St. Paul daily globe., 1892-12-26
The Sovereign Pontiff as a
Follower Of the
MUSES..
He Writes Latin HeXameterS
and Elegiacs Very Sue
eassfully.
A Neat Epigram That Was
Written When He Was
Only Twelve.
A Touching Appeal to Gallus,
a Sinful Young
Man.

Man.
Pope Leo XIII. not only wears the
triple crown of the papaey, but he also
wears another conceded beneath the
tiara--a trim wreath of laurel which
marks his adherence. to the muses. and
to Apollo. Pope Leo is poet.
When he was child of only eight
years. says the New York World, the
little joachim Vincent Raphael Aloyslns
Pecc went to the Jesuit college at VI
terbo and made his first acquaintance
with Latin through the infection or
musa, Muse and the coniugatlon OF
amo. amare. One of his Old classmates
at ViterbO says that at the aye of thlr-
teen Vincent Pecci (his mother always
called him Vincent wrote Latin verse
with marvellous ease and elegance.
Here is a specimen of the boys Latin
verse when he was only twelve. 1t Is
two distichS which he composed III
honor of one of his Jesuit professors.
Father Vincent Favanl. 1t Is an epi-
gram. though. like some even or Mar
Iial's, it does not quite fill the dennltiOn
of an epigram, which says:
An epigram is like bee, thing
of little size, with honey and sting.
There is not very witty point 10 this
epigram of young Vincent Peccl. Dut
for boy of twelve it is first-rate Latin
verse. Here it is:
AID yINCENTUM PAyANIUM, E.s.J.AN. MDcccXXu-
Nomiue. Vinccnt, quo tn. Payane. vocaris
Payl1ius at0ue infans Peccius ipse yocor.
xyirfttta PAVAnR SecutllS.
Outinam possem Peccius ipse seoul.
The following is translation OF the
above, in English verse, for the dement,
or those VINO are not familiar with
Latin:
TO VINCENT PAyANL S. J.-lS22.
In childnoods hour joyed to claim
As mine . Vincent, thy Gear name.
Ah could | claim not name alone
But virtue great as thou hast shown.
This is very pretty from boy turned
twelve TO his professor, ana although IL
may seem little cool for sach young
ster to address his instructor by his
Christian name, that sort OF thlhg Is
"classlc" in Latin poetry.
In conSStOry held on Jan. -, 1916,
Mgr. Pecel was made bishop of Perugla
and was recalled from his post as nun
clio at the court of LeopOlu OF Belgium
to assume the duties of his diocesan
charge. He was then thirty-slX. In
1857 Pope Plus TX. appointed the bishop,
now a cardinal, camerlengo OF the
church. and lie had to go to Rome to
enter on this larger sphere of duty.
Two years before this. when he was
| i'm his siXty-ninth year, he wrote poem
| on himself in which he reviews his own
Wife. 1t will be we'll to give that poem
| here, as an example of his mature Gu :
| tivation, Immediately after the DoylSh
| effusion just quoted:
DE sE Pso.-A. D. 1875.
| Ouam fore i'll primo felix, guam lfeta Le-
pinis,
| Altrix ie puerum Vetulonia suscipit ulnls,
| Atoue in Loyolaa eXcolit 8de plum.
| Muta dein Rome tenuere palatla doctis
4 Florentem studiis Academia tenet;
! Tempore quo, memlnissee juvat, pr@dlVite
venQ
Manera ct Patrum nobils lila cohors
| Mentem ALT, ct pufo latlces de Iohte re-
| TIE Sophia atque Del scita verendn docet.
| Roma sacra ltas; Roma tibi luris alumno
! Parta lahore comas laurea condecoraI
! Addit moX animos Ell wires Sala secundas,
Priuceps Romano murice consplcuus;
Auspice quo cursum moliris, mente Yolutans,
| Usque .ua tanti dcta diserta sens.
! Dulcis Parthenope, Benevenium deih tehet'
9qua
Ut lege Hirpinos imperioque regas.
| TIE gremio leta excipiens Turrena salutat.
| Rech,rem atuue Queen YlyiduS TIMBER
Sed maiora manent: ell Chrismatis auctus
honOre
Pont1ficis nutu Belgica regina petis.
| Atquo teues. adserturus sanctisslma fetrl,
Romano ct fidel credita jura tibi.
Redditus ct patri@, brumali littOre Jussus
Ansoni8 l9tas ct remeare plagas:
Umbros en- iterum fines urbemque revisis,
Guam tibi divino famine spousat amor.
lure sacro imperitas ter demos ampluls
| amos;
Ell pleno saturas ubere Pastor owes
Romano incedes Princeps spectandus in
OStrO,
Belgarumque equitum torquis honore mites.
TIE pin turba, Dec pubes devota, Sacerdos
Obsequuis certant demeruisse suis,
Verum quid fluXos H-Smoras, quid prodls
honores?
Una hominem virtus ditat ct una beat.
Scilicct hanc unam, Gyo labente, sequaris,
Ad Superos tutum que tibi pandaL tier.
Eterna donec com postus pace quleseas,
Sidcre8 ingreSsuS regina beata domus
| Ah miserans adsit Deus eventusque Secun-
det:
Adspiret volts Virgo benigna tuis.
The English translation Of this will
| show what a good autobiOgraphjcal ret
respect it was of Cardinal Pecci'S career
| of piety and nonOrs. Here is the En-
| glish of the above Latin eiegiacs:
| ON HIMSELF.
| How happy was thy life's young dawnl
| Those days among the Lepine hills.
| SWeetened by all a home S dear charms,
| Serene ard void of ills.
| On thy first flight from that green vale
| Viterbo clasped thee, grown boy,
| And gave thee to the fostering care
LOyola sons employ.
| Rome and the Muti's palace next;
| There thou didst haunt that solemn hall
| Where science trains eartn's noble ones
| Made nobler by Gods call
What time Manera's brilliant mind,
| And brains with richest knowledge fraught
| In draught of learning crystal pure.
| Gods truth and wisdom taught
Rome saw thee with Christ's priesthood
crowned;
Then round thy brow she also saw
| Reward to hardy toll decreed,
| The laurels of the Law.
What counsel wise, what generous aid
A prince in Rom9s bright purple lent
| To shape thy manhood's young emprisel
| Sala tho good and eloquent.
Sweet Naples. then, ana Beneyent
Are subject to thy goodly rule;
! In .'Towertown'' glad thy heart and brain
The soulful Umbrian school.
| But graver nobler duties yet
| Thy pontif's will assigns,
| When on thy brow thy chrism left
| Its consecrating lines.
| Intfusted to thy watchful care.
| Rome's holy faith and Peters right
| AS nuncio to the Belgian court,
| Thy guardian zeal excite.
| Back to thy own deer land recalled.
| Back from that chilly northern air,
| THY sweet sunlit Italian plains
| A double radiance wear.
| Lo! Unbrias border where once more
| Hearts greet thee in the tower girL'' town,
| Which strongest bonds of hailowing love
| Knit closely 10 thine own.
| Thou dearest there for thrice ten years
The burden of shepherd true.
| At whose kind hands the grateful flock
| 4 bounteous plenty knew.
! Then Prince of Holy Roman Church,
| Robed with The purple's ruddy fold,
| Wearing what Belgium's knighthood prize,
| The collar OF bright gold.
| But why recall what passeth quick?