Walks in Rome

by Augustus J. C. Hare

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

"L'Altissimo in sù, ci manda la tempesta,
L'Altissimo qua giù, 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
Quæ 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."