APPENDIX.

NUMBER II.

A Latin Epitaph ascribed to Milton, with Cowper's

opinion of it. In March, 1793, when Cowper was preparing to publish his Milton, I sent him the Epitaph on Cardinal Mazarine, with the following account of the manner, in which it had then happened to engage my attention.

“A very intelligent, and friendly collector of scarce books, sent me, the other day, from his own library, a little old miscellany, published by Gildon in 1692, containing the Epitaph on Mazarine, ascribed to Milton, exactly as I enclose it to you. I perfectly remember reading the Epitaph, when I was young, and admiring it so much, that many detached lines of it remained in my memory. In hunting for it among my own books, I find it in a miscellany of several volumes, entitled State Poems, printed in 1703. The Epitaph is not ascribed to any author in my book; but Milton is named, in the preface, as a contributor to the collection, and I find in the volume no other work that can be imputed to him.”

Julii Mazirini Cardinalis Epitaphium, authore

John Milton.
Hic jacet Julius Mazirinus,

Galliæ Rex Italus
Ecclesiæ Præsul Laicus,

Europæ prædo purpuratus,
Fortunam omnem ambiit, omnem corrupit;

Ærarium administravit, et exhausit;
Civile bellum compressit, sed commovit ;

Regoi jura tuitus est, et invasit;

Beneficia possedit, et vendidit;
Pacem dedit aliquando, sed distulit,
Hostes cladibus, cives oneribus afflixit;
Arrisit paucis, irrisit plurimos,

Omnibus nocuit.
Negotiator in templo, Tyrannus in Regno,

Prædo in Ministerio,
Vulpes in Consilio,

Grassator in Bello,

Solus nobis in pace hostis.
Fortunam olim adversam, aut elusit aut vicit;

2

3

5

7

Et nostro seculo vidimus

Adorari fugitivum,
Imperare civibus exulem,

Regnare proscriptum.
Quid deinde egerit, rogas ? Paucis accipe.

Lusit, fefellit, rapuit:
Ferreum nobis seculum induxit, sibi ex auro nostro

Aureum fecit. 4
Quorundam capiti, nullius fortunis pepercit,

Homo crudeliter clemens;
Pluribus tandem morbis elanguit,

Plures ei mortes cælo irrogante, 6
Cui Senatus olim unam decreverat :
Vincenni se arcibus inclusit moriturus; %

Id quidem apte

Quæ sivit carcerem; Diu lædentem animam retinuit, ægre reddidit, **

Sic retinere omnia didicerat,

Nil suâ sponte reddere.
Constanter tamen visurus est mori, quid mirum? 11

Ut vixit sic obiit dissimulans,
Ne morbum quidem novere qui curabant;
Hac unâ fraude nobis profuit;

Fefellit Medicos;
Mortuus est tamen, ni fallimur; moriens
Regem regno, Regnum Regi restituit;

Reliquit
Præsulibus pessima exampla,

9

miscellany of several volumes, entitled State Poems, printed in 1703. The Epitaph is not ascribed to any author in my book; but Milton is named, in the preface, as a contributor to the collection, and I find in the volume no other work that can be imputed to him.”

Julii Mazirini Cardinalis Epitaphium, authore

John Milton.
Hic jacet Julius Mazirinus,

Galliæ Rex Italus
Ecclesiæ Præsul Laicus,

Europæ prædo purpuratus,
Fortunam omnem ambiit, omnem corrupit;

Ærarium administravit, et exhausit;
Civile bellum compressit, sed commovit;

Regui jura tuitus est, et invasit;

Beneficia possedit, et vendidit;
Pacem dedit aliquando, sed distulit,
Hostes cladibus, cives oneribus afflixit;
Arrisit paucis, irrisit plurimos,

Omnibus nocuit.
Negotiator in templo, Tyrannus in Regno,

Prædo in Ministerio,
Vulpes in Consilio,

Grassator in Bello,

Solus nobis in pace hostis. Fortunam olim adversam, aut elusit aut vicit;

2

Et nostro seculo vidimus

Adorari fugitivum,
Imperare civibus exulem,

Regnare proscriptum.
Quid deinde egerit, rogas ? Paucis accipe.

Lusit, fefellit, rapuit :
Ferreum nobis seculum induxit, sibi ex auro nostro 3

Aureum fecit. 4
Quorundam capiti, nullius fortunis pepercit, 5

Homo crudeliter clemens;
Pluribus tandem morbis elanguit,

Plures ei mortes ccelo irrogante, &
Cui Senatus olim unam decreverat : 7
Vincenni se arcibus inclusit moriturus;

Id quidem apte

Quæ sivit carcerem ; Diu lædentem animam retinuit, ægre reddidit, **

Sic retinere omnia didicerat,

Nil suâ sponte reddere.
Constanter tamen visurus est mori, quid mirum? 11

Ut vixit sic obiit dissimulans,
Ne morbum quidem novere qui curabant;
Hac unâ fraude nobis profuit;

Fefellit Medicos;
Mortuus est tamen, ni fallimur; moriens
Regem regno, Regnum Regi restituit;

Reliquit
Præsulibus pessima exampla,

9