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tavus Adolphus would carry on war against the Roman Catholic Faith, 

 and suhdue the Austrians. This prediction was actually fulfilled a few 

 years afterwards. In the year 1630 he composed many satires, all 

 directed against the clergy and the government. A few years after, he 

 began to compose an epic poem on Constantine the Great, which was 

 to lie complete in twelve books, but the death of his wife made him 

 indifferent to its completion, and he destroyed it. 



In the year 1640 his religious opinions underwent a great change, 

 and he embraced the Roman Catholic faith, which henceforth he 

 vigorously defended, notwithstanding the pereonal sacrifices he had to 

 undergo. It is, perhaps, this religious apostacy that induced him to 

 compose a drama on Mary Stuart, in which he represents her as inno- 

 cent of all the crimes imputed to her, while Elizabeth is described 

 as a second Herodias. For this he was fined 180 florins (£15). 



When 70 years of age he was in great distress, and, therefore, 

 accepted a situation in the Lombard or Pawn Ofiice, which, in that 

 country, is a government institution, at a salary of 650 florins (£54) 

 a year. But instead of writing tickets he made poems, and govern- 

 ment was obliged to discharge him, but did not withdraw his stipend. 

 The remainder of his life he passed in great seclusion, and died in the 

 year 1679, at the advanced age of ninety-one years. His works are very 

 numerous. They consist of dramas, epic poems, satires, odes — in fact 

 of almost every possible kind of poetical composition. After his death 

 his works gradually rose in public estimation ; and although his fame 

 has scarcely reached beyond the frontiers of his country, there is no 

 doubt that a correct translation of liis works would obtain for him a 

 place among the master minds of ancient and modem days. 



