LXIX. The coin.

38

CHAP. hill, the coldeft minds must have glowed with the remembrance of their ancestors. II. The first Cæfars had been invested with the exclufive coinage of the gold and filver; to the fenate they abandoned the bafer metal of bronze or copper": the emblems and legends were infcribed on a more ample field by the genius of flattery; and the prince was relieved from the care of celebrating his own virtues. The fucceffors of Diocletian defpifed even the flattery of the fenate: their royal officers at Rome, and in the provinces, affumed the fole direction of the mint; and the fame prerogative was inherited by the Gothic kings of Italy, and the long series of the Greek, the French, and the German dynafties. After an abdication of eight hundred years, the Roman fenate afferted this honourable and lucrative privilege; which was tacitly renounced by the popes, from Pafchal the fecond to the establishment of their refidence beyond the Alps. Some of these republican coins of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, are fhewn in the cabinets of the curious. On one of these, a gold medal, Chrift is depictured holding in his left hand a book with this infcription: "THE VOW OF THE ROMAN SENATE • AND PEOPLE ROME THE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD; on the reverse, St. Peter delivering a banner to a kneeling fenator in his cap and gown, with the name and arms of his family imThe præfect preffed on a fhield ". III. With the empire, the præfect of the city had declined to a municipal

of the city.

cc

officer; yet he ftill exercised in the laft appeal

41

LXIX.

1198—1216,

the civil and criminal jurifdiction; and a drawn CHA P. fword, which he received from the fucceffors of Otho, was the mode of his inveftiture and the emblem of his functions". The dignity was confined to the noble families of Rome: the choice of the people was ratified by the pope'; but a triple oath of fidelity muft have often embarraffed the præfect in the conflict of adverse duties "1. A fervant, in whom they poffeffed but a third fhare, was difmiffed by the independent Romans: in his place they elected a patrician; but this title, which Charlemagne had not difdained, was too lofty for a citizen or a subject; and, after the first fervour of rebellion, they consented without reluctance to the restoration of the præfect. About A. D. fifty years after this event, Innocent the third, the most ambitious, or at least the most fortunate, of the pontiffs, delivered the Romans and himfelf from this badge of foreign dominion he invested the præfect with a banner instead of a fword, and abfolved him from all dependence of oaths or fervice to the German emperors". In his place an ecclefiaftic, a prefent or future cardinal, was named by the pope to the civil government of Rome; but his jurifdiction has been reduced to a narrow compass; and in the days of freedom, the right or exercife was derived from the fenate and people. IV. After the revival of the fenate. , Number and the conscript fathers (if I may use the expreffion) choice of the were invested with the legislative and executive power; but their views feldom reached beyond the present day; and that day was most frequently

:

43

fenate.

LXIX.

44

CHAP. difturbed by violence and tumult. In its utmost plenitude, the order or affembly confifted of fiftyfix fenators ** the most eminent of whom were diftinguished by the title of counsellors; they were nominated, perhaps annually, by the people; and a previous choice of their electors, ten persons in each region or parish, might afford a bafis for a free and permanent conftitution. The popes, who in this tempest submitted rather to bend than to break, confirmed by treaty the establishment and privileges of the senate, and expected from time, peace, and religion, the restoration of their government. The motives of public and private intereft might fometimes draw from the Romans an occafional and temporary facrifice of their claims; and they renewed their oath of allegiance to the fucceffor of St. Peter and Conftantine, the lawful head of the church and the republic***.

The office of fenator.

The union and vigour of a public council was diffolved in a lawless city; and the Romans foon adopted a more strong and fimple mode of adminiftration. They condenfed the name and authority of the fenate in a fingle magiftrate, or two colleagues; and as they were changed at the end of a year, or of fix months, the greatness of the trust was compenfated by the fhortnefs of the term. But in this tranfient reign, the fenators of Rome indulged their avarice and ambition: their juftice was perverted by the intereft of their family and faction: and as they punished only their enemies, they were obeyed only by their

LXIX.

adherents. Anarchy, no longer tempered by the CHA P. paftoral care of their bishop, admonished the Romans that they were incapable of governing themselves; and they fought abroad those bleffings which they were hopeless of finding at home. In the fame age, and from the fame motives, most of the Italian republics were prompted to embrace a measure, which, however strange it may feem, was adapted to their fituation, and productive of the most falutary effects". They chofe, in fome foreign but friendly city, an impartial magistrate of noble birth and unblemished character, a foldier and a ftatefman, recommended by the voice of fame and his country, to whom they delegated for a time the fupreme adminiftration of peace and war. The compact between the governor and the governed was fealed with oaths and fubfcriptions; and the duration of his power, the measure of his stipend, the nature of their mutual obligations, were defined with fcrupulous precifion. They fwore to obey him as their lawful fuperior: he pledged his faith to unite the indifference of a ftranger with the zeal of a patriot. At his choice, four or fix knights and civilians, his affeffors in arms and juftice, attended the Podestà ", who maintained at his own expence a decent retinue of fervants and horfes: his wife, his fon, his brother, who might bias the affections of the judge, were left behind; during the exercife of his office he was not permitted to purchase land, to contract an alliance, or even to accept an invitation in the houfe of a citizen; nor could he honourably depart

CHA P. till he had fatisfied the complaints that might be urged against his government.

LXIX. Brancaleone, A. D. 1252-125s.

It was thus, about the middle of the thirteenth century, that the Romans called from Bologna the fenator Brancaleone ", whofe fame and merit have been refcued from oblivion by the pen of an English hiftorian. A juft anxiety for his reputation, a clear forefight of the difficulties of the talk, had engaged him to refuse the honour of their choice: the statutes of Rome were fufpended, and his office prolonged to the term of three years. By the guilty and licentious he was accused as cruel; by the clergy he was fufpected as partial; but the friends of peace and order applauded the firm and upright magistrate by whom thofe bleffings were reftored. No criminals were to powerful as to brave, fo obfcure as to elude, the justice of the fenator. By his fentence two nobles of the Annibaldi family were executed on a gibbet; and he inexorably demolished, in the city and neighbourhood, one hundred and forty towers, the strong shelters of rapine and mischief. The bishop, as a fimple bishop, was compelled to refide in his diocefe; and the standard of Brancaleone was displayed in the field with terror and effect. His fervices were repaid by the ingratitude of a people unworthy of the happiness which they enjoyed. By the public robbers, whom he had provoked for their fake, the Romans were excited to depofe and imprison their benefactor; nor would his life have been fpared, if Bologna had - not poffeffed a pledge for his fafety. Before his departure, the prudent fenator had required the