ers 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 liberty, 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; mur thing which he wanted, arms, and military command he made him at laft too ftrong for himself, and never began to fear him till it was too late. Cicero warmly diffuaded both his union and his breach with Cæfar; and after the rupture, as warmly ftill, the thought of giving him battle: if any of thefe counicis had been followed, Pompey had preferved his life and honour, and the republic its liberty. But he was urged to his fate by a natural fu-dered by a base deferter; caft our naked and perftition, and attention to thofe vain auguries, headlefs on the Egyptian ftrand; and when with which he was flattered by all the Haruf- the whole earth, as Velleius fays, had scarce pices: he had feen the fame temper in Ma been fufficient for his victories, could not find rius and Sylla, and obferved the happy effects a spot upon it at laft for a grave. His body of it: but they affumed it only out of policy, was burnt on the thore by one of his freedhe out of principle; they used it to animate men, with the planks of an old fishing-boat; their foldiers, whenthey had found a probable and his athes, being conveyed to Rome, were opportunity of fighting: but he, against all depofited privately, by his wife Cornelia, in a prudence and probability, was encouraged by vault by his Alban villa. The Egyptians it to fight to his own ruin. He faw his mit- however raised a monument to him on the takes at laft, when it was out of his power to place, and adorned it with figures of brafs, correct them; and in his wretched flight from which being defaced afterwards by time, and Pharfalia, was forced to confefs, that he had buried almoft in fand and rubbish, was fought trufted too much to his hopes; and that Ci-out, and restored by the emperor Hadrian. cero had judged better, and feen farther into things than he. The refolution of feeking refuge in Egypt finished the fad catastrophe of this great man: the father of the reigning prince had been highly obliged to him for his protection at Rome, and restoration to his kingdom: and the fon had fent a confiderable flect to his affiftance in the prefent war: but in this rain of his fortunes, what gratitude was there to be expected from a court governed by eunuchs and mercenary Greeks? all whole politics turned, not on the honour of the king, but the establishment of their own power; which was likely to be eclipfed by It is now a great many years fince I first the admittion of Pompey. How happy had had the honour of attending your imperial it been for him to have died in that sickness, majesty as a preceptor. And your bounty has when Italy was putting up vows and pray-rewarded my labours with such affluence, as Middleton, 8, Submiflion; 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 former narrow Circumflances, that be might no longer be an Objec of their Malignity, May it please the imperial majefty of Cafar favourable to accept the humble fubmiffions and grateful acknowledgments of the weak though faithful guide of his youth. he. has drawn upon me what I had reafon to ex- | his prince beftowed; nor did he ever afk: pect, the envy of many of those perfons who he is only guilty of not refufing. Cæfar's are always ready to prefcribe to their prince rank places him above the reach of invidious where to beftow, and where to withhold his malignity. Seneca is not, nor can be, high favours. It is well known, that your illuf- enough to defpife the envious. As the overtrious ancestor, Auguftus, bestowed on his loaded foldier or traveller would be glad to deferving favourites, Agrippa and Mæcenas, be relieved of his burden, fo I, in this laft honours and emoluments, fuitable to the dig- ftage of the journey of life, now that I find nity of the benefactor, and to the fervices of myfelf unequal to the lightest cares, beg, that the receivers: nor has his conduct been Cæfar would kindly cafe me of the trouble blamed. My employment about your im-of my unwieldy wealth. I beseech him to perial 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 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 ex"ternal, himself live in affluence and luxury? "Shall he purchase estates, and lay out money "at intereft? Shall he build palaces, plant "gardens, and adorn a country at his own 46 expence, and for his own pleasure ?" 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 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 goodnets 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) divested of them. Corn. Tacit. 9. Speech of CHARIDEMUS, an ATHENIAN Exile at the court of Darius, on being asked bis 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 Cæfar has given royally, as became impe-will, perhaps I may never have another oprial magnificence. Seneca has received what *The fafti, or calendars, or, if you pleafe, almanacs, of the ancients, had, as our almanacs, tables of kings, confuls &c. portunity.--Your Majefty's numerous army, drawn from various nations, and which unpeoples the caft, may feem formidable to the neighbouring countries. The gold, the purple, and the fplendor of arms, which strike the fuccefs; otherwife I fee no reason to expect § 10. 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 greateft orators that Rome ever brod; and Quinctilian fays, that he spoke with the fame force with which he fought; and if he had devoted himfelf 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 moft abftrufe and critical parts of learning; and, among other works which he published, addrelled two books to Cicero, on the analogy the eyes of beholders, make a fhow which furpates 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 irresistible phalanx is a body of men who, in the field of battle, fear no onfet, being practifed to hold together, man to man, fhield to fhield, and Spear to spear; fo that a brazen wall might as foon be broken through. In advancing, in wheeling to the right and 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 fo formidable, was first established, 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 thorter 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 mume-of language, or the art of fpeaking and writrous) armed with flings, and ftakes 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 fuperflueully adorns your men, to the purpose of hir. ing an army from Greece, to contend with Grecks, you might have fome chance for ing 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 those who had employed them against himself: rightly judging, that by making fuch men his friends, he fhould draw praifes from the fame fountain from which he had been afperfed. His capi tal paffions were ambition, and love of pleafure: which he indulged in their turns to the greateft excefs: yet the firft was always predominant; to which he could easily facritice all the charms of the second, and draw plea- | you have juft propofed; he would himself fure even from toils and dangers, when they reprove you for endeavouring to draw him ministered to his glory. For he thought Ty-into an imitation of foreign abfurdities, and ranny, as Cicero fays, the greatest of god- for bringing envy upon him by fuch unmanly deffes; and had frequently in his mouth a flattery. As he is abfent, I take upon me to verfe of Euripides, which expreffed the image tell you, in his name, that no praife is lafting, of his foul, that if right and justice were ever to but what is rational; and that you do what be violated, they were to be violated for the fake you can to leffen his glory, instead of adding of reigning. This was the chief end and pur- to it. Heroes have never among us, been pofe of his life; the scheme that he had formed deified till after their death; and, whatever from his early youth: fo that, as Cato truly de- may be your way of thinking, Cleon, for my clared of him, he came with fobriety and medita- part, I with the king may not, for many tion to the fubverfion of the republic. He ufed years to come, obtain that honour. to fay, that there were two things neceffary, to You have mentioned, as precedents of what acquire and to fupport power-foldiers and you propofe, Hercules and Bacchus. Do you money; which yet depended mutually upon imagine, Cleon, that they were deified over a each other: with money therefore he provided cup of wine and are you and I qualified to foldiers, and with foldiers extorted money; make gods? Is the king, our fovereign, to and was, of all men, the most rapacious in receive his divinity from you and me, who plundering both friends and foes; fparing are his fubjects? First try your power, wheneither prince, nor ftate, nor temple, nor even ther you can make a king. It is, furely, private perfons, who were known to poffefs easier to make a king than a god;, to give an any share of treasure. His great abilities earthly dominion, than a throne in heaven. I would neceffarily have made him one of the only with that the gods may have heard, withfirst citizens of Rome; but, difdaining the out offence, the arrogant propofals you have condition of a fubject, he could never reft till made of adding one to their number; and he made himself a monarch. In acting this that they may ftill be fo propitious to us, as aft part, his ufual prudence feemed to fail to grant the continuance of that fuccefs to our him; as if the height to which he was mount-affairs with which they have hitherto favoured ed, had turned his head and made him giddy: for, by a vain oftentation of his power, he deftroyed the stability of it: and as men horten life by living too faft, fo by an intemperance of reigning, he brought his reign to a violent end. Middleton. us. For my part, I am not afhamed of my § 12. The Character of CATO. furd If there be any in this affembly, any dear furd rigour of the ftoical rule, he was gene- | me, for my caufe; and be filent, that you rally difappointed of the end which he fought may hear. Believe me, for mine honour; by it, the happiness both of his private and and have refpe& to mine honour, that you public life. In his private conduct he was fe- may believe. Cenfure me, in your wifdom; vere, morofe, inexorable; banishing all the and awake your fenfes, that you may the fofter affections, as natural enemies to juftice, better judge. and as fuggefting falfe motives of acting, from favour, clemency, and compaffion: infriend of Cæfar's, to him I fay, that Brutus's public affairs he was the fame; had but one love to Cæfar was no lefs than his. If, then, rule of policy, to adhere to what was right, that friend demand why Brutus rofe against without regard to time or circumftances, or Cæfar? this is my anfwer-Not that I loved even to a force that could controul him; for, Cæfar lefs, but that I loved Rome more. inftead of managing the power of the great, Had you rather Cæfar were, and die all slaves; fo as to mitigate the ill, or extract any good than that Cæfar were dead, to live all freemen from it, he was urging it always to acts of As Cæfar loved me, I weep for him; as he violence by a perpetual defiance; fo that, with was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was vathe best intentions in the world, he often did liant, I honour him; but, as he was ambitigreat harm to the republic. This was his ous, I flow him. There are tears for his love, general behaviour; yet from fome particular joy for his fortune, honour for his valour, and facts, it appears that his ftrength of mind was death for his ambition. Who's here fo base, not always impregnable, but had its weak that would be a bond-man ?--If any, speak; places of pride, ambition, and party zeal; for him have I offended. Who's here fo rude, which, when managed and flattered to a cer- that would not be a Roman ?-If any, fpcak; tain point, would betray him fometimes into for him have I offended. Who's here fo vile, meatures contrary to his ordinary rule of right that will not love his country?-If any, and truth. The laft act of his life was agree-speak; for him have I offended. I paufe for abe 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 fect, was a juft caufe for dying; he put an end to his life with a fpirit and refolution which would make one imagine, that he was glad to have found an occation of dying in his proper character. On the whole, his life was rather admirable than amiable; fit to be praised, rather than imitated. Middleton. 13. BRUTUS's Speech in Vindication of CESAR'S Murder. Romans, countrymen, and lovers !-Hear 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, thall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the common-wealth; as, which of you fhall not? With this I depart -That, as I flew my beft lover for the good of Rome, I have the fame dagger for myself, wher |