OF THE HOMAN EMPIRE.

30 £

of the holy year* was not less beneficial to thepeople than to the clergy. Since the loss of Pa-lestine, the gift of plenary indulgences, whichhad been applied to the crusades, remained with-out an object; and the most valuable treasureof the church was sequestered above eight yearsfrom public circulation. A new channel wasopened by the diligence of Boniface the eighth,who reconciled the vices of ambition and avarice;and the pope had sufficient learning to recollectand revive the secular games, which were cele-brated in Rome at the conclusion of every cen-tury. To sound without danger the depth ofpopular credulity, a sermon was seasonably pro-nounced, a report was artfully scattered, someaged witnesses were produced; and on the firstof January of the year thirteen hundred, thechurch of St. Peter was crowded with the faith-ful, who demanded the customary indulgence ofthe holy time. The pontiff, who watched andirritated their devout impatience, was soon per.suaded by ancient testimony of the justice oftheir claim; and he proclaimed a plenary abso-lution to all catholics who, in the course of thatyear, and at every similar period, should respect-fully visit the apostolic churches of St. Peter andSt. Paul. The welcome sound was propagatedthrough Christendom; and at first from the near-est provinces of Italy , and at length from theremote kingdoms of Hungary and Britain , the

s Our primitive account is from cardinal James Caietan (MaximaBibliot. Patrum, tom. xxv); and I am at a loss to determine whetherthe nephew of Boniface VIII . be a fool or a knave : the uncle is a muchclearer character.

VOL. XII.

CHAP.

LXIX.

X