and, upon the body of his son Giovanni, murdered by his brother Caesar Borgia, being fished up on the following day from the Tiber:

"Piscatorem hominum re te non, Sexte, putemus, Piscaris natum retibus ecce tuum."

In the reign of the warlike Julius II. (1503--13), of whom it is said that he threw the keys of Peter into the Tiber, while marching his army out of Rome, declaring that the sword of Paul was more useful to him:

"Cum Petri nihil efficiant ad praelia claves, Auxilio Pauli forsitan ensis erit."

and, in allusion to his warlike beard:

"Huc barbam Pauli, gladium Pauli, omnia Pauli: Claviger ille nihil ad mea vota Petrus."

At a moment of great unpopularity:

"Julius est Romae, quid abest? Date, numina, Brutum.

Nam quoties Romae est Julius, ilia perit."

In reference to the sale of indulgences and benefices by Leo X.:

"Dona date, astantes; versus ne reddite; sola Imperat aethereis alma Moneta deis."

and to his love of buffoons:

"Cur non te fingi scurram, Pasquille, rogasti?

Cum Romae scurris omnia jam licent."

and with reference to the death of Leo, suddenly, under suspicion of poison, and without the sacrament:

"Sacra sub extrema, si forte requiritis, hora Cur Leo non potuit sumere: vendiderat."

On the death of Clement VII. (1534), attributed to the mismanagement of his physician, Matteo Curzio:

"Curtius occidit Clementem--Curtius auro Donandus, per quem publica parta salus."

To Paul III. (1534--50) who attempted to silence him, Pasquin replied:

"Ut canerent data multa olim sunt vatibus aera; Ut taceam, quantum tu mihi, Paule, dabis."

Upon the spoliation of ancient Rome by Urban VIII.:

"Quod non fecerunt barbari, fecerunt Barberini."

Upon the passion of Innocent X. (1644--55) for his sister-in-law, Olympia Maldacchini:

"Magis amat Olympiam quam Olympum."

Upon Christina of Sweden, who died at Rome, in 1689:

"Regina senza Regno, Christiana senza Fede, E Donna senza Vergogna."

In reference to the severities of the Inquisition during the reign of Innocent XI. (1676--89):

"Se parliamo, in galera; se scriviamo, impiccati; se stiamo in quiete, al santo uffizio. Eh!--che bisogna fare?"

To Francis of Austria, on his visit to Rome:

"Gaudium urbis,--fletus provinciarum,--risus mundi."

After an awful storm, and the plunder of the works of art by Napoleon occurring together:

"L'Altissimo in su, ci manda la tempesta, L'Altissimo qua giu, ci toglia quel che resta, E fra le Due Altissimi, Stiamo noi malissimi."

During the stay of the French in Rome:

"I Francesi son tutti ladri."

"Non tutti--ma Buona parte."

Against the vain-glorious follies of Pius VI., Pasquin was especially bitter. Pius finished the sacristry of St. Peter's, and inscribed over its entrance, "Quod ad Templi Vaticani ornamentum publico vota flagitabant, Pius VI. fecit." The next day Pasquin retorted:

"Publica! mentiris! Non publica vota fuere, Sed tumidi ingenii vota fuere tui."

Upon his nepotism, when building the Braschi palace:

"Tres habuit fauces, et terno Cerberus ore Latratus intra Tartara nigra dabat.

Et tibi plena fame tria sunt vel quatuor ora Quae nulli latrant, quemque sed illa vocant."

And in allusion to the self-laudatory inscriptions of this pope upon all his buildings, at a time when the two-baiocchi loaf of the common people was greatly reduced in size; one of these tiny loaves was exhibited here, with the satirical notice, "Munificentia Pii Sexti."

But perhaps the most remarkable of all Pasquin's productions is his famous Antithesis Christi:

"Christus regna fugit--Sed vi Papa subjugat urbem.

Spinosam Christus--Triplicem gerit ille coronam.

Abluit ille pedes--Reges his oscula praebent.

Vectigal solvit--Sed clerum hic eximit omnem.

Pavit oves Christus--Luxum hic sectatur inertem.

Pauper erat Christus--Regna hic petit omnia mundi.

Bajulat ille crucem--Hic servis portatur avaris.

Spernit opes Christus--Auri hic ardore tabescit.

Vendentes pepulit templo--Quos suscipit iste.

Pace venit Christus--Venit hic radiantibus armis.

Christus mansuetus venit--Venit ille superbus.

Quas leges dedit hic--Praesul dissolvit iniquus.

Ascendit Christus--Descendit ad infera Praesul."

The statue called Pasquin is said to represent Menelaus with the body of Patroclus, and to be the same as two groups which still exist at Florence, but so little remains of either of these heroes, that it could only have been when overpowered by "L'esprit de contradiction," that Bernini protested that this was "the finest piece of ancient sculpture in Rome."