tude was there to be expected from a court governed by eunuchs and mercenary Greeks? all whofe politics turned, not on the honour of the king, but the establishment of their own power; which was likely to be eclipfed by the admiffion of Pompey. How happy had it been for him to have died in that fickness, when all Italy was putting up vows and prayers for his fafety! or, if he had fallen by the chance of war, on the plains of Pharfalia, in the defence of his country's li berty, he had died ftill glorious, though unfortunate; but, as if he had been referved for an example of the inftability of human greatnefs, he, who a few days before commanded kings and confuls, and all the nobleft of Rome, was fentenced to die by a council of flaves; murdered by a bafe deferter; caft out naked and headlefs on the Egyptian ftrand; and when the whole earth, as Velleius fays, had fcarce been fufficient for his victories, could not find a spot upon it at laft for a grave. His body was burnt on the fhore by one of his freed-men, with the planks of an old fishing boat; and his athes, being conveyed to Rome, were depofited privately. by his wife Cornelia, in a vault by his Alban villa, The Egyptians however raifed a monument to him on the place, and adorned it with figures of brafs, which being defaced afterwards by time, and buried almoft in fand and rubbish, was fought out, and restored by the emperor Hadrian. Middleton. often affronted and mortified at home, 9. Submiffion; Complaint; Intreating -The Speech of SENECA the Philofopher to NERO, complaining of the Envy of bis Enemies, and requesting the Emperor to reduce him back to his for mer narrow Circumstances, that he might no longer be an Object of their Malignity. May it please the imperial majefty of Cæfar favourably to accept the humble fubmiffions and grateful acknowledgments of the weak though faithful guide of his youth. It is now a great many years fince I first had the honour of attending your imperial majefty as preceptor. And your bounty has rewarded my labours with fuch affluence, as has drawn upon me, what I had reafon to expect, the envy of many of thofe perfons, who are always ready to prefcribe to their prince where to bestow, and where to withhold his favours. It is well known, that your illuftrious ancestor, Auguftus, bestowed on his deferving favourites, Agrippa and Mæcenas, honours and emoluments, fuitable to the dignity of the benefactor, and to the fervices of the receivers Nor has his conduct been blamed. My employment about your imperial majefty has, indeed, been purely domeftic: I have neither headed your armies, nor affifted at your councils. But you know, Sir, (though there are fome who do not feem to attend to it) that a prince may be ferved in different ways, fome more, others lefs confpicuous; and that the latter may be to him as valuable as the former. "But what!" fay my enemies, "fhall "a private perfon, of equeftrian rank, and a provincial by birth, be advanced to an equality with the patricians? Shall an upstart, of no name nor fa"mily, rank with those who can, by the "ftatues which make the ornament of "their palaces, reckon backward a line "of ancestors, long enough to tire out "the fafti*? Shall a philofopher who "has written for others precepts of moderation, and contempt of all that is "external, himself live in affluence and luxury? Shall he purchafe eftates, and lay out money at intereft? Shall he build palaces, plant gardens, and ad"orn a country at his own expence, and "for his own pleasure ?" wieldy wealth. I beseech him to restore to the imperial treafury, from whence it came, what is to me fuperfluous and cumbrous. The time and the attention, which I am now obliged to beltow upon my villa and my gardens, I fhall be glad to apply to the regulation of my mind. Cæfar is in the flower of life: long may he be equal to the toils of government! His goodnefs will grant to his worn-out fervant leave to retire. It will not be derogatory from Cafar's greatness to have it faid, that he bestowed favours on fome, who, fo far from being intoxicated with them, fhewed that they could be happy, when (at their own request) divested of them. Corn. Tacit. $10. Speech of CHARIDEMUS, an ATHENIAN Exile, at the Court of DARIUS, on being asked his Opinion of the warlike Preparations making by that Prince against ALEXANDER. Perhaps your Majefty may not bear the truth from the mouth of a Grecian, and an exile: and if I do not declare it now, I neverwill, perhaps I may never have another opportunity. Your Majefty's numerous army, drawn from various nations, and which unpeoples the eaft, may seem formidable to the neighbouring countries. The gold, the purple, and the fplendor of arms, which itrike the eyes of beholders, make a fhow which furpaffes the imagination of all who have not feen it. The Macedonian army, with which your Majefty's forces are going to contend, is, on the contrary, grim, and horrid of afpect, and clad in iron. The irrefiftible phalanx is a body of men who, in the held of battle, fear no onfet, being practifed to hold together, man to man, fhield to fhield, and fpear to spear; fo that a brazen wall might as foon be broke through. In advancing, in wheeling to right or left, in attacking, in every exercife of arms, they act as one man. They answer the flighteft fign from the commander, as if his foul animated the whole army. Every foldier has a knowledge of war fufficient for a general. And this difcipline, by which the Macedonian army is become so formanacs, of the ancients, had, as our almanacs, been all along kept up, by a fixed conmidable, was first established, and has Cæfar has given royally, as became imperial magnificence. Seneca has received what his prince bestowed; nor did he ever afk: he is only guilty of not refufing. Cæfar's rank places him above the reach of invidious malignity. Seneca is not, nor can be, high enough to defpife the envious. As the overloaded foldier, or traveller, would be glad to be relieved of his burden, fo I, in this laft ftage of the journey of life, now that I find myfelf unequal to the lightest cares, beg, that Cæfar would kindly eafe me of the trouble of my un The fafti, or calendars, or, if you please, al tables of kings, confuls, &c, tempt tempt of what your Majefty's troops are fo vain of, I mean gold and filver. The bare earth ferves them for beds. Whatever will fatisfy nature, is their luxury. Their repofe is always fhorter than the night. Your Majefty may, therefore, judge, whether the Theffalian, Acarnanian, and Ætolian cavalry, and the Macedonian phalanx-an army that has, in fpite of all oppofition, over-run half the world-are to be repelled by a multitude (however numerous) armed with flings, and stakes hardened at the points by fire. To be upon equal terms with Alexander, your Majefty ought to have an army composed of the fame fort of troops: and they are no where to be had, but in the famecountries which produced thofe conquerors of the world.-It is therefore my opinion, that, if your Majefty were to apply the gold and filver, which now fo fuperfluously adorns your men, to the purpose of hiring an army from Greece, to contend with Greeks, you might have fome chance for fuccefs; otherwife I fee no reason to expect any thing elfe, than that your army fhould be defeated, as all the others have been who have encountered the irrefiftible Macedonians, 2. Curtius. § 11. The Character of JULIUS CAESAR. Cæfar was endowed with every great and noble quality, that could exalt human nature, and give a man the afcendant in fociety: formed to excel in peace, as well as war; provident in counfel; fearlefs in action; and executing what he had refolved with an amazing celerity: generous beyond measure to his friends; placable to his enemies; and for parts, learning, eloquence, fcarce inferior to any man. His orations were admired for two qualities, which are feldom found together, ftrength and elegance; Cicero ranks him among the greatest orators that Rome ever bred; and Quintilian fays, that he fpoke with the fame force with which he fought; and if he had devoted himself to the bar, would have been the only man capable of rivalling Cicero. Nor was he a mafter only of the politer arts; but converfant alfo with the most abftrufe and critical parts of learning; and, among other works which he published, addreffed two books to Cicero, on the analogy of lan guage, or the art of fpeaking and writing correctly. He was a moft liberal patron of wit and learning, wherefoever they were found; and out of his love of thofe talents, would readily pardon thofe who had employed them against himfelf; rightly judging, that by making fuch men his friends, he should draw praises from the fame fountain from which he had been afperfed. His capital paffions were ambition, and love of pleafure; which he indulged in their turns to the greateft excefs: yet the first was always predominant; to which he could eafily facrifice all the charms of the fecond, and draw pleafure even from toils and dangers, when they ministered to his glory. For he thought Tyranny, as Cicero fays, the greatest of goddeffes; and had frequently in his mouth a verse of Euripides, which expreffed the image of his foul, that if right and juftice were ever to be violated, they were to be violated for the fake of reigning. This was the chief end and purpose of his life; the fcheme that he had formed from his early youth; fo that, as Cato truly declared of him, he came with fobriety and meditation to the fubverfion there were two things neceffary, to acof the republic. He ufed to fay, that quire and to fupport power-foldiers and money; which yet depended mutually upon each other: with money therefore he provided foldiers, and with foldiers extorted money; and was, of all men, the moft rapacious in plundering both friends and foes; fparing neither prince, nor ftate, nor temple, nor even private perfons, who were known to poffefs any fhare of treafure. His great abilities would neceffarily have made him one of the first citizens of Rome; but, difdaining the condition of a fubject, he could never reft, till he made himself a monarch. In acting this last part, his ufual prudence feemed to fail him; as if the height to which he was mounted, had turned his head, and made him giddy: for, by a vain oftentation of his power, he destroyed the ftability of it: and as men fhorten life by living too faft, fo by an intemperance of reigning, he brought his reign to a violent end. Middleton. $12. CALISTHENES's Reproof of CLEON's Flattery to ALEXANDER, on whom he had propofed to confer Divinity by Vote. If the king were prefent, Cleon, there would be no need of my anfwering to what you have juft propofed: he would himfelf reprove you for endeavouring to draw him into an imitation of foreign abfurdities, and for bringing envy upon him by fuch unmanly flattery. As he is abfent, I take upon me to tell you, in his name, that no praife is lasting, but what is rational; and that you do what you can to leffen his glory, inftead of adding to it. Heroes have never, among us, been deified till after their death; and, whatever may be your way of thinking, Cleon, for my part, I wish the king may not, for many years to come, obtain that ho nour. You have mentioned, as precedents of what you propofe, Hercules and Bacchus. Do you imagine, Cleon, that they were deified over a cup of wine? and are you and I qualified to make gods? Is the king, our fovereign, to receive his divinity from you and me, who are his fubjects? First try your power, whether you can make a king. It is, furely, eafier to make a king, than a god; to give an earthly dominion, than a throne in heaven. I only with, that the gods may have heard, without offence, the arrogant propofal you have made, of adding one to their number; and that they may ftill be fo propitious to us, as to grant the continuance of that fuccefs to our affairs with which they have hitherto favoured us. For my part, I am not afhamed of my country; nor do I approve of our adopting the rites of foreign nations, or learning from them how we ought to reverence furing all duty by the abfurd rigour of the ftoical rule, he was generally difappointed of the end which he fought by it, the happiness both of his private and public life. In his private conduct he was fevere, morofe, inexorable; banishing all the fofter affections, as natural enemies to juftice, and as fuggefting falfe motives of acting, from favour, clemency, and compaffion: in public affairs he was the fame; had but one rule of policy, to adhere to what was right, without regard to time or circumftances, or even to a force that could controul him; for, inftead of managing the power of the great, fo as to mitigate the ill, or extract any good from it, he was urging it always to acts of violence by a perpetual defiance; fo that, with the best intentions in the world, he often did great harm to the repub. lic. This was his general behaviour; yet, from fome particular facts, it ap pears that his ftrength of mind was not always impregnable, but had its weak places of pride, ambition, and party zeal; which, when managed and flattered to a certain point, would betray him fometimes into measures contrary to his ordinary rule of right and truth. The last act of his life was agreeable to his nature and philofophy: when he could no longer be what he had been ; or when the ills of life over-balanced the good, which, by the principles of his fect, was a juft caufe for dying: he put an end to his life with a fpi rit and refolution which would make found an occafion of dying in his proone imagine, that he was glad to have per character. On the whole, his life was rather admirable than amiable; fit to be praised, rather than imitated. Middleton. our kings. To receive laws or rules $14. BRUTUS's Speech in Vindication of of conduct from them, what is it but to confefs ourselves inferior to them? 2. Curtius. $13. The Character of CATO. If we confider the character of Cato without prejudice, he was certainly a great and worthy man; a friend to truth, virtue, liberty; yet, falfely mea CESAR's Murder. Romans, countrymen, and lovers! Hear me, for my caufe; and be filent, that you may hear. Believe me, for mine honour; and have refpect to mine honour, that you may believe. Cenfure me, in your wifdom; and awake your fenfes, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this affembly, any dear friend of Cæfar's, to him I fay, that Brutus's love to Cæfar was no less than his. If, then, that friend demand why Brutus rofe against Cæfar? this is my answer-Not that I loved Cæfar lefs, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Cæfar were, and die all flaves; than that Cæfar were dead, to live all freemen ? As Cæfar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him; but, as he was ambitious, I flew him. There are tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honour for his valour, and death for his ambition. Who's here fo bafe, that would be a bond-man?-If any, fpeak; for him have I offended. Who's here fo rude, that would not be a Roman ? -If any, fpeak; for him have I of. fended. Who's here fo vile, that will not love his country?-If any, fpeak; for him have I offended. I paufe for a reply. None -Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Cæfar, than you should do to Brutus. The queftion of his death is inrolled in the capitol : his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences inforced, for which he fuffered death. Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony; who, though he had no hand in his death, fhall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the commonwealth; as, which of you fhall not? With this I depart-That, as I flew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the fame dagger for myself, when it fhall please my country to need my death. Shakespeare. liberal, compaffionate, and forgiving temper; as did Cato, by never beftowing any thing. In the one, the miferable found a fanctuary; in the other, the guilty met with a certain deftruction. Cæfar was admired for an eafy yielding temper; Cato for his immoveable firmness; Cæfar, in a word, had formed him felf for a laborious active life; was intent upon promoting the intereft of his friends, to the neglect of his own; and refused to grant nothing that was worth accepting: what he defired for himself, was to have fovereign command, to be at the head of armies, and engaged in new wars, in order to difplay his military talents. As for Cato, his only ftudy was moderation, regular conduct, and, above all, rigorous feverity: he did not vie with the rich in riches, nor in faction with the factious; but, taking a nobler aim, he contended in bravery with the brave, in modefty with the modeft, in integrity with the upright; and was more defirous to be virtuous, than appear fo: fo that the lefs he courted fame, the more it followed him. Salluft, by Mr. Rose. $16. CAIUS MARIUS to the ROMANS, fhewing the Abfurdity of their hefitating to confer on him the Rank of General, merely on Account of his Extraction. It is but too common, my country. men, to obferve a material difference between the behaviour of thofe who ftand candidates for places of power and truft, before and after their obtaining them. They folicit them in one manner, and execute them in another. They fet out with a great appearance and they quickly fall into floth, pride, of activity, humility, and moderation; and avarice. It is, undoubtedly, no eafy matter to difcharge, to the general fatisfaction, the duty of a fupreme commander, in troublesome times. I am, I hope, duly fenfible of the importance of the office I propofe to take upon me for the fervice of my country. To carry on, with effect, an expensive war, and yet be frugal of the public money; to oblige thofe to ferve, whom it may be delicate to offend; to conduct, at the fame time, a complicated va |