The title in the table of contents is ‘Des Epigrammes composés en 1737. à Londres sur la Mort de la Reine d’Angleterre’. The authors are unknown. The tone of the pieces varies: in some the queen is identified as an Arian and is variously associated with Constantia, the sister of Constantine; with Jean Leclerc (‘Johannes Clericus’) and Matthew Tindal, who had both also recently died; and with Bishop Hoadly.
Mock memorial inscription.
‘Decubuit 1737 Novemb. 9. | Ad Arium, Constantiam Imperatricem, Clericum, reliquosque Haereticos | Descendit 1737 Nov. 20. hora 11. noctu | Nostrae aetatis Constantia.’
Verses headed ‘Ad Clericum Arianum Carolinae Praeceptorem.’
Sixteen lines, beginning ‘Clerice, si manes tangant mortalia functos’. The last twelve lines are headed ‘Clericus respondit’.
Verses headed ‘Carolinae expirans Loquitur.’
Six lines, beginning ‘Vicisti, Galilaee; exclamat Apostata quondam’.
Verses headed ‘Carolinae umbra Constantiae umbram salutat.’
Six lines, beginning ‘En adsum, Germana; mihi gratare: patrato’.
Verses headed ‘Oratio ad Christum pro Carolinâ Arianâ defunctâ, reliquisque Haeriticis tam viventibus quàm defunctis.’
Twenty-four lines, beginning ‘Christe redemisti humanam qui sanguine fuso’.
Verses headed ‘Elogium in Carolinam M. B. Reginam.’
Twelve lines, beginning ‘Quis tantum poterit Lachrymis aequare dolorem?’
Verses headed ‘Epigram on a Tomb’.
Six lines, beginning ‘Fearless approach; no stench will hence ascend’.
Verses headed ‘An Epitaph.’
Eighteen lines, beginning ‘Here lies unpitty’d both by Church and State’.
Untitled verses.
Two lines: ‘Oh cruel Death! why was you so unkind | To take the Queen, and Leave the King behind!’ This may perhaps be the conclusion of the preceding item.
—————
Transcript
Decubuit 1737 Novemb. 9
Ad Arium, Constantiam Imperatricem, Clericum, reliquosque Hæreticos
Descendit 1737 Nov. 20. hora 11. noctu
Nostræ ætatis Constantia.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
Ad Clericum Arianum Carolinæ Præceptorem
Clerice, si manes tangant mortalia functos,
Si tibi Discipulæ cura sit ulla tuæ;
Extremo hanc plangis luctantem in margine vitæ:
Teque iterum sentis, hâc moriente mori.
Clericus respondet
Quisquis dogmatibus nostris malè docte, repugnas;
Insultasque mihi, Discipulæque meæ;
Desine, si sapias, frustra tibi plaudere: nostras
Nam res Hodleius, nam mea turba, gerit.
Turpiter indoluit Judas ignavus et excors:
Conscius hunc horror proditionis agit {1}.
Heroïna meæ causæ patrona triumphat;
Intrepida ad mortem stat similisque mei.
Nulla unquam meliùs meruit Constantia dici;
Constat mente eadem, propositique tenax.
Qualis, ait, vixi, morior: fecisse recordor
Cùm me nil, cujus poenituisse velim.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
Carolina expirans Loquitur.
Vicisti, Galilæe; exclamat Apostata quondam
Dictus: ego moriens cedere turpe puto.
Hæc dum secta viget; cujus fuit Arius author,
Quam patrocinio fovi aluique meo;
Hodleio dum pars mea stat duce et auspice; numquam,
Sim, Galilæe, licèt mortua, victor eris.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
Carolinæ umbra Constantiæ umbram salutat.
En adsum, Germana; mihi gratare: patrato
Grandi opere, ad vestros non piget ire locos.
Europæ finem inter nos partimur utrumque.
Optandum tibi nil, nil mihi majus erat.
Te Duce, vicinas orienti obsederat oras
Arius; et Duce me, possidet occiduas.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
Oratio ad Christum pro Carolinâ Arianâ defunctâ
reliquisque Hæreticis tam viventibus quàm defunctis.
Christe redemisti humanam qui sanguine fuso
Gentem; Crux cujus crimina nostra piat;
Si pro defunctis ad Cœlum fundere vota
Sit fas, et numen Sollicitare tuum;
Huic, quam seduxit scelerati {2} dogmatis Author
Parce: tuis clemens hostibus esse soles.
Petro abjuranti veniam non, Christe, negasti:
Latro tuam pendens in cruce sensit opem.
Quò gravius crimen, tantò est clementia major.
An major meritis culpa sit ulla tuis?
Esse Deum quæ te summum decepta negavit,
Te Salvatorem sentiat esse suum.
Clericus, et qui sunt hortatu Dæmonis ausi
Blasphemum in nostris spargere dogma plagis;
Æternum haud pereant; Judæis in Cruce fixus
Orasti, ignoscat, Christe benigne, Patrem.
Hodleio, reliquisque, fidem qui lædere sanam,
Incautisque suum tradere virus amant;
Des, Christe, ut possint tandem resipiscere; clausit
Dum nondum extremum mors inopina diem.
Denique pestiferam nostris a finibus arce
Quâ longùm infecta est terra Britanna Luem.
Condita quâ Carolina, error condatur eâdem
Impius hic, ad nos non rediturus, humo.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
Elogium in Carolinam M. B. Reginam
Quis tantum poterit Lachrymis æquare dolorem?
Quis luctus meritis par, Carolina, tuis?
Corpus Fata licèt rapiant immitia, vultus
Perpetuùm in nostro pectore fixus erit.
Exemplum post te moriens insigne relinquis;
Quale ætas dederat nulla, nec ulla dabit.
Quisquis es, exemplum qui (quamquam haud passibus æquis)
Principis hujus aves, ambitiosi, sequi;
Si tibi prisca fides placeat, si conscia recti
Mens, si virtutis non simulatus amor;
Si qua animæ sit et æternæ tibi cura salutis,
Hac duce, disce precor vivere, disce mori.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
Epigram on a Tomb.
Fearless approach; no stench will hence ascend;
No noxious vapor will your nose offend:
But gratefull odors from the tomb depart,
And chear the sense. Thanks to the Embalmer’s art.
Unlike to others, when frail life is fled;
She stunk alive, more than she stinks when dead.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
An Epitaph.
Here lies unpitty’d both by Church and State
The subject of their Flattery and hate;
Flatter’d by those in whom her favour flow’d
Hated for favours impiously bestow’d.
Who aim’d the Church by churchmen to betray,
And hop’d to share in arbitrary sway.
In Tindal’s and in Hoadley’s path she trod;
An hypocrite in all, but disbelief of God.
Promoted Luxury, encourag’d vice:
Herself a sordid Slave to avarice.
True friendship, tender Love ne’er touch’d her heart;
Falshood appear’d, in vain disguis’d by art.
Fawning and haughty; when familiar rude:
And never gracious seem’d, but to delude.
Inquisitive in trifling mean affairs;
Heedless of publick good or Orphan’s tears.
To her own offspring mercy she deny’d:
And, unforgiving, unforgiven dy’d. {3}
Oh cruel Death! why was you so unkind
To take the Queen, and Leave the king behind!
—————
Notes
In the transcript above the original punctuation and capitalisation have been retained, but abbreviations have been expanded and fossil thorn (‘y’) has been replaced by ‘th’.
{1} Cf. Statius, Thebaid, i. 402–3.
{2} A slip for ‘sceleratis’?
{3} It is unclear whether or not a break was intended before the concluding couplet.
—————
Translation
She took to her sick-bed on 9 November 1737. She descended to Arius, the Empress Constance, Le Clerc, and the other heretics on 20 November 1737 at 11 o’clock at night, the Constance of our age.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
To Le Clerc, Caroline’s Arian Instructor
If mortal affairs, Le Clerc, can touch the spirits of the dead, if you care anything for your disciple, you must be grieving for this woman as she struggles at the very edge of life, and as she dies you must feel that you are dying again.
Le Clerc answers: You ignoramus, whoever you are, you oppose our teachings and insult me and my disciple. Stop flattering yourself, if you know what’s good for you—it’s no use, because our party’s interests are in the hands of Hoadly and my great band of supporters. Judas, to his shame, suffers in senseless idleness; he is tormented by the horrifying knowledge of his betrayal. But the patroness of my cause triumphs like a heroine; she stands undaunted unto death, like me. No woman ever deserved more to be called Constance. She perseveres in her beliefs, firm in her purpose. ‘Just as I lived,’ she says, ‘I die. For I do not recall doing anything of which I would wish to repent.’
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
The dying Caroline speaks
You’ve beaten me, Galilean, once cried the man they call the Apostate. But I think it shameful to give in as I die. While this sect, of which Arius was the founder, flourishes, which I have supported and fed with my patronage, while my party still stands with Hoadly as its leader and protector, never—though I may be mortal, Galilean—shall you be the victor.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
The ghost of Caroline greets the ghost of Constance
See, here I am, cousin! Congratulate me! Since a great work has been accomplished, I do not regret coming to these places of yours. We divide the two ends of Europe between us. Nothing greater could have been desired for you, or for me. With you as leader, Arius took possession of the regions bounding the east, and with me as leader he possesses those in the west.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
A prayer to Christ for Caroline, the dead Arian, and for other heretics, both living and dead
O Christ, who redeemed the human race by the pouring out of your blood, whose cross paid the price for our sins, if it is right to pour out prayers to heaven on behalf of the dead and to solicit your divine majesty, spare this woman, whom an author seduced by his wicked teachings. It is your custom to be forgiving to your enemies. You did not withhold forgiveness, Christ, from Peter when he denied you; the thief who hung on the cross experienced your help. The worse the crime, the greater the mercy. Can any sin be greater than your merits? Let this deceived woman, who denied that you are the most high God, know you as her saviour. Do not let Leclerc, and those who at the Devil’s bidding dared to sprinkle blasphemous doctrine in our lands, perish forever. When you were fixed to the cross, gentle Christ, you begged your father to forgive the Jews. Grant, O Christ, that Hoadly and others who love to harm the true faith and spread their poison among thoughtless people, may at last come to their senses, while unexpected death has not yet ended their last day. Lastly, keep from our shores the violent plague with which the land of Britain has long been infected. In the soil where Caroline is buried, let this wicked error also be interred, never to return to us.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
An elegy on Caroline, Queen of Great Britain
Who will be able to match with their tears such a great sorrow? What grief, Caroline, is equal to what you deserve. Though the stern Fates may seize your body, your face will be forever fixed in our hearts. You leave behind you, as you die, such a worthy example as no age has given before or will give again. You, whoever you are, who ambitiously desire to follow (though not with equal steps) the example of this prince, if you take pleasure in the ancient faith, in a mind conscious of justice, and in a unfeigned love of virtue; if you care anything for your soul and for eternal salvation; then I beg you, with her as your guide, learn how to live and learn how to die.
read less
