ANECDOTES OF GANGANELLI, . CLEMENT XIV. ALTHOUGH the chair of St. Peter is not looked upon with the same reverence in this country at present, as it was formerly, yet the sovereign Pontiff still holds such a rank among the powers on the continent, that we cannot help being astonished, to see a man of the most obscure birth, in our own days, arrive at the honour of wearing the triple crown; and in the mysterious ways of providence, a petty monk of the order of St. Francis, which professes poverty, acquire sufficient power to annihilate the mighty order of the Jesuits, those haughty sons of St. Ignatius, whose cabals and intrigues had made them formidable for ages to every court in Europe, and enabled them to establish a powerful well regulated sovereignty, in another hemisphere". However extraordinary it may appear, it is not the less true, that the son of a physician, John Vincent Antonio Ganganelli, who was born in the year 1705, in the little town of St. Arcangelo, near Rimini, was promoted to the highest rank of the church, and was elected Pope, at a time when the court of Rome was involved in the deepest distress, from its quarrels with the kings of France, Spain, Portugal, and Naples. It has almost always been observed, that those men who have arrived at power and consequence with the world, have emitted some of those sparks of genius during their infancy, which announced their future advancement; and Clement XIV. is said to have given VOL. I. Paraguay, in South America. a some some very signal proofs of genius, application, and love of learning, at a very early period. We are told that his parents were surprised to see that none of the amusements, with which other children were pleased, could ever engage him; but they were happy to find him always with a book in his hand. He began his education at Rimini, and acquired the latin language so soon, that at twelve years of age, he had an opportunity of addressing a compliment to the Bishop of Rimini, in that language, who was so struck with it, that he foretold Ganganelli would one day be of great service to the cause of religion. At the age of eighteen he left Rimini, to commence his noviciate in the order of St. Francis, at Urbine, at which time he took the name of Francis Lawrence; and very soon acquired as much credit in the cloister, as he had formerly done at school. He then studied philosophy and theology, at Pesaro, Recanati, Fano, and Rome; and, from being a scholar, very soon became a master, and taught the opinions of Scotus, without being a slavish adherent to all his dogmas. He was much beloved by his pupils, while he taught philosophy and theology, at Ascoli, Bologna, and Milan; and, at the age of thirty-five, was called to Rome by his superior, to teach theology in the college of St. Bonaventura. Though every town in Italy had some men of genius, who owed their instruction to Ganganelli, he wished to remain immured in his cloister; but his talents could not be concealed, and he must have soon risen to be general of his order, if he had not assiduously prevented his brethren from giving their voices in his favour; though, at the same time, their implicit confidence in him was such, that he generally obtained their votes for whomsoever he thought the most capable: and Father Colombini declared, that he owed the honour of being general, to the recommendation of Ganganelli. Familiar conversation, amusing books, and solitary walks |