Cur non Lancastrum digno célebramus honore
Eloquioque pari meritis! prætantia cujus
Splendidior Phœbo est, rutilo præstantior auro.
Quin libet, aggredior dignoque attollere cantu
Indignus, patriumque solum super astra referre
Conabor, cœptis precor aspirate faventes.
Terra potens veterum monumentis clara parentum,
Clara viris strenuis, et regum prole Celebris.
Non Canis exurit sitientes fervidus agnos
Nec madidus nimias diffundit aquarius undas
Florida sed tellus votis respondit avari
Fructibus agricolœ gregibusque ministrat obesis,
Pascua, pingue solum, fontes hic murmure grato
Dimanant, lætoque aspergunt ubere campos:
Hic nemorum sublime decus, semperque virentum
Pulcher honos pratorum, hic largi copia lactis.
Adsunt et tremuli fœcundo gramina rivi
Lapsu lambentes, hic dulcis ab illice mellis
Vis fluit, Hyblæo dulcescunt nectare rami.
The two last lines of the piece are:
Quid opus est multis? melior nee justior ulla
Gens pietate manet, nee bello major et armis.
During the same period an incident happened, which gave occasion to the composition by students of the House of four Latin Epigrams, all of them, fortunately, preserved. At the Convent of the Theatines of St. Cajetan which stands in the immediate vicinity of the main entrance of the College, an image of St. Andrew Avellinus was reported to have shed tears. This statement so far gained credit, as to become, at the time, the common subject of conversation, and a prize was at length offered to the person who should celebrate the fact in the best Latin epigram. Four of the students of the College entered the lists, Richard Shirnall, John Askew, James Skilton, and Thomas Hesketh. This last is not the same as Dr. Hesketh, author of the poem quoted above, but probably of the same family.
