Page images
PDF
EPUB

made a Vifit to Cardinal Cofcia, in great State and Ceremony; as did alfo Cardinal Ferreri; and they begin to believe at Rome, that by means of the powerful Protectors Cofcia has found means to engage into his Party, he will efcape the Punishment he has fo juftly deferv'd, in the Opinion of the People; and that fome of his Agents will be given up to their Refentment. The Pope has already begun to act with him, in a very different Manner from what he did at first; for instead of taking from him by his Authority, the great Penfions fettled upon him in the late Pontificate, his Holiness fent a Prelate to give him Notice, that if he would refign thofe Penfions, it would be highly acceptable to the Pope, who defign'd to apply that Part of the Revenue, to fupport the Expences of the Nuncios he is obliged to keep and maintain at Vienna, Paris, and other Courts; adding, that the Treafury having been altogether exhaufted, thofe Minifters could not fubfift Abroad without great Inconveniencies. The fame Compliment has been made to Signor Santa Maria, who declared his readiness to comply with his Demand, provided the Pope would promife him the first Bifhoprick that shall become vacant in the Kingdom of Naples.

This is likely the Courfe that will be taken against the chief Favourites of the late Pope, notwithstanding the prefent Pontiff has appointed an extraordinary Congregation, to enquire into the Mifmanagements they are charg'd with; and order'd his Treasurer, the Sieur Sacripanti, to profecute without any Diftinction, all Perfons whatever, who were intrusted with the Revenue, and other publick Affairs in the Ecclefiaftical State.

The Pope being refolv'd to bring the Differences with the Court of Portugal to an amicable End, has refolv'd to recall Signor Ferrau, from his Nunciofhip at Lif bon, and appointed Signor Bichi to return thither with the fame Character, from whence he is not to be recall'd 'till he is made a Cardinal, which his Holiness propofes to do in a very fhort Time. Thefe Preliminaries are very judicious, and will in all probability produce a perfect Reconciliation between the two Courts.

TURIN.

[ocr errors]

A

TURIN.

Very remarkable Occurrence happen'd in this Part of the World, which is, That the King of Sardinia, after a bufy Reign of Fifty Years, has thought fit to refign his Crown, and to spend the rest of his Days in Retirement. We have received the following Particulars in relation to that extraordinary Tranfaction.

Turin, September 3. N. S,

The King finding that his Strength is impaired with Age, and the Labours of a Fifty Years Reign, full of troublesome as well as remarkable Events; and having the Satisfaction of feeing a Son endow'd with the Vertues and Qualifications requifite to form a great King, has thought fit to make an Interval between the Throne and the Grave; by laying the Weight of the Crown upon a Prince fo worthy of wearing it. Accordingly, King Victor-Amadeus II. has this Day abdicated the Royal Authority, with every Thing depending thereon; and by a formal and authentick A&t, deliver'd the Scepter into the Hands of the Prince of Piedmont, Charles-Emanuel, now King of Sardinia, of Cyprus, and Jerufalem, &c. who was born April 27, 1701. and has been Prince of Piedmont by the Death of his Elder Brother, fince the 22d of March, 1714. His Majefty has a Son by his firft Marriage, born March 7, 1723. Now Prince of Piedmont. He marry'd to his Second Wife Polyxena, Princefs of Hele-Rottenburg, now Queen of Sardinia. King Victor-Amadeus has declared, that he is refoly'd to retire to the Cafle of Chambery, to spend the Remainder of his Life, free from Bufinefs. He is 64 Years and fome Months old, being born May 14, 1666. He has been a Widower fince August 26, 1728, and it is faid, he defigns to marry in his Retirement, the Counters Dow ager of S. Sebaftian, who was Lady of Honour to his Queen.

Paris September 16, N. S..

On the 2d Inftant, the King of Sardinia, Victor-Amadeus II. gave Notice to all the Princes, Knights of the Order of the Annunciada, the Ministers, Secretaries of State, the Archbishop of Turin, the High Chancellor, the first Prefident, Generals, and the Perfons that fill the principal Offices at Court, in the Army, and the Courts of Juffice, to be at the Caftle

of

of Rivoli the next Day at Three o' Clock in the Afternoon. The King held a Council of State at the Time appointed, wherein he declar'd, that he made a general Abdication of his Kingdom and Territories in Favour of the Prince of Piedmont his Son; fo ordering all thofe he had fent for to come in, a Secretary of State read aloud the Act of Abdication. King Victor afterwards made a Speech, equally worthy of that Prince's Greatnefs of Soul, and proper to move the Paffions, and at the fame Time to adminifter Comfort to all that heard it. He was to fet out from Rivoli the 4th, to go to the Castle of Chambery, which he has chofen for the Place of his Retirement.

Hague, September 15, N. S.

We did not hear the great News of the King of Sardinia's Abdication 'till after the laft Poft was gone out; and the first Word their High Mightineffes heard of it, was from the Count de Chiufan, when he notify'd it to them in Form, that Minifter being the only Perfon here that receiv'd any Advice thereof. This surprising Affair was tranfa&ted the 3d Instant, when Victor-Ama deus renounc'd the Royal Authority, with all the Privileges thereto annexed, in Favour of his Son CharlesEmanuel III. and fign'd an authentick A&t thereof. The Letter fent by that Prince to the Count de Chiufan, with the fame Difpatches that brought him the new King's Letter to their High Might ineffes, was to this Effect.

TE

HE great Fatigues, and the laborious Tasks which we have been oblig'd to undergo in a 'Reign of Fifty Years, would have been more than 'fufficient, even if they were not attended with 'the Infirmities of Old Age, to impair our Health to 'fuch a Degree, that we feel the Weight of the Go'vernment too heavy for our Shoulders. Befides that, C we fee Death making large Approaches; and our Con 'fcience requires us to put fome Interval between the 'Throne and the Grave. Thefe Motives were powerful · enough to induce us to the Refolution we have taken; 'but they were feconded by the Favour of Almighty 'God, in giving us a Son capable of fucceeding us, and of governing our State; being endow'd with all the "Virtues proper to make a good King.

[ocr errors]

Wherefore, we refolved, without wavering, to furrender unto him our Royal Authority over all our Dominions, by a folemn Act, fign'd this Day with

our own Hand; being determined to spend the Remainder of our Life free from all manner of Care. We 'exhort you to ferve the King our Son, with the fame

Fidelity that we have always experienc'd in you, as we <have on the other Hand recommended you to his Royal 'Protection, &c.

Rivoli, Sept. 3, 1730.

The new King's Letter to their High Mightineffes, contains only a bare Notification of his Acceffion to the Throne, by the voluntary Renunciation of the King his Father. Private Letters from Turin remark further, that King Victor-Amadeus has referv'd to himself a Penfion of 100,000 Piftoles a Year; and that he will marry at Chambery, the Marchionefs Dowager of S. Sebaftian, formerly Lady of Honour to the Queen, with whom he has hitherto lived with the utmost feeming Indifference, without occafioning the leaft Sufpicion of any fuch Defign.

Paris, September 30. N. S.

We learn from Turin, that the Countefs de S. Sebaftian, who went by the Name of S. Etienne, and whofe Marriage with the King Victor-Amadeus is declared, has now taken the Title of Marchionefs de Somerive, and not that of Queen,

As to the other Parts of Italy, we have nothing particular to add, except that thofe Countries that are under the Dominion of the Emperor, are full of Imperial Troops, and Preparations for War, in order to oppofe the Introduction of Don Carlos; projected by the Treaty' of Seville.

CORSICA.

THERE has been an Infurrection in this Island against their ancient Governors, the Republick of Genoa, which has continu'd a long Time, and is not yet appeared; concerning which, the following Advices have been made publick.

Genoa, Feb. 25.

We hear from Corfica, that the Governor of that Island having demanded of the Inhabitants the Reimbursment of the Value of the Corn which this Republick fent thither, to relieve them in their Neceffities, they re fufed to do it, on Pretence of their Inability; and the

Governor preparing to compel them by Force, they rofé in Arms to the Number of 10,000, and march'd towards the Capital; infomuch that the Governor was obliged to retire for Safety into the Castle.

Leghorn, March 5. We have certain Advice that the Male-contents of Corfica are got all together in a Body of 12,000 Men, and have plunder'd in a moft deplorable Manner the City of Baftia (the Metropolis) and two Towns near it.

Leghorn, July 1. It is written from Baftia, that they expected there from Genoa 8000 Men to act against the rebellious Highlanders of that Ifland, who have rejected all the Proposals of Accommodation that have been of fered to them. Their Arms is commanded by one Pompiliani, whom they have made choice of for their Chief.

Genoa, July 31. N. S. The Camp of the Rebels of Corfica confifts at prefent of 20,000Men,without reckoning the Inhabitants of Fourteen Villages, fituate in the Straits of Accaia, who have declared for them; and taken an Oath of Fidelity to them: They have publish'd a Manifefto, wherein they declare, that the Occafion of their Revolt, was, becaufe being born free, the Repub lick and Senate have always kept them in Slavery, by making them pay much heavier Taxes than the rest of their Subjects. They demand, that before they enter into any Treaty of Accommodation, their ancient Privileges be restored; that the extraordinary Imposts they have paid ever fince the Year 1715 be fupprefs'd; that thofe who have been the Caufe of their Oppreffion, be deliver'd up to them; that the Country between the Rivers Liemone and Tavigniano be yielded to them, with the Sove reignty thereof; and that all the Garrifons be drawn out of the Island. The Rebels foreseeing that the Re publick might borrow Foreign Troops to reduce them, have provided themselves with Arms, and carry'd off the Ammunition they found in the Magazines of S. Florent, Calvi, Corfo, and S. Boniface: They have melted down the Bells of thofe Towns, and caft them into Canon, and have thrown up a Retrenchment with Re. doubts along the Coaft, where they think a Defcent feafible. The Guards they have pofted with Artillery in feveral Places, are order'd to fire upon any Genoeze Ships that offer to approach the Shoar. Their Principal. Chief is named Pompiliani, and is a Gentleman who has fignalized himself in Foreign Service. That Officer has affixed up Papers in feveral Places of the Inland, import

LI

ing,

1

« PreviousContinue »