I had lately an opportunity of discourse with an Abbot born in _Rome_, and experienc’d in their transactions: falling into some speech about the Nephews, and finding their vices, or at least errors by him, with more vehemence reprehended, than by me, I took the courage to accost him in this manner, _How is it possible_, _Sir_, _that the Nephews of the Popes that are living_, _reading the lives of their Predecessors that are dead_, _that their Blood should not freeze in their veins to finde them extinct_, _some one way_, _some another_, _in spight of all their care to eternize themselves_? _how is it possible but some gripes of Conscience must torment them when they remember all their wealth belongs to the Church_? The Abbot would suffer me to go on no further, but cutting me off in the middle, he reply’d, _Sir_, _He which has too much money_, _has no time to read over the lives of them that are dead_; _money puts thoughts alwayes into their heads of eternizing themselves_, _sometimes by acquiring_, _sometimes by contriving_: _The_ Popes _Nephews do read Books_, _but it is only when they want money_, _and then ’tis too late_. And who is there now, would not be amaz’d at such an answer? For my part I believe all the Romans are of the same opinion, and are in much doubt of the salvation of the Nephews. And accordingly another of them of judgement little differing from the Abbot, told his friend; _That the Popes Nephews must of necessity go to Purgatory_, _for they would be asham’d to go into Paradise_, _where Christ was_, _whom they had so wickedly despoil’d in this world_. These expressions perhaps may seem but raillery, and appear but satyrical reflections at first sight; however they come from the very heart, though those that speak them may force themselves into a smile to dissemble it, as the Apothecary conceals the nauseousness of his pills by covering them with silver. A great part of the sober men in _Rome_ have been very serious in discovering the cause, why the _Popes_ Families are of so little duration, seeing their riches so vast. Some are of opinion, it proceeds from the reasons abovesaid, that is, that God Almighty takes them out of the world as a punishment for the injuries they have done the Church, in robbing it of the greatest part of its treasure, to make their own house insolent and high. Others are of opinion the Curses and Execrations of the people do pierce the Divine Ears in such manner, that the Divine Justice seems as it were oblig’d to take them away so immaturely, to give an account of the vileness of their behaviour towards the subjects of the Church.