. PAOLI (Pasquale). Autograph letter signed, in... Lot 11

. PAOLI (Pasquale). Autograph letter signed, in Italian, to Gregorio Salvini. Olmeta, May 24, 1762. 2 pp. in-4, small angular cut, vestige of tab in upper margin of second page. EXTRAORDINARY HISTORICAL DOCUMENT WRITTEN TO ONE OF HIS MOST TRUSTED MEN. Pasquale Paoli's troops, still engaged in actions aimed at the total liberation of the territory, were at the time laying siege to the Genoese fort of San-Pellegrino, located on the west coast in what is now the commune of Penta-di-Casinca. "Monsignor Angeli asserisse in Roma che'l nostro Governo l'ha fatto fu[g]gire dalla residenza e gl'ha impedito il ritornarvi ; dalle acchiuse dilui lettere, e da quelle del suo vicario egli può esser smentito, siccome apparirà chiarame[ente] che prima di sequestrar le dilui entrati se gli domandò che, si vuolesse contentar, che'l suo vicario esigendo le decime, ne contribuisse una parte per li bisogni del Publico. Queste lettere possono servirle per l'affarre di cui è incaricato, e potrebbe ancora farle vedere a Monsignor visitatore, o al meno al pro[visitatore] Tomaso Strozzieri ; a quali, se le cade in accóncio, VORREI RACCOMANDASSE CHE LA CHIESA DI BIGUGLIA FOSSE PROVISTA DI UN SACERDOTE ZELANTE CHE FOSSE PATRIOTTO FERMO. Il luoco è troppo soggettoso ; ed IL PAROCO FA IL POPOLO. HERI, IL NEMICO FECE UNA SORTITA DA SAN-PELEGRINO PER SORPRENDER' LA NOSTRA ARTIGLERIA E FU BEN' BATTUTO, ED ACCOMPAGNATO FIN ALLI SUOI RAMPARI. Li nostri si studiarono tagliar gli la ritrata, ma egli fece buon uso delle gambe per evitar questo evenimento. In Bastia molti credono il ritorno d'Invrea, e molti del Grimaldi. Io li vorrei tutti due insieme... " Translation: "Monsignor Angeli asserts in Rome that our Government caused him to flee the residence and prevented him from returning; by his letters included and those of his vicar, he can be denied, since it will become clear that before sequestering his receipts I asked him that, IF HE WANTED TO GIVE SATISFACTION,... HIS VICAR COLLECTING THE DECIMES, HE WOULD PAY A SHARE OF THEM FOR PUBLIC NEEDS. These letters could be of use to you in the matter with which you are charged, and you could also show them to Monsignor the Visitor, or at least to the provisional Tomaso Strozzieri; to whom, if it comes to your attention, I would like you to make THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE CHURCH OF BIGUGLIA BE PROVIDED WITH A ZELE PRIEST WHO IS A FIRM PATRIOT. The place is too subjugated; and THE CURE MAKES THE PEOPLE. YESTERDAY, THE ENEMY MADE A SORTIE FROM SAN-PELEGRINO TO SURPRISE OUR ARTILLERY AND WAS WELL BEATEN, AND ESCORTED BACK TO ITS RAMPARTS. Ours did our utmost to cut off their retreat, but they made good use of their legs to avoid the situation. In Bastia, many believe in Invrea's return, and many in that of Grimaldi. I would like them both together [Domenico Invrea had been the Genoese commissary general on the island from July 1760 to July 1761, and Giovanni Giacomo had come to Corsica three times, as commissary general from 1751 to 1755, as president of the Magistrato della guerra from 1755 to early 1756, and, after having been doge of Genoa, as commissary extraordinary in 1759]..." RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS IN CORSICA UNDER THE PRINCIPATE OF PASQUALE PAOLI. Corsica complained that its high clergy were Genoese rather than national, and Pasquale Paoli took complaint after complaint to Rome. When the chapter of Aleria ousted the vicar-general, Canon Ottavi, who was close to the Genoese, and appointed a patriot, Canon Felce, in his place, matters escalated between the Corsican authorities, the Genoese government, the archbishopric of Pisa (of which the Corsican bishops were suffragan) and the Pope. In 1759, the Pope decided against Genoa's wishes to send an apostolic visitor to Corsica, but dragged things out. However, Pasquale Paoli was at the head of a state that had not signed the Concordat, was taking liberties with Rome's rights, and seemed eager to take radical measures against certain religious orders in Corsica. Clement XIII eventually dispatched to independent Corsica bishop Cesare Crescenzio De Angelis (namesake of the bishop of Aléria, resident in Bastia), who had to travel without the knowledge of the Genoese, and settled in Cervione: this is where he usually resided, except from April to October 1762 when, feeling threatened by the Genoese, he stayed in Rostino. When he fell ill, he returned to Italy in 1764 and was replaced by his apostolic provisional, Tomaso Struzzieri, who remained in Corsica until 1770 and proved to be pro-French. On the paolist Gregorio Salvini, canon of Balagne, see no. 9 above. Provenance: Max Thorek in Chicago (stamp). - Xav