[Footnote 69: The origin, titles, importance, dress,
precedency, &c., of the Roman cardinals, are very ably
discussed by Thomassin, (Discipline de l'Eglise, tom. i. p.
1262 - 1287;) but their purple is now much faded. The
sacred college was raised to the definite number of
seventy-two, to represent, under his vicar, the disciples of
Christ.]