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To The Editor Of The Freemasons' Magazine.
the treasury ; and that his most subtle , was his method of intoxicating the guards , and conveying away his brother ' s corpse while they were asleep . The princess immediately endeavoured to seize him . The chamber was dark , and being favoured by that obscurity , he left the dead hand in hers ; and while she thought she held him fast , he withdrew himself from her , and fortunately made his escape out of the
palace . This new event had a new effect upon the king . He was resolved to pardon him ; and caused a proclamation to be published , that if he would discover himself , he should not only receive pardon , but a very great reward from Rhamsinitus . In reliance upon the royal promise , the thief came to the palace , and made an ample discovery of" himseli and of his transactions ; and Rhamsinitus , according to his declaration , not only pardoned him , but gave to him in marriage the princess his only daughter .
Allowing the truth of those last circumstances , I mean the pardon and the marriage , I must own I think the behaviour of Rhamsinitus much more honourable and prince-like than the behaviour of Pope Sextus Quintus , in consequence of a declaration he had published , to forgive and reward the author of a pasquinade . The story , as I remember to have read it in Gregoria Leti , is this : Pasquin appeared one day in a dirty shirt . Marforio asked him
why his linen was so dirty . His answer was , " Because the Pope has made my laundress a princess . " Sextus Quintus was of extreme low birth ; he had even been a hog-driver . His sister to get her bread had been a laundress . On the brother ' s promotion to the papal chair , the sister was exalted to the high degree hinted at by Pasquin . So galling a reproach stimulated the pride and anger of Sextus . How .-ever , he repressed his inward sensations , and published a proclamation , by which he promised life , and the reward of a thousand pistoles to the author , if he would reveal himself , and confess the fact to the
pope . In confidence ot so gracious an edict , the author came to the Vatican , owned what he had done , and demanded the perform-: ance of the pontifical promise . The treasurer paid the sum of money in presence of the Pope . " I have paid you the sum promised , " said Sextus , " and now I grant you your life ; but I have still kept your " proper punishment in reserve ; and therefore I order that your " tongue shall be cut outand your hands cut offto prevent you
, , " from either speaking or writing any more such satires . " His Holiness ' s decree was immediately executed . When I consider this story , and recollect the great qualities and high situation of Sextus Quintus , I confess I am driven to a reflection which has often occurred to me , that excessive goodness and excessive greatness seem almost incompatible , as they seldom or ever meet in
the same person . I am , Sir , Deans Yard , Your constant reader , ^ 25 , 1794 . j ) D ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
To The Editor Of The Freemasons' Magazine.
the treasury ; and that his most subtle , was his method of intoxicating the guards , and conveying away his brother ' s corpse while they were asleep . The princess immediately endeavoured to seize him . The chamber was dark , and being favoured by that obscurity , he left the dead hand in hers ; and while she thought she held him fast , he withdrew himself from her , and fortunately made his escape out of the
palace . This new event had a new effect upon the king . He was resolved to pardon him ; and caused a proclamation to be published , that if he would discover himself , he should not only receive pardon , but a very great reward from Rhamsinitus . In reliance upon the royal promise , the thief came to the palace , and made an ample discovery of" himseli and of his transactions ; and Rhamsinitus , according to his declaration , not only pardoned him , but gave to him in marriage the princess his only daughter .
Allowing the truth of those last circumstances , I mean the pardon and the marriage , I must own I think the behaviour of Rhamsinitus much more honourable and prince-like than the behaviour of Pope Sextus Quintus , in consequence of a declaration he had published , to forgive and reward the author of a pasquinade . The story , as I remember to have read it in Gregoria Leti , is this : Pasquin appeared one day in a dirty shirt . Marforio asked him
why his linen was so dirty . His answer was , " Because the Pope has made my laundress a princess . " Sextus Quintus was of extreme low birth ; he had even been a hog-driver . His sister to get her bread had been a laundress . On the brother ' s promotion to the papal chair , the sister was exalted to the high degree hinted at by Pasquin . So galling a reproach stimulated the pride and anger of Sextus . How .-ever , he repressed his inward sensations , and published a proclamation , by which he promised life , and the reward of a thousand pistoles to the author , if he would reveal himself , and confess the fact to the
pope . In confidence ot so gracious an edict , the author came to the Vatican , owned what he had done , and demanded the perform-: ance of the pontifical promise . The treasurer paid the sum of money in presence of the Pope . " I have paid you the sum promised , " said Sextus , " and now I grant you your life ; but I have still kept your " proper punishment in reserve ; and therefore I order that your " tongue shall be cut outand your hands cut offto prevent you
, , " from either speaking or writing any more such satires . " His Holiness ' s decree was immediately executed . When I consider this story , and recollect the great qualities and high situation of Sextus Quintus , I confess I am driven to a reflection which has often occurred to me , that excessive goodness and excessive greatness seem almost incompatible , as they seldom or ever meet in
the same person . I am , Sir , Deans Yard , Your constant reader , ^ 25 , 1794 . j ) D ,