or the Modern Athens, nay, the very Provosts of Wick or Wigton, though they no doubt entertain a high respect for the metropolitan chief magistrate, acknowledge him merely as a primus inter pares, and never dream of soliciting a patent of confirmation under his hand and seal, before entering on the discharge of their respective functions. But so it was formerly with patriarchs, archbishops, and prelates, during the earliest centuries in the annals of the church. They would have recoiled with indignation from the proposition, that they required to do homage to Adeodatus or Hormisdas. The unscrupulous dexterity of Papal cunning and violence has, however, ultimately prevailed; and those, whose predecessors were his equals and his fellows, now reverently kiss his feet, after placing him on the altar of their God. There may also, however, a good time coming" for the Lord Mayor of London, when the chief magistrates and aldermen, the provosts and bailies, the councillors, treasurers, deacons, and deans of guild, may annually flock to Guildhall, in order to undergo the ceremony of metropolitan inauguration.

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I am afraid that, if these humble pages should meet the eye of any of the members of the sacred college, before they are honoured with a place in the Index, they will reproach me with being their enemy, because I tell them the truth; but at all events, on the fas est et ab hoste doceri principle, I think I can lay before them a very happy and useful suggestion. They would do well (in one particular, at least), to adopt the system of annually electing a Pope, just as the Lord Mayor of London only holds his high office during a year; and if they coupled with this arrangement, the principle of rotation (as is wisely practised by the court of aldermen), much violent bickering, unseemly intrigue, and unhallowed interference would be avoided. The decrepit cardinals, whose ambition often survives every other feeling, would thus have their rabbia papale gratified; and during his pontificate of a year (as "fair play is a jewel"), each would have an opportunity to enrich and ennoble his relations, instead of seeing one, who but yesterday was his equal, swallowing, like Aaron's rod, the ecclesiastical revenues of the world, and giving at least one proof of his abhorrence of infidelity, by providing most liberally for his own. To use the words of a well-known historical song—

"Thus barring all pother,

The one and the other

Would all be crown'd Popes in their turn." This system of rotation would not only save much trouble to the sacred college, but exonerate them from the disgrace so often entailed on them, by their unwise and venal selections, and by the ignominious necessity of yielding to " pressure from without." In the conclave of 1605, some youthful cardinals of fifteen had votes on the first scrutiny, to the great scandal of Cardinal Bellarmine; but what must be thought of the infallibility, or rather infamy, of the supreme pontiff, who could confer so high and responsible a dignity on gay and giddy minors, panting for twenty-one. So despotic was the

influence of the "most catholic" king in the conclave of 1590, and so openly and unblushingly exercised, that he sent a list of seven cardinals, and pointedly forbade his managers to allow the Holy Ghost to confer the tiara on any but one of these seven selected sages or sycophants. One of them accordingly was selected, and took the name of Gregory XIV., of whom Maisse, the French ambassador at Rome, gives this graphic account :"He is an easy man, and of little effect. The Spaniards have persuaded him, through his physicians, that, in order to preserve his health, he must abstain from all business. Within ten months, however, he ran through three millions of gold, no one knew how, and died of a very painful and loathsome disease, although they gave him gold, pearls, and other strengthening things to drink, and wrapped him in the carcass of a sheep, and of a newly-killed horse. The Spaniards gave themselves the greatest trouble to preserve him, but God was mightier than they." Now, if the diadem had lighted on the head of such a candidate, in the course of rotation, there would have been no blame attached to the cardinals, if he happened to be the oldest who had not "passed the chair. But when Borromeo, and many other eminent cardinals, were, at the command of an arrogant monarch, passed over, in order that a mere puppet of his own might become "infallible in matters of faith," because he was assisted "by the Holy Spirit," what can we think of a system so rotten, and so corrupt? and yet any devotee, who visited Rome during his brief pontificate, would hasten to kiss the feet of this infallible driveller; and, it may be, leave such a man as Baronius unvisited and unnoticed-a case somewhat analogous to that of George II., who, not being very conversant with our national literature, and having gone to see one of our great bard's masterpieces, thought mighty little of Garrick, but had his attention wholly engrossed by the well graced and well accoutred actor who represented the Lord Mayor, and was constantly asking

when that eminent functionary would reappear? It has often happened, on the pontifical stage, that some awkward and unseemly stroller, who was barely tolerated as a very sorry representative of Rosencranz or Guildenstern, is all at once called upon to enact the part of Hamlet, and performs it amidst the unanimous plaudits of the very audience, who had endured with impatience his almost ludicrous representation of the subordinate character.

Be assured, my friends, that the more you study every subject in any wise appertaining to the Papal mystery of iniquity, the more clearly you will perceive, how entirely it is at variance with the divine mystery of godliness. It is a system, which every pious and enlightened man in Europe should labour incessantly to put down and to demolish. Every rite and every tenet with the Romanists must be gross, material, and palpable. They walk by sight and not by faith. Instead of enduring as seeing Him who is invisible, they must bring Christ down from heaven and worship him in the wafer. Instead of bowing beneath his unseen omnipotence, they must behold the sceptre of his unerring wisdom wielded by a frail and often flagitious mortal. Had our government, when Pius IX. presumed to nominate an Archbishop of Westminster, authorized the Archbishop of Canterbury to consecrate Gavazzi as Bishop of Rome, I believe that two-thirds of the Italians would have recognised his authority with thankful and cordial alacrity; and if the bayonets of the French despot were withdrawn from Rome, Bishop Gavazzi would be carried in triumph to the Vatican on the shoulders of an emancipated and enthusiastic population. Ecclesiastical as well as civil tyranny would soon be annihilated. The depredations of cowled palmer worms, locusts, and cankerworms, would be put an end to. It would no longer be said, as it may be now, that which the Dominican hath left hath the Franciscan eaten, and that which the Franciscan hath left hath the Carthusian eaten, and that which the

Carthusian hath left hath the Jesuit eaten; the locusts would no longer come, and caterpillars without number, to eat up all the herbs in the land, and devour the fruit of the ground. Gavazzi, like another Josiah, would defile Topheth, and put down the idolatrous priests, and them that burn incense to Mary, and break in pieces the images, and cut down the groves; and he would take away the high places and statues, which (like Solomon in the days of his idolatry) the antichristian usurper has erected on the right hand of the Mount of Corruption, and all the shrines erected in Italy for Januarius, the abomination of the Neapolitans, and Francis, the abomination of the Assisians, and Antony, the abomination of the Paduans, would Gavazzi defile" and the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they minister, would he take away, and the fire-pans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold in gold, and of silver in silver;" and it would be unquestionably found, or rather is, I believe, already admitted, that the brass of the priests is "in abundance, without weight." Were such a glorious triumph achieved, as I trust it may be ere long, it would be found that now, as in the season of primitive purity and simplicity, the Word of the Lord, which endureth for ever, would be searched by every Christian and read in every family, and once more, as in the days of Paul, the faith of all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints, might be spoken of throughout the whole world.

IV.-PAPAL NEPOTISM AND RAPACITY.

I specified, in the preceding letter, certain signal advantages which would, in my humble judgment, result from rendering the Papal elections annual.

There is, however, I must own, one very serious ob