APPENDIX.
Among the papers, enclosed in Dr. D---g---n---n's
Letter, was found an Heroic Epistle in Latin verse,
from Pope Joan to her Lover, of which, as it is
rather a curious document, I shall venture to give
some account. This female Pontiff was a native
of England, (or, according to others, of Germany,)
who, at an early age, disguised herself in male
attire, and followed her lover, a young ecclesiastic,
to Athens, where she studied with such effect, that
upon her arrival at Rome, she was thought worthy
of being raised to the Pontificate. This Epistle is
addressed to her Lover (whom she had elevated
to the dignity of Cardinal), soon after the fatal
accouchement, by which her Fallibility was betrayed.
She begins by reminding him tenderly of the
time, when they were together at Athens—when,
as she says,
------ “by Ilissus' stream
“We whispering walk'd along, and learn'd to speak
“The tenderest feelings in the purest Greek;—
“Ah, then how little did we think or hope,
“Dearest of men, that I should e'er be Pope!
“That I, the humble Joan, whose house-wife art
“Seem'd just enough to keep thy house and heart,
“(And those, alas, at sixes and at sevens,)
“Should soon keep all the keys of all the heavens!”
Still less (she continues to say) could they have
foreseen, that such a catastrophe as had happened
in Council would befall them—that she
“Should thus surprise the Conclave's grave decorum,
“And let a little Pope pop out before 'em—
“Pope Innocent! alas, the only one
“That name could e'er be justly fix'd upon.”
She then very pathetically laments the downfall of
her greatness, and enumerates the various treasures
to which she is doomed to bid farewell for
ever:—
“But oh, more dear, more precious ten times over—
“Farewell my Lord, my Cardinal, my Lover!
“I made thee Cardinal—thou mad'st me—ah!
“Thou mad'st the Papa of the world Mamma!”
I have not time at present to translate any more
of this Epistle; but I presume the argument which
the Right Hon. Doctor and his friends mean to
deduce from it, is (in their usual convincing strain)
that Romanists must be unworthy of Emancipation
now, because they had a Petticoat Pope in the
Ninth Century. Nothing can be more logically
clear, and I find that Horace had exactly the same
views upon the subject.
Romanus (eheu posteri negabitis!)
Emancipatus
Fœminæ
Fert vallum!
