ance.

dicial inquiry of the bishop be fully proved before them, with all the formalities prefcribed to be obferved by him in making it. Now, thefe formalities are ten in number, and are as follow: 1. To avoid all precipitation (as I obferved above) the public renown of the fanctity and miracles of the deceafed muft have exifted for fome confiderable time, before the bishop be allowed to begin his proceedings of inquiring about them. 2. The bishop himself must prefide, if poffible, at all the fteps of the procefs; and if, through neceifity, he be obliged to fubititute any of his inferior clergy in his place, this judge must have a doctor in divinity, and a licenciate in canon law, for his affift3. He who takes the depofitions of the witneffes must counterfign every article along with the witnelles themfelves who fubfcribe them. 4. Each deponent must be asked a circumftantial relation of the facts he attefts. It is not allowed to read over to the other witneffes what was deponed by the firft, and caufe it to be confirmed by their confent: but each one must be examined apart by himfelf, and their antwers extended at full length to each interrogatory. Nay, 5. The notary, and the promoter of the caufe, as well as the witneffes themfelves, muft all be put under oath to obferve the most profound filence with regard to the questions put, or the anfwers given. 6. Information must be fent to the Pope of the whole procedure, and of the judgement of the bifhop paffed thereupon. 7. A clean copy of all the papers must be made out in proper form, and thefe, authenticated and well fealed, must be fent to the congregation of rites at Rome. 8. All the originals are preferved in the archives of the cathedral church of the diocefe, in a proper cheft, well fealed, and under different keys, which are depofited with different perfons of rank and character. 9. Befides the witneffes prefented to the bithop by thofe who follicit the caufe, he must alfo examine as many others as he can get account of, who are capable of giving any proper information. 10. No extra-judicial acts or atteflations

are allowed to be inferted among the authentic writings of the process. Now, who does not fee in all this procedure the utmost care and diligence ufed to prevent all impofition, and come to a distinct and certain knowledge of the truth?

The particular examination of each witnefs feparately, the ignorance each one is in of the questions put to the others; the folemn oath all are obliged to take never to difcover the fubject of the questions put, or the answers given; the not being content with the witneffes prefented by the folicitors of the caufe, but the procuring as many others as can be got; the care to preferve the papers from all improper infpection; what are all thefe but the molt efficacious fleps to prevent collufion, either among the prefent witneffes, or in thofe who may be afterwards examined, and to procure from each the most exact information of what he knows, according as it really exifts in his mind? One would be apt to think, that a miracle proved by this judgement alone might juftly be deemed fufficient to gain all belief and credit from any reafonable unprejudiced perfon; and yet all this is but as it were the prelude to what follows after.

When the diocefan bifhop has done his part, and from the evidence he has got in the above trial, has paffed his fentenee as to the miracles examined by him, an authentic copy of the whole procefs, well fealed, is fent to the congregation of rites at Rome, and there it muft lie depofited with the notary of that congregation for ten years before the feals can be opened, or any further ftep be taken in the caufe. During this period, however, feveral things are watchfully obferved: ift. If the public renown concerning the virtues and miracles of the faint continues in vigour and increafes, or if it decays and fails. 2dly. If any ferious accufations appear against him, any trong fufpicions, any weighty doubts of his conduct. 3dly. If he had compofed any writings during his life-time, thefe are moit minutely fcrutinized and examined, to fee if any error, either with regard to faith or morals, appears in

them;

them; and if any of thefe things turn out against him, the caufe is dropped entirely, and buried in eternal oblivion. But if all thefe particulars are favourable, at the expiration of the ten years the caufe is taken up again in the congregation of rites in this manner: The follicitors for the caufe demand of this court that the proceedings of the diocefan bifhop may be opened and examined. This is done with all formality; and if, upon examining thefe proccedings, it be found, that every thing was performed according to rule, then the Pope is applied to for a commiffion to authorize this congregation to proceed in the caufe, which is granted accordingly, and by which the caufe is taken entirely out of the hands of the diocefan, and every ftep that follows is done by authority of the fovereign pontiff. This congregation of rites is a tribunal at Rome, compofed of a number of cardinals, who are the chief judges, and of judges of the fecond order, who are called confultors. The officers of this court are, 1. The promoter of the faith, or follicitor-general, who reprefents the public, and propofes every difficulty he can invent against the perfons whofe caufes are tried in this court. 2. The fecretary of the congregation. And, 3. The apoftolic prothonotary, with feveral inferior officers, advocates, notaries, and the like; all which take a folemn oath of fecrefy with regard to the matters treated before them in the caufe of canonizations, while in dependance, that by this means nothing may tranfpire which could give the fmalleft occafion to thofe who follicit for the caufe to take any undue meafures for promoting it.

When, therefore, the caufe is taken entirely into the hands of this court, the first step after this is to name three commiffioners, authorized by the Pope, to take proper informations upon the fpot, that is in the place itfelf where the miracles were portained, and where the faint's body is interred; thefe are generally three of the neighbouring bithops, of whom the ordinary of the diocefe where the faint's body is, for the moit part, makes one, and of thefe

three two make a quorum. Then the follicitors for the caufe draw up in writing the articles to be examined by the commiffioners, and clafs under different titles the feveral facts and miracles to be proved, which they judge the belt founded, and the moft proper for evidencing the fanctity of the deceased, and his glory in heaven.

All thefe preparatory writings are given in to be revifed by the promoter of the faith, who from them draws up inftructions for his fubftitute with the commiflioners, who is called the vicepromoter, and thefe contain all the objections and difficulties he can invent against the facts and miracles propofed by the other party to be examined by the judges. All thefe papers, toge ther with the commiffion to the judges, and the form of the oath to be taken by the court and witneffes, are carefully fealed up in one packet, and fent to the ordinary of the place, who hav ing convened all the others concerned, the commiffion is opened and read, the oaths are taken, and the proper officers of the court appointed and worn. A day is then fixed upon, and the witneffes called, and their depofitions taken in the church, or fome chapel or holy place, in order to infpire them with the greater refpect, and the greater horror of perjury. The oath they take upon the holy gofpels contains two parts; 1. That they will declare the whole truth they know, without concealing or difguifing any part of it. And, 2. That they will not communicate to any one either the questions put to them, or the answers they give, After taking this oath, they are exa mined as to their quality, age, faith, learning, and then as to the feveral articles propofed by the follicitor of the caufe, and on any other fubject which the judges think proper,

At the end of every feffion the papers are all fealed and locked up till the next meeting: and when the whole information is taken, all the papers are authenticated by the names and feals of the judges and principal offi cers of the court; the originals depofited in the archives of the diocefe; and clean copies of the whole, collected

in prefence of the judges themfelves, and authenticated by all their feals and fubfcriptions, are fent to Rome by a courier exprefs, who is alfo fworn to execute his commiffion with all fidelity. Such is the procedure of this court in general; we shall now fee more in detail the nature of the proof required by it in order to afcertain the facts examined. The general principle of the congregation of rites is, to treat thefe caufes with the felf-fame vigour with which criminal caufes are tried in civil courts, and that the facts be proved with the fame exactnefs, and all proceedings carried on with the fame feverity as if done for the punishment of crimes. Sufpected or inconclufive teftimonies, fuch as would not be allowed as a ground for condemning a criminal, are for the fame reafons, in this court, incapable of proving a miracle.

Hence the following conditions are abfolutely required in the witneffes: 1. There must be at least two or three who fpeak unanimously upon the fame fact and its circumftances. A folitary testimony proves nothing. Contradictory teftimonies annul and deftroy one another; and fuch as only differ from one another but about effential articles render one another mutually fufpected. Thofe which re-unite in the fame point may ferve as a fupport or corroboration, but give no certain proof. This is only allowed when the fame facts and circumftances are uniformly attefted by at least two or three witneffes. 2. The witnesses muft declare what they themselves faw with their own eyes, or heard with their own ears. Hearfay declarations, and teftimonies at fecond hand, are never admitted in the proof of miracles. 3. The witneffes must be of a fufficient age, and have proper knowledge and difcernment to distinguish the nature of the things they relate: they muft be catholics of known probity, and give an account of their very motives for the teftimony they give. 4. All the objections to their teftimony which reafon and the circumftances can furnith, either from their perfons, qualities, or depofitions, are propofed and LOND. MAG. Aug. 1784.

urged by the vice-promoter of the faith; a full hearing to them is given by the court, and they must be all folved by the other party to the fatisfaction of the judges.

When the acts and proceedings of the commiffioners are fent to Rome, they are ftrictly examined by the congregation of rites, both as to their authenticity and validity, that is, if every form prefcribed by law has been duly obferved, and every prudent precaution taken to come at the truth; and if the congregation is fatisfied as to this head, it proceeds to re-examine the whole caufe; but fifty years must be elapfed from the death of the faint before thefe fteps can be taken. This delay is ordered for the fame reasons with thofe mentioned before, that nothing be done with precipitation, and to fee if any new light may appear in the mean time, either for or against the caufe; and when, after this period, the caufe is refumed, and all the judicial acts and proceedings of the commiffioners verified and approved, then fome of the principal articles of that procefs are felected to be tried and examined with the utmoft rigour by this congregation itself, in three extraordinary affemblies, which are held at proper intervals for that purpofe; and with regard to miracles, the question propofed to be difcuffed concerning them is, Whether or not a competent number of true miracles has been fufficiently proved in the procefs made by the commiffioners? And notwithstanding all the precautions that have been ufed before, one may fay with truth, that it is only now in difcuffing this question that the trial of the reality of the miracles is made. To proceed with greater diftinction, the queftion propofed is divided into two, each of which is examined feparately. The firft is, whether the actual exiftence of the miraculous facts produced in the procefs have been thoroughly proved before the commiffioners? Secondly, Whether thofe facts be really fupernatural and true miracles, the work of God and of good angels?

The difcuffion of the firft of thefe brings on a review of the whole proΤ

cefs,

cefs, wherein the proceedings of the commiffioners, the witneffes, their qualifications, their depofitions, and all the circumftances are canvaffed; the promoter of the faith himself pleads every difficulty he can imagine against them; all which must be thoroughly folved by the follicitors for the caufe; and if they fail in this, to the conviction of the judges, the miracle is rejected as not proved. If the existence. of the facts be indubitable, then the court proceeds to examine the other queftion, Whether thefe facts, fo proved, are fupernatural and true miracles?

In examining this point, different claffes of miracles are diftinguished: fome are of fuch a ftupendous nature as evidently to furpass all created power, and fhow themfelves at once to be the work of the Creator, and these are of the first order. Others lefs aftonishing may, for aught we know, be within the power and abilities of thofe created intellectual beings whofe knowledge and power far exceed our's; and thefe are of the fecond order. Others again are in fubstance natural events, which may be produced by the affiftance of art; but from the concurrence of circumftances, and the manner in which they are performed, become truely mi

raculous; and thefe are of the third or der. Now, when any miracle of the firft order is produced, and the fact undoubtedly proved, there needs no further difcuffion; it carries in its bofom the proofs of its divinity, and fhows itfelf at first fight to be the im mediate work of God; and in this view the raifing a dead perfon to life is always confidered.

Such (fays Bishop Hay) is the proceedure of the court of Rome in afcertaining the existence and continu ation of miracles in thefe later ages; and by this rigorous procefs have been tried, approved, and published to the world vaft numbers of glorious mira cles performed by Almighty God at the interpofition of his faints, down to thefe prefent days in which we live.

As a matter of hiftorical fpeculation, or as a point of cuftom, which it is curious enough to examine into (for what enquirer would be ignorant any thing?) the publication of this pa per may be acceptable to our readers. As to the reft-and particularly the concluding inference, most readers of fenfe and understanding will be ready

to exclaim

Credat Judæus Apella: NON Eco.

MAGAZINE. DEAD.

R. S.

fion.

but no comparison can be drawn that will hold good in all points.

QUEEN. If you did, not remain as ftupid as you always were, and could but confider what you are talking about→

DUKE. That is really excellent. Now, pray, do assume a few serious airs on this occafion. Juft thus did you always fwagger about your modefty. Witnefs that large tract of ground on the American continent, to which you gave the name of Virginia. But this is nothing to our prefent purpose, let me a little into the motives for the mysterious conduct which you obferved, and for all thofe matrimonial projects which ended in nothing; father Henry the Eighth marrying

was it your

times

times which taught you not to marry at all, as the repeated inroads of Charles the Fifth taught Philip the Second never to ftir out of Madrid?

QUEEN. I might, indeed, confine myfelf to the reafon with which you have furnished me. In fact, my father fpent his whole life in marrying and unmarrying himself; in divorcing fome of his wives, and in beheading others. But the real motive of my conduct was, that I found nothing was more agreeable than forming defigns, making preparations, and executing-nothing at all. A thing obtained always finks in value. The hopes of a war in imagination are never realifed without confiderable lofs. For instance, you came over into England to marry me. There was nothing but balls, entertainments, and rejoicings; I even went fo great a length as to make you a prefent of a ring. Thus far things had the most miling appearance in the world; the beauty of every thing confifts in preparations and ideas: all that is agreeable in marriage was exhaufted. There I ftopped, and difmiffed you.

DUKE. In plain terms, then, your maxims were not suitable to my way of thinking. I wanted fomething more than chimeras.

QUEEN. Alas, if you ftrip men of their chimeras, what pleafure would they have left; I fee plainly that you

ON THE

SIR,

were infenfible to the greatest pleasure of your life, but you were really very unfortunate that they were thrown away

upon you.

DUKE. What!-what pleasures had I in my life? I never fucceeded in any thing. I expected four different times to be a King. Firft of Poland, then of England, next of the Low Countries; and laft of all, France apparently ought to have been mine, and at clofing the account I was King of-No-Land

QUEEN. And there was the happinefs which you never difcovered; a continued feries of hopes and imaginations and no reality you fpent the whole of your life in preparing yourfelf for a crown, and I in making preparations for my nuptials.

DUKE. But as I am of opinion a real marriage would have been no injury to you, I acknowledge that a real kingdom would have been very much to my taste.

QUEEN. Pleafure is not folid enough in itfelf to bear fathoming. We must not attempt to reach its bottom: we muft only fkim the furface, thefe marthy quagmires over which we are obliged to run lightly, without fuffering one's foot to reft on them, convey the trueft idea of pleasure. But, adieu, I fee fome ftrangers advancing.

Dublin, Jan. 19th, 1784.

F. K.

THERE HERE is no character in life fo much mifunderstood as that of a gentleman; which very often quits the breaft of a monarch, and warms the bofom of a peafant: it is one of thofe peculiar excellencies which nature betows at our formation, and, like the cœleftial gift of genius, is alone in the power of the Deity to give. Education and example may greatly improve the exterior carriage and manners of men; but all the mafters, and all the books cannot make a gentleman, unless

nature has breathed the ethereal effence into the mind when the form was caft in the genial ductile mould of nature.

It would be difficult to enumerate the various characters of gentlemen in this ifland; they are as variegated as the rainbow, as gaudy, and as watery; merely tawdry, flipflop mixtures, without forewarning us, like that diverscoloured meteor, that no evil is intended from them: for nature, through all her creation, gives us various meteors; but the meteor of the Iris, and T 2

the