the Trinity could be proved from the firft Chapter of Genefis; but the Accufation was too ridiculous to be taken Notice of.

After this he paffed fucceffively through the Dignities of his Order, and in the Intervals of his Employment applied himself to his Studies with fo extenfive a Capacity, as left no Branch of Knowledge untouched. By him Acquependente, the great Anatomift, confeffes that he was informed how Vifion is performed; and there are Proofs that he was not a Stranger to the Circulation of the Blood. He frequently converfed upon Aftronomy with Mathematicians, upon Anatomy with Surgeons, upon Medicine with Phyficians, and with Chemifts upon the Analyfis of Metals, not as a fuperficial Enquirer, but as a complete Master.

But the Hours of Repofe, that he employed fo well, were interrupted by a new Information in the Inquifition, where a former Acquaintance produced a Letter written by him in Cyphers, in which he faid, that he detefted the Court of Rome, and that no Preferment was obtained there but by difhoneft Means. This Accufation, however dangerous, was paffed over on Account of his great Reputation, but made fuch Impreffions on that Court, that he was afterwards denied a Bifhoprick by Clement VIII. After thefe Difficulties were furmounted, Father Paul again retired to his Solitude, where he appears, by fome Writings drawn up by him at that Time, to have turned his Attention more to Improvements in Piety than Learning. Such was the Care with which he read the Scriptures, that, it being his Cuftom to draw a Line under any Paffage which he intended more nicely to confider, there was not a fingle Word in his New Teftament but was underlined ; the fame Marks of Attention appeared in his Old Teftament, Pfalter, and Breviary.

But

But the most active Scene of his Life began about the Year 1615, when Pope Paul V. exafperated by fome Decrees of the Senate of Venice that interfered with the pretended Rights of the Church, laid the whole State under an Interdict.

The Senate, filled with Indignation at this Treatment, forbad the Bifhops to receive or publifh the Pope's Bull; and convening the Rectors of the Churches, commanded them to celebrate divine Service in the accustomed Manner, with which most of them readily complied; but the Jefuits and fome others refufing, were by a folemn Edict expelled the State.

Both Parties having proceeded to Extremities, employed their ableft Writers to defend their Meafures: On the Pope's Side, among others, Cardinal Bellarmine entered the Lifts, and, with his confederate Authors, defended the Papal Claims with great Scurrility of Expreffion, and very sophistical Reafonings, which were confuted by the Venetian Apologifts in much more decent Language, and with much greater Solidity of Argument.

On this Occafion Father Paul was moft eminently diftinguished by his Defence of the Rights of the fu preme Magiftrate, his Treatife of Excommunication tranflated from Gerfon, with an Apology, and other Writings, for which he was cited before the Inquifition at Rome; but it may be easily imagined that he did not obey the Summons.

The Venetian Writers, whatever might be the Abilities of their Adverfaries, were at leaft fuperior to them in the Justice of their Caufe. The Propofitions maintained on the Side of Rome were thefe: That the Pope is invested with all the Authority of Heaven and Earth. That all Princes are his Vaflals, and that he may annul their Laws at Pleasure. That Kings may appeal to him, as he is temporal Monarch of the whole Earth. That he can discharge Subjects

Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance, and make it their Duty to take up Arms against their Sovereign That he may depofe Kings without any Fault committed by them, if the Good of the Church requires it. That the Clergy are exempt from all Tribute to Kings, and are not accountable to them even in Cafes of High Treason. That the Pope cannot err; that his Decifions are to be received and obeyed on Pain of Sin, though all the World should judge them to be falfe. That the Pope is God upon Earth; that his Sentence and that of God are the fame; and that to call his Power in Question, is to call in Question the Power of God. Maxims equally fhocking, weak, pernicious, and abfurd! which did not require the Abilities or Learning of Father Paul to demonftrate their Falfhood and deftructive Tendency.

It may be eafily imagined that fuch Principles were quickly overthrown, and that no Court but that of Rome thought it for its Intereft to favour them. The Pope therefore finding his Authors confuted, and his Cause abandoned, was willing to conclude the Affair by Treaty, which, by the Mediation of Henry IV. of France, was accommodated upon Terms very much to the Honour of the Venetians.

But

But the Defenders of the Venetian Rights were, though comprehended in the Treaty, excluded by the Romans from the Benefit of it; fome upon different Pretences were imprisoned, fome fent to the Galleys, and all debarred from Preferment. their Malice was chiefly aimed against Father Paul, who foon found the Effects of it; for as he was going one Night to his Convent, about fix Months after the Accommodation, he was attacked by five Ruffians armed with Stilettoes, who gave him no lefs than fifteen Stabs, three of which wounded him in fuch a Manner, that he was left for dead. The

Murderers

Murderers fled for Refuge to the Nuncio, and were afterwards received into the Pope's Dominions, but were pursued by divine Juftice, and all, except one Man who died in Prison, perished by violent Deaths.

This, and other Attempts upon his Life, obliged him to confine himself to his Convent, where he engaged in writing the Hiftory of the Council of Trent, a Work unequalled for the judicious Difpofition of the Matter, and artful Texture of the Narration, recommended by Dr. Burnet as the completeft Model of Hiftorical Writing, and celebrated by Mr. Wotton as equivalent to any Production of Antiquity; in which the Reader finds Liberty without Licentioufnefs, Piety without Hypocrify, Freedom of Speech without Neglect of Decency, Severity without Rigour, and extenfive Learning without Oftentation.'

In this, and other Works of lefs Confequence, he spent the remaining Part of his Life, to the Beginning of the Year 1622, when he was feized with a Cold and Fever, which he neglected till it became incurable. He languifhed more than twelve Months, which he spent almoft wholly in a Preparation for his Paffage into Eternity; and among his Prayers and Afpirations was often heard to repeat, • Lord! now let thy Servant depart in Peace.'

On Sunday the Eighth of January of the next Year, he rofe, weak as he was, to Mass, and went to take his Repaft with the reft; but on Monday was feized with a Weakness that threatened immediate Death; and on Thursday prepared for his Change by receiving the Viaticum with fuch Marks of Devotion as equally melted and edified the Beholders.

Through the whole Course of his Illness to the laft Hour of his Life, he was confulted by the Senate in public Affairs, and returned Anfwers in his greatest Weakness, with fuch Presence of Mind, as could only arife from the Confcioufnefs of Innocence.

On

On Saturday, the Day of his Death, he had the Paffion of our bleffed Saviour read to him out of St. John's Gospel, as on every other Day of that Week, and fpoke of the Mercy of his Redeemer, and his Confidence in his Merits.

As his End evidently approached, the Brethren of the Convent came to pronounce the last Prayers, with which he could only join in his Thoughts, being able to pronounce no more than these Words, Efto perpetua, Mayft thou laft for ever;' which was understood to be a Prayer for the Profperity of his Country.

Thus died Father Paul, in the feventy-first Year of his Age; hated by the Romans as their most formidable Enemy, and honoured by all the Learned, for his Abilities, and by the Good for his Integrity. His Deteftation of the Corruption of the Roman Church appears in all his Writings, but particularly in this memorable Paffage of one of his Letters: There is nothing more effential than to ruin the Reputation of the Jefuits: By the Ruin of the Jefuits, Rome will be ruined; and if Rome is ruined, Religion will reform of itself.'

6

6

He appears by many Paffages of his Life to have had a high Efteem of the Church of England; and his Friend, Father Fulgentio, who had adopted all his Notions, made no Scruple of adminiftering to Dr. Duncomb, an English Gentleman that fell fick at Venice, the Communion in both Kinds, according to the Common Prayer which he had with him in Italian.

He was buried with great Pomp at the Public Charge, and a magnificent Monument was erected to his Memorial,

VOL. III.

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FRAGMENT