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L'Estrange, Alfred Guy Kingan, 1832-1915

"History of English Humour, Vol. 2 (of 2)"

This had so good an effect upon the author that
he dedicated the second edition of his book to the Cardinal, after
having expunged the passages, which had given him offence. Sextus
Quintus was not of so generous and forgiving a temper. Upon his
being made Pope, the statue of Pasquin was dressed in a very dirty
shirt, with an excuse written under it, that he was forced to wear
foul linen because his laundress was made a princess. This was a
reflection upon the Pope's sister, who, before the promotion of her
brother, was in those mean circumstances that Pasquin represented
her. As this pasquinade made a great noise in Rome, the Pope
offered a considerable sum of money to any person that should
discover the author of it. The author relying on his Holiness'
generosity, as also upon some private overtures he had received
from him, made the discovery himself; upon which the Pope gave him
the reward he had promised, but at the same time to disable the
satirist for the future, ordered his tongue to be cut out, and both
his hands to be chopped off."
When Addison treats of the ladies' "commode," a lofty head-dress which
had been in fashion in his time, he adds reflections which may moderate
all such vanities--
"There is not so variable a thing in nature as a lady's head-dress.


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