elusion of every other. The King shall profess the same, and whenever he shall profess any other, he shall be ipso facto deposed from the thronePlacet Regis Majestati."

And as to France, the author of the Appeal gives us, from documents relative to negotiations between Buonaparte and the present Pope, published by the popish booksellers, this remarkable passage from a circular addressed by his Holiness to all the Cardinals; dated Feb. 5, 1808-" On "entend que tous les cultes soient libres et publiquement exercés. Mais "nous avons rejeté cet article, comme contraire aux canons, et aux con"ciles, à la religion catholique, à la tranquillité de la vie, et au bonheur "de l'état, par les funestes conséquences qui en dériveraient."

"

"It is proposed that all religious persuasions should be free, and their worship publicly exercised: but WE HAVE REJECTED THIS ARTICLE, as contrary to the canons and to the councils, to the Catholic religion, "to the tranquillity of human life, and to the welfare of the state, on "account of the deplorable consequences which would arise from it," Let all Protestants deeply reflect on this!!!

" I

We conclude with what the author says (p. 92) of one whose name is dear to his country, who will be venerated by posterity, and whose soundness of judgment was aided by the correctness of his moral feelings, mean," (says the author of the Appeal), "our beloved and afflicted Sovereign, George III; one of the first acts of whose reign was to declare, that the peculiar happiness of his life would ever consist in promoting the welfare of a people whose loyalty and warm affection to him, he considered as the greatest and most permanent security of his throne; and to express the firmness of his invariable resolution to adhere to, and strengthen our excellent constitution in church and state, and to maintain the toleration inviolable,—whose long and beneficent reign has afforded an ample and practical exemplification of those patriotic sentiments, and one of whose almost last official acts was to give his most solemn opinion that the royal assent could not be given to the claims of the Roman Catholics for political power, without an infringement of his coronation oath; and in allusion to which he made the memorable declaration so characteristic of his piety towards God, and of his just and constitutional sense of regal obligation: "I WISH THE GOOD OF MY PEOPLE. I HAVE FORTITUDE

TO DESCEND FROM THE THRONE TO A COTTAGE. I HAVE FORTITUDE TO LAY MY HEAD UPON THE BLOCK. BUT I HAVE NOT FOR"" TITUDE TO BREAK MY CORONATION OATH BEFORE MY GOD."

VOL. II. [Prot. Adv. October 1813.1

E

[20]

OF THE LIBER TAXÆ CANCELLARIÆ ROMANÆ.

(Continued from p. 583, Vol. I.)

We now proceed to give to our readers the account which we promised of the edition of Bois le Duc; and which we are sure will prove acceptable to them, not only as it bears upon the question, but as being in itself a great literary curiosity, the book itself may indeed be classed among the libri rarissimi. We doubt if there be another copy existing in this kingdom; and probably there are not half a dozen to be found in all Europe.

We give the account in the words of our correspondent, on whose accuracy we have every reason to rely.

"The copy of the Taxe Cancellariæ in the Cheetham Library in Manchester, is the edition printed by Stephanus Du Mont, bookseller at Bois le Duc, 1664. 12mo. Latin and Dutch. It is intituled "Taxæ Cancellariæ Apostolicæ-et Taxæ Pœnitentiariæ Apostolicæ :-Dat is, Schattinga vande Cancellarié en Penitentie-Kamer vanden Paus van Romen,— gecollattioneert, gedruckt ende geauteutizert, (p. 131) nae't exemplaer von Leo X, tot Romen anno 1514's Hertsogen Busch. By Stephanus Da Mont, Boeckvercooper, 1664;"-with a wood-cut of the arms of Leo X. in the title place. It is a sinall thin book, consisting, in all, of two hundred and twelve pages. The first 20 pages, including the title, are not numbered, and contain a dedication and a preface. Then commence the

Taxa Cancellaria," fol. 1. to fol. 90, inclusive, printed in double columns, the Latin and Dutch being placed in opposite columns. At fol. 91 commerce" Taxæ Sacræ Pœnitentiariæ," and continue to fol. iii. inclusive. Thence follow 15 pages of extracts from the Paris edition, 1520, as mentioned in the preface. At p. 129 and 130 are " emendanda ad exemplar Romanum;" and at p. 130 and 131 is the "authentisatie," or "certificate of the authenticity of this edition, by Daniel Vander Meulen, and Johan Daesdonck, the two Echevins of Bois le Duc. Dated 10th May, 1664, and signed with the austograph of Vander Meulen. From 133 to 179 are added "Notæ et observationes ad Taxam Cancellariæ et Penitentiariæ Apostolicæ, ex variis authoribus collectæ." The remaining 13 pages, which are not numbered, contain " Index Titulorum," • Index rerum et verborum," and an Index in Dutch (Bladt-wyser over de Tax Cancellari.)

"The copy in the Cheetham library is perfect, and in good preservation: it belonged to White Kennet, Bishop of Peterborough, as appears from his autograph ("Wh. Petriburg. Ex dono Tho. Gibson, A.M. 1720.)

"I have here added some extracts from the preface to this book, which are curious and satisfactory. "Præfatio ad pium et Christianum Lectorem. Exhibetur tibi, Lector amice, libellus, cujus sic habet inscriptio: Taxæ Cancellariæ Apostolicæ, et Taxæ sacræ pœnitentiariæ.' Liber ille, etsi hactenus fugit conspectum multorum, conspectu tamen et luce judicatur dignissimus pluribus de causis. Foetus est, ni fallor, Joannis XXII, Pontificis Rom. (ad annum 1316) aut eorum quos ille ei gig endo præfecerat: reformatus quodammodo more Romano ab iis, quibus, seu Pius II seu Leo X id negotii commiserat; inque lucem editus est variis in locis, Romæ primum, uti apparet, in campo Flore; mox Coloniæ Agrip. 1515, apud Goseunum Colin um; ibidemque 1523. Parisiis anno 1520, apud Tossanum Denis. Venetiis 1584, cum "Oceano Juris," extatque tom 15, part 1, f1 368, alibi.-Sed nascentem suffocare conati sunt ipsi authores, et in Indice librorum prohibitorum ex patrum concilii Tridentini authoritate, Hispaniarumque regis et Ducis Ani decreto, Leodii 1570 edito, inter primæ classis authores atro calculo notarunt. ****** Cur Patres ili suum hunc fatun latere voluerint ex dictis obscurum esse non potest. Quia vero, quod animus præsagit, objecturi sunt, non saum esse hunc fætum, ab aliis, a nobis, a typographo depravatum esse, ab hereticis quos vocant suppositum, casu aut mahtiâ oblatum vitium; cavendum esse duxi, et huic calumniæ prudenter occurrendum. Quapropter librum authenticum ex officinâ Marcelli Silber, 1514, Roma in Campo Flora, unà cum Regalis Cancellaria I eonis X. et modo vacandorum beneficiorum, profectum, ex quo hic libellus ad verbum accuratissime, et quam optimâ fi de exscriptus et typis exa atus est, nobiliss: ampliss: clarissimisque Dominis ix-viris Syivæ ducensibus offerendum censui, eosque rogandos, ut pro ra quâ polieren authoritate, hujus exempli per quosdam è cætu suo ad hoc deputatos relegendi et cum autographo, ad publicam fidem faciendam, conferendi ; rovinciam, quod infia pag. 131, factum vides, suscipere haud gravaté dignarentur.-Ne autem hoc tantum tibicine nos stare existiment illi, quibus su pecium omne quod limam eorum censoriam refugit, ad manus quoque est exemplar Parisiense anni 1520, apud Tossanum Denis, cum privilegio ad triennium-ex hoc vide excerpta quædam hic fo. 112. Eo etiam usi viri clariss. Fr. Hotomannus in Bruto Fulmine, fol. 82; Pet Mohnæus in Novit. Papismi. edit. Vesal fol. 55; Riverus in Cathol, orthodoxo, tract 3, que t. 13, p. 97, &c. &c. Utrunique hoc, et Romanum e Parisiense exemplar quoque visum est ad tempus aliquod de oni et asservari in domo Stephani Du Mont, civis et Bibliopola Sylva-ducen is, ut siqui bonâ fide volent, videaut; siqui negent, videntium fide confutentur -Huic libello ob argumenti sinulitudinem adjunctum est diploma indulgentiarum ejusmodi. quarum occasione

Martinus Lutherus ad annum superioris sæculi decimum septimum, sese nundinationibus emissariorum Leonis X. opposuit. Ut autem hic libellus inserviret usui eorum, qui lingua Latinæ in Belgicâ nostrâ sunt ignari, visum est eum vernacule, quoad ejus fieri potuit, interpretari, et Belgicum textum Latino respondentem ex adverso seu ad latus Dejus, interjectis Columnis, adjicere. Subjunximus ei prætereà monetæ in curiâ Romanâ valorem, vocumque quarundam obscurarum, quæ ob barbariem quam redolent, interpretationem vernaculam vix admittebant, explanationem.

"These extracts comprehend the greater part of the preface."

Our observations upon this and what precedes we must postpone to a subsequent number.

To the Editor of the Protestant Advocate.

SIR,AS you did me the favour to admit into your valuable publicacation (p. 321,vol. I.) my defence of the Clergy from the censure of a Right Rev. Prelate, for presenting their petitions against the Catholic claims, I beg leave to offer you some additional observations on the subject; induced by the late discussion in the House of Commons to consider the question still more minutely.

I own I was agreeably surprized at the moderation displayed in the speech of the right honourable framer and mover of the bill, as reported in the newspapers. He seemed to have lowered his tone considerably, and to have descended from that towering height of sublimity to which he aspired on a former introduction of the subject to the notice of Parliament. He appeared to be convinced, with Mr. Canning and others, of the ne'cessity of securities for the Protestant establishment, And he spoke with complacency of the great respectability of the numerous petitioners against the claims, particularly the Protestant Clergy. If such has been the effect produced on his mind by the clerical petitions, which is not improbable, it is an argument in their favour, that they have rendered such a service to the cause; it also affords a proof, that those petitions did not originate in bigotry, intolerance, or hostility to their popish brethren, of all which they have been so unjustly accused, but from a sense of their duty as Ministers of the Protestant established church, and from a thorough conviction that securities are absolutely necessary for that establishment. Much then as I was gratified by the moderate tone assumed by the right hon. gentleman, I was proportionately disgusted at the illiberality of some subsequent speakers, who not only questioned the respectability of the petitioners, but descended to assail them with abuse and calumny.. These

are days indeed, Mr. Editor, replete with novelties in opinion. We have now learned, for so we are told by one honourable member with an assumed spirit of jocularity, that the Clergy are to be distinguished into those who have mitres on their heads, and those who have mitres in their heads. The facetious member has had his joke; and it should seem as if he uttered the sentiment with the view to raise a laugh, and to gain the admiration of the younger part of his audience. The worthy gentleman has lately obtained the great object of his ambition,-a seat in Parliament. A laudable ambition certainly! That step gained, he may very possibly be looking forward to further honours, to offices of trust and power. A laudable ambition also! Perhaps to the Chancellorship of the Exchequer ;-an office truly worth ambition, but which requires great skill, aptitude, and readiness in calculation. In order therefore to try his abilities, and to exercise his powers, in that necessary acquirement, I would propose to him the following calculation :-Of the many hundreds of clergymen, who signed the petitions, how many individuals have any chance, any hope, or any wish, for a mitre? His solution of this question will shew the absurdity, as well as illiberality, of attributing such a motive to such a body of men, I would also, with all due humility, suggest to any honourable member, who either has censured, or is disposed to censure, the Protestant Clergy on this occasion, to bear in recollection, that to arraign the conduct of a body of men in a place where they cannot personally defend themselves, being professionally excluded from the House of Commons, is by no means indicative of a generous mind or a manly spirit. Fortunately, however, in that sound and constitutional lawyer, Sir Wm. Scott, in Messrs. York, Peel, Ryder, Robinson, Manners, Sutton, &c. the Clergy found able vindicators of their conduct.

But, Sir, with persons who see the matter in its true and proper light, with persons possessed of a due portion of candour and liberality, (and no doubt they who accuse others of illiberality, intolerance, and bigotry, must be presumed most candid and liberal themselves) the Clergy stand in ne need of vindieation. It will not, I conceive, be denied, that they have a right to petition, as well as their lay brethren; for such denial would involve a species of intolerance never before heard of. They know it to be their right in any case, and in the present instance they feel it to be their duty. They feel it to be their duty to defend their Zion, when assaulted and in danger. Of the nature and degree of that danger, I conceive, they are at least as competent judges as any of the laity. They have studied the question professionally; and I see not by what new process of chemical casuistry, even in this inventive age, it is to be maintained, that a man should be disqualified for giving an opinion, or presenting a petition,