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 anceftor, Auguftus, beflowed on his deferving favourites, Agrippa and Macenas, 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 some 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 upftart, of no name nor family, 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 adorn a country at his own expence, "and for his own pleasure?"

Cæfar has given royally, as became imperial magnificence. Seneca has received what his prince beftowed; 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 myself unequal to the lightest cares, beg, that Cæfar

The fasti, or calendars, or, if you pleafe,

almanacs, of the ancients, had, as our almanacs, tables of kings, confuls, &c.

would kindly eafe me of the trouble of my unwieldy wealth. I befeech him to restore to the imperial treasury, from whence it came, what is to me fuperfluous and cumbrous. The time and the attention, which I am now obliged to bestow 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 Cæfar'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) divefted of them. Corn. Tacit.

21. 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 never will, perhaps I may never have another opportunity. Your Majesty's numerous army, drawn from various nations, and which unpeoples the eaft, may feem formidable to the neighbouring countries. The gold, the purple, and the fplendor of arms, which strike the eyes of beholders, make a show 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 field of battle, fear no onfet, being practifed to hold together, man to man, shield to fhield, and fpear to fpear; 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 anfwer 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 fo formidable, was first establifhed, and has been all along kept up, by a fixed contempt 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, overrun 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 compofed of the fame fort of troops and they are no where to be had, but in the fame countries 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 purpofe of hiring an army from Greece, to contend with Greeks, you might have fome chance for fuccefs; other wife 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 Macedo

nians.

2. Curtius.

§ 22. The Character of JULIUS CÆSAR. 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 council; fearless 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 Quinctilian 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 abstruse and critical parts of learning; and, among other works which he published, addressed two books to Cicero, on the analogy of language, 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 fhould draw praises from the fame fountain from which he had been afperfed. His capital paflions were ambition, and love of pleasure; which he indulged in their turns to the greatest excefs: yet the first was always predomi nant; to which he could eafily facrifice all the charms of the fecond, and draw pleafure even from toils and dangers, when they miniftered to his glory. For he thought Tyranny, as Cicero fays, the greatest of goddeffes; and had frequently in his mouth a verfe 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 of the republic. He used to say, that there were two things neceffary, to acquire 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 firft citizens of Rome; but, difdaining the condition of a fubject, he could never reft, till he made himfelf a monarch. In acting this laft 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 deftroyed the ftability of it: and as men fhorten life by living too fast, fo by an intemperance of reigning, he brought his reign to a violent end.

praife is lafting, but what is rational; and that you do what you can to leffen his glory, instead 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 honour.

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 carthly dominion, than a throne in heaven. I only wish that the gods may have heard, without offence, the arrogant propofal you have made of adding one to their number; and that they may fill 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 ashamed of my country; nor do I approve of our adopting the rites of foreign nations, or learning from them how we ought to reverence our kings. To receive laws or rules of conduct from them, what is it but to confefs ourselves inferior to them? 2. Curtius.

$24. 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 measuring all duty by the abfurd rigour of the ftoical rule, he was generally disappointed 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, instead 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 re

public. This was his general behaviour; yet from fome particular facts, it appears 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 laft 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 overbalanced the good, which, by the principles of his feet, was a juft caufe for dying; he put an end to his life with a spirit and refolution which would make one imagine, that he was glad to have found an occafion of dying in his proper character. On the whole, his life was rather admirable than amiable; fit to be praised, rather than imitated. Middleton.

§ 25.

BRUTUS's Speech in Vindication of
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 Cafar'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 Cafar? this is my anfwerNot 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 offended. 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 fhould do to Brutus. The question of his death is inrolled in the capitol: his glory

not

body? a perfon of illuftrious birth, of ancient family, of innumerable ftatues, but of no experience! What fervice would his long line of dead ancestors, or his multitude of motionlefs ftatues, do his country in the day of battle? What could fuch a general do, but, in his trepidation and inexperience, have recourfe to fome inferior commander, for direction in difficulties to 'which he was not himself equal? Thus your Patrician general would, in fact, have a general over him; fo that the acting commander would still be a Plebeian. So true is this, my countrymen, that I have, myself, known thofe who have been chofen confuls, begin then to read the history of their own country, of which, till that time, they were totally ignorant; that is, they firft obtained the employment, and then bethought themfelves of the qualifications neceffary for the proper difcharge of it.

I fubmit to your judgment, Romans, on which fide the advantage lies, when a comparison is made between Patrician haughtiness and Plebeian experience. The very actions, which they have only read, I have partly feen, and partly myself atchieved. What they know by reading, I know by action. They are pleafed to flight my mean birth; I defpife their mean characters. Want of birth and fortune is the objection against me; want of perfonal worth, against them. But are not all men of the fame fpecies? What can make a difference between one man and another, but the endowments of the mind?. For my part, I fhall always look upon the bravest man as the nobleft man. Suppofe it were enquired of the fathers of fuch Patricians as Albinus and Beftia, whether, if they had their choice, they would defire fons of their character, or of mine; what would they anfwer but that they fhould wish the worthieft to be their fons? If the Patricians have reafon to defpife me, let them likewife defpife their ancestors; whofe nobility was the fruit of their virtue. Do they envy the honours beftowed upon me? Let them envy, likewife, my labours, my abftinence, and the dangers I have undergone for my country, by which I have acquired them. But thofe worthlefs men lead fuch a life of inactivity, as if they defpifed any honours you can beftow, whilft they afpire to honours as if they had deferved them by the moft induftrious virtue. They lay claim to the rewards of activity, for their having enjoyed the pleafures of luxury; yet none can be more lavish than they are in praife

4

of their ancestors and they imagine they honour themfelves by celebraung their forefathers; whereas they do the very contrary: for, as much as their ancestors were diftinguished for their virtues, so much are they difgraced by their vices. The glory of ancestors cafts a light, indeed, upon their pofterity; but it only ferves to fhew what the defcendants are. It alike exhibits to public view their degeneracy and their worth. I own, I cannot boaft of the deeds of my forefathers; but I hope I may anfwer the cavils of the Patricians, by ftanding up in defence of what I have myself done.

Obferve now, my countrymen, the injuftice of the Patricians. They arrogate to themselves honours, on account of the exploits done by their forefathers; whilft they will not allow me the due praife, for performing the very fame fort of actions in my own perfon. He has no ftatues, they cry, of his family. He can trace no venerable line of ancestors.-What then? Is it matter of more praife to disgrace one's illuftrious ancestors, than to become illuftrious by one's own good behaviour? What if I can fhew no ftatues of my family? I can fhew the flandards, the armour, and the trappings, which I have myfelf taken from the vanquified: I can fhew the fears of thofe wounds which I have received by facing the enemies of my country. These are my ftatues. Thefe are the honours I boast of. Not left me by inheritance, as theirs : but earned by toil, by abflinence, by valour; amidst clouds of duft, and feas of blood: fcenes of action, where thofe effeminate Patricians, who endeavour by indirect means to depreciate me in your esteem, have never dared to fhew their faces. Salluft.

$28. The Character of CATILINE.

Lucius Catiline was defcended of an illuftrious family: he was a man of great vigour, both of body and mind, but of a difpofition extremely profligate and depraved. From his youth he took pleasure in civil wars, maffacres, depredations, and inteftine broils; and in thefe he employed his younger days. His body was formed for enduring cold, hunger, and want of reft, to a degree indeed incredible his fpirit was daring, fubtle, and changeable: he was expert in all the arts of fimulation and diffimulation; covetous of what belonged to others, lavish of his own; violent in his paffions; he had eloquence enough, but a small fhare of wisdom. His

boundless