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and myself, the children of his own body, the administration of the kingdom of Numidia, directing us to confider the fenate and people of Rome as proprietors of it. He charged us to use our best endeavours to be serviceable to the Roman commonwealth; afsuring us, that your protection would prove a defence against all enemies; and would be instead of armies, fortifications, and treafures.

While my brother and I were thinking of nothing but how to regulate ourselves according to the directions of our deceased father-Jugurtha-the most infamous of mankind!-breaking through all ties of gratitude and of common humanity, and trampling on the authority of the Roman commonwealth, procured the murder of my unfortunate brother; and has driven me from my throne and native country, though he knows I inherit, from my grandfather Massinissa, and my father Micipsa, the friendship and alliance of the Romans.

For a prince to be reduced, by villany, to my diftrefsful circumstances, is calamity enough; but my misfortunes are heightened by the confideration-that I find myself obliged to folicit your assistance, Fathers, for the fervices done you by my ancestors, not for any I have been able to render you in my own perfon. Jugurtha has put it out of my power to deferve any thing at your hands; and has forced me to be burdenfome, before I could be useful to you. And yet, if I had no plea, but my undeserved mifery-a once powerful prince, the defcendant of a race of illuftrious monarchs, now, without any fault of my own, destitute of every fupport, and reduced to the necessity of begging foreign assistance, against an enemy who has feized my throne and my kingdom-if my unequalled dif

tresses were all I had to plead-it would become the greatness of the Roman commonwealth, to protect the injured, and to check the triumph of daring wickedness over helpless innocence. But, to provoke your refentment to the utinost, Jugurtha has driven me from the very dominions, which the fenate and people of Rome gave to my ancestors; and, from which, my grandfather, and my father, under your umbrage, expelled Syphax and the Carthaginians. Thus, Fathers, your kindness to our family is defeated; and Jugurtha, in injuring me, throws contempt upon you.

O wretched prince! Oh cruel reverse of fortune! Oh father Micipsa! is this the confequence of thy generofity; that he, whom thy goodness raised to an equality with thy own children, should be the murderer of thy children? Must, then, the royal house of Numidia always be a scene of havock and blood? While Carthage remained, we fuffered, as was to be expected, all forts of hardships from their hoftile attacks; our enemy near; our only powerful ally, the Roman commonwealth, at a distance. When that scourge of Africa was no more, we congratulated ourselves on the profpect of established peace. But, instead of peace, behold the kingdom of Numidia drenched with royal blood! and the only furviving fon of its late king, flying from an adopted murderer, and seeking that fafety in foreign parts, which he cannot command in his own kingdom.

Whither-Oh! whither shall I fly? If I return to the royal palace of my ancestors, my father's throne is feized by the murderer of my brother. What can I there expect, but that Jugurtha should haften to imbrue, in my blood, those hands which are now reeking with

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with my brother's? If I were to fly for refuge, or for afsiftance, to any other court, from what prince can I hope for protection, if the Roman commonwealth give me up? From my own family or friends I have no expectations. My royal father is no more. beyond the reach of violence, and out of hearing of the complaints of his unhappy fon. Were my brother alive, our mutual fympathy would be fome alleviation. But he is hurried out of life, in his early youth, by the very hand which should have been the laft to injure any of the royal family of Numidia. The bloody Jugurtha has butchered all whom he fufpected to be in my interest. Some have been destroyed by the lingering torment of the cross. Others have been given a prey to wild beasts; and their anguish made the sport of men more cruel than wild beafts. If there be any yet alive, they are shut up in dungeons, there to drag out a life more intolerable than death itself.

Look down, illustrious fenators of Rome! from that height of power to which you are raifed, on the un exampled distresses of a prince, who is, by the cruelty of a wicked intruder, become an outcast from all mankind. Let not the crafty infinuations of him who returns murder for adoption, prejudice your judgment. Do not listen to the wretch who has butchered the fon and relations of a king, who gave him power to fit on the fame throne with his own fons. - I have been informed, that he labours by his emifsaries to prevent your determining any thing against him in his abfence; prètending that I magnify my distress, and might, for him, have staid in peace in my own kingdom. But, if ever the time comes, when the due vengeance from above shall overtake him, he will then dissemble as I. do. Then he, who now, hardened in wickedness,

triumphs over those whom his violence has laid low, will, in his turn, feel distress, and fuffer for his impious ingratitude to my father, and his blood-thirsty cruelty to my brother.

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Oh murdered, butchered brother! Oh dearest to my heart-now gone for ever from my fight!-but why should I lament his death? He is, indeed, deprived of the blessed light of heaven, of life, and kingdom, at once, by the very person who ought to have been the first to hazard his own life, in defence of any one Micipfa's family. But, as things are, my brother is not so much deprived of these comforts, as delivered from terror, from flight, from exile, and the endless train of miseries which render life to me a burden. He lies full low, gored with wounds, and festering in his own blood. But he lies in peace. He feels none of the miseries which rend my foul with agony and diftraction, while I am fet up a spectacle to all mankind, of the uncertainty of human affairs. So far from having it in my power to punish his murderer, I am not maf ter of the means of fecuring my own life. So far from being in a condition to defend my kingdom from the violence of the ufurper, I am obliged to apply for foreign protection for my own perfon.

Fathers! Senators of Rome! the arbiters of nations! to you I fly for refuge from the murderous fury of Jugurtha. By your affection for your children; by your love for your country; by your own virtues; by the majesty of the Roman commonwealth; by all that is facred, and all that is dear to you-deliver a wretched prince from undeserved, unprovoked injury; and fave the kingdom of Numidia, which is your own property, from being the prey of violence, ufurpation, and cruelty!

SALLUST.

SECTION III.

The APOSTLE PAUL'S noble defence before FLSTUS and
AGRIPPA.

4

AGRIPPA faid unto Paul, thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and anfwered for himself.

I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall anfwer for myfelf this day before thee, concerning all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews: especially, as I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among my own nation at Jerufalem, know all the the Jews; who knew me from the beginning, (if they would testify,) that after the straitest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharifee. And now I stand, and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers: to which promise, our twelve tribes continually ferving God day and night, hope to come: and, for this hope's fake, king Agrippa, I am accufed by the Jews.

Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jefus of Nazareth: and this I did in Jerufalem. Many of the faints 1 shut up in prifon, having received authority from the chief priests: and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I often punished them in every fynagogue, and compelled them to blafpheme; and being ex

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