OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

307

cited Clement the sixth 5 to anticipate the dis- chap.taut period of the century. The gracious pon- LXIX>

tiff complied with their wishes; afforded Rome .

this poor consolation for his loss; and justifiedthe change by the name and practice of the mo-saic jubilee.' His summons was obeyed; andthe number, zeal, and liberality of the pilgrimsdid not yield to the primitive festival. But theyencountered the triple scourge of war, pestilence,and famine: many wives and virgins were vio-Thesecowflated in the castles of Italy ; and many strangers J A ub jj C j’ 33owere pillaged or murdered by the savage Ro-mans, no longer moderated by the presence oftheir bishop." To the impatience of the popeswe may ascribe the successive reduction to fifty,thirty-three, and twenty-five years; althoughthe second of these terms is commensurate withthe life of Christ. The profusion of indulgences,the revolt of the protestants, and the decline ofsuperstition, have much diminished the value ofthe jubilee; yet even the nineteenth and last fes-tival was a year of pleasure and profit to the Ro-mans; and a philosophic smile will not disturb

* The two bulls of Bouifacc VIII. and Clement VI . are insertedin the Corpus Juris Canonici (Extravagant. Commun. 1. v, tit. ix,c. 1,2).

1 The sabbatic years and jubilees of the mosaic law (Car. Sigon. deRepublic^ Hebraeorum, Opp. tom. iv, 1, iii, c. 14, 16, p. 151, 152), thesuspension of all care and labour, the periodical release of lands, debts,servitude, &c. may seem a noble idea; but the execution would be im*practicable in a profane republic; and I should be glad to learn thatthis ruinous festival was observed by the Jewish people.

* See the Chronicle of Matteo Villani (1. i, c. 66) in the fourteenthvolume of Muratori, and the Memoires sur la Vie de Vetrarqne, tom.iii, p. 70t8O.